SingaporeMotherhood | Preschooler & Up

September 2016

Execute the Perfect Ending for your PSLE English Essay

Sometimes it can be hard to think of a suitable – and great – ending for your composition. Here are some which will work in almost every essay situation. Learn them and you’ll never be stuck again!

A good story ending is just as important as a good beginning. You want your readers to walk away from your story with tears in their eyes, a laugh on their lips, or a warm feeling their hearts. You don’t want them to forget your story as soon as they’ve finished it. So how do we do that? These five ending types below will help.

(See also: 5 Essential Story Hooks that will Help Your Child Ace PSLE Compositions)

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Types of Endings

1. The ‘Everything is Awesome!’ Ending

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The typical happy-ever-after HAPPY ending, where every loose end is tied up, the hero accomplishes his quest, and gets his reward and accolades. This does not mean it is boringly run-of-the-mill. Some stories just HAVE to end this way!

Example:

“The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.”
~ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

2. The ‘A Lesson Learnt’ Ending

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Your protagonist has gone through the crucible, made his mistakes, and done his time. Now he’s learnt his lesson, and hopefully will become wiser. Next time he won’t cheat in his Math test. Or throw litter out his window.

Example:

“No one could be THAT unlucky, right?” she said. Desmond never threw anything out of his window again, after that incident.
~ ‘Killer Litter’ by a student

(See also: PSLE English: 6 Tips to Help Your Child Revise)

3. The “Oh I did NOT see that coming” Ending (also known as The Twist)

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The Twist usually comes at the end — for maximum impact. It usually focuses on an aspect of the story (a character’s identity, motive, perception, location, an achievement or a moment left to chance). The Twist will then turn that aspect on its head and reveal some kind of opposite of the most dramatic, comedic, ironic or horrific kind.

Example:

“Come and get me, you walking tin cans! Come on!” Bren roared in fury. A laser beam struck one of the metal monstrosities in its power-core. The amour there must have been weakened already. The machine gave out a loud, keening sound, then exploded, taking out another machine standing next to it. Bren whooped with joy and turned his attention to the last silver giant.

“I’m going to blow your head off!” Bren cackled, and pulled his rifle’s trigger. Click. The soldier stared dumbly at his weapon’s power level.

“Oh darn…” he said, as the last machine raised its weapons.

Mission failed. Game over

“Wow! What an awesome game! That was so intense. I felt I was really there,” exclaimed Billy to his friend Jason.

“I told you, this is the best Playstation game ever,” grinned Jason. “And what did I say about checking your power cells?”

“Alright, alright! Let’s play again,” laughed Billy.

~ ‘Killer Game’ by a student

4. The ‘Pass-me-the-tissue-paper’ Ending (Pathos)

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This is the kind of ending that will bring a tear to your eye, a catch in your breath, and a pang in your heart. It will affect your readers emotionally, call upon their own sad memories, and have them reaching for the tissue paper/sleeve/whatever’s handy.

Example:

Once I knew for sure I had it to do, I don’t think I really felt anything. I was just numb all over, like a dead man walking. Quickly, I left Mama and went to stand in the light of the burning bear grass. I reloaded my gun and called Old Yeller back from the house. I stuck the muzzle of the gun against his head and pulled the trigger.

~ Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

5. The ‘Back to the Future’ Ending (Flashback)

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I’m not a big fan of flashbacks, but if it’s written well and seamlessly woven into the fabric of the story, then a flashback ending would be fitting.

Example:

Now as I sat in the examination room having my Mathematics examination, I took a glance at Alan. He was smiling happily to himself as he did the paper. I was glad. My efforts had not been in vain.
~ ‘Cheating’, by a student

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Execute the Perfect Ending for your PSLE English Essay