1. AcDv B80 Another Boring PPT by Jessica Wojtysiak Bakersfield College
Topic Sentences
AcDv B80
Another Boring PPT by Jessica Wojtysiak
Bakersfield College

2. Basic Outline of a Paragraph
Topic Sentence
Evidence or reasoning
Explanation

3. Topic Sentences Control the entire paragraph.
Every sentence in a paragraph exists to support the topic sentence.

4. Writing Topic Sentences
To write the topic sentence, ask yourself what sentence is broad enough to describe all of the sentences in the paragraph.
Topic sentences are broad.
Supporting details are more specific but all share a common link to the topic sentence.

5. Revising Topic Sentences
If a sentence does not support the topic sentence, something is wrong.
Options:
Remove the sentence from the paragraph
Rewrite the topic sentence to incorporate the sentence

6. Where do they go? Most often the first sentence of the paragraph.
The author starts with a broad idea and then offers specific examples or evidence to support that broad idea.
The reader knows exactly what the paragraph will be about just by reading the first sentence.

7. But… Topic sentences can be the last sentence of a paragraph.
They can be in the middle of a paragraph.
A paragraph can contain 2 topic sentences.
A paragraph may even be missing a topic sentence. (Don’t do this!)

8. How do we check for topic sentences?
The Reverse Outline

9. What is it? Bullet point structure of your paper
Removes the details and focuses upon the topic sentences (if you have them)

10. The reverse outline helps you to…
Why?
The reverse outline helps you to…
Figure out if the paper meets its goal
Discover areas needing topic sentences
Discover areas needing more analysis or evidence
See where readers may be confused

11. How Start with your rough draft List the main idea of each paragraph
Copy/paste the topic sentence of each paragraph into the outline
Number the list

12. Example
Let’s construct together a reverse outline based upon a hypothetical paper

13. Homework
Using the paper you uploaded to Turnitin.com, construct a reverse outline
Bring the reverse outline to class on Monday, October 31, 2016