Topic Sentence: Teen pregnancy may be prevented by improved education. The topic is "teen pregnancy may be prevented" and the controlling idea is "improved education." Topic Sentence: Cooking requires a number of different skills. The topic is "cooking" and the controlling idea is "many different skills."
Rewrite each so that the topic is clear, narrow enough to talk about in a paragraph, and makes a claim of some kind. Bad Example: The Dust Bowl impacted many people in Oklahoma and California.
A strong topic sentence should be placed at or near the beginning of a paragraph. In addition, this sentence should focus on a specific issue, avoid the use of direct quotations, and leave room for support and analysis within the body of the paragraph. Read on to learn more about creating an effective topic sentence.
What is a good sentence starter for a topic sentence?
So, when you want to introduce a new idea, you might use a sentence starter like: "What if," "What happened is…" or "Here's the thing:". Subsequently, to elaborate on what you've already said, good starters to use include "Anyway," "So," or "In addition,".
Topic Sentence: Dogs make wonderful pets because they help you to live longer. The topic is "dogs make wonderful pets" and the controlling idea is "because they help you to live longer."
If you find yourself seriously struggling in the midst of paper-writing, there's a good chance the issue can be traced back to your thesis. A strong thesis should logically set up the argument you're making in your paper and the points you'll use to make it.
Key sentences in academic writing do two things. First, they establish the main point that the rest of the paragraph supports. Second, they situate each paragraph within the sequence of the argument, a task that requires transitioning from the prior paragraph.
Does a topic sentence have to be the first sentence?
Topic Sentence at the Beginning and the End of the Paragraph
Traditionally the topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph. In this lead position, it functions to introduce the examples or details which will explain the controlling idea.
Start with the chase. A good hook might also be a question or a claim—anything that will elicit an emotional response from a reader. Think about it this way: a good opening sentence is the thing you don't think you can say, but you still want to say. Like, “This book will change your life.”
Killer Sentence Examples. The killer could have found it days later. It appeared our Delabama killer had a name. This killer of Miss Washington is your most dire threat to date.
A serial killer is conventionally defined as a person who murders three or more people in a period of over a month, with a “cooling down” time between murders. For a serial killer, the murders must be separate events, which are most often driven by a psychological thrill or pleasure.
Sometimes topic sentences are actually two or even three sentences long. If the first makes a claim, the second might reflect on that claim, explaining it further. Think of these sentences as asking and answering two critical questions: How does the phenomenon you're discussing operate?
Last summer my family went on an amazing picnic in a park. We brought freshly made ham sandwiches, apple pie and ice cold lemonade. While we enjoyed our picnic lunch under a tree, a small gray squirrel crawled close to us. Suddenly this small squirrel grabbed my delicious piece of pie off my plate and scurried off.
