How to Write a Perfect Closing Paragraph for IELTS Essay?
Although the last and small, a conclusion is an essential part of an academic essay.
It is assessed according to Task Response criterion and failing to include will be described as “inappropriate format” which will bring your Task 2 band score to under 6.
An effective concluding paragraph should do two things:
- Restate the main points of the essay;
- Have a varied language.
You should not look for points to describe; you have already discussed them in your body paragraphs.
What you need to do here is paraphrase them to remind the reader what your essay was about and reinforce your point of view, and do so with alternative sentence patterns and vocabulary.
This way the examiner is certain to recognize the diversity of the language used as well as your knowledge of essay format where the main idea can be followed throughout the entire essay.
Along with this, there are several crucial points to follow when writing a conclusion:
Task 2 Essay Conclusion
Main points to write a conclusion in IELTS Writing Task 2
1. Start a conclusion with a concluding phrase.
- In conclusion / To conclude – It’s always safe to use these two: they are formal and just serve the purpose.
Avoid the following words and phrases:
- Finally / Lastly – They are used to introduce the last point or argument;
- All in all / In a nutshell – These expressions are used in informal writing;
- Overall / In general / Generally speaking – These inform the reader about a general discussion, without any detail, thus, serve a purpose different from that of a conclusion.
2. Write one (complex) or two sentences, no more is needed.
The more you write the more mistakes you can make.
3. Do not add any new ideas.
Write strictly about the issues discussed in the body paragraphs.
4. You can include a prediction or recommendation regarding the topic.
5. Try to make your conclusion error-free.
It is your last chance to impress the reader, so it must be short and smooth and to the point.
Example for band 9.0 essay conclusion General & Academic IELTS
Example
Let us examine an example Task 2 question with an introduction and two conclusions.
In many countries, people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could. Why do you think this is? What can be done to change this?
Introduction
Not enough rubbish is recycled around the world today. In my opinion, this is probably because people are not aware of the benefits of recycling or do not have available recycling facilities. To solve these problems, the government could develop programs to raise awareness among communities as well as creating rubbish sorting and collecting systems.
Body paragraph 1 (main point)
People do not realize the importance of reusing waste, or do not have an opportunity to do so.
Body paragraph 2 (main point)
This can be solved by educating people and generating effective rubbish collection.
Conclusion 1
In conclusion, recycling is an important tool in reducing waste and sourcing different kinds of material. People need to be educated about its usefulness and have the opportunity to put it in practice.
Conclusion 2
In conclusion, people often choose not to engage in recycling because they do not know why or how to. If states propagate this eco-friendly tool and build the necessary facilities for it, populations will become willing to participate in recycling their waste.
You can notice how both sample conclusions start with “In conclusion” and consist of two sentences.
The first one restates the importance of recycling with the methods to encourage people to participate.
It does not repeat the causes, but then again, it doesn’t need to specify all the points.
However, the methods to deal with the problem are restated. The second sample shows why the problem exists and suggests a prediction.
Note: how words and phrases in the introduction are paraphrased in conclusions.
- people are not aware of => they do not know why or how to;
- the government could develop programs to raise awareness => people need to be educated about;
- creating rubbish sorting and collecting systems => build the necessary facilities for it
Follow this simple guidance to write an essay conclusion and it will help you gain a higher score. Good luck with your exam!
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