The TOEFL Independent Essay: Steps to Writing Conclusions

1. The TOEFL Independent Essay: Steps to Writing Conclusions Wendy M. Gough St. Mary College/Nunoike Gaigo Senmon Gakko

2. The conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay. It summarizes the ideas you presented in the introduction and developmental paragraphs and tells the reader that you are finished presenting your ideas about the topic. A good conclusion strengthens your essay but it is less important than the developmental paragraphs so you should spend more time focusing on the body of the essay than the conclusion.

3. A good concluding paragraph includes the following • A restatement of the controlling idea or thesis • A restatement of the topic sentences from • the developmental paragraphs • Your opinion, a prediction, or a solution to • the problem • A statement that sums up your essay Restatement = write the idea or sentence again using different words

4. Let’s look at a conclusion from Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test (4th ed) for an essay on the following topic The importance of diligence

5. Topic and controlling idea Students have good reasons for being diligent. Students must complete a large number of homework assignments and study for many exams. It is very important that a student develop the characteristic of diligence if he or she wishes to succeed at studying (406). Development detail Writer’s opinion This paragraph restates the topic and controlling idea as well as the writer’s opinion. But, it could be better.

6. Let’s look at another example of the same conclusion In conclusion, students have good reasons for being diligent. They must complete a large number of homework assignments and study for many exams. Thus, it is of utmost importance that students develop this characteristic if they wish to succeed in their studies. This concluding paragraph gives the same information but it is more interesting because it uses transitions and pronoun referents to tell the reader it is the end of the essay and avoid repetition.

7. In conclusion, students have good reasons for being diligent. The transition signal, in conclusion, tells the reader this paragraph is ending the essay rather than adding one more development paragraph.

8. They must complete a large number of homework assignments and study for many exams. The pronoun referent they helps the writer avoid using the word students again.

9. Thus, it is of utmost importance that students develop this characteristic if they wish to succeed in their studies. The writer tells us her ending/opinion using the signal word thus. She uses utmost importance, which is more interesting and academic than very important. She also avoids repeating herself and keeps the sentence concise by using this characteristic instead of the characteristic of diligence.

10. References Gear, Jolene, & Gear, Robert. Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test. 4th ed. New York, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2006.