how to write a conclusion paragraph for a speech

50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) | The Ultimate Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

While speech openings are definitely one of the most important components of a speech, something that is equally as important is the way you conclude your speech.

There are few worse ways to end your speech than with a terse ‘thank you’–no elaboration or addition whatsoever.

Speech endings are just as crucial to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening.

The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Speech endings can put even the most experienced speaker in flux, and increase their anxiousness manifold as they sit there attempting to figure out the perfect way to end your speech.

If you’re someone who’s in flux about your speech ending too, don’t worry. We’ve got some amazing ways to conclude your speech with a bang!

1. Circling Back To The Beginning

The idea behind circling back to the beginning of your speech is to reinforce the idea of your speech being a complete whole. By circling back to the beginning and connecting it to your ending, you let the audience understand that the idea of your speech is complete & standalone.

Circling back to the beginning of your speech also acts as an excellent way of reinforcing the central idea of your speech in the audience’s mind, and makes it more likely that they will remember it after the speech ends.

Need more inspiration for speech opening lines? Check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines & Tips To Create Your Own.

How To Circle Back To The Beginning

The easiest way to do this is to set up your beginning for the conclusion of your speech. That is, if you’re saying something like, say, a story or joke in the beginning, then you can leave your audience in a cliffhanger until the ending arrives.

Another great way to circle back to the beginning is by simply restating something you said at the start. The added knowledge from attending the rest of your speech will help the audience see this piece of information in a new–and better–light.

1. Will Stephen

Ending Line: “I’d like you to think about what you heard in the beginning, and I want you to think about what you hear now. Because it was nothing & it’s still nothing.”

2. Canwen Xu

Speech Ending: My name is Canwen, my favorite color is purple and I play the piano but not so much the violin…

Think of a memorable moment from your life, and chances are you’ll realize that it involved a feeling of happiness–something that we can associate with smiling or laughter. And what better way to generate laughter than by incorporating the age-old strategy of good humor.

The happy and lighthearted feeling you associate with good memories is the kind of emotional reaction you want to create in your audience too. That’s what will make your speech stick in their memory.

Done incorrectly, humor can be a disaster. Done right, however, it can entirely transform a speech.

Humor doesn’t only mean slapstick comedy (although there’s nothing wrong with slapstick, either). Humor can come in many forms, including puns, jokes, a funny story…the list is endless.

How To Incorporate Humor In Your Speech Ending

The simplest way to incorporate humor into your speech ending is by telling a plain old joke–something that’s relevant to your topic, of course.

You can also tell them a short, funny anecdote–may be an unexpected conclusion to a story you set up in the beginning.

Another way would be by employing the power of repetition. You can do this by associating something funny with a word, and then repeating the word throughout your speech. During the end, simply say the word or phrase one last time, and it’s likely you’ll leave off your audience with a good chuckle.

1. Woody Roseland

Ending Line: “Why are balloons so expensive? Inflation.”

2. Andras Arato

Ending Line: “There are three rules to becoming famous. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”

3. Hasan Minhaj

Ending Line: “And you want to know the scariest part? Pretty soon every country on the earth is going to have its own TLC show.”

4. Sophie Scott

Speech Ending: In other words, when it comes to laughter, you and me baby, ain’t nothing but mammals.

5. Tim Urban

Speech Ending: We need to stay away from the Instant Gratification Monkey. That’s a job for all of us. And because there’s not that many boxes on there. It’s a job that should probably start today. Well, maybe not today, but, you know, sometime soon.

6. Hasan Minhaj

Speech Ending: Showing my legs on TV is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. And keep in mind last week I went after the Prince of Saudi Arabia.

3. Question

The idea behind posing a question at the end of your speech is to get the wheels in your audience’s minds turning and to get them thinking of your speech long after it has ended. A question, if posed correctly, will make your audience re-think about crucial aspects of your speech, and is a great way to prompt discussion after your speech has ended.

How To Add Questions To Your Speech Ending

The best type of questions to add to your speech ending is rhetorical questions. That’s because, unlike a literal question, a rhetorical question will get the audience thinking and make them delve deeper into the topic at hand.

Make sure your question is central to the idea of your speech, and not something frivolous or extra. After all, the point of a question is to reinforce the central idea of your topic.

1. Lexie Alford

Speech Ending: Ask yourself: How uncomfortable are you willing to become in order to reach your fullest potential?

2. Apollo Robbins

Speech Ending: If you could control somebody’s attention, what would you do with it?

Quotes are concise, catchy phrases or sentences that are generally easy to remember and repeat.

Quotes are an age-old way to start–and conclude–a speech. And for good reason.

Quotes can reinforce your own ideas by providing a second voice to back them up. They can also provoke an audience’s mind & get them thinking. So, if you add your quote to the end of your speech, the audience will most likely be thinking about it for long after you have finished speaking.

How To Use Quotes In Your Speech Ending

While adding quotes to your speech ending, make sure that it’s relevant to your topic. Preferably, you want to pick a quote that summarizes your entire idea in a concise & memorable manner.

Make sure that your quote isn’t too long or complicated. Your audience should be able to repeat it as well as feel its impact themselves. They shouldn’t be puzzling over the semantics of your quote, but its intended meaning.

1. Edouard Jacqmin

Speech Ending: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

2. Chris Crowe

Speech Ending: “It’s more certain than death and taxes.”

3. Olivia Remes

Speech Ending: I’d like to leave you with a quote by Martin Luther King: “You don’ have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

4. Tomislav Perko

Speech Ending: Like that famous quote says, “In twenty years from now on, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do.

5. Diana Nyad

Speech Ending: To paraphrase the poet, Mary Oliver, she says, “So, what is it? What is it you’re doing with this one wild and precious life of yours?”

5. Piece Of Advice

The point of giving a piece of advice at the end of your speech is not to pull your audience down or to make them feel bad/inferior about themselves. Rather, the advice is added to motivate your audience to take steps to do something–something related to the topic at hand.

The key point to remember is that your advice is included to help your audience, not to discourage them.

How To Add Piece Of Advice To Your Speech Ending

To truly make your audience follow the advice you’re sharing, you must make sure it resonates with them. To do so, you need to inject emotions into your advice, and to present it in such a manner that your audience’s emotions are aroused when they hear it.

Your advice shouldn’t be something extra-complicated or seemingly impossible to achieve. This will act as a counter-agent. Remember that you want your audience to follow your advice, not to chuck it away as something impossible.

Our article, 15 Powerful Speech Ending Lines And Tips To Create Your Own , is another great repository for some inspiration.

1. Ricardo Lieuw On

Speech Ending: “Learn something new, or a new way of approaching something old because there are a few skills are valuable as the art of learning.”

2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Speech Ending: “If we want to improve the competence level of our leaders, then we should first improve our own competence for judging and selecting leaders.”

3. Sharique Samsudheen

Speech Ending: “Some people love money, some people hate money, some people crave money, some people even kill for money. But what they miss is they just need to learn how to manage money well, and that will give them financial freedom.”

4. Kate Simonds

Speech Ending: Teens, you need to believe in your voices and adults, you need to listen.

5. Melissa Butler

Speech Ending: When you go home today, see yourself in the mirror, see all of you, look at all your greatness that you embody, accept it, love it and finally, when you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you.

6. Iskra Lawrence

Speech Ending: Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect. If you see anyone tearing themselves down, build them back up And watch your life positively grow when you give up the pursuit of perfection.

6. Contemplative Remark

As the name itself suggests, contemplative remarks are intended to make your audience contemplate or mull over something. The ‘something’ in question should be the idea central to your speech, or a key takeaway that you want them to return home with.

The idea is to get your audience thinking and to keep them thinking for a long, long time.

How To Add A Contemplative Remark To Your Speech Ending

To add a contemplative remark to your speech ending, you first need to figure out your key takeaway or main theme. Then, you want to arrange that as a question, and propose it to your audience at the end of your speech.

Remember that your question shouldn’t be something too wordy or complicated to understand. As with the quotes, you don’t want your audience stuck on the semantics. Rather, you want them to focus on the matter at hand.

1. Lisa Penney

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to pay more attention to your thoughts & consider the legacy you leave behind.”

2. Grant Sanderson

Speech Ending: “Some of the most useful math that you can find or teach has its origin in someone who was just looking for a good story.”

3. Greta Thunberg

Speech Ending: “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up & change is coming whether you like it or not.”

4. Bill Eckstrom

Speech Ending: Now, think about this: it’s not the complexity-triggering individuals or events you should fear the most, but it’s your own willingness to accept or seek discomfort that will dictate the growth of not just you, but our entire world.

5. Robert Hoge

Speech Ending: Choose to accept your face, choose to appreciate your face, don’t look away from the mirror so quickly; understand all the love, and the life, and the pain that is the part of your face, that is the art of your face. Tomorrow when you wake up, what will your choice be?

7. Personal Anecdote

Personal anecdotes, as the name suggests, are anecdotes that are personal to the speaker or instances from their life. Personal anecdotes are a great way to incorporate the magical powers of storytelling in your speech, as well as to make a personal connection with the audience. Using personal anecdotes, you can hit two birds with one stone!

How To Add Personal Anecdotes To Your Speech Ending

To add personal anecdotes to your speech ending, you need to filter through your life experiences to find out ones that directly relate to your topic at hand. You don’t want to include an anecdote, no matter how compelling it is, if it doesn’t relate to your topic.

Remember to not keep your anecdote too long. Your audience will most likely lose their attention if you do so.

1. Sheila Humphries

Speech Ending: “Why do you go work for these people?” My answer to them was, “If I could help one child make it in this world, it’ll be worth it all.”

8. Call To Action

A call-to-action is one of the absolute best ways to conclude a speech with a bang. A well-written speech should aim to alter the audience’s mind or belief system in some way and to make them take an action in that direction. One crucial way to assure your audience does this is by using a call to action.

How To Add A Call To Action To Your Speech Ending

A call to action comes right before the ending of your speech to provide your audience with a clear idea or set of instructions about what they’re supposed to do after your talk ends.

A call to action should provide a roadmap to the audience for their future steps, and to outline clearly what those future steps are going to be.

1. Armin Hamrah

Speech Ending: “So tonight, after you finish your Math homework & before you lay your head down on that fluffy pillow, bring a piece of paper and pen by your bedside…”

2. Graham Shaw

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to get your drawings out there & spread the word that when we draw, we remember more!”

3. Andy Puddicombe

Speech Ending: You don’t have to burn any incense, and you definitely don’t have to sit on the floor. All you need to do is to take out 10 minutes out a day to step back, familiarize yourself with the present moment so that you get to experience a greater sense of focus, calm, and clarity in your life.

4. Amy Cuddy

Speech Ending: Before you go into the next stressful evaluative situation, for two minutes, try doing this in the elevator…

5. Jia Jiang

Speech Ending: When you are facing the next obstacle or the next failure, consider the possibilities. Don’t run! If you just embrace them, they might become your gifts as well.

9. Motivational Remark

As the name clearly explains, a motivational remark motivates your audience to carry out a plan of action. It ruffles the audience’s mind and emotions and has a powerful impact on the steps that your audience will take after you’ve finished speaking.

How To Add A Motivational Remark To Your Speech Ending

The key to a good motivational remark is to inspire your audience. Your motivational remark should act as a ray of hope to your audience and positively inspire them to take a desired course of action.

Your motivational remark should not be negative in any way. You don’t want to guilt or coerce your audience into doing something or feeling a certain way. You want to leave them on a positive note to move forward with their life.

1. Khanh Vy Tran

Speech Ending: “No matter what you’re going through right now & no matter what the future holds for you, please don’t change yourself. Love yourself, accept yourself & then transform yourself.”

2. Mithila Palkar

Speech Ending: “Get a job, leave a job, dance, sing, fall in love. Carve your own niche. But most importantly: learn to love your own randomness.”

3. Andrew Tarvin

Speech Ending: “Anyone can learn to be funnier. And it all starts with a choice. A choice to try to find ways to use humor. A choice to be like my grandmother, to look at the world around you and say WTF–wow, that’s fun.”

4. Laura Vanderkam

Speech Ending: There is time. Even if we are busy, we have time for what matters. And when we focus on what matters, we can build the lives we want in the time we’ve got.

5. Julian Treasure

Speech Ending: Let’s get listening taught in schools, and transform the world in one generation into a conscious listening world, a world of connection, a world of understanding, and a world of peace.

6. Mariana Atencio

Speech Ending: Let’s celebrate those imperfections that make us special. I hope that it teaches you that nobody has a claim on the word ‘normal’. We are all different. We are all quirky and unique and that is what makes us wonderfully human.

10. Challenge

Much like a call to action, the aim of proposing a challenge at the end of your speech is to instigate your audience to take some desired course of action. A challenge should make an appeal to your audience’s emotion, and motivate them to meet it.

How To Add A Challenge To Your Speech Ending

To apply a challenge effectively to your speech ending, you need to make sure that it’s something relevant to your topic. Your challenge should drive the central topic of your speech forward, and make your audience engage in real-life steps to apply your idea in the real world.

While its always a good idea to set a high bar for your challenge, make sure its an achievable one too.

1. Jamak Golshani

Speech Ending: “I challenge you to open your heart to new possibilities, choose a career path that excites you & one that’s aligned to who you truly are.”

2. Ashley Clift-Jennings

Speech Ending: So, my challenge to you today is, “Do you know, would you even know how to recognize your soulmate?” If you are going out in the world right now, would you know what you are looking for?

11. Metaphor

Metaphors are commonly used as a short phrase that draws a comparison between two ideas in a non-literal sense. People use metaphors quite commonly in daily life to explain ideas that might be too difficult or confusing to understand otherwise. Metaphors are also great tools to be used in speech, as they can present your main idea in a simple and memorable way.

How To Add Metaphors To Your Speech Ending

To add a metaphor to your speech ending, you need to first decide on the main idea or takeaway of your speech. Your metaphor should then be organized in such a way that it simplifies your main idea and makes it easier for your audience to understand & remember it.

The key is to not make your metaphor overly complicated or difficult to retain and share. Remember that you’re trying to simplify your idea for the audience–not make them even more confused.

1. Ramona J. Smith

Speech Ending: “Stay in that ring. And even after you take a few hits, use what you learned from those previous fights, and at the end of the round, you’ll still remain standing.”

2. Shi Heng YI

Speech Ending: “If any of you chooses to climb that path to clarity, I will be very happy to meet you at the peak.”

3. Zifang “Sherrie” Su

Speech Ending: “Are you turning your back on your fear? Our life is like this stage, but what scares are now may bring you the most beautiful thing. Give it a chance.”

12. Storytelling

The idea behind using stories to end your speech is to leave your audience with a good memory to take away with them.

Stories are catchy, resonating & memorable ways to end any speech.

Human beings can easily relate to stories. This is because most people have grown up listening to stories of some kind or another, and thus a good story tends to evoke fond feelings in us.

How To Incorporate Stories In Your Speech Ending

A great way to incorporate stories in your speech ending is by setting up a story in the beginning and then concluding it during the end of your speech.

Another great way would be to tell a short & funny anecdote related to a personal experience or simply something related to the topic at hand.

However, remember that it’s the ending of your speech. Your audience is most likely at the end of their attention span. So, keep your story short & sweet.

