English 150

Holper

The Arguable Topic Sentence

Like the thesis, topic sentences also play a crucial role in your essay’s argument structure. A topic sentence has two main functions:

• It asserts an arguable judgment that directly supports the thesis.

Example of a thesis and a topic sentence that directly supports it:

Thesis: Unless Eureka changes its long-standing laissez-faire attitude about its roughest neighborhoods, any efforts the residents make to improve their safety and quality of life will be limited and ineffectual.

Topic Sentence: First of all, the city must make highly visible community policing a priority for Eureka’s “ghettos,” instead of shifting the responsibility for crime prevention to neighborhood watch groups and citizen patrols.

• It asserts the main point of the paragraph, establishing the focus for everything else in the paragraph (the specific evidence). In many ways, the topic sentence serves as a thesis for the paragraph.

A strong topic sentence shares some other characteristics of a strong thesis:

• It asserts an arguable judgment rather than a self-evident one, avoiding common knowledge or statements of fact. Keep in mind that according to the grading standards (or rubric) for the English 150 competency exam essay, topic sentences must “venture a judgment” if the essay is to receive a grade higher than a C.

• It makes a point which is relevant to a general audience and does not apply to the writer’s experience alone.

The following topic sentence rules also apply to your essays in English 150, but keep in mind that as your academic writing become increasingly skilled and sophisticated, you may outgrow these restrictions. And they may not apply to the essays you write in other courses (check with your instructors).

• Every paragraph except for the introduction and the conclusion should have a topic sentence.

• The topic sentence should appear within the first three sentences of the paragraph.

• Do not frame your topic sentence as a question–it should be a declarative statement.

• Underline your topic sentences in English 150 to make it easier for me (and for you!) to identify them.