Learn Hardcore Norwegian: En god avslutning oppsummerer hovedpoenget uten å gjenta alt. - A good conclusion summarizes the main point without repeating everything.

You will most commonly see and hear en avslutning.
It can be treated as feminine, so ei avslutning and avslutninga are also possible, but this is more dialectal/colloquial and less typical in formal writing.

So: en avslutning is the safest and most neutral choice.

Why is it god avslutning and not gode or godt avslutning?

Adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun:

Singular, indefinite, common gender: en god avslutning
Singular, indefinite, neuter: et godt poeng
Singular, definite (both genders): den gode avslutningen
Plural (both genders): gode avslutninger

Here we have a singular, indefinite, common‑gender noun (en avslutning), so the adjective takes the basic form god.

What kind of word is avslutning, and how is it formed?

Avslutning is a noun derived from the verb å avslutte (to finish, to conclude).

Pattern:

avslutte (verb) → avslutning (noun: the act/result of concluding)

The ending ‑ning is a common way to form nouns from verbs in Norwegian, similar to English ‑ing/‑tion in words like ending, conclusion.

What’s the difference between avslutning and konklusjon?

They can overlap, but they’re not identical:

avslutning = the ending or closing part of something
- broader: the ending of a text, a speech, a meeting, a party, a career
konklusjon = a logical or explicit conclusion
- often specifically the result of reasoning, argumentation, or analysis

In writing‑advice contexts, avslutning is more natural when you talk about the final section of a text. Konklusjon would be more about the logical conclusion you arrive at.

What does oppsummerer mean exactly, and how is it different from summerer opp?

Both relate to “summing up,” but they’re used a bit differently.

å oppsummere = to summarize (standard verb for making a short summary)
- present tense: oppsummerer
å summere opp = to sum up
- can mean add up (numbers) or sum up (a situation)

In this sentence, we talk about what a good conclusion in a text does, so oppsummerer is the most natural and idiomatic choice.

You do not say oppsummere opp — the opp‑ is already built into oppsummere.

How is hovedpoenget built, and why does it end in ‑et?

Hovedpoenget is a compound noun with a definite ending:

hoved = main, chief
poeng = point
hovedpoeng = main point
hovedpoenget = the main point

The ending ‑et is the definite singular ending for neuter nouns.

et poeng → poenget
et hovedpoeng → hovedpoenget

So the ‑et shows both “neuter” and “definite (the).”

Why is there no separate word for “the” before hovedpoenget?

Norwegian usually marks definiteness with a suffix on the noun, not with a separate article:

et hovedpoeng = a main point
hovedpoenget = the main point

You only add a separate determiner (det, den, de) when there is an adjective directly before the noun:

det viktigste hovedpoenget = the most important main point
det korte avsnittet = the short paragraph

In your sentence, there is no adjective, so hovedpoenget alone is correct.

What does the structure uten å gjenta correspond to in English grammar?

uten å + infinitive corresponds to English “without + ‑ing”:

uten å gjenta = without repeating
uten å forklare = without explaining
uten å lese teksten = without reading the text

å here is the infinitive marker (“to” in English), and gjenta is the verb in infinitive.

Why is it å gjenta and not å gjentar or gjentatte?

After å, you must use the infinitive form of the verb:

infinitive: å gjenta (to repeat)
present: gjentar (repeats / is repeating)
preterite (simple past): gjentok
past participle: gjentatt

So:

uten å gjenta alt = without repeating everything
uten å gjentar alt ❌ (wrong)
uten å gjentatte alt ❌ (also wrong)

Why is alt used here, and not alle?

alt and alle are different pronouns:

alt = everything (uncountable or totality)
alle = all / everyone (countable, plural)

In the sentence, alt refers to all the content that came earlier (all arguments, details, examples), seen as one whole: everything.

You would use alle with a plural noun:

alle poengene = all the points
alle setningene = all the sentences

Here, alt is the right choice.

Could we say uten å gjenta hovedpoenget instead of uten å gjenta alt? Does it mean the same?

No, it changes the meaning:

uten å gjenta alt
- without repeating everything (all details, all content)
uten å gjenta hovedpoenget
- without repeating the main point

A good conclusion normally does restate the main point (briefly), but does not repeat all the details. So uten å gjenta alt is the appropriate wording here.