Topic Sentences
Duane Theobald
dtheobal@westga.edu
Topic Sentences???
• What do you already know about topic
sentences?
Topic Sentences: The Basics
• A topic sentence serves to organize an entire
paragraph, and you need to make sure to include
one in most of your major paragraphs.
• Two directions:
▫ Relates the paragraph to the essay’s thesis & acts
as a signpost/marker for the argument of the
paper
▫ Defines the scope of the paragraph itself
What makes a good topic sentence?
• Good topic sentences can improve an essay’s readability
and organization, and they meet the following criteria:
▫ A topic sentence is usually the first sentence of the
paragraph, not the last sentence of the previous
paragraph.
▫ Topic sentences use keywords or phrases from the
thesis to indicate which part of the thesis will be
discussed.
▫ Topic sentences tell the reader what concept will be
discussed and provide an introduction to the
paragraph.
▫ Topic sentences should point back to the
subject/main idea presented within the thesis
statement.
Good Topic Sentences (cont’d)
• Good topic sentences also include:
▫ Topic sentences may also signal to the reader where
the essay has been and where it is headed through
the use of certain words such as “first,” “second,”
or “finally.”
▫ Topic sentences may act as a mini thesis statement,
essentially saying that “This is my claim, or point I will
prove in the following paragraph. All the sentences
that follow this topic sentence must relate to it in
some way.”
▫ Topic sentences should make a point and give
reasons or examples to support it.
Good Topic Sentences Do Not Include:
• A quotation from the critic or from the text you’re
discussing.
• A piece of information that tells the reader
something more about the plot of the text you’re
studying.
▫ Weak “narrative” topic sentence
▫ Stronger “topic-based” topic sentence
• A sentence that explains your response or reaction
to the work, or that describes why you’re talking
about a particular part of it.
▫ Weak “reaction” topic sentence
▫ Stronger “topic-based” topic sentence
Topic Sentences: Not Always Needed?
• Although most paragraphs should have a topic
sentence, there are a few situations in which a
paragraph might not need a topic sentence.
These situations may include:
▫ Having a paragraph that narrates a series of
events
▫ Having a paragraph that develops an idea you
introduced (with a topic sentence) in the previous
paragraph
▫ Having a paragraph where ALL the sentences in
the paragraph clearly refer to a main point
Let’s Practice Together!!
• Let’s develop a topic sentence based on the following
paragraph:
▫ During the 1990s, I really enjoyed watching Friends on
television every Thursday night. I really wanted
Rachel’s haircut—I think every girl wanted Rachel’s
haircut back then! Rachel’s haircut went really well
with the Guess Jeans that were so popular in the
1990s. I remember all the advertisements for Guess
and Calvin Klein Jeans that were in each month’s
Sassy magazine. I don’t think Sassy magazine exists
anymore, but it was one of the most popular
magazines for young women in the 1990s.
What did you come up with?
• Thinking about the 1990s brings back a lot
of memories for me about fashion and
popular culture. During the 1990s, I really
enjoyed watching Friends on television every
Thursday night. I really wanted Rachel’s haircut—I
think every girl wanted Rachel’s haircut back then!
Rachel’s haircut went really well with the Guess
Jeans that were so popular in the 1990s. I remember
all the advertisements for Guess and Calvin Klein
Jeans that were in each month’s Sassy magazine. I
don’t think Sassy magazine exists anymore, but it
was one of the most popular magazines for young
women in the 1990s.
Topic Sentences: On Your Own!
• Look at pages 4-6. Read each
paragraph and select the topic
sentence that will correspond
with each paragraph. Make
sure to consider the specific
points we have discussed
previously!
What did you choose?
1. Answer is… C!: This idea
threads through the paragraph.
It is expressed in the third
sentence, which tells readers
how shaky the evidence for the
effect of Mozart’s music on IQ.
What did you choose?
2. Answer is…B!: After this
sentence is introduced, the other
sentences describe the many
deaths that resulted in climbing
up Mt. Everest. This sentence
sums up the paragraph as a topic
sentence is supposed to.
What did you choose?
3. Answer is…C!: Introduced by a
transitional sentence, this is the
point that gets the most
development in the paragraph.
The author offers 2 specific
examples, and the examples
illustrate how blogs have
increased the public’s access to
information.
Questions?
• Remember that the UWC is always here to help
you!
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678-839-6513
writing@westga.edu
TLC 1201 (First floor, past the snacks)
www.westga.edu/writing
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(UWG)
Questions?
• Duane Theobald (Manager)
• 678-839-5312
• dtheobal@westga.edu