What are your chances of acceptance?
Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.
Your chancing factors
Extracurriculars.
How to Write a Strong Topic Sentence + Examples
Do you know how to improve your profile for college applications.
See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free.
Show me what areas I need to improve
What’s Covered:
- What Is a Topic Sentence?
- 5 Steps to Writing a Good Topic Sentence
Elements of a Good Topic Sentence
Common pitfalls to avoid.
- Where To Get Your Essay Edited For Free
Crafting the perfect essay takes time and dedication. There are so many elements you have to worry about, such as tone, purpose, and correct spelling and grammar. Writing a strong topic sentences is another critical part in writing a cohesive essay.
Without a strong topic sentence, you risk losing your reader and perhaps part of your grade. If it’s a college admissions essay, then you need it to be as strong as possible to back up your application. Learn about what steps you should take to write a strong topic sentence.
What Is a Topic Sentence?
People often confuse a topic sentence with a thesis statement. A thesis statement is typically at the end of your opening paragraph, that dictates the main argument you’ll be making in your essay.
Throughout your essay, you’ll have multiple topic sentences, as each paragraph should start off with one. This beginning sentence is used to direct the topic of the paragraph and outline the flow of the following sentences. It’s used to help guide your reader and to continue to keep them hooked on your overall essay. Without topic sentences, your essay will be unorganized, lack transitions, and sound very choppy. To write a good topic sentence, there are several steps to take.
Writing a Good Topic Sentence: 5 Steps
Step 1: decide what you’re going to write about..
When you see the essay prompt, you’ll have some time to think through what you want to say and why. You have to decide if it’s a persuasive essay, informative, narrative, or descriptive. Determine your purpose for writing the essay after reading through the prompt. Whether it’s an assignment for school or if it’s to get into college, you need to make sure you have that purpose clearly outlined.
Step 2: Create a thesis statement.
One of the first things you need to do is create a thesis statement. This is typically a sentence with three points that you’ll back up throughout your essay.
For example: The Office became a cultural phenomenon because it spurred the careers of many of today’s successful movie stars, it talked about situations that most American workers can relate to, and even 15 years later, offers funny, relevant content that helps to break down prejudices.
You then use that thesis statement to create an essay around the points you want to make.
Step 3: Make your essay outline.
Once you have the points you want to make within your thesis statement hammered out, make an outline for your essay. This is where you’ll start to create your topic sentence for each paragraph. You want to clearly state the main idea of that paragraph in the very first sentence. From there, you back up that main idea with facts and reputable sources. Make sure your topic sentence is clear, but does not just announce your topic.
For example, do not write something like: “In this paragraph, I will discuss why it’s bad that poachers are killing giraffes.”
Instead, write something that clearly states your idea with a reasonable opinion and that gives direction to the paragraph: “Giraffes are a key part of the African ecosystem, so it’s important to enforce regulations against the poachers who are killing them for their body parts.”
You’d then follow that up with reasons why giraffes are a key part of the African ecosystem and how poachers are destroying their population.
Step 4: Begin writing your essay.
Once you have your thesis statement and you’ve created an outline with supporting paragraphs and their topic sentences, you can begin writing your essay. It’s important to make that outline before just jumping in–a disorganized essay can spell disaster for you as you continue to write, and could result in a poor grade. Many times, teachers will even require you to turn in your outline as part of your overall essay grade.
Step 5: Proofread and check your resources.
After you’ve written the essay, go back through it with a fine tooth comb. Read through each topic sentence and the paragraphs that follow to ensure that you’ve written clear, solid topic sentences throughout and that the paragraphs with them make sense. During the proofreading phase, you also need to recheck the sources you’re using. Make sure each source is reputable. In other words, do not use sites like Wikipedia where anyone can go in and edit an article to add misinformation. Use sites that:
- Are actual reputable news sources, such as the New York Times , CNN, CBS News
- Have domain names that end in .edu or .gov
- Come from an encyclopedia, such as Encyclopedia Britannica
Using sites that are not reputable could jeopardize the validity of your argument.
Discover your chances at hundreds of schools
Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.
