Essay Topic Sentence

Your thesis statement gives readers your destination, while topic sentences are your signposts, showing readers how to reach your destination.Thesis statements and topic sentences have specific purposes, and for this reason one can be in the form of a question while the other cannot.A topic sentence should contain a single idea or topic that you can answer in one paragraph.

Your thesis statement gives readers your destination, while topic sentences are your signposts, showing readers how to reach your destination.Thesis statements and topic sentences have specific purposes, and for this reason one can be in the form of a question while the other cannot.A topic sentence should contain a single idea or topic that you can answer in one paragraph.

Then, write the answer to your question as a complete sentence. Unlike thesis statements, topic sentences can be questions that your paragraphs answer.

A topic sentence presents the main point for a paragraph and gives your readers a clear idea of what the individual paragraph is about.

Great essays can make you feel like you’re on a journey—while others are more like a bad road trip. Often it’s as simple as the directions you’re given along the way.

To steer your readers through the curves and straightaways of your essay, it helps to give them signposts along the route. When woven throughout your argument, these important guides put your readers in the fast lane and help them arrive at your conclusion.

Your topic sentence is the key to making the rest of the essay flow from your fingertips to the page.

Once you’ve got this figured out, you’ll know where your essay is going and what structure it will have. Essentially, it conveys the main idea of a paragraph.So let’s go back to that equation: Your Topic A Main Point. It gives you enough content and context to provide a full discussion in the rest of the paragraph.There are a few elements that make for a good topic sentence. The first true self-driving cars appeared in the 1980s. It doesn’t contain a real point of discussion on which you can elaborate in the rest of the paragraph.It provides important context and lets the reader anticipate what’s ahead.It introduces the main idea of a paragraph and supports the details that follow.This statement refers to your —self-driving cars—so why isn’t it a good one? Let’s try this topic sentence instead: Technological advancements in the 1980s ushered in the first true self-driving cars.This one includes that same fact—that self-driving cars appeared in the 1980s—but also a point of discussion—the technological advancements that drove that appearance.Marsha Ford has been a professional writer for over 10 years.Ford has published articles in print and online venues, including Energy of the City and Mexico Travel, and has authored books including "Six Sigma for Small Businesses." Ford holds a master's degree in liberal arts and is a certified English instructor.And because each of your supporting paragraphs will support your main thesis—that specific claim or argument you’re hoping to make with your essay—your topic sentences will include both the topic of your paper and the main point you’re hoping to make about it to support that claim.Here, we’re arguing that self-driving cars will ultimately reduce car accidents, lower time spent in traffic, and eliminate the need for parking.