Placement of the Topic Sentence

Topic Sentence at the Beginning and the End of the Paragraph

Traditionally the topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph. In this lead position, it functions to
introduce the examples or details which will explain the controlling idea. If the paragraph is meant as a
freestanding unit of discourse and not part of a larger whole, the topic sentence, or rather the ideas it contains,
are frequently restated at the end of the paragraph. In this position, the restated topic sentence serves as a
concluding statement. Such repetition of the topic helps the readers to follow the content of the paragraph,
especially if that content is complex in nature.
A diagram of this type of paragraph development might take the form of an hourglass, where the topic sentence
and its restated counterpart form the broad base and top, and the supporting details occupy the intervening
space.

The following sample paragraph is one that has a topic sentence at the beginning and at the end of the
paragraph:
Throwing a clay pot, the age old art of making pottery on a wheel, is a process that requires many
steps. Assuming the potter does not have to make his own clay, the first step toward the finished product is
wedging the clay. Here, the potter kneads the clay to prepare it for throwing. Wedging cannot be rushed. A
minimum of fifty turns is required to rid the clay of air pockets and align its molecules. Once wedged and
formed into a ball, the clay is thrown onto the center of a potter's wheel. Now the material must be centered.
Centering not only takes strength but time as well. The clay must be coerced into a perfectly symmetrical shape,
dead center on the spinning wheel. To proceed with poorly centered clay is to court certain disaster in the form
of tilting, uneven pots, or worse, the total collapse of the piece. When correctly centered, the clay is ready to be
opened. To do this, the potter finds the center of the clay and slowly sinks a rigid finger into the still-spinning
clay. Only now can the clay be shaped. With a steady but gentle hand, the potter pulls up the sides of the pot
until the desired height is reached. Now the shaping is completed and the pot is ready to be dried, fired, and
glazed. Thus, even though a clay pot may appear simple to make, fashioning one by hand is a long and
sometimes tedious process.
The concluding sentence of this paragraph reminds the reader of the controlling idea of the paragraph, namely
that throwing a pot requires many steps. Note that the first and last sentences, while similar, are not identically
phrased.
Topic Sentence at the Beginning of the Paragraph
Concluding remarks of a paragraph do not always restate the topic sentence and, in fact, in some paragraphs
may be missing altogether. However, a topic sentence is still needed. A second and also common placement for
the topic sentence is in the lead position with no repetition in the last sentence.
A paragraph of this nature starts with a strong, general topic statement with subsequent supporting details
narrowing from this broad beginning. Such a structure provides the reader with immediate knowledge of the
topic and scope of the paragraph and thus serves as a map for the details that follow. This type of structure is
most frequently found in newspaper articles, where the headline may also assume the role of topic sentence. A
diagram of this paragraph type would be the top half of the above hourglass, or an inverted triangle.
The following sample paragraph begins with a topic sentence. The details which follow it repeat the controlling
idea of the paragraph and are arranged in chronological order, that is, from first to last:
Constructing a wedding cake is a complicated process. Before any baking takes place, the size of the cake
and the decorative design to be used must be determined. Then the layers are baked. On a large cake the bottom
layers may be as much as sixteen inches in diameter. Because of their size, these layers must be baked one at a
time, a process which may actually take an entire day. Once the layers are cooled, same-size pairs are matched
and frosted. Since large wedding cakes are surprisingly heavy, half-inch dowel rods must be measured, cut, and
carefully driven into the bottom layers. These wooden posts provide hidden support for the weighty upper
layers. When all the layers are set in place, flowers, garlands and leaves of frosting are added. These delicate
touches individualize the wedding cake and transform it from merely a cake into a culinary work of art.
In the paragraph above, the topic sentence is Constructing a wedding cake is a complicated process. The
steps involved in constructing this type of cake are told in time order, beginning with baking and ending with
decorating. Note that, although the paragraph draws to a logical conclusion, the topic sentence is not repeated in
the end position.
Topic Sentence at the End of the Paragraph
While it is most common for topic sentences to begin the paragraph, they do not always do so. Consider the
following sign, seen in the window of a beauty salon:
Please,
No exceptions.
Unless they are booked for service,
No Children
In this situation, No exceptions is clearly not the topic of the sign, and No Children clearly is. Yet the
subject, No Children, is placed in the end rather than the head position. When this idea is extended to the
paragraph, the topic sentence, placed last, serves to summarize the previous details. Paragraphs written in this
way can be diagrammed as an upright triangle, with the broad base representing the topic sentence:

