three parts of a paper
The Three Parts of a Paper
Vocabulary
| formal | draw (3) | suggestion |
| follow | prediction | conclusion |
| theme | thesis (2) | main idea |
| event | consist | paragraph |
| essay | support | explanation |
| main | bulk (2) | background |
| relate | diverge | composition |
| repeat | side (2) | pepperoni |
| brief | summary | draw a conclusion |
| format | article (2) |
The Three Parts of a Paper
All formal writing — articles, essays, reports, stories — follows the same format. They are divided into three parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.
a) In the introduction, you tell the main idea, theme or thesis. This is usually one paragraph long. For stories, you might give a background explanation or begin telling the events.
b) The body consists of the bulk of the paper. The body must relate to and support the main idea in the introduction, and not diverge from it. For compositions and essays, it should consist of at least three paragraphs.
For example, if your main idea is about your favorite pizza restaurant, you must talk about the restaurant and the food. You cannot begin talking about making your own pizza at home, though you can make a small side remark, such as “I like their pepperoni pizza so much, I started making them at home.”
c) For the conclusion, you repeat the main idea from introduction in a different way, give a brief summary, draw a conclusion, make suggestions or a prediction. This is where you come to a close.
No matter how long or short a reading text is, they must all conform to the three-part rule, unless it’s a short, informal message to a friend.
Questions
1. There are many parts to a paper. True or false?
2. Does the three-section format only apply to news reports?
3. In the introduction, you tell who you are, your age, birthplace, residency, occupation, family. Is this correct or incorrect?
4. Should you write about anything you want in the body?
5. You shouldn’t just end your article, essay or story. Is this right or wrong?
6. Does this three-part format apply to every written correspondence in your life?
A. I did (do) a lot of writing assignments at school. Yes or no?
B. Were you taught the three-parts format?
C. Thanks to the internet, writing is becoming more sloppy and careless. What do you think?
D. What will writing be like in the future?
E. How should people write? How can people improve their writing?
