Introductions and conclusions are the parts of an essay that students think they already know how to write. They open with a sweeping statement about humanity and close by repeating the thesis. On Dorian Gray, this habit produces a lot of essays that start with "Throughout history, people have valued beauty" and end with "In conclusion, Wilde shows that beauty is dangerous."

Those openings do little work. They delay the real argument and give the reader nothing specific to hold on to. A better introduction gets to the novel quickly, sets up the question, and states a claim that the rest of the essay will prove.

Show students a simple structure. Start with a specific detail from the book, such as the moment Dorian wishes the portrait would age instead of him. Explain why that moment matters, then state the thesis. This approach is concrete and it leads directly into the argument.

Conclusions have their own problems. The most common is the simple repetition of the introduction. It leaves the reader with nothing new and gives the impression that the writer ran out of ideas.

What strong openings and endings do

A strong introduction earns attention and sets direction. A strong conclusion adds a final layer of meaning instead of repeating what came before. Teaching students the purpose of each part helps them write better ones.

• Opening: begins with something specific from the novel, not a general statement about life
• Opening: gives just enough context for a reader who knows the book
• Opening: ends with a clear, debatable thesis
• Closing: explains what the argument shows about the novel as a whole
• Closing: leaves the reader with a final thought that goes beyond the thesis

Comments that help

Keep comments on introductions and conclusions short and specific. For an opening, you might write, "Start with the scene where Dorian first sees the changed portrait and use it to lead into your claim." For a closing, try, "What does your argument suggest about how Wilde wants readers to feel at the end?"

Avoid rewriting the whole paragraph. Give a direction and let the student do the work. They will remember what they wrote themselves far better than a version you supplied.

Fit this into a busy grading load

These issues appear in nearly every paper, so they are a good candidate for a comment bank or automated support. GraideMind can flag generic openings and repetitive conclusions against your rubric so you do not have to spot them one by one. You can then add a more tailored note where it will matter.

A short mini-lesson before the essay is due can also prevent many of these problems. Ten minutes of examples usually pays off in less time spent commenting later.

Practice with short exercises

Have students write three different opening sentences for the same essay and choose the best. This quick exercise shows that there are many ways to begin and that some are stronger than others. The same idea works for endings.

Share a few examples with the class and talk about what makes them work. Hearing peers' openings often inspires more improvement than any lecture.