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How to Write Effective Topic Sentences

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The Importance of Topic Sentences In Essay Writing 

When writing a literature essay, after introducing your essay, you should then focus on unpacking the question fully in each paragraph. In order to do so effectively, you should always include a topic sentence in each paragraph. The topic sentence, also known as the focus sentence informs the examiner about the specific aspect of the question you are addressing in that paragraph. If your paragraph does not contain a topic sentence, it means that you want the examiner to rearrange your ideas and come up with a properly crafted paragraph. As you know, this is impossible, so, the topic sentence is a must!

Why is The Topic Sentence Important

The topic sentence ensures that each paragraph answers the essay question in a well structured way. The topic sentence acts as a summary of your answer for that paragraph. For example, if the question asks you to discuss the presentation of a character, each paragraph must start with a topic sentence related to that character. State the character trait of that character and then use their actions, words e.t.c as your evidence to support your point.

Examples of Character-related Topic Sentences:

  • Men are presented as rude.
  • Men are also portrayed as cruel
  • Another character trait of the men in the text is their bloodthirsty nature 
  • Callousness is an apt word to describe the men in the text.

By including keywords from the question in your topic sentence, you signal to the examiner that you are directly responding to the prompt given in the question.

Using Topic Sentence for Themes

When responding to questions about themes, ensure that your topic sentences reflect the theme being discussed. Consider the question about the theme of death:

Examples of Theme-Based Topic Sentences:

  • The theme of death is presented in a shocking manner.
  • Killing enemies is portrayed as a form of revenge.
  • Death is presented as a justified action to protect the people.
  • Death is regarded as a necessary evil.
  • In the text, killing another person is presented as a taboo.
If the question involves multiple themes, your topic sentences should guide the examiner through each one of them

Examples:

  • One of the key themes in the text is death.
  • Another central theme in the text is love.
  • Revenge is also one of the themes in the text.

Where to Position The Topic Sentence 

Technically, the topic sentence can appear anywhere in the paragraph. However, the best place for it during an examination is right at the beginning of the paragraph. This helps to signal immediately which aspect of the question you are going to explore. It is very important that before submitting your answer script, you revise each paragraph to ensure that it contains a clear topic sentence. Without a topic sentence, your paragraphs might not contribute effectively to your essay.

 Tips

  • Analyse the question and identify key and content words
  • Use key and content words in your topic sentences to show the examiner that you understand the demands of the question
  • Before submitting your script, revise your essays and ensure that each paragraph contains a clearly written topic sentence 

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