1. Sameer Al Jaberi

Speech Ending: “I can still see that day when I came back from my honeymoon…”

2. Josephine Lee

Speech Ending: “At the end of dinner, Jenna turned to me and said…”

Facts are another excellent speech ending, and they are used quite often as openings as well. The point of adding a fact as your speech ending is to add shock value to your speech, and to get your audience thinking & discussing the fact even after your speech has ended.

How To Add Facts To Your Speech Ending

The key to adding facts to your speech ending is to pick a fact that thrusts forward your main idea in the most concise form possible. Your fact should also be something that adds shock value to the speech, and it should ideally be something that the audience hasn’t heard before.

Make sure that your fact is relevant to the topic at hand. No matter how interesting, a fact that doesn’t relate to your topic is going to be redundant.

1. David JP Phillips

Speech Ending: 3500 years ago, we started transfering knowledge from generation to generation through text. 28 years ago, PowerPoint was born. Which one do you think our brain is mostly adapted to?

14. Rhethoric Remark

Rhetoric remarks are another excellent way to get the wheels of your audience’s minds turning. Rhetoric remarks make your audience think of an imagined scenario, and to delve deeper into your topic. Rhetoric remarks or questioned don’t necessarily need to have a ‘right’ or one-shot answer, which means you can be as creative with them as possible!

How To Add Rhethoric Remarks To Your Speech Ending

Since rhetorical questions don’t need to have a definite answer, you have much freedom in determining the type of question or statement you wish to make. However, as with all other speech endings, a rhetorical question shouldn’t be asked just for the sake of it.

A rhetorical question should make your audience think about your topic in a new or more creative manner. It should get them thinking about the topic and maybe see it from an angle that they hadn’t before.

Rhetorical questions shouldn’t be too confusing. Use simple language & make sure it’s something that the audience can easily comprehend.

1. Mona Patel

Speech Ending: Pick your problem, ask “What if?” Come up with ideas. Bring them down. Then execute on them. Maybe you’re thinking, “What if we can’t?” I say to you, “What if we don’t?”

2. Lizzie Velasquez

Speech Ending: I want you to leave here and ask yourself what defines you. But remember: Brave starts here.

Another great way to end your speech with a literal bang is by using music! After all, if there’s something that can impact the human mind with just as much force as a few well-placed words, it’s the correct music.

How To Add Music To Your Speech Ending

To add music to your speech ending, you must make sure that the music has something to do with your speech theme. Remember that you’re not playing music in your concert. The piece of music that you choose must be relevant to your topic & work to have a contribution in your overall speech.

1. Tom Thum

Speech Ending: *ends the TED Talk with beat boxing*

16. Reitirate The Title

The title of your speech is its most important component. That’s why you need to pay careful attention to how you pick it, as it is something that your viewers will most likely remember the longest about your speech.

Your title will also act as a guiding hand towards how your audience forms an initial idea about your speech and is what they will associate your entire speech with.

By repeating your title at the end of your speech, you increase the chances that your audience will remember it–and your speech–for a long time.

How To Retierate The Title In Your Speech Ending

Your title is something that your audience associates your entire speech with. However, you don’t want to simply add the title in your speech end for the sake of adding it. Instead, make it flow naturally into your speech ending. This will make it seem less forced, and will also increase the chances of your audience remembering your entire speech ending and not just the title of your speech.

1. Ruairi Robertson

Speech Ending: I feel we can all contribute to this fight worth fighting for our own health, but more importantly, our future generations’ health by restoring the relationship between microbe and man. There is SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Need more inspiration for speech closing lines? Check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Closing Remarks.

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To sum up, speech endings are just as imperative to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening. The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Still looking for inspiration? Check out this video we made on closing remarks:

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• How to end a speech effectively

How to end a speech memorably

3 ways to close a speech effectively.

By:  Susan Dugdale  | Last modified: 09-05-2022

Knowing how, and when, to end a speech is just as important as knowing how to begin. Truly.

What's on this page:

• why closing well is important
• 3 effective speech conclusions with examples and audio
• 7 common ways people end their speeches badly  - what happens when you fail to plan to end a speech memorably
• How to end a Maid Honor speech: 20 examples
• links to research showing the benefits of finishing a speech strongly

Why ending a speech well is important

Research *  tells us people most commonly remember the first and last thing they hear when listening to a speech, seminar or lecture.

Therefore if you want the audience's attention and, your speech to create a lasting impression sliding out with:  "Well, that's all I've got say. My time's up anyway. Yeah - so thanks for listening, I guess.",  isn't going to do it.

So what will?

* See the foot of the page for links to studies and articles on what and how people remember : primacy and recency.

Three effective speech conclusions

Here are three of the best ways to end a speech. Each ensures your speech finishes strongly rather than limping sadly off to sure oblivion.

You'll need a summary of your most important key points followed by the ending of your choice:

• a powerful quotation
• a challenge
• a call back

To work out which of these to use, ask yourself what you want audience members to do or feel as a result of listening to your speech. For instance;

• Do you want to motivate them to work harder?
• Do you want them to join the cause you are promoting?
• Do you want them to remember a person and their unique qualities?

What you choose to do with your last words should support the overall purpose of your speech.

Let's look at three different scenarios showing each of these ways to end a speech.

To really get a feel for how they work try each of them out loud yourself and listen to the recordings.

1. How to end a speech with a powerful quotation

Your speech purpose is to inspire people to join your cause. Specifically you want their signatures on a petition lobbying for change and you have everything ready to enable them to sign as soon as you have stopped talking.

You've summarized the main points and want a closing statement at the end of your speech to propel the audience into action.

Borrowing words from a revered and respected leader aligns your cause with those they fought for, powerfully blending the past with the present.

For example:

"Martin Luther King, Jr said 'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.'

Now is the time to decide. Now is the time to act. 

Here's the petition. Here's the pen. And here's the space for your signature.

Now, where do you stand?"

Try it out loud and listen to the audio

Try saying this out loud for yourself. Listen for the cumulative impact of: an inspirational quote, plus the rhythm and repetition (two lots of 'Now is the time to...', three of 'Here's the...', three repeats of the word 'now') along with a rhetorical question to finish.

Click the link to hear a recording of it:  sample speech ending with a powerful quotation .

2. How to end a speech with a challenge

Your speech purpose is to motivate your sales force.

You've covered the main points in the body of it, including introducing an incentive: a holiday as a reward for the best sales figures over the next three weeks.

You've summarized the important points and have reached the end of your speech. The final words are a challenge, made even stronger by the use of those two extremely effective techniques: repetition and rhetorical questions.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours.

Can you do it?

Will you do it?

The kids will love it.

Your wife, or your husband, or your partner, will love it.

Do it now!"

Click the link to listen to a recording of it: sample speech ending with a challenge . And do give it a go yourself.

3. How to end a speech with a call back

Your speech purpose is to honor the memory of a dear friend who has passed  away.

You've briefly revisited the main points of your speech and wish in your closing words to  leave the members of the audience with a happy and comforting take-home message or image to dwell on.

Earlier in the speech you told a poignant short story. It's that you return to, or call back.

Here's an example of what you could say:

"Remember that idyllic picnic I told you about?

Every blue sky summer's day I'll see Amy in my mind.

Her red picnic rug will be spread on green grass under the shade of an old oak tree. There'll be food, friends and laughter.

I'll see her smile, her pleasure at sharing the simple good things of life, and I know what she'd say too. I can hear her.

"Come on, try a piece of pie. My passing is not the end of the world you know."

Click the link to hear a recording of it: sample speech ending with a call back . Try it out for yourself too. (For some reason, this one is a wee bit crackly. Apologies for that!)

When you don't plan how to end a speech...

That old cliché 'failing to plan is planning to fail' can bite and its teeth are sharp.

The 'Wing It' Department * delivers lessons learned the hard way. I know from personal experience and remember the pain!

How many of these traps have caught you?

• having no conclusion and whimpering out on a shrug of the shoulders followed by a weak,  'Yeah, well, that's all, I guess.',  type of line.
• not practicing while timing yourself and running out of it long before getting to your prepared conclusion. (If you're in Toastmasters where speeches are timed you'll know when your allotted time is up, that means, finish. Stop talking now, and sit down. A few seconds over time can be the difference between winning and losing a speech competition.)
• ending with an apology undermining your credibility. For example:  'Sorry for going on so long. I know it can be a bit boring listening to someone like me.'  
• adding new material just as you finish which confuses your audience. The introduction of information belongs in the body of your speech.
• making the ending too long in comparison to the rest of your speech.
• using a different style or tone that doesn't fit with what went before it which puzzles listeners.
• ending abruptly without preparing the audience for the conclusion. Without a transition, signal or indication you're coming to the end of your talk they're left waiting for more.

* Re  The 'Wing It' Department

One of the most galling parts of ending a speech weakly is knowing it's avoidable. Ninety nine percent of the time it didn't have to happen that way. But that's the consequence of 'winging it', trying to do something without putting the necessary thought and effort in.

It's such a sod when there's no one to blame for the poor conclusion of your speech but yourself! ☺

How to end a Maid of Honor speech: 20 examples

More endings! These are for Maid of Honor speeches. There's twenty examples of varying types: funny, ones using Biblical and other quotations... Go to: how to end a Maid of Honor speech    

How to write a speech introduction

Now that you know how to end a speech effectively, find out how to open one well. Discover the right hook to use to captivate your audience.

Find out more: How to write a speech introduction: 12 of the very best ways to open a speech .

More speech writing help

You do not need to flail around not knowing what to do, or where to start.

Visit this page to find out about  structuring and writing a speech . 

You'll find information on writing the body, opening and conclusion as well as those all important transitions. There's also links to pages to help you with preparing a speech outline, cue cards, rehearsal, and more. 

Research on what, and how, people remember: primacy and recency 

McLeod, S. A. (2008).  Serial position effect .  (Primacy and recency, first and last)  Simply Psychology.

Hopper, Elizabeth. "What Is the Recency Effect in Psychology?" ThoughtCo, Feb. 29, 2020.

ScienceDirect: Recency Effect - an overview of articles from academic Journals & Books covering the topic.

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9 Closing a Speech: End with Power and Let Them Know It is Time to Clap

Open Your Speech With a Bang Close It With a Slam-Dunk Westside Toastmasters

“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending,” according to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The first few words of your speech make the audience want to listen and the last few sentences help them decide what they feel about you and your topic. In this chapter, I will explain the function of a conclusion, the format of a conclusion, and I will give you numerous examples of ways to end your speech. Most of this chapter is dedicated to showing you good examples of different types of speech closings. Let’s get started by talking about the purpose of the closing.

A Strong Closing Does Many Things

• Summarizes the points. By restating your points your audience is more likely to remember them.
• Tells the audience when to clap. Let’s face it, it is so awkward when you are done with your speech, and no one claps. Being clear the end is near, relieves the audience of the pressure of wondering if they are clapping at the right time.
• Provides resolution. Your speech should give the audience a sense of resolve or a sense of being challenged.

The Formula for Closing Most Speeches

• Transition statement to ending.
• Review the main points–repeat the thesis.
• If it is a persuasive speech, tell the audience what you want them to do or think.
• Provide a closing statement.

Restate the Thesis

Tell them what you are going to say, say it, tell them what you have said. This speech pattern is useful in most types of speeches because it helps the speaker to remember your key points. As you build your closing, make sure you restate the thesis. A good rule of thumb is to write it in such a way that if the audience were asked to restate the main points, their answer would match closely with your thesis.

EXAMPLE Watch as Stella Young gives her thesis and then restates her thesis at the end of the speech as she wraps up. The thesis of the talk in the introduction: We’ve been sold the lie that disability is a Bad Thing, capital B, capital T. It’s a bad thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional. It’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t make you exceptional. Restates the thesis of the talk at the closing: Disability doesn’t make you exceptional but questioning what you think you know about it does.

Stella Young, I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtPGrLoU5Uk

This next example is from a student’s speech. It is easy to pull out one sentence that clearly summarizes the main points of her speech. Following her summary, she winds the speech down into a thoughtful conclusion and ends with three powerful words.

Now is the time to separate the war on drugs from the war on addiction. T oday you’ve heard the problems, impacts, and solutions of criminalizing addictions. Bruce Callis is 50 years old now. And he is still struggling with his addiction. while you all are sitting out there listening to this, I’m living with it. Bruce Callis is my father and for my entire life, I have watched our misguided system destroy him. The irony here is that we live in a society where we are told to recycle. We recycle paper, aluminum, and electronics. But why don’t we ever consider recycling them most precision think on Earth– the human life. Student Tunnette Powell, Winner of the 2012 Interstate Oratorical Association Contest.

Closing Phrases

After you restate your thesis, you should carefully deliver your closing phrases.  Your closing should provide a resolution to your speech and/or it should challenge the audience. Frantically Speaking writer Hrideep Barot suggests  “a conclusion is like tying a bow or ribbon to a box of your key ideas that your audience will be taking along with them.”

A speech closing is not just about the words you say, but it is also the way you say it. Change the pace near the end of your speech. Let your tone alone should signal the end is near. It is about deliberate voice control, don’t let your voice weakly away.

In the next section, I will cover these ways to end your speech:

End with powerful words End with a quote End with a graphic End with parallel construction End on a positive note End with a challenge End with a question End with inspiration End with well-wishing End with humor End with a call to action End with a feeling of resolve End with a prop

The best way to teach you about advanced closings is to show not tell. For this section, I will briefly explain each type of closing and then provide a video. Each video is queued so you can play the video and watch the closing statement.  I included a transcript under each video if you want to follow along.  It will be most beneficial for you to watch the clip and not just read the text. By watching, you will have a chance to hear the subtle changes in the speaker’s voice as they deliver their closing statements.

End with Powerful Words

As you design your closing, look at the last three to five words and examine them to see if they are strong words. Oftentimes, you can rearrange a sentence to end with a powerful word. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Watch this clip for how BJ Miller ends with a powerful thought and a powerful word. 

Parts of me died early on, and that’s something we can all say one way or another. I got to redesign my life around this fact, and I tell you it has been a liberation to realize you can always find a shock of beauty or meaning in what life you have left, like that snowball lasting for a perfect moment, all the while melting away. If we love such moments ferociously, then maybe we can learn to live well — not in spite of death, but because of it. Let death be what takes us, not lack of imagination. BJ Miller, What Really Matters at the End of Life

End by Circling Back to the Opening

Another type of ending is to circle back to what you said in the beginning. You can revisit a quote, share the end to an illustration that was begun in the beginning, or you can put away a prop you got out in the beginning.

Watch this clip for how Zubing Zhang begins and ends with the same quote to circle back around to the main idea. 

She starts by telling a story of bungee jumping off the world’s highest platform and how she saw a sign with a quote that says, “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.” After telling her own story about pushing her emotional limits, she circles back around at the end by saying, “As the words said high on the bungee platform, “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.”

Yubing Zhang, Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone. 

End With Quote

If you end your speech with a quote, attend to the following.

• Always say the author of the quote before the quote for example, “I want to leave you with a leadership quote ‘What you do has far greater impact than what you say,’ Steven Covey.” The problem with this ending is that “Stephen Covey” are the last two words of the speech and that is boring. Consider instead this ending. “I think Robin Sharma said it best ‘Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration.'” In this arrangement, the last three words are powerful–influence and inspiration.
• Provided context for the quote before or after. Make sure the quote is meaningful and not just an easy way to end.

Watch this clip for how Sir Ken Robinson ends with a quote. Notice how he says the author and then the quote.

