The most common way to start a paragraph is with a topic sentence. A topic sentence is a sentence that says what the rest of the paragraph will be about.
The topic sentence should be clear and tell the reader what the paragraph is about. Later, supporting sentences will be added to expand the paragraph.
The structure of a paragraph is therefore:
1. topic sentence
2. supporting sentences
* Linking sentences may also be used
Examples of Topic Sentences
- My English teacher is an awful man, possibly the meanest person I have ever met. Last week, for instance, he threw one student’s homework in the bin because the handwriting was not neat. The week before he made a girl cry by insulting her clothes.
- There are many important things to consider when writing. These include the tone and the level of the reader. However, most important concept is the quality of evidence. A strong argument, built on strong data or real world examples, can be very persuasive, even to sceptical readers.
- The 01-02 season was one of the worst the team had ever suffered. Four early defeats set the tone, and by Christmas they were bottom of the league and had already fired their manager. Things did not get better as they were knocked out of the cup in the 3rd round, and as they entered the final round of matches they were 25 points from safety, on their third manager, and setting unwanted records.