Topic Sentence Workshop

Topic Sentences and Detail Sentences

In any one paragraph in an English essay, there should only be one main idea or focus. The paragraph should only say one basic thing. This one idea should be stated by one sentence, usually (but not always) the first sentence of the paragraph. This sentence is called the "topic sentence." All the other sentences in the paragraph should talk about that main sentence. They give more details, so they are called "detail sentences."

A good paragraph will have one and only one topic sentence. If a paragraph has two main ideas it is probably a bad paragraph. Sometimes there can be two big ideas in a paragraph if they are closely related, but most of the time they will be talking about the same thing. If there isn't a sentence in a paragraph that all other sentences fall under, the paragraph is probably bad. If one sentence does not follow the topic of the paragraph it should be put in a different paragraph.

Examples

Take the first paragraph of this page for example. There are six sentences. One sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. The other five give more details about that topic. The first sentence is the topic sentence. The rest tell something more about it.

TOPIC: In any one paragraph in an English essay, there should only be one main idea or focus.

The paragraph should only say one basic thing.
This one idea should be stated by one sentence, usually (but not always) the first sentence of the paragraph.
This sentence is called the "topic sentence."
All the other sentences in the paragraph should talk about that main sentence.
They give more details, so they are called "detail sentences."

Note how each of the sentences relate to the first sentence. Now look at the second paragraph:

TOPIC: A good paragraph will have one and only one topic sentence.

If a paragraph has two main ideas it is probably a bad paragraph.
Sometimes there can be two big ideas in a paragraph if they are closely related, but most of the time they will be talking about the same thing.
If there isn't a sentence in a paragraph that all other sentences fall under, the paragraph is probably bad.
If one sentence does not follow the topic of the paragraph it should be put in a different paragraph.

Making Paragraphs from Sentences

If you have several sentences about a single topic, you can organize them into a paragraph. If you already have a number of sentences, the first step is to organize them into groups. Most paragraphs will have between 4 and 7 sentences. More than that and you should probably break it into smaller paragraphs. Less than that and it is probably incomplete.

Below are sentences that can all fit into three different paragraphs. See if you can put them into the right groups. Choose "one", "two", or "three" for each sentence. It doesn't matter which is "one" or "two" as long as all the ones that are "one" belong together. You should also pick which sentence is the topic sentence for each.

	They sometimes mark their territory by rubbing their whiskers against things.
	Cats are clean and don't need much care.
	Cats have a noble quality that make them the royalty of animals.
	Cats ears and whiskers help them always land on their feet when they fall.
	They are small enough to hold in your arms and play with.
	In ancient Egypt cats were worshipped as sacred and thought of as gods.
	They are smart and cute.
	I think cats are the best pets in the world.
	One of the relatives of cats is the lion, "King of Beasts."
	There are some interesting and curious facts about cats.
	Even a cat's personality reminds me of nobility, they ignore the rest of the world.
	Cats are excellent swimmers even though they are afraid of getting wet.

Excess Sentences

Sometimes when you take sentences and begin organizing them, you will find that you have two or three sentences that don't fit with anything else. In this case, you need to write a few more sentences to fix the problem. If you have closely related sentences but none could be used as a topic sentence, you should write a topic sentence that all the sentences will share in common. If you have a good topic sentence but too few detail sentences, simply write a few detail sentences to go along with the topic.

Below are two sets of related sentences that do not have a topic sentence. See if you can think of a good topic sentence to go with them. Below are suggested topic sentences to go with them. Think of an answer on your own before looking!

Set 1

Most boys like sports and action.

Many girls like chatting and cute things.

Young boys don't like girls, but some young girls will sometimes secretly like a boy.

Set 2

English is the world's international language.

More people speak English as a first or second language than any other language.

Many good technical books and textbooks are written in English.

Conclusion

By paying close attention to topic sentences when writing, you can be a better writer. Remember to:

Make sure each sentence has a good topic sentence.
Have all the detail sentences relate to the topic sentence.
Keep paragraphs to between 4 and 7 sentences.
Group similar sentences together and write a topic sentence that fits when there isn't one already.

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