Topic sentence builder
A topic sentence states the main point of a paragraph: it serves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph. You might think of it as a signpost for your readers—or a headline—something that alerts them to the most important, interpretive points in your essay. Thus topics sentences help protect your readers from confusion by guiding them through the argument. But topic sentences can also help you to improve your essay by making it easier for you to recognize gaps or weaknesses in your argument. Topic sentences usually appear at the very beginning of paragraphs.
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Each supporting paragraph in a short essay should support points made in the thesis statement. The thesis statement acts as a road map for the rest of your essay; it defines the ideas and the order in which they will be presented. Your reader expects to see information pertaining to the subject and in the order signaled in the introduction. Moving away from the mental map you established may cause the reader to become lost in the text and miss important points.
Begin each supporting paragraph with a topic sentence. This statement reinforces your point for the reader. Everything in the paragraph should support the point you establish in the initial sentence.
Use specific facts from your research and specific examples to enhance and clarify the point you are making. Once drafted, read back through the information.
Does each sentence support the topic sentence? Do you explain and give examples that support the topic? Does the paper flow smoothly between paragraphs? Transitions at the end of one paragraph or the beginning of the next help the reader understand connections, follow logical development, and navigate through the text.
The first sentence usually presents the topic that you will address in the paragraph. The topic sentence should present the claim, or main idea, that you will develop and support within the rest of the paragraph. In the several sentences that follow, provide facts regarding your topic and explain how this information supports your topic or claim.
After the topic sentence, present specific facts that support that topic Explain how each fact logically supports the claim or topic. Remain focused and specific, relating only information relevant to your topic sentence.
After proving the point you presented in your topic sentence, conclude the paragraph with a transitional sentence that leads readers to the next paragraph. End with a transitional sentence that shows how the main idea of this paragraph relates to the main idea of the next paragraph. Selecting and Limiting Your Topic. Understanding Your Audience. Writing an Effective Thesis Statement. Writing an Effective Introduction. Using Transitions Effectively. Professional and Executive Writing.
How to make an appointment. Developing Supporting Paragraphs Each supporting paragraph in a short essay should support points made in the thesis statement. Moving away from the mental map you established may cause the reader to become lost in the text and miss important points Begin each supporting paragraph with a topic sentence.
Sample Strategy for Supportive Paragraphs: 1. After proving the point you presented in your topic sentence, conclude the paragraph with a transitional sentence that leads readers to the next paragraph a.
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After the topic sentence, include any evidence in this body paragraph, such as a quotation, statistic, or data point, that supports this first point. Explain what the. Topic Sentences. Every paragraph should include a topic sentence that identifies the main idea of the paragraph. A topic sentence also states the point the writer.
Each supporting paragraph in a short essay should support points made in the thesis statement. The thesis statement acts as a road map for the rest of your essay; it defines the ideas and the order in which they will be presented. Your reader expects to see information pertaining to the subject and in the order signaled in the introduction.
The Sentence Builder Cards include the parts of speech adjectives, nouns and verbs , modifiers how, why, where, and when , and Terrific Transitions transition words to connect sentences or signal words to cue the reader that a new sentence or paragraph is beginning. Additionally, the Sentence Builder utilizes different Secret Formulas cards to adhere to the chart as guides for students to develop story openings, topics sentences, and so much more.
Perfecting the skill of writing topic sentences is essential to successful writing. A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph and lets your reader know what to expect from each paragraph.
Developing Supporting Paragraphs
When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. This lesson addresses organization. Studying this resource will also help you think about organization in relation to the GED Essay.
How to Write a Good Topic Sentence
Your topic sentence is the key to making the rest of the essay flow from your fingertips to the page. Staying on Point with Topic Sentences So, what defines a topic sentence? Essentially, it conveys the main idea of a paragraph. When used throughout an essay, topic sentences make up its backbone, giving your arguments a clear support system. They help guide you as the writer, keeping your arguments on point, and they also help guide the reader. You might be thinking: How is this different from a thesis statement? Topic and thesis sentences work together, but topic sentences support the thesis. Besides differing in purpose, they also differ in number: Your essay should have one clear thesis in a sentence or two near the beginning , but it may have many topic sentences throughout. Topic sentences will usually go at the beginning of a paragraph, although there can be exceptions.
Sentences are the foundation to successful writing.
Most paragraphs, especially in technical fields, rely on solid topic sentences to convey their meaning clearly. Remember that topic sentences come in many forms and need not be the first sentences in paragraphs. However, if you have a paragraph that must be tidied up or you are composing a paragraph from scratch, offering a clear topic sentence as your opening statement is a good way to begin. In technical writing, topic sentences take a number of forms.
Easy Topic Sentence Builder Poster
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn more Got it! A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. Sometimes referred to as a focus sentence, the topic sentence helps organize the paragraph by summarizing the information in the paragraph. In formal writing, the topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph although it doesn't have to be. A topic sentence essentially tells readers what the rest of the paragraph is about. All sentences after it have to give more information about that sentence, prove it by offering facts about it, or describe it in more detail. For example, if the topic sentence concerns the types of endangered species that live in the ocean, then every sentence after that needs to expound on that subject. Topic sentences also need to relate back to the thesis of the essay. The thesis statement is like a road map that will tell the reader or listener where you are going with this information or how you are treating it.
