Provide Concluding Statement for Argument

SECTION 1

Why Conclusions Matter: A Brief History

Imagine watching a movie that just stops in the middle. No ending. No resolution. You'd feel confused and frustrated, right? That's exactly how a reader feels when an argument essay has no conclusion. Writers have understood the power of strong endings for thousands of years.

The art of rhetoric (the skill of persuasive speaking and writing) goes back to ancient Greece. Thinkers like Aristotle studied what makes an argument convincing. They discovered that how you end your argument is just as important as how you begin it.

350 BCE

Aristotle's Rhetoric

Aristotle taught that every persuasive speech needs a strong closing. He called it the epilogue — a section that reminds the audience of your main point and leaves them feeling convinced.

1776

The Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson ended America's most famous argument with a bold concluding statement that summarized the case for independence and declared the colonies free.

1963

"I Have a Dream" Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. closed with a powerful vision of the future. His conclusion didn't just repeat his argument — it inspired action.

2010

Common Core Standards

The CCSS.W.7.1.e standard was created to help students master the skill of writing conclusions that follow from and support their arguments.

So here's the big question: How do you write a concluding statement that truly wraps up your argument and leaves your reader nodding in agreement? That's exactly what this lesson will teach you.

SECTION 2

Core Principles of a Strong Conclusion

A concluding statement is the final sentence or section of your argument essay. It does two important jobs: it follows from your argument (meaning it connects logically to everything you've already said) and it supports your argument (meaning it strengthens your overall claim). Let's break down the key principles.

Restate Your Claim

Remind the reader of your main argument, but use different words than your introduction. Don't just copy and paste your thesis.

Summarize Key Evidence

Briefly touch on your strongest reasons or evidence. Think of it as a quick highlight reel of your best points.

Connect Back Logically

Your conclusion must follow from your argument. It shouldn't introduce brand-new ideas or evidence.

Leave a Lasting Impression

End with something memorable — a call to action, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful final thought.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of your conclusion like the final scene of a basketball game. You don't suddenly switch to playing soccer! Your conclusion needs to stay in the same game — it ties together everything that happened and gives the audience a satisfying ending. A great conclusion is like that winning buzzer-beater shot: it's connected to everything that came before and leaves everyone cheering.

SECTION 3

The Anatomy of an Argument Essay Conclusion

Let's look at how a concluding statement fits into the bigger picture of an argument essay. The diagram below shows the structure of a complete argument essay, with the conclusion highlighted at the bottom.

This diagram shows how the conclusion sits at the bottom of your essay. Notice how it connects to every part above it. Your conclusion should echo your claim from the introduction and reference the evidence from your body paragraphs.

As you can see, the conclusion doesn't stand alone. It's built on the foundation of your entire essay. That's what "follows from and supports the argument" means. Your ending should feel like a natural result of everything the reader just read.

SECTION 4

How It Works: Building a Conclusion Step by Step

Writing a strong conclusion isn't magic — it's a process. Let's break down the three-part formula that will help you craft a conclusion every time.

Part 1: Restate Your Claim

Start by reminding the reader what your main argument was. But here's the trick: don't copy your thesis word-for-word. Rephrase it. Use different vocabulary. Show that your argument has grown stronger after all the evidence you presented.

💡 Original Thesis vs. Restated Claim

Original thesis: "Schools should start later because teens need more sleep." Restated in conclusion: "The evidence clearly shows that pushing back school start times would help students get the rest their growing bodies and minds need."

Part 2: Summarize Your Key Evidence

Next, briefly mention your strongest reasons. You don't need to repeat all the details — just give the reader a quick reminder. Think of this like a movie trailer that shows the best scenes. Use transition words like "as shown," "the evidence demonstrates," or "clearly" to connect your summary to your claim.

Part 3: Leave a Lasting Impression

This is your mic-drop moment. You can end with a call to action (telling the reader what to do), a thought-provoking question, or a big-picture connection that shows why your argument matters in the real world.

⚠️ Important Rule

Never introduce brand-new evidence or a completely new argument in your conclusion. Your conclusion should only use ideas that already appeared in your essay. That's what "follows from" means!

SECTION 5

Conclusion Strategies: What Works and What Doesn't

Not all conclusions are created equal. Let's look at the different ending strategies you can use, and compare them to common mistakes students make.

This chart compares strong conclusion strategies (left, in green) with common mistakes (right, in red). Use the strategies on the left to make your conclusions powerful.

Notice how every strong strategy on the left side connects back to the argument. That's the key difference. The mistakes on the right either disconnect from the argument, weaken it, or simply don't try hard enough.

SECTION 6

Worked Example: Writing a Conclusion

Let's walk through writing a conclusion for a real argument essay. Our topic is: "Students should be allowed to use phones during lunch."

📝 The Essay So Far

Thesis: Students should be allowed to use their phones during lunch because it helps them stay connected with family, gives them a mental break, and teaches responsible technology use. Body Paragraph 1: Discussed how phones let students check in with parents about after-school plans. Body Paragraph 2: Explained how a short screen break helps students recharge for afternoon classes. Body Paragraph 3: Argued that supervised phone use teaches students to manage technology responsibly.

Building the Conclusion

Step 1 — Restate the Claim in Fresh WordsLook at the original thesis and say the same thing differently. Instead of repeating "students should be allowed to use their phones during lunch," try a new angle.

