{"id":4170,"date":"2013-06-27T21:00:06","date_gmt":"2013-06-27T21:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=4170"},"modified":"2026-03-25T11:29:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:29:25","slug":"drafting-conclusions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/drafting-conclusions\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Draft a Conclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_VVL-7sjcS2k\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_VVL-7sjcS2k\" data-source-videoID=\"VVL-7sjcS2k\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"How to Draft a Conclusion Video\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"How to Draft a Conclusion\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_VVL-7sjcS2k:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_VVL-7sjcS2k {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/new-thumb-drafting-.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_VVL-7sjcS2k\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_VVL-7sjcS2k\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"How to Draft a Conclusion\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_VVL-7sjcS2k\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_VVL-7sjcS2k\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_VVL-7sjcS2k\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction 6uR_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"6uR\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"6uR_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"6uR\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Introduction_vs_Conclusion\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Introduction vs. Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Introduction_and_Conclusion_Examples\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Introduction and Conclusion Examples<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#How_to_Draft_A_Conclusion\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">How to Draft A Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Writing a conclusion might just be the hardest part of writing an essay. You\u2019ve already said all the important stuff, like your thesis and your supporting points. What more is there to talk about?<\/p>\n<p>You might have heard this saying about about public speaking or essay-writing:<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\">First, tell them what you\u2019re going to tell them.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\">Then tell them.<\/li>\n<li>Finally, tell them what you told them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Your introduction is where you explain what you\u2019re going to talk about, your body paragraphs are where you talk about it, and your conclusion is where you review what you just told them.<\/p>\n<p>That can be a helpful way to think of introductions and conclusions, up to a point, but it oversimplifies the differences between the introduction and the conclusion. To understand these differences, we first have to know what each of them is supposed to accomplish.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Introduction_vs_Conclusion\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Introduction vs. Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe introduction is your reader\u2019s first glimpse into your topic. In it, you present your main argument or idea and give a preview of your supporting details. So the introduction has two purposes:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>It introduces the main idea.<\/li>\n<li>It gives an overview of your points.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The conclusion, on the other hand, wraps everything up. It reiterates not just the idea but the importance of the idea. So the purpose of the conclusion is to:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Give closure to the discussion.<\/li>\n<li>Leave the reader with something to think about.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span id=\"Introduction_and_Conclusion_Examples\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Introduction and Conclusion Examples<\/h2>\n<p>\nLet\u2019s look at an example of an introduction and a conclusion so that you can get a better idea of what I mean.<\/p>\n<p>Say you\u2019re writing an essay arguing that people should colonize Mars as quickly as possible. Here\u2019s what your introduction might look like<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">From the Polynesian wayfinders to the Europeans in the Age of Expansion, for good or for ill, humans have always explored. There are few corners of the Earth that have never been seen by humans, so exploring space is the next logical step. But since landing on the moon, interest in exploring space has been dwindling, when it should be growing. Sending humans to Mars is not just a logical step but a vital one. Humanity should make colonizing Mars a priority. Doing so will help us better understand Earth, learn about the potential for alien life, and prepare for our future.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nOkay, so that\u2019s your introduction. In it, you list your thesis, your main idea: \u201cHumanity should make colonizing Mars a priority.\u201d Then you give an overview of your three supporting points: \u201cDoing so will help us better understand Earth, learn about the potential for alien life, and prepare for our future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s look at the conclusion for this essay.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The sooner humans land on Mars, the sooner we change for the better. Mars may hold the answers to some of our biggest questions: Are we the only living things in the universe? How do climates on other planets change over time, and what does that say about our own? Will we expand society beyond the stars? It will also spark new questions, questions about what it means to be alive and what it means to be human. But most importantly, colonizing Mars will provide us with a bright future and put our squabbles on Earth into perspective. Once humans colonize another planet, we will move toward a more peaceful future.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThis conclusion reminds the reader of the main point of the essay: \u201cThe sooner humans land on Mars, the sooner we change for the better.