The closing lines of The Gift of the Magi do a lot of work in a small space. The narrator steps back, offers a comment about the couple, and lands a final judgment about who is wise. Students often write about that passage, and then write conclusions of their own that do almost none of that work.

There are two grading questions here. First, how well does the student analyze the story's ending? Second, how well does the student conclude their own essay? Both are worth attention, and both are commonly weak.

A typical student conclusion restates the thesis in slightly different words and stops. It feels tidy but adds nothing. A stronger conclusion leaves the reader with a fresh thought.

The sections below cover both parts of the problem.

Grading Analysis of the Story's Ending

An essay about the ending should explain how the final paragraph reframes what came before. Students who only summarize the last scene are missing the point. The narrator's commentary changes how we see the couple, and that shift is the analysis.

• Identifies what changes in the reader's understanding at the end
• Quotes or closely paraphrases the narrator's final commentary
• Explains how the ending connects to the title and the theme
• Considers the effect of the narrator addressing the reader directly
• Avoids treating the ending as simply sad or simply happy

Grading the Student's Own Conclusion

Look for a conclusion that does more than repeat. It might broaden the idea, connect it to another text, or raise a question the essay has prepared us to ask. It should feel like a natural end and not a bolted-on summary.

A helpful comment is "What is the most important thing you want the reader to keep thinking about?" It steers students away from repeating themselves and toward finishing with purpose.

Avoid Common Conclusion Traps

Several patterns come up again and again. Students begin with "In conclusion," bring in a new argument at the last minute, or apologize for their own writing. Each is easy to name and easy to fix.

Keep a short list of these traps and share it with the class before the next essay. Students improve quickly when they know what to avoid.

Give Conclusions Their Own Rubric Row

If conclusions are folded into organization, students may not take them seriously. A separate row signals that the ending matters. It also gives you a place to comment without cluttering other categories.

GraideMind supports custom rubric rows, so you can score conclusions on their own and get feedback tailored to that section. Over a few assignments, students tend to show clear progress.