Keep in mind that this is not an invitation to simply announce your topic. “Today I’m going to discuss the benefits of gardening” is not an effective topic sentence. You should be able to make your intentions clear without stating them explicitly. The topic sentence in this example states a clear direction (“health benefits of gardening”) that you can then elaborate on in your paragraph.
Don’t write too vague or general an idea or you will never be able to discuss it in a single paragraph. This is too general: “The United States suffered a lot during the Civil War. " Don’t write too narrow of a statement. There’s nothing much to talk about then, because it’s probably a fact. This is too narrow: “Christmas trees are either cedars or firs. " Instead, aim for a good balance: “Sherman’s destruction in the South during the Civil War also caused incredible suffering. ” This is big enough to relate to the broader idea of an essay, but not so narrow that there’s nothing left to discuss.
Describe a character. This can be a physical or emotional description. Use dialogue. If there is a relevant conversation that will attract your reader’s attention, consider using part of it to start your paragraph. Portray an emotion. Use the opening sentence to portray an emotion to your reader. Use detail. While you don’t want to write a run on sentence by creating too much detail, it’s a good idea to create interest using sensory language in your topic sentence. Avoid rhetorical questions. While you want your reader to formulate questions in his or her mind, you do not want to formulate the questions yourself.
Avoid presenting only facts in your topic sentence. While facts may be interesting, they do not introduce the reader to your paragraph nor do they draw the reader in. If you wish to include a fact, also include your own input. For example, instead of writing “All dogs need food,” try “All dogs need regular care, including healthy food, and children are the best ones to do it. " Alternatively, save your facts to use as evidence in the body of your paragraph.
Using transitional elements, such as “In addition” or “In contrast,” is a good way to show the relationship between your ideas. For example: “Although gardening has many health benefits, people still need to exercise caution when outside. ” This topic sentence establishes a connection to the main idea of the previous paragraph (“health benefits of gardening”) and points to the direction of the new paragraph (“things to be cautious of”).
A topic sentence, unlike a thesis statement, doesn’t have to present an argument. It can present a “preview” of what the paragraph will argue or discuss.
For example, a topic sentence could look like this: “In addition, increasing funding for public roads in Jackson County will improve local residents’ quality of life. ” The rest of the sentences in this paragraph would relate to the main idea of public roads and how they will help benefit local residents. This is not as successful a topic sentence: “Increased funding for public roads in Jackson County has decreased traffic by 20%. ” While this is probably an interesting fact for your argument, it’s too narrow for a topic sentence. The topic sentence has to direct the whole paragraph.
Unless it is an opinion piece, avoid using ‘I’ in your topic sentences.
Rather than stating something like “In the story, Amelia did many good things such as help out her friends, talk to her parents, and support her team at school” say something like “As a result of the many activities Amelia participated in, she was recognized for her positive influence on the community. ”
