Conclusion Sentence Starters Printable | Grade 6–9 ELA

This printable worksheet builds Grade 6–9 students' ability to write strong essay conclusions by practicing high-utility sentence starters that signal closure, restate a thesis, and leave a lasting impression. Students complete 12 structured tasks that move from recognition to independent application of conclusion language.

At a Glance

• Grade: 6–9 · Subject: ELA / Writing
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.E — Provide a concluding statement that follows from and supports the argument
• Skill Focus: Conclusion sentence starters for essay endings
• Format: 1 page · 12 problems · Answer key included · PDF
• Best For: Writing workshop, revision lessons, sub plans
• Time: 15–25 minutes

Inside: a curated reference list of conclusion sentence starters grouped by function (restatement, synthesis, call to action, final thought), followed by 12 practice tasks. Tasks include selecting the strongest starter for a given essay type, completing partial conclusion sentences, and writing original closing statements. A full answer key with model responses is included on a separate section of the page.

Skill Progression

• Guided practice (4 problems): Students match sentence starters to essay types using a word bank. High scaffold — options provided, context clues present.
• Supported practice (4 problems): Students complete partial conclusion sentences using a starter from the reference list. Moderate scaffold — starter given, student supplies the content.
• Independent practice (4 problems): Students write original conclusion sentences for provided thesis statements with no starter supplied. No scaffold — full transfer expected.

Structure follows a gradual-release model (I Do, We Do, You Do), allowing teachers to model with the first set before releasing students to work independently through the final set.

Standards Alignment

Primary standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.E — Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. This standard applies across Grades 6–9 argument and informative writing strands (W.6.1.E through W.9-10.1.E), making this worksheet cross-grade usable. Supporting standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.F — Provide a concluding statement for informative/explanatory texts. Both standard codes can be copied directly into lesson plans, IEP goals, or district curriculum mapping tools.

How to Use It

Use after direct instruction on essay structure as a consolidation activity: students have heard the concept and now practice applying it in writing. Alternatively, use before a full essay draft as a warm-up that primes conclusion language. Formative tip: scan the independent-practice section (problems 9–12) quickly — students who revert to weak openers like "In conclusion, I think..." need a follow-up mini-lesson on specificity. Expected completion time: 15–25 minutes for most Grade 6–9 students.

Who It's For

Primary population: Grade 6–9 writers working on argument and informative essay structure. Works well for students who draft strong body paragraphs but lose momentum at the ending. Pairs naturally with an essay-structure anchor chart or a direct-instruction lesson on thesis restatement. Students needing additional support can use the reference list throughout all 12 tasks; advanced students can be challenged to avoid any starter from the list in the independent section.

This worksheet targets CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.E, the standard requiring students to craft concluding statements that follow from and support a written argument. Weak conclusions remain one of the most common writing deficiencies identified in NAEP Grade 8 writing data, where fewer than 27% of students scored at or above Proficient in 2011 — a gap that persists in subsequent administrations. Fisher & Frey (2014) identify explicit modeling of closing moves as a high-leverage writing strategy, noting that students who practice sentence-level conclusion frames transfer the skill to full-draft writing faster than those who receive only holistic feedback. This 12-task, single-page worksheet gives students structured, low-stakes repetitions with conclusion sentence starters, building the automaticity needed to produce strong essay endings independently and consistently.