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Writing Satisfying Story Endings — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 7 narrative writing worksheet.

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Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 7 · English · Narrative Writing

Writing Satisfying Story Endings — Answers

Part A: Kinds of endings

Circle the kind of ending each writer used.

1.Max finally found the missing key under the dog's blanket, and the door swung open at last.
  1. Aproblem solved
  2. Ba twist
  3. Ca lesson learned
  4. Da circular ending

Answer: problem solved

The main problem (the missing key) is fixed.

2.Lily opened the letter. It was signed by the person she had been searching for all along: her own grandmother.
  1. Aproblem solved
  2. Ba twist
  3. Ca lesson learned
  4. Da circular ending

Answer: a twist

The ending surprises the reader with something unexpected.

3.From then on, Sam never laughed when someone else made a mistake.
  1. Aproblem solved
  2. Ba twist
  3. Ca lesson learned
  4. Da circular ending

Answer: a lesson learned

The character has changed and learned something.

4.The story began with Ella waiting alone at the bus stop. It ends: Ella sat at the same bus stop, but this time three friends sat beside her.
  1. Aproblem solved
  2. Ba twist
  3. Ca lesson learned
  4. Da circular ending

Answer: a circular ending

A circular ending returns to the place or image from the opening, showing how things have changed.

Part B: Weak or strong?

5.Which ending is the weakest?
  1. ASuddenly a wizard appeared and fixed everything.
  2. BMia remembered the trail of white stones she had left and followed them all the way home.
  3. CTired and muddy, the friends finally reached the road, laughing at how lost they had been.

Answer: Suddenly a wizard appeared and fixed everything.

A wizard who has not appeared before comes from nowhere. The character should solve the problem.

6.Which ending is the weakest?
  1. ABen handed back the wallet, and the old man's smile was worth more than any reward.
  2. BThen I woke up, and it was all a dream.
  3. CRuby took a deep breath, stepped onto the stage and began to sing.

Answer: Then I woke up, and it was all a dream.

It was all a dream cancels everything that happened, so the reader feels cheated.

7.A good ending answers the main problem of the story.

Answer: True

The reader should not be left wondering what happened to the main problem.

8.The main character should solve the problem themselves, where possible.

Answer: True

This makes the ending feel earned.

9.An ending must be long to be good.

Answer: False

A short ending of a few sentences is often the most powerful.

10.A final image or line of dialogue can leave the reader with a strong feeling.

Answer: True

A closing image helps the ending stay in the reader's mind.

Part C: Write the ending

Write an ending for each story set-up.

11.Set-up: Noah has been preparing for the spelling bee for weeks, but on the day he freezes on the very first word. Write a two-to-three-sentence ending in which Noah solves the problem himself.

Answer: For example: Noah closed his eyes and pictured the word written on his bedroom wall, just as he had seen it every night. Slowly, letter by letter, he spelled it. When the judge nodded, the whole hall burst into applause.

12.Set-up: Aisha's kite is stuck at the top of a tall tree, and her little brother is the one who let go of it. Write a two-to-three-sentence ending that shows a lesson learned.

Answer: For example: Together they tied a long ribbon to a stick and gently tugged the kite free. Her brother held the string tightly all the way home. Aisha found that she was not angry anymore.

13.Set-up: Kai finds a stray puppy and spends the whole story trying to find its owner. Write a two-to-three-sentence circular ending. (The story opened with Kai sitting alone on his front step.)

Answer: For example: That evening, Kai sat on his front step again. This time, a small brown puppy was curled up asleep against his leg, and the sign in the window said Found: one family.

Part D: Your turn

14.Your turn: imagine a story in which a character has lost something very important to them. Write the final paragraph (five to eight sentences). The character must solve the problem through their own actions, the reader should see how the character feels, and you should finish with a strong final image or line of dialogue.

Model answer: Zara retraced every step of the afternoon, from the library to the park to the bakery on the corner. At the very last bench, she spotted it: her grandfather's old watch, half hidden in the grass. She knelt and brushed off the dirt with shaking fingers. The glass was scratched, but the second hand was still ticking. Zara pressed it to her ear and closed her eyes. "Still going," she whispered. "Just like you said."

Success criteria:

  • Five to eight sentences
  • The main problem is resolved
  • The character solves the problem through their own actions
  • The character's feelings are shown, not just told
  • Ends with a strong final image or line of dialogue
  • No it was all a dream or sudden rescue
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Marking tips

  • Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
  • For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
  • Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.

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