conclusion in ielts essay

How to Write a Strong Conclusion for IELTS Essays

The IELTS essay conclusion is your final chance to impress the examiner and secure a high band score. A well-crafted conclusion can elevate an average essay to a great one. This article will guide you …

Written by: IELTS Mentor

Published on: July 10, 2024

The IELTS essay conclusion is your final chance to impress the examiner and secure a high band score. A well-crafted conclusion can elevate an average essay to a great one. This article will guide you through writing effective conclusions for both IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2, providing clear explanations, practical examples, and tips to boost your writing skills.

Understanding the Purpose of an IELTS Essay Conclusion

Your conclusion serves two main functions:

• Summarizing your main points: Briefly restate the key arguments or findings presented in your essay.
• Providing a final thought: Offer a concluding statement that leaves a lasting impression on the examiner.

Key Elements of a Successful IELTS Essay Conclusion

1. concision is key:.

Keep your conclusion brief and to the point, aiming for 2-3 sentences. Avoid introducing new ideas or arguments.

2. Summarize, Don’t Repeat:

Paraphrase your main ideas from the body paragraphs, demonstrating your vocabulary range. Don’t simply copy and paste sentences from earlier in your essay.

3. Offer a Final Insight:

End with a concluding statement that provides a sense of closure. This could be:

• A balanced consideration of both sides in a discussion essay: “While technology offers undeniable benefits, its impact on human connection requires careful consideration.”
• A prediction or recommendation: “If governments invest in renewable energy sources, the future of our planet will be brighter.”
• A call to action: “It is our collective responsibility to address the issue of climate change before it’s too late.”

IELTS Essay Conclusion Examples

Ielts writing task 1: graph on global smartphone sales.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the graph clearly illustrates the dramatic rise of smartphone sales worldwide, with a particularly sharp increase observed between 2010 and 2015. This trend is projected to continue, indicating the growing significance of smartphones in the global market.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay on the Benefits of Exercise

To summarize, regular physical activity offers a wealth of benefits, enhancing both physical well-being and mental acuity. By incorporating exercise into our daily routines, we can lead healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives.

Global Smartphone Sales Graph

Common Errors to Avoid in Your Conclusion:

• Introducing new arguments or evidence: Stick to summarizing points already discussed.
• Being too repetitive: Use synonyms and different sentence structures to rephrase your ideas.
• Making sweeping generalizations: Avoid absolute statements that cannot be fully supported.
• Ending abruptly: Ensure a smooth transition from the body paragraphs to the conclusion.

Tips for Practicing IELTS Essay Conclusions:

• Analyze model essays: Pay close attention to how experienced writers craft their conclusions.
• Practice writing conclusions separately: Focus on summarizing main points effectively and providing a strong final statement.
• Get feedback from teachers or peers: Seek constructive criticism on your conclusion writing skills.

Mastering the art of writing a compelling conclusion is essential for achieving a high band score in the IELTS writing exam. By following the strategies outlined in this article and practicing regularly, you can learn to craft conclusions that leave a lasting impression on the examiner and enhance the overall quality of your essays. Remember, a strong conclusion is the perfect finishing touch to showcase your writing prowess.

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Writing The Conclusion To Your Essay: Tips, Examples and Problems

In this lesson, you’re going to learn how to write the kind of conclusion you see in essays that get a high band score . You will also get some tips for writing conclusions, some examples , and the common problems with conclusions that you need to avoid.

What is the Conclusion?

The conclusion, or concluding paragraph, is not simply the last paragraph of your essay.

A good conclusion should do 2 things:

• remind your reader of your answer(s) to the essay question(s)
• refer to the main reasons for your answer(s)

For most IELTS essay questions, you can do this in just one or two sentences.

Having a conclusion is really important! If you don’t have a conclusion , then your band score for Task Response will be limited to Band 5 at best.

Look at this task:

In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

(Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Test 2)

Let’s say I strongly agree with this statement. That’s my answer to the essay question. That needs to go into the conclusion.

And I must also remind my reader (the IELTS Examiner!) of the reasons for my view. Let’s say I agree with the statement because: (1) it’s more convenient to get information online when compared to printed materials, and (2) books and newspapers are quite expensive.

So here is one possible conclusion to my essay:

“In conclusion, I strongly believe that everyone in the future will get all their information online for free because reading information online via phones and tablets is so much easier than through bulky books and newspapers, and also because books and newspapers are quite expensive.”

In the above conclusion, I presented my answer to the essay question, and I reminded my reader of the reasons for my view.

Tips for Writing the Conclusion

• restate your answer to the essay question
• summarise your main ideas from the body paragraphs
• 1-2 sentences is usually sufficient, but will probably be longer in a ‘Discuss Both Views’ essay.

Here are 2 more examples of good conclusions.

“In the future, more people will choose to go on holiday in their own country and not travel abroad on holiday. Do you agree or disagree?”

(Cambridge IELTS 15 General Training Test 3)

My answer. Let’s say I broadly agree with the statement, but that I think it depends on where holidaymakers live. (That is my answer to the essay question.)

