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2. What Is a Topic Sentence? At one time or another during a…
2. What Is a Topic Sentence?
At one time or another during a conversation, you have probably asked the question, “So, what’s your point?” Having a point, or a specific idea that guides your discussion of a topic makes it easier for others to understand what you are saying and why you are saying it. The same concept applies to writing. A reader will be more likely to grasp your meaning if you clearly state your main idea and then support it. Typically, a paragraph has two components: a topic sentence, which contains the main idea, and a body sentence, which contains the supporting details.
The Main Parts of a Paragraph
Topic Sentence Body Sentence
States the main idea of the paragraph; usually, but not always, the first sentence in the paragraph Develops and supports the topic sentence with examples and evidence
Example: Many students struggle to find jobs after graduating from college or university because they have no experience in their career field. Example: Approximately 9% of new post-secondary graduates are unemployed, with few prospects of getting a job, partly because they have no real-world job training from an internship.
Directions: Select the topic sentence in each of the following groups of jumbled paragraph sentences. (Hint: The topic sentence will have a main idea that all the remaining body sentences support.)
Every year more than 500,000 plastic, nonbiodegradable cell phones wind up in landfills.
Some non-biodegradable plastic cell phones are now being replaced with degradable wooden cell phones with the same features.
Yoon and Lee now sell their wooden cell phones to consumers all over the world, thereby decreasing the amount of plastic in landfills.
Can you imagine chopping down a tree and making cell phones out of it?
The wooden phone, developed by Hyun Jin Yoon and Eun Hak Lee, has a touch-sensitive keypad and a camera, just like many plastic models.
Documented deaths resulting from snakebites are uncommon.
Although most snakes are strictly carnivorous, they usually feed on small animals, not humans.
Some people believe snakes are slimy; however, snakeskin has a smooth, dry surface.
Snakebites usually occur because people provoke snakes into attacking them.
Many people have an irrational fear of snakes.
Before this time, men, dressed as women, played female roles in England.
In 1660, the king of England allowed women to perform on stage.
Although it is commonplace today, women were not always allowed to pursue an acting career.
The first English actresses were a novelty and were received with enthusiasm.
Did you know that the first person to play Shakespeare’s Juliet was a man?
3. What Is a Controlling Idea?
Writing a good topic sentence is an important step toward writing a paragraph. A topic sentence shows the direction and the scope of the paragraph. For this reason, the topic sentence is usually placed first in the paragraph to guide the reader to the main point. There are two major components to the topic sentence: the topic and the controlling idea.
The Main Parts of a Topic Sentence
Topic Controlling Idea
Definition: The topic is the subject of the paragraph. Definition: The controlling idea develops the writer’s point of view about the topic.
Example: “Community college tuition . . .” Example: “. . . shouldn’t be raised because it will become too expensive for many students to continue their education.”
Topic + Controlling Idea = Topic Sentence
Definition: A topic sentence is a sentence that provides a specific topic and point of view for the paragraph.
Example: Community college tuition (topic) shouldn’t be raised because it will become too expensive for many students to continue their education (controlling idea).
Directions: The following topic sentences contain controlling ideas but are missing topics. Select the topic from the dropdown menu in each sentence that matches with the corresponding controlling idea.
Controlling Ideas
1. _________________( picking a major, my mother, horses, vegan diet, cell phones) should be permitted for use while driving, but only with hands-free devices
2. ____________________( picking a major, my mother, horses, vegan diet, cell phones) has often inspired me with her work ethic.
3. Although expensive to own, __________________________________( picking a major, my mother, horses, vegan diet, cell phones) are fun to ride and to train.
4. Adopting a_______________(picking a major, my mother, horses, vegan diet, cell phones) can save the lives of countless animals and improve a person’s health.
5. For many students, ______________(picking a major, my mother, horses, vegan diet, cell phones) can be a difficult decision to make in their first semester of university if they didn’t take courses that interested them in high school.
Directions: The topic sentences that follow contain topics but are missing controlling ideas. Select the appropriate controlling idea from the dropdown menu for each topic.
