ENG 1D
EXPOSITORY PARAGRAPH
The Topic Sentence
Characteristics of an Effective Topic Sentence
A good topic sentence is concise and emphatic. It is no longer than the idea requires, and it stresses the
important word or phrase.
Bob Ewell is evil.
Notice several things. (1) The sentence is brief. Not all topics can be explained in four words, however, do not
use more words than are absolutely necessary. (2) The sentence is clear and strong: you understand exactly
what it means. (3) It places the key word--'evil'--at the end, where it gets heavy stress and leads naturally into
what will follow. . . . (4) The sentence stands first in the paragraph. Topic sentences generally belong at or
near the beginning.

Guidelines for Composing Topic Sentences
"The topic sentence is the most important sentence in your paragraph. Carefully worded, it helps you
generate and control your information. An effective topic sentence also helps readers grasp your main idea
quickly. As you draft your paragraphs, pay close attention to the following three guidelines:
1. Make sure you provide a topic sentence.
2. Put your topic sentence first.
3. Be sure your topic sentence is focused. A topic sentence discusses only one central idea. A broad or
unrestricted topic sentence leads to a shaky, incomplete paragraph."
(Philip C. Kolin, Successful Writing at Work, 9th ed. Wadsworth, 2010)
Here is an example of an expository paragraph with an effective topic sentence:
The very idea of retirement is a relatively new invention. For most of human history, people worked
until they died or were too infirm to lift a finger (at which point they died pretty fast anyway). It was the
German statesman Otto von Bismarck who first floated the concept, in 1883, when he proposed that his
unemployed countrymen over the age of 65 be given a pension. This move was designed to fend off Marxist
agitation--and to do so on the cheap, since few Germans survived to that ripe old age.
(Jessica Bruder, "The End of Retirement." Harper's, August 2014)
PRACTICE EXERCISE
The following exercise offers practice in creating topic sentences that will attract the interest of your readers.
Both passages contain a series of sentences with specific examples of a single character trait: (1) patience and
(2) a frightful imagination. What each passage lacks is a topic sentence. Your job is to complete both
paragraphs by creating an imaginative topic sentence that identifies the particular character trait and creates
enough interest to keep us reading. The possibilities, of course, are limitless. Nonetheless, when you're done,
you may want to compare the topic sentences you have created with the original ones.
Passage A: Patience
Create a topic sentence.
____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
For example, recently I began taking my two-year-old dog to obedience school. After four weeks of lessons and practice,
she has learned to follow only three commands--sit, stand, and lie down--and even those she often gets confused.
Frustrating (and costly) as this is, I continue to work with her every day. After dog school, my grandmother and I
sometimes go grocery shopping. Inching along those aisles, elbowed by hundreds of fellow customers, backtracking to
pick up forgotten items, and standing in the endless line at the checkout, I could easily grow frustrated and cranky. But
through years of trying times I have learned to keep my temper in check. Finally, after putting away the groceries, I might
go out to a movie with my fiance, to whom I have been engaged for three years - years that have not been easy. Layoffs,
extra jobs, and problems at home have forced us to postpone our wedding date several times. Still, my patience has
enabled me to cancel and reschedule our wedding plans again and again without fuss, fights, or tears. Overcoming
frustration and adversity may not be easy, but the reward of increasing one’s ability to be patient is certainly worth it.
Passage B: A Frightful Imagination
Create a topic sentence.
____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
For instance, when I was in kindergarten, I dreamed that my sister killed people with a television antenna and disposed of
their bodies in the woods across the street from my house. For three weeks after that dream I stayed with my grandparents
until they finally convinced me that my sister was harmless. Not long afterwards, my grandfather died, and that sparked
new fears. I was so terrified that his ghost would visit me that I put two brooms across the doorway of my bedroom at
night. Fortunately, my little trick worked. He never came back. More recently, I was terribly frightened after staying up
late one night to watch The Ring. I lay awake until dawn clutching my cell phone, ready to ring 911 the moment that
spooky little girl stepped out of my TV. Just thinking about it now gives me goose bumps.
