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17 Essay Conclusion Examples (Copy and Paste)

essay conclusion examples and definition, explained below

Essay conclusions are not just extra filler. They are important because they tie together your arguments, then give you the chance to forcefully drive your point home.

I created the 5 Cs conclusion method to help you write essay conclusions:

Essay Conclusion Example

I’ve previously produced the video below on how to write a conclusion that goes over the above image.

The video follows the 5 C’s method ( you can read about it in this post ), which doesn’t perfectly match each of the below copy-and-paste conclusion examples, but the principles are similar, and can help you to write your own strong conclusion:

💡 New! Try this AI Prompt to Generate a Sample 5Cs Conclusion This is my essay: [INSERT ESSAY WITHOUT THE CONCLUSION]. I want you to write a conclusion for this essay. In the first sentence of the conclusion, return to a statement I made in the introduction. In the second sentence, reiterate the thesis statement I have used. In the third sentence, clarify how my final position is relevant to the Essay Question, which is [ESSAY QUESTION]. In the fourth sentence, explain who should be interested in my findings. In the fifth sentence, end by noting in one final, engaging sentence why this topic is of such importance.

Remember: The prompt can help you generate samples but you can’t submit AI text for assessment. Make sure you write your conclusion in your own words.

Essay Conclusion Examples

Below is a range of copy-and-paste essay conclusions with gaps for you to fill-in your topic and key arguments. Browse through for one you like (there are 17 for argumentative, expository, compare and contrast, and critical essays). Once you’ve found one you like, copy it and add-in the key points to make it your own.

1. Argumentative Essay Conclusions

The arguments presented in this essay demonstrate the significant importance of _____________. While there are some strong counterarguments, such as ____________, it remains clear that the benefits/merits of _____________ far outweigh the potential downsides. The evidence presented throughout the essay strongly support _____________. In the coming years, _____________ will be increasingly important. Therefore, continual advocacy for the position presented in this essay will be necessary, especially due to its significant implications for _____________.

Version 1 Filled-In

The arguments presented in this essay demonstrate the significant importance of fighting climate change. While there are some strong counterarguments, such as the claim that it is too late to stop catastrophic change, it remains clear that the merits of taking drastic action far outweigh the potential downsides. The evidence presented throughout the essay strongly support the claim that we can at least mitigate the worst effects. In the coming years, intergovernmental worldwide agreements will be increasingly important. Therefore, continual advocacy for the position presented in this essay will be necessary, especially due to its significant implications for humankind.

chris

As this essay has shown, it is clear that the debate surrounding _____________ is multifaceted and highly complex. While there are strong arguments opposing the position that _____________, there remains overwhelming evidence to support the claim that _____________. A careful analysis of the empirical evidence suggests that _____________ not only leads to ____________, but it may also be a necessity for _____________. Moving forward, _____________ should be a priority for all stakeholders involved, as it promises a better future for _____________. The focus should now shift towards how best to integrate _____________ more effectively into society.

Version 2 Filled-In

As this essay has shown, it is clear that the debate surrounding climate change is multifaceted and highly complex. While there are strong arguments opposing the position that we should fight climate change, there remains overwhelming evidence to support the claim that action can mitigate the worst effects. A careful analysis of the empirical evidence suggests that strong action not only leads to better economic outcomes in the long term, but it may also be a necessity for preventing climate-related deaths. Moving forward, carbon emission mitigation should be a priority for all stakeholders involved, as it promises a better future for all. The focus should now shift towards how best to integrate smart climate policies more effectively into society.

Based upon the preponderance of evidence, it is evident that _____________ holds the potential to significantly alter/improve _____________. The counterarguments, while noteworthy, fail to diminish the compelling case for _____________. Following an examination of both sides of the argument, it has become clear that _____________ presents the most effective solution/approach to _____________. Consequently, it is imperative that society acknowledge the value of _____________ for developing a better  _____________. Failing to address this topic could lead to negative outcomes, including _____________.

Version 3 Filled-In

Based upon the preponderance of evidence, it is evident that addressing climate change holds the potential to significantly improve the future of society. The counterarguments, while noteworthy, fail to diminish the compelling case for immediate climate action. Following an examination of both sides of the argument, it has become clear that widespread and urgent social action presents the most effective solution to this pressing problem. Consequently, it is imperative that society acknowledge the value of taking immediate action for developing a better environment for future generations. Failing to address this topic could lead to negative outcomes, including more extreme climate events and greater economic externalities.

See Also: Examples of Counterarguments

On the balance of evidence, there is an overwhelming case for _____________. While the counterarguments offer valid points that are worth examining, they do not outweigh or overcome the argument that _____________. An evaluation of both perspectives on this topic concludes that _____________ is the most sufficient option for  _____________. The implications of embracing _____________ do not only have immediate benefits, but they also pave the way for a more _____________. Therefore, the solution of _____________ should be actively pursued by _____________.

Version 4 Filled-In

On the balance of evidence, there is an overwhelming case for immediate tax-based action to mitigate the effects of climate change. While the counterarguments offer valid points that are worth examining, they do not outweigh or overcome the argument that action is urgently necessary. An evaluation of both perspectives on this topic concludes that taking societal-wide action is the most sufficient option for  achieving the best results. The implications of embracing a society-wide approach like a carbon tax do not only have immediate benefits, but they also pave the way for a more healthy future. Therefore, the solution of a carbon tax or equivalent policy should be actively pursued by governments.

2. Expository Essay Conclusions

Overall, it is evident that _____________ plays a crucial role in _____________. The analysis presented in this essay demonstrates the clear impact of _____________ on _____________. By understanding the key facts about _____________, practitioners/society are better equipped to navigate _____________. Moving forward, further exploration of _____________ will yield additional insights and information about _____________. As such, _____________ should remain a focal point for further discussions and studies on _____________.

Overall, it is evident that social media plays a crucial role in harming teenagers’ mental health. The analysis presented in this essay demonstrates the clear impact of social media on young people. By understanding the key facts about the ways social media cause young people to experience body dysmorphia, teachers and parents are better equipped to help young people navigate online spaces. Moving forward, further exploration of the ways social media cause harm will yield additional insights and information about how it can be more sufficiently regulated. As such, the effects of social media on youth should remain a focal point for further discussions and studies on youth mental health.

To conclude, this essay has explored the multi-faceted aspects of _____________. Through a careful examination of _____________, this essay has illuminated its significant influence on _____________. This understanding allows society to appreciate the idea that _____________. As research continues to emerge, the importance of _____________ will only continue to grow. Therefore, an understanding of _____________ is not merely desirable, but imperative for _____________.

To conclude, this essay has explored the multi-faceted aspects of globalization. Through a careful examination of globalization, this essay has illuminated its significant influence on the economy, cultures, and society. This understanding allows society to appreciate the idea that globalization has both positive and negative effects. As research continues to emerge, the importance of studying globalization will only continue to grow. Therefore, an understanding of globalization’s effects is not merely desirable, but imperative for judging whether it is good or bad.

Reflecting on the discussion, it is clear that _____________ serves a pivotal role in _____________. By delving into the intricacies of _____________, we have gained valuable insights into its impact and significance. This knowledge will undoubtedly serve as a guiding principle in _____________. Moving forward, it is paramount to remain open to further explorations and studies on _____________. In this way, our understanding and appreciation of _____________ can only deepen and expand.

Reflecting on the discussion, it is clear that mass media serves a pivotal role in shaping public opinion. By delving into the intricacies of mass media, we have gained valuable insights into its impact and significance. This knowledge will undoubtedly serve as a guiding principle in shaping the media landscape. Moving forward, it is paramount to remain open to further explorations and studies on how mass media impacts society. In this way, our understanding and appreciation of mass media’s impacts can only deepen and expand.

In conclusion, this essay has shed light on the importance of _____________ in the context of _____________. The evidence and analysis provided underscore the profound effect _____________ has on _____________. The knowledge gained from exploring _____________ will undoubtedly contribute to more informed and effective decisions in _____________. As we continue to progress, the significance of understanding _____________ will remain paramount. Hence, we should strive to deepen our knowledge of _____________ to better navigate and influence _____________.

In conclusion, this essay has shed light on the importance of bedside manner in the context of nursing. The evidence and analysis provided underscore the profound effect compassionate bedside manner has on patient outcome. The knowledge gained from exploring nurses’ bedside manner will undoubtedly contribute to more informed and effective decisions in nursing practice. As we continue to progress, the significance of understanding nurses’ bedside manner will remain paramount. Hence, we should strive to deepen our knowledge of this topic to better navigate and influence patient outcomes.

See More: How to Write an Expository Essay

3. Compare and Contrast Essay Conclusion

While both _____________ and _____________ have similarities such as _____________, they also have some very important differences in areas like _____________. Through this comparative analysis, a broader understanding of _____________ and _____________ has been attained. The choice between the two will largely depend on _____________. For example, as highlighted in the essay, ____________. Despite their differences, both _____________ and _____________ have value in different situations.

While both macrosociology and microsociology have similarities such as their foci on how society is structured, they also have some very important differences in areas like their differing approaches to research methodologies. Through this comparative analysis, a broader understanding of macrosociology and microsociology has been attained. The choice between the two will largely depend on the researcher’s perspective on how society works. For example, as highlighted in the essay, microsociology is much more concerned with individuals’ experiences while macrosociology is more concerned with social structures. Despite their differences, both macrosociology and microsociology have value in different situations.

It is clear that _____________ and _____________, while seeming to be different, have shared characteristics in _____________. On the other hand, their contrasts in _____________ shed light on their unique features. The analysis provides a more nuanced comprehension of these subjects. In choosing between the two, consideration should be given to _____________. Despite their disparities, it’s crucial to acknowledge the importance of both when it comes to _____________.

It is clear that behaviorism and consructivism, while seeming to be different, have shared characteristics in their foci on knowledge acquisition over time. On the other hand, their contrasts in ideas about the role of experience in learning shed light on their unique features. The analysis provides a more nuanced comprehension of these subjects. In choosing between the two, consideration should be given to which approach works best in which situation. Despite their disparities, it’s crucial to acknowledge the importance of both when it comes to student education.

Reflecting on the points discussed, it’s evident that _____________ and _____________ share similarities such as _____________, while also demonstrating unique differences, particularly in _____________. The preference for one over the other would typically depend on factors such as _____________. Yet, regardless of their distinctions, both _____________ and _____________ play integral roles in their respective areas, significantly contributing to _____________.

Reflecting on the points discussed, it’s evident that red and orange share similarities such as the fact they are both ‘hot colors’, while also demonstrating unique differences, particularly in their social meaning (red meaning danger and orange warmth). The preference for one over the other would typically depend on factors such as personal taste. Yet, regardless of their distinctions, both red and orange play integral roles in their respective areas, significantly contributing to color theory.

Ultimately, the comparison and contrast of _____________ and _____________ have revealed intriguing similarities and notable differences. Differences such as _____________ give deeper insights into their unique and shared qualities. When it comes to choosing between them, _____________ will likely be a deciding factor. Despite these differences, it is important to remember that both _____________ and _____________ hold significant value within the context of _____________, and each contributes to _____________ in its own unique way.

Ultimately, the comparison and contrast of driving and flying have revealed intriguing similarities and notable differences. Differences such as their differing speed to destination give deeper insights into their unique and shared qualities. When it comes to choosing between them, urgency to arrive at the destination will likely be a deciding factor. Despite these differences, it is important to remember that both driving and flying hold significant value within the context of air transit, and each contributes to facilitating movement in its own unique way.

See Here for More Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

4. Critical Essay Conclusion

In conclusion, the analysis of _____________ has unveiled critical aspects related to _____________. While there are strengths in _____________, its limitations are equally telling. This critique provides a more informed perspective on _____________, revealing that there is much more beneath the surface. Moving forward, the understanding of _____________ should evolve, considering both its merits and flaws.

In conclusion, the analysis of flow theory has unveiled critical aspects related to motivation and focus. While there are strengths in achieving a flow state, its limitations are equally telling. This critique provides a more informed perspective on how humans achieve motivation, revealing that there is much more beneath the surface. Moving forward, the understanding of flow theory of motivation should evolve, considering both its merits and flaws.

To conclude, this critical examination of _____________ sheds light on its multi-dimensional nature. While _____________ presents notable advantages, it is not without its drawbacks. This in-depth critique offers a comprehensive understanding of _____________. Therefore, future engagements with _____________ should involve a balanced consideration of its strengths and weaknesses.

To conclude, this critical examination of postmodern art sheds light on its multi-dimensional nature. While postmodernism presents notable advantages, it is not without its drawbacks. This in-depth critique offers a comprehensive understanding of how it has contributed to the arts over the past 50 years. Therefore, future engagements with postmodern art should involve a balanced consideration of its strengths and weaknesses.

Upon reflection, the critique of _____________ uncovers profound insights into its underlying intricacies. Despite its positive aspects such as ________, it’s impossible to overlook its shortcomings. This analysis provides a nuanced understanding of _____________, highlighting the necessity for a balanced approach in future interactions. Indeed, both the strengths and weaknesses of _____________ should be taken into account when considering ____________.

Upon reflection, the critique of marxism uncovers profound insights into its underlying intricacies. Despite its positive aspects such as its ability to critique exploitation of labor, it’s impossible to overlook its shortcomings. This analysis provides a nuanced understanding of marxism’s harmful effects when used as an economic theory, highlighting the necessity for a balanced approach in future interactions. Indeed, both the strengths and weaknesses of marxism should be taken into account when considering the use of its ideas in real life.

Ultimately, this critique of _____________ offers a detailed look into its advantages and disadvantages. The strengths of _____________ such as __________ are significant, yet its limitations such as _________ are not insignificant. This balanced analysis not only offers a deeper understanding of _____________ but also underscores the importance of critical evaluation. Hence, it’s crucial that future discussions around _____________ continue to embrace this balanced approach.

Ultimately, this critique of artificial intelligence offers a detailed look into its advantages and disadvantages. The strengths of artificial intelligence, such as its ability to improve productivity are significant, yet its limitations such as the possibility of mass job losses are not insignificant. This balanced analysis not only offers a deeper understanding of artificial intelligence but also underscores the importance of critical evaluation. Hence, it’s crucial that future discussions around the regulation of artificial intelligence continue to embrace this balanced approach.

This article promised 17 essay conclusions, and this one you are reading now is the twenty-first. This last conclusion demonstrates that the very best essay conclusions are written uniquely, from scratch, in order to perfectly cater the conclusion to the topic. A good conclusion will tie together all the key points you made in your essay and forcefully drive home the importance or relevance of your argument, thesis statement, or simply your topic so the reader is left with one strong final point to ponder.

Chris

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 17 Behaviorism Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 25 Positive Psychology Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Animism Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 10 Magical Thinking Examples

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In a short paper—even a research paper—you don’t need to provide an exhaustive summary as part of your conclusion. But you do need to make some kind of transition between your final body paragraph and your concluding paragraph. This may come in the form of a few sentences of summary. Or it may come in the form of a sentence that brings your readers back to your thesis or main idea and reminds your readers where you began and how far you have traveled.

So, for example, in a paper about the relationship between ADHD and rejection sensitivity, Vanessa Roser begins by introducing readers to the fact that researchers have studied the relationship between the two conditions and then provides her explanation of that relationship. Here’s her thesis: “While socialization may indeed be an important factor in RS, I argue that individuals with ADHD may also possess a neurological predisposition to RS that is exacerbated by the differing executive and emotional regulation characteristic of ADHD.”

In her final paragraph, Roser reminds us of where she started by echoing her thesis: “This literature demonstrates that, as with many other conditions, ADHD and RS share a delicately intertwined pattern of neurological similarities that is rooted in the innate biology of an individual’s mind, a connection that cannot be explained in full by the behavioral mediation hypothesis.”  

Highlight the “so what”  

At the beginning of your paper, you explain to your readers what’s at stake—why they should care about the argument you’re making. In your conclusion, you can bring readers back to those stakes by reminding them why your argument is important in the first place. You can also draft a few sentences that put those stakes into a new or broader context.

In the conclusion to her paper about ADHD and RS, Roser echoes the stakes she established in her introduction—that research into connections between ADHD and RS has led to contradictory results, raising questions about the “behavioral mediation hypothesis.”

She writes, “as with many other conditions, ADHD and RS share a delicately intertwined pattern of neurological similarities that is rooted in the innate biology of an individual’s mind, a connection that cannot be explained in full by the behavioral mediation hypothesis.”  

Leave your readers with the “now what”  

After the “what” and the “so what,” you should leave your reader with some final thoughts. If you have written a strong introduction, your readers will know why you have been arguing what you have been arguing—and why they should care. And if you’ve made a good case for your thesis, then your readers should be in a position to see things in a new way, understand new questions, or be ready for something that they weren’t ready for before they read your paper.

