Conclusion Paragraph Templates – How to Write Conclusions for Persuasive Essays

Description

Want to teach students to conclude their writing on a high note? These conclusion paragraph templates provide structured, differentiated outlines to support both research and persuasive writing. Whether preparing for standardized tests or refining academic writing, students will practice writing strong, engaging conclusions with these frameworks. 

Included with these Conclusion Paragraph Templates:

• 15 Conclusion Paragraph Skeletons
• • Fill-in-the-blank templates to scaffold the writing process
  • Each writing template is best suited for a different style of essay
  • Styles include historical analysis, case study approach, comparative study, policy analysis, and more
  • Differentiated options offer templates for various levels of writing
• Student Example Mentor Texts
• • Demonstrate the use and effectiveness of each paragraph template through the use of student examples as mentor texts
  • One example is provided for each paragraph template
• Teacher Instructions for using this resource

How to use these Conclusion Paragraph Templates:

One of the most impactful parts of the writing process is often overlooked, but writing an effective conclusion paragraph is crucial for leaving a lasting impression on the reader. These conclusion paragraph templates will provide students with support with research writing by guiding them to write effective and captivating conclusions to their research essays.

While students often spend time crafting the perfect introduction and developing strong body paragraphs, they may not realize the power of a thoughtfully constructed conclusion paragraph. A strong conclusion not only wraps up the essay’s main ideas, but it also reinforces the writer’s thesis, leaves the reader with a final thought, and connects the topic to a broader context. These conclusion paragraph templates are designed to help students end their essays with purpose and clarity. By guiding students through a structured format, these templates ensure that the essay ends with strength rather than abruptly or without closure. When students understand how to bring their thoughts full circle, they gain the confidence to finish their writing with impact.

This activity is similar to children’s word games, except with an academic focus. There are 15 conclusion paragraph skeletons in total—each with a specific focus and style. These fill-in-the-blank templates model academic writing and offer differentiated options for various levels of writing.

The familiar format of a word game offers a non-threatening, engaging way to teach complex academic skills like writing a conclusion paragraph. These templates mimic that approachable style while maintaining a strong focus on academic rigor. Students at all ability levels benefit from seeing how a conclusion paragraph is structured, especially when they have multiple styles to choose from. With 15 unique paragraph skeletons to explore, students can experiment with tone, formality, and structure until they find the conclusion paragraph outline that works best for their argument. These templates are particularly useful for struggling writers or English Language Learners, as they remove the intimidation factor of writing a conclusion from scratch.

Styles for these conclusion outlines include historical analysis, case study approach, comparative study, policy analysis, and more. Students will also practice strategies to develop strong conclusions, including forecasting, rhetorical questions, and reluctant analysis.

Each conclusion paragraph skeleton is tailored to a different mode of academic writing, so students can match the structure to the type of essay they’re working on. Whether a student is writing about historical events, comparing two ideas, or offering policy solutions, there is a relevant paragraph style to support their writing. These styles expose students to a variety of real-world writing approaches, which deepens their understanding of academic discourse. In addition, rhetorical strategies like forecasting the future, posing rhetorical questions, and presenting reluctant conclusions help students enhance their writing voice and build engagement in their final paragraph. These methods allow students to leave the reader with a compelling final thought, which is the hallmark of a strong conclusion paragraph.

Each skeleton includes a brief description to help students select the paragraph outline that will work best for their essay. Students can then fill-in-the-blanks after completing their research.

Choosing the right conclusion paragraph structure is essential for achieving coherence between the body of the essay and its final thoughts. The brief descriptions accompanying each template serve as quick references to help students make an informed decision about which skeleton best fits their topic, argument, and audience. Once students have completed the research and written their body paragraphs, they can return to the templates and select the conclusion paragraph that aligns with the purpose of their essay. The fill-in-the-blank design makes it easy for students to insert their key ideas while maintaining proper academic structure. This step-by-step approach removes uncertainty and helps students build writing fluency over time.

If you are teaching the AP Language and Composition course or preparing students to write the College Board’s AP Language and Composition exam, these conclusion templates are perfect for the synthesis essay. Several of these conclusion paragraph skeletons use rhetorical devices to end essays on a high note.

For more advanced learners, particularly AP Language students, mastering the art of the conclusion paragraph is key to earning higher scores. These templates incorporate high-level rhetorical moves that elevate the sophistication of student writing. Whether students are using kairos to stress timeliness, making an appeal to emotion, or summarizing complex claims in a nuanced way, the structures included here offer ample opportunity for students to close their essays with finesse. Since the AP synthesis essay requires students to analyze multiple sources and present a cohesive argument, these conclusion paragraph templates help them synthesize ideas effectively while leaving a thoughtful impression on the reader.

To model the use of each paragraph template, a set of student examples have been provided to be used as mentor texts. These examples will help students select the template that will best suit their research essay. They also demonstrate the way in which the grammar of the template may need to be modified, especially to maintain correct subject-verb agreement.

Mentor texts play a vital role in showing students what success looks like. These sample conclusion paragraph examples, drawn from real student writing, provide a clear point of reference. As students review these examples, they can see how different templates can be adapted for tone, content, and clarity. They also observe how grammar and syntax may need to be adjusted to maintain flow and correctness. For instance, if a template uses a collective noun, students may need to adjust verb forms or pronouns to match their specific subject. These nuances are important for helping students internalize how a well-written conclusion paragraph should look and sound in academic writing.

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⭒ For classrooms utilizing Google Classroom® ⭒

To access the digital version of these worksheets, simply follow the instructions within the resource to copy the files directly to your Google Drive®.