Topic Sentences and Concluding Sentences What is a topic sentence? A topic sentence identifies (and introduces) a topic. It is usually the first sentence or near the beginning of the paragraph. It tells what your paragraph is about. It is general; it doesn’t give details. It has general introduction words, such as: several things, some important things, a number of reasons. It has nouns, not pronouns. What is a concluding sentence? A concluding sentence ends (and sums up) a topic. It is usually the last sentence in a paragraph. It tells what the paragraph was about. It is general; it doesn’t give details. It has summary noun phrases, such as: this information, these ideas, those reasons. OR It has summary adjectives, such as: important, difficult, excellent. The conclusion is almost like the topic. It has many of the same words as the topic sentence. Example Topic Sentences: [from October Sky] Topic 1: Something happened at the coal mine. Topic 2: Homer did several things to help his family. Topic 3: Homer learned some things about working in a coal mine. Example Concluding Sentences: [from October Sky] Conclusion 1: These terrible things happened at the coal mine. Conclusion 2: Homer did these things to help his family. Conclusion 3: From this experience, Homer learned about the difficult work in the coal mine. Example Topic Sentences: [from Pollock] Topic 1: Several things happened in Pollock’s life. Topic 2: Lee Krasner was important in several ways. Topic 3: We learned some things about Sande Pollock. Example Concluding Sentences: [from Pollock] Topic 1: These important things happened in Pollock’s life. Topic 2: In all of those ways, Lee Krasner was a very important person. Topic 3: We learned this information about Sande Pollock. Example Topic Sentences: [from NCW 3] Topic 1: In NCW part 3, Tyler learned some important things about life in the Arctic. Topic 2: In NCW part 3, Tyler and the wolves began to do some of the same activities. Example Concluding Sentences: [from NCW 3] Topic 1: Tyler learned to keep warm and to make a safe shelter in the Arctic. (IMPORTANT: This conclusion only works if your paragraph told about – how he kept warm and how he lived in his camp.) Topic 2: Tyler and the wolves marked their own areas and ate the same food. (IMPORTANT: This conclusion only works if your paragraph told about – how Tyler and the wolf both urinated to mark their territory and both ate mice.)