Mrs. Blosch

1
Topic Sentences

• Mrs. Blosch
• FROM THE BOOK
• FOCUS WRITING SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS
• BY MARTHA E. CAMPBELL
• And
• INDIANA UNIVERSITY WRITING TUTORIAL SERVICES

2
Objectives

• Students will be able to
• narrow a topic.
• write a topic sentence.
• identify topic sentences.

3
Paragraphs

• A paragraph is a group of sentences that presents
  a main idea and related details to a reader.
• A paragraph can stand alone or can be combined
  with other paragraphs to create a longer paper.
• The first line of a paragraph is indented. We do
  this so that readers know that a new idea is
  being introduced.

4
Paragraphs

• A good paragraph has the following key elements
• A focused topic
• A main idea expressed in a topic sentence
• Details supporting the main idea
• A concluding sentence
• Paragraphs vary in length. In general a good 8th
  grade paragraph is 7-9 sentences long.

5
Example

• Walking to Physical Fitness
• Walking is my favorite way to exercise. Walking
  thirty to forty minutes every morning is a great
  way to relax. When I walk with a friend, I can
  talk about the day ahead or share some challenges
  I am facing. When I walk by myself, I can
  meditate and get rid of my stress. Walking
  regularly also improves my general health.
  Fitness experts recommend an exercise routine to
  keep the heart strong. Furthermore, walking
  every day lessens my risk of disease. I know the
  positive effects walking has made in my life, and
  I will continue my walk to physical fitness.

6
Example

• Walking to Physical Fitness has all the
  elements of a good paragraph
• A focused topic walking as a form of exercise
• A main idea expressed in a topic sentence
  Walking is my favorite way to exercise.
• Details supporting the main idea a great way to
  relax, walk with a friend, walk by myself,
  improves my general health, keeps the heart
  strong, lessens my risk of disease
• A concluding sentence I know the positive
  effects walking has made in my life, and I will
  continue my walk to physical fitness.

7
Limiting a Topic

• Limiting a topic is the first step in writing a
  strong paragraph.
• Many topics are too broad to talk about in 7-9
  sentences.
• We must focus or limit the topic so that we can
  talk about it completely in a single paragraph.

8
Limiting a Topic

• 3 ways to narrow the topic Childhood
• Childhood
• Birthday parties
• The best birthday party I ever had
• Childhood
• My friends
• My friends in the seventh grade
• My best friend in seventh grade
• Childhood
• Summer vacations
• Family trips
• The time my family went camping
• The night it rained and our tent collapsed

9
Example

• Topic Sports
• Sports
• Indoor sports
• Soccer
• Girls Soccer
• Girls soccer at Sandcreek Middle School
• The girls soccer game at SMS on a specific date
• The best shot in the girls soccer game at SMS on
  the above date

10
Writing a Topic Sentence

• The topic sentence of a paragraph expresses the
  single main idea the writer wants to communicate
  to the reader.
• All the other sentences in a paragraph explain
  the topic sentence.
• It keeps the writer on track as they write.
• It helps the reader understand the message of the
  paper.

11
Writing a Topic Sentence

• A topic sentence is neither too broad nor too
  narrow.
• If it is too broad, you will not be able to
  discuss it in a single paragraph.
• If it is too narrow, you will have difficulty
  writing an entire paragraph about the topic.

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Examples

• Too Broad Mystery novels are fun to read.
• Too narrow The last mystery novel I read was 300
  pages long.
• Just Right The plot of the novel May Tomorrow
  Never Come is suspenseful.
• Too Broad Eating correctly is important.
• Too narrow Spinach is an excellent source of
  iron.
• Just Right An important step in preventing heart
  disease is eating fruits and vegetables daily.

13
You Try It!

• Is it focused?
• Good teachers can be found in any school.
• Everyone can benefit from regular exercise.
• Good movies are hard to find.
• A good teacher listens patiently to her students.

14
Writing a Topic Sentence

• A topic sentence has 2 parts
• It names the topic.
• It expresses an idea about it.
• Example
• Topic Sentence Successful students know how to
  manage study time.
• Topic Successful Students
• What about the topic? Know how to manage study
  time

15
Examples

• Topic Sentence Knowing how to study for tests is
  important in high school.
• Topic Knowing how to study for tests
• What about the topic? Is important in high school
• Topic Sentence Taking notes in class is another
  essential study skill.
• Topic Taking notes in class
• What about the topic? Is another essential study
  skill

16
Locating the Topic Sentence

• A topic sentence can appear anywhere in a
  paragraph, but is often the first sentence.
• Provides a road map for your reader.
• Readers attention is focused on the main idea
  from the beginning.
• Rest of paragraph is expected to support that
  main idea.