Now that you know the steps to set yourself up for success when writing a topic sentence, there are certain elements that go into a quality first sentence. Always make sure that your topic sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph. You don’t want to make your reader hunt for the point you’re trying to make. Check out some key elements of a good topic sentence:
Make sure your topic sentence isn’t too vague.
You need a topic sentence that has some specifics to it. It also needs to hook in your reader in some way with an opinion. A vague sentence makes it harder to write a paragraph that can clearly backs up your thoughts. For example:
DON’T: “In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bingley seems like a nice guy.”
DO: “When Mr. Bingley is first introduced, he comes across as a kind person because he speaks to everyone and doesn’t immediately pass judgment.”
Choose a reasonable opinion.
Your topic sentence should clearly outline whatever point you’re trying to make in the paragraph, but you want to pick a reasonable opinion that you can easily reinforce with facts and statistics. Here’s an example of what you should and should not do:
DON’T: “It’s obvious that Mr. Bingley was a total loser with no backbone.”
DO: “Mr. Bingley could have shown more confidence in his choices and stood up to Mr. Darcy when he found himself in love with Jane Bennet.”
You can then back that up with facts, saying that he was a wealthy Englishman and thus one of the key players in society at the time, which should have given him more confidence. If he’d been more confident, perhaps he would not have left and devastated Jane.
Use your topic sentence as a transition.
Along with telling the reader the point of your next paragraph, your topic sentence should also serve as a transition from the previous paragraph. Without a transition, the essay can feel like it’s choppy and disjointed. For example:
DON’T: “Mr. Bingley is a good man and here’s why.”
DO: “Although Mr. Bingley did break Jane’s heart by leaving, he ended up redeeming himself by returning to Netherfield Hall.”
Keep your topic sentence short.
A long, drawn-out topic sentence can risk losing your reader. Many times, it’s hard to determine the point of a sentence when it goes on for too long. You want a clear, concise sentence that draws in the reader but also leaves some room for you to expand on it in the following paragraph.
DON’T: “Throughout the novel of Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bingley was often quite different from Mr. Darcy as he would treat all people in a friendly manner, considering them all his friends and acquaintances, even agreeing to throw a ball after Elizabeth’s sisters rudely demanded he do so and was gracious to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet as well despite their manners.”
DO: “Overall, Mr. Bingley served as a foil to Mr. Darcy throughout the story by treating everyone around him equally with dignity and grace.”
Writing an essay can be overwhelming at times, but so long as you avoid some of these common pitfalls, it can be easier to get it done on time.
Don’t wait until the last minute.
If your teacher assigns you an essay or tells you that you have an essay test coming up, don’t wait until the day before to do anything about it. You have to plan or study and you need to give yourself time to do that. If you know it takes you a while to write something, then start planning it as soon as you get the assignment.
Don’t forget to write an outline.
Along with planning, make sure you have that outline written up and planned out well. It will serve as your guideline for writing the essay. Without it, you’ll face the risk of a disorganized essay that does not clearly illustrate your point.
Ask for help if you need it.
This may be the most important pitfall to avoid. If you get in over your head while writing, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask a friend to review the essay or ask your teacher for guidance.
Where to Get Your Essay Edited for Free
Once you’ve finished your essay, you may want additional input. There are tools out there to help, but CollegeVine’s free peer essay review tool can provide you with actionable feedback from students just like you. CollegeVine’s tool has helped many students and may be able to help you, too! Asking for peer feedback can help to refine your essay and it never hurts to have an extra set of eyes read through what you’ve written. Check out the free tool today!
Related CollegeVine Blog Posts
OASIS: Writing Center
Paragraphs: topic sentences, topic sentences video playlist.
Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.
- Academic Paragraphs: Introduction to Paragraphs and the MEAL Plan (video transcript)
- Academic Paragraphs: Examples of the MEAL Plan (video transcript)
The best way to understand the role of the topic sentence in paragraph development is to imagine that any given paragraph is a miniature essay that has its own thesis, support, and conclusion. The parts of a paragraph easily correspond to the parts of an essay:
Just as an effective essay starts off with an introduction that presents the paper's thesis statement and indicates the specific claim or argument that the essay will develop, each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that indicates the focus of that paragraph, alerting the reader to the particular subtopic that the paragraph will provide evidence to support.