1. My first job __________________. (is best done by living in a Spanish-speaking country, helped me build my communication skills, can severely damage your bones, should be legal for medicinal use in all states)
2. Marijuana _______________. (is best done by living in a Spanish-speaking country, helped me build my communication skills, can severely damage your bones, should be legal for medicinal use in all states)
3. Learning Spanish_______________. (is best done by living in a Spanish-speaking country, helped me build my communication skills, can severely damage your bones, should be legal for medicinal use in all states)
4. Vitamin D deficiency__________________. (is best done by living in a Spanish-speaking country, helped me build my communication skills, can severely damage your bones, should be legal for medicinal use in all states)
4. What Is a Supporting Detail?
A topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph. In order for a paragraph to be complete and effective, it must contain details that back up the topic sentence. Supporting detail is a piece of evidence used by the writer to make the controlling idea of the topic sentence convincing and interesting to the reader. Supporting details can come in the form of facts, statistics, reasons, quotations from experts, descriptive images, examples from history, examples from personal experience, or anecdotes used to illustrate a point. The following table shows examples of both effective and ineffective supporting details.
Supporting a Topic Sentence
Topic sentence: Running is gaining popularity among university students.
Effective Supporting Details Ineffective Supporting Details
Statistic: Four hundred and thirty-two of the one thousand students surveyed listed running as a favourite activity. Statement that is too general: Running is fun for all ages.
Example from personal experience: I started running daily as a first-year student to decrease my stress level. Repetition of the topic sentence: Running is popular in university these days.
Fact: The campus intramural track team has jumped in membership this quarter from 40 to 110 students.
Directions: Identify each of the following sentences as the topic sentence (“T”), an effective supporting detail for the topic sentence (“E”), or an ineffective supporting detail (“I”) by selecting the correct letter from the dropdown menus that follow each sentence.
1. They contain various substances which are good for you._____________(E, I, T)
2. These seeds, like fish, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a substance that helps with body functions such as blood clotting and building cell membranes._____________(E, I, T)
3. The seeds of the chia plant have excellent health benefits._______________(E, T, I)
Sources: Strom, Stephanie. “30 Years After Chia Pets, Seeds Hit Food Aisles.” The New York Times. 23 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Jan. 2013, Sacks; Dr. Frank. “Ask The Expert: Omega-3 Fatty Acids.” The Nutrition Source. The Harvard School of Public Health., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
5. How Do You Choose Supporting Details?
Develop the main idea of a paragraph by supporting it with details. It is important that the supporting details and method of development fit well with the aims of the paragraph. For example, if a writer were trying to convince readers that the local government is overspending, she might use an illustration or example method of development to provide examples that support her argument. For this paragraph, supporting details with facts and statistics would probably work better than supporting details made up of sensory images. Keep in mind, though, that more than one method of development is almost always used within a paragraph, and sometimes even within a single sentence. Click the blue text in the left-hand column to see an example for each type.
Methods of Paragraph Development
Narration relating a story using a sequence of events
Description using sensory images to tell how someone or something appears, acts, functions
Process using steps that explain how to do something or how something works
Illustration or example giving instances of the main idea
Comparison/contrast showing similarities or differences
Cause and effect examining reasons or outcomes
Extended definition analyzing the meaning of a word or concept
Classification breaking down a subject into categories or types
5. How Do You Choose Supporting Details?
Develop the main idea of a paragraph by supporting it with details. It is important that the supporting details and method of development fit well with the aims of the paragraph. For example, if a writer were trying to convince readers that the local government is overspending, she might use an illustration or example method of development to provide examples that support her argument. For this paragraph, supporting details with facts and statistics would probably work better than supporting details made up of sensory images. Keep in mind, though, that more than one method of development is almost always used within a paragraph, and sometimes even within a single sentence. Click the blue text in the left-hand column to see an example for each type.
Methods of Paragraph Development
Narration relating a story using a sequence of events
Description using sensory images to tell how someone or something appears, acts, functions
Process using steps that explain how to do something or how something works
Illustration or example giving instances of the main idea
Comparison/contrast showing similarities or differences
Cause and effect examining reasons or outcomes
Extended definition analyzing the meaning of a word or concept
Classification breaking down a subject into categories or types
Directions: Read the scenarios, then answer the question that follows each one.
Paula is writing a paragraph that explains the differences between a comet and an asteroid. One of her supporting details states that a comet has an eccentric orbit, whereas an asteroid has an elliptical orbit. Which method of paragraph development does this illustrate?
Narration
Comparison/contrast
Cause and effect
Jennifer is writing an essay that tells about the various events that occurred on her trip to Nicaragua. One of her supporting details describes her experience passing through customs and immigration at the airport. Which method of paragraph development does this illustrate?
Extended definition
Narration
Classification
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