My reasons. Why do I think this? Here are my main reasons:

• domestic holidays can be cheaper
• overseas travel can be inconvenient
• it depends where people live because people in cold countries want to go to warm ones.

So my conclusion can go like this:

“In conclusion, I feel that people will be more likely to take holidays in their own country because they are generally cheaper and more convenient than foreign holidays. However, it does depend, to an extent, on where people live, as people living in countries with cold climates will continue to want to take holidays somewhere warm.”

I’ve restated my opinion (my answer to the question), and I’ve also referred to my main ideas from the body paragraphs. You will also see that my conclusion is only 2 sentences long.

The concluding paragraph of Discuss Both Views question needs to be a little different.

“Some people say History is one of the most important school subjects. Other people think that, in today’s world, subjects like Science and Technology are more important than History. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.”

(Cambridge IELTS 13 Test 3 – Academic)

For most IELTS questions, you just need to restate your answer along with your main reasons / main ideas. But with Discuss Both Views essays you also need to present your own opinion . You can present your own opinion in a separate paragraph, but you can also include your opinion in the concluding paragraph .

In a Discuss Both Views essay, you would normally discuss the first view in Body Paragraph 1, and the second view in Body Paragraph 2.

In the conclusion, I’m going to say what I think: I think that history is an important subject, but because teaching time is limited, science and technology should be prioritised because of the need to teach job skills.

“In conclusion, there are clearly convincing arguments for both views. However, personally, I believe that while history is very important and should never be omitted entirely from the curriculum, there are only a limited number of teaching hours available, and for this reason, science and technology should be prioritised. After all, it is essential to provide young people with the technological and scientific skills and knowledge needed for life and work in the modern world.”

This paragraph refers very briefly to the 2 different views in the body paragraphs:

“There are clearly convincing arguments for both views…”

Before going on to present my own opinion.

Many people find it difficult to give their own opinion in a Discuss Both Views essay. They often agree strongly with one side, but that’s not always the best option, especially if you are aiming for a high band score. So here a couple of tips for Discuss Both Views essays.

Tip #1: Point out the weaknesses of the view you disagree with

I think one good way of presenting your opinion in a concluding paragraph is to point out the weaknesses in the view that you disagree with.

In the conclusion above, I’ve pointed out that I think history is important, but you have to prioritise science and technology because teaching time is limited.

Tip #2: Say what you REALLY think

My opinion for this essay is what I REALLY think. I’ve not made up my opinion! And because it’s actually my opinion, it’s much easier to explain.

Conclusions: Common Problems

If you are aiming for a high band score, you need to avoid the following common problems

Problem #1: Inconsistent Position

An inconsistent position is when your position seems to change during your essay . This is sometimes because your view in the conclusion seems to be different from your view in the introduction. For example, in your introduction you might write: “ I strongly agree ,” but in the conclusion, you write things that suggest you only “ partly agree ” or even “ disagree .”

An inconsistent position will probably limit your band score for both Task Response and Coherence and Cohesion to Band 5 or Band 6.

Solution : an inconsistent position is usually the result of bad planning , so make sure you plan your essay before you start writing.

Problem #2: Presenting New Ideas in the Conclusion

A second common problem is presenting new ideas in the conclusion , such as new reasons for your view.

You should present the reasons / main ideas (eg advantages or reasons for a view) in the body paragraphs.  The conclusion is not the place for new ideas.

I think this problem happens because test takers suddenly think of great new ideas while writing the conclusion.

Solution: Again, this problem can usually be avoided with good planning before you start writing.

Problem #3: Long Conclusion

I often see conclusions that are simply too long. Remember, you only need to present your answer(s) and reasons again, briefly. You can do this in 1-2 sentences. The only reason for writing more than 2 sentences is if you are presenting your own opinion in a Discuss Both Views essay.

Solution: keep the conclusion short and concise.

Problem #4: Unclear Conclusion

If your conclusions are unclear, then Task Response is going to be limited to Band 6. Make sure you write a clear conclusion, clearly present your explicit answer along with your main reasons.

Problem #5: No Conclusion

If there’s no conclusion – in other words, if you do not present your explicit answer to the essay question – then Task Response will be limited to Band 5 at best.

A conclusion in Task 2 is a little bit like the overview paragraph in Task 1. So, if you don’t have a conclusion (or an overview in Task 1), it’s going to keep your band score down.

Problem #6: Unnatural / Informal Transition Signals

I often see unnatural / informal transition signals at the start of conclusions, for example:

• “to recapitulate”
• “in conclusion, in my opinion.” (either write “in conclusion” OR “in my opinion”, but NOT both!)
• “to bring it all together”

A simple “in conclusion” is all you need at the start of your conclusion.

Key Points To Remember

• present your answer to the essay question(s) in the conclusion, along with brief reference to the reasons for your answer
• keep it short: 1-2 sentences is usually enough
• in a Discuss Both Views essay, you can present your own view in the conclusion
• in a Discuss Both Views essay, point out the weaknesses in the view you disagree with in the conclusion
• do not present new ideas in the conclusion
• use “in conclusion” at the start of your conclusion

I hope that helps! Good luck with your IELTS preparation.

