How to write a conclusion for an essay

1. Answer the question directly, reflecting what you've shown.
2. Synthesise your main points: how do they work together? Which matters most?
3. Finish with significance: a wider implication, a final insight, or what the answer tells us.

Question: How far was the Treaty of Versailles responsible for the Second World War?

"The Treaty of Versailles created the resentment that made Hitler's rise possible, but it did not make war inevitable. The decisive factors came later: the policy of appeasement allowed Germany to rearm and expand unchecked, and Hitler's ambitions went far beyond reversing the treaty's terms. Versailles set the stage; the choices of the 1930s caused the war. It's a reminder that a peace settlement depends as much on how it is enforced as on its terms."

"How far" and "to what extent" questions want a clear judgement. Avoid sitting on the fence: weigh the factors and say which is most important, and why. A nuanced answer ("partly, because…") is fine, as long as it's a decision rather than "there are many views".

In English Literature, end by showing what your analysis reveals about the writer's purpose or the text's themes: "Through Scrooge's transformation, Dickens argues that generosity is not just a personal virtue but a social responsibility." This ties your close analysis to the bigger picture that examiners reward.

• Copying the introduction with the words shuffled.
• Introducing a new quotation, statistic or argument.
• "In conclusion, I have shown that…" followed by a list.
• Ending with a vague cliché ("Only time will tell").

• "Ultimately,…", "Overall,…", "Taken together, these show…"
• "While… it is… that is most significant because…"
• "This matters because…"

Pair a strong conclusion with a strong introduction so the essay feels complete.

• English Literature: what the writer is saying about the theme, and why it matters.
• History: a judgement that weighs the factors ("the most important cause was… because…").
• Science reports: whether the results support the hypothesis, how reliable they are, and what you'd improve.
• Geography: answer the enquiry question using your data, and note its limitations.

In each case, the conclusion gives the final answer that the essay or report has been building towards.

• Does it answer the question directly?
• Does it connect the main points rather than list them?
• Is there a sense of why the answer matters?
• Is everything in it already supported earlier in the essay?

Use this as a starting point, then make it your own:

"Overall, [your answer to the question]. Although [the strongest counterpoint or limitation], [your main reason] shows that [your judgement]. This matters because [why the answer is significant]."

Example: "Overall, Lady Macbeth is more ruthless than Macbeth at the start of the play. Although she later collapses under guilt, her early control over him shows that ambition alone is not enough to make someone a murderer. This matters because Shakespeare suggests that guilt cannot be escaped, whoever plans the crime."