Ways to End Editorals

Editorials are essays about an important issue commonly published in newspapers. Once you have finished laying out the points of an editorial, constructing an effective conclusion can be difficult and challenging because you must find a way to convince the reader to agree with your opinion. There are many ways to end editorials and an important thing to remember is that you always want to end with a “concluding punch.”

Quotations

Quotations are remarks or statements made by other people that intend to support the argument you have made in the editorial. Ending editorials with a quotation can be effective and persuasive if it closely relates to the side of the issue you are supporting and especially if it comes from a respected source in the field. Readers are more likely to be convinced by a quotation made by an authority figure rather than someone with little knowledge on the subject.

Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions ask the reader to consider the possibilities of what may happen if your side of the issue is ignored. They should be questions that make readers more intrigued by the issue. Rhetorical questions may not require a direct answer and often they ask readers to think about the consequences of inaction or ignorance. For example, if you are writing about lack of funding for education, you may pose the question, “If the quality of our schools decreases, who will ensure that our children receive the education necessary to prosper?”

Offer Solutions

The issue in your editorial will most likely be a problem that needs to be solved. After you have explained and interpreted the aspects of the problem issue in your editorial, an effective way of concluding it is to offer a solution that supports your side of the topic. Suggest plans of action that experts or authorities need to make to improve the problem or broad solutions that readers themselves can implement to resolve the issue. For example, suggest that readers help protect the environment by recycling and reusing products.

Challenge Readers

Readers of your editorial may not be as informed about the subject as you are. Another way of convincing audiences is to appeal to them directly. You may want to present a fresh angle on the issue that will make readers want to learn more about the topic. You can also end with a statement that stirs controversy, something that will convince readers to remember your opinion. If readers do not agree with your argument, they may still be interested if challenged by your remarks.