2.5: Topic Sentence
- Page ID
- 304212
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Topic Sentence
A topic sentence is a sentence that contains the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually put in the beginning of a paragraph. A good topic sentence has two essential parts and one optional part:
- the topic of your paragraph
- the controlling idea – your attitude/opinion about the topic
- (optional but preferred) predictors – the points you are going to explain in the body of the paragraph
In each pair of topic sentences below, one contains the topic and controlling idea. The other has the topic, controlling idea, and predictors. Identify each part and discuss which topic sentence you like better. Explain your reasons.
- My writing class is important in helping me prepare for college study.
- My writing class is important in helping me prepare for college study because I learn how to plan, write, and edit my own writing.
- I enjoy three aspects of my writing class.
- I enjoy three aspects of my writing class: my professor, my classmates, and the course materials.
- Many students feel stressed out in the writing class for three reasons.
- Because of long class periods, daily homework assignments, and lots of tests, many students feel stressed out in the writing class.,
- Writing in English is very different from writing in my native language.
- Writing in English differs from writing in my nature language in style, sentence structure, and punctuation.
Rules for a good topic sentence
1. It must be a complete sentence that contains a subject and a verb.
- My interesting writing class (not a complete sentence) X
- How to improve writing skills (not a complete sentence) X
- My writing class is interesting for three reasons. (a complete sentence) √
- In my writing class, I am learning how to improve writing skills in three ways. (a complete sentence) √
2. It can be a positive or negative statement, not a question. If you ask a question in the beginning of the paragraph, you should answer it in the next sentence. That second sentence is the topic sentence.
- Why is learning English important? (a question) X
- What is the best way to improve writing skills? (a question) X
- Why is learning English important? It is so because good English skills benefit people in their study, work, and daily life. (The second part is the topic sentence.) √
- What is the best way to improve writing skills? I have three suggestions for ESL students to improve writing skills. (The second part is the topic sentence.) √
3. Narrow down your topic. General topics are difficult to focus on and write.
- Year 2020 was a difficult year for me. (too broad) X
- The COVID pandemic in Year 2020 made it difficult for me to study. (more specific) √
- The COVID pandemic in Year 2020 made it difficult for me to study for three reasons: my classes went totally online in March, I could no longer use the college library and the Language Lab, and the poor Internet connection at home often interrupted my study on the course Blackboard site. (more specific) √
4. Do not make an announcement.
- In this paragraph, I am going to talk about the disadvantages to online learning. (an announcement) X
- Let me explain the disadvantages to online learning. (an announcement) X
- This paragraph is about the disadvantages to online learning. (an announcement) X
- There are three disadvantages to online learning. (not an announcement) √
- There are three disadvantages to online learning: no immediate feedback from the professors, no interactions with the classmates, and unstable Internet connection at home. (not an announcement) √
5. Do not write a fact because your opinion (the controlling idea) is missing.
- Harper College is a community college. (a fact) X
- My classmates come from twelve different countries. (a fact) X
- Harper College offers the best ESL programs in Illinois in three aspects: experienced professors, free tutoring, and the Language Lab. (Controlling idea “best” is added.) √
- Representing twelve countries, my classmates are great resources for learning different cultures. (Controlling idea “great resources for learning different cultures” is added.) √
Exercise 2
Read the following topic sentences. Identify the topic, controlling idea, and predictors. Type your answers in the boxes. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.
Example
I miss my high school life for three reasons: friends, sports, and time for myself.
topic: my high school life
controlling idea: miss for three reasons
predictors: friends, sports, time for myself
You can view and complete this exercise online in the original text.
Exercise 3
Are the following good topic sentences? If not, why not? How do you improve them? Click “True” for good topic sentences and “False” for the wrong ones. You will receive instant feedback after each sentence. If a topic sentence is wrong, you will see the correction and explanation in blue.
Example
Electric cars
This is not a good topic sentence because it is not a complete sentence and the controlling idea is missing.
Correction: I like electric cars more than gas-powered cars.
You can view and complete this exercise online in the original text.
- Content above was adapted from Building Academic Writing Skills (Cui)(opens in new window), which was shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0(opens in new window) license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lin Cui(opens in new window).
The sentences below are all topic sentences taken from different paragraphs. Highlight the topic and underline the controlling idea in each one.
- Global warming is one of the most serious problems facing society today.
- Of all the academic skills, one of the most important to practice daily is reading.
- For most people, changing dietary and exercise habits can be very challenging.
- American students have more educational debt than ever before.
Choose the best topic sentence for this paragraph from the sentences below.
_____________________________________________________. As a dog owner, the child must take care of the animal's daily needs. The dog must be fed and exercised every day. A dog is completely dependent on its owner for all its needs, including the need for good health and a safe environment. Therefore, being responsible for a dog also means taking care of the dog so that it stays healthy. Furthermore, the owner must take responsibility for the safety of the dog and the safety of the people it comes into contact with. If the child forgets any of these duties, or ignores any of the dog's needs, the dog will suffer. This teaches the child that their responsibility to the dog is more important than their desire to play with toys, talk on the phone, or watch TV. This is true not only for the care of a dog, but also for the care of oneself, another person, or one's job. Learning how to look after the health and welfare of a dog leads to learning how to take responsibility for oneself.
- Dogs are better for young children than toys, phones, or TV.
- Having a dog helps a child learn how to act responsibly.
- There are many negative results when ignoring a pet dog.
Write a topic sentence for this paragraph. To write a good topic sentence, read all of the supporting sentences carefully to decide what the writer’s main idea is. Then look carefully at the concluding sentence.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________. Most people go through a lot of planning when they do it. Besides finding financial support, they also need to spend time searching for the right house. The right house should be the right size for the family now and in the future. If a family is planning to grow, finding a house with enough space for all family members is important. Once the right size house is found, the next step is to investigate the neighborhood. Many people omit this step, but it may be the most important step before buying a house. The neighborhood is the place in which people invest, expect to raise children, and plan to live for a long period of time. A bad neighborhood can have a higher crime rate, poor schools, and might be located in areas with a lot of traffic, noise, and air pollution. With careful consideration, buying a house can be one of the best investments a person can make in their future.
- Content above was adapted from ESL Academic Writing(opens in new window), which was shared under a CC BY (opens in new window)license by Prince George's Community College.