Writing a Topic Sentence

Dear Student,

Do you know that the way you present your ideas in an academic essay can influence the clarity of your work and the marks you get for it? To present your ideas clearly in academic writing, or any other writing for that matter, you need to employ an effective use of topic sentences.

But what is a topic sentence and why should you care about it. This is the subject that we will be looking at in this email.

What is a topic sentence?

A topic sentence is the first sentences in every paragraph of your paper. It provides the reader with an idea of what the paragraph is all about. This sentence needs to be broad enough to tell the reader what they can expect to find in a paragraph.
The rest of the sentences following the topic sentence should provide support for that sentence. This can be done with examples, statistics, citations, or elaborations.

How to write a topic sentence

Many students create paragraphs that do not have a topic sentence. The reason for this is that it can be challenging to come up with a compelling topic sentence. Such a sentence needs to be broad enough to tell the reader what they can expect in the paragraph but also needs not to be too specific. Thus, many students find the process of creating this sentence challenging.

Here are some of the things you should consider when writing a topic sentence:

  • Decide what you want to say in the paragraph.
  • Determine if what you want to say is related to the topic and your thesis statement.
  • Think about the evidence you will use to support your topic sentence.
  • Go back to the topic sentence once you have finished writing the paragraph to determine if it introduces the paragraph sufficiently.
  • Refine the topic sentence if it does not represent the paragraph correctly.

For many students, coming up with effective topic sentences can be challenging. At Virtual English Teacher, we work with highly experienced editors. They can assist in ensuring that every topic sentence in your academic paper is punchy and introduces the ideas in the paragraph adequately.

Want proof of our effectiveness and efficiency. Ask for a free, no-obligation sample of your text.
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