Other ways to say “in conclusion”: 28 phrases for speaking and writing
When you speak, say “So, to sum up…”, “All in all…”, “To wrap up…” or “That’s why I think…” instead of “In conclusion”, which sounds like an essay. In writing, “In summary”, “Overall”, “On the whole” and “Taking everything into account” are good alternatives. Here are 28 phrases sorted by situation, with examples and how formal each one is.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 6 min read
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When you speak (10)
| Say or write | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| So, to sum up… | Talks, meetings, speeches | “So, to sum up, we can launch in March if we hire two more people.” |
| So basically… | Casual speech | “So basically, the cheaper plan does everything we need.” |
| All in all… | Giving an overall opinion | “All in all, it was a great trip.” |
| At the end of the day… | Saying what matters most | “At the end of the day, the customer decides.” |
| The bottom line is… | The key fact, often in business | “The bottom line is we’re over budget.” |
| Long story short… | After a long story | “Long story short, we missed the flight.” |
| That’s why I think… | Ending an opinion (IELTS, JAM, debates) | “That’s why I think homework should be shorter.” |
| So for me… | Personal conclusion, natural in IELTS Speaking | “So for me, living in a city is worth the noise.” |
| Overall… | Neutral, speech or writing | “Overall, the results were better than expected.” |
| If there’s one thing to remember, it’s… | Presentations | “If there’s one thing to remember, it’s to test early.” |
In presentations and meetings (7)
| Say or write | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| To wrap up… | Ending a presentation or meeting | “To wrap up, here are the three next steps.” |
| Let me finish by… | Signalling the last point | “Let me finish by thanking the whole team.” |
| To recap… | Repeating the main points | “To recap: faster, cheaper and easier to use.” |
| Just to summarise… | Short summary | “Just to summarise, we agreed on Friday.” |
| Before we finish… | Last item in a meeting | “Before we finish, any questions?” |
| So, what does this mean for us? | Moving to the takeaway | A question keeps the audience listening. |
| The key takeaway is… | Business presentations | “The key takeaway is that mobile users buy more.” |
In essays and reports (11)
| Say or write | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| In summary, | Reports, academic writing | Neutral and clear. |
| To conclude, | Essays, formal writing | A little formal; fine in essays. |
| In short, | A brief final point | “In short, the policy failed.” |
| On the whole, | Balanced overall view | “On the whole, the benefits outweigh the costs.” |
| Taking everything into account, | Argument essays (IELTS Task 2) | Shows you weighed both sides. |
| All things considered, | Argument essays | Similar to the one above. |
| Ultimately, | The final, most important point | “Ultimately, education is the best investment.” |
| For these reasons, | After listing reasons | “For these reasons, I believe cities should ban cars.” |
| Given these points, | Formal reports | Slightly formal. |
| This shows that… | Drawing a conclusion from evidence | “This shows that sleep affects memory.” |
| It is clear that… | A firm conclusion | Use only when the evidence is strong. |
For IELTS, debates and JAM
In IELTS Speaking, examiners listen for natural, spoken English, so a memorised “In conclusion” at the end of a Part 2 talk sounds unnatural. End by linking back to the question: “So that’s why that trip is still my favourite memory.” In IELTS Writing Task 2, “In conclusion” is acceptable, but varying it (“To sum up”, “Taking everything into account”) shows a wider range.
In a debate or a JAM round, finish by repeating your point in one sentence: “So, for all these reasons, I believe uniforms help students focus.”
Common mistakes
- “In conclusion” after one minute of speaking. Use “So…” or “All in all…” instead.
- New ideas in the conclusion. A conclusion repeats or sums up; it doesn’t start a new point.
- “To conclude, in conclusion…” One signal is enough.
- “At last” to mean finally. “At last” means after a long wait. To introduce your last point, say “Finally” or “Lastly”.
Related guides
For words that connect the rest of your talk, see linking words for speaking. To open strongly, read how to start a presentation, and for exam practice, IELTS speaking topics.
Frequently asked questions
What can I say instead of in conclusion?
When speaking: “So, to sum up”, “All in all”, “To wrap up” or “That’s why I think…”. In essays: “In summary”, “Overall”, “On the whole”, “Taking everything into account” or “Ultimately”.
Is it OK to say in conclusion in a presentation?
It is not wrong, but it sounds written. “To wrap up”, “To sum up” or “Let me finish by…” sound more natural when you speak to an audience.
Can I use in conclusion in IELTS?
In IELTS Writing Task 2, yes, though alternatives such as “To sum up” show more range. In IELTS Speaking, it sounds memorised; end by linking back to the question instead, for example “So that’s why…”.
What is a casual way to say in conclusion?
“So basically…”, “Long story short…”, “At the end of the day…” and “All in all…” are casual and natural in conversation.
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