Topic Sentence
A topic sentence does for a body paragraph what a thesis statement does for an essay: it names the subject and gives an opinion. Just like a thesis statement, then, a good topic sentence can be described with three adjectives:
- CLEAR--The reader can easily understand what point you will be explaining or proving.
- SPECIFIC--You mention (in a general way) what concrete details you will use to explain or prove. These must be in the order that they'll be in in the paragraph.
- ARGUABLE--Reasonable people could have different opinions about this issue. If everyone already understands or believes what you assert, then the paragraph probably won't be very compelling.
Examples of Topic Sentences:
Good:
Better:
Awesome:
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Concrete Detail
Specifc details that prove or explain your opinion.
Synonyms for concrete detail include:
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*Please note that CDs can be quotations, but don't have to be.
Whenever possible, remember to attribute (or cite the source) the source of the details. See examples that follow for correct MLA formatted citations.
Examples:
Good:
Better:
Awesome:
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Commentary (CM)
Your opinion or comment about something. With commentary, you explain how or why the concrete detail supports your topic sentence. Really successful commentary not only shows good, critical, organized thought; but a key is having a variety of good adjectives!
Commentary can be:
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Transition Commentary
Use a sentence (or two) to transition smoothly to the ideas in the next "chunk" or group of CD and related CM. This is important because otherwise you will abruptly change the subject, and you may lose or confuse your reader.
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Concluding Sentence
This is the last sentence in the body paragraph. In it, you should return to the ideas stated in your topic sentence. Maintain the order of ideas, but use different words.
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