As you write each topic sentence, ask yourself: how does this point relate to what you wrote in the previous paragraph? It is often helpful to use transition words in topic sentences to show connections between ideas.
If the paragraph goes into more detail or gives another example to make the same point, the topic sentence can use words that imply emphasis or similarity (for example, more, of course, of course, too).
Topic sentences as transitions between paragraphs
As you write each topic sentence, ask yourself: how does this point relate to what you wrote in the previous paragraph? It is often helpful to use transition words in topic sentences to show connections between ideas.
If the paragraph goes into more detail or gives another example to make the same point, the topic sentence can use words that imply emphasis or similarity (for example, more, of course, of course, too).
Write clear topic sentences
The first few sentences of the following paragraphs don’t need to work as hard to keep us reading, but they should have the main idea of which paragraph. They are called topic sentences. Fiction writers can play around with topic sentence placement, but not business writers or copywriters.
You must be able to read each first sentence of your writing and understand what it is about. Of course, if you’re interested in writing, you’ll read the whole thing, but skimming through the topic sentences will give you an idea. Many people skim the documents, then go back and reread the passages that interest them.
Step 1: Decide what you are going to write about.
When you look at the essay quickly, you have some time to think about what you want to say and why. You have to decide if it is a persuasive, informative, narrative or descriptive essay. Determine your reason for writing the essay after reading the motivation. Whether it’s a school assignment or getting into college, you need to make sure your goal is clearly defined.
One of the first things you should do is create a thesis statement. Typically, this is a three-point sentence that you repeat throughout your essay.
Step 4: Update Your Topic Phrases
Topic Phrases usually start with simple statements. But it’s important to review them as you write, making sure they match the content of each paragraph.
A good topic sentence is specific enough to give a clear idea of what to expect from the paragraph, but general enough not to give everything away. You can think of it as a signal: it should tell the reader in which direction your argument is going.