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Home » Blog » How to Write a Strong Essay Conclusion | EasyMarks
Land your argument with impact — without simply repeating what you already said.
6 min read · Written by UK academic writers
A strong conclusion restates your argument in fresh words, synthesises your main points to show how they answer the question, and explains the wider significance of your findings. It should not introduce new evidence or simply repeat your introduction.
The conclusion is your last chance to convince the marker that you answered the question. A weak conclusion just repeats the introduction; a strong one shows the reader what your argument adds up to and why it matters. Here is how to write one that lands.
Open the conclusion by answering the question directly, in light of everything you have argued. This reminds the marker that your essay was focused and on task throughout.
Rather than listing each paragraph again, draw the threads together to show how they combine into a single coherent answer. Synthesis demonstrates higher-order thinking and is rewarded at degree level.
Explain why your argument matters — its implications, what it changes, or what it suggests for further thought. This gives the essay a sense of purpose beyond the immediate question.
Do not introduce new evidence, do not hedge with "there are many views and no clear answer", and do not undercut your own argument at the last moment.
Like the introduction, the conclusion should be around 10% of your word count. It should feel like a decisive finish, not a long second essay.
No. New evidence or arguments belong in the body. The conclusion should only draw together what you have already established.
A summary repeats; a conclusion synthesises and interprets, showing how your points combine to answer the question and why that matters.
Occasionally, if it genuinely reinforces your argument. Usually it is stronger to end in your own words with your own position.
Around 10% of your total word count, matching the introduction roughly in length.
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A weak essay conclusion just restates the introduction in different words; a strong one demonstrates synthesis - showing the marker how the individual points made across the essay combine into a single, coherent answer to the question. The most effective structure works backwards from the essay question: restate it briefly, then explain concisely how the body paragraphs, taken together, answer it, rather than summarising each paragraph in turn as a list. Where the essay has weighed competing arguments, the conclusion is the place to state clearly which position the evidence ultimately supports and why, even if earlier sections gave fair weight to the alternative view.
Conclusions that lose marks typically do one of three things: introduce genuinely new evidence or arguments that should have appeared in the body (a conclusion should synthesise, not add new material), hedge so heavily that no clear position is taken, or simply repeat the introduction almost verbatim. A useful final check is to read the introduction and conclusion back to back - if they are near-duplicates, the conclusion needs rewriting to show development of thought across the essay, not just restatement of its starting point.