A strong topic sentence should be placed at or near the beginning of a paragraph. In addition, this sentence should focus on a specific issue, avoid the use of direct quotations, and leave room for support and analysis within the body of the paragraph. Read on to learn more about creating an effective topic sentence.
The topic sentence does not have to be the first sentence in the paragraph; however, it should come early in the paragraph in order to orient the reader to the paragraph's focus right away. Occasionally a writer may place a transition sentence before the topic sentence, to create continuity between topics.
Topic Sentence to begin paragraph:
In the novel Sula , Morrison uses the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her characters into self-awareness.
Transition Sentence + Topic Sentence to begin paragraph:
However, Morrison does not only use the emotional and spiritual bonds between her female characters to initiate their coming-of-age. In addition, the author uses the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her adolescent protagonists into self-awareness.
Specificity
Your topic sentence should be more narrowly focused than your thesis sentence, and you will want to make sure the claim you are making can be supported, argued, and analyzed within the body of your paragraph.
Example: In the novel Sula , Morrison uses the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her characters into self-awareness.
In this topic sentence, the essayist is arguing that physical bonds of friendship, specifically, make the female characters more self-aware. Because this idea can be refuted or supported by readers (based on how successfully the essayist persuades his or her readers with examples and analysis from the novel), and because the claim is narrow enough to address within a single paragraph, the above sentence is a successful topic sentence.
Direct Quotations (Are Best Avoided)
Although it might be tempting to begin a paragraph with a compelling quotation, as a general rule, topic sentences should state the main idea of the paragraph in your own words. Direct quotations have a place later in the paragraph, where they may be incorporated to support the topic sentence.
Needs Improvement: As Morrison (1982) conveyed, the girls' "friendship let them use each other to grow on…they found in each other's eyes the intimacy they were looking for" (p. 52).
Better: In the novel Sula , Morrison uses the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her characters into self-awareness. Pointing to the connection of eyes meeting and bodies growing together, Morrison makes coming-of-age an interactive physical process between the adolescent protagonists. Specifically, Morrison describes how Sula and Nel have used "each other to grow on…they found in each other's eyes the intimacy they were looking for" (p. 52).
In this second paragraph, the topic sentence appears first, immediately orienting readers to the main focus (or topic) of the paragraph. The quotation is used later in the paragraph as a form of evidence or support for the topic sentence.
If you are finding it challenging to create effective topic sentences, you might consider outlining before beginning to write a paper. The points and subpoints of an outline can then become the topic sentences for the paper's paragraphs.
Additionally, because the topic sentence functions similarly at the paragraph level to the thesis at the essay level, you may also find it helpful to check out our thesis statement construction information. Our resource on paragraphs has helpful information about the scope of a paragraph, as well.
Related Resources
- Previous Page: Length and Scope
- Next Page: Organization (MEAL Plan)
- Office of Student Disability Services
Walden Resources
Departments.
- Academic Residencies
- Academic Skills
- Career Planning and Development
- Customer Care Team
- Field Experience
- Military Services
- Student Success Advising
- Writing Skills
Centers and Offices
- Center for Social Change
- Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
- Office of Degree Acceleration
- Office of Research and Doctoral Services
- Office of Student Affairs
Student Resources
- Doctoral Writing Assessment
- Form & Style Review
- Quick Answers
- ScholarWorks
- SKIL Courses and Workshops
- Walden Bookstore
- Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
- Student Safety/Title IX
- Legal & Consumer Information
- Website Terms and Conditions
- Cookie Policy
- Accessibility
- Accreditation
- State Authorization
- Net Price Calculator
- Contact Walden
Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.
On Crafting Topic Sentences: “The Age of ‘The Age of Innocence,’” by Elif Batuman
The series Spotlight on Good Writing highlights techniques used in public-facing writing that are widely applicable to writing of all kinds, including research papers and expository essays written by students.
This post focuses on how writers can successfully craft effective topic sentences.