Also, notice how he then ties his speech to the quote with a final few sentences and ends with the powerful word–“revolution” and how he uses a strong vocal emphasis as he says his last word. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

There’s a wonderful quote from Benjamin Franklin. “There are three sorts of people in the world: Those who are immovable, people who don’t get it, or don’t want to do anything about it; there are people who are movable, people who see the need for change and are prepared to listen to it; and there are people who move, people who make things happen.” And if we can encourage more people, that will be a movement. And if the movement is strong enough, that’s, in the best sense of the word, a revolution. And that’s what we need.

Sir Ken Robinson, How to Escape Education’s Death Valley. 

End with a Graphic

You might want to use a visual to make your final point. Bringing in a picture, graphic, or object, reengages the audience to pay attention to your final ideas.

Watch this clip for how Barry Schartz uses the magic words “so to conclude” and then he creatively uses a picture of a fishbowl to narrow in on his point. Notice how his final word is spoken with urgency as he says “disaster.” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

 So, to conclude. (He shows a picture of fish in a fishbowl) He says, “You can be anything you want to be — no limits.” You’re supposed to read this cartoon and, being a sophisticated person, say, “Ah! What does this fish know? Nothing is possible in this fishbowl.” Impoverished imagination, a myopic view of the world –that’s the way I read it at first. The more I thought about it, however, the more I came to the view that this fish knows something. Because the truth of the matter is, if you shatter the fishbowl so that everything is possible, you don’t have freedom. You have paralysis. If you shatter this fishbowl so that everything is possible, you decrease satisfaction. You increase paralysis, and you decrease satisfaction. Everybody needs a fishbowl. This one is almost certainly too limited –perhaps even for the fish, certainly for us. But the absence of some metaphorical fishbowl is a recipe for misery and, I suspect, disaster. Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice

End with Parallel Construction

Parallel construction is a series of repeated phrases. It can be a powerful tool to use in a persuasive speech as it creates a feeling of importance.

Watch this clip for how Malala Yousafzai ends with a series of parallel statements to build momentum. Notice how her pace perfectly matches her words and you feel her strength when she ends with “education first.” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice, and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright peaceful future. So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism, and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education First.

Malala Yousafzai,  United Nations Youth Assembly

End on a Positive Note

Audiences are constantly evaluating a speaker to determine their attitude and motivation. As you consider your speech closing, ask yourself what type of impression do you want to leave?  Do you want to leave them with depression or hope? Sadness or promise? Most of the time, audiences will receive messages that end positively better than speeches that end negatively.

In this speech sample, Hans Rosling showed the audience some hard statistics and he even pointed fingers at the audience as part of the problem. To help them hear his main point, he wisely ends on a positive note.

Watch this clip for how Hans Rosling ends this thought-provoking talk on a positive note. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Now, when thinking about where all this leaves us, I have just one little humble advice for you, besides everything else, look at the data. Look at the facts about the world and you will see where we are today and how we can move forwards with all these billions on our wonderful planet. The challenge of extreme poverty has been greatly reduced and it’s for the first time in history within our power to end it for good. The challenge of population growth is, in fact, already being solved, the number of children has stopped growing.  And for the challenge for climate change, we can still avoid the worst, but that requires the richest, as soon as possible, find a way to use their set their use of resources and energy at a level that, step by step, can be shared by 10 billion or 11 billion by the end of this century. I’ve never called myself an optimist, but I do say I’m a possibilist and I also say the world is much better than many of you think.

Hans Rosling, Facts about the Population.

End with a Challenge

Leave the audience with a doable personal challenge. Help them mentally make sense of all the information that you shared by helping them know how to file it away and how to use it.

Watch this clip for how Melissa Butler ends with a challenge. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

So, I challenge each of you, when you go home today, look at yourself in the mirror, see all of you, look at all of your greatness that you embody, accept it, and love it. And finally, when you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you . Melissa Butler, Why You Think You’re Ugly. 

Watch this clip as Darren LaCroix literally falls face down to anchor the point that when we fall, we “fall forward.” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Darren LaCroix talks about taking risks and falling down and getting back up, he literally and purposefully falls down during his speech and ends this way: What’s your next step… take it. I didn’t want to look back at my life and say you know I never did try that comedy thing, but I died debt-free. All of us are headed toward that goal we are going to teach a point where we get stuck and our feet are like in cement and we can’t move but we’re so afraid of that ouch but we forget that if we lean forward and take a risk–(He falls face down) and we fall on our face. When we get up, notice, you still made progress. So please, with me, go ahead and fall. But fall forward. Darren LaCroiz, Winning Speech delivered at National Speech Association

End with a Question

Asking a question at the end is one way to reengage the audience. It helps them think about what your topic might mean for them.

Watch this clip for how David Eagleman reminds us about why his topic is important and then ends with a question. Notice how he pauses before his final question and how he changes the pace of his speech for the final sentence. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

So I think there’s really no end to the possibilities on the horizon for human expansion. Just imagine an astronaut being able to feel the overall health of the International Space Station, or, for that matter, having you feel the invisible states of your own health, like your blood sugar and the state of your microbiome, or having 360-degree vision or seeing in infrared or ultraviolet. So the key is this: As we move into the future, we’re going to increasingly be able to choose our own peripheral devices. We no longer have to wait for Mother Nature’s sensory gifts on her timescales, but instead, like any good parent, she’s given us the tools that we need to go out and define our own trajectory. So the question now is, how do you want to go out and experience your universe?

David Eagleman, Can We Create New Senses for Humans? 

Watch this clip for how Lera Boroditsky ends with a personal note and a  powerful final question. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

I want to leave you with this final thought. I’ve told you about how speakers of different languages think differently, but of course, that’s not about how people elsewhere think. It’s about how you think. It’s how the language that you speak shapes the way that you think. And that gives you the opportunity to ask, “Why do I think the way that I do?” “How could I think differently?” And also,  “What thoughts do I wish to create?” Lera Boroditsky, How Language Shapes the Way We Think

End with Inspiration

“Inspiring your audience is all about helping them see their own vision, not yours.”

You may want to end your speech with inspiring and encouraging words. Pick words that resonate with most of your audience and deliver them in such a way that your audience feels your lift in emotion.

Watch this clip for how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ends with an inspiring final note and a powerful last few words “regain a kind of paradise” (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.

I would like to end with this thought:   That when we reject the single-story,   when we realize that there is never a single story   about any place,   we regain a kind of paradise.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,  The Danger of a Single Story  

Watch this clip for how Dan Pink ends with an inspiring final note. (I have the video cued to play just the closing) Let me wrap up. There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does. Here is what science knows. One: Those 20th century rewards, those motivators we think are a natural part of business, do work, but only in a surprisingly narrow band of circumstances. Two: Those if-then rewards often destroy creativity. Three: The secret to high performance isn’t rewards and punishments, but that unseen intrinsic drive– the drive to do things for their own sake. The drive to do things cause they matter.

And here’s the best part. We already know this. The science confirms what we know in our hearts. So, if we repair this mismatch between what science  knows and what business does, if we bring our motivation, notions of motivation into the 21st century, if we get past this lazy, dangerous, ideology of carrots and sticks, we can strengthen our businesses, we can solve a lot of those candle problems, and maybe, maybe — we can change the world. I rest my case. Dan Pink, The Puzzle of Motivation

End with Well Wishing

There are several types of closings where the speaker wished the audience well.

The Benediction Close: M ay God bless and keep you…. The Presidential Close: God bless you and may God bless the USA The Congratulatory Close: I congratulate you on your accomplishment and wish you continued success. 

End with Humor

You can end on a fun lighthearted note. It is important to always run your humor by a variety of people to make sure you are funny, and your humor is appropriate.

Watch this clip for how Andrew Dunham uses humor throughout his speech and ends with a funny one-liner. (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

I wish you all the best as we begin this journey on our paths and I sincerely hope and pray that your time and success have proven to be as memorable and spiritually rewarding as mine. If not, there’s always summer school.

Andrew Dunham, Valedictorian Comes Out As Autistic During Speech

End with a Call to Action

If you are delivering a persuasive speech, let the audience know exactly what you want them to do.

End with a Feeling of Resolve

Paul Harvey made famous the line “And now you know…the rest of the story.” Your closing should allow us to know the rest of the story or to know how a situation was resolved.

Watch this clip for how Lucy Hone ends this tough but inspiring talk with a feeling of resolve (I have the video cued to play just the closing)

https://youtu.be/9-5SMpg7Q0k?t=913 If you ever find yourself in a situation where you think there’s no way I’m coming back from this, I urge you to lean into these strategies and think again. I won’t pretend that thinking this way is easy and it doesn’t remove all the pain. But if I’ve learned anything over the last five years, it is that thinking this way really does help. More than anything it has shown me that  it is possible  to live and grieve at the same time. And for that I will be always grateful. Lucy Hone, The Three Secrets of Resilient People

End with a Prop

Nancy Duarte says you should give your audience, SOMETHING THEY  will ALWAYS REMEMBER–S.T.A.R. One way to do that is with an action or statement that will have the audience talking about it for a long time. President Obama did it with a mic drop.

Memorize Your Conclusion

End on time.

Do not diminish the effect of a great speech with a bloated, aimless conclusion. Dan Rothwell.

“Times about up.”

Don’t end with any references to time. It is like a giant stop sign saying, “stop listening.”  Don’t highlight that you ran over time or that it is almost time for lunch. You want them to think about your speech, not the clock.

“Any Questions?”

You want them to feel a sense of closure for your speech.  End with something powerful and let them applaud.  After the applause, you can offer to answer questions. Similarly, projecting your last slide with the words, “Any Questions” is a weak ending.

“Let Me Add This Point I Missed”

If you forget something in the body of your speech, it is usually best to leave it out.  Most of the time you are the only one who will miss it.

“Thank You to the Team”

There is a time to thank the organizers and those who helped you but it is not at the end of your speech. Your focus should be on your audience and what they need and what they need to hear is your idea.  Send a thank you letter to the team if you want them to feel your appreciation.

“I’m Sorry”

“Sorry again for the technology issue,” “I apologize for going over time, ” “I regret I have no answer to this.” These are all negative phrases.  Keep to your topic that is what they need to hear and stay focused.

“I’ll Close with this Video”

No, you should close with talking about the big idea.

If you don’t have a plan at the end, you will ramble. “Steer clear of meandering endings they kill a story,” according to the Moth Storytelling website. “Your last line should be clear in your head before you start. Yes, bring the audience along with you as you contemplate what transpires in your story, but remember, you are driving the story, and must know the final destination. Keep your hands on the wheel!”

To Thank or Not to Thank, That is the Question

There is a debate amongst speech professionals, speech teachers, and speech coaches about whether or not you should thank the audience. Here are their main arguments.

Why You Should Not Say Thank You

• You want to end with powerful words. “Thank you” are not strong words.
• The recency effect suggests they will remember the last words you spoke. You want them to remember more than just “thank you.”
• It is not a very creative way to end.
• It can be a sign of a lazy speaker, “I have no idea how to end this, I’ve run out of good things to say so I’ll say ‘Thank you’ so you will clap now.”

Why You Should Say Thank You

• It has come to be the expected ending in many settings. Violating their expectations can cause them to have a negative reaction.
• It clearly signals you are finished so the audience knows when to clap. The relieves the pressure from both you and the audience.
• It expresses gratitude.

I will leave it up to you to decide what works for you. As for me, I plan on trying to find more creative ways to end other than just saying “thank you.”

Maximizing the Primacy Recency Effect

If I were to read you a list of thirty things on my grocery list and then asked you to list all that you can remember, chances are you would remember the first times on the list and the last items on the list ( and any ones you found interesting from the middle). When people engage in listening, they tend to remember the first and last things they hear, it is called the primacy-recency effect. T his is just one more reason that your introduction and conclusion should be so well planned out. It is those first words and last words that the audience is going to remember. 

The primacy recency effect influences, not only what people pay attention to in a speech, but also which speech we pay the most attention to in a series of speeches. For example, if there is a lineup of six speakers, the first and last speakers tend to get the most attention.

As a speaker, you can use this information to your advantage by volunteering to go first or last. If you are giving a long presentation, you can break it up by allowing the audience to move around or talk to a neighbor. When you come back from break, you have re-engaged that primacy effect and moved them back to a high state of attention.

Do You Have Everything You Need for a Strong Closing?

• Have I signaled my speech is coming to an end with my words or my voice?
• Have I restated my main points?
• If I am persuading my audience, do they know what I want them to do or think?
• Have I written the last three to five words in such a way that I end with powerful words?
• Have I memorized my closing?

Getting Off the Platform is Part of Your Closing

Plan on making a strong exit. Whether you are stepping off a stage or simply going to your seat, you should consider that the audience is watching you.

I have had students who finished their speech and then walked over to the trashcan and in a large, exaggerated movement, they threw their notecards in the trash. In our minds, we threw their message away with those cards. I’ve seen speakers, sit in their chairs and then announce, “I can’t believe my hands were shaking so much.” I’ve sat there and thought, “I didn’t notice.” I then realized that the comments they made influenced my perception of them and my perception of their topic.

You said your last word and the audience is applauding, now what? Look at your audience and smile and nod in appreciation before walking off the stage. If you will be answering questions, wait until after the applause stops to begin your question and answering period.

When practicing your speech, it is a good idea to start from your chair, walk up to a spot and then give your speech, and then walk back to your chair and sit down. Your “speech” impression begins and ends from your chair.

Key Takeaways

Remember This!

• A speech closing should include a review of the main points and a purposeful closing sentence.
• Persuasive speech endings should tell the audience specifically what they should do or think about.
• The recency effect suggests that people remember the most recent things they have heard which is one reason the closing is so important.
• Chance the pace of your speech and the tone of your voice to signal the end of the speech.

Please share your feedback, suggestions, corrections, and ideas.

I want to hear from you. 

Do you have an activity to include? Did you notice a typo that I should correct? Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it? Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?

Click here to share your feedback. 

Adichie, C.N. (2009). The danger of a single story. [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg Standard YouTube License.

Anderson, C. (2016). TED talks: The official TED guide to public speaking. Mariner Books.

Barot, H.  Fifteen powerful speech ending lines (and tips to create your own). Frantically Speaking. https://franticallyspeaking.com/15-powerful-speech-ending-lines-and-tips-to-create-your-own/

Boroditsky, L. (2017). How language shapes the way we think.  https://www.ted.com/talks/lera_boroditsky_how_language_shapes_the_way_we_think  Standard Youtube License. 

Butler, M. (2018). Why you think you’re ugly. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imCBztvKgus  Standard YouTube License. 

Dunham. A. (2019). Valedictorian comes out as autistic during speech. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtPGrLoU5Uk  Standard Youtube License. 

Eagleman, D. (2015). Can we create new senses for humans?[Video]. YouTube  https://youtu.be/4c1lqFXHvqI  Standard YouTube License. 

Hone, L. (2019).  The three secrets of resilient people. [Video]. YouTube  https://youtu.be/NWH8N-BvhAw  Standard YouTube License. 

Jeff, P. (2009). Ten ways to end your speech with a bang. http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/10-ways-to-end-your-speech

Jobs, S. (2005). You’ve got to find what you love. https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/

Khanna, P. (2016). Let the head of TED show you how to end your speech with power. https://www.fastcompany.com/3059459/let-the-head-of-ted-show-you-how-to-end-your-speech-with-p

Karia, A. (2013). How to open and close a TED talk (or any other speech or presentation). https://akashkaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/HowtoOpenandCloseaTEDTalk.pdf

LaCroix, D. (2001). World champion of public speaking. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUDCzbmLV-0  Standard YouTube License. 

