How to Conclude an
Informative-Explanatory Essay
“That’s a wrap!”
Mrs. Tolonen adapted information from this source:
http://www.how.com/End-an-Essay
Finish your essay with a BANG!
Your conclusion is important,
should briefly sum up your main
points, and end memorably.
Leave your reader THINKING!
Start with a small transition
(optional).
This can be a cue to your reader that you're ending your
essay, and that he/she needs to pay attention. Though a
lot of essays begin their last paragraph with a transition,
you don't need to if you feel like it's clear enough that
you are ending your essay. The transition can be as
simple as:
• "In conclusion,..."
• "Finally,..."
• "In the end,..."
(Refer to your blue transitional words handout from Tri 1.)
Briefly summarize the main points.
Try taking the first sentences of each body
paragraph (your topic sentences from pg. 8) and
rewriting their main points in two or three
sentences. This will reinforce your essay's thesis /
claim.
Avoid summarizing your points exactly as you wrote
them.
Keep it short and sweet.
Your conclusion should be anywhere from 5 to 7
sentences long. Any less, and you probably
haven't summarized your points enough; any
more, and you're probably rambling on a bit
too much. “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
Restate Rephrase your thesis / claim!
You should reference your thesis / claim as you end your
essay. Remember, your thesis is the main point of your
essay, what your entire essay is explaining. If someone
who reads your conclusion still doesn't know what your
thesis is, you haven't done a good-enough job of
explaining it to him/her.
At the same time, avoid simply restating (repeating) your
thesis. Find a way to rework your thesis in an
interesting way, using different language. Restating
your thesis using the same words strikes the reader as
“boring” and perhaps “lazy”. Vary your word choice.
Use synonyms.
End with a flourish.
Your last sentence should be well-written (better
written than most), to the point, and
memorable. Illustrate the point of your essay.
End with a little bit of irony, as appropriate. Be
playful with your last sentence and pose an
ironic byproduct of what you're explaining.
This way, the end of your essay becomes
especially memorable.
Don't quote.
There is no need to clog up the ending of your
essay with quotes and analysis — that should
have been what you were doing in your body
paragraphs. If necessary, just summarize what
the quotes told you as neatly as possible, and
relate this back to the original question /
thesis / claim.
Don't use fluffy language.
Don't use fillers or fluffy words. You want your
conclusion to be readable and relatable, not
rigid and boring. Avoid the use of "Firstly,"
"Secondly," "Thirdly," etc. to bookmark your
points. Make it clear what you're saying and
how many points you're making.
Just say NO to Pillow Pets!
Don't lead the reader astray with new
material.
Now is not the time to introduce new topics or
facts. That will just confuse your reader. Don’t
jumble things up — relay simply where your
essay has led and state what you have come
to think after conducting the necessary
analysis.
DO NOT INTRODUCE ANYTHING NEW!!!
Just WRAP IT UP!
Other TRICKS to conclude your essay:
•
•
•
•
•
Reflect on the catastrophic event.
Include a possible solution.
Make a prediction for the future.
Avoid I, me, you…
There is NO need to write, “Thank you for
reading my essay”, “I hope you learned…”, or
“The End”.
• Consider using alliteration, if appropriate.
EXAMPLE
All in all, the Tolonen Tornado of 2014 in
Renton, Washington was a devastating event.
This catastrophic event not only made history,
but it created cost-effective and much-needed
solutions. Many precautions are now set as
Renton rebuilds. Another tornado is bound to
hit again. However, next time, residents will be
better prepared…or, will they?