Paragraphs are written in this form primarily for one of two reasons: (1) to create suspense or (2) to bring up a
controversial topic only after sufficient groundwork has been laid. In the case of the sign in the beauty salon, the
message is made gentler by stating the only situation in which children are allowed before stating the more
controversial behest, No Children, in the final position. The act of providing convincing data or groundwork
leads the reader to the topic sentence, which then also serves as the conclusion.
The following sample paragraph is an example of one in which the topic sentence and controlling idea appear in
the final position:
People do it everyday. They log on to their favorite website and browse for hours, checking out bargains. They
dump every possible wish into their shopping carts, knowing they can cast each one aside before they finalize
their purchases. On the way, they may enter a sweepstakes in the hopes of winning a trip to Cabo San Lucas, or
maybe even a new SUV. And then, when they have decided on their purchases, they enter private information
without giving it a thought. With a keystroke, they release their personal data into what may or may not be a
secure zone. Despite what much of the public believes, internet shopping is not safe.
In this paragraph, the idea that internet shopping may not be safe could be considered controversial. For this
reason, groundwork is laid before the final, topic sentence is stated.
Topic Sentence in the Middle of the Paragraph
Perhaps the least common placement for a topic sentence is in the medial position. Placed here, a topic sentence
can provide a transition between two kinds of details, those appearing before the topic sentence and those
appearing after it. In this paragraph structure, the controlling idea may be of a cause/effect or
comparison/contrast nature. The topic sentence, then, serves the function of linking sets of related but different
data. A paragraph of this type can be diagrammed as a diamond with details at both ends and the broad, topic
sentence in the middle.

The following is a sample paragraph with the topic sentence in the medial position:
When a camera flash is used in a low-light environment, the subject's eyes may appear red in the finished
photograph. What is known as "red-eye" is the result of light from the flash reflecting off the pupils of the
eyes. The phenomenon of red-eye can be lessened by using the red-eye reduction feature found on many
SLR cameras. This feature activates a lamp which shines a small light directly into the subject's eyes. When
this happens, the diameter of the pupil is reduced, thus tightening the opening in the iris. Since a smaller pupil
means a smaller host for the reflection, the chances of red-eye occurring are greatly reduced.
In the above paragraph, the topic sentence is The phenomenon of red-eye can be lessened by using the red-
eye reduction feature found on many SLR cameras. It serves to connect information about the cause of red-
eye (found at the beginning of the paragraph) with information about how the problem can be alleviated (found
after the topic sentence).

The Topic Sentence

The "topic sentence" is the sentence in which the main idea of the paragraph is stated. It is unquestionably the
most important sentence in the paragraph. The topic sentence generally is composed of two parts: (a) the topic
itself and (b) the controlling idea.

The Topic

The topic is the subject of the paragraph. It is what the paragraph is all about. The following are topics suitable
for a paragraph:

The SLR camera

Vegetarianism
Tokyo
Pottery
A wedding cake
Writing effective topic sentences, however, involves more than merely stating the subject of the paragraph. A
good topic sentence is specific and well focused, guiding the entire paragraph. A good topic sentence:

Has new information. It is not a fact that everyone already knows to be true (for example, A dictionary has
meanings for words.).

Is specific. If the topic is too general (for example, I like camping.), the reader will not know what to expect in
the paragraph.

Is general enough to invite exploration of the topic. If the topic sentence is too specific (for example, Webster's
New World Dictionary has more than 40,000 words.), there will be nothing else to say on the subject.

Is strong. Starting a topic sentence with there is/are (as in There are several ways to cook rice.) is a weak
opener.

Is stated in positive language. Negative language (for example, You might hate to do it, but you should keep
your room clean.) should not be part of the topic sentence.

Is not an announcement. A topic sentence should draw the reader into the paragraph. Announcements (like This
paragraph will discuss how to build a bird house.) hold little attraction for readers.

The Controlling Idea

Even if all of the above conditions for a topic sentence are met, an effective topic sentence needs one additional
element, the "controlling idea." The controlling idea is the point of the paragraph. It guides the ideas that
provide support for the paragraph and limits the scope of the paragraph. Here is an example of a topic sentence
with a controlling idea that guides the support for the paragraph:

Running provides many healthful benefits.

The topic of this topic sentence is running. The controlling idea is healthful benefits. That is, the reader knows
from this sentence that the paragraph is generally about running. And the reader also knows that the point of the
paragraph will be to enumerate the healthful benefits of running. Limiting the scope of the paragraph through
the controlling idea may happen in one of two ways.

1. The controlling idea may reveal the writer's opinion, point of view, or attitude toward the subject of the
paragraph, which automatically will set parameters for discussion of the topic. OR

2. The controlling idea itself may provide specific limitation. In either case, this limited scope, then, serves to
unify the paragraph, since any discussion must be within the parameters of the controlling idea.

Here is an example of a topic sentence with a controlling idea that states the writer's opinion-the first way to
limit the scope of the paragraph:

The basics of using an SLR camera can be mastered with considerable practice.

The topic of this sentence is an SLR camera. The controlling idea is mastered with considerable practice.
From this single sentence the reader knows that the topic of the paragraph is the SLR camera and that the
paragraph will discuss mastering the basics of using this camera. Additionally, the reader knows that such
mastery comes with practice, the writer's opinion or perspective.

Here is an example of a topic sentence with a controlling idea that specifically sets limitations for the scope of
the paragraph.

When writing a laboratory report, you must complete four sections.

The topic of this sentence is a laboratory report. In this sentence, the controlling idea specifically states the
limitation-four sections. Thus, the reader can predict that the writer will list and describe the four sections in
order.