The topic sentence is an unavoidable element in essay writing. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a sentence that states the main thought of a paragraph or of a larger unit of discourse and [that] is usually placed at or near the beginning” (“Topic Sentence”). As this definition suggests, crafting effective topic sentences forces writers to structure their work more rigorously. The better the structure of an argument, the more easily readers will be able to follow it. And like a bridge, which can span a greater distance the stronger it is, a well-structured essay can accommodate a wider-ranging discussion than a poorly structured essay can. Elif Batuman’s New York Times piece “ The Age of ‘The Age of Innocence’ ” uses strong topic sentences to support its discussion.
Introducing a Broad Topic Clearly
A topic sentence that appears at the beginning of an essay introduces the topic of the entire piece. How such a sentence is written will shape the later directions that the essay can take, so it is essential that the topic be introduced clearly and in a manner that does not foreclose subsequent lines of argument. Let’s look at Batuman’s opening paragraph:
A literary “classic” is a recurring character in one’s life. One reads it, years go by, one reads it again, and it becomes the sum of those readings over time. One identifies with the character closest to one in age—and then one’s age changes. Eventually, each classic tells two stories: its own, and the story of all the times one has read it. In a way, in “The Age of Innocence,” Edith Wharton wrote an allegory of this very process: of the way stories acquire new meanings over time.
The topic sentence, “A literary ‘classic’ is a recurring character in one’s life,” is exemplary. It makes clear that Batuman’s essay reflects on the experience of rereading a classic work of literature. But although the meaning is clear, it is implied rather than spelled out. The sentence proposes that a work of literature functions as a “character in one’s life,” suggesting that readers can interact with the work in ways reminiscent of how they might interact with other people. A “recurring character” is therefore a literary work that readers interact with repeatedly over time. To ensure that this implied meaning is understood, Batuman uses her second sentence to drive home the point that “[o]ne reads” a classic literary work and later “reads it again.” But why, when all Batuman has to do is introduce the subject of her essay, does she give us this oddball metaphor: that a piece of writing is a character in a larger story?
The metaphor in this topic sentence implies that one’s interactions with a piece of writing can be as complex and dependent on circumstance as one’s interactions with other people. This idea paves the way for the essay’s subsequent discussion of how Edith Wharton’s background influenced the writing of The Age of Innocence , how the period in which Wharton wrote shaped the novel’s reception, and how Batuman has responded to the work at different times in her own life. It also prepares the reader for a notion that the essay concludes with: that a piece of writing, as a “character” imbued with agency, can influence not only its readers but also the wider world in which they live.
Connecting What Came Before to What Follows
When a topic sentence appears in a paragraph in the middle of an essay, it can help the writer pivot from one subject to another. In the following passage, Batuman uses a topic sentence to shift the discussion away from an explanation of Wharton’s activities in Paris during World War I to speculation about the inner lives of readers after the war:
Many American expatriates left Paris at that time, but Wharton stayed behind, working on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who flooded across the French border. She personally housed 600 Belgian orphans, organized workshops for unemployed seamstresses and opened a home for tubercular children. Life and novel-writing were utterly transformed by the war. “Before the war, you could write fiction without indicating the period, the present being assumed. The war has put an end to that for a long time,” Wharton told her friend Bernard Berenson after the Armistice. . . . She wrote most of “The Age of Innocence” in 1919. . . . Readers in 1920 would have been thinking about all the developments . . . that made even the 1900s, let alone the 1870s, feel like ancient history. They would be recalling the past stages of their own lives, mapping them against the newly historicized decades of the recent past.
Remarkably, Batuman manages to bridge these two distinct subjects with one deftly crafted sentence: “Life and novel-writing were utterly transformed by the war.” The sentence succeeds at linking the two subjects because it combines elements of both of them: life in a time of war, on the one hand, and novel writing, on the other. The simplicity of this sentence is one of its strengths, and its epigrammatic sweep is another. By highlighting the changes in lived experience brought about by the war, the sentence carries this element of the essay forward, allowing Batuman in the remainder of the paragraph to discuss the perspective of readers after the war, and later on to discuss her own experience of reading The Age of Innocence . If this topic sentence were to highlight only the war’s effects on writing fiction, the mention of readers might seem out of place, as might the later discussion of Batuman’s personal life.
