MORE EXPLANATION ABOUT TOPIC SENTENCE
What is a topic ntence?
A topic ntence states the main point of a paragraph: it rves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph. You might think of it as a signpost for your readers—or a headline—something that alerts them to the most important, interpretive points in your essay. When read in quence, your essay's topic ntences will provide a sketch of the essay's argument. Thus topics ntences help protect your readers from confusion by guiding them through the argument. But topic ntences can also help you to improve your essay by making it easier for you to recognize gaps or weakness in your argument.
Where do topic ntences go?
Topic ntences usually appear at the very beginning of paragraphs. In the following example from Anatomy of Criticism, Northrop Frye establishes the figure of the tragic hero a
neus someone more than human, but less than divine. He backs up his claim with examples of characters from literature, religion and mythology who tragic stature is a function of their ability to mediate between their fellow human beings and a power that transcends the merely human:
The tragic hero is typically on top of the wheel of fortune, half-way between human society on the ground and the something greater in the sky. Prometheus, Adam, and Christ hang between heaven and earth, between a world of paradisal freedom and a world of bondage. Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they em the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of cour be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning: Milton's Samson destroys the Philistine temple with himlf, and Hamlet nearly exterminates the Danish court in his own fall.
The structure of Frye's paragraph is simple yet powerful: the topic ntence makes an ab
stract point, and the rest of the paragraph elaborates on that point using concrete examples as evidence.
Does a topic ntence have to be at the beginning of a paragraph?
No, though this is usually the most logical place for it. Sometimes a transitional ntence or two will come before a topic ntence:no book
We found in comedy that the term bomolochos or buffoon buffoon ( [bə'fu:n] 愚蠢的人,傻瓜exception例外,逗乐小丑，滑稽的人)need not be restricted to farce闹剧, but could be extended to cover comic characters who are primarily entertainers表演者, with the function of increasing or focusing the comic mood. The corresponding contrasting type is the suppliant, the character, often female, who prents a picture of unmitigated十足的 helplessness and destitution贫穷. Such a figure is pathetic, and pathos, though it ems a gentler and more relaxed mood than tragedy, is even more terrifying. Its basis is the ex
clusion of an individual from the group; hence it attacks the deepest fear in ourlves that we posss--a fear much deeper than the relatively cosy and sociable bogey妖怪 of hell. In the suppliant pity and terror are brought to the highest possible pitch of intensity, and the awful conquences of rejecting the suppliant for all concerned is a central theme of Greek tragedy.
The context for this passage is an extended discussion of the characteristics of tragedy. In this paragraph, Frye begins by drawing a parallel between the figure of the buffoon in comedy and that of the suppliant in tragedy. His discussion of the buffoon occurred in a earlier ction of the chapter, a ction devoted to comedy. The first ntence of the current paragraph is transitional: it prepares the way for the topic ntence. The delayed topic ntence contributes to the coherence of Frye's discussion by drawing an explicit connection between key ideas in the book. In essays, the connection is usually between the last paragraph and the current one.
Sometimes writers save a topic ntence for the end of a paragraph. You may, for example, occasionally find that giving away your point at the beginning of a paragraph does not allow you to build your argument toward an effective climax.
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How do I come up with a topic ntence? And what makes a good one?
Ask yourlf what's going on in your paragraph. Why have you chon to include the information you have? Why is the paragraph important in the context of your argument? What point are you trying to make?
Relating your topic ntences to your thesis can help strengthen the coherence of your essay. If you include a thesis statement in your introduction, then think of incorporating a keyword from that statement into the topic ntence. But you need not be overly explicit when you echo the thesis statement. Better to be subtle rather than heavy-handed. Do not forget that your topic ntence should do more than just establish a connection betwe
en your paragraph and your thesis. U a topic ntence to show how your paragraph contributes to the development of your argument by moving it that one extra step forward. If your topic ntence merely restates your thesis, then either your paragraph is redundant or your topic ntence needs to be reformulated. If veral of your topic ntences restate your thesis, even if they do so in different words, then your essay is probably repetitive.
Does every paragraph need one?
No, but most do. Sometimes a paragraph helps to develop the same point as in the previous paragraph, and so a new topic ntence would be redundant. And sometimes the evidence in your paragraph makes your point so effectively that your topic ntence can remain implicit. But if you are in doubt, it's best to u one.
Important Topic Sentence in a Passage
The topic ntence properly ud can achieve unity in the paragraph, which indicates the importance of the topic ntence.
But what is the topic ntence? The topic ntence is an EMPHATICALLY placed, EXPLICIT statement of the central idea in a paragraph. A good topic ntence in a paragraph will help the writer to focus on his subject, prevent him from introducing unrelated material.
How does a topic ntence work then? A topic ntence does two things:
1) it lays down the subject
2) it puts forth the main idea about the subject
suppo we are asked to write a paragraph on each of the following subjects:
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1)
Subject: Music
Focus: … is interesting and enjoyable.
2)
subject: Education
focus: … is very important in the modern world.
3)
young gameSubject: Drama
Focus: I like …
Now we have some topic ntences (which may or may not be good topic ntences—that is the question we are going to discuss below). Clearly each of the topic ntences has two parts: a subject and something said about the subject, we can call it the focus.
But are they good topic ntences? Surely not! Take the subject “music” for instance.
Ask ourlves, “what do we mean by music? What kind of music? Do we mean symphonic music, chamber music, pop music or other sources? How can we cover so many types of music in one paragraph? Or in a short article of 150 to 200 words?”
Focus: … is interesting and enjoyable.
Ask ourlves again, “ what do we mean by interesting and enjoyable? Look in a dictionary, interesting—exciting curiosity or attention, enjoyable—agreeable. The two words don’t say very much about music. They simply express approval and they are FAR TOO VAGUE for a good topic ntence.
We can find that “Music is interesting and enjoyable” makes a bad topic ntence—bad becau the subject is too broad; bad becau the focus is vague.
(Could you provide a satisfying topic ntence for the subject "music"??)
The same is true of each of the following examples:
Science fiction is always exciting.
Water pollution is a big problem.
Life began in a strange way.
What makes good topic ntences then? A good topic ntence has a limited subject and a sharp focus. That is, neither too general nor too narrow. A topic ntence that is too general leaves little to be said in the rest of the paragraph. Too general requires much more paragraphs to develop it.
Here are some simple, factual statements that are too narrow to require any development or support:
1)I live in an apartment.wap歌词直白翻译
2)Last summer I worked as a gas station attendant.
3) Many children watch cartoons on Saturday morning.
The following, in contrast, are asrtive statements that we can write about in a paragraph
1) Living in an apartment has its drawbacks/advantages.初中英语语法视频
2) Working as a gas station attendant was the worst job I ever had last summer.
3) Some experts feel that violence in cartoons is bad for children.
You can provide better topic ntences than that of the above. Why not have a try?
Exercis: revi the following topic ntences to narrow the focus by stressing a controlli
ng idea.
Eg. Original: Today many young people have developed a culture of their own.
Revision: Long hair, colorful clothing, and new musical forms are part of the new culture of many of today’s young people.山东政法学院录取查询
Eg. The Santana is a fine car.
à Super engine performance and beautiful design make the Santana a find automobile.
1) Participation in college sports is beneficial.
2) Motion pictures should be censored.
3) People could make a better u of their leisure time.
4) China should take a stronger role in world affairs.
5) Studying a foreign language is uful.
6) Online education is becoming more important every year.