In her conclusion, Roser offers two “now what” statements. First, she explains that it is important to recognize that the flawed behavioral mediation hypothesis “seems to place a degree of fault on the individual. It implies that individuals with ADHD must have elicited such frequent or intense rejection by virtue of their inadequate social skills, erasing the possibility that they may simply possess a natural sensitivity to emotion.” She then highlights the broader implications for treatment of people with ADHD, noting that recognizing the actual connection between rejection sensitivity and ADHD “has profound implications for understanding how individuals with ADHD might best be treated in educational settings, by counselors, family, peers, or even society as a whole.”

To find your own “now what” for your essay’s conclusion, try asking yourself these questions:

  • What can my readers now understand, see in a new light, or grapple with that they would not have understood in the same way before reading my paper? Are we a step closer to understanding a larger phenomenon or to understanding why what was at stake is so important?  
  • What questions can I now raise that would not have made sense at the beginning of my paper? Questions for further research? Other ways that this topic could be approached?  
  • Are there other applications for my research? Could my questions be asked about different data in a different context? Could I use my methods to answer a different question?  
  • What action should be taken in light of this argument? What action do I predict will be taken or could lead to a solution?  
  • What larger context might my argument be a part of?  

What to avoid in your conclusion  

  • a complete restatement of all that you have said in your paper.  
  • a substantial counterargument that you do not have space to refute; you should introduce counterarguments before your conclusion.  
  • an apology for what you have not said. If you need to explain the scope of your paper, you should do this sooner—but don’t apologize for what you have not discussed in your paper.  
  • fake transitions like “in conclusion” that are followed by sentences that aren’t actually conclusions. (“In conclusion, I have now demonstrated that my thesis is correct.”)
  • picture_as_pdf Conclusions

The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Conclusions

What this handout is about.

This handout will explain the functions of conclusions, offer strategies for writing effective ones, help you evaluate conclusions you’ve drafted, and suggest approaches to avoid.

About conclusions

Introductions and conclusions can be difficult to write, but they’re worth investing time in. They can have a significant influence on a reader’s experience of your paper.

Just as your introduction acts as a bridge that transports your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. Such a conclusion will help them see why all your analysis and information should matter to them after they put the paper down.

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to synthesize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.

Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.

Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion:

  • Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go: You: Basically, I’m just saying that education was important to Douglass. Friend: So what? You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen. Friend: Why should anybody care? You: That’s important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally. You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.
  • Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
  • Synthesize, don’t summarize. Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
  • Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
  • Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help them to apply your info and ideas to their own life or to see the broader implications.
  • Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.

Strategies to avoid

  • Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
  • Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.
  • Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
  • Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
  • Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.
  • Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.

Four kinds of ineffective conclusions

  • The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This conclusion just restates the thesis and is usually painfully short. It does not push the ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can’t think of anything else to say. Example: In conclusion, Frederick Douglass was, as we have seen, a pioneer in American education, proving that education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
  • The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. Sometimes writers will state the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. You might be tempted to use this strategy if you don’t want to give everything away too early in your paper. You may think it would be more dramatic to keep the reader in the dark until the end and then “wow” them with your main idea, as in a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The reader, however, does not expect a mystery, but an analytical discussion of your topic in an academic style, with the main argument (thesis) stated up front. Example: (After a paper that lists numerous incidents from the book but never says what these incidents reveal about Douglass and his views on education): So, as the evidence above demonstrates, Douglass saw education as a way to undermine the slaveholders’ power and also an important step toward freedom.
  • The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary, rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. Example: Because of the efforts of fine Americans like Frederick Douglass, countless others have seen the shining beacon of light that is education. His example was a torch that lit the way for others. Frederick Douglass was truly an American hero.
  • The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information that the writer found or thought of but couldn’t integrate into the main paper. You may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an otherwise-well-organized essay can just create confusion. Example: In addition to being an educational pioneer, Frederick Douglass provides an interesting case study for masculinity in the American South. He also offers historians an interesting glimpse into slave resistance when he confronts Covey, the overseer. His relationships with female relatives reveal the importance of family in the slave community.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. New York: Dover.

Hamilton College. n.d. “Conclusions.” Writing Center. Accessed June 14, 2019. https://www.hamilton.edu//academics/centers/writing/writing-resources/conclusions .

Holewa, Randa. 2004. “Strategies for Writing a Conclusion.” LEO: Literacy Education Online. Last updated February 19, 2004. https://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Writing Beginner

How to Write a Good Conclusion Paragraph (+30 Examples)

A good conclusion paragraph is the lasting impression you want to leave with your reader.

Here is a quick summary of how to write a good conclusion paragraph:

Write a good conclusion paragraph by summarizing key points, restating your thesis, and providing a final thought or call to action. Ensure it wraps up your main ideas, reinforces your argument, and leaves the reader with something to ponder.

This ultimate guide will walk you through the steps to craft an effective conclusion, along with 30 examples to inspire you.

5 Steps for Writing a Good Conclusion Paragraph

Person typing on a laptop at sunset on a cliff -- How to Write a Good Conclusion Paragraph

Table of Contents

There are five main steps to writing a good conclusion.

Let’s go through each step

1. Understand the Purpose

The conclusion is your final opportunity to leave an impact.

It should tie together your main ideas, reinforce your message, and give the reader a sense of closure.

Wrap Up Your Main Ideas

The conclusion should succinctly wrap up the main points of your writing. Think of it as a summary that captures the essence of your arguments without going into detailed explanations.

This helps reinforce what you have discussed and ensures that the reader remembers the core message.

Reinforce Your Thesis

Your thesis statement is the foundation of your writing.

In the conclusion, restate it in a new way to reinforce your central argument. This reminds the reader of the purpose of your writing and underscores its significance.

Give a Sense of Closure

A good conclusion gives a sense of closure to the reader. It signals that the discussion has come to an end and that all points have been addressed. This helps the reader feel that the piece is complete and that their time was well-spent.

Leave the Reader with Something to Think About

The best conclusions go beyond merely summarizing the content.

They leave the reader with a final thought or reflection that stays with them. This could be a call to action, a prediction about the future, or a thought-provoking question that encourages further reflection on the topic.

2. Summarize Key Points

Briefly summarize the key points discussed in the body of your text.

Avoid introducing new information. This helps the reader recall the main ideas.

Brief Summary

The summary should be concise and to the point. Highlight the main ideas discussed in your writing without going into detailed explanations. This helps refresh the reader’s memory of your key points.

Avoid New Information

Introducing new information in the conclusion can confuse the reader. The conclusion is not the place to present new arguments or data. Stick to summarizing what has already been discussed.

Recall Main Ideas

Summarizing the key points helps the reader recall the main ideas of your writing. This reinforces the message and ensures that the reader takes away the most important information from your piece.

“In conclusion, adopting sustainable practices, reducing waste, and promoting renewable energy are essential steps towards a greener future.”

3. Restate the Thesis

Restate your thesis in a new way. This reinforces your argument without sounding repetitive.

Restate, Don’t Repeat

Restating the thesis means expressing it in a new way.

Avoid repeating it verbatim.

Instead, rephrase it to reinforce your argument and show that you have successfully argued your point throughout the piece.

Reinforce the Argument

Restating the thesis helps reinforce your central argument. It reminds the reader of the purpose of your writing and underscores its significance.

Provide Closure Restating the thesis in the conclusion gives a sense of closure.

It signals that the discussion has come full circle and that you have addressed your initial argument.

“By implementing these strategies, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and protect our planet for future generations.”

4. Provide a Final Thought

Offer a final thought or reflection to leave a lasting impression. This could be a call to action, a prediction, or a thought-provoking question.

Final Thought or Reflection

A final thought or reflection can leave a lasting impression on the reader.

It shows that you are not just summarizing your points but also offering a deeper insight or perspective.

Call to Action

A call to action encourages the reader to take the next step.

It motivates them to act based on the information or arguments presented in your writing.

Prediction or Question

A prediction about the future or a thought-provoking question can engage the reader and encourage further reflection. This leaves the reader with something to think about even after they have finished reading.

“As we move forward, it’s crucial to remember that every small effort counts. Together, we can make a difference.”

5. Use a Call to Action (if applicable)

If your piece is meant to persuade or encourage action, include a call to action. This motivates the reader to take the next step.

Motivate the Reader

A call to action motivates the reader to take the next step.

It encourages them to act based on the information or arguments presented in your writing.

Encourage Action

Including a call to action is especially important in persuasive writing. It encourages the reader to act on the information provided and make a change or take a specific action.

Provide Clear Steps

A good call to action provides clear steps for the reader to follow.

It should be specific and actionable, guiding the reader on what to do next.

“Join us in making a positive change. Start today by reducing your plastic use and spreading awareness about environmental conservation.”

Check out this video about how to write a good conclusion:

How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Essay

Writing a good conclusion for an essay involves summarizing your main points, restating your thesis, and providing a final thought or reflection.

Here’s how:

  • Summarize Main Points : Briefly recap the key points discussed in the body of your essay.
  • Restate Thesis : Paraphrase your thesis statement to reinforce your argument.
  • Final Thought : Offer a final insight, question, or call to action to leave a lasting impression.

This approach ensures your essay feels complete and leaves the reader with a clear understanding of your argument.

How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Argumentative Essay

A strong conclusion for an argumentative essay should not only summarize the main points and restate the thesis but also emphasize the importance of your argument.

Follow these steps:

  • Summarize Arguments : Briefly outline the main arguments presented.
  • Restate Thesis : Rephrase your thesis to highlight its significance.
  • Address Counterarguments : Acknowledge opposing viewpoints and reinforce why your argument is stronger.
  • Call to Action : Encourage the reader to take action or reconsider their position.

How to Write a Good Conclusion for a Research Paper

Crafting a good conclusion for a research paper involves summarizing your findings, discussing their implications, and suggesting future research.

Here’s a guide:

  • Summarize Findings : Recap the key results of your research.
  • Discuss Implications : Explain the significance of your findings and how they contribute to the field.
  • Restate Research Question : Reiterate the research question and how your findings address it.
  • Suggest Future Research : Propose areas for further investigation.

This format provides a comprehensive and thoughtful conclusion that underscores the importance of your research and its potential impact.

30 Examples of Good Conclusion Paragraphs

Let’s explore some good examples of good conclusions.

Example 1: Environmental Essay

“In conclusion, the preservation of our natural resources is not just a necessity but a responsibility we owe to future generations. By taking small steps today, we can ensure a healthier planet tomorrow.”

Example 2: Technology Article

“As we embrace the advancements in technology, it is vital to remain vigilant about privacy and security. Staying informed and proactive can help us navigate the digital landscape safely.”

Example 3: Health and Wellness Blog

“Ultimately, achieving a balanced lifestyle requires dedication and mindfulness. By prioritizing our well-being, we can lead healthier and more fulfilling lives.”

Example 4: Business Report

“In summary, the market analysis indicates a positive trend for our product. With strategic planning and execution, we can capitalize on these opportunities and drive growth.”

Example 5: Education Essay

“In the end, fostering a love for learning in students is the key to their success. By creating engaging and supportive educational environments, we can inspire the next generation of leaders.”

Example 6: Travel Blog

“To conclude, exploring new destinations enriches our lives and broadens our perspectives. Embrace the adventure and discover the beauty of our world.”

Example 7: Personal Development Article

“In the final analysis, personal growth is a lifelong journey. Embrace challenges, learn from experiences, and continue striving to become the best version of yourself.”

Example 8: Marketing Case Study

“In closing, the data clearly shows that targeted marketing strategies significantly improve customer engagement and sales. By refining our approach, we can achieve even greater success.”

Example 9: Historical Analysis

“In conclusion, the events of the past continue to shape our present and future. Understanding history is essential to making informed decisions and avoiding past mistakes.”

Example 10: Scientific Research Paper

“Ultimately, the findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the subject and open the door for further research. Continued exploration in this field is vital for advancing knowledge.”

Example 11: Political Commentary

“In the end, civic engagement is crucial for a functioning democracy. Stay informed, participate in discussions, and exercise your right to vote.”

Example 12: Fashion Blog

“To wrap up, fashion is a powerful form of self-expression. Embrace your unique style and let your wardrobe reflect your personality.”

Example 13: Food Blog

“In conclusion, cooking at home not only saves money but also allows you to experiment with flavors and ingredients. Start your culinary journey today and discover the joys of homemade meals.”

Example 14: Sports Article

“Ultimately, teamwork and perseverance are the foundations of success in sports. Keep pushing your limits and strive for excellence on and off the field.”

Example 15: Literature Analysis

“In summary, the themes explored in this novel resonate with readers and offer valuable insights into the human condition. Its timeless message continues to inspire and provoke thought.”

Example 16: Parenting Blog

“In the end, raising children requires patience, love, and commitment. Cherish the moments, and remember that every effort you make shapes their future.”

Example 17: Finance Article

“To conclude, financial planning is essential for securing your future. Start today by setting clear goals and creating a budget that aligns with your aspirations.”

Example 18: Career Advice Blog

“In conclusion, building a successful career takes time and dedication. Stay focused, seek opportunities for growth, and never stop learning.”

Example 19: Fitness Blog

“Ultimately, regular exercise and a balanced diet are key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Stay motivated, and remember that every step counts towards your fitness goals.”

Example 20: DIY Blog

“In summary, DIY projects are a rewarding way to personalize your space and learn new skills. Get creative and start your next project today.”

Example 21: Relationship Advice

“In the end, strong relationships are built on communication, trust, and mutual respect. Nurture your connections and strive for harmony in your interactions.”

Example 22: Pet Care Blog

“To wrap up, responsible pet ownership involves understanding your pet’s needs and providing them with a loving home. Invest in their well-being, and they’ll reward you with unconditional love.”

Example 23: Environmental Science Paper

“In conclusion, addressing climate change requires global cooperation and immediate action. Every effort counts, and together we can create a sustainable future.”

Example 24: Technology Review

“Ultimately, this gadget offers impressive features that enhance convenience and efficiency. Consider it for your next tech upgrade.”

Example 25: Psychology Article

“In summary, understanding human behavior is crucial for improving mental health and well-being. Continue exploring this fascinating field for more insights.”

Example 26: Gardening Blog

“In the end, gardening is a therapeutic and rewarding hobby that connects us with nature. Start your garden today and enjoy the benefits of fresh produce and beautiful blooms.”

Example 27: Home Improvement Article

“To conclude, home improvement projects can significantly enhance your living space and increase property value. Plan carefully and enjoy the transformation.”

Example 28: Social Media Marketing

“In conclusion, effective social media marketing requires consistency, creativity, and engagement. Develop a strategy that resonates with your audience and watch your brand grow.”

Example 29: Automotive Review

“Ultimately, this vehicle combines performance, style, and safety. Take it for a test drive and experience its capabilities firsthand.”

Example 30: Music Blog

“In summary, music has the power to evoke emotions and bring people together. Explore different genres and find the soundtrack to your life.”

Tips for Writing a Strong Conclusion

Here are some simple but good tips for writing a powerful conclusion:

  • Keep it Concise – A good conclusion should be short and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details and focus on wrapping up your main ideas.
  • Use Clear Language – Ensure your language is clear and easy to understand. Avoid jargon and complex sentences.
  • Be Consistent – Maintain the same tone and style as the rest of your text. Consistency helps create a seamless reading experience.
  • End on a Positive Note – Whenever possible, end with a positive or uplifting message. This leaves the reader with a good impression.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are some common mistakes that many writers make when crafting their conclusions.

  • Introducing New Information – Don’t introduce new ideas or arguments in the conclusion. This can confuse the reader and dilute your main points.
  • Being Vague – Avoid vague statements that don’t add value. Be specific and clear in your summary.
  • Repetitiveness – Don’t repeat the same points over and over. Restate your thesis and key points in a new way.
  • Ignoring the Thesis – Make sure to tie your conclusion back to your thesis. This reinforces your argument and gives a sense of closure.

Final Thoughts: How to Write a Good Conclusion Paragraph

Writing a good conclusion paragraph is essential for creating a cohesive and impactful piece of writing.

By summarizing key points, restating the thesis, providing a final thought, and using a call to action, you can craft a strong conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Use the 30 examples provided to inspire your own writing and ensure your conclusions are always effective and engaging.

