Vocabulary Building Want More Practice?

Topic – What the author is discussing in the There are staff in the Learning Center who
paper. Someone or something that the paper is would love to help you with your writing!
about.
The College Skills Zone
Main point – An opinion or statement of fact
that is the author’s argument or focus in the paper. The College Skills Zone is a great place to
What the author is trying to show in the paper. engage in conversations that help you
Claim – An asser tion based on explanations, understand concepts, especially some basic
details, facts, or evidence that is related to the grammar concepts, and then practice those
topic of a paragraph. skills. The College Skills Zone is a place
Thesis – A sentence (or sentences, but where you can just drop in anytime during
generally one sentence) that clearly states both the open hours.
topic of the paper as well as the author’s main The Writing Center
point.
The Writing Center assistants are trained to
Linear progression – A ser ies of points that
help you with any aspect of the writing
move directly from one to the next in a certain
order. process, from understanding an assignment,
to brainstorming, to revising your essays.
Sequential – An adjective used to descr ibe
You can drop in during open hours or make a
items that follow a logical order.
30-minute appointment for a specific time.
Transition – A passage between two
paragraphs that creates a smooth shift from one to English Language Learner Specialist
the other. A specialist for English Language Learners,
Are there more unfamiliar words? Sarah Mosser, is available in the Learning
Look up words you don’t know on the Merriam- Center during certain hours for drop-in or
Webster Learner’s Dictionary at appointments. Because her schedule varies, it
www.learnersdictionary.com. is best to make appointments.
Sources for examples:
Sarah Mosser
Von Drehle, David. “It’s All About Him.” Elements of
Instructional Specialist–ELL
Argument.. 11th ed. Eds. Annette T. Rottenberg and
Donna Haisty Winchell. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, [email protected]
2015. 306. Print.

Sharples, Tiffany. “Young Love.” Models for Writers.

10th ed. Eds. Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 419. Print.
A Brief Explanation Examples Try it Out!
Although topic sentences are not a part of the Strong Topic Sentences: True or False?
writing tradition in every culture, they are an 1. T F Every paragraph must have a topic
In these paragraphs, the topic sentences are in bold:
important part of American academic writing. Why? sentence.
They help us get straight to the point and make our 1. Writing the perfect topic sentence can be 2. T F A topic and a main point/claim are two
ideas clearer. Many American academic papers have challenging. You have to think about what you important elements of a strong topic sentence.
what we call a “linear progression.” The author want your paragraph to be about, as well as how to 3. T F Topic sentences should be supported by the
makes a series of points, moving from one to the transition into your new topic. Sometimes, a transition rest of their paragraph.
next in a sequential manner. Even at the paragraph will come before your topic sentence, and sometimes 4. T F Every writing tradition in the world uses
level, the progression is linear: topic sentence, the topic sentence will even appear in the middle or topic sentences somehow.
evidence and explanation, significance of the end of the paragraph instead of the beginning. 5. T F A topic sentence is always the first
evidence. 2. Fog rolled across the hills and through the fields. sentence of a paragraph.
The sky was still pink from sunrise. Condensation on
So, what is a topic sentence? A topic sentence
5. T 4. T 3. T 2. F Answers: 1. F
the window of the bus made it difficult to see, so I
explains the main point of a paragraph, similar to the Find It:
wiped some of it off with my sleeve, trying to ignore
way a thesis explains the main point of your whole The following sentences are out of order in the
the loud music coming through the headphones of the
paper. Like a thesis, a topic sentence makes a claim person sitting next to me. Taking the bus has its paragraph. Find the topic sentence and write a “T”
that will be supported by the writing that follows it. downfalls, but I love looking through the window next to it.
You may sometimes see paragraphs without a topic instead of driving. 1. ___ I woke up at 6 a.m., took a shower, got dressed,
sentence, but when first learning these skills, it is and sat down with a cup of coffee to do homework.
best to assume that every paragraph in your writing (Note: It’s uncommon for topic sentences to come at ___ I had a finished draft of the essay due in my
should have one. Usually topic sentences appear as the end, but it helps to be aware of this possibility.) history class and was just getting started on math
the first sentence of a paragraph (although this is not Weak Topic Sentences: when the doorbell rang.
always the case). What makes a weak topic sentence? Being too ___ The day before my math test got off to a
Let's take a look at this example: specific, too vague, too unrelated to the paragraph— productive start.
2. ___ Mothers learn to sync their behavior with their
“Freud explained narcissism as a failure to grow up. all of these should be avoided. Here is an example of a
newborn’s, so that they offer a smile when their
All infants are narcissists, he pointed out, but as we topic sentence that could be strengthened:
baby smiles, food when their baby’s hungry.
grow, we ought to learn that other people have lives Weak: People with diabetes ar e affected by some ___ As babies seduce and adults respond, a
independent of our own. It’s not their job to please factors in the environment. sophisticated dynamic develops.
us, applaud for us, or even notice us—let alone die Stronger: For people with type 1 diabetes, blood ___ That’s a pleasingly reciprocal deal, and while
because we’re unhappy “ (Von Drehle 306). glucose levels are negatively impacted by several adults are already aware that when you give
The topic sentence for this paragraph is "Freud environmental factors, such as consuming large pleasure and comfort, you get it in return, it’s news
explained narcissism as a failure to grow up." amounts of gluten and being exposed to illness. for the baby.
Note that this topic sentence is both general enough (Sharples 419)
Check It:
to capture the meaning of the whole paragraph and
specific enough that we know exactly what the Is the following topic sentence a good topic sentence Imagine It:
for its paragraph? Why or why not? You are writing a paragraph about what you did last
paragraph will be about. The sentences following the
1. With an increase in online banking and bill weekend. What might be a good topic sentence for
topic sentence all support the topic sentence.
paying, the danger for identity theft also increases. this paragraph?
Now that we know what a topic sentence is and ___________________________________________
Capital punishment has been around for as long as we
does, how do we write a good one? A strong topic ___________________________________________
can remember, existing in pre­Biblical times and
sentence will include both a topic and a main point probably before. Although our reasons for killing ___________________________________________
or claim. In the above example, the topic is criminals have changed—from punishing suspected ___________________________________________
"Freud explained narcissism " and the main point/ adultery and petty thievery, to requiring absolute
claim is how he explained narcissism, which is "as a proof of a brutal murder—the ultimate punishment has
failure to grow up." always been death.