Parts of a paragraph 2
2) Examples of paragrapahs with their topic sentences:
A) Many politicians deplore the passing of the old family-sized farm, but I'm not so sure. 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")
B) There are two broad theories concerning what triggers a human's inevitable decline to death. 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]).
C) 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. 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]).
3) Examples of Topic Sentences and How to Write Them:
The topic sentence is a sentence that is used at the beginning of a paragraph to tell the reader what it is that you are going to be talking about in that paragraph. 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.
- Bad: Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809.
- Good: Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809, was one of the most influential politicians in history.
A) Many politicians deplore the passing of the old family-sized farm, but I'm not so sure. 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")
B) There are two broad theories concerning what triggers a human's inevitable decline to death. 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]).
C) 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. 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]).
3) Examples of Topic Sentences and How to Write Them:
The topic sentence is a sentence that is used at the beginning of a paragraph to tell the reader what it is that you are going to be talking about in that paragraph. 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.
- Bad: Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809.
- Good: Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809, was one of the most influential politicians in history.
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