For a writer, perfecting the ability to compose topic sentences is one of the most important keys to producing a special piece of writing. Generally, topic sentences are listed at the beginning of the paragraph to briefly describe the contents of each paragraph to the reader. If you want an analogy, try imagining the topic sentence as a film trailer or news item, which is made so that the audience or readers have a brief overview of the things that will appear in the film or news content. As long as your topic sentence is correct, the writing process afterward will be very easy.
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Part 1 of 3: Writing Good and Correct Topic Sentences
Step 1. State your main idea clearly and simply
Most likely, the topic sentence is the first sentence the reader will see in each paragraph and therefore, should be able to explain your main idea in clear and easy-to-understand language. A good topic sentence must also be able to represent the topic of the essay, the author's opinion, and/or the main idea that controls the overall content of the essay. Also, make sure the paragraphs that follow contain details that relate to your topic sentence.
- Always remember that topic sentences are not just written to announce your topic. For example, the statement “Today, I will explain the health benefits of gardening” is not an effective topic sentence. Instead, your topic sentence should be able to explain your intentions, without spelling out those intentions explicitly.
- The topic sentence in the example shows a clear direction of argument (“the health benefits of gardening”), which can then be elaborated on in the following paragraphs.
Step 2. Balance the portion of general and specific ideas in the topic sentence
Basically, a good topic sentence must be able to connect the paragraph below it with the thesis statement in the essay or paper. However, make sure that the topic sentence you write is balanced, that is, neither too narrow nor too broad.
- Don't make topic sentences so general or ambiguous that they are difficult to discuss in just one paragraph. Example of an overly general topic sentence: "The United States suffered greatly during the Civil War."
- Don't make topic sentences too narrow. If your topic sentence is too narrow, there will be no room left for discussion because most likely, everything presented is factual. Example of a topic sentence that is too narrow: "Christmas trees are generally made of cedar or cypress."
- Instead, focus on balance: "Sherman's destruction in the South during the Civil War also caused tremendous suffering." The topic sentence is broad enough to relate to the main idea of the essay, and not so narrow that it leaves room for the author to discuss with the reader.
Step 3. Grab the reader's interest
One of the most important roles of topic sentences is to capture the reader's attention. In other words, the reader must be able to ask questions that you will later answer after reading the topic sentence, and the most effective way to achieve this goal is to involve the reader in it. This method can be used for both fiction and non-fiction writing, and can be realized in various ways, such as:
- Describe the physical or emotional condition of the character in the topic sentence.
- Using dialogue. If there is a conversation that is relevant and able to grab the reader's attention, try to include it at the beginning of the paragraph.
- Include emotions in the topic sentence. Use those opening sentences to transfer your desired emotion to the reader.
- Include detailed information. While you shouldn't include too much detail in the topic sentence, at least use sensory language to capture the reader's attention.
- Avoid using rhetorical interrogative sentences. Your topic sentence should be able to get readers to ask questions, but make sure the questions come from within themselves, not from you!
Step 4. Write a short and interesting topic sentence
In general, a good topic sentence should be able to convey your intention without forcing the reader to dig into its meaning. That is why, the topic sentence should be made as short and clear as possible so that it is easily understood by the reader. In addition, the topic sentence should act as a middle ground in the paragraph. In other words, your topic sentence should be more specific than your thesis statement, but it shouldn't represent all of the information that will be covered in a paragraph. In addition, a topic sentence that is not too long will also make it easier for you, as a writer, to maintain the flow and significance of the paragraph below it.
Step 5. Give a reasonable opinion
Understand that the body of the paragraph is meant to prove your topic sentence. Therefore, your topic sentence must be able to represent your thoughts or beliefs with concrete supporting evidence. There's nothing forbidding you to include your opinion in the topic sentence, but make sure that opinion can be supported by strong evidence in the paragraphs that follow. For example, a topic sentence like “Growing herbs is a way of showing appreciation for fresh food.” The word “award” indicates what you believe in, and the basis for your belief should be explained in the next paragraph.
Don't just state the facts in the topic sentence. No matter how interesting the facts presented are, they will likely not be able to grab the reader's attention if they are not accompanied by your personal views. For example, instead of writing “All dogs need to eat,” try writing “All dogs need regular grooming, including having access to healthy food, and children are the best person to provide that access.” Alternatively, save that fact to use as supporting evidence in the body of your paragraph
Step 6. Use the topic sentence as a transition
Basically, a topic sentence that also functions as a transition or transition can help the reader to follow the flow of your argument, as well as prevent the reader from "getting lost" in your idea. To make it easier, try to analogize the topic sentence as a “bridge” between the main idea in the previous paragraph and the main idea in the next paragraph.
- Using appropriate conjunctions between sentences, such as “Besides” or “Contrary to that view,” is a powerful method of showing the connection between different ideas.
