What it looks like
An example from Law.
In conclusion, this essay has discussed Donoghue v Stevenson, Caparo and Robinson. Duty of care is a complex and developing area of law.
Caparo is not the all-purpose test it was often taken to be. As Robinson (2018) made clear, courts first apply established categories of duty, and only in genuinely new situations develop the law by analogy, asking whether a duty would be fair, just and reasonable. Caparo still matters, then, but as a guide for novel cases rather than a test for every claim.
Why markers write it
The conclusion is often the last thing a marker reads before settling on a mark. A summary tells them what you covered, which they already know; an answer tells them what you’ve shown. A rushed or vague ending can leave a good essay feeling unresolved.
How to fix it in your next essay
- 1Answer the question in the first lineOpen with your verdict in the question’s own terms: yes, no, or how far. Not “in conclusion, this essay discussed”.
- 2Say why, brieflyPull together your two or three strongest reasons in a sentence or two. Don’t repeat each paragraph.
- 3Show how far it goesNote the main limit or condition on your answer, or what it means more widely. Don’t introduce new evidence.
Phrases that help
How much it costs
A weak conclusion rarely moves a mark far on its own, but in most UK schemes it is part of how the argument is judged, and a clear one can leave the marker confident the essay answered the question.
Other ways markers say it
- “Conclusion needs developing”
- “Conclusion just summarises”
- “Underdeveloped conclusion”
- “Rushed conclusion”
- “Conclusion doesn’t answer the question”
Often written alongside
Common questions
- Can I add new points in the conclusion?
- Not new evidence or arguments. You can point briefly to wider implications, or to what further research might show.
- How long should a conclusion be?
- For most coursework essays, one solid paragraph. Length matters less than whether it gives a clear answer.