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SPOILER ALERT…
The original topic sentences are below…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Original Topic Sentences
A.
My life may be a box full of frustrations, but learning how to overcome them has given me the gift of patience.
B.
My family is convinced that I inherited my imagination from Edgar Allan Poe.
The Body
Here is an example of an expository paragraph that uses point/proof/comment in the BODY of the paragraph.
TOPIC SENTENCE
Although Scout often shows an unwillingness to leave her childish ways behind, she does ultimately
learn from her father Atticus and her surrogate mother Calpurnia how to behave in a grown up and mature
POINT # 1
manner. Atticus helps Scout to begin to understand people. When Scout comes home upset and
PROOF
confused about people’s behaviour, Atticus explains “ ‘You never really understand a person until you
COMMENT
consider things from his point of view’ ” (Lee 39). With this advice, Scout begins to understand that life
experiences shape character and influence behavior. Scout learns to be considerate of others, which helps her to
TRANSITION PHRASE
POINT # 2
grow and mature. As time passes, Scout manages to diminish childhood worries like Boo Radley and concern
herself with more adult topics like racism. With the Tom Robinson trial at the forefront of the minds of most of
PROOF
the citizens in Maycomb, the students at Scout’s school show no hesitation in imitating the behavior of the
town’s bigoted elders. They taunt Scout and Jem with racist slurs aimed at Atticus, but intended to make the
Finch children feel awful and ashamed. As the defense attorney for Tom Robinson, Atticus realizes that both he
and his children will encounter ignorant minds. This leads him to explain to Scout that everybody should be
COMMENT
treated equally, no matter their skin colour (Lee 100-101). Atticus’ wisdom allows Scout to realize that all
people are equal, no matter their race. As she occupies herself with more adult issues like racism, Scout
TRANSITION WORD
POINT # 3
shows that she is beginning to mature. Lastly, Scout begins to accept that she is growing into a young woman
and attempts to expand her knowledge of what it means to be a lady. Scout starts to learn to be a woman by
PROOF
watching Calpurnia in the kitchen; Scout “admired [her] ease and grace...” (Lee 305). Scout realizes that she
COMMENT
will one day be a woman, and sees that it takes skill and practice. Scout purposely moves herself away
from her childish thoughts of games and play, to thoughts about growing up and her future. Scout begins to
CONCLUDING STATEMENT
grow through her newly acquired knowledge of how to approach issues from an adult point of view.
The Concluding Statement
Re-read the paragraphs in this package that deal with
--Retirement
--Patience
--A Frightful Imagination
Which of the above paragraphs contain effective concluding statements?
 Retirement
YES_____ NO______ Why?__________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
 Patience
YES_____ NO______ Why? _________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
 A Frightful Imagination
YES_____ NO______ Why? ________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
USE OF QUOTATIONS IN EXPOSITORY WRITING
-When writing an expository paragraph, make sure that the quotations included in the body are important,
necessary, and help to support your argument.
-Use quotation marks if you copy a quotation word for word.
Ex.
“He searched the scalp above his forehead, located his guest and pinched it between his thumb and
forefinger.” (Lee, 34)
-If you quote someone speaking, put single quotation marks around the dialogue:
Ex.
“Little Chuck Little brought water in a paper cup, and she drank it gratefully. Finally she found her
voice. ‘What is your name, son?’ she asked softly.” (Lee, 35)
-If you paraphrase a quotation into your own words, you do not need quotation marks. You do, however, need
to include the page number in the text where the quotation can be located.
Ex.
Burris Ewell checked his scalp and found a cootie. He squished it between his fingers. (Lee, 34)
-Always introduce a quotation. Never start a sentence with a quotation. You must have your own words in
front of a quotation. You must have a lead. Quotations are not their own sentence, you need to provide
context.
Ex.
(CORRECT)
In a rude and hurtful way, Burris Ewell tells the teacher “ ‘Report and be damned
to ye!’ ” (Lee, 37)
(INCORRECT)
" ‘Report and be damned to ye!’ ” (Lee, 37) These words were spoken by Burris
Ewell to his teacher Miss Caroline.
