ACADEMIC WRITING

TOPIC SENTENCE

Written by:

Faizal Hasan Ramadhani 20197470034

Nindya Pangestika 20197470004

Sahrul Rudiyansah 20194740067

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION

POST GRADUATE PROGRAM
INDRAPRASTA PGRI UNUVERSITY
JAKARTA
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 PREFACE

With all the praise and thank to Allah SWT, who has given His love and mercy so that

the writer successfully finished this paper entitled “TOPIC SENTENCE”. This paper is

submitted in completing the courses of Academic Writing. On this occasion, we would like to

thank to all those who have helped us in completing this paper, to Dr. Oom Rohmah S. as

lecturer in Academic Writing for giving us guidance and advices, and to friends who have

contributing their ideas and information for writing this paper. We are fully aware that many

flaws in the writing of this paper in terms of material, technical, and presentation material.

Therefore, we expect criticism and suggestions to improve this paper to be better. Finally, we

hope that the writing of this paper can be useful for readers.

Jakarta, September 18th, 2019

The writers

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 TABLE LIST OF CONTENT

PREFACE .................................................................................................. ii

TABLE LIST OF CONTENT .................................................................. iii

A. INDTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1

B. INDTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1

1. Paragraph ....................................................................................... 1

2. Topic Sentence ................................................................................ 1

3. Examples of Topic Sentence .......................................................... 4

4. Exercises of Topic Sentences ......................................................... 5

CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 6

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................... 8

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 TOPIC SENTENCE

A. INTRODUCTION

A paragraph is a unit of language that is usually the result of combining several

sentences. The sentences that make up the paragraph must show the unity of thought. In
addition, the sentences in a paragraph must be interconnected and only talk about one idea.

B. THEORETICAL STUDY

1. Paragraph
A paragraph is a group of related sentences that discuss one (and usually only
one) main idea. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long as ten sentences.
The number of sentences is unimportant; however, the paragraph should be long enough
to develop the main idea clearly (Oshima, Alice and Ann Hogue, 2006, p. 2). In
addition, every good paragraph has a topic sentence, which clearly states the topic and
the controlling idea of the paragraph.

2. Topic Sentence
A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. It briefly
indicates what the paragraph is going to discuss. For this reason, the topic sentence is a
helpful guide to both the writer and the reader (Oshima, Alice and Ann Hogue, 2006,
p. 4).
A topic sentence is a sentence that summarizes the main idea of a paragraph. A
topic sentence gives the writer’s main idea or opinion about the topic and helps the
reader understand what the paragraph is going to talk about. A topic sentence also has
several important functions: substantiates or supports an essay’s thesis statement;
unifies the content of a paragraph and directs the order of the sentences; and advises the
reader to the subject to be discussed and how the paragraph will discuss it.
Here are three important points to remember about a topic sentence (Oshima, Alice
and Ann Hogue, 2006, pp. 4 – 5):

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a. A topic sentence is a complete sentence; that is, it contains at least one subject and
one verb. The following are not complete sentences because they do not have verbs:

1) Driving on freeways.
2) How to register for college classes.
3) The rise of indie films.
b. A topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea. It names the topic and
then limits the topic to a specific area to be discussed in the space of a single
paragraph.
1) Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness.
topic controlling idea
2) Registering for college classes can be a frustrating experience for new students.
topic controlling idea
3) The rise of indie film is due to several factors.
topic controlling idea
c. A topic sentence is the most general statement in the paragraph because it gives
only the main idea. It does not give any specific details.
1) Following is a general statement that could serve as a topic sentence.
Example: The Arabic origin of many English words is not always obvious.
2) The following sentence, on the other hand, is too specific. It could serve as a
supporting sentence but not as a topic sentence:
Example: The slang expression so long (meaning “good-bye”) is probably a
corruption of the Arabic salaam.
3) This sentence is too general:
Example: English has been influenced by other languages.

There are two types of topic sentences:

a. Stated or obvious topic sentence. This is the type of topic sentence that is correctly
expressed in the paragraph.
Example:
Trees are very essential in our lives. The newspaper you read every day and the
books you study were trees once. Your home, your furniture, your clothes come
from trees. In addition, forests provide a wonderful place where we can hold picnics
and have a good time.

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b. Implied topic sentence. This is the type of topic sentence that is not stated in the
paragraph.
Example:
Sometimes in the evenings, Bruno Mars would sit out in front of the ranch house
near the cattle guards and play music. He would gather across the ditch and listen
attentively. He liked to hear songs by Hank Williams, to which he would attempt to
sing along by making little gurgling sounds deep in his throat. Occasionally, he
would click his teeth if he played something with a beat to it.

