Topic Sentences
The Graduate School
Academic Year 2016-17
CRITICAL WRITING: TOPIC SENTENCES
Definition:
‘a sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph
in which it occurs’
• First sentence of every paragraph
• Overviews the main argument of the paragraph
• Should support your main thesis
• Read all topic sentences to get full argument of the
piece
THINGS TO CONSIDER
• Be clear, concise and jargon-free
• Not too broad in scope (one idea per paragraph)
• Do not include lots of facts (that’s what the rest of the
paragraph is for)
• Keep it to a reasonable length
• You want to deliver your message quickly and clearly
• Talk about what and why
BAD TOPIC SENTENCES
‘Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809.’
‘This paragraph is going to talk about the exciting life of
fortune hunters and how they examine shipwrecks.’
‘Levels of crime are high in poverty-stricken areas.’
‘The American Civil War had lasting effects on the
American South.’
GOOD EXAMPLES
‘Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809, was one of the most
influential politicians in history.’
‘Fortune hunters encounter many difficulties when
exploring a shipwreck.’
‘Crime in poverty-stricken areas occurs as a result of
systemic discrimination.’
‘Because the American Civil War was fought mostly on
Southern soil, it had lasting effects on the region.’
WRITE YOUR OWN TOPIC SENTENCE
Think about your own writing. Do you make use of topic
sentences?
Try and write a topic sentence now for your thesis. It
could be the start of your abstract, an introduction, or
a paragraph within the main body of your chapter.
SET YOUR OBJECTIVES
Complete the sentence: ‘In the next 90 minutes I will…’
E.g. ‘In the next 90 minutes I will draft out a structure to my next chapter, complete with
subheadings and bullet points’
E.g. ‘In the next 90 minutes I will undertake generative writing to complete a concise 500 word
conclusion to my chapter’
E.g. ‘In the next 90 minutes I will free write the next section of my pre-planned thesis section’
E.g. ‘In the next 90 minutes I will edit and proof read my pre-written thesis section’
Things to consider:
•
Which section of your thesis you are going to work on
•
What word count you are aiming for
•
What type of writing you want to do: snack writing, free writing, generative writing
•
Be realistic!
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Go!
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OBJECTIVES FOR NEXT SESSION
Complete the sentence: ‘Before the next session I will…’
E.g. ‘Before the next session I will draft out a structure to my next chapter,
complete with subheadings and bullet points’
E.g. ‘Before the next session I will undertake generative writing to complete a
concise 500 word conclusion to my chapter’
E.g. ‘Before the next session I will free write the next section of my pre-planned
thesis section’
E.g. ‘Before the next session I will edit and proof read my pre-written thesis
section’