Topic Sentences: Truly Good Tips and Brilliant Examples

Are you sure your topic sentences are close to perfect? Do they really make your paper stronger? Let’s check it!

Topic Sentences: 3 Golden Rules to Follow

Topic sentence in academic writing is the first sentence in each body paragraph, which identifies the main idea of the paragraph that follows.

The 3 golden rules of a good topic sentence are:

• Brief summary of what follows;
• Attention hook for readers;
• No spoilers, disclosing all the arguments at once.

Topic Sentences: 5 Main Types with Cue Words

Whereas all topic sentences pursue the same goal of preparing readers for what will follow in a body paragraph, these sentences can take different forms. For example:

Description

Cue words: is, turns out, has proven.

Example: Animal testing has proven to be not only inhuman, but also ineffective.

Cause and effect

Cue words: causes, influences, effects, results in.

Example: The lack of sleep results in poor concentration.

Verdict

Cue words: should, need to, ought to.

Example: Smoking in public places should be banned.

Relationship

Cue words: related, connected.

Example: There is a direct relationship between the time you invest in study and your grade.

Observation

Cue words: reveal, show.

Example: The recent studies have shown that too much intake of carrots can’t make your eyes healthier.

Sample Topic Sentences

So, a good topic sentence should give a general idea of what readers should expect from the following paragraph and make them curious and willing to continue reading. Did you hear of a hamburger paragraph structure? According to the classic hamburger paragraph structure, the topic sentence should be followed by supporting sentences and a concluding sentence. The latter sentence actually repeats the topic sentence but uses different wording.

Find topic sentence examples in the essay samples below.

1. Text vs. film: The transition.
2. How early intervention in reading affects the success of a child.
3. Who is to blame for global warming?
4. Water scarcity: An issue of living in the US.
5. Gun control is not the answer.
6. Genetic theory of crimes: Is evil really born that way?
7. The problem of illegal music downloading.
8. Affirmative action policy as a way to fight discrimination.
9. To which galaxy do we belong?
10. Gender discrimination, harassment, and hostile work environments.
11. The travels of a T-shirt in the global economy.
12. The causes and effects of the popularity of fast food restaurants.
13. Nike and child labor: Case study.
14. The future of jobs and work environment.
15. What constitutes a good brand name.
16. How oil markets affect household budgets.
17. Life without a cell phone.
18. Is the Affordable Health Care Act successful?
19. Opposing views on mandatory vaccination.
20. In defense of video games.
21. The mass media’s role in terrorism.
22. Media violence & children: What goes in must come out.
23. Is sexual assault worse than physical assault?
24. Human trafficking and sex slavery in Texas.
25. Why Turkish membership of the European Union has continually been rejected?
26. The importance of sexual education.
27. Money can buy happiness: Is it true?
28. The ascent of money: A financial history of the world.
29. Do men and women communicate differently?
30. Gay child adoption: There is no middle ground.

So, that was probably all you need to know to make your essay structure just perfect and convince everyone that it deserves an A and nothing less than it.