Synthesizing what the argument has shown and why it matters.
Core technique
A closing does what the body could not: it puts the pieces together and shows what they mean. Rather than repeating each point, a strong conclusion synthesizes — it states what the reasons add up to, and then considers implications: who should act, what changes, what question remains. It may return to an image or question from the opening with new understanding. No stock phrase is required; "In conclusion" is neither forbidden nor necessary. Avoid introducing evidence that needed body development, and avoid inflating the claim beyond what you showed. A reader should finish knowing why your argument was worth making.
Approaches you can choose
Synthesis
Show how your reasons combine into a judgment larger than any single paragraph.
Implication
Extend the argument: what should a reader, community or institution do or reconsider?
Return with a difference
Revisit your opening scene or question, now seen through the argument.
Contrasting examples (fictional)
Summary-only
In conclusion, schedules help gardens, coordinators are important, and towns should fund them. These are the reasons clear rules matter.
Why: It lists points the reader just read without showing what they mean together.
Synthesizing
The half-empty plots behind the Fernwick library were never a sign of indifference. They were a sign that no one had been asked. If Varro is right, the cheapest improvement a town can make is to pay someone to do the asking.
Why: It returns to the opening scene, combines the reasons into one judgment, and states an implication.
Practice (self-check, fictional text)
Fictional conclusion for an essay arguing that a library's late-fee removal increased returns.
In conclusion, removing late fees was good. Returns went up. People felt welcome. The library did the right thing. Other libraries should do it too.
Identify what this conclusion repeats and what it never synthesizes. Plan a closing that shows what the evidence adds up to.
Write an attempt (a sentence or two) to unlock one possible response.
Return to your own essay
Your next step: Write one sentence stating what your body paragraphs prove together. Use it to revise your own conclusion yourself.
This is a self-check, not a verified mastery result. You revise your own essay — nothing here rewrites it.
