Write a Topic Sentence

Your topic sentence sets the stage. Each paragraph should comprise a series of coherent, well-organized sentences that develop a single topic or point for the reader's understanding. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence: use it to introduce the topic and ease the reader into the rest of the paragraph. In order to write a strong topic sentence, you'll need to plan out the point of your paragraph, state your main idea clearly, and hook your reader into the topic with an engaging dash of narrative.

Steps

Sample Topic Sentences

Doc:Persuasive Topic Sentences,Analytical Topic Sentences,Personal Topic Sentences

Putting a Topic Together

  1. Plan your topic sentence in support of your thesis statement. In most essays, the thesis statement lays out the main argument--which usually comprises several points--in the introduction. After the introduction, you'll write a series of organized paragraphs, each of which fleshes out a point that you mentioned in your thesis. The topic sentence of each paragraph re-introduces the point.
    • Before you can even begin writing, you must compile all of the information you have and decide what is relevant to your central idea. Wade through all of your sources, ideas, and opinions, and select main points based on quality rather than quantity. It is better to have fewer main points that are fully developed rather than many main points that don't have enough evidence to prove them.[1]
    • Each paragraph should start with a sort-of "mini-thesis" for that paragraph. Since each paragraph should only contain one idea, the topic sentence will be a straightforward sentence encompassing what each paragraph is about. This sentence will provide a clue to the reader as to what point you will be making in that particular paragraph.
  2. Organize your main points in a logical order. One idea should flow into the next. Order the information so that readers won't get lost, and don't be afraid to switch paragraphs around if you find a better way to make them flow. Make an outline of your paragraph: map out exactly where each point will fit into the broader picture.[2]
    • As a rule of thumb, build your first and last body paragraphs around your two strongest points. Don't bury your strongest point in the middle of an essay. If your first point out of the introduction fulfills the reader's expectations from your thesis, he or she may be more likely to keep reading to the end. If the final point wraps up the rest of the essay with a powerful, revelatory idea, the reader may come away from your essay feeling more enlightened than otherwise.[3]
    • Put your main points in an order that your readers can follow easily. Consider what information readers need to know before reaching each of your points, and make sure that it is ordered in that way. For example, if you want to use the high production cost of meat products as a talking point to explore the roots of the California drought, you might discuss meat production in one body paragraph, and the effects of the drought in the next.
    • Consider how the points build from one to the next. Your points may be presented more strongly if ordered in a specific way. When you are planning your topic sentences, write out each of the ways that you could organize your main points and decide which order is the most effective.
  3. Consider how each paragraph flows from the preceding paragraph. Topic sentences serve as an organizational tool; they help readers follow your ideas as you weave them into complex thoughts. When you have finished explaining one point, you need to take a step back from specificity and begin again with a new thought.
    • If you are having a hard time connecting one paragraph to the one before it, reconsider how you have organized your points. Have you arranged ideas for optimal flow?
  4. Use transitions to ease the flow of your argument. Consider writing a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph: a few words that link the main point of the paragraph with the point of the paragraph to come. This is especially important if the two points don't follow each other in an obvious, linear progression.
    • If you're writing an essay about the fast food industry, and you're moving from a paragraph about systemic obesity into a paragraph about factory farming, say something like, "However, it is not just America's youth that are being plumped with chemicals and artery-clogging fats: the cows and chickens that make up the meals are artificially fattened far beyond healthy weights, fed diets that are inconsistent with their natural needs, and made to stand crammed stock-stuck in dark cages and pens where they never see the light of day as they await slaughter."
    • You need not necessarily end each paragraph with a transitional sentence. You can just wrap up an idea with a conclusive statement, then move on to the topic sentence of the next paragraph. A transitional sentence may help you check that your main points are in the right order, but it can be redundant to have both a transition sentence at the end of a paragraph and a topic sentence at the beginning of the next.
  5. Check your topic sentences for clarity. Ideally, you should be able to scan through your thesis statement and each following topic sentence and have a good idea of what the paper is about. Make sure that these sentences are simple, clear, and concise--no run-ons. Once the paper is finished, read over your topic sentences to assure clarity and cohesion among your main points.

