Topic Sentences

Topic sentences are mostly found at the beginning of a paragraph (usually first or second sentence). Often in scientific writing though, topic sentences are found at the end of the paragraph. The topic sentence signals to the reader what the rest of the paragraph is about. Without topic sentences, paragraphs can be difficult to read as well as difficult to write.

A good topic sentence states both the topic and the central idea of the paragraph. It is neither too general nor too specific; it states the main idea clearly, but does not give the specific details.

Examples