Dr. Jennie A. Harrop

Topic Sentences

Definition to Remember:

• Topic Sentence = the purpose of your paragraph

Every paragraph must have a topic sentence that states clearly for your readers the purpose of that specific paragraph. If you do not have a topic sentence, how will your readers understand your intent? If you are unsure what your topic sentence should be, how can you expect your readers to dig through to locate your meaning? If you aren’t clear on the purpose of a single paragraph, why have you bothered to include it?

As we move from the sentence equation to the paragraph equation, it is important to recognize that the simple math is equally important at the paragraph level. Just as subject + verb = sentence, your readers will expect this equation of each paragraph you write: topic sentence + evidence = paragraph.

The easiest place to situate the topic sentence is as the first line of each new paragraph, followed by direct evidence. But you are free to place the topic sentence anywhere that is most effective for your meaning, as long as you have one.

“Keep the main thing, the main thing. Use the best words to make your point, rather than the most words. Clear, concise writing is a gift for the reader.” Heather Rainey, Administrative Assistant, Doctor of Ministry Program

To write an effective topic sentence, picture your audience sitting beside your desk. If you had to state the purpose of your paragraph in a single sentence to your audience, whether it is a single person or a convention center full of thousands, what would you say? If you are not used to including a topic sentence with each new paragraph you write, save this step for your revision work. Often the topic sentence can be fine-tuned or even added after you have finished writing the draft.

Rules to Remember:

1. Every paragraph must have a clear topic sentence.
2. The topic sentence must clearly state your purpose for that paragraph.
3. If you have more than one paragraph, the topic sentence must be a single sentence (subject + verb = sentence) that both presents your topic for the paragraph and builds on the ideas you have presented already. If you line up your topic sentences, one after the other, are they repetitive of one another? Do the ideas drift forward and back, or does your line of thinking move clear forward to a single main point? Remember, too, that each new topic sentence should relate directly to your overall thesis statement if you are writing an essay.

Common Errors:

• Skipping the topic sentence because the meaning is self-evident or implied. Never assume that your readers are heading in the same direction you are. Instead offer them the simple math necessary to keep your communication clear, concise, and meaningful.
• Combining the topic sentence with other information, with an assumption that the readers will understand which is which. Instead include a single clear topic sentence in each new paragraph you write.

Evidence

Definition to Remember:

• Topic Sentence + Evidence = Paragraph

Rules to Remember:

“As a social change-agent, I ended up writing and editing policies for a startup charter school. These policies codified our commitment to being a healthy civic partner, protected public assets, and helped clarify – in a time of rapid change and growth – our community expectations.” Kirsten Rayhawk, Board Member, Portland Village School

1. Once you have decided what claim you will make about your topic, you must decide what supporting material will best demonstrate to your readers that you have good reason to believe what you do about your subject. Without evidence, you will find yourself merely repeating your ideas.
2. The more specific your evidence is, the more persuasive and memorable your claim will be. The key here – regardless of the kind of writing you are doing, whether an anthropology term paper or an email to your boss – is to show your readers, rather than merely tell them.
   Consider, for example, the following paragraph. It begins with a clear topic sentence, followed by very specific evidence. Take note that the author does not bother to explain and re-explain the ideas (telling), but instead offers specific, visual details (showing) so we readers can better identify with the claims at hand:
   • My oldest son was a daredevil as a child. When he was in second-grade, he was called to the principal’s office for encouraging a crowd of boys to toss rocks over the school yard fence at passing cars. When he was in fourth grade, he built a jump for his bike at the neighborhood park and gained so much air that he nearly fractured his spine when he landed. When he as a sophomore in high school, I grounded him for an entire summer after he organized a drag race at the beach and ran our family Jeep directly into oncoming waves. Indeed, life with my spirited oldest son has never been dull.
3. Evidence can mean a number of different kinds of support. Examples are just one option. To develop a topic sentence into a full paragraph, you might also include any of the following: examples, reasons, facts, details, statistics, anecdotes, or quotations from experts.
4. Your evidence should always be (1) relevant and unified, (2) specific, (3) adequate, (4) accurate, (5) representative, and (6) if borrowed, properly documented.

Common Errors:

• Repeating the topic sentence rather than moving directly into evidence. If you need to repeat or clarify your topic sentence in order to ensure that your readers understand, rewrite your topic sentence until it is sufficient on its own and you are able to move on to your specific evidence. Consider the person you know who repeats a certain conviction over and over but never offers any evidence. Most of us eventually stop listening, right? Instead offer your readers solid evidence to support your assertions and see what changes you are able to bring about.
• Including general always evidence rather than specific single-moment evidence. If your topic sentence states that a particular author offers an effective new approach to global warming, would it be more effective to wax on about how he always writes the most interesting arguments, or would it make more sense to reference specific sources, showing your readers what you have witnessed rather than merely telling them?
• Saving evidence for a later paragraph without remembering that every paragraph must adhere to the simple math of topic sentence + evidence = paragraph. If you are writing an academic essay, an email to your boss at work, or a letter to a client, this equation applies to every new paragraph you write.

Summary Sentences

Definition to Remember:

• Topic Sentence + Evidence (+ Summary Sentence) = Paragraph

Rules to Remember:

1. While a topic sentence and solid evidence are essential parts of any new paragraph, a summary sentence is an optional component worth acknowledging.  If the information you are presenting is complex or your paragraph is longer than usual, a summary sentence at the end of the paragraph can be an excellent way to remind your readers of your overall purpose for the paragraph as you prepare to move on to a new point.
2. Rather than serve as a repetition of your topic sentence, a closing summary sentence should summarize your ideas in a way that is unique and meaningful for your readers. Consider the following example:
   • My doctoral adviser was a difficult woman. When I took a literary criticism course from her, she spent at least a portion of the time grilling me on the merits of my master’s degree and whether I should really be sitting in her course. When I walked by her in the hallway on my way to teach, she made a point of looking the other way so she didn’t have to engage with me. And when she arrived late and unprepared for my oral exams in April, I knew I was in for a difficult session. It was little consolation to learn years later that she had struggled with an addiction problem during those years; mostly I wondered how such a difficult woman could possibly find joy in the depth and nuance of canonized literature.While the closing summary sentence here echoes some of the language of the topic sentence, it does more than merely repeat.
3. A summary sentence is also an effective way to consistently remind your readers of your paper’s overall thesis statement. If you include summary sentences consistently at the close of each paragraph, use that final sentence to clearly connect the evidence of that specific paragraph to the thesis of your paper.
4. If you are writing a paragraph to a boss or client, a summary sentence is an effective way to remind your readers of how your ideas relate specifically to their needs or concerns.
   “In my cross-cultural context, my writing must be clear and concise. I focus on ‘write-bites’ that are easily translated and transferable.” Dr. David Toth, Missionary

Common Errors:

• Including a summary sentence that is repetitive of information already offered and adds nothing to further the discussion. Remember that the summary sentence is optional; use it only when it strengthens your argument rather than waters it down.
• Neglecting to remind readers of the larger purpose of the overall paper. If you are going to include a summary sentence at the end of each paragraph, let it serve a robust purpose for you.
• Using the summary sentence to introduce the next paragraph. While some English teachers teach this method as a means of transitioning from one idea to the next, it rarely works. The formula your readers will expect to see in each paragraph you write is this: topic sentence + evidence (+ optional summary sentence) = paragraph. When you introduce new information without addressing it fully, your ideas will begin to sound scattered and diluted. Hold to the simple math instead.