Matt Ellis Updated on June 2, 2022 Students A topic sentence, usually the first sentence in a paragraph, introduces the main idea of that paragraph and sets its tone. A topic sentence is especially important in essays, where topics change from paragraph to paragraph.
Step 1: Write a thesis statement The first step to developing your topic sentences is to make sure you have a strong thesis statement. The thesis statement sums up the purpose and argument of the whole paper. Thesis statement example
A good topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea or opinion. Weak example. In this paragraph, I am going to discuss the rising suicide rate among young professionals. (This topic sentence provides a main idea, but it does not present a controlling idea.) Stronger example. For example, if you had an assignment to develop a topic sentence for a process paragraph where you need to outline the steps in the rock cycle, the topic sentence might look something like this: There are three steps in the rock cycle—igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. I. Double underline the topic and underline the controlling idea in each of the following topic sentence. 1. College students take many kinds of tests. 2. Good roommates have four characteristics. 3. Small cars have several advantages. 4. A baseball player must master several skills.
The topic sentence is typically the first sentence of a paragraph, and it introduces the subject of a paragraph by laying out a controlling idea or particular point of view on the topic. The rest of the paragraph will include supporting sentences with examples and evidence to support the main point.
For this activity, do the following: Select the word or phrase that reveals the controlling idea of the paragraph. This controlling idea will be part of the topic sentence. Click on the Show Solutions link to check your answers. Example 1. 3JYxORx.
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