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Locating the Topic Sentence

• A topic sentence can also appear as the last
  sentence in the paragraph.
• Leads the reader to the topic sentence with
  supporting details.
• Attracts the readers interest or adds suspense.

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Examples
First sentence topic sentence
One important study skill critical for college
success is doing homework completely.

• Students who are
  working for academic success know that it is
  important to follow the directions for each
  exercise. For example, if the math instructor has
  asked students to show all their work on a
  homework assignment, then the students should
  complete all steps of each problem. Successful
  students also attempt to answer all the questions
  in every homework assignment. If a problem is
  easy, the student can place a check mark next to
  it in the margin. If one of the problems is
  especially difficult, the student can place a
  question mark next to it as a reminder to ask the
  instructor for help. All in all, students who
  work hard to complete their homework to the best
  of their ability are well on their way to success
  in the classroom.

19
Examples
Last sentence topic sentence
Anthony sighs as he thinks about his humanities
test on Friday. How should he prepare for the
test? He has never taken a test in college, and
now he faces studying three chapters on the
history of Rome. Fortunately, his instructor
provided a review sheet with key terms and
concepts from each chapter. Anthony finds each
term and concept in his textbook and highlights
the related information. Then he reads through
his class notes. Finally, he makes an index card
for each item on the review sheet and records the
information he wants to recall on the test.
Afterward, he spends several hours reciting and
reviewing the details on his note cards.
Even though Anthony has never taken a
college test, he has already discovered the
importance of reviewing his textbook and his
class notes and preparing study cards before each
test.
20
Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement tells the reader what the
  entire paper will be about.
• It sets the structure for the essay.
• Like a topic sentence, a thesis statement will
  have two parts.
• It will state an opinion on one main idea and
• List the topics you will use to prove your
  opinion.

21
Thesis Statement

• A strong thesis statement will
• Take some sort of stand.
• Justify discussion of your topic.
• Express one main idea.
• Be specific.

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Thesis Statement Examples

• Take some sort of stand.
• There are some negative and positive aspects to
  the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
• This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails
  to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and
  positive aspects is vague.
• Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid
  weight loss that results in the loss of muscle
  and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger
  to customers.
• This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand,
  and because it's specific.

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Thesis Statement Examples

• Justify discussion of your topic.
• My family is an extended family.
• This is a weak thesis because it merely states an
  observation. Your reader wont be able to tell
  the point of the statement, and will probably
  stop reading.
• While most American families would view
  consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear
  family structure, many Iranian families, like my
  own, believe that these marriages help reinforce
  kinship ties in an extended family.
• This is a strong thesis because it shows how your
  experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A
  good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to
  show that the topic is controversial. Readers
  will be interested in reading the rest of the
  essay to see how you support your point.

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Thesis Statement Examples

• Express one main idea.
• Companies need to exploit the marketing potential
  of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both
  advertising and customer support.
• This is a weak thesis statement because the
  reader cant decide whether the paper is about
  marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise
  the thesis, the relationship between the two
  ideas needs to become more clear. One way to
  revise the thesis would be to write
• Because the Internet is filled with tremendous
  marketing potential, companies should exploit
  this potential by using Web pages that offer both
  advertising and customer support.
• This is a strong thesis because it shows that the
  two ideas are related. Hint a great many clear
  and engaging thesis statements contain words like
  because, since, so, although, unless, and however.

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Thesis Statement Examples

• Be specific.
• World hunger has many causes and effects.
• This is a weak thesis statement for two major
  reasons. First, world hunger cant be discussed
  thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many
  causes and effects is vague. You should be able
  to identify specific causes and effects. A
  revised thesis might look like this
• Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are
  scarce and farming in the infertile soil is
  rarely profitable.
• This is a strong thesis statement because it
  narrows the subject to a more specific and
  manageable topic, and it also identifies the
  specific causes for the existence of hunger.
• All Thesis Statement examples from
  http//www.indiana.edu/wts/pamphlets/thesis_state
  ment.shtml