IELTS Writing Task 2 Conclusion: Examples That Don’t Repeat

The last paragraph is where a lot of otherwise decent essays go thin. Body 1 and Body 2 did the work. Then paragraph 4 pastes the introduction again — In conclusion, I completely agree that university should be free — or invents a new policy that never appeared. Examiners notice both. One looks like you ran out of language; the other looks unplanned.

Here you just need one or two sentences: the same answer as the opening, in fresh wording, with no new argument. Aim for about 40–50 words. Pair it with a clean start: introduction paragraph examples. Four-paragraph shape: Task 2 structure.

Last updated: August 17, 2026

The 1-2 sentence job

Task 2 is not one format. Most papers fall into five groups: opinion, discussion, advantages/disadvantages, problem–solution, and two-part. If you are new here, start with the map: IELTS Writing Task 2 essay types. The conclusion still has the same job across types: restate what you already proved.

A workable shape:

• Sentence 1: In conclusion / Overall / In short + a paraphrase of your main answer
• Sentence 2 (optional): a brief reminder of the key reason(s) — no new idea

Restate the position. Do not introduce a third reason. Change nouns and sentence shape rather than pasting the thesis unchanged. Stay short — this is not a third body paragraph. Match the type: if part 2 asked positive or negative, the last line should still say which way you leaned. Do not end with a question to the reader.

I notice students get stuck when they treat the conclusion as “one more chance to argue.” One timed draft on free city-centre transit had two solid bodies, then a last paragraph that suddenly added and it would also reduce air pollution in rural areas — a claim the bodies never developed. After we cut that line and only restated congestion + access, Task Response stopped looking unfinished. Marking criteria: band descriptors explained.

Examples by essay type

Do not clone one template onto every paper. The last sentence has to answer this stem.

Opinion (agree / disagree)

This is where copy-paste is most obvious. If the introduction said I largely agree that public transport should be free in city centres, a weak ending is the same sentence with In conclusion bolted on.

A stronger close:

In conclusion, making urban transit free would cut congestion and widen access for low-income workers. For these reasons, I remain in favour of the policy despite its short-term cost.

Same lean. New structure (result first, then the stance). The cost line only works if Body 2 already treated it as a concession — otherwise it is a new idea.

Discussion (both views + your opinion)

The trap is finishing after you have summarised the two camps and still never said what you think. From the scripts I mark, Overall, both sides have merits is not an opinion.

Overall, while early language learning has clear benefits, secondary school remains the more practical stage for most learners. On balance, I side with delaying formal foreign-language study until students have stronger literacy in their first language.

You can mention both views in a clause. The examiner still needs your side in the last line.

Advantages / disadvantages (outweigh)

If the stem asks whether advantages outweigh disadvantages, sitting on the fence in paragraph 4 looks shaky. Say which way you went.

In summary, remote work brings real collaboration challenges, yet the gains in flexibility and productivity are greater. I therefore believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

List-both stems (no outweigh) can map both sides without a hard pick. Read the exact wording. Fuller walkthrough: advantages & disadvantages.

Problem–solution

You usually do not need I agree at all. Nod to both halves — causes and remedies — or the conclusion answers a different question.

To conclude, traffic congestion stems mainly from car dependence and weak public transport, and it can be eased through congestion pricing and better transit investment.

If those policies were not in Body 2, do not invent them here. Guide: problem–solution essays.

Two-part (why + positive/negative)

Two questions, one last sentence (or two short ones). Forgetting part 1 — or part 2 — is a classic Band 6 leak.

In short, solo living has grown because of urban careers and changing social norms, and I regard this shift as largely positive for personal autonomy.

That line ticks why and the judgement. More on even development: two-part questions.

What never belongs in a conclusion

A new argument or example. If you did not grow the idea in the body, it does not appear now. It makes the essay feel unfinished and drags Task Response.

A statistic you never used. Last-line percentages look invented. Everyday wording (in many cities, a number of employers) is safer.

A first opinion at the last second. If the stem asked to what extent or discuss both views and give your opinion, burying the lean until paragraph 4 is too late. Signpost it in the introduction, then restate it.

Off-topic hope. I hope the world becomes more peaceful does not answer a work or education prompt. Skip the slogan.

An apology. This is just my view undermines a position you spent 250 words defending. End clean.

The rule is blunt: if it was not developed above, it does not belong here.

Avoid copying the introduction

Examiners notice mechanical repeats. Changing I completely agree that university should be free into In conclusion, I completely agree that university should be free is not paraphrasing.

Better: keep the same position, change the shape. Cause → result works well. Swap the main nouns (free university → abolishing tuition). Keep the lean identical.

Weak: In conclusion, this essay discussed both views.
Better: Overall, both sides have merit, but I believe delaying formal language study until secondary school is more practical for most learners.

When I put a copied last paragraph next to a rewritten one, the second usually looks more like Band 7 Cohesion as well — the essay feels closed, not looped.

Between timed essays, short mixed work in the same sitting — rewrite one thin conclusion, swap a pasted thesis, check both parts of a two-part stem — beats a “vocab week” then an “essay week.” That habit matches Personalized Practice: Practices 1–15 mix drills; Practices 16–20 are timed essays; Practices 1–2 are free.

Before you stop writing, ask four blunt questions: Does this last line answer the same stem as the intro? Is it 1–2 sentences, not a third body? Are there no new ideas? Is the wording paraphrased, not identical? Score the full essay on the free IELTS essay checker. If Task Response is soft, look at the last paragraph before you chase fancier nouns.

Questions students ask

How long should a Task 2 conclusion be?

Usually one or two sentences. Three is acceptable only if you are briefly covering two-part answers — still no new arguments. From the scripts I mark, a 90-word last paragraph is almost always a body that arrived late.

Do I need “In conclusion”?

Useful but not mandatory. Overall, To sum up, or In short also work. Avoid stacking three openers in one line.

Can I give a recommendation in the conclusion?

Only if the question invited solutions or measures — and only if you already discussed them. I notice students invent a brand-new policy in the last line; that is a new argument, not a close.

What if I run out of time?

Write one clear sentence restating your position. A short conclusion beats none. An unfinished Body 2 still hurts more than a brief ending, so do not steal that time for a decorative closer.

After you check your score

Most free tools stop at another band estimate. EssayGradeWise adds criterion drills inside a 20-practice personalized plan (TR, CC, LR, GRA) so you practise the weak spot — not another full essay at random. If your checker TR is soft because the last paragraph copied the intro or added a new idea, the next sitting should force a 1–2 sentence close that only restates what the bodies already proved.

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