Topic Sentences By Lissa B The Definition of

Topic Sentences! By: Lissa B.

The Definition of The Topic Sentence “A sentence that briefly states the main idea, or point, of the paragraph. "

The Purpose of a Topic Sentence The purpose of a topic sentence is to state the main idea of the work you’re writing. The topic sentence is used in some forms as a “hook” or a type of lure to pull readers into the work, while other times it merely states the main idea or points of the work.

“To Kill a Mocking Bird is a wonderful novel by Harper Lee. In the novel Harper Lee uses settings like the Radley place, Mrs. Dubose’s house, and the tree outside the Radley place to create a sense of eeriness about that part of the neighborhood. The way she describes the setting helps change the mood in different parts of the story that otherwise would have been very different if he had written them in a different way. ” EXAMPLE

The Location of a Topic Sentence A topic sentence though usually found at the beginning of the paragraph can be placed anywhere throughout the work except at the ending. The topic sentence is most often placed at the beginning of the paragraph because that is the most comfortable place for a writer to put it.

EXAMPLE OF A BAD TOPIC SENTENCE Mrs. Temple’s house was scary because it had uncut bushes outside and was unkempt. EXAMPLE OF A GOOD TOPIC SENTENCE Dark and depressing, unkempt, and overgrown; this was Mrs. Temple’s house and it was considered the scariest of all the houses.

The Rules of a Topic Sentence • The topic sentence must never be at the end of a piece of work • A topic sentence must not discuss anything other than the topic of the work • The topic sentence of a paragraph must not address anything to be talked about in a future paragraph

Turner, Dorothy. "Writing Topic Sentences. " Faculté Des Arts - Faculty of Arts - Ottawa. ca. University of Ottawa. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http: //www. arts. uottawa. ca/writcent/hypergrammar/partopic. html>. Driscoll, Dana Lynn, and Allen Brizee. "Purdue OWL: Paragraphs and Paragraphing. " Welcome to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). OWL, 17 Apr. 2010. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. <http: //owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/606/01/>. "Understanding Paragraph Structure. " Elements of Language. Ed. Lee Odell, John E. Warriner, Richard Vacca, and Renee Hobbs. 3 rd ed. Vol. 3. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. 346 -73. Print. References