\u201d It also rephrases the most important points as questions. You don\u2019t always have to present your supporting points as questions, that\u2019s just what I did here.<\/p>\n<p>This conclusion doesn\u2019t directly quote or restate any of these points but simply brings the ideas back up to provide the reader with a sense of closure.<\/p>\n<p>This conclusion also gives the reader something more to think about by talking about the philosophical implications of colonizing Mars. The reader will walk away from the essay not only understanding the point but thinking about the implications of it. That is a good conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve shown the differences between an introduction and a conclusion, I\u2019d like to leave you with some practical steps for crafting your own conclusions.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_Draft_A_Conclusion\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>How to Draft A Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>\nLet\u2019s start by going over things you should avoid when writing a conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>First, don\u2019t start your conclusion with \u201cin conclusion.\u201d It\u2019s honestly a little boring. It should be obvious that you are wrapping things up without having to say, \u201cHey, this is the conclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You also don\u2019t want to introduce a completely new idea. If I included a sentence about how I think getting to Venus will be even better than colonizing Mars, the reader will be distracted from the main point and confused about why I hadn\u2019t mentioned Venus before if it\u2019s important enough to be in the conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>And finally, you shouldn\u2019t repeat your thesis word-for-word. Instead, you want to rephrase it.<\/p>\n<p>Now, onto things you should do when writing your conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>You should rephrase your thesis statement and remind the reader of your supporting points.<\/p>\n<p>You should also leave your reader something to think about by presenting some implications of your argument or showing how it fits into a larger context. Make sure you are going broader or deeper with an idea already mentioned, not adding a new idea. This can be tricky to do, so remember to ask yourself if this idea has already been introduced.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review<\/h2>\n<p>\nTo test that you understand conclusions and how to write them, let\u2019s do a couple of practice questions!<\/p>\n<p>1. The purpose of the conclusion is to\u2026<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>Quote the thesis statement and give the reader closure.<\/li>\n<li>Give the reader closure and leave them something to think about.<\/li>\n<li>Summarize everything in the essay.<\/li>\n<li>Leave them with a new and stronger supporting detail.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n   <button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer1')\">Show Answer<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer1\" class=\"showanswer\">\n   <strong>The correct answer is B!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The conclusion should give the reader closure and leave them with something to think about. Choice A is incorrect because you want to rephrase your thesis statement, not directly quote it. Choice C is incorrect because you don\u2019t need to summarize your entire essay in your conclusion. D is also incorrect, because you should not introduce new ideas in your conclusion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n2. Which sentence could you add to improve the following conclusion?<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">The above points make it clear, studying video games should be a part of high school education. Video games are simply another form of storytelling, one that should be studied in schools. Blockbuster movies and TV shows are already drawing inspiration from this medium; schools should also recognize the value in it.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>Regardless of what some claim, there is no evidence that video games cause violence.<\/li>\n<li>As stated earlier in my thesis, \u201cAll high schools should offer a class on video games.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Classes on video games will help improve hand-eye coordination, appreciation for the arts, and computer literacy.<\/li>\n<li>In conclusion, video games are good for students.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n   <button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer2')\">Show Answer<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer2\" class=\"showanswer\">\n   <strong>The correct answer is C!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This sentence reminds the reader of the supporting details. Choice A introduces a new idea, that video games don\u2019t cause violence. Choice B is a direct quote of the thesis statement. Finally, choice D uses \u201cin conclusion\u201d and isn\u2019t necessary, since the thesis is restated in the first sentence \u201cstudying video games should be a part of high school education.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAll right, that\u2019s all for this video. Thanks for watching, and happy studying!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/\">Mometrix Academy &#8211; Home<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nfunction toggle(obj) {\n          var obj=document.getElementById(obj);\n          if (obj.style.display == \"block\") obj.style.display = \"none\";\n          else obj.style.display = \"block\";\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mometrix Academy &#8211; Home<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":240019,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-4170","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","7":"page_category-writing-videos","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4170"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":279175,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4170\/revisions\/279175"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}