Topic sentences: characteristics, how to write them, and examples

Topic sentences are a fundamental part of a certain type of text; let's see what they are like.

When writing a paper, it is necessary to make it clear what is the idea we are talking about. This idea or theme can be subdivided into smaller ideas that we are going to include throughout the text, being formulated in the form of phrases. These phrases are the topic sentences.

In the following we are going to see what these topic sentences are. we are going to see what these topic sentences arehow they should be formulated, how they can be used throughout the paragraphs that make up our expository text and, also, we will see some examples of all kinds.

What are topic sentences?

Topic sentences are sentences that tell us what each paragraph of a work is about, i.e. its main idea.. The length of these sentences should not be too long, prioritizing clarity and organization of information in an appropriate way. This type of sentence summarizes the main idea of a paragraph and makes it possible that it is not necessary to read the whole paragraph to extract the central concept. For example.

"It was a tense day. Both the employers and the unions disagreed with the new working conditions and both clashed outside the labor ministry."

The inclusion of a topic sentence at the beginning of a paragraph is usually a common resource in all types of text, but it is even more so in expository texts, such as academic texts (e.g., scientific articles, doctoral theses...) and the media (e.g., newspapers). In fact, this is what makes many newspaper readers read only the first sentence of each paragraph.The most important thing to keep in mind when writing the news is to find out quickly what the news is about.

Aspects to take into account when writing them

Although at first glance it may seem simple and even intuitive, writing a correct topic sentence requires several aspects to be taken into account:

Position in the paragraph

As we mentioned before, the topic sentence of a paragraph is the sentence that indicates the main idea of the paragraph. It must be a clear and concise statement, so that it is easy to recognize and be it should be easy to recognize it and be in a position in the paragraph where it is quick and easy to grasp it..

Although the position of the topic sentence can vary in the paragraph, it is recommended in an academic writing that this sentence be at the beginning of the paragraph. In this way, the reader, who usually reads the first sentence of each paragraph when doing a quick reading, can grasp the main idea of each paragraph and also of the text as a whole before starting to read it in depth. This allows you to psych yourself up for a deeper understanding of the text.

"The war brought hard times for the Paraguayan people. Some experts say that before the conflict the country's potential was very promising but that the war paralyzed everything, ruining the nation."

2. Accuracy of the idea

Regardless of where you place the topic sentence it is necessary that its idea be presented precisely and clearly. The sentence must be formulated clearly and specifically, without ambiguity.

"The development of the vaccine is completed. Several of the companies that have been experimenting against the new virus have stated that they have already reached the end point of their research, considering the vaccine to be more than 95% effective".

3. Lexical, grammatical and normative adequacy.

When writing a topic sentence it is necessary to choose terms that are adequate, precise and appropriate to the level, register and tone of the paper.. If the text is an academic paper, it will be necessary to use specific terminology, used in its correct meaning and avoiding terms that are too general, colloquial or imprecise.

We must not forget grammatical correctness when formulating the topic sentence. As their name indicates, they are sentences and, like all sentences, they must have a main verb and an adequate structure that allows them to be understood. However, you should avoid inserting a topic sentence by starting it with imprecise verbs such as: hay, tiene, encuentra, está...

How to write this type of sentences?

The first thing we must do to be able to write topic sentences is to be clear about the general idea of our work and what small ideas make it up. This idea, which may well be the statement of a thesis or the problem that the research of a scientific article tries to answer, summarizes the purpose and the argument of the whole work. For this reason, as we are writing an academic paper, it is necessary to make an outline of the structure of the paper..

Having an adequate outline of what our written work is going to be about, we will be able to distribute the ideas that make up the main theme in different paragraphs. These paragraphs will be placed in an order that allows the reader to expand his or her initial knowledge of the topic in question and, by the time he or she has finished reading, has been able to understand the whole general idea we are trying to convey.

Topic sentences as transitions between paragraphs

The topic sentence need not always be a simple sentence that summarizes the idea of the paragraph, but a tool to give strength to our work.

In order to make our writing more cohesive we can use topic sentences to create smooth transitions between paragraphs.These should be the answer to the following question: how does this point relate to what we have written in the previous paragraph? Depending on what we answer, our transition sentence will meet the following objectives.

1. Emphasize and expand

The topic sentence introduces us to a paragraph that goes into more detail or adds new information on the same point. In this case, the topic sentence uses words implying emphasis or similarityIn this case, the topic sentence uses words that imply emphasis or similarity: in addition, in fact, also, likewise, equally, even...

"Likewise, the distribution of the vaccine has already been duly organized. First, the most at-risk populations will be vaccinated, including the elderly, health personnel and patients with Respiratory problems. Then teachers and essential food service workers will be vaccinated. Finally, the rest of the population will be vaccinated".

2. Summarize and anticipate

If the following paragraph refers to a different aspect of the same topic, the topic sentence can briefly summarize the previous paragraph. can summarize the previous paragraph briefly. In addition, this sentence anticipates the new information that will appear in the paragraph we have just started.

"Although it is true that the vaccine seems safe, the opinion of society is skeptical. They fear that, considering that there has been little time to investigate it in depth, there is still uncertainty as to its short and long-term side effects, and there is also fear that a new strain of the virus may emerge that is more deadly and resistant to current drugs".

3. Compare and contrast

If in the following paragraph you compare and contrast informationthe topic sentence contains words that highlight the difference: for example, in contrast, however, on the other hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, on the contrary...

"However, some experts are skeptical of the new vaccine. Several medical research professionals take the side of the skeptical population who, while making it clear that they distance themselves from anti-vaccine positions, cannot help but fear that the vaccine was, in fact, a last-minute fix."

You can also begin a contrast and comparison paragraph by phrasing the topic sentence in the form of a question.

"To what extent will the pandemic really be solved by the vaccine? Although the vaccine is seen as a dose of hope and as a synonym for a return to the "old" normality, there are many who argue that the necessary structure is not yet in place to vaccinate the entire population and, considering that there will be many who will not do so, whether they are antivaccinationists or simply cautious, the virus will remain in our society long after the first vaccination campaign".

Examples of topic sentences

Here are some examples of topic sentences let's look at 5 examples of topic sentences of all kinds, both academic and more mundane, to finish this idea.both academic and more mundane, to finish this idea.

"The vacations in Ibiza were splendid. I was able to spend a week going every day to the beach, visiting Formentera and discovering the most bucolic places of the Ibizan countryside."

"The message from the president of the community was conciliatory, but not very credible. Despite reaffirming that the street was a safe place, the incidents with British tourists increased more and more the distrust towards the autonomic executive who seemed to prioritize the safety of foreigners before that of the natives of the islands."

"The working dinner with the Arab emir was a disaster. Whoever was to order the catering forgot to tell them that nothing with pork should be included and only told them to put traditional Spanish food. It was an unpleasant surprise for the Muslim guest to see a piglet with an apple in its mouth being uncovered right in front of him. The Spanish executive was red with embarrassment."

"Dressing appropriately for a job interview is essential. We should avoid wearing clothes that are too formal since we can convey coldness and awkwardness to the interviewee, but it is also not appropriate to dress in tracksuits, since they will interpret that we are not taking the job offer seriously."

"My week couldn't have been worse. Despite the fact that I started it relatively well there was a time when I was late writing one report by over two days, causing the rest I was due to write to fall behind as well. I can see myself tonight working until 2:00 a.m.".

Bibliographic references:

• Encyclopedia of Examples (2019). "Topic Sentences."