English for Beginners: How to Write a Great Conclusion!

Dialogue

Current Situation

Writing a good conclusion is like giving a good goodbye. It’s the last thing your reader sees, and it leaves a final impression. For beginners, it can be tricky because you don’t want to just repeat everything you’ve already said, but you also need to wrap things up neatly.

A strong conclusion should:

• Summarize your main points: Briefly remind the reader of your key arguments without introducing new details.
• Restate your thesis (in new words): Rephrase your main idea to show how your arguments supported it.
• Offer a final thought: This could be an implication, a prediction, a recommendation, or a broader insight related to your topic. It should leave the reader thinking.
• Provide closure: Make the reader feel like they have reached the end of the journey.

Common mistakes include starting every conclusion with “In conclusion” (it can be boring!) and introducing completely new information that wasn’t discussed in the body paragraphs.

Key Phrases

Here are some useful phrases for starting and building your conclusions, along with example sentences:

• To sum up,: Used to signal that you are summarizing everything.

  To sum up, healthy eating and regular exercise are vital for a long life.

• Ultimately,: Used to talk about the final or most important point.

  Ultimately, the success of the project depends on teamwork.

• Finally,: Used to introduce the last point or thought.

  Finally, the need for environmental protection is paramount for our future generations.

• It’s clear that…: Used to state a conclusion or a main finding clearly.

  It’s clear that these new policies will benefit the community.

• In conclusion,: A very common phrase, but use it sparingly as it can sound repetitive if overused.

  In conclusion, sustainable practices are essential for addressing climate change.

• To summarize your main points: This describes what a good conclusion does.

  A good conclusion should always summarize your main points effectively.

• Give a final thought: Refers to adding a concluding idea.

  After summarizing, try to give a final thought that leaves the reader thinking.

• Don’t introduce new information: An important rule for conclusions.

  Remember, don’t introduce new information in your conclusion, just discuss what’s already there.

Grammar Points

1. Transition Words for Conclusions

Transition words and phrases help your writing flow smoothly. For conclusions, they signal to the reader that you are about to wrap things up. They create a bridge between your main body and your final thoughts.

• Common examples: To sum up, Ultimately, Finally, Therefore, Thus, In conclusion.
• These words usually come at the beginning of a sentence and are often followed by a comma.
• Example: Therefore, it is important to reconsider our approach.

2. Simple Present Tense in Conclusions

The simple present tense is often used in conclusions to state facts, general truths, or the main findings/implications of your discussion.

• It helps to present your final statements as generally accepted or proven.
• Structure: Subject + Verb (base form or -s/-es for third person singular).
• Examples:
  • It is evident that the problem needs immediate attention. (General truth)
  • The study shows the importance of regular exercise. (Main finding)
  • This highlights the need for further research. (Implication)

3. “Keep + -ing”

This structure is used to express that an action continues or repeats. In the dialogue, Bob said, “I just keep writing ‘In conclusion…’”.

• Structure: keep + verb (base form + -ing)
• Examples:
  • She keeps practicing the piano every day. (She continues to practice)
  • They keep asking the same question. (They repeatedly ask)
  • Don’t keep interrupting me! (Stop interrupting me)

Practice Exercises