Topic Sentences

What are they?

Never underestimate the power of the Topic Sentence. Having little or no focus to your paragraph, or with-holding the point of your paragraph until the end of the paragraph makes your essay seem like random babbling. You may have great ideas, killer words and concepts, but they are nothing without making your point clear. You will have a thesis for your paper. Topic Sentences derive from that thesis and are the supporting points that develop it.

Topic Sentences are like theses for your paragraphs. Each paragraph has a function, and so each paragraph must have a sentence that gives the paragraph direction, just as the thesis of your essay gives your essay direction. Usually they go at the beginning of your paragraphs, for the sake of clarity.

You should be able to read only your Introduction and the Topic Sentence for each paragraph - and be able to understand exactly how the argument unfolds

What do they do?

Topic Sentences verify and substantiate your thesis. One way to develop this habit is to use key-terms from your thesis in each of your Topic Sentences. This reminds the reader that they are on the right path, headed in the right direction, as well as where they have been and how they got where they are now. This need for clarity and connection makes those transitional phrases so crucial in developing Topic Sentences.

Topic Sentences should be in your own words. Topic Sentences should NEVER be

            someone else's words. While you need evidence to support every claim you make, it

            is your brilliance, and your brilliant ideas and thoughts that should lead (and close)

            every paragraph. This will also help your flow.

Topic Sentences should create a framework for the structure of your argument.

             If your thesis is a road-map for your essay, then Topic Sentences are like the signs  

             along the freeway that tell you what's up ahead  (in the paragraph) and, through

             careful organization, approximately when and what it will take to reach your

             destination (Conclusion).

Topic Sentences reflect your organization, so if you can't make a clear Topic Sentence, there's a pretty good change that your paragraph (and possibly your paper) needs re-thinking, and direction. One way of working with Topic Sentences is to create a Reverse Outline - an outline in which you write out your thesis, and follow that with the full and complete Topic Sentence for each paragraph, so that you can visually assess what needs re-organizing.