Topic Sentences and Controlling Ideas

Every topic sentence will have a topic and a controlling idea. The
controlling idea shows the direction the paragraph will take.

Here are some examples:

Topic Sentence: There are many reasons why pollution in ABC Town
is the worst in the world.
The topic is pollution in ABC Town is the worst in the world and the
controlling idea is many reasons.

Topic Sentence: To be an effective CEO requires certain

Topic Sentence: There are many possible contributing factors to

Topic Sentence: Fortune hunters encounter many difficulties when

As you can see, the topic sentence provides a focus for the reader or
listener. It tells what the paragraph is about. The controlling idea helps the
audience understand what you are saying.

Topic sentences can be about almost anything, as long as they set the
tone for the paragraph and relate back to the thesis or the main idea of
the paper.

The bold sentence is one possible topic sentence for the example paragraph. Note: This is
just one possible topic sentenceyou may have thought of others that are also appropriate.

Thinking about the 1990s brings back a lot of memories for me about fashion and
popular culture. During the 1990s, I really enjoyed watching Friends on television every
Thursday night. I really wanted Rachels haircutI think every girl wanted Rachels haircut
back then! Rachels haircut went really well with the Guess Jeans that were so popular in the
1990s. I remember all the advertisements for Guess and Calvin Klein Jeans that were in
each months Sassy magazine. I dont think Sassy magazine exists anymore, but it was one
of the most popular magazines for young women in the 1990s.
The Body Paragraphs
The middle paragraphs of the essay are collectively known as the body paragraphs and,
as alluded to above, the main purpose of a body paragraph is to spell out in detail the
examples that support your thesis.
For the first body paragraph you should use your strongest argument or most significant
example unless some other more obvious beginning point (as in the case of chronological
explanations) is required. The first sentence of this paragraph should be the topic sentence
of the paragraph that directly relates to the examples listed in the mini-outline of introductory
paragraph.
A one sentence body paragraph that simply cites the example of "George Washington" or
"LeBron James" is not enough, however. No, following this an effective essay will follow up
on this topic sentence by explaining to the reader, in detail, who or what an example is
and, more importantly, why that example is relevant.
Even the most famous examples need context. For example, George Washingtons life was
extremely complex by using him as an example, do you intend to refer to his honesty,
bravery, or maybe even his wooden teeth? The reader needs to know this and it is your job
as the writer to paint the appropriate picture for them. To do this, it is a good idea to provide
the reader with five or six relevant facts about the life (in general) or event (in particular) you
believe most clearly illustrates your point.
Having done that, you then need to explain exactly why this example proves your thesis.
The importance of this step cannot be understated (although it clearly can be underlined);
this is, after all, the whole reason you are providing the example in the first place. Seal the
deal by directly stating why this example is relevant.
Here is an example of a body paragraph to continue the essay begun above:
Take, by way of example, Thomas Edison. The famed American inventor
rose to prominence in the late 19th century because of his successes, yes,
but even he felt that these successes were the result of his many failures.
He did not succeed in his work on one of his most famous inventions, the
lightbulb, on his first try nor even on his hundred and first try. In fact, it took
him more than 1,000 attempts to make the first incandescent bulb but,
along the way, he learned quite a deal. As he himself said, "I did not fail a
thousand times but instead succeeded in finding a thousand ways it would
not work." Thus Edison demonstrated both in thought and action how
instructive mistakes can be.
A Word on Transitions
You may have noticed that, though the above paragraph aligns pretty closely with the
provided outline, there is one large exception: the first few words. These words are
example of a transitional phrase others include "furthermore," "moreover," but also "by
contrast" and "on the other hand" and are the hallmark of good writing.
Transitional phrases are useful for showing the reader where one section ends and another
begins. It may be helpful to see them as the written equivalent of the kinds of spoken cues
used in formal speeches that signal the end of one set of ideas and the beginning of another.
In essence, they lead the reader from one section of the paragraph of another.
To further illustrate this, consider the second body paragraph of our example essay:
In a similar way, we are all like Edison in our own way. Whenever we learn
a new skill - be it riding a bike, driving a car, or cooking a cake - we learn
from our mistakes. Few, if any, are ready to go from training wheels to a
marathon in a single day but these early experiences (these so-called
mistakes) can help us improve our performance over time. You cannot
make a cake without breaking a few eggs and, likewise, we learn by doing
and doing inevitably means making mistakes.

This should be the fourth or fifth time you have repeated your thesis so while you should use
a variety of word choice in the body paragraphs it is a acceptable idea to use some (but not
all) of the original language you used in the introduction. This echoing effect not only
reinforces your argument but also ties it nicely to the second key element of the conclusion:
a brief (two or three words is enough) review of the three main points from the body of
the paper.
Having done all of that, the final element and final sentence in your essay should be a
"global statement" or "call to action" that gives the reader signals that the discussion has
come to an end.
In the end, then, one thing is clear: mistakes do far more to help us learn
and improve than successes. As examples from both science and everyday
experience can attest, if we treat each mistake not as a misstep but as a
learning experience the possibilities for self-improvement are limitless.