Lesson 44 - Writing a Conclusion for a Narrative Essay
Your teacher has asked you to think way back to your first day of kindergarten. He or she wants you to write a narrative essay, or a story about your experiences and how you felt that day. You've been reminded to grab your reader's attention with a clever hook or beginning, but you've also been told not to write ''The End'' when you are finished! What? So how are you going to write your conclusion, or the ending of your story?
Just like you should grab your reader's attention with an interesting hook, you should also keep your reader interested in your conclusion. No one likes to read a great story with a bad ending! A good conclusion makes your narrative essay feel complete and finished and leaves your reader satisfied.
One way to end a narrative essay is to capture emotions or feelings. You can reflect on your emotions about an experience or tug at your reader's heartstrings to make him or her connect with your story.
Kevin Henkes' book Chrysanthemum is about a little girl's very first day of school. Throughout the story, the author writes about Chrysanthemum's experiences and feelings, both good and bad. The story begins by reflecting on how the girl got her name and how she feels about it. Early on, you read, ''Chrysanthemum thought her name was absolutely perfect.''
However, Chrysanthemum's feelings change in the story. While at first, she loves her name and is happy and excited about school, she soon feels sad because others tease her for being named after a flower. She starts to hate her name and her school. However, by the end, she regains confidence and one of the last lines of the book tells us, ''Chrysanthemum did not think her name was absolutely perfect. She knew it.''
By ending the story in this way, Henkes explains how the emotions of his character have come full-circle. This leaves the reader with a warm, fuzzy feeling. You too can end a story this way. You may have started your first day of kindergarten nervous and sad, but left excited and happy about the new friends you'd made. Expressing feelings at the end of your narrative essay are an effective way to connect with your reader.
Did you know asking a question is a great way to end a narrative essay? When you end with a statement or question that speaks directly to your reader, you keep them thinking about your story. It allows the reader to imagine what they would have done in a similar situation.
If you're familiar with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, you've read a story with an ending that speaks directly to you as a reader. This story is told from the wolf's point of view about what happened to the three little pigs. The wolf says that he was making cake for his granny's birthday and ran out of sugar. So, he goes to ask his neighbors the pigs for some, but as he is walking, his sneezing cold gets the best of him. Sneezing, he says, is how the straw and stick houses fell and killed the first and second little pigs. But no one believes him, and he is put in jail. The story ends with the wolf saying, ''but maybe you could loan me a cup of sugar.'' Scieszka has just brought his readers into the story and has them thinking ''What would I do?''
A conclusion, or the ending of your story, is just as important as the beginning. Simply writing 'The End' will leave your readers disappointed. Look to engage your audience in the story by capturing emotion or by speaking directly to the reader. This makes your story much more interesting, don't you think?
Importance of Conclusion
A good conclusion makes the narrative essay feel complete and leaves the reader satisfied.
Strategies for Effective Endings
Capture Emotion
Reflect on emotions or feelings to connect with the reader.
Example: Chrysanthemum's emotional journey in Kevin Henkes' book.
Speak to the Reader Directly
End with a statement or question that engages the reader.
Example: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.
Avoid Writing 'The End'
Ending abruptly can leave readers disappointed.
Engage the reader with a thoughtful and impactful conclusion.
Your teacher has asked you to think way back to your first day of kindergarten. He or she wants you to write a narrative essay, or a story about your experiences and how you felt that day. You've been reminded to grab your reader's attention with a clever hook or beginning, but you've also been told not to write ''The End'' when you are finished! What? So how are you going to write your conclusion, or the ending of your story?
Just like you should grab your reader's attention with an interesting hook, you should also keep your reader interested in your conclusion. No one likes to read a great story with a bad ending! A good conclusion makes your narrative essay feel complete and finished and leaves your reader satisfied.
One way to end a narrative essay is to capture emotions or feelings. You can reflect on your emotions about an experience or tug at your reader's heartstrings to make him or her connect with your story.
Kevin Henkes' book Chrysanthemum is about a little girl's very first day of school. Throughout the story, the author writes about Chrysanthemum's experiences and feelings, both good and bad. The story begins by reflecting on how the girl got her name and how she feels about it. Early on, you read, ''Chrysanthemum thought her name was absolutely perfect.''
However, Chrysanthemum's feelings change in the story. While at first, she loves her name and is happy and excited about school, she soon feels sad because others tease her for being named after a flower. She starts to hate her name and her school. However, by the end, she regains confidence and one of the last lines of the book tells us, ''Chrysanthemum did not think her name was absolutely perfect. She knew it.''
By ending the story in this way, Henkes explains how the emotions of his character have come full-circle. This leaves the reader with a warm, fuzzy feeling. You too can end a story this way. You may have started your first day of kindergarten nervous and sad, but left excited and happy about the new friends you'd made. Expressing feelings at the end of your narrative essay are an effective way to connect with your reader.
Did you know asking a question is a great way to end a narrative essay? When you end with a statement or question that speaks directly to your reader, you keep them thinking about your story. It allows the reader to imagine what they would have done in a similar situation.
If you're familiar with Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, you've read a story with an ending that speaks directly to you as a reader. This story is told from the wolf's point of view about what happened to the three little pigs. The wolf says that he was making cake for his granny's birthday and ran out of sugar. So, he goes to ask his neighbors the pigs for some, but as he is walking, his sneezing cold gets the best of him. Sneezing, he says, is how the straw and stick houses fell and killed the first and second little pigs. But no one believes him, and he is put in jail. The story ends with the wolf saying, ''but maybe you could loan me a cup of sugar.'' Scieszka has just brought his readers into the story and has them thinking ''What would I do?''
A conclusion, or the ending of your story, is just as important as the beginning. Simply writing 'The End' will leave your readers disappointed. Look to engage your audience in the story by capturing emotion or by speaking directly to the reader. This makes your story much more interesting, don't you think?
Importance of Conclusion
A good conclusion makes the narrative essay feel complete and leaves the reader satisfied.
Strategies for Effective Endings
Capture Emotion
Reflect on emotions or feelings to connect with the reader.
Example: Chrysanthemum's emotional journey in Kevin Henkes' book.
Speak to the Reader Directly
End with a statement or question that engages the reader.
Example: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.
Avoid Writing 'The End'
Ending abruptly can leave readers disappointed.
Engage the reader with a thoughtful and impactful conclusion.
