How can I write a great conclusion to an English essay?

At any level, the conclusion to an English essay should not be merely a bland summary of the content already explored. It may be a good idea to summarise the main points that have led to the final discussion-point, but the concluding paragraphs to an essay should be seen as primarily the culmination: the most interesting and important idea that all prior content has built towards.

In this respect:

- Mention the main points of the essay as it has led so far...

- Then integrate this with this final discussion-point, exploring this with textual evidence as in the "body" of the essay

- The conclusion should not raise a number of unexplored points, but you can stand out if this final point develops a new question, idea or intertextual link (such as a quote from another book). Leave the reader or marker with the sense that your line of argument has fulfilled and goes beyond the basic needs of the question or mark scheme: it has the potential to go even further, perhaps by reading the question in a new light.