Read This Next:

  • How to Write an Introduction Paragraph [50+ Examples]
  • How to Write a Paragraph [Ultimate Guide + Examples]
  • Types of Evidence in Writing [Ultimate Guide + Examples]
  • Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer [Guide + Free Templates]
  • How to Write a Hook (40 Good Examples)

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write an excellent thesis conclusion [with examples]

Tips for writing thesis conclusion

Restate the thesis

Review or reiterate key points of your work, explain why your work is relevant, a take-away for the reader, more resources on writing thesis conclusions, frequently asked questions about writing an excellent thesis conclusion, related articles.

At this point in your writing, you have most likely finished your introduction and the body of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper . While this is a reason to celebrate, you should not underestimate the importance of your conclusion. The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable.

A good conclusion will review the key points of the thesis and explain to the reader why the information is relevant, applicable, or related to the world as a whole. Make sure to dedicate enough of your writing time to the conclusion and do not put it off until the very last minute.

This article provides an effective technique for writing a conclusion adapted from Erika Eby’s The College Student's Guide to Writing a Good Research Paper: 101 Easy Tips & Tricks to Make Your Work Stand Out .

While the thesis introduction starts out with broad statements about the topic, and then narrows it down to the thesis statement , a thesis conclusion does the same in the opposite order.

  • Restate the thesis.
  • Review or reiterate key points of your work.
  • Explain why your work is relevant.
  • Include a core take-away message for the reader.

Tip: Don’t just copy and paste your thesis into your conclusion. Restate it in different words.

The best way to start a conclusion is simply by restating the thesis statement. That does not mean just copying and pasting it from the introduction, but putting it into different words.

You will need to change the structure and wording of it to avoid sounding repetitive. Also, be firm in your conclusion just as you were in the introduction. Try to avoid sounding apologetic by using phrases like "This paper has tried to show..."

The conclusion should address all the same parts as the thesis while making it clear that the reader has reached the end. You are telling the reader that your research is finished and what your findings are.

I have argued throughout this work that the point of critical mass for biopolitical immunity occurred during the Romantic period because of that era's unique combination of post-revolutionary politics and innovations in smallpox prevention. In particular, I demonstrated that the French Revolution and the discovery of vaccination in the 1790s triggered a reconsideration of the relationship between bodies and the state.

Tip: Try to reiterate points from your introduction in your thesis conclusion.

The next step is to review the main points of the thesis as a whole. Look back at the body of of your project and make a note of the key ideas. You can reword these ideas the same way you reworded your thesis statement and then incorporate that into the conclusion.

You can also repeat striking quotations or statistics, but do not use more than two. As the conclusion represents your own closing thoughts on the topic , it should mainly consist of your own words.

In addition, conclusions can contain recommendations to the reader or relevant questions that further the thesis. You should ask yourself:

  • What you would ideally like to see your readers do in reaction to your paper?
  • Do you want them to take a certain action or investigate further?
  • Is there a bigger issue that your paper wants to draw attention to?

Also, try to reference your introduction in your conclusion. You have already taken a first step by restating your thesis. Now, check whether there are other key words, phrases or ideas that are mentioned in your introduction that fit into your conclusion. Connecting the introduction to the conclusion in this way will help readers feel satisfied.

I explored how Mary Wollstonecraft, in both her fiction and political writings, envisions an ideal medico-political state, and how other writers like William Wordsworth and Mary Shelley increasingly imagined the body politic literally, as an incorporated political collective made up of bodies whose immunity to political and medical ills was essential to a healthy state.

Tip: Make sure to explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research.

Although you can encourage readers to question their opinions and reflect on your topic, do not leave loose ends. You should provide a sense of resolution and make sure your conclusion wraps up your argument. Make sure you explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research and how your research intervenes within, or substantially revises, existing scholarly debates.

This project challenged conventional ideas about the relationship among Romanticism, medicine, and politics by reading the unfolding of Romantic literature and biopolitical immunity as mutual, co-productive processes. In doing so, this thesis revises the ways in which biopolitics has been theorized by insisting on the inherent connections between Romantic literature and the forms of biopower that characterize early modernity.

Tip: If you began your thesis with an anecdote or historical example, you may want to return to that in your conclusion.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as:

  • a call to action
  • a recommendation
  • a gesture towards future research
  • a brief explanation of how the problem or idea you covered remains relevant

Ultimately, you want readers to feel more informed, or ready to act, as they read your conclusion.

Yet, the Romantic period is only the beginning of modern thought on immunity and biopolitics. Victorian writers, doctors, and politicians upheld the Romantic idea that a "healthy state" was a literal condition that could be achieved by combining politics and medicine, but augmented that idea through legislation and widespread public health measures. While many nineteenth-century efforts to improve citizens' health were successful, the fight against disease ultimately changed course in the twentieth century as global immunological threats such as SARS occupied public consciousness. Indeed, as subsequent public health events make apparent, biopolitical immunity persists as a viable concept for thinking about the relationship between medicine and politics in modernity.

Need more advice? Read our 5 additional tips on how to write a good thesis conclusion.

The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable. To write a great thesis conclusion you should:

The basic content of a conclusion is to review the main points from the paper. This part represents your own closing thoughts on the topic. It should mainly consist of the outcome of the research in your own words.

The length of the conclusion will depend on the length of the whole thesis. Usually, a conclusion should be around 5-7% of the overall word count.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as a question, warning, or call to action. Depending on the topic, you can also end with a recommendation.

In Open Access: Theses and Dissertations you can find thousands of completed works. Take a look at any of the theses or dissertations for real-life examples of conclusions that were already approved.

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Gordon-Conwell Writing Center

  • Understanding Writing Expectations
  • Brainstorming and Writer's Block
  • Outlining for Successful Writing
  • Writing a Strong Introduction
  • Creating a Clear Thesis Statement
  • Developing Body Paragraphs
  • Connecting Ideas with Transitions
  • Choosing the Best Sources
  • Using Sources Effectively
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Paraphrasing without Plagiarizing
  • Addressing Counterarguments

Ending with a Strong Conclusion

  • Using Words Wisely
  • Punctuating Correctly
  • Revising, Editing, & Proofreading
  • Applying Feedback
  • Formatting Correctly
  • Recorded Writing Workshops
  • Return to GCTS Library Home Page

Just as we say good-bye to people when ending a conversation, so must a writer conclude his/her written text. A writer should imagine that readers have read the text but have not fully grasped all the ideas. Furthermore, the writer must assume that readers do not necessarily know how to respond to the topic. Therefore, it is a writer’s job to remind readers about his/her main claim and key ideas as well as call readers to action. Failing to do so might mean that readers are left with questions about a text and/or do not respond properly to it.

Summarized Explanation

  • Most multi-paragraph texts require a concluding paragraph. A basic concluding paragraph should include three main parts (restated thesis, summarized key ideas, clincher).

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Detailed Explanation

The following examples are the same ones that appears in the writing guide for Writing a Strong Introduction . 

Color-coding key:

  • Restated Thesis
  • Summarized Key Ideas

Example #1           

          (Introduction)  Meeting someone for the first time without a proper introduction can be awkward. Likewise, a text without an introductory paragraph leaves a lot to be desired. The introduction is the first thing that readers see in a text. For that reason, it ought to engage and inform readers. To accomplish this, writers should begin texts with an introductory paragraph that includes an effective hook, background information, and thesis statement.

          (Body Paragraphs)

  • Why writers should include a hook in an introductory paragraph.
  • Why writers should include background information in an introductory paragraph.
  • Why writers should include a thesis statement in an introductory paragraph.

          (Concluding Paragraph) In conclusion, a thorough three-part introductory paragraph will ensure a strong start to any text. The first element of an introduction, the hook, works to intrigue readers. Then they will be ready to read more of the background information on a topic. And to top things off, the thesis statement indicates the purpose and focus of a text so that readers know what to expect. Therefore, the importance of an introductory paragraph should not be underestimated, and all writers should seek to create truly engaging introductions.

          (Introduction) They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This adage is true, but not everything is relative. For example, in the world of writing, texts can take many forms, and writers have a lot of creative freedom. That said, there are some basic frameworks that should be employed for most writing forms—for example, the tried-and-true template for an introductory paragraph. Considering this, the previous introductory paragraph is quite effective because it includes a strong hook, background information, and thesis statement.

  • Why the previous introductory paragraph includes a strong hook.
  • Why the previous introductory paragraph includes strong background information.
  • Why the previous introductory paragraph includes a strong thesis statement.

          (Concluding Paragraphs) To sum up, the sample text is a great example of a strong introductory paragraph. As noted previously, its hook is creative and compels readers to keep going. Afterward, they are met with relevant background information followed by a thesis statement that effectively forecasts the writer's position and key ideas. All in all, this introductory paragraph should be saved and referenced frequently for any writer who wants to create successful introductions.

  • GET WRITING HELP TODAY! The Gordon-Conwell Writing Center offers professional revision and editing services for academic and ministerial writing. Click the link above to learn more!
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Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, conclusions – how to write compelling conclusions.

  • © 2023 by Jennifer Janechek - IBM Quantum

Conclusions generally address these issues:

  • How can you restate your ideas concisely and in a new way?
  • What have you left your reader to think about at the end of your paper?
  • How does your paper answer the “so what?” question?

As the last part of the paper, conclusions often get the short shrift. We instructors know (not that we condone it)—many students devote a lot less attention to the writing of the conclusion. Some students might even finish their conclusion thirty minutes before they have to turn in their papers. But even if you’re practicing desperation writing, don’t neglect your conclusion; it’s a very integral part of your paper.

Think about it: Why would you spend so much time writing your introductory material and your body paragraphs and then kill the paper by leaving your reader with a dud for a conclusion? Rather than simply trailing off at the end, it’s important to learn to construct a compelling conclusion—one that both reiterates your ideas and leaves your reader with something to think about.

How do I reiterate my main points?

In the first part of the conclusion, you should spend a brief amount of time summarizing what you’ve covered in your paper. This reiteration should not merely be a restatement of your thesis or a collection of your topic sentences but should be a condensed version of your argument, topic, and/or purpose.

Let’s take a look at an example reiteration from a paper about offshore drilling:

Ideally, a ban on all offshore drilling is the answer to the devastating and culminating environmental concerns that result when oil spills occur. Given the catastrophic history of three major oil spills, the environmental and economic consequences of offshore drilling should now be obvious.

Now, let’s return to the thesis statement in this paper so we can see if it differs from the conclusion:

As a nation, we should reevaluate all forms of offshore drilling, but deep water offshore oil drilling, specifically, should be banned until the technology to stop and clean up oil spills catches up with our drilling technology. Though some may argue that offshore drilling provides economic advantages and would lessen our dependence on foreign oil, the environmental and economic consequences of an oil spill are so drastic that they far outweigh the advantages.

The author has already discussed environmental/economic concerns with oil drilling. In the above example, the author provides an overview of the paper in the second sentence of the conclusion, recapping the main points and reminding the readers that they should now be willing to acknowledge this position as viable.

Though you may not always want to take this aggressive of an approach (i.e., saying something should be obvious to the reader), the key is to summarize your main ideas without “plagiarizing” by repeating yourself word for word. Instead, you may take the approach of saying, “The readers can now see, given the catastrophic history of three major oil spills, the environmental and economic consequences of oil drilling.”

Can you give me a real-life example of a conclusion?

Think of conclusions this way: You are watching a movie, which has just reached the critical plot point (the murderer will be revealed, the couple will finally kiss, the victim will be rescued, etc.), when someone else enters the room. This person has no idea what is happening in the movie. They might lean over to ask, “What’s going on?” You now have to condense the entire plot in a way that makes sense, so the person will not have to ask any other questions, but quickly, so that you don’t miss any more of the movie.

Your conclusion in a paper works in a similar way. When you write your conclusion, imagine that a person has just showed up in time to hear the last paragraph. What does that reader need to know in order to get the gist of your paper? You cannot go over the entire argument again because the rest of your readers have actually been present and listening the whole time. They don’t need to hear the details again. Writing a compelling conclusion usually relies on the balance between two needs: give enough detail to cover your point, but be brief enough to make it obvious that this is the end of the paper.

Remember that reiteration is not restatement. Summarize your paper in one to two sentences (or even three or four, depending on the length of the paper), and then move on to answering the “So what?” question.

How can I answer the “So what?” question?

The bulk of your conclusion should answer the “So what?” question. Have you ever had an instructor write “So what?” at the end of your paper? This is not meant to offend but rather to remind you to show readers the significance of your argument. Readers do not need or want an entire paragraph of summary, so you should craft some new tidbit of interesting information that serves as an extension of your original ideas.

There are a variety of ways that you can answer the “So what?” question. The following are just a few types of such “endnotes”:

The Call to Action

The call to action can be used at the end of a variety of papers, but it works best for persuasive papers. Persuasive papers include social action papers and Rogerian argument essays, which begin with a problem and move toward a solution that serves as the author’s thesis. Any time your purpose in writing is to change your readers’ minds or you want to get your readers to do something, the call to action is the way to go. The call to action asks your readers, after having progressed through a compelling and coherent argument, to do something or believe a certain way.

Following the reiteration of the essay’s argument, here is an example call to action:

We have advanced technology that allows deepwater offshore drilling, but we lack the similarly advanced technology that would manage these spills effectively. As such, until cleanup and prevention technology are available, we gatekeepers of our coastal shores and defenders of marine wildlife should ban offshore drilling, or, at the very least, demand a moratorium on all offshore oil drilling.

This call to action requests that the readers consider a ban on offshore drilling. Remember, you need to identify your audience before you begin writing. Whether the author wants readers to actually enact the ban or just to come to this side of the argument, the conclusion asks readers to do or believe something new based upon the information they just received.

The Contextualization

The contextualization places the author’s local argument, topic, or purpose in a more global context so that readers can see the larger purpose for the piece or where the piece fits into a larger conversation. Writers do research for papers in part so they can enter into specific conversations, and they provide their readers with a contextualization in the conclusion to acknowledge the broader dialogue that contains that smaller conversation.

For instance, if we were to return to the paper on offshore drilling, rather than proposing a ban (a call to action), we might provide the reader with a contextualization:

We have advanced technology that allows deepwater offshore drilling, but we lack the advanced technology that would manage these spills effectively. Thus, one can see the need to place environmental concerns at the forefront of the political arena. Many politicians have already done so, including Senator Doe and Congresswoman Smith.

Rather than asking readers to do or believe something, this conclusion answers the “So what?” question by showing why this specific conversation about offshore drilling matters in the larger conversation about politics and environmentalism.

The twist leaves readers with a contrasting idea to consider. For instance, to continue the offshore drilling paper, the author might provide readers with a twist in the last few lines of the conclusion:

While offshore drilling is certainly an important issue today, it is only a small part of the greater problem of environmental abuse. Until we are ready to address global issues, even a moratorium on offshore drilling will only delay the inevitable destruction of the environment.

While this contrasting idea does not negate the writer’s original argument, it does present an alternative contrasting idea to weigh against the original argument. The twist is similar to a cliffhanger, as it is intended to leave readers saying, “Hmm…”

Suggest Possibilities for Future Research

This approach to answering “So what?” is best for projects that might be developed into larger, ongoing projects later or to suggest possibilities for future research someone else who might be interested in that topic could explore. This approach involves pinpointing various directions which your research might take if someone were to extend the ideas included in your paper. Research is a conversation, so it’s important to consider how your piece fits into this conversation and how others might use it in their own conversations.

For example, to suggest possibilities for future research based on the paper on offshore drilling, the conclusion might end with something like this:

I have just explored the economic and environmental repercussions of offshore drilling based on the examples we have of three major oil spills over the past thirty years. Future research might uncover more economic and environmental consequences of offshore drilling, consequences that will become clearer as the effects of the BP oil spill become more pronounced and as more time passes.

Suggesting opportunities for future research involves the reader in the paper, just like the call to action. Readers may be inspired by your brilliant ideas to use your piece as a jumping-off point!

Whether you use a call to action, a twist, a contextualization, or a suggestion of future possibilities for research, it’s important to answer the “So what?” question to keep readers interested in your topic until the very end of the paper. And, perhaps more importantly, leaving your readers with something to consider makes it more likely that they will remember your piece of writing.

Revise your own argument by using the following questions to guide you:

  • What do you want readers to take away from your discussion?
  • What are the main points you made, why should readers care, and what ideas should they take away?

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Brevity - Say More with Less

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Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

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Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

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How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay

strong conclusions examples

By the time you get to the final paragraph of your paper, you have already done so much work on your essay, so all you want to do is to wrap it up as quickly as possible. You’ve already made a stunning introduction, proven your argument, and structured the whole piece as supposed – who cares about making a good conclusion paragraph?

The only thing you need to remember is that the conclusion of an essay is not just the last paragraph of an academic paper where you restate your thesis and key arguments. A concluding paragraph is also your opportunity to have a final impact on your audience. 