Mandela, N. (2011). Speech from the dock in the Rivonia trial.[Video]. YouTube https://www.nelsonmandela.org/news/entry/i-am-prepared-to-die  Standard YouTube License. 

Mandela, N. (1994). Presidential Inaugural Speech. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/nelsonmandelainauguralspeech.htm  Standard YouTube License. 

Miller, B.J. (2015). What really matters at the end of life. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.ted.com/talks/bj_miller_what_really_matters_at_the_end_of_life?language=en  Standard YouTube License. 

Moth. (2021). Storytelling tips and tricks: How to tell a successful story. https://themoth.org/share-your-story/storytelling-tips-tricks 

Obama, B. (2016). White House correspondents dinner. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxFkEj7KPC0  Standard YouTube License. 

Pink, D. (2009). The puzzle of motivation. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_the_puzzle_of_motivation  Standard YouTube License. 

Rothwell, D. (2014). Practically Speaking. Oxford University Press.Robinson, K. (2013). How to escape education’s death valley. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc  Standard YouTube License. 

Rosling, H. (2014). Don’t Panic-Hans Rosling showing the facts about population.[Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FACK2knC08E  Standard YouTube License. 

Schwartz, B. (2005). The paradox of choice. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice  Standard YouTube License. 

Toastmasters International. (2016). Concluding your Speech. https://www.toastmasters.org/Resources/Concluding-Your-Speech

Young, S. (2014). I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much. [Video]. YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtPGrLoU5Uk  Standard YouTube License. 

Yousafzai, M. (2013). Malala Yousafzai addresses United Nations Youth Assembly. [Video]. YouTube https://youtu.be/3rNhZu3ttIU  Standard YouTube License. 

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Media Attributions

• Audience clapping © Alex Motoc is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
• jose-aragones-81QkOoPGahY-unsplash © Jose Aragones is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license

Advanced Public Speaking Copyright © 2021 by Lynn Meade is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Writing the Conclusion of a Speech

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

One of the best ways to conclude a speech is to tie the conclusion into the introduction. For example, you might begin your speech by telling a suspenseful story that relates to your topic, but save the end of the story for the very end of your speech. Or refer back to the same quotation. Or refer to the joke that you told. Any of these strategies will give your speech a sense of connection and closure, and will leave the audience with a great final impression.

If you are delivering a persuasive speech, you might try a slightly different ending because your goal is not just to be remembered, it’s to inspire people to take action. One way to do this is to issue a call-to-action. This means that you specifically tell your audience what actions you expect them to take related to your speech. Another way to inspire action with the conclusion of your speech is to appeal to their emotions. If you create a desired emotion within your audience, and then leave them with that emotion, they will take that emotion with them. For example: If you leave them feeling guilty about not-recycling by painting a bleak picture about the state of the Earth that their grandchildren will live in, then they might recall that emotion the next time they choose not to recycle and alter their behavior.

Leaving a strong final impression is the most important aspect of the conclusion, but their are some other necessary steps as well:

• Making a smooth transition from the body of the speech to the conclusion is crucial. To do this, use a signpost known as a concluding statement. The most common concluding statements include: “in conclusion”, “I leave you with”, “finally today”, and other similarly obvious endings.
• Just as it is important to preview a speech in the introduction, it is important to summarize the speech in the conclusion. The more the audience hears your main points, the more likely they are to remember them. By previewing, discussing, and summarizing your main points your audience will be exposed to them at least three times during your speech.

A good conclusion should be about 5-10% of the total speech length. Anything shorter that 5% means that the ending has come too abruptly. Anything more that 10%, and the audience may become restless. This brings up another point: If it sounds like a conclusion, you need to finish your speech in a reasonable amount of time. The conclusion is not the place to add new material.

Effective ways to end a speech

• Summarize the main speech topics or main points.
• Repeat a few keywords or phrases by using the rhetorical figure of speech repetition.
• State how your points prove your general and specific goal.
• Restate and reinforce the central idea.
• Repeat the tie between the needs and interests of the listeners, and your thesis.
• Refer back to an anecdote or quotation in the introduction text.
• Offer a so-called moral of the story.
• Call them to act and offer them how-to-do-it steps.
• List the benefits or available applications; very effective ways to end a speech.
• Restate the problem and provide your solution in two sentences.
• Visualize the outcome of your call to action with a prop or visual aid.
• Transform your central idea or even the discourse title into an easy to remember slogan.
• Recite a couple of lines from songs, poems or citations and quotes from a historical presentation.
• End with a heart-felt human interest story in which all comes together.
• Finish with a clinching personal anecdote.
• Close with an illustrative design example.
• End with a joke or funny remark. Must say that only choose these ways to end a speech if it’s really funny.
• Connect your speech topics with the common grounds and thoughts of the public speaking audience. This way to end a speech brings the overall speech topic in their hearts and minds.
• Ask a rhetorical question and answer with an easy to remember oneliner.
• Give the ultimate answer on an important question you proposed earlier in your introduction.
• Surprise with a shocking fact or figure that empahizes the need for change.
• Draw the contours of the ideal situation you propose. Visualize that they will see paradise if they do, think or act as you want.

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11.2 Steps of a Conclusion

Learning objectives.

• Examine the three steps of an effective conclusion: restatement of the thesis, review of the main points, and concluding device.
• Differentiate among Miller’s (1946) ten concluding devices.

Matthew Culnane – Steps – CC BY-SA 2.0.

In Section 11.1 “Why Conclusions Matter” , we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech. In this section, we’re going to examine the three steps in building an effective conclusion.

Restatement of the Thesis

Restating a thesis statement is the first step in a powerful conclusion. As we explained in Chapter 9 “Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively” , a thesis statement is a short, declarative sentence that states the purpose, intent, or main idea of a speech. When we restate the thesis statement at the conclusion of our speech, we’re attempting to reemphasize what the overarching main idea of the speech has been. Suppose your thesis statement was, “I will analyze Barack Obama’s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, ‘A World That Stands as One.’” You could restate the thesis in this fashion at the conclusion of your speech: “In the past few minutes, I have analyzed Barack Obama’s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, ‘A World That Stands as One.’” Notice the shift in tense: the statement has gone from the future tense (this is what I will speak about) to the past tense (this is what I have spoken about). Restating the thesis in your conclusion reminds the audience of the major purpose or goal of your speech, helping them remember it better.

Review of Main Points

After restating the speech’s thesis, the second step in a powerful conclusion is to review the main points from your speech. One of the biggest differences between written and oral communication is the necessity of repetition in oral communication. When we preview our main points in the introduction, effectively discuss and make transitions to our main points during the body of the speech, and finally, review the main points in the conclusion, we increase the likelihood that the audience will retain our main points after the speech is over.

In the introduction of a speech, we deliver a preview of our main body points, and in the conclusion we deliver a review . Let’s look at a sample preview:

In order to understand the field of gender and communication, I will first differentiate between the terms biological sex and gender. I will then explain the history of gender research in communication. Lastly, I will examine a series of important findings related to gender and communication.

In this preview, we have three clear main points. Let’s see how we can review them at the conclusion of our speech:

Today, we have differentiated between the terms biological sex and gender, examined the history of gender research in communication, and analyzed a series of research findings on the topic.

In the past few minutes, I have explained the difference between the terms “biological sex” and “gender,” discussed the rise of gender research in the field of communication, and examined a series of groundbreaking studies in the field.

Notice that both of these conclusions review the main points originally set forth. Both variations are equally effective reviews of the main points, but you might like the linguistic turn of one over the other. Remember, while there is a lot of science to help us understand public speaking, there’s also a lot of art as well, so you are always encouraged to choose the wording that you think will be most effective for your audience.

Concluding Device

The final part of a powerful conclusion is the concluding device. A concluding device is essentially the final thought you want your audience members to have when you stop speaking. It also provides a definitive sense of closure to your speech. One of the authors of this text often makes an analogy between a gymnastics dismount and the concluding device in a speech. Just as a gymnast dismounting the parallel bars or balance beam wants to stick the landing and avoid taking two or three steps, a speaker wants to “stick” the ending of the presentation by ending with a concluding device instead of with, “Well, umm, I guess I’m done.” Miller observed that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices when ending a speech (Miller, 1946). The rest of this section is going to examine these ten concluding devices.

Conclude with a Challenge

The first way that Miller found that some speakers end their speeches is with a challenge. A challenge is a call to engage in some kind of activity that requires a contest or special effort. In a speech on the necessity of fund-raising, a speaker could conclude by challenging the audience to raise 10 percent more than their original projections. In a speech on eating more vegetables, you could challenge your audience to increase their current intake of vegetables by two portions daily. In both of these challenges, audience members are being asked to go out of their way to do something different that involves effort on their part.

Conclude with a Quotation

A second way you can conclude a speech is by reciting a quotation relevant to the speech topic. When using a quotation, you need to think about whether your goal is to end on a persuasive note or an informative note. Some quotations will have a clear call to action, while other quotations summarize or provoke thought. For example, let’s say you are delivering an informative speech about dissident writers in the former Soviet Union. You could end by citing this quotation from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “A great writer is, so to speak, a second government in his country. And for that reason no regime has ever loved great writers” (Solzhenitsyn, 1964). Notice that this quotation underscores the idea of writers as dissidents, but it doesn’t ask listeners to put forth effort to engage in any specific thought process or behavior. If, on the other hand, you were delivering a persuasive speech urging your audience to participate in a very risky political demonstration, you might use this quotation from Martin Luther King Jr.: “If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live” (King, 1963). In this case, the quotation leaves the audience with the message that great risks are worth taking, that they make our lives worthwhile, and that the right thing to do is to go ahead and take that great risk.

Conclude with a Summary

When a speaker ends with a summary, he or she is simply elongating the review of the main points. While this may not be the most exciting concluding device, it can be useful for information that was highly technical or complex or for speeches lasting longer than thirty minutes. Typically, for short speeches (like those in your class), this summary device should be avoided.

Conclude by Visualizing the Future

The purpose of a conclusion that refers to the future is to help your audience imagine the future you believe can occur. If you are giving a speech on the development of video games for learning, you could conclude by depicting the classroom of the future where video games are perceived as true learning tools and how those tools could be utilized. More often, speakers use visualization of the future to depict how society would be, or how individual listeners’ lives would be different, if the speaker’s persuasive attempt worked. For example, if a speaker proposes that a solution to illiteracy is hiring more reading specialists in public schools, the speaker could ask her or his audience to imagine a world without illiteracy. In this use of visualization, the goal is to persuade people to adopt the speaker’s point of view. By showing that the speaker’s vision of the future is a positive one, the conclusion should help to persuade the audience to help create this future.

Conclude with an Appeal for Action

Probably the most common persuasive concluding device is the appeal for action or the call to action. In essence, the appeal for action occurs when a speaker asks her or his audience to engage in a specific behavior or change in thinking. When a speaker concludes by asking the audience “to do” or “to think” in a specific manner, the speaker wants to see an actual change. Whether the speaker appeals for people to eat more fruit, buy a car, vote for a candidate, oppose the death penalty, or sing more in the shower, the speaker is asking the audience to engage in action.

One specific type of appeal for action is the immediate call to action . Whereas some appeals ask for people to engage in behavior in the future, the immediate call to action asks people to engage in behavior right now. If a speaker wants to see a new traffic light placed at a dangerous intersection, he or she may conclude by asking all the audience members to sign a digital petition right then and there, using a computer the speaker has made available ( http://www.petitiononline.com ). Here are some more examples of immediate calls to action:

• In a speech on eating more vegetables, pass out raw veggies and dip at the conclusion of the speech.
• In a speech on petitioning a lawmaker for a new law, provide audience members with a prewritten e-mail they can send to the lawmaker.
• In a speech on the importance of using hand sanitizer, hand out little bottles of hand sanitizer and show audience members how to correctly apply the sanitizer.
• In a speech asking for donations for a charity, send a box around the room asking for donations.

These are just a handful of different examples we’ve actually seen students use in our classrooms to elicit an immediate change in behavior. These immediate calls to action may not lead to long-term change, but they can be very effective at increasing the likelihood that an audience will change behavior in the short term.

Conclude by Inspiration

By definition, the word inspire means to affect or arouse someone. Both affect and arouse have strong emotional connotations. The ultimate goal of an inspiration concluding device is similar to an “appeal for action” but the ultimate goal is more lofty or ambiguous; the goal is to stir someone’s emotions in a specific manner. Maybe a speaker is giving an informative speech on the prevalence of domestic violence in our society today. That speaker could end the speech by reading Paulette Kelly’s powerful poem “I Got Flowers Today.” “I Got Flowers Today” is a poem that evokes strong emotions because it’s about an abuse victim who received flowers from her abuser every time she was victimized. The poem ends by saying, “I got flowers today… / Today was a special day—it was the day of my funeral / Last night he killed me” (Kelly, 1994).

Conclude with Advice

The next concluding device is one that should be used primarily by speakers who are recognized as expert authorities on a given subject. Advice is essentially a speaker’s opinion about what should or should not be done. The problem with opinions is that everyone has one, and one person’s opinion is not necessarily any more correct than another’s. There needs to be a really good reason your opinion—and therefore your advice—should matter to your audience. If, for example, you are an expert in nuclear physics, you might conclude a speech on energy by giving advice about the benefits of nuclear energy.

Conclude by Proposing a Solution

Another way a speaker can conclude a speech powerfully is to offer a solution to the problem discussed within a speech. For example, perhaps a speaker has been discussing the problems associated with the disappearance of art education in the United States. The speaker could then propose a solution of creating more community-based art experiences for school children as a way to fill this gap. Although this can be an effective conclusion, a speaker must ask herself or himself whether the solution should be discussed in more depth as a stand-alone main point within the body of the speech so that audience concerns about the proposed solution may be addressed.

Conclude with a Question

Another way you can end a speech is to ask a rhetorical question that forces the audience to ponder an idea. Maybe you are giving a speech on the importance of the environment, so you end the speech by saying, “Think about your children’s future. What kind of world do you want them raised in? A world that is clean, vibrant, and beautiful—or one that is filled with smog, pollution, filth, and disease?” Notice that you aren’t actually asking the audience to verbally or nonverbally answer the question; the goal of this question is to force the audience into thinking about what kind of world they want for their children.

Conclude with a Reference to Audience

The last concluding device discussed by Miller (1946) was a reference to one’s audience. This concluding device is when a speaker attempts to answer the basic audience question, “What’s in it for me?” The goal of this concluding device is to spell out the direct benefits a behavior or thought change has for audience members. For example, a speaker talking about stress reduction techniques could conclude by clearly listing all the physical health benefits stress reduction offers (e.g., improved reflexes, improved immune system, improved hearing, reduction in blood pressure). In this case, the speaker is clearly spelling out why audience members should care—what’s in it for them!

Informative versus Persuasive Conclusions

As you read through the ten possible ways to conclude a speech, hopefully you noticed that some of the methods are more appropriate for persuasive speeches and others are more appropriate for informative speeches. To help you choose appropriate conclusions for informative, persuasive, or entertaining speeches, we’ve created a table ( Table 11.1 “Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices” ) to help you quickly identify appropriate concluding devices.