"Allowing phone use during lunchtime is a smart policy that benefits students in multiple ways."

Step 2 — Summarize Your Strongest PointsBriefly remind the reader of your three reasons. Don't go into full detail — just touch on each one in a sentence.

"From staying connected with family to recharging for the afternoon and learning responsible habits, the advantages are clear."

Step 3 — End with a Lasting ImpressionChoose one of our ending strategies. Let's use a call to action combined with a big-picture connection.

"Schools that trust their students with this small freedom may find that students reward them with greater responsibility in return."

Step 4 — Put It All TogetherCombine your three parts into one smooth paragraph. Read it aloud to make sure it flows naturally.

"Allowing phone use during lunchtime is a smart policy that benefits students in multiple ways. From staying connected with family to recharging for the afternoon and learning responsible habits, the advantages are clear. Schools that trust their students with this small freedom may find that students reward them with greater responsibility in return."

Notice how this conclusion doesn't introduce any new facts or statistics. Every idea in it follows from the body paragraphs and supports the original claim. That's exactly what CCSS.W.7.1.e asks you to do.

SECTION 7

Strong vs. Weak Conclusions: A Side-by-Side Look

The best way to understand what makes a conclusion strong is to compare it with a weak one. Let's look at two conclusions for the same essay topic: "Homework should be limited to 30 minutes per night."

Comparing a weak and strong conclusion for the same argument essay.

Feature	Weak Conclusion	Strong Conclusion
Restates the claim?	"In conclusion, I think homework should be limited." (Too vague)	"Limiting homework to 30 minutes gives students the balance they need to succeed." (Clear and rephrased)
Summarizes evidence?	"There are many reasons for this." (No specifics at all)	"Research shows shorter assignments improve focus, reduce stress, and leave time for activities that build well-rounded students." (Specific)
Lasting impression?	"That's why I think this." (Falls flat)	"When schools respect students' time outside the classroom, everyone wins." (Powerful and memorable)
Follows from the argument?	Barely. It doesn't reference the essay at all.	Yes! Every sentence connects to the body paragraphs.

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of a weak conclusion like mumbling "the end" during a class presentation. A strong conclusion is like stepping forward, looking the audience in the eye, and delivering your final point with confidence. Your conclusion is your last chance to convince the reader — make it count!

SECTION 8

Looking Ahead: Conclusions in Advanced Writing

The skills you're learning now will grow with you. In high school and college, conclusions become even more important. Let's see how 7th grade conclusions compare to what you'll write later.

How conclusions evolve as you advance in your writing.

Feature	7th Grade (Now)	High School & Beyond
Length	3–5 sentences	A full paragraph or even a multi-paragraph section
Claim	Restate your claim in new words	Synthesize your argument into a broader insight
Evidence review	Quick summary of top reasons	Show how all evidence works together to prove a complex point
Ending strategy	Call to action or thought-provoking question	Implications, predictions, connections to larger debates

The great news is that the foundation stays the same. Whether you're writing a 7th grade essay or a college research paper, your conclusion always needs to follow from and support the argument you've built. Master it now, and you'll have a skill that serves you for life.

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

Now it's your turn! Try these five problems. They start easy and get more challenging. For each one, think about the three parts of a strong conclusion: restate the claim, summarize evidence, and leave a lasting impression.

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

What are the three main jobs of a concluding statement in an argument essay? List them in order.

PROBLEM 2 — BASIC

Read this thesis: "Schools should offer more art classes because art builds creativity, reduces stress, and improves test scores." Write a restated version of this claim using different words. (Remember: don't copy it word-for-word!)

PROBLEM 3 — INTERMEDIATE

Here is a weak conclusion: "In conclusion, recess is important. There are lots of reasons why. That is why I think we should have more recess." Identify at least two problems with this conclusion and explain how to fix them.

PROBLEM 4 — APPLIED

Imagine you wrote an argument essay with this thesis: "The school cafeteria should serve healthier lunches." Your body paragraphs discussed three reasons: (1) healthier food helps students focus in class, (2) many students don't get nutritious meals at home, and (3) teaching good eating habits early prevents health problems later. Write a complete concluding paragraph (3–5 sentences) for this essay.

PROBLEM 5 — CRITICAL THINKING

A classmate writes the following conclusion for an essay arguing that students should read more books: "In conclusion, reading is great. Also, did you know that audiobooks are now more popular than printed books? We should all read more because it makes us smarter." Explain why this conclusion does NOT meet the CCSS.W.7.1.e standard. Then rewrite it so that it does.

SUMMARY

Wrapping It All Up

A strong concluding statement does three things: it restates your claim in fresh words, it briefly summarizes your strongest evidence, and it leaves a lasting impression through a call to action, a thought-provoking question, or a big-picture connection. The key rule from CCSS.W.7.1.e is that your conclusion must follow from and support the argument you've already made — never introduce new evidence, and never weaken your claim.

Remember: avoid common mistakes like copying your thesis word-for-word, adding brand-new evidence, or ending with vague phrases like "that is why I think this." Use transition words to connect your ideas smoothly, stay confident in your argument, and end on a note that makes your reader think. A great conclusion is like the final note of a song — it makes everything before it sound even better.