{"id":8839,"date":"2019-10-14T17:00:40","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T00:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?p=8839"},"modified":"2019-10-11T14:11:24","modified_gmt":"2019-10-11T21:11:24","slug":"better-concluding-transitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/better-concluding-transitions\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrap It Up: 15 (Better) Concluding Transitions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think about your favorite TV series. Whether you\u2019re old school and wait for a new episode each week or you prefer to binge-watch all seven seasons in one weekend, the harsh truth is that eventually your beloved series must come to an end.<\/p>\n

At the end of that final episode, you want everything to come together. You don\u2019t want to be left waiting for something more. You don\u2019t want to be left asking, \u201cThat\u2019s it? That\u2019s <\/i>how it all ends?\u201d And you most certainly do not<\/i> want to see a cringe-worthy ending so upsetting that it leaves fans talking about it even decades later (like with Seinfeld). <\/i><\/p>\n

Conclusions are important. And yes, they\u2019re even important in essays. A poor essay conclusion in your history paper<\/a> may not leave millions of people pondering your final thoughts. But it may leave your teacher questioning your writing style<\/a> and choice of endings.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t leave your readers asking, \u201cWhy on earth did they end the paper this way?\u201d and don’t–please<\/em> don’t–write “in conclusion.”<\/p>\n

Wrap up your paper effectively by using one of these 15 (better) concluding transitions.<\/p>\n

Why Concluding Transitions Matter<\/h2>\n

Have you ever read a classmate\u2019s draft<\/a> (maybe in a peer editing<\/a> session in an English class, for instance) only to reach the end of the paper and wonder, \u201cWait. Did I miss something? Was that the end?\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever found yourself in this situation or if someone has said this about your<\/i> draft, chances are the essay is missing a clear concluding transition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Transitions are kinda like road signs. They let you know what to expect ahead.<\/p>\n

You wouldn\u2019t want to be humming along at 75 mph without warning of a hairpin turn ahead, would you? Of course not. And you don\u2019t want readers to breeze through your paper only to reach an abrupt stop with no indication that your paper is about to end.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where effective transitions<\/a> come in.<\/p>\n

Concluding transitions help readers prepare and let them know they\u2019re reaching the end of the essay.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Wrong With \u201cIn Conclusion\u201d?<\/h2>\n

When you reach the end of your paper, it can be tempting to slap on \u201cin conclusion\u201d and call it good.<\/p>\n

While these words do, in fact, let your audience<\/a> know they\u2019ve reached the end of your paper, \u201cin conclusion\u201d is basic and boring. It\u2019s pretty much a \u201cDead End\u201d sign. Readers have come to the end of your paper, but by you using such a bland transition, they\u2019ll likely feel like your paper is a dead end too.<\/p>\n

So how exactly do <\/i>you smoothly transition from the body of your paper to the concluding paragraphs without <\/i>writing \u201cin conclusion\u201d?<\/p>\n

Here are 15 better concluding transitions to try out in your next paper.<\/p>\n

15 (Better) Concluding Transitions<\/h2>\n

Keep in mind that specific transitions often work for any variety of papers and essays. But I\u2019ve organized this list of 15 concluding transitions by four different essay types<\/a> to help you see how various transitions work for different types of writing.<\/p>\n

Concluding transitions for argumentative\/persuasive essays<\/h3>\n

The goal of an argumentative essay<\/a> or persuasive essay<\/a> is to convince your readers. Thus, you\u2019ll want to use a concluding transition that emphasizes your arguments<\/a> and further attempts to sway readers into believing the validity of your claims<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are four examples:<\/b><\/p>\n

On the whole
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

On the whole, the bookstore offers a suitable selection of used textbooks.<\/i><\/p>\n

In essence<\/b><\/p>\n

In essence, it is the lack of resources that has created such a dire situation at the shelter.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ultimately<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ultimately, wind energy is the planet\u2019s best hope for reducing dependency on fossil fuels and reducing climate change<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thus, young teens who excessively use social media<\/a> are at a greater risk of developing a poor self-image.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Notice how each of these transitional sentences signal the end of the essay by summarizing the focus of the paper.<\/p>\n

This allows you to restate your thesis statement<\/a> without merely rewriting the statement or changing a few words of your thesis.<\/p>\n

Want to see an argumentative concluding transition in action? Check out The Worst of the Men’s Right Movement and Why We Still Need Feminism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Concluding transitions for narrative essays<\/h3>\n