Connecting the End to the Beginning (with a Twist)
A topic sentence can also connect the end of an essay to its beginning. Batuman links the topic sentence of her concluding paragraph, an excerpt of which appears below, to the equivalent sentence in her first paragraph:
The novel is a constantly evolving technology, always finding ways to convey more reality, to articulate more truths, to identify new equivalences. Underlying this project is the optimistic belief that seeing the world more clearly can make individuals more free, and societies more just.
In her first paragraph, Batuman claims that a classic novel is a “recurring character” in a reader’s life, and the essay goes on to examine her changing perspective on the novel at different times in her own life. Her final paragraph echoes the earlier claim by suggesting that the novel, as a form, is “constantly evolving.” But her final topic sentence also puts a twist on the ideas contained in her first topic sentence. Whereas earlier she claims that a novel is a “character,” here the novel is a “technology,” and whereas earlier she refers to an unspecified “classic novel,” here she has shifted her discussion to the novel as a form. The two sentences are linked, but their differences make the link dynamic and reflective of the essay’s broad concerns.
Why didn’t Batuman simply repeat her first topic sentence and save herself the work of composing a new one? Remember that a topic sentence states the main thought of the paragraph it governs. Had Batuman merely repeated her first topic sentence in her final paragraph, then the first and last paragraphs would probably have identical main thoughts, which would suggest that the essay had failed to develop an argument. If such an essay were a bridge, it would be a bridge to nowhere. When composing an essay, make sure that your topic sentences point your work in the right direction.
Works Cited
Batuman, Elif. “The Age of ‘The Age of Innocence.’” The New York Times , 1 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/books/review/age-of-innocence-edith-wharton-elif-batuman.html .
“Topic Sentence, N .” Merriam-Webster’ s Unabridged , 2020, unabridged.merriam-Webster.com/collegiate/topic%20sentence.
TOPIC SENTENCE/ In his numerous writings, Marx critiques capitalism by identifying its flaws. ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE/ By critiquing the political economy and capitalism, Marx implores his reader to think critically about their position in society and restores awareness in the proletariat class. EVIDENCE/ To Marx, capitalism is a system characterized by the “exploitation of the many by the few,” in which workers accept the exploitation of their labor and receive only harm of “alienation,” rather than true benefits ( MER 487). He writes that “labour produces for the rich wonderful things – but for the worker it produces privation. It produces palaces—but for the worker, hovels. It produces beauty—but for the worker, deformity” (MER 73). Marx argues capitalism is a system in which the laborer is repeatedly harmed and estranged from himself, his labor, and other people, while the owner of his labor – the capitalist – receives the benefits ( MER 74). And while industry progresses, the worker “sinks deeper and deeper below the conditions of existence of his own class” ( MER 483). ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE/ But while Marx critiques the political economy, he does not explicitly say “capitalism is wrong.” Rather, his close examination of the system makes its flaws obvious. Only once the working class realizes the flaws of the system, Marx believes, will they - must they - rise up against their bourgeois masters and achieve the necessary and inevitable communist revolution.
Not every paragraph will be structured exactly like this one, of course. But as you draft your own paragraphs, look for all three of these elements: topic sentence, evidence, and analysis.
- picture_as_pdf Anatomy Of a Body Paragraph
- Researching
- 6. Topic Sentences
How to write topic sentences
Once you have sorted all of your quotes according to the sub-question s they answer, you are ready to create your Topic Sentences.
What is a 'topic sentence'?
A topic sentence is a single sentence which appears as the first sentence of a body paragraph that states the main argument of that paragraph.
A good Topic Sentence answers one of your sub-questions .
How to create a topic sentence
After you have sorted all of your quotes according to the sub-questions they answer , you can start answering each sub-questions.
Your answer to each of your sub-questions will become your Topic Sentences.
Read your first sub-question again, in order to remind yourself what the question was asking.
R ead all of the quotes that you said helped answer sub-question1.
Using the information from those quotes, write a single sentence answer to the question. This single-sentence answer will then become your first Topic Sentence.
Repeat the process above for the other two sub-questions until you have a Topic Sentence for each of your sub-questions.
For example:
What makes a great topic sentence.
