How do you end your essays? Do you frantically keep writing ideas until the examiner says pens down? Do you have a neat and polished conclusion?
I’ve done both before and I can tell you which one works best!
How the Conclusion Fits into your Essay
By now, you should have already read my guide to writing a grade 9 introduction. If you haven’t, check it out here!
So…you know that in your introduction you’re going to outline WHY the writer wrote the text. WHY the writer is presenting the character/s in this way. WHAT their overall intention is.
The rest of your essay is going to consist of point paragraphs, exploring quotes to back up your original point and looking at the techniques the writer uses. For more help with this, check out my post about structuring your essay here!
Now, you’re on the home stretch and you’re ready for your conclusion, but it’s not over yet!
What to put in your Conclusion
In your conclusion, you need to recap the writer’s intentions – the bit you outlined in your introduction. Then you need to consider the effect on the reader.
Here, you want to avoid saying something generic and vague. The examiner doesn’t want to see: ‘It makes me read on!’.
For top level answers, examiners like to see that you have actually thought about the text in detail and applied it to your own life.
To do this, you want to look at the overarching themes or messages and consider how they may or may not be applicable to your own life and today’s society.
One of my students once wrote that the violent behaviour presented in Romeo and Juliet exposes the underlining violence that lurks within all humans and that video games can represent an outlet for that violence in today’s society!
But…what if it has no relevance to my life at all?
Okay…don’t panic!
First of all, most texts expose universal human qualities and experiences. Yes, Macbeth might be about kings in the 11th century but I’m pretty sure you’ve had experience with ambition in your own life! Have you ever faced a difficult situation where you had to choose between self-interest or helping the greater good? Have you ever met an incredibly ambitious person who was willing to step on everyone else to get what they wanted? Can you think of any examples of that behaviour in the world today?
Sometimes, the issues explored might feel completely un-relatable to today’s world and that’s fine too. It’s okay to say that the text has helped you to consider how much the world has changed! However, it’s also worth considering whether we can still see some of the issues playing out today. A Christmas Carol explores poverty during the industrial revolution. The UK has come a long way since then but people are still struggling! We still have unemployment and we still have homelessness both of which have been made worse by Covid 19.
Sometimes it might seem like these texts were written during a completely different time when humans were completely different but it is surprising how many similarities there sometimes are between their world and ours! Get creative and start exploring! Make sure you check out my free eBook: Essay Templates here!