Focus on what you lay out in the topic sentence. Note your evidence and details.
If your topic sentence reads, “Cats may be small, but they’re mighty predators,” then your main idea is that cats are big hunters. Your concluding statement should show how your paragraph supported the idea that cats are big predators. For example, a closing statement might read, “Based on these statistics, cats are predators who hunt frequently and decrease the area bird population. ”
For example, the closing statement above, “Based on these statistics, cats are predators who hunt frequently and decrease the area bird population,” reminds the reader that the paragraph just provided statistics about how often cats hunt and how they impact the local bird population. These details support the main idea, and the writer has mentioned both.
Finally Lastly In the end Consequently As a result Overall[5] X Research source
An example topic sentence might read: “Cats are natural predators because they enjoy hunting and will even hunt for sport. ” Your concluding statement for this paragraph might read: “As a result of their continued hunts even after they’re domesticated and provided cat food, cats are proven to be natural predators. ”
As an example, “The data shows that cats hunt even when they have steady meals, which proves that they are natural hunters. ”
For example, “As the data shows, feral cats hunt 140% more than domestic cats. ”
For example, “Consequently, homes that own cats have fewer birds living in their yards. ”
For example, “In the end, cats hunt out of instinct. ”
For example, “To conclude, feral cats are more dangerous to birds than house cats because they have more hunting opportunities and kill more birds each year on average. ” This sentence supports the main idea that feral cats hunt more than house cats and shows how the two details provided in the sentence link back to the topic sentence.
For example, your closing statement could read, “In summation, statistics show that cats who wear bell collars are less of a threat to birds because they kill fewer birds even if they have the same number of hunting opportunities. ” This signals to the reader that the writer has finished with one main idea and is moving onto another in a new paragraph.
You also want to avoid the word “you. ” For example, don’t say, “As you can see” in your concluding sentence. There are some exceptions, such as if you’re writing an introductory paragraph or an opinion essay.
Reread your concluding statement, then compare it to your paragraph. Do you reference one detail but not another? If it does, rewrite the sentence to address the main points, not the subpoints.
A poor closing statement might read: “As you can see, the evidence suggests that cats like to hunt. " A better closing statement could read: “Based on the data, cats look for opportunities to hunt for sport, proving they are natural predators. "