Feeling Overwhelmed Writing Your Essay Conclusion?

Simply send us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll get it done fast.

How to write a conclusion paragraph that leaves a lasting impression – In this guide, the team at EssayPro is going to walk you through the process of writing a perfect conclusion step by step. Additionally, we will share valuable tips and tricks to help students of all ages impress their readers at the last moment.

Instead of Intro: What Is a Conclusion?

Before we can move on, let’s take a moment here to define the conclusion itself. According to the standard conclusion definition, it is pretty much the last part of something, its result, or end. However, this term is rather broad and superficial.

When it comes to writing academic papers, a concluding statement refers to an opinion, judgment, suggestion, or position arrived at by logical reasoning (through the arguments provided in the body of the text). Therefore, if you are wondering “what is a good closing sentence like?” – keep on reading.

What Does a Good Conclusion Mean?

Writing a good conclusion for a paper isn’t easy. However, we are going to walk you through this process step by step. Although there are generally no strict rules on how to formulate one, there are some basic principles that everyone should keep in mind. In this section, we will share some core ideas for writing a good conclusion, and, later in the article, we will also provide you with more practical advice and examples.

How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay _ 4 MAJOR OBJECTIVES THAT CONCLUSION MUST ACCOMPLISH

Here are the core goals a good conclusion should complete:

  • “Wrap up” the entire paper;
  • Demonstrate to readers that the author accomplished what he/she set out to do;
  • Show how you the author has proved their thesis statement;
  • Give a sense of completeness and closure on the topic;
  • Leave something extra for your reader to think about;
  • Leave a powerful final impact on a reader.

Another key thing to remember is that you should not introduce any new ideas or arguments to your paper's conclusion. It should only sum up what you have already written, revisit your thesis statement, and end with a powerful final impression.

When considering how to write a conclusion that works, here are the key points to keep in mind:

  • A concluding sentence should only revisit the thesis statement, not restate it;
  • It should summarize the main ideas from the body of the paper;
  • It should demonstrate the significance and relevance of your work;
  • An essay’s conclusion should include a call for action and leave space for further study or development of the topic (if necessary).

How Long Should a Conclusion Be? 

Although there are no strict universal rules regarding the length of an essay’s final clause, both teachers and experienced writers recommend keeping it clear, concise, and straight to the point. There is an unspoken rule that the introduction and conclusion of an academic paper should both be about 10% of the overall paper’s volume. For example, if you were assigned a 1500 word essay, both the introductory and final clauses should be approximately 150 words long (300 together).

Why You Need to Know How to End an Essay:

A conclusion is what drives a paper to its logical end. It also drives the main points of your piece one last time. It is your last opportunity to impact and impress your audience. And, most importantly, it is your chance to demonstrate to readers why your work matters. Simply put, the final paragraph of your essay should answer the last important question a reader will have – “So what?”

If you do a concluding paragraph right, it can give your readers a sense of logical completeness. On the other hand, if you do not make it powerful enough, it can leave them hanging, and diminish the effect of the entire piece.

Strategies to Crafting a Proper Conclusion

Although there are no strict rules for what style to use to write your conclusion, there are several strategies that have been proven to be effective. In the list below, you can find some of the most effective strategies with some good conclusion paragraph examples to help you grasp the idea.

One effective way to emphasize the significance of your essay and give the audience some thought to ponder about is by taking a look into the future. The “When and If” technique is quite powerful when it comes to supporting your points in the essay’s conclusion.

Prediction essay conclusion example: “Taking care of a pet is quite hard, which is the reason why most parents refuse their children’s requests to get a pet. However, the refusal should be the last choice of parents. If we want to inculcate a deep sense of responsibility and organization in our kids, and, at the same time, sprout compassion in them, we must let our children take care of pets.”

Another effective strategy is to link your conclusion to your introductory paragraph. This will create a full-circle narration for your readers, create a better understanding of your topic, and emphasize your key point.

Echo conclusion paragraph example: Introduction: “I believe that all children should grow up with a pet. I still remember the exact day my parents brought my first puppy to our house. This was one of the happiest moments in my life and, at the same time, one of the most life-changing ones. Growing up with a pet taught me a lot, and most importantly, it taught me to be responsible.” Conclusion:. “I remember when I picked up my first puppy and how happy I was at that time. Growing up with a pet, I learned what it means to take care of someone, make sure that he always has water and food, teach him, and constantly keep an eye on my little companion. Having a child grow up with a pet teaches them responsibility and helps them acquire a variety of other life skills like leadership, love, compassion, and empathy. This is why I believe that every kid should grow up with a pet!”

Finally, one more trick that will help you create a flawless conclusion is to amplify your main idea or to present it in another perspective of a larger context. This technique will help your readers to look at the problem discussed from a different angle.

Step-up argumentative essay conclusion example: “Despite the obvious advantages of owning a pet in childhood, I feel that we cannot generalize whether all children should have a pet. Whereas some kids may benefit from such experiences, namely, by becoming more compassionate, organized, and responsible, it really depends on the situation, motivation, and enthusiasm of a particular child for owning a pet.”

What is a clincher in an essay? – The final part of an essay’s conclusion is often referred to as a clincher sentence. According to the clincher definition, it is a final sentence that reinforces the main idea or leaves the audience with an intriguing thought to ponder upon. In a nutshell, the clincher is very similar to the hook you would use in an introductory paragraph. Its core mission is to seize the audience’s attention until the end of the paper. At the same time, this statement is what creates a sense of completeness and helps the author leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Now, since you now know what a clincher is, you are probably wondering how to use one in your own paper. First of all, keep in mind that a good clincher should be intriguing, memorable, smooth, and straightforward.

Generally, there are several different tricks you can use for your clincher statement; it can be:

  • A short, but memorable and attention-grabbing conclusion;
  • A relevant and memorable quote (only if it brings actual value);
  • A call to action;
  • A rhetorical question;
  • An illustrative story or provocative example;
  • A warning against a possibility or suggestion about the consequences of a discussed problem;
  • A joke (however, be careful with this as it may not always be deemed appropriate).

Regardless of the technique you choose, make sure that your clincher is memorable and aligns with your introduction and thesis.

Clincher examples: - While New York may not be the only place with the breathtaking views, it is definitely among my personal to 3… and that’s what definitely makes it worth visiting. - “Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars”, Divine Comedy - Don’t you think all these advantages sound like almost life-saving benefits of owning a pet? “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”, The Great Gatsby

strategies

Conclusion Writing Don'ts 

Now, when you know what tricks and techniques you should use to create a perfect conclusion, let’s look at some of the things you should not do with our online paper writing service :

  • Starting with some cliché concluding sentence starters. Many students find common phrases like “In conclusion,” “Therefore,” “In summary,” or similar statements to be pretty good conclusion starters. However, though such conclusion sentence starters may work in certain cases – for example, in speeches – they are overused, so it is recommended not to use them in writing to introduce your conclusion.
  • Putting the first mention of your thesis statement in the conclusion – it has to be presented in your introduction first.
  • Providing new arguments, subtopics, or ideas in the conclusion paragraph.
  • Including a slightly changed or unchanged thesis statement.
  • Providing arguments and evidence that belong in the body of the work.
  • Writing too long, hard to read, or confusing sentences.

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Conclusion Paragraph Outline

The total number of sentences in your final paragraph may vary depending on the number of points you discussed in your essay, as well as on the overall word count of your paper. However, the overall conclusion paragraph outline will remain the same and consists of the following elements:

conclusion ouline

  • A conclusion starter:

The first part of your paragraph should drive readers back to your thesis statement. Thus, if you were wondering how to start a conclusion, the best way to do it is by rephrasing your thesis statement.

  • Summary of the body paragraphs:

Right after revisiting your thesis, you should include several sentences that wrap up the key highlights and points from your body paragraphs. This part of your conclusion can consist of 2-3 sentences—depending on the number of arguments you’ve made. If necessary, you can also explain to the readers how your main points fit together.

  • A concluding sentence:

Finally, you should end your paragraph with a last, powerful sentence that leaves a lasting impression, gives a sense of logical completeness, and connects readers back to the introduction of the paper.

These three key elements make up a perfect essay conclusion. Now, to give you an even better idea of how to create a perfect conclusion, let us give you a sample conclusion paragraph outline with examples from an argumentative essay on the topic of “Every Child Should Own a Pet:

  • Sentence 1: Starter
  • ~ Thesis: "Though taking care of a pet may be a bit challenging for small children. Parents should not restrict their kids from having a pet as it helps them grow into more responsible and compassionate people."
  • ~ Restated thesis for a conclusion: "I can say that taking care of a pet is good for every child."
  • Sentences 2-4: Summary
  • ~ "Studies have shown that pet owners generally have fewer health problems."
  • ~ "Owning a pet teaches a child to be more responsible."
  • ~ "Spending time with a pet reduces stress, feelings of loneliness, and anxiety."
  • Sentence 5: A concluding sentence
  • ~ "Pets can really change a child life for the better, so don't hesitate to endorse your kid's desire to own a pet."

This is a clear example of how you can shape your conclusion paragraph.

How to Conclude Various Types of Essays

Depending on the type of academic essay you are working on, your concluding paragraph's style, tone, and length may vary. In this part of our guide, we will tell you how to end different types of essays and other works.

How to End an Argumentative Essay

Persuasive or argumentative essays always have the single goal of convincing readers of something (an idea, stance, or viewpoint) by appealing to arguments, facts, logic, and even emotions. The conclusion for such an essay has to be persuasive as well. A good trick you can use is to illustrate a real-life scenario that proves your stance or encourages readers to take action. More about persuasive essay outline you can read in our article.

Here are a few more tips for making a perfect conclusion for an argumentative essay:

  • Carefully read the whole essay before you begin;
  • Re-emphasize your ideas;
  • Discuss possible implications;
  • Don’t be afraid to appeal to the reader’s emotions.

How to End a Compare and Contrast Essay

The purpose of a compare and contrast essay is to emphasize the differences or similarities between two or more objects, people, phenomena, etc. Therefore, a logical conclusion should highlight how the reviewed objects are different or similar. Basically, in such a paper, your conclusion should recall all of the key common and distinctive features discussed in the body of your essay and also give readers some food for thought after they finish reading it.

How to Conclude a Descriptive Essay

The key idea of a descriptive essay is to showcase your creativity and writing skills by painting a vivid picture with the help of words. This is one of the most creative types of essays as it requires you to show a story, not tell it. This kind of essay implies using a lot of vivid details. Respectively, the conclusion of such a paper should also use descriptive imagery and, at the same time, sum up the main ideas. A good strategy for ending a descriptive essay would be to begin with a short explanation of why you wrote the essay. Then, you should reflect on how your topic affects you. In the middle of the conclusion, you should cover the most critical moments of the story to smoothly lead the reader into a logical closing statement. The “clincher”, in this case, should be a thought-provoking final sentence that leaves a good and lasting impression on the audience. Do not lead the reader into the essay and then leave them with dwindling memories of it.

How to Conclude an Essay About Yourself

If you find yourself writing an essay about yourself, you need to tell a personal story. As a rule, such essays talk about the author’s experiences, which is why a conclusion should create a feeling of narrative closure. A good strategy is to end your story with a logical finale and the lessons you have learned, while, at the same time, linking it to the introductory paragraph and recalling key moments from the story.

How to End an Informative Essay

Unlike other types of papers, informative or expository essays load readers with a lot of information and facts. In this case, “Synthesize, don’t summarize” is the best technique you can use to end your paper. Simply put, instead of recalling all of the major facts, you should approach your conclusion from the “So what?” position by highlighting the significance of the information provided.

How to Conclude a Narrative Essay

In a nutshell, a narrative essay is based on simple storytelling. The purpose of this paper is to share a particular story in detail. Therefore, the conclusion for such a paper should wrap up the story and avoid finishing on an abrupt cliffhanger. It is vital to include the key takeaways and the lessons learned from the story.

How to Write a Conclusion for a Lab Report

Unlike an essay, a lab report is based on an experiment. This type of paper describes the flow of a particular experiment conducted by a student and its conclusion should reflect on the outcomes of this experiment.

In thinking of how to write a conclusion for a lab, here are the key things you should do to get it right:

  • Restate the goals of your experiment
  • Describe the methods you used
  • Include the results of the experiment and analyze the final data
  • End your conclusion with a clear statement on whether or not the experiment was successful (Did you reach the expected results?)

How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper

Writing a paper is probably the hardest task of all, even for experienced dissertation writer . Unlike an essay or even a lab report, a research paper is a much longer piece of work that requires a deeper investigation of the problem. Therefore, a conclusion for such a paper should be even more sophisticated and powerful. If you're feeling difficulty writing an essay, you can buy essay on our service.

How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper

However, given that a research paper is the second most popular kind of academic paper (after an essay), it is important to know how to conclude a research paper. Even if you have not yet been assigned to do this task, be sure that you will face it soon. So, here are the steps you should follow to create a great conclusion for a research paper:

  • Restate the Topic

Start your final paragraph with a quick reminder of what the topic of the piece is about. Keep it one sentence long.

  • Revisit the Thesis

Next, you should remind your readers what your thesis statement was. However, do not just copy and paste it from the introductory clause: paraphrase your thesis so that you deliver the same idea but with different words. Keep your paraphrased thesis narrow, specific, and topic-oriented.

  • Summarise Your Key Ideas

Just like the case of a regular essay’s conclusion, a research paper’s final paragraph should also include a short summary of all of the key points stated in the body sections. We recommend reading the entire body part a few times to define all of your main arguments and ideas.

  • Showcase the Significance of Your Work

In the research paper conclusion, it is vital to highlight the significance of your research problem and state how your solution could be helpful.

  • Make Suggestions for Future Studies

Finally, at the end of your conclusion, you should define how your findings will contribute to the development of its particular field of science. Outline the perspectives of further research and, if necessary, explain what is yet to be discovered on the topic.

Then, end your conclusion with a powerful concluding sentence – it can be a rhetorical question, call to action, or another hook that will help you have a strong impact on the audience.

  • Answer the Right Questions

To create a top-notch research paper conclusion, be sure to answer the following questions:

  • What is the goal of a research paper?
  • What are the possible solutions to the research question(s)?
  • How can your results be implemented in real life? (Is your research paper helpful to the community?)
  • Why is this study important and relevant?

Additionally, here are a few more handy tips to follow:

  • Provide clear examples from real life to help readers better understand the further implementation of the stated solutions;
  • Keep your conclusion fresh, original, and creative.

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So, What Is a Good Closing Sentence? See The Difference

One of the best ways to learn how to write a good conclusion is to look at several professional essay conclusion examples. In this section of our guide, we are going to look at two different final paragraphs shaped on the basis of the same template, but even so, they are very different – where one is weak and the other is strong. Below, we are going to compare them to help you understand the difference between a good and a bad conclusion.

Here is the template we used: College degrees are in decline. The price of receiving an education does not correlate with the quality of the education received. As a result, graduated students face underemployment, and the worth of college degrees appears to be in serious doubt. However, the potential social and economic benefits of educated students balance out the equation.

Strong Conclusion ‍

People either see college as an opportunity or an inconvenience; therefore, a degree can only hold as much value as its owner’s skillset. The underemployment of graduate students puts the worth of college degrees in serious doubt. Yet, with the multitude of benefits that educated students bring to society and the economy, the equation remains in balance. Perhaps the ordinary person should consider college as a wise financial investment, but only if they stay determined to study and do the hard work.

Why is this example good? There are several key points that prove its effectiveness:

  • There is a bold opening statement that encompasses the two contrasting types of students we can see today.
  • There are two sentences that recall the thesis statement and cover the key arguments from the body of the essay.
  • Finally, the last sentence sums up the key message of the essay and leaves readers with something to think about.

Weak Conclusion

In conclusion, with the poor preparation of students in college and the subsequent underemployment after graduation from college, the worth associated with the college degree appears to be in serious doubt. However, these issues alone may not reasonably conclude beyond a doubt that investing in a college degree is a rewarding venture. When the full benefits that come with education are carefully put into consideration and evaluated, college education for children in any country still has good advantages, and society should continue to advocate for a college education. The ordinary person should consider this a wise financial decision that holds rewards in the end. Apart from the monetary gains associated with a college education, society will greatly benefit from students when they finish college. Their minds are going to be expanded, and their reasoning and decision making will be enhanced.

