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Writing a Conclusion

Strong conclusions leave a clear final impression. Learn how to restate your argument, synthesise key points, and finish with a confident, relevant final sentence.

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Fascinating Fact:

Summarise your best points. Two crisp sentences can gather the thread.

In GCSE English, a conclusion answers the question one last time. It gathers your strongest ideas, shows how they connect, and leaves the examiner sure your view is well supported.

Key Terms

Synthesis: Bringing your main ideas together to show the bigger picture.
Restatement: Repeating your central answer in fresh, concise words.
Final hook: A last, relevant insight that reinforces your point without adding new evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What should a GCSE English conclusion include?

A strong conclusion restates your answer, synthesises your best points, and ends with a clear statement of overall effect or message linked to the question.

How long should my conclusion be in an exam?

Aim for three to five concise sentences. That is usually enough to restate the argument, combine key points, and finish with a confident final line.

Should I add new evidence in the conclusion?

No. Do not introduce new evidence. Use the conclusion to summarise and strengthen what you have already argued in the main paragraphs.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

'But however it may be with the physical sciences, or with music, painting, and architecture, it is -- as I have tried to show -- certain that literature is doomed if liberty of thought perishes.' -- This statement is the first sentence in George Orwell's essay, 'The Prevention of Literature'. Which of the following might be the thesis (main point) of Orwell's essay?

Freedom of thought is not very important in comparison to the importance of literature

Freedom of thought is necessary in order for a society to produce literature

True freedom does not exist

Writers should always seek the highest price for their writing

Orwell specifically writes about the freedom of the press in this essay (freedom of the press is dependent on freedom of thought)

2 .

How many new points may be introduced in a conclusion?

One

Two

Three

No new points may be introduced

If you have another point which must be made, your essay is not ready for a conclusion

3 .

An unsuccessful conclusion...

argues a different thesis (main point) from that of the rest of the essay

draws attention to the significance of the essay's argument

briefly summarises the essay's argument

restates the essay's argument

Although a conclusion's only purpose is to draw the essay to a close, successful conclusions often summarise, restate or refocus the argument. They do not, however, argue a different point altogether

4 .

How does Austen present Mr. Bennet? -- Which one of the following sentences from a concluding paragraph does not answer this question?

Ultimately, Austen unmasks Mr. Bennet's joviality as a refusal to take responsibility

Austen shows how Lydia's disastrous elopement had a damaging impact on her family

Mr. Bennet is presented as a well-meaning, but fundamentally ineffectual, character

Austen shows how ineffectual Mr. Bennet is as head of the family, despite his good intentions

The question concerns the author's portrayal of Mr. Bennet, so these are the key concepts to which a conclusion should return

5 .

What could happen if a conclusion goes entirely off-topic?

The reader might be distracted from the main argument

The essay will not leave a lasting impression on the reader

The reader might remember the essay for the wrong reason

Any of the above

An excellent conclusion is an art form. Repetition is either boring or patronising to the reader (it can also look as though you've run out of steam), while introducing anything too new can distract from the rest of the essay. The best way to improve is to read a variety of conclusions and to analyse what makes them effective

6 .

A concluding paragraph may include...

a quotation

a rhetorical question

a link to the essay's introduction

Any of the above

Practise using each of these - but not all in the same conclusion! A reminder of the essay's introduction can be especially effective. This can be a reminder of the subject matter or an echo of introduction's style

7 .

'For those who study the great art of lying in bed there is one emphatic caution to be added.' -- This statement is the first sentence of the concluding paragraph in G.K. Chesterton's essay, 'On Lying in Bed'. Which of the following might be the opening sentence of the introduction?

'Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a coloured pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling'

'Let us pay a little more attention to these possibilities of the heroic and the unexpected'

'A man's minor actions and arrangements ought to be free, flexible, creative'

'But for the beautiful experiment of lying in bed I might never have discovered it'

8 .

In essay writing, what is a conclusion?

The conclusion is the answer to the essay question

A conclusion is a factual summary of a text

A conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay

The conclusion is the choice between opposing sides of an argument

9 .

Pupils are often advised to move from the specific to the general in a concluding paragraph. What is meant by this advice?

Move from the specific subject of the essay to an entirely unrelated subject

Move from careful analysis to unsupported assertions about the text

Move from the specific argument of the essay to broader or more generalised themes

All of the above

10 .

What is the purpose of a conclusion?

Its purpose is to balance the argument

Its purpose is to bring an essay to a finish

Its purpose is to remind the reader of every detail which has been included in the essay

Its purpose is to summarise the argument and finally answer the essay question

This is the concluding paragraph's only purpose - it should leave the reader feeling that the essay is complete. Imagine if you finished your essay with the paragraph which makes your final point - such an essay would come to an abrupt end and the reader would expect more (this sometimes happens when pupils run out of time in an exam). Your argument must be complete and the essay question must be answered before you begin the conclusion

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Organising information and ideas

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)