TOPIC SENTENCES
What is a topic sentence?
A topic sentence has four main characteristics
It is a sentence.
It is a part of a paragraph, usually the first
sentence.
It has the topic of the paragraph
It has the controlling idea of the paragraph.
A topic sentence is the main idea of a
paragraph.
SO….
A topic sentences is a sentence that has a
topic and a controlling idea and is the first
sentence of a paragraph.
A topic sentence
CANNOT BE
AN
INCOMPLETE
SENTENCE
The best coffee.
Cell phones for emergencies.
A topic sentence
CANNOT BE
A
FACT
The U.S. imports coffee from Columbia.
California is located on the West Coast.
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the
United States.
A topic sentence
CANNOT BE
A
QUESTION
Why do people drink coffee?
Why do people choose Southern California as a place to live?
Why do Americans celebrate Lincoln’s birthday?
The Topic
A topic tells the reader the subject of the paragraph.
Examples of topics for a paragraph….
coffee
Fullerton College
cell phones
getting a tattoo
In American writing…
• A reader expects to have an idea of the topic and the
focus of a paragraph.
• Each time the reader sees a new paragraph, he/she
expects the topic (or focus) to change.
Here are three paragraphs in an essay about Lincoln’s difficult
childhood.
(Par 1) One of the greatest difficulties young Lincoln
faced was the death of his mother.
(Par 2) Young Lincoln did not have many friends
growing up.
(Par 3) Finally, Lincoln could not attend school.
B r o a d >>>>> Narrow
Topics
• Sometimes a topic is too big to write about
in one paragraph. A paragraph is only 1220 sentences. Look at the following broad
topics.
• marriage
• Fullerton College
• computers
It would be impossible to write about these
topics in ONE paragraph!
How can topics be narrowed?
• marriage
– teen marriage
– cross-cultural marriage
– age differences in marriage
• Fullerton College
– Student services at FC
– Fullerton College soccer team
– Applying to FC
• computers
– Your turn…..how can you narrow this topic?
CONTROLLING IDEAS
A controlling idea tells the reader what the
writer is going to say about the topic. It
might be an opinion about the topic, or it
might be the focus or the direction that the
writer is going to take the topic.
Examples of controlling ideas…
great, dangerous, favorite, popular, exciting,
funny
A topic sentence implies a
question that the paragraph is
going to answer….
• WHY? Why is it popular? the best? Why
should we….? Why was it terrible?
• HOW? How is it attractive? How did it
change? How is it terrible?
• WHERE? Where should we go?
• WHICH ONES? Which do you think are
the most important, biggest, etc.
• WHAT? What reasons? What effects?
Topic Sentences
What question do you expect to be answered in a
paragraph with the following topic sentences?
Fullerton College has great student services.
Parking at Fullerton College is a horrible experience.
People get tattoos for three main reasons.
Tattoos should be illegal.
Green tea is becoming a popular drink in the U.S.
Cell phones make our life easier.
Cell phones are annoying.
Lincoln had a difficult childhood.