Topic Sentences

Strong Topic Sentences have… Transition Words Repetition Pronouns

Transition Words Transition words, like signal words, help guide your reader so they do not get lost reading. Examples: For example However In addition Then First Second Because After Before Consequently Therefore Although Thus

Transition Words Examples John loves sports; for example, he has a basketball hoop in his driveway, an Olympic-sized swimming pool in his backyard, and a horseshoe pit in his front yard. John loves sports because his mother and father have always encouraged him and have never forced him to participate.

Repetition When you repeat a word, you create a link from one sentence to another or from one paragraph to another. This helps your reader stay on track ***If you used the same word five or more times in a single paragraph, you should think about using synonyms.

Repetition Example Winston Churchill uses repetition to drive his point home: Never give in---never, never, never, never--in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Pronouns Pronouns help you save space and to save your reader from reading the same word over and over again. Example without Pronouns: Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open in the year 2000 by an unprecedented 15 strokes. Tiger Woods led wire to wire, shooting 65-69-71-67 in the four rounds of the tournament. Through the entire tournament, Tiger Woods did not three-putt a single time.

Example with Pronouns: Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open in the year 2000 by an unprecedented 15 strokes. He led wire to wire, shooting 65-69-71-67 in the four rounds of the tournament. Throughout the entire tournament, he did not three-putt a single time.

Practice! Dissect the quote below: “There is one way to find out if a man is honest - ask him. If he says yes, you know he is crooked.”- Groucho Marx Using the quote create a three P thesis. After generating your three P thesis, use the prongs to create your three body paragraph topic sentences.