- For example: “Even though gardening has many health benefits, fans of the activity should still be careful when doing outdoor activities.” This topic sentence forms a relationship between the main idea in the previous paragraph (“health benefits of gardening” and the main idea in the following paragraph (“things to pay attention to when gardening”).
Part 2 of 3: Planning Topic Sentences
Step 1. Outline your essay or paper
Remember, each paragraph in your essay or paper should have a main idea, purpose, or importance that you want to convey to the reader, and it is the topic sentence that will clarify that main idea. That's why, in order to write a good topic sentence, you first need to know the topic that will be covered in each paragraph, and this is where the outline of the essay comes in.
There is no need to use a formal framework using Roman numbering and the like. An idea-based and very rough outline can also help make it easier for you to understand the material to be written
Step 2. Understand the relationship between the thesis statement and the topic sentence
In general, a thesis statement is intended to explain the main idea, purpose of writing, or the main argument of the author in an essay/written work. A thesis statement can be analytical, such as "In King Lear, William Shakespeare uses destiny as the main theme, with the aim of criticizing the religious views of society at that time." In addition, the thesis statement can also be persuasive, such as “General funding for the education sector should be increased.” Meanwhile, the topic sentence can be interpreted as a mini thesis statement in each paragraph.
Unlike a thesis statement, the topic sentence does not have to contain the author's argument. In other words, it's okay if the topic sentence only contains a brief snippet of the paragraph that will be discussed later
Step 3. Find examples of topic sentences in books or internet pages
If you are relatively new to writing topic sentences, please browse examples that can be found in various media. For example, the Purdue OWL site provides several pages with sample topic sentences. In addition, the University of North Carolina website also provides several online materials regarding the paragraph formation process with examples, as well as explaining how to build a complete paragraph, starting from making topic sentences to conclusions.
- Example of a good topic sentence: “In addition, increasing funding to build major roads in Jackson County will help improve the quality of life for local people.” After that, the rest of the sentences in the next paragraph can be filled with the main ideas related to the construction of public roads and their benefits for the welfare of local people.
- Example of a poor topic sentence: Raising funding to build a major road in Jackson County could reduce traffic congestion by as much as 20%.” Although it can be used as an interesting premise in your argument, the fact is that this fact is too narrow to be a topic sentence, especially since the topic sentence should be the steering wheel to control the direction of the entire paragraph.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Common Problems
Step 1. Don't introduce yourself in the topic sentence
Although the structure and content of each person's topic sentence is different, there are at least two things in all written works that the reader can extract: 1) that the author can introduce the topic through the title and content of the article, and 2) that at one point, personal information about the author will appears in the text. Therefore, never include sentences like “I will inform you about…,” “My writing is about…,” or “I am studying…, which will be important because….” Don't worry, readers will find all this information in the body of the essay or paper without you having to include it in the topic sentence!
Avoid using the pronoun "I" in the topic sentence, unless you are writing an opinion
Step 2. Use simple and clear word choices
No matter how tempting it may be to fill in topic sentences with heavy and complicated vocabulary, don't do it! Remember, unclear topic sentences will only confuse the reader, and make your writing feel forced. When reading your topic sentence, the reader should immediately know what the next paragraph is about, and that goal can only be achieved if you don't use confusing vocabulary or ambiguous sentences.
Step 3. Don't convey all the information in the topic sentence
While your goal is to increase the reader's understanding of the topic that will be covered in the next paragraph, don't include all the information at the beginning. Instead, just provide a brief snippet of the topic that will be discussed in the next paragraph to capture the reader's interest.
Instead of saying something like, "In this story, Amelia did many good things such as helping her friends, chatting with her parents, and helping her friends' work at school" try writing, "As a result of the series of activities that Amelia went through, all of people know him as a positive influence in the community.”
Step 4. Don't start the paragraph with a quote
Even if you already have dozens of topics that are not only interesting, but also relevant to the topic that will be introduced to readers, don't use them! Remember, you didn't make the quote yourself, while the ideal topic sentence should include your opinion, not someone else's. If the quote you are referring to is opinion-based, try replacing it with your own. Meanwhile, if the quote you are referring to is based on facts, please include it elsewhere in the paragraph.
Step 5. Don't list something you won't look into in more detail
Remember, your statement or topic sentence should contain information that will be explained later in the paragraph. That's why you shouldn't provide facts, opinions, or a mixture of facts and opinions that won't be analyzed in the next paragraph!
Tips
- Avoid using pronouns like “you” or “we” that indicate that you know the reader, when in fact you don't.
- If you must write a formal essay in English, avoid using contractions such as " don't, " " can't," and " isn't." Instead, write full phrases like " do not, " " can not " and " is not." In formal writing in Indonesian, the use of contractions such as "no" to "no" should be avoided.
- All numbers under ten must be written in letters.
- Do not include arguments in the form of interrogative sentences.
