How to Conclude a Paragraph

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Learn how to close a paragraph properly
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If you want a body paragraph to be effective, you need to conclude it properly — a closing sentence is as imperative as a conclusion is to an essay or a research paper. Closing or concluding sentences act like a concluding paragraph in an essay and review the points you made in the paragraph. To effectively conclude a paragraph, restate your topic sentence and include what you taught the reader. Tailor the sentence to the type of essay you’re writing, whether it’s a persuasive or compare and contrast essay.

How to End a Paragraph

Make sure your concluding statement reinforces your main idea and summarizes the points you made in the paragraph. Tailor your statement to the type of essay or paper you’re writing, and use it to set up and transition to your next paragraph.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Reviewing Your Paragraph

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  1. Read through your paragraph and note what you’ve covered. You can also refer to your outline if you made one. Since your concluding statement should sum up what you’ve said, it’s important to go over those details while you’re writing the closing statement. [1]
    • Focus on what you lay out in the topic sentence.
    • Note your evidence and details.
  2. Your concluding statement should reinforce your main idea. This is what you stated in your topic sentence . Make sure that your paragraph sticks to this main idea, and then craft your concluding statement around it. [2]
    • If your topic sentence reads, “Cats may be small, but they’re mighty predators,” then your main idea is that cats are big hunters.
    • Your concluding statement should show how your paragraph supported the idea that cats are big predators. For example, a closing statement might read, “Based on these statistics, cats are predators who hunt frequently and decrease the area bird population.”
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  3. A concluding statement reminds the reader of your main idea and what you’ve just said about it, so it will act as a loose summary of the paragraph. Jot down a brief summary of your paragraph, the use it to draft the sentence(s) you’ll use for your essay. [3]
    • For example, the closing statement above, “Based on these statistics, cats are predators who hunt frequently and decrease the area bird population,” reminds the reader that the paragraph just provided statistics about how often cats hunt and how they impact the local bird population. These details support the main idea, and the writer has mentioned both.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Drafting a Closing Statement

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  1. Show your reader that you are ending the paragraph by starting the sentence with a transition word that signals the sentence type. This will direct your reader to what they need to understand. Examples of signal words include: [4]
    • Finally
    • Lastly
    • In the end
    • Consequently
    • As a result
    • Overall
  2. Look back at your topic sentence. This is your main idea, so it needs to be reflected in the closing statement. However, you shouldn’t just paraphrase what you wrote in the topic sentence. Instead, add what the reader learned about the topic in this paragraph. [5]
    • An example topic sentence might read: “Cats are natural predators because they enjoy hunting and will even hunt for sport.”
    • Your concluding statement for this paragraph might read: “As a result of their continued hunts even after they’re domesticated and provided cat food, cats are proven to be natural predators.”
  3. Your concluding statement should reflect the type of paper you’re writing. In a persuasive or argument paper, you should use the closing statement to remind the reader of your stance. [6]
    • As an example, “The data shows that cats hunt even when they have steady meals, which proves that they are natural hunters.”
  4. Your concluding sentence should point out for the reader what you have compared or contrasted in the paragraph, as well as what the reader should take from the information you provided. This will direct your reader back to the purpose of your essay. [7]
    • For example, “As the data shows, feral cats hunt 140% more than domestic cats.”
  5. A cause and effect essay should show how one event leads to or contributes to another. Explain in your concluding sentence how the details you provided in your paragraph support the relationship that your essay is trying to prove. [8]
    • For example, “Consequently, homes that own cats have fewer birds living in their yards.”
  6. If you’re writing to inform your audience, remind them of the facts you’ve provided in the paragraph. You don’t need to list everything you said. All you need is a summary of what it all means. [9]
    • For example, “In the end, cats hunt out of instinct.”
  7. Another way to be effective is to show the reader how the evidence or examples you provided in the paragraph link back to the topic sentence. While you should have already done that in the paragraph itself, the concluding statement should cap off what you’ve said. [10]
    • For example, “To conclude, feral cats are more dangerous to birds than house cats because they have more hunting opportunities and kill more birds each year on average.” This sentence supports the main idea that feral cats hunt more than house cats and shows how the two details provided in the sentence link back to the topic sentence.
  8. Use your concluding statement to set up the next paragraph. This does not mean stating that you will be adding another paragraph. It means that you should provide the reader with a smooth transition into the next topic sentence.
    • For example, your closing statement could read, “In summation, statistics show that cats who wear bell collars are less of a threat to birds because they kill fewer birds even if they have the same number of hunting opportunities.” This signals to the reader that the writer has finished with one main idea and is moving onto another in a new paragraph.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Avoiding Common Errors

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  1. Many writers are tempted to conclude their paragraphs using statements that begin with “As I have shown” or “This shows my assertions are correct.” Keep your essay in the formal third-person, which will make your ideas more convincing.
    • You also want to avoid the word “you.” For example, don’t say, “As you can see” in your concluding sentence.
    • There are some exceptions, such as if you’re writing an introductory paragraph or an opinion essay.
  2. While you want to allude to the evidence or examples you provided, don’t make your concluding sentence about those minor points. Instead, keep it focused on the main idea. [11]
    • Reread your concluding statement, then compare it to your paragraph. Do you reference one detail but not another? If it does, rewrite the sentence to address the main points, not the subpoints.
  3. Sometimes closing sentences can become formulaic or repetitive. To prevent this, make sure that your main idea comes through and the sentence connects the explanation in the paragraph to that main idea. [12]
    • A poor closing statement might read: “As you can see, the evidence suggests that cats like to hunt."
    • A better closing statement could read: “Based on the data, cats look for opportunities to hunt for sport, proving they are natural predators."
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What is the purpose of closing sentences in paragraphs?
    Diane Stubbs
    Secondary English Teacher
    Diane Stubbs is a Secondary English Teacher with over 22 years of experience teaching all high school grade levels and AP courses. She specializes in secondary education, classroom management, and educational technology. Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and a Master of Education from Wesley College.
    Diane Stubbs
    Secondary English Teacher
    Expert Answer
    Closing sentences provide closure at the end of a paragraph. Think of the closing sentence as the bottom bun of a cheeseburger—if you lose the bottom bun, the whole burger falls apart. Your concluding sentence allows you to reiterate what you just taught or leave the audience with a call to action or rhetorical question.
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  • Question
    Where do I put my closing sentence in a paragraph?
    Chris
    Top Answerer
    Your closing sentence should always be at the end of your paragraph. It should be the last sentence or the second-to-last sentence, before your transition to the next paragraph.
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  • Question
    When I write a paragraph, does the closing sentence have to be a reworded copy of the topic sentence?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    No, not a copy. The topic sentence is an introduction. The final sentence draws a conclusion regarding the topic and may include information developed after the topic sentence.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
      2. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/
      3. ↑ https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/wrd/chapter/writing-summaries/
      4. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
      5. ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html
      6. ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html
      7. ↑ https://owl.excelsior.edu/rhetorical-styles/compare-and-contrast-essay/
      8. ↑ https://owl.excelsior.edu/rhetorical-styles/cause-and-effect-essay/
      9. ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-an-informative-essay/
      1. ↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/paragraphs-and-topic-sentences.html
      2. ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/conclusion
      3. ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/conclusion

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