Writers often place their topic sentence first in the paragraph–a position that
enables the writer to state his or her main idea and then move on to explain it. The
topic sentence can also be placed last or in the middle. On occasion a writer may choose
to state the main idea once at the beginning of the paragraph and restate it at the end
or use both sentences to fully explain his or her main idea. Although a topic sentence
can be located anywhere in a paragraph, it is usually first or last. (McWhorter, Kathleen
T., 2007, pp. 102 – 105)

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3. Examples of Topic Sentence
a. Topic sentence first
The star system has been the backbone of the American film industry since the
mid 1910s. Stars are the creation of the public, its reigning favorites. Their influence
in the fields of fashion, values, and public behavior has been enormous. “The social
history of a nation can be written in terms of its film stars,” Raymond Durgnat has
observed. Stars confer instant consequence to any film they appear in. Their fees
have staggered the public. In the 1920s, Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin were
the two highest paid employees in the world. Contemporary stars such as Julia
Roberts and Tom Cruise command salaries of many millions per film, so popular
are these box-office giants. Some stars had careers that spanned five decades: Bette
Davis and John Wayne, to name just two.
— Giannetti, Understanding Movies, p. 251

b. Topic sentence last

Are you “twittered out”? Is all that texting causing your thumbs to seize up in
protest? If so, you’re not alone. Like millions of others, you may find that all of the
pressure for contact is more than enough stress for you! Known as technostress, the
bombardment is defined as stress created by a dependence on technology and the
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 constant state of being plugged in or wirelessly connected, which can include a
perceived obligation to respond, chat, or tweet.
—Donatelle, Health: The Basics, p.66

c. Topic sentence in middle

In the past, exposure to liability made many doctors, nurses, and other medical
professionals reluctant to stop and render aid to victims in emergency situations,
such as highway accidents. Almost all states have enacted a Good Samaritan law
that relieves medical professionals from liability for injury caused by their ordinary
negligence in such circumstances. Good Samaritan laws protect medical
professionals only from liability for their ordinary negligence, not for injuries
caused by their gross negligence or reckless or intentional conduct. Most Good
Samaritan laws protect licensed doctors and nurses and laypersons who have been
certified in CPR. Good Samaritan statutes generally do not protect laypersons who
are not trained in CPR—that is, they are liable for injuries caused by their ordinary
negligence in rendering aid.
— Goldman and Cheeseman, Paralegal Professional, p. 459

4. Exercises of Topic Sentence

a. Exercise
Read the following paragraphs and write the number of the topic sentence next to
the correct paragraph (Blanchard, Karen and Christine Root, 2003, p. 10).

Topic Sentences:
a. Sending cards is very popular in North America.
b. Skiing is my favorite sport.
c. Summer is my favorite season.
d. We should raise city taxes.

1) Paragraph 1: topic sentence ___

I usually go skiing every weekend in the winter even though it is expensive. I
love the feeling of flying down a mountain. The views are beautiful from the
top of a mountain and along the trails. Even the danger of falling and getting
hurt can’t keep me away from the slopes on a winter day.

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 2) Paragraph 2: topic sentence ___
North Americans send cards for many occasions. They send cards to family and
friends on birthdays and holidays. They also send thank you cards, get well
cards, graduation cards, and congratulation cards. It is very common to buy
cards in stores and send them through the mail, but turning on the computer and
sending cards over the Internet is also popular.

3) Paragraph 3: topic sentence ___

I enjoy the summer sports like water skiing and baseball. The weather is usually
sunny and hot, so I can go to the beach almost every day. Gardening is my hobby
and I spend many summer days working in my garden. Unfortunately, the days
pass too quickly in summer.

4) Paragraph 4: topic sentence ___

First of all, we need money to repair old roads and build new roads. We also
need more money to pay teachers’ salaries and to pay for services such as trash
collection. Finally, more tax money is need to give financial help to the poor
citizen of the city. It is clear that the city will have serious problems if taxes are
not raised soon.
b. Answer
1) The answer of paragraph 1 is b (Skiing is my favorite sport).
2) The answer of paragraph 2 is a (Sending cards is very popular in North
America).
3) The answer of paragraph 2 is c (Summer is my favorite season).
4) The answer of paragraph 2 is d (We should raise city taxes).

C. CONCLUSION

A paragraph is a unit of language that is usually the result of combining several

sentences. The sentences that make up the paragraph must show the unity of thought. In
addition, the sentences in a paragraph must be interconnected and only talk about one idea.
Based on its function all sentences that build paragraphs in general can be classified into two
types, namely the topic/main sentence and explanation/supporting sentence.

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 Writers often place their topic sentence first in the paragraph. The topic sentence can
also be placed last or in the middle. On occasion a writer may choose to state the main idea
once at the beginning of the paragraph and restate it at the end or use both sentences to fully
explain his or her main idea.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blanchard, Karen and Christine Root. (2003). Ready to Write: A First Composition Text, Third
Edition. Longman: Pearson Education Inc.

McWhorter, Kathleen T. (2007). In Concert: An Integrated Approach to Reading and Writing,

MLA Update, 2nd Edition. Longman: Pearson.

Oshima, Alice and Ann Hogue. (2006). Writing Academic English, Fourth Edition. Longman:
Pearson.