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How to write a conclusion for an essay.
Learn how to write a conclusion paragraph for an essay in five steps.
Have you ever felt stuck trying to wrap up an essay? Whether you’re writing a book report or a college essay worth 25% of your grade, don’t be tempted to focus so much on the intro and body of the paper that you rush through the conclusion.
However, a strong conclusion is just as important as a solid introduction. While conclusions shouldn’t introduce new ideas, they neatly wrap up your essay with a sense of closure. It’s also a great chance to reinforce your argument and leave a positive impression on the reader — who, in most cases, is the teacher grading your assignment.
While the other parts of your essay matter, knowing how to write a conclusion for an essay will make your work more effective. In this guide, you’ll learn five essential steps for writing a great essay conclusion and provide some guidelines on what to leave out of your conclusion, too. Plus, find out how tools like Adobe Acrobat can streamline the writing process, from cleaning up your writing with generative AI to formatting the final draft.
1. Restate your thesis.
If you’re wondering how to start a conclusion in an essay, always begin by reiterating your thesis statement. This isn’t the time to introduce new ideas or evidence. Your conclusion should remind the reader of your main argument without repeating it verbatim. Instead, rephrase your thesis statement with a new perspective or emphasis.
Pull your thesis statement from your introduction and bring it back to the conclusion, taking care to rephrase it. Instead of putting it through a thesaurus, use the Acrobat generative AI in education tool to generate a few interesting versions of your thesis statement. While you shouldn’t use generative AI to write the entire conclusion, this tool is excellent for finding a fresh way to phrase your main argument.
2. Summarize key points.
Next, briefly revisit the main ideas from the body of your essay. The easiest way to do this is to go back through your outline and jot down the main ideas. You can use an essay template to help structure the main points. Come back to the conclusion and list these ideas in order.
However, you have a chance to make things interesting here. Instead of simply listing your points, synthesize key takeaways that show how they support your thesis. After all, you’re trying to close out an argument here and prove you know your information.
For example, if your thesis is “The internet has revolutionized education by making information more accessible across the world through adaptive technologies,” then you might write, “Throughout history, technological advancements have transformed education, increasing accessibility, engagement, and collaboration among students worldwide.”
If you need to present your paper to the class, plug your key points into the Acrobat AI flashcard maker. Review and memorize your core arguments during the writing phase to come out even stronger when you share your ideas with the class.
3. Answer the question: So what?
After reiterating your thesis and key points, tie your essay into bigger themes. Show why your argument matters beyond the classroom by connecting it to real-world implications. Tailor this section to the purpose of your essay. For example, if you’re writing a conclusion for a research paper, this is where you discuss the implications of your research, which means creating a sentence like, “As digital tools continue evolving, educators and students alike must adapt to ensure technology remains a force for good in learning.” This statement is still relevant to the content of your essay while encouraging the reader to think big.
4. End with a memorable statement.
Here’s where you can have a bit of fun. Every good essay ends with a punchy, effective statement that leaves a lasting impression. That might mean ending with:
- A question. “As artificial intelligence continues to shape the way we learn and work, will society embrace its full potential or fear its consequences?”
- A call to action. “To ensure a sustainable future, we must act now to reduce waste, conserve energy, and advocate for policies that protect our planet.”
- A prediction. “If we continue to prioritize mental health awareness, future generations may grow up in a world where seeking help is as normal as visiting a doctor for a check-up.”
If you aren’t sure how to write a good conclusion for an essay, use Adobe generative AI to come up with a few interesting options. Simply plug in your semi-finished conclusion, and the chatbot will suggest a few punchy endings to help you conclude your essay with a flourish.
5. Format your essay for readability.
You’ve done the hard work of learning how to write a conclusion paragraph for an essay. Now it’s time to prepare your essay before turning it in.
A well-structured and properly formatted essay enhances readability and professionalism. Before submitting your work, ensure your essay follows clear formatting guidelines, including:
- Any specified guidelines, like MLA or APA, required by your teacher
- Citations and references
- Consistent font and spacing
- Clear headings and subheadings
- Bullet points and numbering to improve readability
Now is also the time to spell-check your essay for any embarrassing typos.
Once you’re happy with your essay, convert it into a universally readable format for your teacher to access. The Word to PDF converter makes it a cinch to convert Word Docs into email-friendly PDFs. And if you need to edit your essay after turning it into a PDF, use the simple PDF editor to refine your copy until it’s turn-in ready.
When you finish formatting, you can use the Acrobat AI quiz generator or AI exam prep to study the material covered in your essay and feel prepared to present and potentially take an exam on the content.
What not to include in an essay conclusion.
A strong essay conclusion wraps up your ideas, reinforces your thesis, and leaves a lasting impression. However, learning how to write a conclusion for an essay also requires knowing what not to include. The last thing you want to do is to weaken your essay with unnecessary or distracting information. Avoid these common mistakes to ensure your conclusion is concise and effective.
1. New ideas.
The biggest mistake students make when writing essay conclusions is adding new information. Your conclusion should summarize and reinforce your main ideas, not introduce new ones. If you find yourself bringing in fresh evidence, it belongs in the body of your essay.
2. Verbatim repetition.
You aren’t supposed to say anything new in the conclusion, but that doesn’t mean you can paste your introduction or thesis word for word. Your conclusion should echo the introduction, not copy-paste it. Restate your thesis in a fresh way rather than repeating it verbatim. When in doubt, use generative AI to come up with new ways to phrase your original ideas.
3. Hackneyed phrases.
Certain phrases will make your teachers roll their eyes. While phrases like “to sum it up,” “in conclusion,” or “the bottom line” might seem like the best way to say something, they don’t say much at all. These phrases are redundant since your reader already knows the closing paragraph is the conclusion. Instead of stating the obvious, smoothly transition into your final thoughts without this fluff. When in doubt, remove these phrases from your conclusion, and your writing will be stronger.
4. Unnecessary fluff.
Your conclusion doesn’t need to be super lengthy. In fact, most conclusions only need to be three to four sentences long. Avoid unnecessary details or going off-topic. If you tend to ramble in your writing, ask a friend to proofread your paper and note anything that seems superfluous or unrelated. Generative AI editing tools can also pinpoint off-topic ideas for you to ruthlessly cut before the final draft.
Essays might not seem like much fun to write, but they teach you how to express yourself and make a cohesive argument. Still, the right tools can help you learn how to write a conclusion for an essay and become a better writer in no time.
Whether you’re struggling with your conclusion, formatting your final draft, or ensuring your writing is clear and concise, Acrobat can help every step of the way. Refine your conclusion with generative AI tools, edit and format your essay like a pro, and share your essay with classmates or teachers to get real-time suggestions.
Ready to ace your essay? Start using Acrobat now to write with confidence.
Frequently asked questions.
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