What makes this example bad? Here are a few points to consider:

  • Unlike the first example, this paragraph is long and not specific enough. The author provides plenty of generalized phrases that are not backed up by actual arguments.
  • This piece is hard to read and understand and sentences have a confusing structure. Also, there are lots of repetitions and too many uses of the word “college”.
  • There is no summary of the key benefits.
  • The last two sentences that highlight the value of education contradict with the initial statement.
  • Finally, the last sentence doesn’t offer a strong conclusion and gives no thought to ponder upon.
  • In the body of your essay, you have hopefully already provided your reader(s) with plenty of information. Therefore, it is not wise to present new arguments or ideas in your conclusion.
  • To end your final paragraph right, find a clear and straightforward message that will have the most powerful impact on your audience.
  • Don’t use more than one quote in the final clause of your paper – the information from external sources (including quotes) belongs in the body of a paper.
  • Be authoritative when writing a conclusion. You should sound confident and convincing to leave a good impression. Sentences like “I’m not an expert, but…” will most likely make you seem less knowledgeable and/or credible.

Good Conclusion Examples

Now that we've learned what a conclusion is and how to write one let's take a look at some essay conclusion examples to strengthen our knowledge.

The ending ironically reveals that all was for nothing. (A short explanation of the thematic effect of the book’s end) Tom says that Miss Watson freed Jim in her final will.Jim told Huck that the dead man on the Island was pap. The entire adventure seemingly evaporated into nothingness. (How this effect was manifested into the minds of thereaders).
All in all, international schools hold the key to building a full future that students can achieve. (Thesis statement simplified) They help students develop their own character by learning from their mistakes, without having to face a dreadful penalty for failure. (Thesis statement elaborated)Although some say that kids emerged “spoiled” with this mentality, the results prove the contrary. (Possible counter-arguments are noted)
In conclusion, public workers should be allowed to strike since it will give them a chance to air their grievances. (Thesis statement) Public workers should be allowed to strike when their rights, safety, and regulations are compromised. The workers will get motivated when they strike, and their demands are met.
In summary, studies reveal some similarities in the nutrient contents between the organic and non-organic food substances. (Starts with similarities) However, others have revealed many considerable differences in the amounts of antioxidants as well as other minerals present in organic and non-organic foods. Generally, organic foods have higher levels of antioxidants than non-organic foods and therefore are more important in the prevention of chronic illnesses.
As time went by, my obsession grew into something bigger than art; (‘As time went by’ signals maturation) it grew into a dream of developing myself for the world. (Showing student’s interest of developing himself for the community) It is a dream of not only seeing the world from a different perspective but also changing the perspective of people who see my work. (Showing student’s determination to create moving pieces of art)
In conclusion, it is evident that technology is an integral part of our lives and without it, we become “lost” since we have increasingly become dependent on its use. (Thesis with main point)

You might also be interested in reading nursing essay examples from our service.

How To Write A Conclusion For An Essay?

How to write a good conclusion, how to write a conclusion for a college essay.

Daniel Parker

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

strong conclusions examples

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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How to Conclude an Essay (with Examples)

Last Updated: May 24, 2024 Fact Checked

Writing a Strong Conclusion

What to avoid, brainstorming tricks.

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,209,664 times.

So, you’ve written an outstanding essay and couldn’t be more proud. But now you have to write the final paragraph. The conclusion simply summarizes what you’ve already written, right? Well, not exactly. Your essay’s conclusion should be a bit more finessed than that. Luckily, you’ve come to the perfect place to learn how to write a conclusion. We’ve put together this guide to fill you in on everything you should and shouldn’t do when ending an essay. Follow our advice, and you’ll have a stellar conclusion worthy of an A+ in no time.

Tips for Ending an Essay

  • Rephrase your thesis to include in your final paragraph to bring the essay full circle.
  • End your essay with a call to action, warning, or image to make your argument meaningful.
  • Keep your conclusion concise and to the point, so you don’t lose a reader’s attention.
  • Do your best to avoid adding new information to your conclusion and only emphasize points you’ve already made in your essay.

Step 1 Start with a small transition.

  • “All in all”
  • “Ultimately”
  • “Furthermore”
  • “As a consequence”
  • “As a result”

Step 2 Briefly summarize your essay’s main points.

  • Make sure to write your main points in a new and unique way to avoid repetition.

Step 3 Rework your thesis statement into the conclusion.

  • Let’s say this is your original thesis statement: “Allowing students to visit the library during lunch improves campus life and supports academic achievement.”
  • Restating your thesis for your conclusion could look like this: “Evidence shows students who have access to their school’s library during lunch check out more books and are more likely to complete their homework.”
  • The restated thesis has the same sentiment as the original while also summarizing other points of the essay.

Step 4 End with something meaningful.

  • “When you use plastic water bottles, you pollute the ocean. Switch to using a glass or metal water bottle instead. The planet and sea turtles will thank you.”
  • “The average person spends roughly 7 hours on their phone a day, so there’s no wonder cybersickness is plaguing all generations.”
  • “Imagine walking on the beach, except the soft sand is made up of cigarette butts. They burn your feet but keep washing in with the tide. If we don’t clean up the ocean, this will be our reality.”
  • “ Lost is not only a show that changed the course of television, but it’s also a reflection of humanity as a whole.”
  • “If action isn’t taken to end climate change today, the global temperature will dangerously rise from 4.5 to 8 °F (−15.3 to −13.3 °C) by 2100.”

Step 5 Keep it short and sweet.

  • Focus on your essay's most prevalent or important parts. What key points do you want readers to take away or remember about your essay?

Step 1 Popular concluding statements

  • For instance, instead of writing, “That’s why I think that Abraham Lincoln was the best American President,” write, “That’s why Abraham Lincoln was the best American President.”
  • There’s no room for ifs, ands, or buts—your opinion matters and doesn’t need to be apologized for!

Step 6 Quotations

  • For instance, words like “firstly,” “secondly,” and “thirdly” may be great transition statements for body paragraphs but are unnecessary in a conclusion.

Step 1 Ask yourself, “So what?”

  • For instance, say you began your essay with the idea that humanity’s small sense of sense stems from space’s vast size. Try returning to this idea in the conclusion by emphasizing that as human knowledge grows, space becomes smaller.

Step 4 Think about your essay’s argument in a broader “big picture” context.

  • For example, you could extend an essay on the television show Orange is the New Black by bringing up the culture of imprisonment in America.

Community Q&A

wikiHow Staff Editor

  • Always review your essay after writing it for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and don’t be afraid to revise. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

  • Have somebody else proofread your essay before turning it in. The other person will often be able to see errors you may have missed!

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Put a Quote in an Essay

  • ↑ https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/grammar/transition-signals
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/argument_papers/conclusions.html
  • ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conclude.html
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions
  • ↑ https://www.pittsfordschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=542&dataid=4677&FileName=conclusions1.pdf
  • ↑ https://www.cuyamaca.edu/student-support/tutoring-center/files/student-resources/how-to-write-a-good-conclusion.pdf
  • ↑ https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185935

About This Article

Jake Adams

To end an essay, start your conclusion with a phrase that makes it clear your essay is coming to a close, like "In summary," or "All things considered." Then, use a few sentences to briefly summarize the main points of your essay by rephrasing the topic sentences of your body paragraphs. Finally, end your conclusion with a call to action that encourages your readers to do something or learn more about your topic. In general, try to keep your conclusion between 5 and 7 sentences long. For more tips from our English co-author, like how to avoid common pitfalls when writing an essay conclusion, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Conclusion for Research Papers (with Examples)

How to Write a Conclusion for Research Papers (with Examples)

The conclusion of a research paper is a crucial section that plays a significant role in the overall impact and effectiveness of your research paper. However, this is also the section that typically receives less attention compared to the introduction and the body of the paper. The conclusion serves to provide a concise summary of the key findings, their significance, their implications, and a sense of closure to the study. Discussing how can the findings be applied in real-world scenarios or inform policy, practice, or decision-making is especially valuable to practitioners and policymakers. The research paper conclusion also provides researchers with clear insights and valuable information for their own work, which they can then build on and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

The research paper conclusion should explain the significance of your findings within the broader context of your field. It restates how your results contribute to the existing body of knowledge and whether they confirm or challenge existing theories or hypotheses. Also, by identifying unanswered questions or areas requiring further investigation, your awareness of the broader research landscape can be demonstrated.

Remember to tailor the research paper conclusion to the specific needs and interests of your intended audience, which may include researchers, practitioners, policymakers, or a combination of these.

Table of Contents

What is a conclusion in a research paper, summarizing conclusion, editorial conclusion, externalizing conclusion, importance of a good research paper conclusion, how to write a conclusion for your research paper, research paper conclusion examples.

  • How to write a research paper conclusion with Paperpal? 

Frequently Asked Questions

A conclusion in a research paper is the final section where you summarize and wrap up your research, presenting the key findings and insights derived from your study. The research paper conclusion is not the place to introduce new information or data that was not discussed in the main body of the paper. When working on how to conclude a research paper, remember to stick to summarizing and interpreting existing content. The research paper conclusion serves the following purposes: 1

  • Warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem.
  • Recommend specific course(s) of action.
  • Restate key ideas to drive home the ultimate point of your research paper.
  • Provide a “take-home” message that you want the readers to remember about your study.

strong conclusions examples

Types of conclusions for research papers

In research papers, the conclusion provides closure to the reader. The type of research paper conclusion you choose depends on the nature of your study, your goals, and your target audience. I provide you with three common types of conclusions:

A summarizing conclusion is the most common type of conclusion in research papers. It involves summarizing the main points, reiterating the research question, and restating the significance of the findings. This common type of research paper conclusion is used across different disciplines.

An editorial conclusion is less common but can be used in research papers that are focused on proposing or advocating for a particular viewpoint or policy. It involves presenting a strong editorial or opinion based on the research findings and offering recommendations or calls to action.

An externalizing conclusion is a type of conclusion that extends the research beyond the scope of the paper by suggesting potential future research directions or discussing the broader implications of the findings. This type of conclusion is often used in more theoretical or exploratory research papers.

Align your conclusion’s tone with the rest of your research paper. Start Writing with Paperpal Now!  

The conclusion in a research paper serves several important purposes:

  • Offers Implications and Recommendations : Your research paper conclusion is an excellent place to discuss the broader implications of your research and suggest potential areas for further study. It’s also an opportunity to offer practical recommendations based on your findings.
  • Provides Closure : A good research paper conclusion provides a sense of closure to your paper. It should leave the reader with a feeling that they have reached the end of a well-structured and thought-provoking research project.
  • Leaves a Lasting Impression : Writing a well-crafted research paper conclusion leaves a lasting impression on your readers. It’s your final opportunity to leave them with a new idea, a call to action, or a memorable quote.

strong conclusions examples

Writing a strong conclusion for your research paper is essential to leave a lasting impression on your readers. Here’s a step-by-step process to help you create and know what to put in the conclusion of a research paper: 2

  • Research Statement : Begin your research paper conclusion by restating your research statement. This reminds the reader of the main point you’ve been trying to prove throughout your paper. Keep it concise and clear.
  • Key Points : Summarize the main arguments and key points you’ve made in your paper. Avoid introducing new information in the research paper conclusion. Instead, provide a concise overview of what you’ve discussed in the body of your paper.
  • Address the Research Questions : If your research paper is based on specific research questions or hypotheses, briefly address whether you’ve answered them or achieved your research goals. Discuss the significance of your findings in this context.
  • Significance : Highlight the importance of your research and its relevance in the broader context. Explain why your findings matter and how they contribute to the existing knowledge in your field.
  • Implications : Explore the practical or theoretical implications of your research. How might your findings impact future research, policy, or real-world applications? Consider the “so what?” question.
  • Future Research : Offer suggestions for future research in your area. What questions or aspects remain unanswered or warrant further investigation? This shows that your work opens the door for future exploration.
  • Closing Thought : Conclude your research paper conclusion with a thought-provoking or memorable statement. This can leave a lasting impression on your readers and wrap up your paper effectively. Avoid introducing new information or arguments here.
  • Proofread and Revise : Carefully proofread your conclusion for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Ensure that your ideas flow smoothly and that your conclusion is coherent and well-structured.

Write your research paper conclusion 2x faster with Paperpal. Try it now!

Remember that a well-crafted research paper conclusion is a reflection of the strength of your research and your ability to communicate its significance effectively. It should leave a lasting impression on your readers and tie together all the threads of your paper. Now you know how to start the conclusion of a research paper and what elements to include to make it impactful, let’s look at a research paper conclusion sample.

strong conclusions examples

How to write a research paper conclusion with Paperpal?

A research paper conclusion is not just a summary of your study, but a synthesis of the key findings that ties the research together and places it in a broader context. A research paper conclusion should be concise, typically around one paragraph in length. However, some complex topics may require a longer conclusion to ensure the reader is left with a clear understanding of the study’s significance. Paperpal, an AI writing assistant trusted by over 800,000 academics globally, can help you write a well-structured conclusion for your research paper. 

  • Sign Up or Log In: Create a new Paperpal account or login with your details.  
  • Navigate to Features : Once logged in, head over to the features’ side navigation pane. Click on Templates and you’ll find a suite of generative AI features to help you write better, faster.  
  • Generate an outline: Under Templates, select ‘Outlines’. Choose ‘Research article’ as your document type.  
  • Select your section: Since you’re focusing on the conclusion, select this section when prompted.  
  • Choose your field of study: Identifying your field of study allows Paperpal to provide more targeted suggestions, ensuring the relevance of your conclusion to your specific area of research. 
  • Provide a brief description of your study: Enter details about your research topic and findings. This information helps Paperpal generate a tailored outline that aligns with your paper’s content. 
  • Generate the conclusion outline: After entering all necessary details, click on ‘generate’. Paperpal will then create a structured outline for your conclusion, to help you start writing and build upon the outline.  
  • Write your conclusion: Use the generated outline to build your conclusion. The outline serves as a guide, ensuring you cover all critical aspects of a strong conclusion, from summarizing key findings to highlighting the research’s implications. 
  • Refine and enhance: Paperpal’s ‘Make Academic’ feature can be particularly useful in the final stages. Select any paragraph of your conclusion and use this feature to elevate the academic tone, ensuring your writing is aligned to the academic journal standards. 

By following these steps, Paperpal not only simplifies the process of writing a research paper conclusion but also ensures it is impactful, concise, and aligned with academic standards. Sign up with Paperpal today and write your research paper conclusion 2x faster .  

The research paper conclusion is a crucial part of your paper as it provides the final opportunity to leave a strong impression on your readers. In the research paper conclusion, summarize the main points of your research paper by restating your research statement, highlighting the most important findings, addressing the research questions or objectives, explaining the broader context of the study, discussing the significance of your findings, providing recommendations if applicable, and emphasizing the takeaway message. The main purpose of the conclusion is to remind the reader of the main point or argument of your paper and to provide a clear and concise summary of the key findings and their implications. All these elements should feature on your list of what to put in the conclusion of a research paper to create a strong final statement for your work.

A strong conclusion is a critical component of a research paper, as it provides an opportunity to wrap up your arguments, reiterate your main points, and leave a lasting impression on your readers. Here are the key elements of a strong research paper conclusion: 1. Conciseness : A research paper conclusion should be concise and to the point. It should not introduce new information or ideas that were not discussed in the body of the paper. 2. Summarization : The research paper conclusion should be comprehensive enough to give the reader a clear understanding of the research’s main contributions. 3 . Relevance : Ensure that the information included in the research paper conclusion is directly relevant to the research paper’s main topic and objectives; avoid unnecessary details. 4 . Connection to the Introduction : A well-structured research paper conclusion often revisits the key points made in the introduction and shows how the research has addressed the initial questions or objectives. 5. Emphasis : Highlight the significance and implications of your research. Why is your study important? What are the broader implications or applications of your findings? 6 . Call to Action : Include a call to action or a recommendation for future research or action based on your findings.

The length of a research paper conclusion can vary depending on several factors, including the overall length of the paper, the complexity of the research, and the specific journal requirements. While there is no strict rule for the length of a conclusion, but it’s generally advisable to keep it relatively short. A typical research paper conclusion might be around 5-10% of the paper’s total length. For example, if your paper is 10 pages long, the conclusion might be roughly half a page to one page in length.

In general, you do not need to include citations in the research paper conclusion. Citations are typically reserved for the body of the paper to support your arguments and provide evidence for your claims. However, there may be some exceptions to this rule: 1. If you are drawing a direct quote or paraphrasing a specific source in your research paper conclusion, you should include a citation to give proper credit to the original author. 2. If your conclusion refers to or discusses specific research, data, or sources that are crucial to the overall argument, citations can be included to reinforce your conclusion’s validity.

