PRACTICE on WRITING
TOPIC SENTENCES to
GIVEN THESIS
STATEMENTS
RPW 305
WRITING
(ALL DEPARTMENTS)
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
1. Use a transition phrase (firstly, secondly, etc.)
2. Include the topic word or phrase in the topic sentence:
For example:
Topic: e-learning
- X The other reason is working while studying.
The other reason for university students to benefit from
e-learning is that they can both study and work thanks
to e-learning.
The other reason is that university students can both
study and work thanks to e-learning.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
3. Use a variety of language structure rather
than sticking to just one.
4. Do not announce the topic:
For example:
X- Firstly, I want to start with freedom to fail.
- Firstly, giving students freedom to fail is
one of the reasons why e-learning is
beneficial.
Practice: Write topic sentences for
the given thesis statement:
“Smoking can cause heart diseases, lung cancer, and
emphysema.”
T.S. 1:
- First, one of the most important effects of smoking is
getting heart diseases.
- The first effect of smoking for a long time is having heart
diseases.
- To begin with, heart diseases are among the most
common effects of smoking for a long time.
- Firstly/ First of all, smoking for a long time can lead to/
leads to / results in / culminates in heart diseases.
T.S. 2
• Another result of smoking is having lung cancer,
which is a terrible disease that can result in
death at early ages.
• Furthermore, heavy smokers can have lung
cancer after long years of smoking.
• Moreover/ Secondly/ Next, addicts of cigarette
can suffer from lung cancer.
• In addition to heart diseases, people who are in
the habit of smoking may have to suffer from
lung cancer.
T. S. 3
• Lastly / Finally / Eventually / Consequently
/Thirdly emphysema can be caused by smoking
for a long time.
• The final result/ effect / impact of smoking is
emphysema.
• Emphysema is the last but not the least result of
smoking.
• The consequent result is that people who smoke
heavily can have emphysema.
• In addition to heart diseases and lung cancer, people
who smoke heavily can have emphysema, too.
• Emphysema is the last but not the least impact of
smoking, as well as heart diseases and lung cancer.
• As well as / Besides heart diseases and lung cancer,
emphysema is one of the dangerous effects of smoking.
Underlined phrases shown with this colour are
BRIDGEs to previous body paragraphs.
Try the following thesis statement:
“Women generally live longer than men for two main
reasons: They tend to make better care of their health
and they have better resistance to stress.”
T.S. 1
• The first reason for women to live longer is that they
give more importance to their health.
• First of all / To start with, the fact that women take
better care of their health results in longer life
expectancy in women.
T. S. 2
• Secondly, women are able to cope with stress
more effectively, which results in living longer.
• The second reason for women to live longer is
that they are less affected by stress than men.
• The other reason for the fact that women live
longer is due to women’s having better skills of
coping with stress.
vs.
Try writing topic sentences for the
given thesis statements.
• Thesis Statement 1:
“Students have a difficult time taking notes due
to the heavy accents of professors, echoing in
auditoriums, and the number of students’ being
large.”
• Thesis Statement 2:
“A computer is necessary for college students to
do research, to have instant access to software
needed for assignments, and to get in touch with
classmates and/or professors any time.”