Wrap It Up: Strong Opinion Conclusions

Long ago, people told stories around campfires. The best storytellers knew something special: how you end your story is just as important as how you begin it. When the fire got low and everyone was getting sleepy, a strong ending would make people remember the story forever.

Today, when you write your opinion about something you care about, you face the same challenge those ancient storytellers did. How do you make sure your reader remembers what you think and why it matters? The answer is learning to write a strong conclusion that wraps up your ideas perfectly.

A conclusion is the last paragraph of your opinion writing. It's your final chance to convince your reader and make them remember your main idea. Think of it as the grand finale of your writing piece.

Notice how each part of the conclusion has its own special job. The first sentence reminds your reader what you think. The second sentence reminds them why you think it. The third sentence gives them something new to think about. When you put all three together, you create a conclusion that feels complete and satisfying.

While conclusions aren't math problems, there is a helpful pattern you can follow to make yours strong every time. Think of it like a recipe that always works when you want to bake cookies.

This formula works because it follows the natural way people like to hear ideas. First, you remind them what you think (so they don't forget). Then you remind them why (so they remember your good reasons). Finally, you give them something new to think about (so they keep caring about your topic even after they finish reading).

Just like there are different types of ice cream flavors, there are different types of final thoughts you can use to end your conclusion. Each type creates a different feeling in your reader's mind.

The best writers choose their ending type based on their topic and what they want their readers to feel. If you're writing about something that needs to change, an action ending works great. If you're writing about something complicated where people might have different opinions, a question ending helps readers think for themselves.

Let's build a strong conclusion together using a topic many third graders care about: whether schools should have pizza every Friday. We'll use our three-step formula to create a conclusion that really works.

Notice how our finished conclusion feels complete and satisfying. It reminds readers what we think, why we think it, and gives them something specific they can do. This is exactly what a strong conclusion should do!

Just like learning to ride a bike, learning to write strong conclusions means knowing what not to do as much as knowing what to do. Let's look at the most common mistakes that make conclusions weak, and learn how to avoid them.

Once you master the basic formula for strong conclusions, there are some extra tricks that can make your writing even more powerful. These are techniques that professional writers use to make their conclusions really memorable.

The key to advanced conclusion writing is thinking about the bigger picture. Instead of just thinking about your specific topic, think about how your topic connects to things that matter to lots of people. For example, if you're writing about longer recess, you could connect it to the bigger idea of helping all kids be healthy and happy.

Now it's time to practice what you've learned! These problems will help you get better at writing strong conclusions. Start with the easier ones and work your way up to the harder ones.