Table 11.1 Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices

Key Takeaways

• An effective conclusion contains three basic parts: a restatement of the speech’s thesis; a review of the main points discussed within the speech; and a concluding device that helps create a lasting image in audiences’ minds.
• Miller (1946) found that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices. All of these devices are not appropriate for all speeches, so speakers need to determine which concluding device would have the strongest, most powerful effect for a given audience, purpose, and occasion.
• Take the last speech you gave in class and rework the speech’s conclusion to reflect the three parts of a conclusion. Now do the same thing with the speech you are currently working on for class.
• Think about the speech you are currently working on in class. Write out concluding statements using three of the devices discussed in this chapter. Which of the devices would be most useful for your speech? Why?

Kelly, P. (1994). I got flowers today. In C. J. Palmer & J. Palmer, Fire from within . Painted Post, NY: Creative Arts & Science Enterprises.

King, M. L. (1963, June 23). Speech in Detroit. Cited in Bartlett, J., & Kaplan, J. (Eds.), Bartlett’s familiar quotations (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co., p. 760.

Miller, E. (1946). Speech introductions and conclusions. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 32 , 181–183.

Solzhenitsyn, A. (1964). The first circle. New York: Harper & Row. Cited in Bartlett, J., & Kaplan, J. (Eds.), Bartlett’s familiar quotations (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co., p. 746.

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9 Tips to End a Speech With a Bang

A good talk or public speech is like a good play, movie, or song.

It opens by arresting the listener’s attention, develops point by point, and then ends strongly.

The truth is, if you don’t know how to end a speech, the overall message won’t be persuasive and your key points may get lost.

The words you say at the beginning, and especially at the end of your talk, are usually the most persuasive parts of the speech and will be remembered longer than almost any other part of your speech.

Some of the great speeches in history and some of the most memorable Ted talks have ended with powerful, stirring words that live on in memory.

How do you end a speech and get the standing ovation that you deserve?

Keep reading to discover how…

Here are 9 tips and examples for concluding a speech.

1) Plan Your Closing Remarks Word for Word

To ensure that your conclusion is as powerful as it can be, you must plan it word for word.

Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this talk?”

Your answer should involve the actions that you want your listeners to take after hearing you speak on this subject.

When you are clear about the end result you desire, it becomes much easier to design a conclusion that asks your listeners to take that action.

The best strategy for ending with a BANG is to plan your close before you plan the rest of your speech.

You then go back and design your opening so that it sets the stage for your conclusion.

The body of your talk is where you present your ideas and make your case for what you want the audience to think, remember, and do after hearing you speak.

2) Always End a Speech With a Call to Action

It is especially important to tell the audience what you want it to do as a result of hearing you speak.

A call to action is the best way to wrap up your talk with strength and power.

Here is a Speech Conclusion Call to Action Example

“We have great challenges and great opportunities, and with your help, we will meet them and make this next year the best year in our history!”

Whatever you say, imagine an exclamation point at the end. As you approach the conclusion, pick up your energy and tempo.  This is even more important if the presentation you are giving is virtual .

Speak with strength and emphasis.

Drive the final point home.

Regardless of whether the audience participants agree with you or are willing to do what you ask, it should be perfectly clear to them what you are requesting.

3) End a Speech With a Summary

There is a simple formula for any talk:

• Tell them what you are going to tell them.
• Then, tell them what you told them.

As you approach the end of your talk, say something like,

“Let me briefly restate these main points…”

You then list your key points, one by one, and repeat them to the audience, showing how each of them links to the other points.

Audiences appreciate a linear repetition of what they have just heard.

This makes it clear that you are coming to the end of your talk.

4) Close with a story

As you reach the end of your talk, you can say,

“Let me tell you a story that illustrates what I have been talking about…”

You then tell a brief story with a moral and then tell the audience what the moral is.

Don’t leave it to them to figure out for themselves.

Often you can close with a story that illustrates your key points and then clearly links to the key message that you are making with your speech.

To learn more about storytelling in speaking, you can read my previous blog post “8 Public Speaking Tips to Wow Your Audience.”

Here’s a recap of these 4 tips in a video…

5) Make Them Laugh

You can close with humor.

You can tell a joke that loops back into your subject and repeats the lesson or main point you are making with a story that makes everyone laugh.

During my talks on planning and persistence, I discuss the biggest enemy that we have, which is the tendency to follow the path of least resistance. I then tell this story.

Ole and Sven are out hunting in Minnesota and they shoot a deer. They begin dragging the deer back to the truck by the tail, but they keep slipping and losing both their grip and their balance.

A farmer comes along and asks them, “What are you boys doing?”

They reply, “We’re dragging the deer back to the truck.”

The farmer tells them, “You are not supposed to drag a deer by the tail. You’re supposed to drag the deer by the handles. They’re called antlers. You’re supposed to drag a deer by the antlers.”

Ole and Sven say, “Thank you very much for the idea.”

They begin pulling the deer by the antlers. After about five minutes, they are making rapid progress. Ole says to Sven, “Sven, the farmer was right. It goes a lot easier by the antlers.”

Sven replies, “Yeah, but we’re getting farther and farther from the truck.”

After the laughter dies down, I say…

“The majority of people in life are pulling the easy way, but they are getting further and further from the ‘truck’ or their real goals and objectives.”

That’s just one example of closing using humor.

6) Make It Rhyme

You can close with a poem.

There are many fine poems that contain messages that summarize the key points you want to make.

You can select a poem that is moving, dramatic, or emotional.

For years I ended seminars with the poem, “Don’t Quit,” or “Carry On!” by Robert W. Service. It was always well received by the audience.

7) Close With Inspiration

You can end a speech with something inspirational as well.

If you have given an uplifting talk, remember that hope is and has always been, the main religion of mankind.

People love to be motivated and inspired to be or do something different and better in the future.

Here are a few of my favorite inspirational quotes that can be tied into most speeches.  You can also read this collection of leadership quotes for further inspiration.

Remember, everyone in your audience is dealing with problems, difficulties, challenges, disappointments, setbacks, and temporary failures.

For this reason, everyone appreciates a poem, quote or story of encouragement that gives them strength and courage.

Here are 7 Tips to Tell an Inspiring Poem or Story to End Your Speech

• You have to slow down and add emotion and drama to your words.
• Raise your voice on a key line of the poem, and then drop it when you’re saying something that is intimate and emotional.
• Pick up the tempo occasionally as you go through the story or poem, but them slow down on the most memorable parts.
• Especially, double the number of pauses you normally use in a conversation.
• Use dramatic pauses at the end of a line to allow the audience to digest the words and catch up with you.
• Smile if the line is funny, and be serious if the line is more thought-provoking or emotional.
• When you come to the end of your talk, be sure to bring your voice up on the last line, rather than letting it drop. Remember the “exclamation point” at the end.

Try practicing on this poem that I referenced above…

Read through “Carry On!” by Robert Service .

Identify the key lines, intimate parts, and memorable parts, and recite it.

8) Make it Clear That You’re Done

When you say your final words, it should be clear to everyone that you have ended. There should be no ambiguity or confusion in the mind of your audience. The audience members should know that this is the end.

Many speakers just allow their talks to wind down.

They say something with filler words like, “Well, that just about covers it. Thank you.”

This isn’t a good idea…

It’s not powerful…

It’s not an authoritative ending and thus detracts from your credibility and influence.

When you have concluded, discipline yourself to stand perfectly still. Select a friendly face in the audience and look straight at that person.

If it is appropriate, smile warmly at that person to signal that your speech has come to an end.

Resist the temptation to:

• Shuffle papers.
• Fidget with your clothes or microphone.
• Move forward, backward, or sideways.
• Do anything else except stand solidly, like a tree.

9) Let Them Applaud

When you have finished your talk, the audience members will want to applaud…

What they need from you is a clear signal that now is the time to begin clapping.

How do you signal this?

Some people will recognize sooner than others that you have concluded your remarks.

In many cases, when you make your concluding comments and stop talking, the audience members will be completely silent.

They may be unsure whether you are finished.

They may be processing your final remarks and thinking them over. They may not know what to do until someone else does something.

In a few seconds, which will often feel like several minutes, people will applaud.

First one…

Then another…

Then the entire audience will begin clapping.

When someone begins to applaud, look directly at that person, smile, and mouth the words thank you.

As more and more people applaud, sweep slowly from person to person, nodding, smiling and saying, “Thank You.”

Eventually, the whole room will be clapping.

There’s no better reward for overcoming your fear of public speaking than enjoying a round of applause.

BONUS TIP: How to Handle a Standing Ovation

If you have given a moving talk and really connected with your audience, someone will stand up and applaud. When this happens, encourage others by looking directly at the clapper and saying, “Thank you.”

This will often prompt other members of the audience to stand.

As people see others standing, they will stand as well, applauding the whole time.

It is not uncommon for a speaker to conclude his or her remarks, stand silently, and have the entire audience sit silently in response.

Stand Comfortably and Shake Hands

But as the speaker stands there comfortably, waiting for the audience to realize the talk is over, one by one people will begin to applaud and often stand up one by one.

If the first row of audience members is close in front of you, step or lean forward and shake that person’s hand when one of them stands up to applaud.

When you shake hands with one person in the audience, many other people in the audience feel that you are shaking their hands and congratulating them as well.

They will then stand up and applaud.

Soon the whole room will be standing and applauding.

Whether you receive a standing ovation or not, if your introducer comes back on to thank you on behalf of the audience, smile and shake their hand warmly.

If it’s appropriate, give the introducer a hug of thanks, wave in a friendly way to the audience, and then move aside and give the introducer the stage.

Follow these tips to get that standing ovation every time.

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Conclusions

What this handout is about.

This handout will explain the functions of conclusions, offer strategies for writing effective ones, help you evaluate conclusions you’ve drafted, and suggest approaches to avoid.

About conclusions

Introductions and conclusions can be difficult to write, but they’re worth investing time in. They can have a significant influence on a reader’s experience of your paper.

Just as your introduction acts as a bridge that transports your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. Such a conclusion will help them see why all your analysis and information should matter to them after they put the paper down.

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to synthesize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.

Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.

Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion:

• Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go: You: Basically, I’m just saying that education was important to Douglass. Friend: So what? You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen. Friend: Why should anybody care? You: That’s important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally. You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.
• Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
• Synthesize, don’t summarize. Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
• Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
• Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help them to apply your info and ideas to their own life or to see the broader implications.
• Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.

Strategies to avoid

• Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
• Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.
• Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
• Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
• Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.
• Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.

Four kinds of ineffective conclusions

• The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This conclusion just restates the thesis and is usually painfully short. It does not push the ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can’t think of anything else to say. Example: In conclusion, Frederick Douglass was, as we have seen, a pioneer in American education, proving that education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
• The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. Sometimes writers will state the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. You might be tempted to use this strategy if you don’t want to give everything away too early in your paper. You may think it would be more dramatic to keep the reader in the dark until the end and then “wow” them with your main idea, as in a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The reader, however, does not expect a mystery, but an analytical discussion of your topic in an academic style, with the main argument (thesis) stated up front. Example: (After a paper that lists numerous incidents from the book but never says what these incidents reveal about Douglass and his views on education): So, as the evidence above demonstrates, Douglass saw education as a way to undermine the slaveholders’ power and also an important step toward freedom.
• The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary, rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. Example: Because of the efforts of fine Americans like Frederick Douglass, countless others have seen the shining beacon of light that is education. His example was a torch that lit the way for others. Frederick Douglass was truly an American hero.
• The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information that the writer found or thought of but couldn’t integrate into the main paper. You may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an otherwise-well-organized essay can just create confusion. Example: In addition to being an educational pioneer, Frederick Douglass provides an interesting case study for masculinity in the American South. He also offers historians an interesting glimpse into slave resistance when he confronts Covey, the overseer. His relationships with female relatives reveal the importance of family in the slave community.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. New York: Dover.

Hamilton College. n.d. “Conclusions.” Writing Center. Accessed June 14, 2019. https://www.hamilton.edu//academics/centers/writing/writing-resources/conclusions .

Holewa, Randa. 2004. “Strategies for Writing a Conclusion.” LEO: Literacy Education Online. Last updated February 19, 2004. https://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Speech Conclusion: 12 Ways to End a Presentation the Best Way

If you’ve learned anything about speech writing, you’ll know that there’s a recommended formula to use in designing the best presentation.

Essentially, your talk should have a short opening where you engage your audience , a middle part where you coherently cover the details of your speech topic and an ending that neatly sums everything up .

Remember, people have come to hear you talk when there are definitely other ways that they could be spending their time.

They’re looking to be entertained, or moved in some way. They want to leave the room better informed, educated and possibly curious to study more about your subject.

Therefore, you owe it to your listeners to put together the best presentation that you can – that includes a dynamite finish that they’ll reflect on afterwards.

Let’s take a closer look at how to approach the task. We’ll begin by discussing what not to do .

How NOT to End Your Speech: What Not to Do

Sure, when your talk is coming to an end you might be feeling relieved to have gotten through what you have to say without any obvious missteps.

It’s understandable if you’re ready to quickly exit stage left, and take your seat again with the audience members. After all, you’ve earned that privilege – right?

This is a natural temptation and another good reason why you really must take the time to write a proper wrap up.

Having said that, when it comes to crafting an effective ending, it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. Here’s what not to do.

 Regurgitating remarks

We’ve already mentioned that the ending is the place where you sum up the main message of your speech in some fashion.

However, you don’t want to repeat so much of your talk that your audience’s eyes start to glaze over.

Going on too long about what you’ve already said is a definite no-no. People may just think that you’re doubting their intelligence!

Taking a tangent

As well, you mustn’t go off on a tangent and introduce some new thoughts that are unrelated to what you’ve just spent some time telling listeners.

This will only confuse people.

Furthermore, the participants may second guess what your topic really was all about, and whether they’ve heard you properly.

Stopping abruptly

Take care not to finish abruptly. People need to know by what you say that you’re getting ready to wind things up.

It should not come as a shock that it’s already time for them to applaud.

Trailing off 

You also shouldn’t stop with a whimper, so to speak.

You voice has to remain clear and strong right up until you’ve delivered your last statement. Keep the volume up and don’t mumble!

Offer an apology

Seriously! Don’t do this!

It could be that you believe your speech wasn’t up to your own standards. Maybe you got off track a little, or missed making a minor point that you’d intended.

Whatever it is, your listeners in all likelihood didn’t notice. Even if they did, they’ve already moved on and forgiven you.

Therefore, you certainly don’t want to draw their attention to anything that you felt wasn’t up to par.

12 Best Ways to End a Speech to be Remembered

Be mindful that your final comments are probably going to be the most memorable part of your talk.

As people file out of the auditorium or meeting room, what you said last will be ringing in their ears. In addition, they may be sharing their reaction to your words with others in attendance.

Therefore, you want to leave them with a good impression.

Now that you can appreciate the importance of finishing off your presentation well − and some of the pitfalls to avoid – you’re ready to learn about a number of great ideas for speech endings.

Following are the different ways you can go.

1. Paraphrase the main points

Take a minute to recap the main points of your presentation.

Tell people again what you just told them, but be sure to do it in a very succinct way.

While you shouldn’t just say verbatim what you’ve relayed already, it’s quite acceptable to repeat a phrase or sentence from your opening as a way to reinforce your main point. Whatever you choose, keep it short.

One approach to paraphrasing is to package the information in three points.