The conclusion of a research paper serves several important purposes: 1. Summarize the Key Points 2. Reinforce the Main Argument 3. Provide Closure 4. Offer Insights or Implications 5. Engage the Reader. 6. Reflect on Limitations

Remember that the primary purpose of the research paper conclusion is to leave a lasting impression on the reader, reinforcing the key points and providing closure to your research. It’s often the last part of the paper that the reader will see, so it should be strong and well-crafted.

  • Makar, G., Foltz, C., Lendner, M., & Vaccaro, A. R. (2018). How to write effective discussion and conclusion sections. Clinical spine surgery, 31(8), 345-346.
  • Bunton, D. (2005). The structure of PhD conclusion chapters.  Journal of English for academic purposes ,  4 (3), 207-224.

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Conclusions

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Conclusions wrap up what you have been discussing in your paper. After moving from general to specific information in the introduction and body paragraphs, your conclusion should begin pulling back into more general information that restates the main points of your argument. Conclusions may also call for action or overview future possible research. The following outline may help you conclude your paper:

In a general way,

  • Restate your topic and why it is important,
  • Restate your thesis/claim,
  • Address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position,
  • Call for action or overview future research possibilities.

Remember that once you accomplish these tasks, unless otherwise directed by your instructor, you are finished. Done. Complete. Don't try to bring in new points or end with a whiz bang(!) conclusion or try to solve world hunger in the final sentence of your conclusion. Simplicity is best for a clear, convincing message.

The preacher's maxim is one of the most effective formulas to follow for argument papers:

Tell what you're going to tell them (introduction).

Tell them (body).

Tell them what you told them (conclusion).

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5 Examples of Concluding Words for Essays

5 Examples of Concluding Words for Essays

4-minute read

  • 19th September 2022

If you’re a student writing an essay or research paper, it’s important to make sure your points flow together well. You’ll want to use connecting words (known formally as transition signals) to do this. Transition signals like thus , also , and furthermore link different ideas, and when you get to the end of your work, you need to use these to mark your conclusion. Read on to learn more about transition signals and how to use them to conclude your essays.

Transition Signals

Transition signals link sentences together cohesively, enabling easy reading and comprehension. They are usually placed at the beginning of a sentence and separated from the remaining words with a comma. There are several types of transition signals, including those to:

●  show the order of a sequence of events (e.g., first, then, next)

●  introduce an example (e.g., specifically, for instance)

●  indicate a contrasting idea (e.g., but, however, although)

●  present an additional idea (e.g., also, in addition, plus)

●  indicate time (e.g., beforehand, meanwhile, later)

●  compare (e.g., likewise, similarly)

●  show cause and effect (e.g., thus, as a result)

●  mark the conclusion – which we’ll focus on in this guide.

When you reach the end of an essay, you should start the concluding paragraph with a transition signal that acts as a bridge to the summary of your key points. Check out some concluding transition signals below and learn how you can use them in your writing.

To Conclude…

This is a particularly versatile closing statement that can be used for almost any kind of essay, including both formal and informal academic writing. It signals to the reader that you will briefly restate the main idea. As an alternative, you can begin the summary with “to close” or “in conclusion.” In an argumentative piece, you can use this phrase to indicate a call to action or opinion:

To conclude, Abraham Lincoln was the best president because he abolished slavery.

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As Has Been Demonstrated…

To describe how the evidence presented in your essay supports your argument or main idea, begin the concluding paragraph with “as has been demonstrated.” This phrase is best used for research papers or articles with heavy empirical or statistical evidence.

As has been demonstrated by the study presented above, human activities are negatively altering the climate system.

The Above Points Illustrate…

As another transitional phrase for formal or academic work, “the above points illustrate” indicates that you are reiterating your argument and that the conclusion will include an assessment of the evidence you’ve presented.

The above points illustrate that children prefer chocolate over broccoli.

In a Nutshell…

A simple and informal metaphor to begin a conclusion, “in a nutshell” prepares the reader for a summary of your paper. It can work in narratives and speeches but should be avoided in formal situations.

In a nutshell, the Beatles had an impact on musicians for generations to come.

Overall, It Can Be Said…

To recap an idea at the end of a critical or descriptive essay, you can use this phrase at the beginning of the concluding paragraph. “Overall” means “taking everything into account,” and it sums up your essay in a formal way. You can use “overall” on its own as a transition signal, or you can use it as part of a phrase.

Overall, it can be said that art has had a positive impact on humanity.

Proofreading and Editing

Transition signals are crucial to crafting a well-written and cohesive essay. For your next writing assignment, make sure you include plenty of transition signals, and check out this post for more tips on how to improve your writing. And before you turn in your paper, don’t forget to have someone proofread your work. Our expert editors will make sure your essay includes all the transition signals necessary for your writing to flow seamlessly. Send in a free 500-word sample today!

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How to Write a Strong Blog Conclusion (+7 Examples)

How to Write a Strong Blog Conclusion (+7 Examples)

Table of contents

strong conclusions examples

Christian Rigg

An effective conclusion is often a simple one:

An effective conclusion is often a simple one:

Writing a conclusion for your blog article can feel a bit like a necessary evil.

You know it’s important. A strong conclusion helps your readers understand the importance of your article. It can encourage them to come back, participate in a discussion, share your content, and more.

But it's not always obvious how to write a conclusion that checks all the right boxes. And after spending all your time and energy writing the rest of your article, the conclusion might seem like a chore.

Fortunately, there are simple and effective methods you can use to write an impactful conclusion every time.

As a writer, editor, and account manager for a writing agency, I've written and edited dozens of conclusions — and learned a lot along the way. In this article, I'll look at the different parts of a strong conclusion and explore seven different kinds of conclusions, with helpful examples you can use for inspiration.

Instantly write the conclusion with this tool > Get AI blog conclusion suggestions >

AI helping with conclusion

Anatomy of a strong conclusion

A good conclusion clearly and concisely summarizes the key points of your article, explains why they matter, and leaves some kind of lasting impression on readers. Including a call to action (CTA) can be an excellent way to engage your audience even after they finish the post, but if you do, it should be tactful and with clear benefit to the reader.

Let's take a look at what you should include and how to go about it.

1. Start with a topic sentence.

Briefly restate the main idea or thesis of your article. This reminds your reader of the overall context and purpose of what they’ve just read, and how all the parts of the article fit together. 

Provided the topic sentence from your introduction is clear and concise, feel free to simply adapt this.

It’s important to write this concisely. Wordtune ’s Shorten feature can help ensure this is to the point.

Wordtune’s “Shorten” feature gives helpful suggestions for writing concisely.

2. Summarize your article's main points.

Don't introduce any new information in your conclusion. Instead, summarize your main points concisely. Make it clear to the reader how these points relate to your introduction, referring to it as needed. If you've made any claims, summarize the evidence. If you've made any promises, explain how you've fulfilled them.

3. Leave a lasting emotional impression.

Appeal to your reader’s emotions by connecting the solutions you have offered in the article to the audience’s pain points, interests, or needs.

A few quick pointers on creating an emotional impact with your writing:

  • Use active voice.
  • Don't shy away from personal pronouns (e.g. "I", "we", "you").
  • Choose powerful adjectives like "bold," "tremendous," or "outstanding." 
  • Create empathy by clearly naming emotions: "frustration," "disappointment," "apprehension," "excitement," "enthusiasm," "relief," etc.

If you’re stuck looking for creative emotional phrasing, ask Wordtune to Rewrite the section for you and choose from one of the suggestions. 

strong conclusions examples

4. Wrap up with a closing sentence.

Your closing sentence will depend largely on your topic and what you hope to achieve. For example, if your article is promotional or commercial in nature, close with a call to action (CTA). If it's educational, focus on what readers can do with their new knowledge. Try to connect your article to some broader context: How does it relate to the world? To the industry? To the problem solved?

Seven ways to write a conclusion

Of course, there's no end to the number of ways you can write a solid conclusion. Nonetheless, these seven strategies work in a wide range of situations and are simple to get right.

1. The sell conclusion

What: Offer your product as a solution.

Good for : Marketing material.

Marketing articles demonstrate to the reader how a product, service, or feature will benefit them. Your introduction presents a problem, and the body of your article expands on it. It may also explain how your product or service can help. Your conclusion should make the connection between the problem and your solution clear and impactful.

Here’s an example from bikepacking company Apidura .

Apidura

Here, Apidura reiterates a problem from the article (long stretches between resupply) and ties it to a solution: hydration vests, specifically the company’s Racing Hydration Vest.

2. The further resources conclusion

What: Offer a resource to the reader. (Call to action)

Good for : Articles with templates or downloadable materials.

Offering a resource for the reader to use is a great way to provide a concrete solution to a problem. This can be especially beneficial when readers are looking for a solution they can start using right away. 

Here’s an example from the Wordtune blog article How to Write a Business Case (+Free Template):

Business case: The stepping stone to a project’s success

A business case isn’t just a theoretical document — it’s a breathing file that lays the groundwork for your action plan and helps you get tangible results.

Building a solid business case doesn’t just get stakeholders' buy-in, but also gives you a crystal clear vision for your project and makes execution less daunting. 

‍ Download the business case template  to make your own easily and use  Wordtune  to make it tight as a drum. I hope you receive an overwhelming “yes” to your proposal!

To help readers get started straight away, the conclusion includes a link to a downloadable business case template. Free resources like these offer great value to readers and encourage them to come back for more.

3. The discussion conclusion

What: Start a discussion with questions

Good for : Opinion pieces, LinkedIn articles, and others with comments

Whether on your own blog, a forum, or LinkedIn, encouraging readers to leave a comment is a great way to boost its visibility and get feedback. This is a very popular way to end a YouTube script , but it works well for articles, too. Wordtune can even suggest Counterarguments for you, which you can frame as questions for readers. 

strong conclusions examples

Here's an example I cooked up:

Writing a conclusion can seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, there are simple steps and tips you can follow for crafting the perfect conclusion with ease. Following examples like the ones given above can greatly simplify the task.

Of course, there are many ways to write an impactful conclusion. Some writers argue that a conclusion should simply state the main points, without trying to introduce anything new—including a question. What do you think? We'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Alternatively, you may have specific questions related to opinions or solutions regarding your topic. Here's an example from an article on DebatingEurope . Notice the article has garnered 17 comments already.

strong conclusions examples

4. The related links conclusion

What: Offer links to further reading.

Good for : Introductory articles on big topics.

Providing the reader with links to other articles on your website or blog is a great way to increase the time they spend there. Not only is this important for SEO, it means you capture more of your readers' time and attention. As a result, you have even more opportunities to provide them with value, offer solutions, and promote your product or service.

You can do this by weaving links directly into the text, like in this conclusion from TechRadar:

If you’re interested in diving into the world of livestreaming, now’s a good time to give it a shot so you can be prepared for when YouTube expands Go Live Together – since, let's be honest, a desktop version feels like an inevitability. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best free streaming software featuring the likes of OBS Studio and Steamlabs on there.

You may even want to provide a list of links, like in the next TechRadar conclusion .

strong conclusions examples

5. The share request conclusion

What: Invite the reader to post and share. (Call to action)

Good for : Tips, listicles, advice pieces, and more.

Encouraging your readers to share your content is a simple way to increase its reach. It allows you to impact new audiences without any additional cost or effort on your part. People sharing your content, whether by linking to it on their own blog or via social media, is also hugely beneficial for SEO. Google — and readers — see it as a mark of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

You can go with the standard, "If you liked this article, be sure to comment, like, share and subscribe."

But more creative formulations can go much further. Here’s an example that appeals to the reader's sense of empathy:

We hope you found these tips and examples useful! If so, we'd really appreciate it if you could share this article with one or two of your friends or colleagues. In doing so, you'll be helping us create more useful content for readers like you.

Did somebody share this article with you? If so, you may have a friend or colleague who'd be interested in it. You can click any of the links below to share this article and all the resources in it.

Just be sure it's easy for your readers to share your article. If your blog or website doesn't already include one-click share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other popular social media platforms, add them now.

6. The sign up conclusion

What: Invite the reader to sign up for a newsletter or podcast. (Call to action)

Good for : News pieces and articles with high value to readers.

Subscribers to your newsletter, podcast, or other regular content are hugely valuable assets. They've already demonstrated loyalty and interest by signing up, and you can easily keep them engaged with regular content.

This works especially well for news pieces, as you can encourage the reader to sign up for more news like it. It also works well for pieces where you've been able to offer a lot of value to the reader and show them the possible benefits of hearing from you on a regular basis.

Here's another example from the Apidura blog :

strong conclusions examples

7. The "up ahread" conclusion

What: Tell the reader what to expect next

Good for : Article series.

Turning occasional readers into loyal fans is hard, but well worth the effort. Writing a series of articles that looks at a topic from different angles or walks readers through some complex task or subject can help achieve this. To keep readers engaged, be sure they know what the next article will focus on and when they can expect it.

Here’s another original example:

In this article, we looked at how to write a great conclusion to any article. As a general rule, you should start with a topic sentence that reiterates the main problem or subject of the article. Then, summarize your main points with emotive language for greater impact. Finally, wrap up with a closing sentence—something that leaves the reader thinking or calls on them to act (CTA).

This is the second article in our series on how to write a great blog article. In the first article, we looked at How to Write an Introduction . Next week, we'll show you how to create an outline for any article, how it can help you write more clearly and quickly, and what needs to be included. Plus, we'll offer some examples from successful articles of our own.

In addition to teasing the next article, we can also link to the first article — two birds with one stone.

Conclusion (see what we did there?)

Ready to get a bit meta? Here we go: concluding our article on conclusions!

People often get stuck on conclusions because they're so important. It’s a critical skill and essential to writing top-ranking blog posts . 

But there's a simple formula you can use to simplify the process. Start with a topic sentence borrowed from the introduction (like the first sentence of this paragraph). Summarize your main points (like this). Then close with a sentence that encourages the reader to think or act (see below — did we get it right?). Refer to the examples above for inspiration. (In fact, why not bookmark this page?)

Author Dan Chaon said, “A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.” But I'd say it’s where you decide to pass the baton to your reader. What do you think?

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Precipitation and hydrological extremes during the warm season in response to climate change: the example from the Polish Carpathians

  • Original Article
  • Open access
  • Published: 25 May 2024
  • Volume 24 , article number  90 , ( 2024 )

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strong conclusions examples

  • Agnieszka Wypych   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5379-5834 1 &
  • Zbigniew Ustrnul 1  

This study assesses the long-term variability of extreme precipitation events in the Carpathian region of Poland in relation to climate change and its potential impact on river regime. Focusing on eight catchments with undisturbed runoff regimes, the research utilized daily data from May to October between 1951 and 2022. This data included precipitation totals from 23 gauging stations, discharge values from eight water level gauging stations, and gridded precipitation data from the E-OBS dataset. Additionally, future projections for 2026–2060 under two RCP scenarios (4.5 and 8.5) were generated using five GCM-RCM model combinations from the EURO-CORDEX simulations. The study explored the relationship between precipitation and discharge, using probability techniques to identify extreme events. This study highlights the strong linkages between extreme precipitation and discharge in the region, indicating an elevated flood risk due to increased precipitation variability and volume. Despite no significant trends in the frequency of precipitation extremes being observed in the historical analysis, an increase in seasonal precipitation totals is projected, although with considerable uncertainty.

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Introduction

River floods serve as major natural hazards in Europe, both in a social sense and an economic sense (Kundzewicz 2012 ; Kundzewicz et al. 2016 ; Paprotny et al. 2018 ). Given the increasing number of highly populated areas in the world, river floods are considered costly natural disasters (Madsen et al. 2014 ; Paprotny et al. 2018 ).

The central part of the continent experiences floods caused mainly by atmospheric precipitation and extended periods of rainfall in the summer. Atmospheric circulation serves as the main determinant of intense rainfall in this temperate part of the world. This subject is discussed relatively extensively in the literature. Most publications concern circulation patterns with dangerous effects of high rainfall totals highlighting that mountain areas are particularly prone to flooding, environmental damage, economic losses, and the loss of human life. Orographic barriers complicate the convective systems; together with an extra supply of inflowing moist air the situation contributes to the occurrence of flood-producing precipitation (Schneidereit and Schär 2000 ; Ustrnul and Czekierda 2001 ; Niedźwiedź 2003 ; Brázdil et al. 2005 ; Niedźwiedź et al. 2009 , 2015 ; Wypych et al. 2018a ; Ustrnul et al. 2023 ). The unique characteristics of mountain catchments affect the local hydrology. Floods in mountain basins used to be accompanied by several processes coupling between hillslopes and channels (Stoffel et al. 2016 ). Mountain basins often respond rapidly to intense rainfall having high slopes and a quasi-circular morphology resulting in strong connectivity (Ruiz-Villanueva et al. 2010 ; Hlavčová et al. 2016 ; Bryndal et al. 2017 ; Bryła et al. 2021 ; Bezák et al. 2023 ).

