Welcome to the final lesson on structuring your Task 2 essay. Over the past two sessions, we've focused on creating a robust plan, writing a compelling introduction, and building well-developed body paragraphs using the PEEL method. You now have the architectural blueprint for the main part of your essay. Today, we'll construct the final piece: the conclusion.
This lesson addresses how to write a concise conclusion that summarizes your main points without introducing new information. A strong conclusion acts as the final seal on your argument. It provides a sense of closure and reinforces your position, leaving the examiner with a clear and confident impression of your writing. For a Band 7 score, mastering this final step is just as critical as having a strong opening.
1. The Purpose of a Conclusion: Providing Closure
Before we look at how to write a conclusion, let's clarify its function. In your work as a consultant, a project isn't finished until the final report is delivered, summarizing the outcomes and confirming that the objectives have been met. An essay conclusion serves a similar purpose. It’s not a place for new analysis, but a final confirmation that you have successfully answered the question.
Let's read a brief explanation of what examiners expect and the core purpose of this final paragraph.
How to Write Strong IELTS Task 2 Conclusions - Learn English Weekly
This article from Learn English Weekly clearly explains the role of a conclusion from an examiner's perspective and defines its limited, but important, purpose.
Please read the sections What Examiners Expect and The Core Purpose. As you read, focus on the idea that a conclusion confirms the direction of the essay, providing a sense of completeness and control.
The key takeaway is that a conclusion should be concise and focused. Its job is to summarize and reinforce, not to expand or introduce new material.
2. A Simple and Effective Structure
Given its focused purpose, a conclusion can follow a very simple and reliable structure. For most IELTS Task 2 essays, a two-sentence conclusion is perfectly sufficient.
- Sentence 1: Summary of your main points. This sentence briefly restates the key arguments you presented in your body paragraphs.
- Sentence 2: Restatement of your opinion or a final thought. This sentence clearly presents your final position in response to the question.
Let's watch a short video from IELTS Jacky that explains this structure and also highlights common mistakes to avoid.
IELTS Writing Task 2 - How To Write a Task 2 Conclusion
This video provides a clear, practical guide to writing an effective conclusion, focusing on a simple structure and common pitfalls.
First, watch from the beginning to 01:47 to understand the importance of a conclusion and the simple structure. Then, watch the segment on common mistakes from 01:47 to 02:45. Pay close attention to the four things you should not do.
The most critical rule, as emphasized in the video, is: Do not add any new information. Your conclusion is a mirror reflecting what you have already built in the essay, not a new window looking out onto a different landscape.
The image below gives a simple, visual example of how a conclusion directly answers the question by summarizing the main points and restating the opinion.
3. The Technique: Restating, Not Repeating
A common trap for students is to repeat sentences from their introduction or body paragraphs verbatim. A high-scoring essay, however, restates the main ideas using different words (paraphrasing). This demonstrates linguistic flexibility and control.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to look back at your introduction. Your introduction outlined your main points; your conclusion will summarize them.
Let's examine how this is done in practice. The following resource explains this technique clearly.
IELTS Writing Essays – How To Write a Task 2 Conclusion
This article from IELTS Jacky offers a step-by-step method for writing a conclusion by paraphrasing your introduction.
First, read The Structure of a Good Conclusion to reinforce the two-sentence model. Then, read the section on crafting the summary sentence. Note how the author takes the main ideas from the sample introduction and rephrases them to create the conclusion.
As you can see, the process is systematic:
- Start with a simple concluding phrase like "In conclusion," or "To conclude,".
- Identify the main points from your introduction and body paragraphs.
- Synthesize these points into one sentence using synonyms and a different sentence structure.
- State your final opinion clearly in the second sentence.
4. Practice: Writing Your Conclusion
It's time to apply what you've learned. We will continue with the same essay prompt we've been working on.
Prompt: Many people believe that the increasing automation of work through technologies like artificial intelligence is a negative development due to job losses. Others argue that it is positive because it frees humans from repetitive tasks and creates new types of jobs.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Let's assume your essay has made the following points, which we established in the previous lessons:
- Introduction: Stated that while job losses are a concern, the creation of new roles makes automation a positive development overall.
- Body Paragraph 1: Discussed the negative view—that automation displaces workers in manufacturing and administrative roles.
- Body Paragraph 2: Discussed the positive view—that automation creates demand for new, specialized roles like data scientists, AI specialists, and system architects.
Your task now is to write a two-sentence conclusion that summarizes these points and clearly restates your opinion. Take about 5 minutes for this.
Model Answer:
In conclusion, while technological automation undoubtedly leads to job displacement in certain sectors, it simultaneously fosters the growth of new, highly skilled professions. I believe this evolution represents a fundamentally positive shift for the workforce, transforming rather than diminishing opportunities for human employment.
Analysis of the model answer:
- Sentence 1 (Summary): It summarizes both views discussed in the essay ("job displacement" vs. "growth of new... professions").
- Sentence 2 (Opinion): It clearly and confidently restates the writer's position ("a fundamentally positive shift").
- No new ideas: The conclusion sticks strictly to the points already discussed.
- Concise: It is short, direct, and effective.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you have learned how to complete your essay with a powerful and concise conclusion. You now have the full structural toolkit for IELTS Writing Task 2.
Key Takeaways:
- The purpose of a conclusion is to summarize your main points and restate your position.
- A strong conclusion should be concise, typically two to three sentences long.
- The most important rule is to never introduce new ideas or arguments.
- The key skill is to restate your main points by paraphrasing, not to repeat them word-for-word.
In our next lesson, we will put everything together. You will write a complete Task 2 essay from start to finish under the 40-minute time limit and then review it for overall structure and coherence. This will be the first full simulation of the Task 2 writing experience.