-Always include the author’s last name and page number(s) in brackets after each quotation, so that the reader
knows you carefully researched each quotation. This way, if the reader wants to find the quotation, the proper
reference information is available.
-When your quotation is longer than four lines, you should begin the quotation on a new line, indent both sides
of the quotation, and single space. This is the only instance when you do not use quotation marks for a direct
quotation. For example,
Atticus explains to Scout that certain rules do not apply to the Ewells. In fact, Maycomb often turns a
blind eye to the behaviour of the Ewells. Such leniency is granted because it would be the Ewell
children who would suffer most if the town’s laws were enforced upon them. Scout recalls Atticus’
words:
He said that the Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of
Ewells. In certain circumstances the common folk judiciously allowed them
certain privileges by the simple method of becoming blind to some of the
Ewells’ activities. They didn’t have to go to school, for one thing. Another
thing, Mr. Bob Ewell, Burris’s father, was permitted to hunt and trap out of
season. (Lee, 40-41)
-If you wish to alter a quotation by inserting your own words, you must put square brackets around those words
that are your own.
Ex.
Atticus explains to Scout that certain rules do not apply to the Ewells. In fact, Maycomb often turns a
blind eye to the behaviour of the Ewells. Such leniency is granted because it would be the Ewell
children who would suffer most if the town’s laws were enforced upon them. Scout recalls Atticus’
words:
He said that the Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of
Ewells. [Sometimes] the common folk judiciously allowed them
certain privileges by the simple method of becoming blind to some of the
Ewells’ activities. They didn’t have to go to school, for one thing. Another
thing, Mr. Bob Ewell, Burris’s father, was permitted to hunt and trap out of
season. (Lee, 40-41)
-If you wish to alter a quotation by deleting some of the words that the author has used, you may do so by using
ellipsis points.
Ex.
Atticus explains to Scout that certain rules do not apply to the Ewells. In fact, Maycomb often turns a
blind eye to the behaviour of the Ewells. Such leniency is granted because it would be the Ewell
children who would suffer most if the town’s laws were enforced upon them. Scout recalls Atticus’
words:
…the Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of
Ewells. In certain circumstances the common folk judiciously allowed them
certain privileges by… becoming blind to some of the Ewells’ activities. They
didn’t have to go to school, for one thing. Another thing, Mr. Bob Ewell, Burris’s
father, was permitted to hunt and trap out of season. (Lee, 40-41)
WRITING TIPS
1. Indent all paragraphs. It is most common to indent a paragraph 0.5”, which translates to 5 spaces (which
is equivalent to hitting the “tab” button once).
2. Do not give paragraphs titles.
3. Do not end sentences in prepositions.
ex. Atticus had to think about the situation he was in.
Atticus had to think about his situation.
(incorrect)
(correct)
ex. That was a lot of pressure Atticus was under.
Atticus was under a lot of pressure.
(incorrect)
(correct)
4. The titles of plays and novels are underlined.
ex. To Kill A Mockingbird
Romeo and Juliet
5. The titles of short stories and poems have quotation marks around them.
ex. "Lamb to the Slaughter"
"In Flander's Fields"
6. Make sure that all sentences have subject-verb agreement.
ex. The obstacle Tom Robinson faced were enormous. (incorrect)
The obstacles Tom Robinson faced were enormous (correct)
7. An expository paragraph should never be just one sentence in length.
8. Slang such as: chill, sick, and moss should never be used in a formal piece of writing.
9. Avoid using colloquialisms (ex. Jem is just hanging around when Dill approaches him and tries to get
his goat).
10. In an expository piece of writing, you are stating your point of view. You are trying to convince the
reader that your ideas are legitimate and correct. Do not, therefore, use such terms as: maybe, probably,
perhaps, pretty sure, etc...
ex. It is likely that Jem is a caring brother.
(incorrect)
Jem is a caring brother.
