The Topic Sentence in Your Essay

The Topic Sentence in Your EssayThe topic sentence is not used as much as it once was, but still can be a powerful tool when used correctly. In fact, I use the topic sentence to set the foundation for the article and build the framework of my essay. As a result, I will often ask students to come up with a topic sentence of their own and then ask them to edit my essay.Many people have difficulty with the topic sentence because they seem to want to put every thought that comes into their head in there. This works well if you're presenting a thesis statement in your essay, but a 5-paragraph essay is not necessarily the case. Why? Because a thesis statement is very particular in form, and you want your readers to be able to engage with the topic you are trying to convey.Sometimes the last thing the writer wants is a long discussion of an idea, and the idea of a thesis statement is to get the reader's attention by giving them the details. You see, the topic sentence is a very basic concep t, but there are a lot of people who do not understand this simple concept. They are looking for the 'magic'secret' words that will make it all come together, but this is simply not the case.To summarize, the topic sentence is used to set the tone of the essay. When you use it in your thesis statement, it is also a great way to give your readers a guide to what parts of the essay will be the most interesting to them. You should try to write your topic sentence so that it is interesting and relevant.A very common mistake that students make is making their sentences too long. This can be tough for some to do, because it seems like they should be able to capture more information with just one sentence. However, try not to get caught up in this concept. The main point is to stay focused on your audience; so the length of your sentence is up to you.Really, this is a decision that you have to make for yourself. It is okay to break up the essay into several sentences, but make sure that th e key points of the article flow from one sentence to the next.Another reason why many students fail when writing a 5 paragraph essay is that they do not try to make it cohesive. The topic sentence is extremely important in this type of essay, because it is where you get the readers' attention. When you have an interesting thesis statement, you must be able to show it to the reader to get them interested.The best way to keep your topic sentence consistent throughout your essay is to create a central theme in your essay. It is okay to include ideas here and there, but the point is to make it a strong central theme. When you do this, you have a well-established theme that will propel your essay to the top of the stack of essays that are submitted for approval.