Good paragraphs are unified around a main point, with all sentences included pointing to that major idea in some way. To keep the reader from guessing what that singular main point is, you lay it out clearly using a topic sentence.
When writing your own topic sentences, always keep these in mind:
- It should express the main point that the paragraph intends to convey, essentially summarizing the ideas contained therein.
- It should give the reader a sense of direction, informing them of the kind of information you’re about to present.
- It should appear early, either as the first or second sentence. That ensures the reader exhausts the rest of the paragraph with an idea of what to expect, allowing them to understand it faster and much more completely.
- If you’re having trouble, try writing it as the paragraph’s conclusion. Chances are, the conclusion will be a central expression of the main topic anyway. Of course, you should reword so that it makes sense when it appears at the top of the block.
The rest of the sentences in a paragraph should work to support the topic sentence, developing the general idea into details that reinforce it. There are many ways to do this, such as presenting evidence, making logical arguments, giving examples , using analogies and more.
Like all good writing practices, topic sentences can benefit from being put through a writing check software. After all, even well-thought-out paragraphs need to be grammatically sound too.