(correct)
11. Sentences which contain terms such as "is when", "is how" , "is why", "is because" , "is where", should
be avoided.
ex.
Scout's kindest action is when she allows Arthur Radley to lead her to his home.
(incorrect)
Scout shows the most kindness when she allows Arthur Radley to lead her to his home.
(correct)
12. Check for complete sentences.
ex.
Atticus appeals to the jury’s sense of decency and humanity. An action which proves to be futile.
(incorrect)
Atticus appeals to the jury’s sense of decency and humanity. This is an action which proves to be
futile. (correct)
13. The phrase "a lot" is two words, not one.
ex.
Atticus displays alot of courage.
Atticus displays a lot of courage.
(incorrect)
(correct)
14. Do not use contractions in a formal piece of writing.
ex.
Bob and Mayella Ewell don’t tell the truth.
Bob and Mayella Ewell do not tell the truth.
(incorrect)
(correct)
15. Do not use abbreviations in a formal piece of writing.
ex.
Tom Robinson is honest, generous, decent, etc...
(incorrect)
Tom Robinson displays honesty, generosity, decency, and many other admirable qualities.
(correct)
16. Do not use the first person (singular or plural -- I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) in a formal piece of
writing. Use the third person.
ex.
I believe Bob Ewell is cruel. We can tell that he is a villain by what he says and by the way he
acts.
(incorrect)
Bob Ewell is cruel. One can tell that he is a villain by his words and deeds. (correct)
17. Do not address the reader directly.
ex.
You can see that Jem is a good brother because he risks his life for Scout. (incorrect)
Jem is a good brother because he risks his life for Scout.
(correct)
18. Use transition words and phrases to introduce new points. Some transition words and phrases are:
nonetheless, for example, for instance, moreover, further, furthermore, also, in addition, as well,
therefore, as a result, consequently, subsequently, secondly, thirdly, lastly, as time passes…
19. Avoid using “very” as a modifier.
Ex.
Scout shows that she can quite easily become very angry. (incorrect)
Scout shows that she can quite easily become livid.
(correct)
20. Avoid using “so” as a modifier.
Ex.
X
Scout is so upset she cannot think clearly.
√
√
√
Scout is quite upset. Indeed, she cannot think clearly.
Scout is extremely upset. Indeed, she cannot think clearly.
Scout is distraught. Indeed, she cannot think clearly.
21. Avoid using general, unspecific words (for example, “thing” and “nice”).
Ex.
X
√
√
The thing that troubles Jem the most is that he must always appear to be brave.
Jem is troubled by the thought of always having to be brave.
Jem’s greatest concern is that he must always be brave.
Ex.
X
√
People should always be nice and never discriminate.
People should always treat others with respect and never discriminate.
X
√
Asking Boo to escort her to his house is a nice thing for Scout to do.
Scout shows true maturity in asking Boo to escort her to his house.
22. Use the present tense when writing an expository piece. Avoid using the past tense.
Ex.
X
Jem was extremely upset when he found that Mr. Radley had filled the tree with cement.
He could not control his emotions and began to cry.
√
Jem is extremely upset when he finds Mr. Radley filling the tree with cement.
He cannot control his emotions and begins to cry.
23. Avoid repetition.
Ex.
X
Bob Ewell hates Atticus for defending Tom Robinson. He hates the townsfolk of Maycomb for
not believing his testimony on the witness stand. He especially hates all African Americans.
√
Bob Ewell hates Atticus for defending Tom Robinson. He detests the townsfolk of Maycomb for
not believing his testimony on the witness stand. He especially despises all African Americans.
24. Avoid using “the fact is” or “the truth is”. If you feel that you know what the fact/truth is, simply state it and do
not give it advance billing.
Ex.
The fact is that when Boo places a blanket on Scout’s shoulders, he demonstrates that he is a caring
person. (incorrect)
When Boo places a blanket on Scout’s shoulders, he demonstrates that he is a caring person. (correct)
Similarly,
The truth is that Scout is not prejudiced. (incorrect)
Scout is not prejudiced. (correct)