To test to see whether you have good Topic Sentences, go through the following checklist:
1. Does the Topic Sentence directly answer the sub-question?
Read the sub-question again and then the Topic Sentence. If the Topic Sentence directly answers the question, it is a good Topic Sentence.
2. Does the Topic Sentence provide specific details to answer the question.
A good Topic Sentence gives specific information that helps answer the question. The is usually preceded by words such as "because", "due to", or "as a result of".
"Castles fell into disuse as a result of development of gunpowder artillery because the new technology took away the advantages the defenders had enjoyed."
What's next?
Need a digital Research Journal?
What do you need help with?
Download ready-to-use digital learning resources.
Copyright © History Skills 2014-2024.
Contact via email
50 Argumentative Essay Topics
Illustration by Catherine Song. ThoughtCo.
- M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
- B.A., History, Armstrong State University
An argumentative essay requires you to decide on a topic and take a position on it. You'll need to back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and information as well. One of the hardest parts is deciding which topic to write about, but there are plenty of ideas available to get you started.
Choosing a Great Argumentative Essay Topic
Students often find that most of their work on these essays is done before they even start writing. This means that it's best if you have a general interest in your subject, otherwise you might get bored or frustrated while trying to gather information. (You don't need to know everything, though.) Part of what makes this experience rewarding is learning something new.
It's best if you have a general interest in your subject, but the argument you choose doesn't have to be one that you agree with.
The subject you choose may not necessarily be one that you are in full agreement with, either. You may even be asked to write a paper from the opposing point of view. Researching a different viewpoint helps students broaden their perspectives.
Ideas for Argument Essays
Sometimes, the best ideas are sparked by looking at many different options. Explore this list of possible topics and see if a few pique your interest. Write those down as you come across them, then think about each for a few minutes.
Which would you enjoy researching? Do you have a firm position on a particular subject? Is there a point you would like to make sure to get across? Did the topic give you something new to think about? Can you see why someone else may feel differently?
50 Possible Topics
A number of these topics are rather controversial—that's the point. In an argumentative essay, opinions matter and controversy is based on opinions, which are, hopefully, backed up by facts. If these topics are a little too controversial or you don't find the right one for you, try browsing through persuasive essay and speech topics as well.
- Is global climate change caused by humans?
- Is the death penalty effective?
- Is our election process fair?
- Is torture ever acceptable?
- Should men get paternity leave from work?
- Are school uniforms beneficial?
- Do we have a fair tax system?
- Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
- Is cheating out of control?
- Are we too dependent on computers?
- Should animals be used for research?
- Should cigarette smoking be banned?
- Are cell phones dangerous?
- Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?
- Do we have a throwaway society?
- Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago?
- Should companies market to children?
- Should the government have a say in our diets?
- Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
- Should members of Congress have term limits?
- Are actors and professional athletes paid too much?
- Are CEOs paid too much?
- Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
- Do violent video games cause behavior problems?
- Should creationism be taught in public schools?
- Are beauty pageants exploitative ?
- Should English be the official language of the United States?
- Should the racing industry be forced to use biofuels?
- Should the alcohol drinking age be increased or decreased?
- Should everyone be required to recycle?
- Is it okay for prisoners to vote (as they are in some states)?
- Is it good that same-sex couples are able to marry?
- Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school ?
- Does boredom lead to trouble?
- Should schools be in session year-round ?
- Does religion cause war?
- Should the government provide health care?
- Should abortion be illegal?
- Are girls too mean to each other?
- Is homework harmful or helpful?
- Is the cost of college too high?
- Is college admission too competitive?
- Should euthanasia be illegal?
- Should the federal government legalize marijuana use nationally ?
- Should rich people be required to pay more taxes?
- Should schools require foreign language or physical education?
- Is affirmative action fair?
- Is public prayer okay in schools?
- Are schools and teachers responsible for low test scores?
- Is greater gun control a good idea?