It has been shown that patterns of three can have some staying power in the minds of listeners. Here are a few examples that illustrate this:

“...government of the people, by the people, for the people.” – Abraham Lincoln

“I came. I saw. I conquered.” – Julius Caesar

Basically, paraphrasing reinforces the main message of your talk so that those participating are much more likely to bring it to mind later on.

2. Give them a take-away

This approach is somewhat similar to the above idea. It involves giving people the single most important message that you want them to leave with.

Since you’re asking them to focus on only one thought, they’re more apt to commit it to memory.

Plus, boiling the information you’ve just delivered down to a central idea can be very impactful.

Listeners will take to heart that there’s one single take-away they should really pay attention to. They’re more likely to recall the main point you made, and even relay it in conversation with colleagues, friends and family.

One very effective method of doing this is to tell your audience upfront that you want them to recall something. For instance, you could preface your point with one of these phrases:

“When you leave here today, I want you to remember . . .”

“If you take anything away from my presentation today, it should be that . . .”

And say your point.

3. Call them to action

This is a very popular way to end a speech and, no wonder, when you think of how it can affect those listening.

Essentially, you’re going to ask people to do something as a result of absorbing your talk.

Maybe they’ve been swept away by the inspiration you’ve demonstrated in telling them a moving story of overcoming adversity. Perhaps they’re intrigued by the new ideas you’ve presented to manage personal stress.

At the end of your speech, the time is ripe to call them to an action of some sort. Here are some examples, using slightly different approaches:

“The next time you look at the stars in the night sky, I urge you to think about how incredibly vast is our universe.”

“When you see another television commercial about hunger, are you going to change the channel, or are you going to call the number on the screen and make a donation?”

Demanding something of your audience will cause them to reflect on your presentation and especially so when they next find themselves in the situation you’ve described.

Regardless of whether or not they decide to follow through on what you’ve asked, they’ll be thinking of what you said.

4. Repeat the title

Here’s a simple idea that you might have seen used.

Granted, we’ve already explained why you shouldn’t regurgitate your speech in your closing remarks.

However, just repeating the title of your speech can be a great way to sum up and refocus the audience on what your presentation was about.

Of course, this calls for creating an excellent title that will stand on its own as a representation of your talk.

Moreover, your title could be in the form of a provocative question, or employ an alliteration to make it really interesting and memorable.

5. Position with power

End your speech with a powerful bang by making a bold statement that links back to your talk.

Employ strong words or unique turns of phrase. This can be accomplished by writing out your closing statement and searching for synonyms for certain words that will convey more emotion, or spark increased interest.

Emphasize what you have to say with a confident posture that matches.

Another approach to show your power is to make a grand physical gesture. If, for example, your closing statement is “What I want the whole world to know is . . .” you could spread your arms wide in a circle to suggest that you’re reaching out across the globe.

Listeners will remember your words for the strength and enthusiasm behind them.

6. Use your body language

If you’ve done any public speaking, you’ll already appreciate the importance of experimenting with body language . The right posture and gestures can convey so much!

It’s just as critical to display impactful body language at the end of your speech since this is the last thing people will see.

What you do physically on stage should help your audience recall you for the right reasons.

Certainly, you can take a little bow and then walk confidently away from the podium. However, wouldn’t it make people recall you and what you told them better if you did something different?

Maybe you want to shimmy off stage with a dance move, skip or give a few low sweeping bows while blowing kisses to the audience? Use your imagination and find something that fits with your speech topic .

In the following video, Vikram did a somersault to conclude his speech and the audience went wild! (starts at 6:42)

7. Use a prop or visual

If you’ve brought a prop on stage and referred to it earlier in your speech, bring the attention of your participants back to it as you make your closing remarks.

Perhaps you’ve rolled a little suitcase behind you when you first walked to the podium as a visual about the personal baggage that we all carry. Well, grab the handle and give the case a little twirl to bring the audience’s eyes back to it.

Have you arrived on stage wearing a funny wig? You’ve probably set it aside so as not to distract from your words, but pop it back on your head at the end of your speech to help people make a connection to your entire message.

At the start of the following speech recording, the 2014 World Champion of Public Speaking Dananjaya Hettiarachchi pulled out the petals of a flower and threw them into a trash can. At the end of his speech, he pulled out a whole flower from the trash can to make a point. 

It was a 'wow' moment.

There are other options for leaving people with a visual that they’ll remember. Here are a few:

• Display a photograph – Try an eye-catching picture on a screen behind you that represents your talk. It could be an image of an endangered species or a clean shoreline if your topic was about the environment, for example.
• Unveil a hidden prop – Removing a cover from a prop that participants haven’t seen can indelibly lodge it in their mind’s eye (i.e., a scale model of building you’ve spoken about).
• Project a cartoon – Finish your speech with a funny cartoon or short video. This is entertainment that people really enjoy.
• Throw something   – You could toss out a few small gifts into the audience, shower the first few rows of people with confetti or do something else entirely.

Don’t forget, your prop or visual aid should relate back to your topic. If you’re talking about a wedding , then a confetti shower could be an unforgettable finish!

8. Surprise them

There are so many amazing ways to do this. The sky might just be the limit!

Your listeners will perk up at the mention of something unexpected and take the time to reflect on how it connects to your topic.

A club member once gave a speech about online Zoom meetings, and I suggested to her to wear a formal attire for her top, and home clothes for her bottom, so that at the end of her speech, she could stand up to reveal that juxtaposition and walk away.

That would be a surprise humorous ending.

Here are a couple of other methods to consider:

• Reveal an identity   – If your speech relates somehow to your own experience, keeping this information until the end can have people tuning in. On the other hand, there could be someone in the room that you want to introduce as having had a role in your story.
• State a fact   – End your talk with a startling piece of data that’s unfamiliar to your listeners.
• Give a timeline   − A variation on offering a fact that can have added oomph is to tell people something that has happened in the world during the time they’ve been listening to you – such as the number of births.

As always, have your surprise flow from the subject of your presentation.

9. Envision the future

Give your audience your take on the future. This will ignite a sense of curiosity, especially if they start to contemplate what it might mean for them personally.

Envisioning the future could be as simple as explaining what, in your mind, comes next or what you suggest needs to happen. Prepare a few words about what action needs to be taken to make a positive change, for instance.

Alternatively, you could forecast a future time when everyone will, or won’t, be doing something. Imagining the end of all wars around the world is one example.

Make your future image compelling with lots of detail. Draw on as many senses as you can to help participants to see, smell and hear your dream for the near or longer term.

You’ll have people quickly trying to connect the dots and the meaning of your speech.

10. Share a story

Polishing off your presentation with a short anecdote is another impactful method.

It should be a brief story that relates back to your speech. Tell people a tale that illustrates the point of your talk, and ensure that it’s both captivating and relatable.

You might want to give the ending to an anecdote that you spoke about earlier in your presentation, or a piece that just wraps everything up nicely.

When you think about, people will often quickly become engrossed in a story . It makes what you have to say more digestible, and more readily recalled.

11. Show your scholarly side

Construct a noteworthy closing by harnessing the strength of a few novel ideas. The following tips can, for sure, increase the memorability of your speech:

• Connect a quote − Ending with an inspirational quote, especially if it’s one the audience is familiar with, is a solid option. You can have a bit of fun with it, but be sure that it’s something that those listening can relate to, and not miss any cultural relevance.
• Rhyme your word s  – You could try your hand at writing a few lines of original poetry, or find something else that fits the bill.
• Try a metaphor – A metaphor can breathe more life into your final message. Albert Einstein used a metaphor when he said “All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.”

Any of these ideas will leave your listeners with something catchy, or special, to remember your presentation.

12. Thank them

Here’s another suggestion for a speech ending.

Say a few words of thanks.

You might express your appreciation directly to those in attendance that have been, hopefully, hanging on your every word. Thank them for showing up and giving you their time.

Additionally, you can talk briefly about your appreciation for others who may have invited you to speak or supported your presentation in some way.

This shows people very clearly that you’ve finished speaking.

However, if you had a strong conclusion, I wouldn't suggest this as it would weaken the impact of your conclusion and Call to Action.

How to Choose the Best Ending

Some of the ideas offered might lend themselves more to particular speech purposes. For instance, if your talk is intended to inspire it’s quite appropriate to finish off with a call to action.

And, you might feel more comfortable with certain options and gravitate towards them more readily.

Maybe you’ve already tired one or two of these methods?

Whatever the case, consider how your listeners are likely to respond to these examples, and decide on the ones that will work well with your speech.

Final Thoughts on Concluding a Speech

Once you’ve selected how you’re going to end your talk, prepare your lines .

There’s actually one school of thought that it makes sense to write your ending first and then build your speech from there. So, that’s something you might want to give a shot to.

Ideally, you’ll become practiced enough at public speaking , over time, that you’ll be able to memorize what you have to say. While it doesn’t have to be exactly what you wrote when you drafted your talk , it should be close enough.

In the meantime, your closing remarks are one of the two sections in your speech (the other is your opening) where you absolutely should memorize your lines .

This will help you ace your delivery, especially if you’re trying out a new way to end a speech that’s a little outside your comfort zone.

Happy experimenting!

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Public Speaking: How to Write a Powerful Speech Conclusion

Conventional wisdom in the realm of public speaking is that your opening statement and closing statement must be perfect. While I agree that it’s important to develop these two parts of your speech, I don’t think they are as important as others make them out to be — which is the other extreme.

The goals of an effective speech conclusion:

There are generally two goals for an effective conclusion. They are:

• To summarize the main points of your speech.
• To motivate the audience to take action.

Please note that “leaving the audience with a positive impression of your wit” isn’t there, nor is “win an award for best written speech conclusion.” All too often, people put too much pressure on themselves to find a way to close their speech. “Thank you” is the worst way to end a speech profess many well-intentioned but ill-informed public speaking experts (I’ve heard this dozens of times at Toastmasters clubs during speech evaluations). I don’t see the harm — it’s fine to thank the audience at the end of your talk, as long as it’s sincere. So let’s look at your real goals.

Summarizing your main points is pretty straightforward. Most speeches have three to five main points, so including each of these in your summary is important. I’ve found it helpful to state a memorable fact or two about each point to help the audience retain the things I’ve said about each point — and this critical for longer talks (30 minutes or longer). I typically do my question and answer session right before my conclusion, so I may make some impromptu references to some interesting or related points that came up during Q&A. I also provide a mini-outline of the main points of my talk as a handout for longer talks (I also use it as a marketing tool).

Your Closing Statement:

Now on to the great controversy: your closing statement. Your goal for the closing statement is to get the audience to take action. Depending on your speech and your goals for giving the speech, it can fall into one or more of the following actions:

• Think a certain way about the topic you presented.
• Purchase a product or service.
• Volunteer or sign up to do something.
• Promote your topic.
• Get others excited or interested in your topic.

Again, many people make this step overly difficult. Simply asking the audience in a sincere way to take the action is as effective as a well crafted conclusion. In fact, trying too hard to provide a memorable conclusion can sometimes turn off your audience. For example, if you’re selling a product and you conclude your pitch with:

So as you can see, our product has helped many people in your situation succeed. I hope you’ll give us the chance to help you succeed.

it’s quite different than:

Imagine your competition as tortoises, slowly trudging along the path to success with their blinders on, completely unaware that the resources they need for success are right at their finger tips. Then you, the hare, whiz by them at the speed light and all they feel a gentle breeze — this is the advantage to buying our product.

You can see that both are equally as effective even though the latter one is more descriptive and doesn’t really buy you anything. In fact, some people may find it corny.

So in summary, your conclusion should simply sum up the main points of your talk and encourage the audience to take action. My Dale Carnegie instructor and friend, Bob Arnold, once said that your closing statement can be as simple as something that reads like a newspaper headline. So don’t fret, just close.

And again, it’s perfectly acceptable in my book to thank the audience at the end of your speech.

James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.

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2 thoughts on “ Public Speaking: How to Write a Powerful Speech Conclusion ”

Nice post, James, simplifying the sometimes overwrought task of writing a conclusion.

I completely agree with you about thanking the audience at the end, by the way. I’ve written about thanking the audience a couple of times (you might say I’m a little obsessed with the issue):

http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/2007/03/do-you-thank-your-audience.html http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/2007/08/when-not-to-say-thank-you.html http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/2008/02/two-minutes-of-thank-yous.html

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How to Write a Conclusion to a Speech

Kori morgan.

Your speech may have an attention-grabbing introduction, solid research and convincing arguments, but your conclusion can make or break whether your audience walks away affected by your message. A strong speech conclusion provides closure by revisiting and reinforcing the main points and emphasizing the significance of your topic. Reviewing the purpose and objectives of your speech can help you compose a conclusion that challenges and resonates with listeners.

Explore this article

• Restate Your Thesis
• Provide Circular Closure
• Make Use of Signal Phrases
• Define the Topic's Significance

1 Restate Your Thesis

Just like in an essay, your speech's thesis statement determines its direction and purpose. Reviewing your thesis statement can reveal the major points your conclusion needs to address. Try isolating the primary claim your speech makes and how it sets the course for the evidence and examples you present later. Then, rephrase your thesis statement in the conclusion to remind audiences of where the speech began and where you've brought them. Don't assume the audience will remember your thesis statement or major points; briefly restating them reinforces the ideas in their minds.

2 Provide Circular Closure

Ideally, your speech's introduction captures your audiences attention using a statistic, story, quotation or rhetorical question. Revisiting that same tactic in the conclusion can signal that the speech is coming to a close as well as bring the content full circle for audiences. If your speech is about distracted driving, for example, your introduction might share that it caused 1 in 5 car accidents in 2011. You can mirror this introduction in your ending by reminding audiences to think twice before they drive inattentively, or they could be driving the 1 car in 5 that becomes a statistic.

3 Make Use of Signal Phrases

One way your conclusion brings closure to your speech is by using words that communicate to audiences that the message has come to its end. Phrases and words such as "finally," "in conclusion," "in summary" and "as we have seen" can direct listeners to pay attention to the final thoughts they should take away from the speech. Avoid using these phrases in any place other than the conclusion, since giving audiences a false impression of when the speech is over can distract them and cause them to miss important information.

4 Define the Topic's Significance

Ultimately, your speech's conclusion must answer the question "So what?"; it explains why audiences should care about the subject. The tactics you use to accomplish this vary according to the type of speech you're giving. If you're presenting an informational speech about musician Johnny Cash, you might show the topic's importance by offering examples of his continued influence on music. By contrast, a persuasive speech's conclusion should present a clear call to action. If your topic is animal abuse, for instance, you might urge audiences to adopt rescue animals instead of buying from pet stores or give to their local humane society.

• 1 Oregon State University School of Arts and Communication: Writing a Conclusion
• 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences: Resources for Writers: Conclusion Strategies
• 3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Distracted Driving
• 4 University of Florida IFAS Extension: Speech Writing and Types of Speeches

About the Author

Kori Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts in professional writing and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and has been crafting online and print educational materials since 2006. She taught creative writing and composition at West Virginia University and the University of Akron and her fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals.

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When you have completed constructing your thesis, developing and expanding your supporting points, and designing and writing your arguments, you will be ready to write your conclusion. You may select from a number of ways to conclude your paper (for example, a summary of points, a reiteration of your thesis, a synthesis of all your arguments). Your purpose is to bring your topic to a close. If you have done a good job of maintaining your direction and developing your claim(s), you will have arrived at your conclusion as a matter of course. One way to determine what to include in your conclusion is to reread your thesis. Ask yourself a few questions. What direction did you name or what claim(s) did you make in your thesis? What limitations did you set for your topic? What path did you choose when you developed your supporting points and wrote your arguments? Your conclusion is a good place to remind your reader where you were headed and how you got there.

