Effective Topic
Sentences
A topic
sentence states the paragraph’s main idea.
It is the most general sentence in your paragraph.
1.
An
effective topic sentence should clearly state the paragraph’s main idea/point. It should not just state your topic or announce
what you plan to write about. It is
always a complete sentence.
Effective
One of
my most satisfying experiences happened when I volunteered
Topic
Sentence at
Champ Camp, a summer camp for severely burned children.
Topic A
satisfying experience
Announcement In
this paragraph, I will write about a satisfying experience.
2.
An
effective topic sentence should present an idea that you can discuss in a
single paragraph. If it is too broad, it
will take more than a paragraph. If it
is too narrow, you will not be able to write much.
Effective
The
construction of a Walmart in my neighborhood is a bad idea
Topic
Sentence because
it will increase traffic in the surrounding area.
Broad
Topic Sentence Building a Walmart
in my neighborhood will destroy our community.
Narrow
Topic Sentence If a Walmart
is built in my neighborhood, Repetto
Middle School children
will
not be able to cross the street safely.
How do you know you have a topic
sentence?
The topic
sentence will always identify what the paragraph is about (the topic) and why
it is important (your opinion, how you feel about the topic). It is then followed by a series of examples
that support this main idea.
Topic Applying
for financial aid
Topic
Sentence Applying
for financial aid is easy if you follow these few steps.
Topic My
neighborhood
Topic
Sentence My
neighborhood is ghetto and dangerous.
Paragraph
Structure continued
Paragraphs
have three major characteristics -- focus, support, and order (also known as,
unity, development and coherence). It is
well-written when it makes only one point, provides sufficient information
explaining that point, and arranges sentences in an understandable orderly
manner.
1) A
paragraph should be unified.
It is
unified when all of its sentences focus on the single main idea stated in the
topic sentence. A paragraph lacks unity
when its sentences wander away from the main idea. While writing, constantly reread your topic
sentence. If you find yourself straying
from your topic, take out a piece of paper and freewrite, brainstorm or cluster
until the irrelevant ideas have played themselves out. Then return to your paragraph and continue
developing your support for the main idea.
Cross out and rewrite any sentences that do not support it.
2)
A paragraph should
be well-developed.
When
writing, look for any unsupported general statements. If you find any, add the details, facts, or
examples you need to support these statements.
Undeveloped
Paragraph
Computerized special effects now
bring to the screen things that never could have been shown before. Modern digital technology has created effects
that would have been too expensive or too difficult to create in the studio. It is almost certain that in the future, special
effects will become even more realistic.
They may even blur the line between what the audience believes to be
real and what actually is real.
Well-Developed
Paragraph
Computerized special effects now
bring to the screen things that never could have been shown before. Modern digital technology has created effects
that would have been too expensive or too difficult to create in the
studio. With the help of computerized special
effects, films can show disasters and re-create the past. For example, in the movie Titanic,
computerized special effects showed the Titanic splitting in half as it
sank. Real actors were combined with
digitally generated figures to show people falling to their deaths from the
upended ship. In Gladiator, computerized
special effects were used to re-create the ancient city of Rome.
In addition, the film was able to show gladiators fighting in a digital
re-creation of the Colosseum as it might have appeared two thousand years
ago. It is almost certain that in the
future, special effects will become even more realistic. They may even blur the line between what the
audience believes to be real and what actually is real.
3)
A
paragraph should be coherent. This means all its sentences should be
arranged in a definite order: time (chronological) order, spatial order (in the
order details are seen), or logical order.
Kirszner,
Laurie and Stephen R. Mandell. Foundations
First. Bedford/St. Martin’s. New
York: 2005.