The narrative essay<\/a> is all about telling a story. Your goal is to include plenty of description<\/a> and keep readers interested in your tale.<\/p>\n

In a narrative, the conclusion often expresses the moral or lesson you learned, so use the concluding transition to signal the end of the narrative and the summary of the lesson(s) learned.<\/p>\n

Check out these four examples for inspiration:<\/b><\/p>\n

Finally<\/b><\/p>\n

Finally, I realized that my so-called friends were frenemies, rather than true friends.<\/i><\/p>\n

In the long run<\/b><\/p>\n

In the long run, having to retake chemistry helped me understand how crucial it is to study for exams.<\/em><\/p>\n

All things considered<\/strong><\/p>\n

All things considered, the trip to Cancun turned out to be an amazing vacation.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the end<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the end, it was my dog, Diesel, who helped me through the darkest days.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Again, notice how these concluding transitions both signal the end of the narrative portion of the story and transition to a brief discussion of the moral<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you want to see an example of how a concluding transition works in a narrative essay, read My Experience of Dining in a Middle Eastern\/Persian Restaurant<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
Need to polish your paper?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Let our expert editors help.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYes! Edit my essay.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

Concluding transitions for analytical essays<\/h3>\n

When you write an analytical essay<\/a>, you\u2019re analyzing something<\/i>, often an article<\/a> or a piece of literature (think literary analysis<\/a>).<\/p>\n

To support your analysis, you\u2019ll include specific evidence<\/a> (like quotes<\/a> or paraphrases<\/a>) from the piece you\u2019re analyzing. (Depending on your assignment<\/a>, you might also include additional evidence from credible sources<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

The conclusion for an analytical essay generally sums up the key points of analysis. Thus, you\u2019ll use a concluding transition to move from main ideas to the wrap up of the analysis.<\/p>\n

Here are three examples:<\/b><\/p>\n

In the final analysis<\/b><\/p>\n

In the final analysis, John Proctor<\/a> perfectly illustrates that appearances can be deceiving. <\/i><\/p>\n

To summarize<\/b><\/p>\n

To summarize, Amari\u2019s use of interviews and statistical data creates a solid overview of people\u2019s feelings about the presidential candidates.<\/em><\/p>\n

In brief<\/strong><\/p>\n

In brief, the core thesis of The Great Gatsby<\/a> is that the American Dream<\/a> is actually unattainable for the average American.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Each of these concluding transitions marks the end of the analysis and the beginning of the conclusion, which summarizes the key points of analysis in the paper. (Remember, these types of concluding transitions are an excellent way to restate your thesis statement<\/a> without repeating the exact <\/b>words of your thesis.)<\/p>\n

Take a look at A Visual Analysis of 12 Years a Slave<\/em><\/a> to see how one writer effectively uses concluding transitions.<\/p>\n

Concluding transitions for compare and contrast essays<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not hard to figure out that the goal of a compare and contrast essay<\/a> is to compare and\/or contrast people, places, things, and\/or ideas.<\/p>\n

It only makes sense that at the end of the essay you\u2019ll want to remind readers not only about what it is that you\u2019re comparing and contrasting, but also the conclusions you\u2019ve reached based on your comparisons. (You might also use the concluding transition to emphasize the importance of your conclusions.)<\/p>\n

Here are three concluding transition examples:<\/b><\/p>\n

Given these points<\/b><\/p>\n

Given these points, it is clear that the sushi at Hello Sushi is superior to the sushi at China Gardens.<\/i><\/p>\n

In either case<\/b><\/p>\n

In either case, students would benefit from relief from the burden of student loans.<\/p>\n

Undoubtedly<\/strong><\/p>\n

Undoubtedly, though both Ofglen and Offred<\/a> rebel against their oppressors, it is Ofglen who is the stronger character<\/a> and ultimately more dedicated to her cause.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the examples above, the concluding transitions highlight the two subjects being compared while also signaling the end of the paper and emphasizing the conclusions (or focus) of the paper.<\/p>\n

Check out A Comparison of the Differences Between the 21st Century Hollywood Musical and the Classical Hollywood Musical<\/a> to see a concluding transition example in the context of an essay.<\/p>\n

To Conclude<\/h2>\n

I get it. It takes a lot of work (and time) to choose the right words<\/a> and put the finishing touches on your paper, but trust me, the end result will <\/b>be worth it.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve made it to the conclusion and have an awesome concluding transition to start the closing paragraph but are stumped as to what to include next, here are a few resources that can help:<\/p>\n