Conclusions in student papers often are not used effectively. Do not presume your reader has followed your arguments and knows your conclusion. State it explicitly. If you have been careful to develop support and arguments for your thesis, do not shortchange yourself by brushing lightly over the conclusion. Avoid broad, sweeping statements or generalities; do not introduce new topics or new arguments. Stick to your topic and your direction or claim. Conclude your paper with a strong, deliberate ending that reinforces or clarifies what you have been writing about all along.

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How To Write A Conclusion For A Speech | Tips And Examples

Introduction.

Welcome to Innovative Local SEO Solutions' comprehensive guide on how to write a compelling conclusion for a speech. As a leading provider of SEO services in the business and consumer services industry, we understand the importance of effective communication and engaging presentations.

The Significance of a Strong Conclusion

A well-crafted conclusion can leave a lasting impression on your audience and reinforce your key message. It is the final opportunity to inspire, summarize, and create a sense of closure. Just as a memorable opening captures attention, a powerful ending can ensure your speech resonates with your listeners long after you've finished speaking.

At Innovative Local SEO Solutions, we believe that content that stands out has a better chance of ranking higher on search engine result pages (SERPs). That's why we've compiled the following tips and examples to help you write an exceptional conclusion that captivates your audience and elevates your speaking abilities.

Strategies for Writing an Outstanding Conclusion

Crafting a compelling conclusion requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some strategies to implement:

1. Summarize Key Points

One effective technique is to summarize the main ideas or arguments presented in your speech. This allows your audience to quickly recall and remember the core message you aim to deliver. Keep the summary concise but ensure that it encompasses the essential elements of your speech.

2. Use a Memorable Quote or Anecdote

Quotes or anecdotes can add an emotional and memorable element to your conclusion. Select a quote that aligns with your topic and resonates with your audience. Anecdotes, on the other hand, provide a personal touch and can create a connection between you and your listeners.

3. Create a Call to Action

Engage your audience by incorporating a call to action in your conclusion. Encourage them to take specific steps or think differently about the topic you discussed. A well-crafted call to action can leave a strong impression and motivate your listeners to take further action.

4. End with a Thought-Provoking Question

Leave your audience pondering by ending your speech with a thought-provoking question. This can stimulate their critical thinking and encourage engagement even after your presentation ends. Choose a question that encourages reflection and encourages your listeners to explore the topic further.

5. Reiterate Your Core Message

Make sure to reiterate your core message in the conclusion. Restate it in a memorable and impactful way to reinforce its significance in the minds of your audience. This will help them remember the main takeaway from your speech and solidify your message in their minds.

Examples of Powerful Speech Conclusions

To provide you with actionable insights, here are some examples of powerful speech conclusions that have proven effective:

Example 1: Inspiring Speech

"In conclusion, let us remember the words of Nelson Mandela: 'It always seems impossible until it's done.' Each one of us has the power to make a positive difference. Embrace the challenges, overcome adversity, and unlock your true potential. Together, we can create a brighter future for all."

Example 2: Informative Speech

"As we conclude, it is essential to recognize that knowledge is the fuel that drives progress. Stay curious, never stop learning, and embrace the opportunities that await you. Remember, education is not just confined to textbooks; it is a lifelong journey that empowers us and creates a better tomorrow."

Example 3: Persuasive Speech

"In closing, imagine a world where our collective actions reflect our shared values. Let's rise above the differences that divide us and work together to create a society based on compassion, equality, and justice. Remember, every small step we take today has the power to shape a brighter future for generations to come."

Crafting a powerful conclusion for your speech is an art that can greatly impact your ability to connect with your audience. By summarizing key points, using memorable quotes or anecdotes, creating a call to action, posing thought-provoking questions, and reiterating your core message, you can create a lasting impression.

Remember, at Innovative Local SEO Solutions, we are here to provide you with reliable SEO services tailored to your needs. Whether you require assistance with content optimization, keyword research, or ranking enhancement, our team of experts is dedicated to helping your business succeed.

For more information on our services or to schedule a consultation, please feel free to contact us today. Let us partner together to elevate the online presence of your business and drive meaningful results.

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How to Conclude a Speech

A good conclusion of a speech comes from a good introduction. The conclusion and the introduction are somewhat linked together. Whatever you said you in your introduction must be reiterated in the conclusion but of course with different structure and approach. It is like saying again what you intended to say in the first place.

The Closing Speech for an Event

Closing any special occasion speech or event is one of the most important parts of an event. It sets the tone and leaves everyone something to think of after the event. However, it not an easy job and in fact, the trickiest. But the key to an effective closing speech is to make it short and simple.

How to Conclude a Speech?

Closing a speech in pdf  is not that hard, but it is not that easy either. To help you conclude your speech, here are some suggestions.

• The simplest way and a more practical in closing a speech is to say thank you.  That alone gives the signal to the audience to applaud.
• But if you want something more interesting, try asking a question.  A question that is related to the talk. This way, it will get the people thinking and may be discussed it on their own.
• Or try something that makes the audience move or do something.  They have been sitting there for too long, give them something that will make their energy come up again.

How to Deliver a Powerful Closing to a Speech

• Summarize what you have said.  Summarizing your speech in the end is advisable as it helps your audience connect back to your speech.
• Use your introductory speech in the closing.  You know what they say, the opening can be a great ending.
• Make use of quotations.  What better way to close your speech is to quote a quotation from a notable writer.
• Give a dramatic statement.  Provide your audience a lively ending—it’s the key to  motivational speeches .

Tips for Ending a Speech with a Bang

• Plan your conclusion speech word for word.  Aside from using a speech outline , the best way you can make your conclusion memorable and remarkable is to plan every word of your closing speech.
• Make use of a call to action.  The call to action will provide your closing statement with strength and power
• Always summarize your speech at the end.  As stated above, summarizing your whole speech will give the audience a flashback of what your speech is all about.
• Use a story.  It might make your thank you speech a little longer but it makes the audience to hold on to their seat and listen for more.
• Make them laugh.  Nothing more satisfying that making your audience laugh at your closing speech.
• Use poem.  There are lots of poems out there that has a relevant to your speech, use them and make it to your advantage.

What Are the Techniques to Make an Effective Conclusion?

Below are the techniques used to make effective conclusions.

• Summarizing all the main points in your speech template .
• Asking a provocative question.
• Using quotations.
• Provoke a strong image.
• Using a call to action statements .
• Ending it with a warning.
• Using or comparing other situations.
• Suggesting possible outcomes or consequences.

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A Guide to Writing a Conclusion for a Speech

Table of Contents

A quality speech or presentation is comparable to a quality play, film, or song. It begins by grabbing the listener’s attention, develops little by little, and then comes to a powerful conclusion.

The truth is that if you don’t know how to end a speech, your main points might not be clear, and your overall point won’t be persuasive. The opening and closing sentences of your address, in particular, are frequently the most potent passages and will be stuck in listeners’ minds for much longer than almost any other part.

The final words of some of the greatest speeches in history have left an indelible impression on listeners. In today’s guide, we’ll look at the best way to write a conclusion for a speech. Sounds exciting? Well then, keep reading until the end!

Why Conclusion of a Speech in Important?

The speech is framed and has a distinct beginning and end, thanks to the introductions and conclusions. They enable the audience to mentally get ready for the speech’s conclusion by letting them know what will happen next in the address.

Your speech’s conclusion restates its leading ideas and intended audience impact while summarizing its main points . The conclusion is just as crucial for leaving a lasting impression on the audience as your introduction is for grabbing their attention.

The conclusion allows you to make a final statement about the topics you’ve discussed in your paper, summarize your ideas, highlight their significance, and nudge your audience toward a fresh understanding of the subject. Additionally, it gives you a chance to leave a good impression and start on the right foot.

Writing a Conclusion for a Speech!

Including a link between the conclusion and the introduction is among the best ways to end a speech. You could, for instance, begin your address by relating a suspenseful tale to your subject but save the conclusion until the end.

Alternatively, return to the first quote. You could also mention the joke you told. Any of these strategies will make your speech seem connected and conclusive, making a good impression on the audience.

If you’re giving a persuasive speech, you might try a slightly different conclusion because your goal is to move people to action rather than leave them with a good memory. One method for achieving this is by issuing a call to action. This implies that you make it clear to your audience what steps you anticipate them to take in connection with your speech. Invoking their emotions at the end of your address is another strategy for getting them to take action.

You can make your audience feel something you want them to handle, and if you leave them feeling that way, they will carry that feeling. As an illustration, if you make them feel guilty about not recycling by painting a sad picture of the world their grandchildren will inherit, they might think back to that feeling the next time they decide not to recycle and change their behavior.

A firm conclusion should be 5 and 10% of the speech’s overall length. Any percentage below 5% indicates that you delivered the ending too quickly. If more than 10%, the audience might start to feel restless. This raises another issue: If it sounds like a conclusion, you must complete your speech promptly. You should refrain from introducing new information in the conclusion.

More Tips on Writing a Conclusion for a Speech

Write a brief synopsis of the speech’s main points or topics. Use the rhetorical device of repetition to repeatedly say a few words or phrases. Describe how your arguments support your broad and detailed objectives.

Reiterate and emphasize the central concept. Reiterate how your thesis relates to your audience’s wants and needs. In the essay’s body, bring up a story or quote from the introduction. Describe the story’s alleged lesson. Remember, you are demanding action from them while guiding them through the process. List the advantages or potential uses; this is a powerful way to conclude a speech. Give a brief description of the issue and offer a two-sentence solution.

Use a prop or visual aid to help you imagine how your call to action will turn out. Make your main point—or even the title of your argument—into a memorable slogan. Say a few verses from a song, a poem, or some citations and quotes from a historical presentation. Finish with an emotional human interest tale where everything is resolved. Add a compelling personal anecdote to close.

Finish with an illustration of a design. Finish with a humorous joke or observation. You should only use these techniques to end a speech if it is genuinely funny. Integrate the commonalities and viewpoints of the audience with your speech topics. This method of concluding a speech leaves the audience with thoughts and feelings about the subject at large. Ask a rhetorical question and provide a brief, memorable response.

Give a conclusive response to the vital question you raised in your introduction. Shock your audience with a startling statistic or fact that emphasizes the urgency of change. It would be best if you outlined the ideal scenario you suggest. Imagine that they will see paradise if they behave, think, or feel the way you want them to.

The conclusion to a speech is the last sentence or two. It’s the wrap-up sentence that summarizes the main idea of the speech . More importantly, it leaves the audience understanding the speech’s purpose and the outcome you sought to achieve. This is the place to convey the central point of the speech and bring the audience to a unified understanding.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How to Write a Concluding Paragraph for a Persuasive Essay

Last Updated: February 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 185,312 times.

Giving an Overview

• If it helps, print out a copy of the body of the paper and highlight the main points to be summarized.

• For instance, "Gun laws should be changed to reflect the evolving needs of today's generations.”

• You can, however, create a call to action or end with a creative and engaging hook statement.

• Using the first sentence to restate the hypothesis in your introduction, in different wording
• Writing the next 2-3 sentence to summarize the key arguments made in your paper
• Having the last 1-2 sentences be a grand statement of conclusion, saying what your final findings are

Using Convincing Wording

• For instance, "Regular exercise reduces stress, improves your sleep, and promotes weight loss."

• For instance, instead of writing, "The traditional American Dream is not dead and gone," write, "The American Dream is not dead.”
• However, keep in mind that in some cases, more elaborate wording may be necessary to drive home your point.

Establishing the Relevance of Your Conclusion

• For example,"What will happen to small businesses as different industries continue to go digital?"

• For example, "Being environmentally responsible is a necessary step for all people, in order to save the parts of nature that we have left."

• For example, "If this competitive nature of school work were replaced with a more community-based learning approach, we might see happier, healthier children."

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• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://opentextbc.ca/writingforsuccess/chapter/chapter-10-persuasion/
• ↑ http://penandthepad.com/write-concluding-paragraph-persuasive-essay-college-1412.html
• ↑ http://examples.yourdictionary.com/parallel-structure-examples.html
• ↑ http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/argument_papers/conclusions.html

About This Article

To write a concluding paragraph for your persuasive essay, you’ll need to briefly summarize your main arguments. Use the first sentence to restate your hypothesis from your introduction in different words. Then, spend 2 or 3 sentences reminding the reader of the main arguments you made throughout the essay. Use strong, simple language to emphasize your conclusion. You can also add a call to action or tell the reader what you think should happen as a result of your conclusions. For example, "If this competitive nature of school work were replaced with a more community-based learning approach, we might see happier, healthier children." For more tips from our Teaching co-author, including how to position your arguments within the bigger picture, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Good Conclusion Starters for Final Paragraphs

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The way you end a work of writing is just as important as the hook you use to capture readers’ attention and the content in between. The concluding paragraph or section of your paper should begin with words telling readers that the content is drawing to a close. Review some examples of good conclusion sentence starters so you’ll be able to craft appropriate endings of your own.

Characteristics of Effective Conclusion Starters

When it’s time to bring your work to an end, it’s important to sum up the key points or concepts rather than simply stopping abruptly. Conclusion starters are transitional phrases that let readers know they have reached the final part of a document. Conclusion starters should:

• be just a few words that introduce the first sentence of the final paragraph or brief concluding section
• let readers know that they have reached the beginning of the final section
• make readers aware that what they’re about to read won’t provide new information
• set readers expectations for how the work will be drawn to a close (such as a summary of main points, statement of need for additional research, or call to action)

Conclusion Starter Ideas for Essays and Speeches

Whether you’re a student in college, high school or middle school, chances are that you will be assigned to write quite a few essays and deliver many speeches or presentations. When deciding how to end an essay or a speech, you’ll need to choose a conclusion starter that’s appropriate for the overall tone .

Examples of conclusion paragraph starter words and phrases include:

• all things considered
• given these points
• I feel we have no choice but to conclude
• in conclusion
• in drawing to a close
• in light of this information
• in my opinion
• in the final analysis
• nevertheless
• now that you know
• the logical conclusion seems to be
• to summarize
• upon considering all the facts
• upon exploring the situation from multiple perspectives
• what else can we conclude but that
• what other conclusion can we draw from
• when considered from the perspective of
• when faced with the question of
• with all this in mind

Sample Conclusion Starters for Research Papers

Since a research paper’s focus is on presenting the findings of a particular study, the conclusion usually focuses on major findings and their implications. For academic research papers , it is generally expected that the paper will end with a call for additional research in the form of further study of a similar topic or to explore a related research question . The tone should be formal, taking into account the extent to which readers would be expected to have advanced knowledge of the subject matter.

Phrases you might use to start your research paper conclusion include:

• as a result
• as expected, the results indicate
• as indicated by the data
• based on the evidence presented
• based on the results of this study, it seems
• based on what is known at this point in time
• data seem to indicate
• in light of these results
• in the context of x , it seems that
• surprisingly, the data revealed
• the data clearly indicate
• the data reveal
• the major revelation from this study is
• the results of this study demonstrate
• the results of this study seem to indicate
• to extrapolate from the data
• upon analyzing the data
• upon review of these findings
• what this study reveals is
• what we now know is
• while additional research is needed
• while further study is warranted
• while these results seem to indicate
• with results like these, it seems

Less Formal Conclusion Starter Examples

Some writing is much less formal than a research paper or school assignment, or you may even get assigned to write an informal essay that calls for more of a personal touch than an academic tone. In such cases, you may want to opt for a conclusion starter with a more laid-back, conversational tone like these examples.

