TOEFL Essays - Conclusions

Independent Essays - Conclusions

Independent essays require three things in the conclusion to be complete:
Restate the thesis
Restate the reasons
Add any final emphasis

Restating the thesis

Your conclusion is the last chance to reinforce your argument. You have stated your thesis in the introduction and developed it through out your essay. Your conclusion serves to reinforce the effort you have put in to persuade the reader to see your point of view.

Remember: you do not have to specifically state your belief or premise, but it MUST be clearly implied to the reader. For example:

The government of South Korea should build a new university in Suji since .

This does not involve you stating your opinion in the first person but is just as effective.

I think that the government of South Korea should build a new university in Suji since .

Both approaches can be used depending on your overall needs and preference. The main point is to be as clear as possible what your point of view is.

Restating your reasons

Reinforcing your argument by merely giving your thesis again will not allow you to complete your essay with a strong finish. To fully develop the strength of your argument you need to restate the reasons as well. The wording for both restating your thesis and reasons should not copy that of your introduction. When restating a reason, begin with a transition to let the reader know which reason it is. Be sure to be consistent with the ordering of restated reasons. They should be listed in the order they were presented in the essay. For example:

First, a new university in Suji would allow students to save money.

Final Emphasis

You can end your essay in a manner forcing the reader to consider your point of view. A common approach fort this is ending with a question. You can also close with a statement that supports your argument. However, you must always be sure to never introduce new information.