Moreover mountain catchments are most susceptible to potential climate change due to characteristics that favor rapid discharge as well as due to the immense sensitivity of mountain ecosystems to changes in temperature (Birsan et al. 2005 ; Lukasová et al. 2023 ). Together with changing climate conditions, the water holding capacity (and the water content) of the atmosphere has been modified. Precipitation characteristics, as intensity, duration, or timing which are essential in shaping flood hazard, undergo the changes (Wyżga et al. 2016 ; Górnik et al. 2017 ), affecting local hydrological processes (Mudelsee et al. 2003 ; Mostowik et al. 2019 ; Holko et al. 2020 ; Muelchi et al. 2021a , 2021b ; Siwek et al. 2023 ).

Although climate projections show general warming and increase in water vapor, precipitation scenarios show strong regional differences, especially for precipitation extremes, of relevance for flood hazard (Kundzewicz et al. 2006 ; Pińskwar et al. 2017 ). If heavy precipitation or the proportion of total rainfall from intense events increases, an increase of the magnitude and frequency of floods will be recorded. The projections, however, are largely uncertain (Arnell and Gosling 2016 ; Prein et al. 2016 ; Gadian et al. 2018 ).

Due to physical processes in the atmosphere, large-scale models project the increase in summer precipitation as well as the amount and frequency of extremes (Christensen and Christensen 2004 ). However, the review of trend analysis and projections of extreme precipitation and floods in Europe performed by Madsen et al. ( 2014 ) confirms their seasonal and regional differentiation. Regional studies prove complex and nonuniform spatial patterns of extreme precipitation changes. Decreasing summer trends were detected for Central Europe: e.g., by Hänsel et al. ( 2008 ) and Łupikasza et al. ( 2011 ) for Germany, by Brázdil et al. ( 2021 ) for Czech Republic, or by Łupikasza ( 2010 ), Łupikasza et al. ( 2016 ), Pińskwar et al. ( 2019 ), and Łupikasza and Małarzewski ( 2021 ) for different parts of Poland. Positive trends have been observed in the UK but only since the beginning of the twenty-first century (Maraun et al. 2008 ) as in the twentieth century drier summer was recorded on the British Isles (e.g., Osborn and Hulme ( 2002 ), as well as NE Spain (Ramos and Martinez-Casanovas 2006 ). Incoherent results have been obtained also while studying mountainous areas (Micu et al. 2021 ). Drier summers but with increasing number of convective precipitation events are projected for the Southern Carpathians, while in winter all examined characteristics of precipitation show similar patterns of projected increases for the late twenty-first century compared to the recent climate (Gaál et al. 2014 ; Skarbit et al. 2022 ).

The findings presented in numerous studies affirm the heightened sensitivity of precipitation trends to the specific time frame under consideration.

As already provided with references, spatial pattern of summer precipitation trend in Europe is very complicated and does not give any significant sign of changes in a continental scale (Frei et al. 2006 ; Niedźwiedź et al. 2009 ; O’Gorman 2015 ; Pfahl et al. 2017 ). This uncertainty results in a complex and difficult process of modelling the environmental response to precipitation-based indices. Although the increase in spatial resolution of precipitation data enables to access the regional weather patterns, for the mountain areas the models are still biased mostly due to the lack of long and dense enough measurement series necessary for complex topography.

The purpose of the paper is to assess the long-term variability of extreme precipitation events across the Carpathian region in Poland in the context of ongoing climate change and its possible impact on extreme hydrological phenomena.

Southern Poland largely consists of the Carpathian Mountains and their piedmont areas. It is an important geographic area for the formation of floods and high water levels. Frequent high precipitation and variable relief in the region affect hydrological events throughout most of Poland. The main problem consists of floods in the warm part of the year (May–October) caused by intense atmospheric precipitation (Kundzewicz et al. 2012 ; Kundzewicz et al. 2014 ; Kundzewicz et al. 2017 ; Twardosz et al. 2016 ; Wypych et al. 2018a ; Ustrnul et al. 2023 ).

The Polish Carpathians are a major part of the Western Carpathians and a small part of the Eastern Carpathians. The mountain range is located in southern Poland in the upper Vistula river basin (Fig. 1 A). This area stretches about 330 km east to west and has a surface area of about 20,000 km 2 , which includes its piedmont region. The highest peaks exceed 2000 m above sea level.

figure 1

Study area: ( A ) the Polish Carpathians in Europe, ( B ) location of meteorological gauging sites and water level gauges in the study area (catchment numbers as in ESM – Table 1 )

Extreme precipitation constitutes a hydrological hazard in the Carpathians themselves due to variable relief and poor parent material permeability. Mountain catchments in the region are quite short and form a dense network of rivers and streams, smaller in the southern part due to the higher permeability of soils and geological formations (Pociask-Karteczka 2016 ).

Very steep and relatively narrow river valleys also help contribute to the occurrence of extreme hydrological events in the Polish Carpathian region. In addition, flood wave concentration times are short and flood waves are relatively high (Dynowska 1995 ).

The core of the mountain range consists of a crystalline massif that includes limestone. This type of parent material is characterized by relatively high infiltration due to highly porous debris cones on crystalline slopes and karst water circulation in limestone, which helps retard discharge. However, the largest part of the Carpathians (except for the internal part) consists of flysch characterized by low water storage capacity. Variable relief in the region along with intensive land use yields powerful flash floods in the Outer Carpathians. Maximum unit runoff from the flysch part of the mountain area may be similar to that in the Tatra Mountains—a high crystalline massif—despite lower precipitation (Kundzewicz et al. 2014 , 2017 ).

In a climatological sense, the Polish Carpathians are characterized by typical “mountain” rainfall and temperature conditions as well as spatial variances due to latitudinal changes in relief and elevation. The 0 °C isotherm of mean annual air temperature runs at an elevation of about 1850 m in the Tatra Mountains (highest range). Without appropriate precipitation conditions, this makes permanent snow cover and ice cover impossible. Temperatures in the cool half of the year do guarantee the presence of snow, especially at higher elevations in the Tatras and elsewhere. The snow cover leads to a pluvio-nival hydrological regime among Carpathian rivers.

Annual atmospheric precipitation totals as well as daily extreme values also vary spatially in the region (Cebulak et al. 2000 ). The western part of the study area experiences oceanic effects via higher precipitation totals Most rainfall is recorded in the warm half of the year across the entire study area (Fig. 2 A). This characteristic distribution of rainfall together with higher elevations yields the fact that Western Carpathian tributaries of the Vistula River contribute much more discharge than their eastern Carpathian counterparts. A few days-long rainfall with the precipitation totals amounting to a few hundred millimeters results in floods encompassing the whole or a considerable part of the Polish Carpathians and even the whole Upper Vistula Basin. The eastern part, with lower elevations and more continental climate, is characterized by rare occurrence of large floods caused by summer rainfall.

figure 2

Warm period (May–October) precipitation totals in the Polish Carpathians: ( A ) long-term mean (1951–2022); anomalies of future projections 2026–2060 (multimodel ensemble with respect to the 1991–2020 period): ( B ) RCP 4.5, ( C ) RCP 8.5

It is important to note that the Polish Carpathians form a significant orographic barrier in Europe, particularly relevant during the warmer half of the year. In cyclonic conditions, the advection of humid air from the north produces a windward effect (Mudelsee et al. 2004 ). This phenomenon is especially pronounced under Vb trajectory conditions, which bring moist and warm air from the Mediterranean into the cooler continental interior. As the air mass ascends over the Carpathian mountain ranges, it leads to intense precipitation. Sustained heavy rainfall, with rates of 100–300 mm per day, results in elevated water levels in Carpathian rivers, often causing severe flooding events (Niedźwiedź et al. 2009 , 2015 ; Ustrnul and Czekierda 2009 ; Wyżga et al. 2016 ; Wypych et al. 2018a ; Ustrnul et al. 2023 ).

The previously described characteristics of the Carpathian part of the upper Vistula river basin yield the highest risk of flooding in Poland despite the presence of more than a dozen reservoirs designed to reduce flood risk.

Eight catchments were selected for the purpose of this paper—each from a different part of the Carpathians (ESM – Table 1 , Fig. 1 B). The list of catchments includes—from west to east—Soła, Skawa, Raba, Dunajec, Biała, Wisłoka, Wisłok, and San.

The catchments selected for this study are located in various physical geographic regions of the Polish part of the Carpathian Mountains. Some catchment characteristics can be described using numerical parameters. In addition to climate issues, key parameters that affect discharge are morphometry, catchment geometry, land use, and parent material permeability. Catchment surface area directly affects runoff volume (ESM – Table 1 ). Catchment elevation and slope exposure do not directly affect runoff, but do affect climate conditions (precipitation, temperature, evaporation) that affect runoff.

Although the highest amount of summer precipitation as well as extreme daily areal precipitation and other parameters is recorded in Dunajec catchment (Table 1 ), the most elevated (ESM – Table 1 ), the absolute discharge for the period under consideration occurred at Żywiec water gauging site (Soła catchment), characterized also by other hydrological extremes (Table 1 ) due to the highest catchment gradient (ESM – Table 1 ). Presented catchment hydroclimate conditions confirm the previously described predominance of western part of the Polish Carpathians in flood formation. The Carpathians are characterized by the strongest hydrological dynamics in Poland. This is the outcome of interactions between the local climate, elevation, and relief.

Carpathian rivers are characterized by fast circulation of water and are recharged by atmospheric precipitation in the summer and the melting of snow in the spring. Precipitation-based floods are typical of the region, especially its western part. Snowmelt-based floods are also typical, especially in the eastern part of the Carpathians in Poland.

Materials and methods

The paper is based on both meteorological (including rainfall) and hydrological (discharge) data for an over 70-year period: 1951–2022 obtained from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management–National Research Institute. This is the longest time period for which both rainfall and discharge data are available for the entire study area. In addition, although the primary recharge regime in the Polish Carpathians is a pluvio-nival regime, only the warm part of the year (May–October) was analyzed as mostly prone to extreme precipitation events also followed by flooding.

The primary source of meteorological data consisted of daily precipitation totals obtained by weather stations and climatological research sites as well as rainfall gauging sites located in selected catchments (Fig. 1 B). A total of 23 stations and sites contributed data to this paper. The data with monthly resolution were checked for homogeneity using the standard normal homogeneity test (SNHT) developed by Alexandersson ( 1986 ). In light of the focus of the study on extreme events, any detected examples of heterogeneity were subjected to weather-dependent analysis in order to avoid smoothing effects of daily data (WMO 2016 ). In addition to in situ data, the precipitation totals from E-OBS database were also used in the study with spatial resolution of 0.1° latitude and longitude (Cornes et al. 2018 , v28.0e, https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu )—it constitutes a valuable supplementary source of precipitation data for areas not adequately covered by meteorological stations.

Meteorological information was verified using atmospheric precipitation data as well as snow cover data for selected events. The snow cover data included snow amounts and snow water content—where possible. Air temperature data were also used for verification purposes. The supplementary data were used to analyze cases where high recorded discharge was coupled with a substantial lack of precipitation in a predetermined, preceding period of time. In some cases, no precipitation had been recorded. This type of analysis was only needed for discharge in May when high river discharge can be explained by abrupt melting of the snow cover at higher elevations. This is especially true of the Dunajec catchment, which collects water from the highest elevations in the Carpathian Mountains—i.e., the Tatra Range (Fig. 1 A).

The hydrological data, used to define the role of precipitation extremes in flood events, include daily discharge values for 1951–2022 for eight water gauging stations in the analyzed catchments: Soła, Skawa, Raba, Dunajec, Biała, Wisłoka, Wisłok, San. Eight water gauging sites were selected based on data availability. Each site covers a major river in the study area. The selected catchments feature an undisturbed runoff regime (Fig. 1 B). This was not an easy task due to the large number of reservoirs in the Carpathian region. Most of the reservoirs are designed to reduce flood risk and produce a direct and significant impact on the natural relationship between atmospheric precipitation and river discharge. Given the strong human footprint in the region and the number of manmade structures along rivers, the quantity and quality of hydrological data will not improve in the years to come.

The future precipitation conditions for the period 2026–2060 were investigated based on the output from EUR-11 CORDEX experiments (Jacob et al. 2014 , http://www.euro-cordex.net/ ). Driving General Circulation Models (GCMs) and the driven Regional Climate Models (RCMs) available in the repository were taken into account with daily temporal resolution including also driving ensemble members and validated regarding their representativeness for Central European climate characteristics (Meitner et al. 2023 ). Finally, 5 GCM-RCM model pairs were chosen as the best reflecting precipitation conditions in the region (no strong biases detected) (ESM – Table 2 ). Selected combinations were calculated for two greenhouse gas concentration trajectories: RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The spatial resolution of the future projections is 0.11°.

The precipitation versus runoff relationship was estimated based on daily discharge data (Q) which were further used to calculate specific runoff (q) and runoff volume (V) for each catchment as well as on mean areal precipitation totals (RR) calculated for each studied catchment via the Thiessen polygon method using gridded data. Hypsometric methods could not be used due to the uneven distribution of grid points. The relationship was analyzed using daily precipitation totals (24 h – 1 day) and multi-day precipitation totals (cumulative totals from 48 h – 2-day, 72 h – 3-day, 96 h – 4-day, and 120 h – 5-day) via a moving time window.

The main part of the research study evaluates precipitation patterns with the special focus on the extremes in the Polish Carpathians in the context of present-day climate change. To distinguish the extreme events except for the grids, also daily totals from the stations were analyzed and the occurrence of extremes was noted based on existing work in hydrology (Robson and Reed 1999 ; Kundzewicz et al. 2005 ; Svensson et al. 2005 ) and meteorology (Groisman et al. 1999 ; Frei and Schär 2001 ; Klein Tank and Können 2003 ) using probability method with 90 th and 95 th percentiles of the thresholds of extreme events (respectively: RR90p, RR95p for precipitation and Q90p, Q95p for the discharge). This made it possible to analyze the frequency of extreme events and associated patterns over a period of over 70 years. Extreme precipitation thresholds (RR90p, RR95p) were calculated for the warm season within the whole period, i.e., 1951–2022 including the days with precipitation above 0.1 mm. The role of extreme precipitation events in seasonal precipitation totals as well as their long-term tendencies was also examined. Although the study focused on long-lasting rainfall (with respect to areal mean, cumulative totals), in addition, cases where extremely high daily totals (downpours) were noted and analyzed for several stations. Future projections were calculated for the whole study area with the special focus on selected catchments. Since high within-ensemble variability of projected precipitation has already been confirmed (Wypych et al. 2018b ), uncertainty of the results needs to be stressed. To assess the range of the possible changes in precipitation amount, all five GCM-RCMs were taken into account, with particular respect to maximum and minimum of the results as well as multimodel ensembles for both examined RCPs 4.5 and 8.5.

It needs to be stated that only meteorological catchment attributes were considered in this study. These attributes are known to cause high water levels, especially in mountain areas due to local geology, relief, soil types, and vegetation. Atmospheric circulation was not considered in the study, although it is a direct cause of extreme precipitation, as shown by numerous other research studies. In effect, atmospheric circulation is responsible for extreme hydrological events. Since, according to the high variability of precipitation, spatial resolution of the research includes mostly mesoscale processes and the only parameter projected were monthly totals. Therefore, no further modelling was executed to project possible flooding frequency.

A direct relationship between daily precipitation totals and discharge was discovered in the course of the study. In light of the delay in the precipitation-discharge reaction, precipitation series up to 7 days long were studied (period prior to discharge event). Hence, daily totals were studied individually for this period of time, as were cumulative totals for selected groups of days. These totals were then compared with daily discharge. Research has shown that most catchments exhibit a strong relationship between precipitation totals and discharge for the 2 days preceding a precipitation event. The correlation coefficient reached close to 0.7 in the studied catchments (0.55 to 0.76, Table 2 ). The coefficient appears to be high given that the discharge data were collected only once per day (06 UTC) for such a long period of time, and that no cumulative or mean discharge values are available for the predetermined intervals. An exception in this case is the Wisłok catchment, which exhibits the strongest relationship for at least 5-day precipitation totals. Catchment size is an issue in this case. The Wisłok catchment is more than twice the size of the other studied catchments. The precipitation versus discharge relationship is also affected by catchment morphometry (EMS – Table 1 ). Similar research results were obtained by Kostka and Holko ( 2002 ), Holko et al. ( 2006 ), Młyński et al. ( 2018a ), and Holko et al. ( 2020 ) as well as Niedźwiedź et al. ( 2015 ) for the Tatra region alone.

