The Position of Topic Sentences The topic sentence is usually (but not always) the first sentence in a paragraph; Experienced writers sometimes put topic sentences in other locations, but the best spot is usually right at the beginning. Readers who are used to the English way of writing want to know what they will read about as soon as they begin reading. Synonyms, words with the same basic meaning, do not always have the same emotional meaning. For example, stingy and frugal both mean "careful with money.” However, calling someone stingy is an insult, but calling someone frugal is usually a compliment. Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny. Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words as many so-called synonyms are not completely synonymous. At times, a topic sentence comes at the end of the paragraph. In this case, the paragraph might begin with a series of examples or facts. Then the topic sentence at the end would be the conclusion drawn from these examples or facts. Mediation is now a popular way to solve disagreements between children in school. A mediator can also help a divorcing couple discuss finances or improve communication between employees and company executives. These are a few ways that mediators can help opposing parties come to agreement. g. When the heat, steam, and pressure from the magma finally reach the surface of Earth, a volcanic eruption occurs. The Two Parts of a Topic Sentence As noted earlier, a topic sentence has two essential parts: the topic and the controlling idea. The topic names the subject of the paragraph. The controlling idea limits or controls the topic to a specific area that you can discuss in the space of a single paragraph. The reader immediately knows that this paragraph will discuss how easy it is to prepare convenience foods and perhaps will give some examples (canned soup, frozen dinners, and so on). TOPIC Г CONTROLLING IDEA 7 Convenience foods are easy to prepare. The reader of this topic sentence expects to read about various ethnic foods popular in the United States: tacos, egg rolls, sushi, baklava, pizza, and so on. TOPIC we CONTROLLING IDEA Immigrants have contributed many delicious foods to U.S. cuisine. magma: hot melted rock below the surface of the Earth 2 plate: one of the very large sheets of rock that forms the surface of the Earth 3 collide: (to) crash violently into someone or something 8 CHAPTER 1 7! TRY IT OUT! Work in a small group. Choose three topics that interest you. Be sure that they are different topics from the ones in Practice 5B. Write a topic sentence for each one. Be sure to include a controlling idea. 2 SUPPORTING SENTENCES Supporting sentences explain or prove the topic sentence. One of the biggest problems in student writing is that student writers often fail to support their ideas adequately. You need to use specific details to be thorough and convincing. There are several kinds of specific supporting details such as examples, facts and statistics, and quotations. Punt le sentences you labeled O and F-NP. THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE A concluding sentence serves two purposes: It signals the end of the paragraph, and reminds the reader of the important ideas. It can do this either by summarizing the main points of the paragraph or by repeating the topic sentence in different words (paraphrasing). A paragraph does not always need a concluding sentence. For example, not every paragraph in a multi-paragraph essay needs one. However, for single paragraphs, especially long ones, a concluding sentence is helpful to the reader because it is a reminder of the important points. Never introduce a new idea in the concluding sentence. For example if this sentence were in a paragraph about different kinds of greeting cards, adding a comment about the cost of cards would add a new idea. In conclusion, we now have a greater variety of greeting cards to choose from, but they are also becoming very expensive. You may want to begin your concluding sentence with one of the signals in this list. You may also end a paragraph without a formal signal.
Purchase answer to see full attachment