Page 108 - University English for non-speacalist

Read the following topic sentences. They all contain a topic and a controlling idea. When your
paragraphs contain a clearly stated topic sentence such as one of the following, your reader will
know what to expect and, therefore, understand your ideas better.

Examples of topic sentences:

Read the following topic sentences. In each one, the topic is my friend. The controlling idea in
each sentence explains what the writer will say about the topic. These controlling ideas tell the
reader what to expect in the supporting sentences.

Topic Controlling idea

My friend is an honest person.
My friend is the funniest person I know.
My friend has a terribly dangerous job.

Features of an effective topic sentence
• A topic sentence is not a fragment. It is a complete sentence.

Fragment: Smart phones for college students. (INCORRECT)

Complete Sentence: Smart phones have several useful features for college students.

• A topic sentence is not too general.

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