- Preparing an Argument Essay: Exploring Both Sides of an Issue
- Controversial Speech Topics
- Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
- Bad Essay Topics for College Admissions
- 25 Essay Topics for American Government Classes
- Topic In Composition and Speech
- MBA Essay Tips
- How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
- How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech
- 61 General Expository Essay Topic Ideas to Practice Academic Writing
- 40 Writing Topics for Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
- Expository Essay Genre With Suggested Prompts
- Middle School Debate Topics
- Topical Organization Essay
- Supporting Detail in Composition and Speech
- Writing an Opinion Essay
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Step 2: Make an essay outline and draft topic sentences. Next, you should make an outline of your essay's structure, planning what you want to say in each paragraph and what evidence you'll use. At this stage, you can draft a topic sentence that sums up the main point you want to make in each paragraph. The topic sentences should be more ...
Topic sentences and signposts make an essay's claims clear to a reader. Good essays contain both. Topic sentences reveal the main point of a paragraph. They show the relationship of each paragraph to the essay's thesis, telegraph the point of a paragraph, and tell your reader what to expect in the paragraph that follows. Topic sentences also ...
Step 3: Make your essay outline. Once you have the points you want to make within your thesis statement hammered out, make an outline for your essay. This is where you'll start to create your topic sentence for each paragraph. You want to clearly state the main idea of that paragraph in the very first sentence.
How to Write a Topic Sentence: 3 Topic Sentence Examples. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Sep 28, 2022 • 3 min read. Learn how to write topic sentences to support the main thesis of any piece of writing.
Regarding topic sentence placement, there are two common approaches: 1. The first is to place it at the paragraph beginning, which is the most common method. This approach immediately lets the reader understand the paragraph's main point, providing a framework for supporting details or examples.
Just as an effective essay starts off with an introduction that presents the paper's thesis statement and indicates the specific claim or argument that the essay will develop, each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that indicates the focus of that paragraph, alerting the reader to the particular subtopic that the paragraph will provide evidence to support.
The topic sentence, "A literary 'classic' is a recurring character in one's life," is exemplary. It makes clear that Batuman's essay reflects on the experience of rereading a classic work of literature. But although the meaning is clear, it is implied rather than spelled out. The sentence proposes that a work of literature functions ...
First, a strong topic sentence makes a claim or states a main idea that is then developed in the rest of the paragraph. Second, the topic sentence signals to readers how the paragraph is connected to the larger argument in your paper. Below is an example of a topic sentence from a paper by Laura Connor '23 that analyzes rhetoric used by ...
A Comprehensive Guide with Examples. Published by Alaxendra Bets at August 18th, 2021 , Revised On August 22, 2023. "Topic sentences briefly describe what each paragraph of an essay will explore and discuss. You can consider topic sentences as the heading or the headline for the paragraph.". Demonstrate how the content of the paragraph ...
Updated on February 12, 2020. A topic sentence is a sentence, sometimes at the beginning of a paragraph, that states or suggests the main idea (or topic) of a paragraph. Not all paragraphs begin with topic sentences. In some, the topic sentence appears in the middle or at the end. In others, the topic sentence is implied or absent altogether.
one paragraph - not spread throughout the essay. •Topic sentences have been shown to help readers recall the content of the text because they prepare readers for the ensuing ideas of the paragraph. •Topic sentences often follow the "old/new contract" (see handout) and link back to what was es- tablished in the previous paragraph. See ...
113 Great Research Paper Topics. One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily ...
Step 2: Read all of the quotes that you said helped answer sub-question1. Step 3: Using the information from those quotes, write a singlesentence answer to the question.This single-sentence answer will then become your first Topic Sentence. Step 4: Repeat the process above for the other two sub-questions until you have a Topic Sentence for each ...
A good topic sentence is well-focused on a fresh concept since it always provides new information for the reader. Specificity. If the beginning of a paragraph is too broad, the reader will be confused about what to expect next. Strength. The topic sentence should provide explicit and unambiguous information. 🎬 Essay Topic Sentence Starters
Most contain the key points of each paragraph, the thesis, topic sentences, and supporting sentences, quotes or citations. Writers also use outlines to visualize essay elements and see how they fit together. ... Research essays for high school are early college are often five paragraphs in length and are either descriptive or argumentative. 2 ...
50 Argumentative Essay Topics. Illustration by Catherine Song. ThoughtCo. An argumentative essay requires you to decide on a topic and take a position on it. You'll need to back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and information as well. One of the hardest parts is deciding which topic to write about, but there are plenty of ideas ...