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Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

How to write an effective IELTS conclusion

A guide to writing a good conclusion for an ielts essay..

Updated:  April 2024

The conclusion is very important in an IELTS essay because if you do not write one you could lose a whole band score in task response.

Conclusions are pretty easy to write. You just need to rephrase your main points and restate your opinion. One way to do this is to paraphrase the thesis statement again. No new information should be added to the conclusion and it must be concise and to the point. Do not copy your thesis statement word for word either, do not repeat whole sentences or it will lower your score. Work on paraphrasing your thesis statement from the introduction.

If you prefer, you can watch the video below.

5 key points when writing a conclusion.

1. Do not add new information to the conclusion . Any new ideas or main points should be covered in the main body paragraphs.

2. You can re-paraphrase the thesis statement from the introduction. This will show that you have a good understanding of vocabulary and it will leave a good impression on the examiner. Just remember that it is not necessary to paraphrase everything.

3. Do not go into too much detail, conclusions should only be about 2 or 3 sentences long. Keep it short and concise.

4. You need to use a cohesive device when starting the conclusion. There are 3 choices below.

To sum up To conclude In conclusion

Do not to use informal cohesive devices to start the conclusion such as these listed below. They are just too informal or inappropriate in the conclusion.

I reckon  (informal)

In the end  (informal), all in all     (informal), generally speaking    (too vague for a conclusion), finally    (this means you are making another final point), lastly   (this means you have a last point to make), all things considered   (informal).

5. Do not use memorised ‘stock sentences’ in an IELTS essay. I sometimes see these in my students essays. This is because of bad advice being given on the internet. These kinds of memorised sentences are not necessary and may affect your score. See below:

In conclusion, I firmly agree with the aforementioned statement….

To conclude, as stated above, i think…., to sum up, i wholeheartedly agree with the above mentioned points in this essay…, to reiterate, according to the aforementioned points…., taking my above views into consideration…., in a nutshell…, the crux of the matter is…, as outlined above…..

Click here to see a lesson on memorised or cliched phrases I often see in IELTS essays

How can you tell if it’s a good conclusion?

If you were to just read the conclusion only and not the essay, then you should be able to get a very good idea of what the essay was about without even reading the main body paragraphs. It should re-paraphrase your thesis statement and briefly summarise your main points. Let’s see some examples.

Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change, whereas others think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Introduction:

Many individuals would rather go through life staying the same, while other people like the idea of facing new challenges. This essay agrees that change is beneficial to our lives because we can expand our worldview and gain new experiences.

Red = Paraphrased task question     Blue = thesis statement

Conclusion:

To conclude, although some prefer to shy away from new ideas because they feel comfortable with routines, I believe that change is advantageous for developing an open mind and experiencing new things.

Green = cohesive device   Red = re-paraphrased background statement from the introduction
   Blue = thesis statement paraphrased again.

A more concise conclusion:

In a discussion essay, you can use a much more concise and direct conclusion that briefly refers to the differing views and a restated opinion.

To sum up, despite differing views on whether change is beneficial, I think that change is important for developing an open mind and experiencing new things.

Green = cohesive device   Red = referring to the different views    Blue = opinion restated

As you can see there is a lot of paraphrasing going on here. This is the key to getting a good band score in vocabulary and task response. Paraphrasing needs a lot of practice and it must be done right.

One of the major problems facing the world today is the growing number of refugees. Some say developed nations of the world should tackle this problem by taking in more refugees. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

A major global issue recently is the increasing amount of refugees. Some believe that developed countries ought to deal with this by accepting more refugees. I hold the view that developed nations should not take in more refugees as it puts a burden on the welfare state and causes unease among local communities.

Red = Paraphrased task question    Blue = thesis statement

In conclusion, although there are people who feel that developed nations must allow additional refugees to enter their countries, I do not agree, as this would put extra pressure on social systems and could create resentments in local neighbourhoods.

Green = cohesive device    Red = re-paraphrased the background statement from the introduction     Blue = thesis statement paraphrased again.

I kept the keyword ‘refugees’ I could use ‘asylum seekers’ but there is a slight difference in meaning so I didn’t change it. Remember: you don’t have to paraphrase everything. Be careful of synonyms as sometimes they carry a different meaning.

Key points:

If your conclusion is too long it could become irrelevant and lose marks. I advise a word count of under 45 words or 3 sentences in a conclusion. (this is just my rule to keep you on track)

You do not have to be an expert on the topic to write about it, the IELTS exam is not a general knowledge test. You do not have to personally agree or disagree, just give an opinion.

The whole point of giving your opinion and giving specific examples is to show the examiner how well you have understood the question, that you can paraphrase, explain and support your ideas. Use grammar and vocabulary accurately. In the conclusion you need to summarise and be concise.

I advise practicing as much as possible with paraphrasing introductions, thesis statements and conclusions. On this blog there are more articles on thesis statements and practice for paraphrasing.

Any questions?  leave a comment below.

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