• after all has been said and done
• as I see things
• at the end of the day
• beyond a shadow of a doubt
• in a nutshell
• in case you’ve wondered
• in simple terms
• my personal take on
• on the whole
• the time has come
• to cut a long story short
• to cut to the chase
• to get to the heart of the matter
• to plainly state the facts
• to wrap this up
• what are we to think about
• what I believe to be true
• what it boils down to
• what I think is
• when all is said and done
• who knew that
• without all the mumbo jumbo

Build Your Conclusion Writing Expertise

Writing good conclusions is certainly an important skill for all writers to have, from students to those who write or do public speaking for a living (and all writers in between). Now that you have some ideas of good conclusion starters, focus on how to write a conclusion in full. Begin by exploring some conclusion examples .

Free AI Conclusion Generator

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Use cases of ahrefs’ conclusion generator.

Academic Writing and Research Papers: Students and researchers can utilize the Ahrefs’ Conclusion Generator to summarize their academic papers effectively. After inputting the main points and findings, the tool can generate concise and well-structured conclusions. This not only saves time but also ensures that the conclusion is coherent and aligned with the content of the paper. Users can then focus on refining the generated conclusion to meet their specific requirements.

Business Reports and Presentations: Business professionals often need to create detailed reports and presentations. The Ahrefs’ Conclusion Generator can assist in distilling complex business data, market research, and analysis into clear and impactful conclusions. By inputting key insights and trends, users can obtain a professionally crafted conclusion. This is valuable for executives, consultants, and analysts who need to communicate the essence of their findings to stakeholders concisely.

Content Creation and Blogging: Content creators, bloggers, and marketers can use the Ahrefs’ Conclusion Generator to wrap up their articles, blog posts, or marketing campaigns effectively. After writing the main body of the content, users can input the key messages and ideas into the tool. The AI can then generate engaging and persuasive conclusions that leave a lasting impression on the readers. This can lead to higher reader satisfaction, increased engagement, and potentially more conversions for marketing content.

The technology behind Ahrefs’ Conclusion Generator

Ahrefs’ Conclusion Generator uses a language model that learns patterns, grammar, and vocabulary from large amounts of text data – then uses that knowledge to generate human-like text based on a given prompt or input. The generated text combines both the model's learned information and its understanding of the input.

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Informative Speech on Interesting Cultures

This essay about interesting global cultures discusses the unique traditions and values of the Maasai of East Africa, the Bhutanese of South Asia, and the Sami of Northern Europe. It highlights how these cultures maintain their heritage while adapting to modern challenges. The Maasai’s pastoral lifestyle, Bhutan’s integration of Gross National Happiness, and the Sami’s environmental stewardship illustrate diverse ways of life that contribute richly to the global cultural mosaic.

How it works

Good afternoon, esteemed guests and fellow students. Today, I am delighted to take you on a fascinating journey through the diverse and captivating cultures of our world. Culture, as we understand, is not just about art, language, and traditions; it’s the essence of a people’s identity, shaped through history, beliefs, and interactions with their environment and others. In this speech, I’ll highlight three distinct cultures that stand out for their unique practices, values, and contributions to the global mosaic: the Maasai of East Africa, the Bhutanese of South Asia, and the Sami people of Northern Europe.

First, let’s venture to the grasslands of East Africa, home to the Maasai tribe. The Maasai are pastoralists, meaning their lives revolve around tending cattle, which they consider both a source of wealth and a sacred symbol. What makes the Maasai particularly interesting is their traditional lifestyle, which they maintain despite the pressures of modernization. They live in ‘enkangs,’ which are small circular homesteads made from branches and mud, and are known for their distinctive clothing and beadwork. Men wear ‘shúkàs,’ brightly colored cloths, and both genders adorn themselves with intricate beadwork, each color symbolizing an important aspect of their culture. Red, for instance, stands for courage and strength. The Maasai also uphold a tradition called the ‘Adumu’ or jumping dance, a competitive ritual among warriors that also serves as a coming-of-age ceremony. This dance is not just a test of physical prowess but also a communal celebration of their heritage.

Next, let’s ascend to the Himalayas, where Bhutan, the last great Himalayan kingdom, offers a pristine example of how traditional culture can coexist with modernization under the philosophy of Gross National Happiness. This philosophy prioritizes the well-being of its citizens over economic indicators. Bhutanese culture is deeply intertwined with Buddhism, which influences everything from governance to everyday life. The people wear traditional dress: the ‘gho’ for men and ‘kira’ for women, which are both required in public spaces to preserve cultural identity. One of the most picturesque aspects of Bhutanese culture is the Tshechu Festival, marked by mask dances and storytelling that are said to confer blessings upon the viewers. These festivals are not only religious gatherings but also social events that reinforce the bonds of community and the values of Buddhism.

Finally, let’s journey to the Arctic Circle to meet the Sami people, indigenous to the region spanning Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Known traditionally as reindeer herders, the Sami have a profound connection with the land. This relationship is reflected in their concept of ‘Siida,’ a community cooperative for managing resources. The Sami culture is also expressed through their vibrant ‘joik,’ a unique form of song meant to evoke or describe people, animals, or places directly. Unlike other forms of singing, a joik is meant to be an embodiment of the subject itself rather than a description. Today, the Sami are active in politics, particularly in issues related to indigenous rights and environmental protection. They have established the Sami Parliament in several countries to oversee matters affecting their communities and lands.

In conclusion, as we explored the Maasai, Bhutanese, and Sami cultures today, we see not just diversity in practices and traditions but a shared resilience and adaptability. These cultures teach us the importance of preserving our heritage while adapting to the changing world. They remind us that in the tapestry of global cultures, each thread is vital, each pattern is unique, and every color is vibrant. Let us take inspiration from these cultures to appreciate our own roots and learn from the diversity that surrounds us. Thank you for joining me in this exploration of the world’s fascinating cultures.

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Gig workers are writing essays for AI to learn from

• Companies are hiring highly educated gig workers to write training content for AI models .
• The shift toward more sophisticated trainers comes as tech giants scramble for new data sources.
• AI could run out of data to learn from by 2026, one research institute has warned. 

As artificial intelligence models run out of data to train themselves on, AI companies are increasingly turning to actual humans to write training content.

For years, companies have used gig workers to help train AI models on simple tasks like photo identification , data annotation, and labelling. But the rapidly advancing technology now requires more advanced people to train it.

Companies such as Scale AI and Surge AI are hiring part-timers with graduate degrees to write essays and creative prompts for the bots to gobble up, The New York Times reported . Scale AI, for example, posted a job last year looking for people with Master's degrees or PhDs, who are fluent in either English, Hindi, or Japanese and have professional writing experience in fields like poetry, journalism, and publishing.

Related stories

Their mission? To help AI bots "become better writers," Scale AI wrote in the posting.

And an army of workers are needed to do this kind of work. Scale AI has as many as tens of thousands of contractors working on its platform at a time, per the Times.

"What really makes the A.I. useful to its users is the human layer of data, and that really needs to be done by smart humans and skilled humans and humans with a particular degree of expertise and a creative bent," Willow Primack, the vice president of data operations at Scale AI, told the New York Times. "We have been focusing on contractors, particularly within North America, as a result."

The shift toward more sophisticated gig trainers comes as tech giants scramble to find new data to train their technology on. That's because the programs learn so incredibly fast that they're already running out of available resources to learn from. The vast trove of online information — everything from scientific papers to news articles to Wikipedia pages — is drying up.

Epoch, an AI research institute, has warned that AI could run out of data by 2026.

So, companies are finding more and more creative ways to make sure their systems never stop learning. Google has considered accessing its customers' data in Google Docs , Sheets, and Slides while Meta even thought about buying publishing house Simon & Schuster to harvest its book collection, Business Insider previously reported.

Watch: Nearly 50,000 tech workers have been laid off — but there's a hack to avoid layoffs

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After Reports About Trump Jurors, Judge Demands Restraint From the Press

Some news reports have included details about jurors that had been aired in open court. One was excused after she developed concerns about being identified.

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By Jesse McKinley ,  Kate Christobek and Matthew Haag

• April 18, 2024

The judge in former President Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial ordered reporters to not disclose employment information about potential jurors after he excused a woman who said she was worried about her identity becoming known.

The woman, who had been seated on the jury on Tuesday, told the judge that her friends and colleagues had warned her that she had been identified as a juror in the high-profile case. Although the judge has kept prospective jurors’ names private, some have disclosed their employers and other identifying information in court.

She also said that she did not believe she could be impartial.

The judge, Juan M. Merchan, promptly dismissed her.

Moments later, Justice Merchan ordered the press to not report the answer to two queries on a lengthy questionnaire for prospective jurors: “Who is your current employer?” and “Who was your prior employer?”

The judge conceded that the information about employers was necessary for lawyers to know. But he directed that those two answers be redacted from the transcript.

Justice Merchan also said that he was concerned about news outlets publishing physical descriptions of prospective or seated jurors, asking reporters to “simply apply common sense.”

“It serves no purpose,” Justice Merchan said about publishing physical descriptions, adding that he was directing the press to “refrain from writing about anything you observe with your eyes.”

William P. Marshall, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill, said that Justice Merchan’s order appeared “constitutionally suspect.” Professor Marshall said that a landmark Supreme Court ruling in a 1976 case, Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart, struck down a trial judge’s ruling barring the news media from reporting information introduced in open court.

“The presumption against prior restraint is incredibly high in First Amendment law,” Professor Marshall said. “It’s even higher when it’s publishing something that is already a matter of public record.”

Lawyers for news outlets, including The New York Times, were expected to seek clarification on the order.

With the loss of the female juror on Thursday morning, six seated jurors remain.

In early March, Justice Merchan issued an order prohibiting publicly disclosing the names of jurors, while allowing legal teams and the defendant to know their identities.

But before the trial, Mr. Trump’s lawyers requested that potential jurors not be told that the jury would be anonymous unless he or she expressed concerns. Justice Merchan told the parties that he’d “make every effort to not unnecessarily alert the jurors” to this secrecy, merely telling jurors that they would be identified in court by a number.

On Thursday, Justice Merchan seemed frustrated by news reports that included identifying characteristics of potential jurors that had been aired in open court. He said: “There’s a reason why this is an anonymous jury, and we’ve taken the measures we have taken.”

“It kind of defeats the purpose of that when so much information is put out there,” he said.

He added that “the press can write about anything the attorney and the courts discuss and anything you observe us do.”

But he also said he had the legal authority to prevent reporters from relaying employer information on prospective jurors. He added that “if you can’t stick to that, we’re going to have to see if there is anything else we can do to keep the jurors safe.”

Jesse McKinley is a Times reporter covering upstate New York, courts and politics. More about Jesse McKinley

Kate Christobek is a reporter covering the civil and criminal cases against former president Donald J. Trump for The Times. More about Kate Christobek

Matthew Haag writes about the intersection of real estate and politics in the New York region. He has been a journalist for two decades. More about Matthew Haag

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News and Analysis

As the final jurors  for Donald Trump’s criminal trial were selected and lawyers finalized their opening statements,  a man set himself aflame  outside the courthouse .

Fame creates its own gravity and Trump, who for decades sought to project an image of power, is usually at the center of it, but the mundanity of the courtroom  has all but swallowed him. And in his courtroom, Justice Juan Merchan also has pull .

Two prospective jurors who were excused  contacted The New York Times to describe their experience  in the fraught environment  of an unprecedented trial.

More on Trump’s Legal Troubles

Key Inquiries: Trump faces several investigations  at both the state and the federal levels, into matters related to his business and political careers.

Case Tracker:  Keep track of the developments in the criminal cases  involving the former president.

What if Trump Is Convicted?: Will any of the proceedings hinder Trump’s presidential campaign? Here is what we know , and what we don’t know .

Trump on Trial Newsletter: Sign up here  to get the latest news and analysis  on the cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

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About 1 in 5 U.S. teens who’ve heard of ChatGPT have used it for schoolwork

Roughly one-in-five teenagers who have heard of ChatGPT say they have used it to help them do their schoolwork, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. With a majority of teens having heard of ChatGPT, that amounts to 13% of all U.S. teens who have used the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot in their schoolwork.

Teens in higher grade levels are particularly likely to have used the chatbot to help them with schoolwork. About one-quarter of 11th and 12th graders who have heard of ChatGPT say they have done this. This share drops to 17% among 9th and 10th graders and 12% among 7th and 8th graders.

There is no significant difference between teen boys and girls who have used ChatGPT in this way.

The introduction of ChatGPT last year has led to much discussion about its role in schools , especially whether schools should integrate the new technology into the classroom or ban it .

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand American teens’ use and understanding of ChatGPT in the school setting.

The Center conducted an online survey of 1,453 U.S. teens from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, via Ipsos. Ipsos recruited the teens via their parents, who were part of its KnowledgePanel . The KnowledgePanel is a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses. The survey was weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with their parents by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income, and other categories.

This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, an independent committee of experts specializing in helping to protect the rights of research participants.

Here are the  questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its  methodology .

Teens’ awareness of ChatGPT

Overall, two-thirds of U.S. teens say they have heard of ChatGPT, including 23% who have heard a lot about it. But awareness varies by race and ethnicity, as well as by household income:

• 72% of White teens say they’ve heard at least a little about ChatGPT, compared with 63% of Hispanic teens and 56% of Black teens.
• 75% of teens living in households that make $75,000 or more annually have heard of ChatGPT. Much smaller shares in households with incomes between $30,000 and $74,999 (58%) and less than $30,000 (41%) say the same.

Teens who are more aware of ChatGPT are more likely to use it for schoolwork. Roughly a third of teens who have heard a lot about ChatGPT (36%) have used it for schoolwork, far higher than the 10% among those who have heard a little about it.

When do teens think it’s OK for students to use ChatGPT?

For teens, whether it is – or is not – acceptable for students to use ChatGPT depends on what it is being used for.

There is a fair amount of support for using the chatbot to explore a topic. Roughly seven-in-ten teens who have heard of ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use when they are researching something new, while 13% say it is not acceptable.

However, there is much less support for using ChatGPT to do the work itself. Just one-in-five teens who have heard of ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use it to write essays, while 57% say it is not acceptable. And 39% say it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT to solve math problems, while a similar share of teens (36%) say it’s not acceptable.

Some teens are uncertain about whether it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT for these tasks. Between 18% and 24% say they aren’t sure whether these are acceptable use cases for ChatGPT.

Those who have heard a lot about ChatGPT are more likely than those who have only heard a little about it to say it’s acceptable to use the chatbot to research topics, solve math problems and write essays. For instance, 54% of teens who have heard a lot about ChatGPT say it’s acceptable to use it to solve math problems, compared with 32% among those who have heard a little about it.

Note: Here are the  questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its  methodology .

• Artificial Intelligence
• Technology Adoption
• Teens & Tech

Many Americans think generative AI programs should credit the sources they rely on

Americans’ use of chatgpt is ticking up, but few trust its election information, q&a: how we used large language models to identify guests on popular podcasts, striking findings from 2023, what the data says about americans’ views of artificial intelligence, most popular.

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