Placement of the Topic Sentence



Placement of the Topic Sentence

Topic sentence at the beginning:

Placing the topic sentence at the beginning of a paragraph offers a number of advantages. To begin with, it can help the writer keep an eye on paragraph unity by providing a guide for selecting details for the rest of the paragraph. For readers, placement at the beginning establishes the initial context, giving them the foundation they need to understand the details which follow. This is especially true if the writer not only introduces the main point in the topic sentence, but also forecasts the paragraph’s organization with phrases like “a number of advantages.”

Topic sentence following a transitional sentence:

This is not the only place the topic sentence can go, however. Many times the topic of a paragraph may be introduced after a transitional sentence. The transitional sentence guides the reader through a shift in thought, pointing back to the previous idea and forward to a new one. That new idea becomes the topic sentence of the new paragraph, and is followed, as before, by supporting and clarifying details.

Topic sentence at the beginning and in the middle:

There are times when the main idea of a paragraph needs extensive support or breaks naturally into two parts. For example, a comparison of two things is most easily done in twos, by devoting one section to the first object, another to the second. Or the first part of a paragraph could introduce the subject in general terms, while the second provides specific details. In these circumstances, the topic sentence can appear at the beginning and in the middle of a paragraph. Readers will receive enough information at the start to digest the first half of the paragraph, while the second topic sentence will lead them easily through the transition to the new perspective offered by the second half.

Topic sentence at the end:

What if you decide a paragraph should be developed in indirect order? It may be that the point you’re making is very controversial, so much so that your readers might disagree with you. Or you may feel that leading the readers through a series of supporting details might make comprehension of the main idea easier, letting them “warm up” before learning your message. Sometimes building up slowly to a main idea can be used as a dramatic tool as well, keeping readers guessing until the last instant. In these situations, it may be best to place the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph.

Topic sentence at the beginning and the end:

The central idea can be stated at both the beginning and the end of the paragraph. The initial topic sentence introduces the general context of the paragraph, while the body provides the supporting or clarifying details. However, you should exercise caution when using this technique. Simply restating the topic sentence rarely enhances a paragraph, and should certainly not be done in an attempt to revive a disunified or incoherent paragraph. Ideally, the body of the paragraph should build upon the main point raised in the first topic sentence, revealing additional insights before the paragraph’s end, so that the readers will gain a better understanding of the central idea. Then restating the topic sentence at the end with a new twist, or with additional information, can add to the reader’s understanding of your subject.

Topic sentence omitted:

His fingers moved on the keys, rapping out yet another example, trying to somehow explain how a paragraph can be written without a topic sentence. Mrs. Grimwastle, his third grade teacher, would have shuddered to think that he would one day tell writers that the topic sentence could be left behind, that narrative, descriptive paragraphs need not state their main idea clearly at the beginning, middle or end. Could it be true? Could a paragraph with an obvious central idea, or a specialized paragraph, such as a transitional one, abandon the cornerstone of paragraph writing -- could the topic sentence be left out? Yes, he thought as he wrote. The time had come. They had to know.

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