Topic Sentence

All compositions consist of literary units called paragraphs. A paragraph develops a main idea, which is stated in a topic sentence. Functioning in a paragraph in the same way that a thesis statement functions in an essay, a topic sentence establishes the direction for the paragraph, with all other sentences in the paragraph supporting and developing it.

Although a topic sentence often appears at the beginning of a paragraph, it may also be placed in the middle or at the end. When it is placed at the beginning of the paragraph, the rest of the sentences support the topic sentence, and the paragraph is developed deductively. In other words, the main idea appears first, then the information supporting this idea follows. For example:

Sometimes the topic sentence occurs at the end of the paragraph. When this is the case, the topic sentence provides the focus for the sentences leading up to it. The paragraph is developed inductively; that is, the evidence is given first, and then the conclusion derived from this evidence is stated. For example, the following paragraph is about the Texas Hill Country:

Sometimes the topic sentence is delayed until the middle or near the middle of the paragraph. When this is the case, the topic sentence serves as a bridge, or transition, between the information in the first part of the paragraph and the information in the second. For example:

Reference: Strunk, Wiliam Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed., Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

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