What You Need to Know About the Perfect Concluding Sentence

The concluding sentence is what informs readers that the article is coming to a close. It provides a summary of the main points. It also offers the author the chance to give their final thoughts on the subject matter. The last paragraph or sentence in your article is what we call the concluding sentence. It serves to give a conclusion and in some papers a way forward. It answers the question of “Now what?” It is your last chance as an author to impress your readers, and as such, you will need to learn how to write the perfect concluding sentence. The majority of the papers are divided into three main sections:

Introduction
Body
Conclusion

Having done the introduction and body of your article, give it the perfect wrap using the concluding sentence. Here is everything you need to know about the concluding sentence.

What is a Concluding Sentence

It is the last section of your paper and provides a summary of the topic sentence and the body. The paragraph that signals to your readers that the article is coming to an end. Although many people have mastered how to write this paragraph, it is quite challenging for others. The concluding sentence serves a range of purposes as discussed in Purpose of a Concluding Sentence Section. Considering that it is a chance to give your final thoughts on a subject matter, it is pertinent that you get it right. The concluding sentence will:

Indicate to your audience that the last paragraph
Echo the main idea as depicted in the topic sentence and body

It may appear as a simple paragraph, but it is critical that you get it right. Leave your readers both satisfied and impressed.

The Purpose of a Concluding Sentence

Having understood what a concluding sentence is, the next step is to recognize the purpose of such phrases. A concluding sentence will do any of the following:

Give a recommendation on the action(s) your audience can/should take.
It gives a summary of the key points as discussed in the body of the article
It restates the main idea or topic sentence of the paper
Draw a conclusion using the information in the body
States your stance or opinion on the subject matter
It highlights your final observation to readers on the subject matter
You can use the concluding sentence to give your prediction on the future using the information provided in the body

Characteristics of the Perfect Concluding Sentence

The perfect concluding sentence has specific traits which must be visible to anyone reading your paper. Note that the style and genre of the writing will dictate the nature of the concluding sentence. The various forms include:

Compare and contrast – summarize the differences or similarities presented
Narrative – state and emphasize the moral lesson
Descriptive – provide a summary of the info given
Argumentative papers – reiterate the main argument

The above style will each have a unique concluding sentence. However, this sentence is similar in all genres in that it will start with a transition word. Some of the commonly used words that signal to readers that it is the end include, but not limited to:

In summary,
Therefore
In short
In other words
In brief
In any event
All in all

With all of the above in mind creating the perfect concluding sentence will be a walk in the park. Although it is easy once you have mastered how to, caution must be exercised to give your paper the perfect wrap. Practice as much as necessary and find examples in your local library or online.