Homework Helper: Writing Skills - Write a First Draft

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Writing Skills

Write a First Draft

  1. Every essay or paper is made up of three parts:

    • Introduction
    • Body
    • Conclusion
  2. The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper. It often begins with a general statement about the topic and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea of your paper. The purpose of the introduction is to

    • let the reader know what the topic is
    • inform the reader about your point of view
    • arouse the reader's curiosity so that he or she will want to read about your topic
  3. The body of the paper follows the introduction. It consists of a number of paragraphs in which you develop your ideas in detail.

    • Limit each paragraph to one main idea. (Don't try to talk about more than one idea per paragraph.)
    • Prove your points continually by using specific examples and quotations.
    • Use transition words to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph.
  4. The conclusion is the last paragraph of the paper. Its purpose is to

    • summarize your main points, leaving out specific examples
    • restate the main idea of the paper

Need even more information? Don't forget to search the reference sources of Infoplease for answers to your homework questions.

Homework Center Home »
.com/homework/writingskills2c.html
Sources +