Writing a Topic Sentence

  1. Clearly state your main idea. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in the paragraph, so it should prepare the reader for what you're going to talk about in the rest of the paragraph without being wordy or difficult to understand.
    • Do not simply announce your topic. Don't be bland. "Now I'm going to talk about the benefits of recycling" is not an effective topic sentence--it's too casual, it isn't informational, and it doesn't make the reader particularly excited to read further.
    • Make your intentions clear without stating them explicitly. Use a fact, a description, or an assertive statement to introduce a topic. Don't tell the reader that you're about to start talking about something; just start talking about it.
  2. Hook your reader. A strong topic sentence should draw the reader into a paragraph and make them intrigued to read more about the topic. Bring up questions in their mind that you intend to answer. One way to immediately hook the reader is to drop him or her straight into the action:
    • Describe a character, real or fictional. The description can be physical (Sam Collins is tall, muscle-bound, and broad in the shoulder--not the physique one would expect from a three-time world-champion horse jockey.) or emotional (When Sam Collins' father told him that he would never become a world-famous jockey, the boy was crushed; it was all he had ever wanted since that fateful day at the racetrack.)
    • Describe a scene. Paint a compelling image that will make the reader ask, "and then what happened?" For example: "The Smith family was asleep when the fire started."
    • Use a powerful fact or statistic to convey the gravity of the topic. If you're writing a nonfiction piece--or fiction that imitates nonfiction--consider leading into your topic with a compelling or shocking "did-you-know?" statement. For instance: "Every fifteen minutes, someone in the United States is killed by a drunk driver. Think about that statistic for a moment." Make sure that your fact isn't
    • Make a statement. Especially in expository and persuasive essays, your topic sentences should make a point that you can back up in the following paragraph. For instance: "Steak is a staple of the American diet, but the water-intensive nature of the cattle industry means that we may not be able to keep our heavy consumption up for much longer." Make a solid argument: your research should suggest your assertion, not the other way around.[4]
    • Avoid rhetorical questions like, "What is the meaning of life?" You want to prompt the reader to ask these questions, but you don't want to suggest them yourself. Avoid addressing the reader directly, like "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an astronaut?"
  3. Keep it short and sweet. Clarity is key. Avoid run-on sentences and do not try to say too much. A topic sentence should act as a transitional gateway to its paragraph: it should be slightly more specific than your thesis, but it should not summarize all of the information from the paragraph. Keeping the sentence short may also aid the flow of your paragraph--it'll be less daunting for readers to jump in.
  4. Make a statement that you can back up. The body of your paragraph is meant to prove your topic sentence. Your topic sentence, in an expository or persuasive essay, should put forth an assertion or opinion for which you are prepared to provide evidence. Only state an outright opinion if you think that you can prove it.[5]
    • The topic sentence "growing your own herbs will deepen your appreciation for fresh cooking" states a belief, and you can't expect it to persuade anyone unless you go on to make a case for how exactly growing herbs creates this effect.
    • Avoid using solid facts in your topic sentence, unless they are particularly engaging or they beg further explanation. Consider saving your facts to use as evidence in the body of the paragraph. Ask yourself whether a piece of information is "Hook" or a supplement. "Every fifteen minutes, someone in the U.S. is killed by a drunk driver" might be a hook: it's shocking, simple, and it begs further investigation. However, "In the U.S., adults are not allowed to drive with a B.A.C. higher than 0.08%." is less engaging and less relevant to the main point, so it might be something to save for the explanation.
  5. Consider making a two-part "hook". Use your second sentence to add emphasis to a point that you make in your topic sentence. If the topic sentence is especially long, punctuate it with a short, powerful follow-up: "Americans slaughter 31.9 million head of cattle each year and produce 25.8 billion pounds of beef--and a steak produced in California uses up as much water as six months' worth of a single consumer's showers. This is not sustainable." If the topic sentence is short and dramatic, follow it up with a more informational second sentence. Unless your paper is highly formal, don't be afraid to get creative with your lead-ins to better hook the reader.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://englishforuniversity.com/academic-writing/topic-sentence/
  2. ↑ http://arts.uottawa.ca/writingcentre/en/hypergrammar/writing-paragraphs
  3. ↑ http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-english-lessons/15419-how-to-write-a-good-topic-sentence/
  4. ↑ http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/paragraphs.shtml
  5. ↑ http://palc.sd40.bc.ca/palc/ac-archive/02-02/acsept2502.htm
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