Topic Sentence

PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH:

How to structure a written paragraph in English by Alex:

• Topic Sentence: It´s "what is your subject about".A good formula for writing an effective topic sentences is to come up with an interesting topic and give your opinion on it.

• Body- Order of importance, or chronology:It consist of all of the supporting details and arguments for the topic sentence. There are two ways in which the details can be order:

1. By order of importance: It refers to what makes your arguments stand out.
2. By chronology: it refers to the ordering of events.

• Closing sentence:It has two functions:

1. To restated the topic
2. To keep readers thinking.

TOPICS SENTENCES:

1. I saw around Velva a release from what was like slavery to the tyrannical soil, release from the ignorance that darkens the soul and from the loneliness that corrodes it. In this generation my Velva friends have rejoined the general American society that their pioneering fathers left behind when they first made the barren trek in the days of the wheat rush. As I sit here in Washington writing this, I can feel their nearness. (from Eric Sevareid, "Velva, North Dakota")

Good Work!

Answer:

The answer Many politicians deplore the passing of the old family-sized farm, but I'm not so sure. is correct.

Explanation:

Sevareid argues that farming is destructive as a way of life, no matter what romantic notions are attached to it. He is not writing about the productivity of farms, about his own life story ("I grew up on a family-sized farm..."), and his main point is not that people moved away from the cities in the late the nineteenth century.

2. The first is the wear-and-tear hypothesis that suggests the body eventually succumbs to the environmental insults of life. The second is the notion that we have an internal clock which is genetically programmed to run down. Supporters of the wear-and-tear theory maintain that the very practice of breathing causes us to age because inhaled oxygen produces toxic by-products. Advocates of the internal clock theory believe that individual cells are told to stop dividing and thus eventually to die by, for example, hormones produced by the brain or by their own genes. (from Debra Blank, "The Eternal Quest" [edited]).

Good Work!

Answer:

The answer There are two broad theories concerning what triggers a human's inevitable decline to death. is correct.

Explanation:

This paragraph is a straightforward description of two possibilities, neither of which is preferred over the other. In this case, it would be wrong to mention only one of the possibilities (the "internal time clock") in the topic sentence, or to treat it as a philosophical discussion of death itself ("we all must die..."). As for the biology professor, He or she might very well have given an interesting lecture, but that has nothing to do with the content of the paragraph.

3. The strictest military discipline imaginable is still looser than that prevailing in the average assembly-line. The soldier, at worst, is still able to exercise the highest conceivable functions of freedom -- that is, he or she is permitted to steal and to kill. No discipline prevailing in peace gives him or her anything remotely resembling this. The soldier is, in war, in the position of a free adult; in peace he or she is almost always in the position of a child. In war all things are excused by success, even violations of discipline. In peace, speaking generally, success is inconceivable except as a function of discipline. (from H.L. Mencken, "Reflections on War" [edited]).

Good Work!

Answer:

The answer We commonly look on the discipline of war as vastly more rigid than any discipline necessary in time of peace, but this is an error. is correct.

Explanation:

The topic sentence must emphasise the comparative nature of the paragraph. Mencken does argue that soldiers need discipline, but this is not all he argues in this paragraph. Likewise, while soldiers may well serve an important function in wartime, and while they may well be able to compete well in peacetime, neither of these points is discussed in the paragraph.

EXAMPLES  OF TOPIC SENTENCES AND HOW TO WRITE IT:

1. Good Vs. Bad Topic Sentences

Bad: Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809.

Why isn’t this a good topic sentence? First and foremost, it tells the reader very little about what you are going to say. Not only that, but you are not using this valuable space in your paragraph to make a real point.

Good: Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809, was one of the most influential politicians in history.

With this topic sentence, you are making a strong point, which you will ideally back up with plenty of facts and good information. The reader also knows what to expect when you use this kind of statement.

Bad: I am going to discuss the Battle of Gettysburg.

While you are telling the reader what the topic is, you are still speaking in very broad terms with this kind of statement.

Good: The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in 1863, was the turning point in the Civil War.

You are making a strong point with this kind of statement, and narrowing down what you are going to talk about. In this case, you are discussing why the Battle of Gettysburg was such an important battle.

Bad: The Civil War had lasting effects on the American South.

With this topic sentence, you are saying what happened, but you are not saying why.

Good: Because the Civil War was fought mostly on Southern soil, it had lasting effects on the region.

With this topic sentence, you are describing a cause and an effect, and you can go into a little more detail in the following sentences.

      2. Tips to write topic sentences:

There are a few qualities that make for a good topic sentence:

• Brevity: Long, rambling sentences can be confusing. Don’t pack your topic sentence too full of details. That’s what the rest of the paragraph is for.
• Clarity: Likewise, don’t beat around the bush. Say exactly what you want to say. Try not to engage in wordplay and don’t speak in vague terms.
• Precision: Don’t be too broad when introducing the topic that you’re going to discuss. Not only is that a bland approach, it is also unhelpful to readers.

On the other hand, there are a few things that make for a bad topic sentence. Be sure that you aren’t using these kinds of sentences to introduce your paragraphs, as they are unhelpful to readers and do little to help you get your point across.

• Don’t use facts as topic sentences. Remember, you are using the topic sentence to introduce a point you are trying to make, or your opinion.
• Don’t just talk about the “what” – talk about the “why” as well. That is, don’t just think about the effect, but it’s cause.
• Don’t say “I am going to tell you…” or I am going to speak about…” when introducing a topic.

 Sources:

•  Learn English with Alex.(19 de Mayo de 2016). Parts of a Paragraph - English Academic Writing Introduction. EngVid.Web site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=136&v=cCuExRE6N-4

• Turner, D. The writing centre."reviw:Topic sentences".Univercity of Ottawa, Canada. Web site: https://arts.uottawa.ca/writingcentre/en/hypergrammar/writing-paragraphs/review-topic-sentences

• Klazema, A. (5 de Mardo de 2014). "Examples of topic sentences and how to write them".Udemy,inc. Web site: https://blog.udemy.com/examples-of-topic-sentences/