Topic Sentence
1. A topic sentence must be a complete sentence, not a fragment.
2. A topic sentence is usually a direct statement, not a question.
3. The subject of the topic sentence is usually the subject idea of the paragraph.
4. The verb and complement of the topic sentence usually show the focus of the paragraph.
5. The focus part of the topic sentences usually presents a judgment or attitude about the subject.
6. A subordinate word group is sometimes used in the topic sentence to define the focus still further.
Subject + Focus = Topic Sentence
Examples
1. Myths tell how others have made the passage through life.
2. The earliest evidence of anything like myths is connected with graves.
3. Guilt, especially about killing an animal, is wiped out by the myth.
4. The Blackfoot tribe tell of the buffalo fall in a myth about a young girl.
5. The aborigines in Australia tear the young boys from their mothers to tell them the mythology of the tribe.
6. Myths can sanctify a local landscape more than a ritual can.
7. Because a woman gives birth and nourishment, in the early tradition she is the first planter.
8. An Algonquin story about the origin of maize tells of a boy having a vision.
9. A similar story, coming up throughout Polynesia, is about a girl who loves to bathe in a certain pool.
10. More than any other goal, getting back into the Garden is the aim of the myth.
Before writing any essay or even a paragraph, it is important to think, first about the topic and then what you want to say about the topic. Most often, the topic is easy, but the question then turns to what you want to say about the topic which is the controlling idea. Topic sentences should always contain both (1) a topic and (2) a controlling idea.
Read the following topic sentences. They all contain a topic (in red) and a controlling idea (in green). When your introduction contains a clearly stated topic sentence such as one of the following, your reader will know what to expect and, therefore, understand your ideas better.
1. People can avoid burglaries by taking certain precautions.
(The precautions for…)
2. There are several advantages to growing up in a small town.
(The advantages of…)
3. Most US universities require a 550 point TOEFL score for a number of reasons.
(The reasons for…)
4. Air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in the world for a number of reasons.
(The causes of…) or (The effects of…)
5. Fixing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy if you follow these steps.
(The steps for…)
6. There are several enjoyable ways to travel between the US and Queretaro.
(The ways to…) or (The methods of…)
7. Animals in danger of becoming extinct come from a wide range of countries.
(The different countries… [parts, kinds, types])
8. Effective leadership requires specific qualities that anyone can develop.
(The qualities (or characteristics or traits) of…)
9. Industrial waste poured into Lake Michigan has led to dramatic changes in its ability to support marine life.
(The effects of…)
10. In order to fully explore the wreck of the Titanic, scientists must address several problems.
(The difficulties of…) or (The obstacles to…)
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