Thesis

• Your paper should center around a thesis, a one or two sentence statement of your central idea. The thesis is usually placed at the end of the first paragraph, immediately after you introduce the topic.
• Although the thesis appears early in paper, it is usually written late in the writing process, after you form your ideas and gather your supporting evidence.

Body
• The body of your paper contains the evidence to support your thesis.
• Remember to state viewpoints that oppose yours as effectively as you state your own.

Conclusion
• The paper should conclude with a summary of what you have said in the paper. Do not introduce any new material. Include a "killer" statement in the conclusion that leaves no doubt in the reader's mind that you have proven your thesis.
• Help the reader by demonstrating to her or him that you have done what you said you would do in your purpose statement.
• Make it memorable.
• Ask yourself "So what?" then make sure you have answered the question!

Revisions
• Good writing entails several drafts and numerous revisions.
• "Three before me." When you are satisfied with your paper, run spell and grammar checks, check formatting and MLA style, and give it to at least three other persons to read and edit.
• Any reader should understand your paper. Do not insult your reader's intelligence, but do not lead your reader to doubt your intelligence either.

Continue to Section 2: The Basics