Now that we've covered tone and voice, let's talk about organizing your ideas into a clear, readable paper. Whether you're writing a short response or a full research paper, your work needs structure.
Introduction, main points, conclusion
Think of your paper as a funnel: start broad, narrow in, then wrap things up.
Introduction
The introduction sets the stage. It introduces your topic, gives any background the reader needs, and clearly states your thesis, the main point or argument of your paper. In MLA, it starts right under your title on page 1, with no heading.
Main points, or body paragraphs
This is where you develop your ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a single point that supports your thesis. A topic sentence near the start makes the point clearly. Then come the evidence, like a quote or a paraphrase with its citation, and your analysis of it.
In a literature paper, the evidence is often the text itself. Quote a line, cite the page, then explain what it shows.
If your paper is long, headings can divide the main sections. Many MLA papers don't need them. The headings lesson covers when they help.
Conclusion
The conclusion brings everything together. It sums up your main points and reinforces your thesis, but it shouldn't be a copy of your introduction. Leave your reader with something to think about, or a sense of why your topic matters.
How an outline can help
Before you start writing, an outline helps you organize your thoughts, spot gaps in your argument, and set a logical order for your ideas. Instead of staring at a blank page, you'll have a roadmap from introduction to conclusion.
Start with a list of your main points, then add supporting evidence under each one. Think of it as your paper's skeleton: you can revise it as you go, and it still gives you a solid frame to build on.
An outline, then the paper
Here's a short outline for the sample Bigfoot paper used in these lessons.
Bigfoot: The Truth Revealed
I. Introduction
Thesis: the physical evidence for Bigfoot points to animals we already know.
II. The hair evidence
Every hair credited to Bigfoot matched a known animal (Sykes et al.).
III. The sightings
Many sightings may be black bears (Lozier et al. 1626).
IV. Conclusion
What the findings mean for the legend.
- The introduction holds the thesisOne sentence the rest of the paper sets out to support.
- Each main point gets its evidenceThe sources go under the point they support, so you know where each citation belongs before you write.
- The conclusion has a job tooNote what it will add, so it says more than the introduction did.
One last tip: transitions matter
Use clear transitions between ideas and paragraphs. They make your writing feel like a smooth path instead of a list of disconnected points.
Instead of:
This next point is about the sightings.
Try:
The sightings tell the same story as the hair.
If transitions are hard for you, write the paper without them first. Then go back and join the points together. Just be sure to add them before you turn the paper in.
Quick checklist
- A thesis in the introduction
- One main point per paragraph, with a topic sentence
- Evidence, cited, and your analysis of it
- A conclusion that adds something
- Transitions between points
Outlining in PERRLA
In PERRLA Online, each paper has an Outline tab where you can build your outline before you write. When you start writing, open the Outline panel to keep it beside the page, or choose Insert entire outline to drop it into the paper and write over it.