Choose a topic for your own formal essay. this may be the one used in the "report: thesis statement" project or a completely new one. recall the tone and purpose of a formal essay. your topic may require research to complete. the essay should be at least 300 words long. in writing your composition, use the skills you learned about writing effective paragraphs. write a strong introduction, organize your paragraphs to form the body, and summarize with a good concluding paragraph. revise and proofread your work carefully. remember to write and rewrite as often as necessary. avoid comma splices, run-on sentences, fragments, misspelled words, and poor punctuation. when you cite sources, remember to use the mla documentation system