Runoff response time with respect to extreme precipitation events in small catchments in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia is quite short at about one hour. Maximum discharge is observed about six hours following the event. Extreme discharge in larger catchments in the Polish Tatras was noted after three to five days following a precipitation event. Researchers consistently agree that the precipitation versus runoff relationship depends on the hydrological properties of the catchment including its saturation state and evapotranspiration rate, while elevation is perceived as less important (Sokol and Bližňá 2009 ).

Extreme cases

According to the precipitation-discharge relationship estimated in this research study, the 2-day precipitation amount (preceding discharge) is the most important variable to be subjected to further analysis (RR). Hence, 2-day precipitation events (totals) were identified above selected percentiles: 90 th , 95 th . These series became the basis for further analysis in the long term. A similar method was used to identify cases of extremely high discharge. The strength of the inferred relationships—given their resemblance of the normal distribution—was defined using the Pearson coefficient of correlation. Extremely high atmospheric precipitation was analyzed in relation with corresponding discharge. Calculations were performed for each catchment separately. Three of the studied catchments deserve particular attention due to their location in Poland as well as catchment characteristics (Fig. 1 B, ESM – Table 1 , Table 1 )—Soła, Dunajec, and Wisłoka. These three catchments represent three different parts of the study area—western part, central part, eastern part. Research has shown that the precipitation-discharge relationship—in terms of noted hydrological extremes—in the western part of the study area is stronger (correlation coefficient > 0.70) than in its eastern part (correlation coefficient < 0.60). In addition, research suggests that discharge is affected not only by atmospheric precipitation, but also by selected catchment characteristics and the local network of rivers. Catchments characterized by lower atmospheric precipitation totals, but with large gradients and a dense network of rivers, are more likely to experience extremely high discharge: more than 800 m 3 s −1 : Soła and more than 600 m 3 s −1 : Biała (Fig. 3 ), which, having only shallow, slope aquifers, is characterized by the runoff-irregularity coefficient (the ratio of the highest and the lowest discharge on record) at one of the upper part of the catchment water gauge stations reaching 7500 (Stoffel et al. 2016 ). Figure 3 lists indirectly all extreme hydrological events in the Polish Carpathians in the last several decades: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1972, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2010. In addition, the relationship between precipitation and discharge becomes less substantial with increasing severity of the criteria used to define extreme events.

figure 3

Relationship between precipitation extremes (RR > 95p) and discharge (Q) in the examined catchments (May–October)

The aforementioned study noted an increased number of days with atmospheric precipitation in the 40 to 60 mm range, defined as low-risk precipitation, over the last 50 years. This increase is used to explain the increase in so-called small floods—exceeding the 75 th percentile—in the High Tatras. The next step was to analyze relationships between predefined extreme events identified for each studied catchment. The differences between each studied catchment are small. In most cases, R values exceed 0.7 (ESM – Table 3 ).

The long-term pattern of extremes is also quite regular (Fig. 4 ). One key difference that can be observed is between catchments in the western part of the study area (Soła) and those in the eastern part (Wisłoka). This difference has already been noted in terms of the precipitation-discharge relationship. In the western catchments, there is substantial agreement between precipitation extremes and hydrological extremes. This is especially true of the following years: 1974, 1980, 1985, 1996. In these cases, approximately 40 events were noted with discharge exceeding the 90 th percentile (Fig. 4 ). The largest number of such cases (60) was noted in 2010, with multiple days with very high water levels and flooding between May and July. The same four years (1974, 1980, 1985, 1996) included a number of extreme cases exceeding the 95 th percentile. Extremes in the eastern part of the Polish Carpathians did follow a different pattern. Both analyzed variables follow a more synchronized pattern. In this region, the years with an exceptional pattern of extremes were 1974, 1980, 1997, and 2010. A similar pattern can also be noted in catchments in the western part of the Polish Carpathians.

figure 4

Variability of the number of precipitation (RR) and hydrological (Q) extremes distinguished by the 90 th and 95 th percentile in selected catchments (May–October)

The Dunajec catchment—found in the central part of the study area—is somewhat unique in terms of hydrological extremes producing the largest floods in the long history of the region. It includes the highest elevations in the Carpathian mountain chain—the Tatra Mountains. The catchment includes the northern slopes of the Tatras—an area that receives much more precipitation than the southern slopes of the Tatras located in Slovakia, due to circulation patterns in southern Poland (Niedźwiedź et al. 2015 ). The agreement between the number of days with extreme precipitation and that with extreme discharge is less consistent than it is in other catchments in the study area. The correlation coefficients calculated for the number of precipitation events and the number of hydrological events for the 90 th and 95 th percentiles range from 0.69 to 0.74. In most years, the number of extreme precipitation events is slightly higher than the number of extreme discharge events. Several years were identified when the number of hydrological extremes was much higher than the number of precipitation extremes (e.g., 1960, 1962, 1965, 1980, 1989, 2010). The one year that stands out even in this group of substantial discrepancies between extremes is 1965.

The explanation for this fact is somewhat complex. First, many cases of high discharge were noted in May when the snow cover in the Tatras is still thick, and air temperatures are high, which leads to rapid melting of snow. In some cases, high discharge events were caused by a combination of rainfall and the melting of snow. Another factor that also contributes to high river discharge at higher elevations is groundwater flow patterns. The geology of the Western Tatras and Bielskie Tatras includes a very large share of limestone and dolomite characterized by karst features and substantial groundwater flow (Dynowska 1995 ). The Dunajec catchment then receives part of this groundwater supply in periods without rainfall. Other smaller sources of water in this catchment include water trapped in rather thick alluvial and fluvioglacial layers of the local soil as well as water trapped in the catchment’s weathering cover.

In summary, a variety of factors weaken the precipitation-discharge reaction in the Dunajec catchment. The most important factors include groundwater recharge and the melting of snow in the spring season. These same factors also affect hydrological extremes in other catchments in the study area, but to a much smaller extent (Stoffel et al. 2016 ).

Relationships of this type between catchment characteristics, meteorological conditions, and discharge were previously analyzed, e.g., for the Swiss Alps (Weingartner et al. 2003 ; Birsan et al. 2005 ). In the study area in Poland, the areas most prone to flooding are middle elevations in mountain areas. Examples include the upper parts of the Soła and Skawa catchments as well as the Dunajec catchment as a whole. High-intensity rainfall and steep gradients play a key role in these areas. On the other hand, precipitation intensity plays a key role in flooding at lower elevations. This includes short periods of heavy rainfall or downpours. Flood risk is reduced above the precipitation inversion line along with decreasing precipitation amounts. Furthermore, some of the precipitation above this line is stored in the form of snow.

A closer look at all the data involved shows that years with substantial flooding in Poland (1970, 1972, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2010) were not unique in terms of the number of extremes, as identified using the percentile method in the context of precipitation and discharge. Research has shown that these years did not include a significant number of extreme events. On the contrary, there were fewer extreme events than usual, but the events that did occur were quite extreme in terms of precipitation and discharge. These extreme events recorded by most water level gauges and precipitation gauges may be easily observed only thanks to the use of the most severe of criteria in the extreme event identification process—precipitation totals over 100 mm and/or totals above the 99 th percentile. However, the use of such severe criteria in the analysis of long-term data is not a good solution given a fundamental statistical problem—a very small sample of data.

Annual maxima

Given the already mentioned problem with statistical representativeness in long-term analysis (Groisman et al. 1999 ), only annual maxima were taken into consideration—maximum discharge and maximum 2-day precipitation totals for each studied catchment (areal analysis). Previously, research has shown the hydrological and meteorological diversity of the Polish Carpathians. In Western Carpathian catchments (represented by Soła and Dunajec, Fig. 5 ), annual maximum discharge was produced by maximum atmospheric precipitation (2-day totals) in most cases (over 60%).

figure 5

Left panel: maximum 2-day extreme precipitation totals (RR, areal mean) and discharge (Q) in selected catchments (May–October). Right panel: seasonal (May–October) runoff totals (mm) and precipitation totals (mm) in selected catchments

This percentage decreases from west to east in the Polish Carpathian mountain chain. The case of the Wisłoka River in southeastern Poland is unique in that it does experience a flood delay relative to precipitation due to the large size of its catchment area.

Long-term variability and future projections

The last stage of the study focused on long-term changes in seasonal precipitation totals and seasonal discharge totals in response to previous research results. The data show a clear lack of a relationship between precipitation extremes and hydrological extremes (Fig. 5 ); however, a relatively close relationship between precipitation and discharge in the Polish Carpathians at the seasonal level can be observed (Fig. 5 ). The corresponding correlation coefficient exceeds 90%, which helps explain the role of precipitation in the water balance of Carpathian catchments. It is important to note that maximum discharge varies much more substantially over the long term than does maximum atmospheric precipitation (Fig. 5 ). The coefficient of variance can exceed 100% in extreme cases (Biała, San), while in most cases, it exceeds 75%. Variances in precipitation maxima are much less pronounced at 30 to 50% (highest at 68%—Biała). In all catchments, there is no discernible trend over the 70-year study period.

Future projections for the period 2026–2060 calculated for two greenhouse gas concentration trajectories using 5 different GCM-RCM combinations show no spatial consistency. Five models ensembles demonstrate higher future precipitation totals than recorded at the end of twentieth century (Fig. 2 B and C) for most of the Polish Carpathians region. The highest positive anomalies (up to 12%) are projected for the northern parts of Carpathian foothills whereas the central parts of the area under consideration, along Polish-Slovak border, e.g., the upper Biała river basin (Fig. 1 B), may expect dryer warm half-year conditions (with respect to 1991–2020 period). The eastern part of the examined region will possibly get only 2–3% more rain in period 2026–2060. Higher precipitation totals are projected for RCP 8.5 scenario but the differences are almost neglectable. The highest discrepancy was calculated for Dunajec river basin (3.4%), farther on for Wisłoka (2.1%), Soła, San, and Skawa (2%) catchments.

The smallest contrast (0.3%) characterizes the driest Biała river basin. At the same time, RCP 4.5 scenario gives more inter-annual variability (Fig. 6 ). The range of warm half-year sums reaches 67 mm on average while for RCP 8.5, the mean max-min difference is about 50 mm. In spite of the mentioned differences, all the projected changes are statistically insignificant. Similarly is the trend in the number of days with extreme precipitation (Fig. 6 ).

figure 6

Future projections of the warm season (May–October) precipitation totals (RR totals) and number of precipitation extremes (RR extremes) in selected catchments (areal mean, 5 models ensemble, and min-max whiskers)

Despite the research resolution, the present study and the previous ones (Piniewski et al. 2016 ; Pińskwar et al. 2016 ; Romanowicz et al. 2016 ) confirm large inter-model and inter-scenarios differences. They refer not only to the magnitude of the tendency but even its sign. In general, as already described, the RCP 8.5 scenario is more rainy than RCP 4.5. However, for particular models and selected regions, the situation differs (Table 3 ). More precipitation has been projected by high pathway for the whole area of the Polish Carpathians while modelled by CLMcom using MPI-M-MPI-ESM-LR and CNRM-CERFACS-CNRM-CM5 GSM model (Table 3 ) whereas KNMI projects the less rain for RCP 8.5. Moreover, the other models give different results for distinctive catchments with no spatial pattern. It confirms that precipitation projections are associated with high uncertainty and if used to hydrological models they must be thoroughly validated and parametrized with local factors of very fine resolution.

Discussion and conclusions

Changes in precipitation totals in the Carpathians were discussed, e.g., by Cheval et al. ( 2014 ) and indirectly by Spinoni et al. ( 2013 ). The authors confirmed no spatial pattern in precipitation variability as well as the lack of statistically significant tendency in a region. Similar results were achieved by some local studies conducted for the Polish Carpathians or their foreland (e.g., Cebulak ( 1997 ); Niedźwiedź et al. ( 2015 ); Skowera et al. ( 2016 ); Łupikasza et al. ( 2016 ); Pińskwar et al. ( 2017 ); Młyński et al. ( 2018b ); Wypych et al. ( 2018b )). No significant trends were detected in annual and seasonal precipitation totals as well as in frequency of precipitation extremes (RR ≥ 30 mm, RR ≥ 50 mm) which can be used as the index of flood favorable conditions. However, at some stations, slight decreasing tendency in precipitation totals has been signalized. Simultaneously, annual and seasonal changes in runoff were a subject of detailed analyses. A decrease of a different magnitude was reported for the area of Western Carpathians (Piniewski and Marcinkowski 2018 ; Mostowik et al. 2019 ; Górnik 2020 ; Siwek et al. 2023 ). The same trends were detected in the Swiss Alps (Muelchi et al. 2021a , 2021b ) while contrarily Ruiz-Villanueva et al. ( 2010 ) detected weak upward trend in the discharge as well as flood magnitude in Central Spain or Didovets et al. ( 2019 ) in Eastern Carpathians.

No clear trend is observable in the Carpathian catchments examined over the period of 70 years. This is not surprising, as some research has already shown that variances in precipitation do not adequately explain long-term variances in discharge in mountain area catchments (Birsan et al. 2005 ; Borga et al. 2007 ; Hlavčová et al. 2016 ). In addition, the relationship between precipitation and discharge becomes less substantial with increasing severity of the criteria used to define extreme events. Similar results were obtained by Bičárová and Holko ( 2013 ) who analyzed the relationship between precipitation and discharge in the High Tatras along the Polish-Slovak border. Ruiz-Villanueva et al. ( 2010 ) and Hlavčová et al. ( 2016 ) indicate the need of deep analysis of terrestrial factors, especially human impacts, in a region to explain the variability of floods and emphasize that there is no possibility to extrapolate the trends into the future. Similar results were achieved by Piniewski et al. ( 2016 ) for the whole upper Vistula river basin while modelling hydroclimatic conditions, as well as Pińskwar et al. ( 2016 ) who projected future precipitation only for the northern foothills of the Tatra mountains (confirming also the increase in mean extreme precipitation) and Romanowicz et al. ( 2016 ) who projected flood hazard in particular headwater catchments of the Vistula river.

The research conducted primarily in the Western Carpathian region of southern Poland—a key region in the hydrology of the country—has shown very strong linkages between extreme precipitation events and extreme discharge events. This conclusion applies to the entire study area and all analyzed catchments. The precipitation-discharge relationship determined for the Polish Carpathians suggests that flood risk in this part of Poland will increase with changing precipitation conditions. As emphasized by Blöschl et al. ( 2017 , 2019 ), changes in the annual distribution of precipitation totals followed also by the changes in their form (solid vs. liquid) as well as the variability of snow cover characteristics would be followed by trends not only in floods intensity but also in flood timing.

The analysis for the period 1951–2022 did not highlight any statistically significant trends related to precipitation extremes; however, due to the exceptional character of very rare events, these results need to be interpreted with particular carefulness (Frei and Schär 2001 ). Future projections do not give any univocal information about warm season precipitation conditions in the Polish Carpathians within the nearest decades, either. Moreover, there is a significant difference between climate models, even in a sign of changes, what confirms the difficulty in modelling hydrological conditions and emphasizes the uncertainty of their results (also Didovets et al. ( 2019 )).

In the context of the key relationships determined in the course of the study, additional runoff factors need to be considered for the Polish Carpathians. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find “near natural” catchments where these types of studies could be conducted. The construction of reservoirs and the introduction of other flood management systems are needed to protect communities from flooding. However, this severely limits the areas where research can be conducted without all types of interference. In addition, both meteorological and hydrological data series are not yet fully homogeneous despite the use of increasingly advanced measurement devices. One potential solution to this problem is the use of grid databases. The analysis of areal averages for catchments with evenly distributed rain gauges has shown that in situ data are consistent with information obtained at grid points. Hence, it appears reasonable to use modelling data in situations where measured precipitation data are somehow inadequate.

Existing research on atmospheric precipitation and its effects on flood frequency does not yet provide an unambiguous answer to questions about change patterns. Numerous studies from various European countries generally confirm an increase in atmospheric precipitation totals in some parts of the continent. The knowledge about changes in precipitation extremes is very important for adaptation for future flood risk; however, the current precipitation-discharge relationships are not sufficiently able to predict with high accuracy the frequency of hydrological extremes.

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The research has been supported by a grant (U1U/W23/NO/03.52) from the Faculty of Geography and Geology under the Strategic Programme Excellence Initiative at Jagiellonian University.

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Wypych, A., Ustrnul, Z. Precipitation and hydrological extremes during the warm season in response to climate change: the example from the Polish Carpathians. Reg Environ Change 24 , 90 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-024-02252-1

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