Step-by-Step Guide: How to Write a Strong Paper 2 Conclusion
- Your conclusion is your last chance to impress the examiner and tie everything together. Here’s why it’s essential:
- It leaves a lasting impression: The examiner reads it last, make it count by ending clearly and confidently.
- It shows big-picture thinking: A good conclusion reflects on the deeper meaning of your analysis, not just the paragraph-level detail.
- It reinforces key ideas: Summarising your thesis and main points helps clarify your argument without sounding repetitive.
- It adds insight: Top-scoring conclusions offer a final judgment or reflection e.g., which text is more impactful or relevant.
- It affects your grade: Weak conclusions can lower your score in Criterion C (Focus, Organisation, Development), even if the body is strong.
Step 1: Restate the Prompt and Texts
- Briefly remind the examiner of the focus of the essay and the texts you've analysed.
- Use fresh wording.
- Clarify the scope of the discussion.
Example
Both Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Miller’s The Crucible examine how ambition and fear interact under systems of power.
Step 2: Summarise Your Thesis and Main Points
- Recap your central argument and the broad themes or umbrella points you covered.
- Avoid listing every point.
- Emphasise your core perspective.
Example
While both texts show ambition as destructive, Macbeth’s downfall stems from internal corruption, while the townspeople in Salem are driven by external hysteria.
Step 3: Highlight a Key Comparison or Contrast
- Select the most insightful similarity or difference and rephrase it with a deeper interpretation.
- This demonstrates synthesis.
- Avoid simply repeating phrasing from earlier.
Example
Macbeth is destroyed by his own illusions of power, whereas Miller’s characters are ruined by the illusions imposed on them by society.
Step 4: End with a Final Evaluative Insight
- Conclude with a thoughtful comment on the broader significance of your comparison.
- You might comment on:
- Which text is more effective or relevant today
- What the texts suggest about the human condition
- How the comparison enhances understanding
Example
Ultimately, Miller’s exploration feels more urgent in a contemporary context, where mass paranoia and scapegoating remain potent forces.
Sample Full Conclusion (All Steps Combined)
Example
Prompt: How do the texts portray the impact of fear on human behaviour?
In conclusion, both Macbeth and The Crucible present fear as a destructive force, but they do so through distinct lenses. Shakespeare focuses on the personal consequences of fear, how Macbeth’s inner anxiety and paranoia unravel his morality and drive him to tyranny. Miller, on the other hand, explores fear as a collective force, showing how it spreads across a community and dismantles logic, justice, and trust. By comparing these portrayals, we see that fear not only alters behavior but reshapes entire moral landscapes, be it the mind of a king or the soul of a town. Ultimately, both texts serve as cautionary tales, revealing that when fear governs behaviour, humanity is the first casualty.
Note
- What to include
- Here are the four essential elements to repeat in your conclusion:
- The prompt and the texts
- Briefly restate what you were asked and which texts you explored.
- Your thesis and main points
- Restate your central argument and summarise the broad points you covered.
- A meaningful comparison
- Highlight one major similarity or difference between the texts that feels especially important.
- A final opinion or reflection
- If the prompt is open-ended, offer a final evaluative comment or insight based on your comparison.
- The prompt and the texts
Exam technique
- What makes a great conclusion?
- Repetitive (but fresh):
- Revisit the key ideas explored in your essay, but rephrase them using new language.
- Avoid introducing new arguments, there’s no time to support them.
- Persuasive:
- Use assertive, confident language.
- Instead of flat statements like “The theme is used to…”, try: “Clearly, the theme reinforces…” or “This demonstrates that…”
- Big-picture focused:
- Summarise core insights, not specific techniques or small details.
- Focus on overarching themes, ideas, or comparisons that hold your argument together.
- Repetitive (but fresh):
