Writers use topic sentences to let the readers know what to expect in the paragraph
Most topic sentences are direct statements.
· The invention of the telephone has influenced the way we live in innumerable ways, some less obvious than others.
· Wyoming cowboys have four distinct styles of dress,
· Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson were the first “buddies” in what was to become a pattern in detective stories.
· Vandals affect a community no matter how prepared it is.
For Readers: The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph (usually at or near the beginning)
For Writers: The topic sentence serves as a reminder of the boundaries of the paragraph, thereby helping them stick to the point and develop a unified paragraph.
Once you have a clear topic sentence, you will find it easier to complete the paragraph. If you are having difficulty completing a paragraph, you may need to think more about what you want to say.
But how do I know if I have a good topic sentence?
A topic sentence should have three characteristics:
1. It includes a subject and a controlling idea (some opinion on the subject)
2. It is limited enough to be developed in one paragraph
3. It lends itself to development (there is more to say on the topic)
As you are developing your topic sentence, ask yourself a few questions:
ØWhat is my purpose? What do I want this piece to accomplish?
ØWhat is the main point I want to communicate about my subject?
ØWhat details can I use to develop this main point?
ØHave I limited my topic to a manageable length?
Examples:
Good listeners not only hear what is said, but also understand nonverbal messages.
üSubject: listeners
üControlling Idea: understand nonverbal messages
üLimited Scope?: Yes, the writer is not trying to talk about all listening skills
üMethods of Development: The writer could follow with examples of nonverbal messages and interpret them for the reader.
Nonverbal language is interesting.
üSubject: nonverbal language
üControlling Idea: interesting
üLimited Scope: No, this is a very broad statement
üDevelopment: ? This sentence is not well focused, so it is not as clear what information should come next. This sentence simply states an attitude. The reader doesn’t know what will come next and may be thinking, “It might be interesting to you, but I could care less.”
The guinea pig is a member of the rat family.
üSubject: Guinea pigs
üControlling Idea: member of the rat family.
üLimited Scope: Yes
üDevelopment: ? This sentence doesn’t leave much more to say on the subject. This might be useful to know, and it could be followed with other facts about guinea pigs, but there is no controlling idea to bring the facts together. Without a controlling idea, and number of unrelated facts could be included in any order. This is not a topic sentence. It is just a statement of fact.
The English 241 class is filled with aspiring writers.
üSubject: English 241 class.
üControlling Idea: filled with aspiring writers
üLimited: Yes
üDevelopment: Examples of individuals and their writing dreams and goals or discussion about the contests they have entered and prizes they have won.
At the Compu-Graf convention, visitors tested the latest computer graphics software.
üSubject: Visitors at the Compu-Grag convention.
üControlling Idea: Tested the latest computer software.
üLimited: Yes
üDevelopment: Descriptions of testing facilities and/or the latest programs
Students interested in a career in landscape architecture often visit the Randolph Nursery to see the miniature replicas of the world’s most famous gardens.
üSubject: Students of landscape architecture
üControlling Idea: Often visit Randolph Nursery
üLimited: Yes
üDevelopment: This is where the writer is likely to run into difficultly. The controlling idea “often visit” does not lend itself to development. It would seem to require a list of times visited—which wouldn’t be very interesting to read about. The writer probably wants to describe the miniature gardens, but if that is the case, the topic sentence needs to be restructured to make the gardens themselves the subject.
REVISED: Randolph Nursery’s miniature replicas of the worlds’ most famous gardens are a valuable resource for landscape architecture students.
üSubject: Miniature garden replicas
üControlling Idea: a valuable resource
üLimited: Yes
üDevelopment: Description of the gardens and a discussion of what can be learned by visiting them.