Parts of a composition

Compositions nearly always have three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The first paragraph is often an introduction —a paragraph that introduces the topic, says something interesting about it, and states the thesis. Following the introduction are several paragraphs called the body. These paragraphs give readers specific information about the topic, supporting and developing the thesis. The conclusion, which is often one paragraph, gives readers a final, interesting point to think about.

Although some compositions do not have separate intro­ductory or concluding paragraphs, all good compositions are organized carefully with a beginning, middle, and end. They are well developed with examples, facts, incidents, or reasons to make the point clear. In the models that follow, notice how the authors organized and developed their descriptive, narra­tive, and expository compositions.