How to write a good topic sentence

1. TOPIC SENTENCE
AND
CONTROLLING IDEA

2. Topic Sentence
 informs the reader what the paragraph is
about.
 is a complete sentence; contains a subject,
a verb, (usually) a complement.
following are not complete sentences
Driving on freeways
The importance of education
How to register for college classes

3. Topic Sentence
 Most general statement in paragraph which
gives only the main idea. It does not give
any specific details so it should be
narrowed.
 Contains both a topic and controlling idea
(key words)

4. Controlling Idea
 It is very difficult to be alone in a foreign
country.
 Most people have the wrong idea about the
definition of statistics.
 There are several unusual superstitions in
my country about death.

5.  Topic  Controlling Ideas
( General Statement) (Specific Parts)
Convenience foods are easy to prepare

6.  Controlling Idea  Topic
(specific part) (general statement)
The native foods of American cooking
America’s immigrant
population are
reflected to

7.  Topic  Controlling Idea
(general statement) (specific statement)
The American teenager consumes enormous
quantities of junk food.

8. Weak topic sentences Better topic sentences
 I can’t help liking this  This book is exciting
book. and reader- friendly.
 I like cats better than  Cats make better
dogs. house pets than dogs.
 I feel that spanking a  Spanking a child is
child is physically physically abusive.
abusive.

9. Succesful topic sentence
 A statement of intent
 A statement of opinion
These topics sentences have a statement of intent or
opinion?
 This paper demonstrates the advantages and
disadvantages of living off-campus.
 Smoking by a pregnant woman is evil because it
will cause genetic defects in the unborn child.
 To see Europe on a 55$ a day, try hiking.

10. Revision of Topic Sentences
 Before writing any essay or even a
paragraph, it is important to think, first about
the topic and then what you want to say
about the topic.
 Most often, the topic is easy, but the
question then turns to what you want to say
about the topic which is the controlling idea.

11.  Topic sentences should always contain both
(1) a topic and (2) a controlling idea.

12.  Read the following topic sentences. They
all contain a topic (underlined) and a
controlling idea (bold). When your
introduction contains a clearly stated topic
sentence such as one of the following, your
reader will know what to expect and,
therefore, understand your ideas better.

13.  1. People can avoid burglaries by taking
certain precautions.

2. There are several advantages to
growing up in a small town.

14.  3. Most US universities require a 550 point
TOEFL score for a number of reasons.
 4. Air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in
the world for a number of reasons.

15.  5. Fixing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy if you
follow these steps.
 6. There are several enjoyable ways to
travel between the US and Queretaro.
 7. Animals in danger of becoming extinct
come from a wide range of countries.

16.  8. Effective leadership requires specific qualities
that anyone can develop.
 9. Industrial waste poured into Lake Michigan has
led to dramatic changes in its ability to support
marine life.
 10. In order to fully explore the wreck of the
Titanic, scientists must address several
problems.

17. Summary
 A carefully thought out topic sentence will
serve two important functions.
 First, it will provide you, the author, the
means to stay focused on your
objective. It's a lot easier to write if you
know what you are going to write about!

18.  Second, a clearly stated topic sentence will
provide readers with the tools they need to
clearly understand what you have to say.
 These are important reasons to carefully
consider topic sentences before beginning
writing