English 

Pro Tips
How to write the conclusion
It is extremely important that you write a conclusion: if you don’t write a conclusion it is
unlikely that you will get a IELTS writing score above 5.5.
When we write the conclusion there are certain things we should and should not do:

Should Should not

Start with “In conclusion,” or “To Introduce a new idea

conclude,” Start with “In a nutshell, In sum, etc.”
Restate your position (opinion) Contain memorised phrases: “every coin has two
Summarise the ideas in your body sides”
paragraphs Be specific to your country
Be 1-4 sentences Explain your hopes and dreams for the future

Teenagers should have regular exams at secondary school as this will prepare them
better for life after leaving school.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In conclusion, I would argue that teenagers should be given regular exams at secondary
school because they provide useful practice for future tests in further education and
develop a range of skills that help teenagers when they start work.

Checklist

Useful structures for conclusions

I would argue that/ I believe that
In conclusion, I would argue that teenagers should be given regular exams at secondary school
because… and …
on the grounds that (similar to "because")
In conclusion, I completely agree that teenagers should be given regular exams at secondary
school on the grounds that …
while (clause), (clause)
In conclusion, while it is true that exams can be overwhelming for teenagers, I would argue that
they are beneficial because … and …
on the whole/ on balance/ in general
In conclusion, it is true that exams can be overwhelming for teenagers. However, on the whole, I
would argue that they are beneficial because… and …
English Pro Tips
Write your own conclusions
Write a conclusion to the following questions and the compare them with the conclusions below.

Children should be required to study a foreign language at school.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

In conclusion, I would argue that children should be required to learn a foreign language
on the grounds that it improves children's intellectual skills, encourages cross-cultural
learning, and means that they can achieve a high level of foreign language competency.

Traffic congestion is a big problem in many of the world’s major cities.

Explain some possible reasons for this problem, and suggest some solutions.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

In conclusion, I believe that traffic congestion is caused by high population density in

cities and a large proportion of the population choosing to travel by private transport. As
a result, investment in public and alternative transportation would do much to alleviate
traffic issues in major cities.

Do the advantages of owning your own business outweigh the drawbacks?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

In conclusion, while owning your own business is undoubtedly more risky, I believe that
the advantages are greater than the disadvantages. Through owning your own business,
you have greater autonomy and you are able to keep the profits from your work.
OR
In conclusion, it is certainly true that owning your own business is more risky. However,
on balance, I believe that the advantages are greater than the disadvantages due to the
fact that you have greater autonomy and you are able to keep the profits from your work.