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Topic Sentences
[sometimes called the controlling idea]

It might be helpful to think of a topic sentence as working in two directions simultaneously. It relates the paragraph to the essay's thesis, and thereby acts as a signpost for the argument of the paper as a whole, but it also defines the scope of the paragraph itself. For example, consider the following topic sentence: Many fast-food chains make their profits from adding a special ingredient called "forget sauce" to their foods. If this sentence controls the paragraph that follows, then all sentences in the paragraph must relate in some way to fast food, profit, and "forget sauce": Made largely from edible oil products, this condiment is never listed on the menu. This sentence fits in with the topic sentence because it is a description of the composition of "forget sauce." In addition, this well-kept industry secret is the reason why ingredients are never listed on the packaging of victuals sold by these restaurants. The transitional phrase "In addition" relates the composition of "forget sauce" to secret fast-food industry practices. "Forget sauce" has a chemical property which causes temporary amnesia in consumers. Now the paragraph moves on to the short-term effect on consumers: After spending too much money on barely edible food bereft of any nutritional value, most consumers swear they will never repeat such a disagreeable experience. This sentence describes its longer-term effects: Within a short period, however, the chemical in "forget sauce" takes effect, and they can be depended upon to return and spend, older but no wiser. Finally, I finish the paragraph by "proving" the claim contained in the topic sentence, that many fast-food chains make their profits from adding a special ingredient called "forget sauce" to their foods.

Source: http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/partopic.html

Exercises

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Example (identify the connection in the supporting sentences)

Margaret Thatchers policies were dominated by the philosophy of individual freedom and self-reliance. During the years of the

Thatcher governments Britons experienced cuts in welfare payments and drastic legal restrictions on trade unions. Public industries were sold off to private investors in the belief that the free market would deliver prosperity to all 1)___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live 2)___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Although student surveys always show students like to have access to materials online, the take up of purely online courses is low. When questioned, students find that studying online can be a lonely and unsatisfying experience. Not only do students miss the human interaction with other students, they also find the time lag in getting answers to their questions very frustrating. 3)___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Research shows that countries with high levels of immigration are economically successful and that there is a correlation between a mobile labour force and economic prosperity. Immigration serves as an important source of both skilled and unskilled labour in the UK which has come to depend on migrants to plug gaps in its skilled professions and to do jobs that the local population are unwilling to do. 4)___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Britain had an empire at this time and Germany wanted a similar role in the world. This meant having a strong navy so the Germans spent a considerable amount of time and effort building up its naval force. Britain responded to this threat to its dominance by strengthening its navy even further. This naval race contributed to the increase in tension between the two countries.

Exercises ANSWERS

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Another example (identify the connection in the supporting sentences)

Margaret Thatchers policies were dominated by the philosophy of individual freedom and self-reliance. During the years of the

Thatcher governments Britons experienced cuts in welfare payments and drastic legal restrictions on trade unions. Public industries were sold off to private investors in the belief that the free market would deliver prosperity to all There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live Online learning and e-courses have a number of problems and issues. Although student surveys always show students like to have access to materials online, the take up of purely online courses is low. When questioned, students find that studying online can be a lonely and unsatisfying experience. Not only do students miss the human interaction with other students, they also find the time lag in getting answers to their questions very frustrating. One of the strongest arguments in favour of a relaxed approach to immigration is that the UK benefits economically from immigrant labour. Research shows that countries with high levels of immigration are economically successful and that there is a correlation between a mobile labour force and economic prosperity. Immigration serves as an important source of both skilled and unskilled labour in the UK which has come to depend on migrants to plug gaps in its skilled professions and to do jobs that the local population are unwilling to do. One of the most important factors leading to the outbreak of World War One was the arms race between Britain and Germany. Britain had an empire at this time and Germany wanted a similar role in the world. This meant having a strong navy so the Germans spent a considerable amount of time and effort building up its naval force. Britain responded to this threat to its dominance by strengthening its navy even further. This naval race contributed to the increase in tension between the two countries.

Topic Sentences (difficult)

Law

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1)_________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Many of the damaging effects of this industry are evident worldwide, from volatile cultivation and distribution countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia and Mexico, to UK- based addicts who commit crime to support their habit (UN, 2010b). Consequently, the threat posed by the trade is the focus of much governmental policy. This research examines the contemporary patterns in drug-trafficking and associated violence, as well as identifying case studies and theoretical explanations for such activities, in order to assess whether the current strategies implemented are actually effective in tackling such problems, or if criminal justice responses further escalate violence by trafficking groups. 2)_________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ They also may be created with a particular audience or sales point in mind, for example government websites publish documents, which are possibly biased. Although bias may be apparent in many documents due to the authors/publishers stance on the topic, it may also be possible for the reader to misinterpret a document in order to find answers to the questions they are searching for, therefore care has to be taken when analysing the meaning of a source. Finally, when looking at government and official statistics relating to youth crime and youth gangs, the credibility has to be questioned due to the dark figure created by crimes which have gone unreported and unrecorded.

English Literature
3)_________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ In any of the phases, the characteristic of Shakespearean studies in China was closely associated with the historical, cultural and political situation at that time; for instance, the complete disappearance of the Chinese public life during the Cultural Revolution. Thereupon, some scholars have asserted that the Chinese have misunderstood Shakespeare, even appropriated him for their own purposes. Although the political element did play an important leading role in Chinas reception of Shakespeare, it is doubtless that any literature must have its potential social function, no matter the terms of the artistic or social value. So, this was the case with Shakespeare in China.

Social Science
4)_________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ In 1851 their average size was 4.7, roughly the same as it had been in the seventeenth century, but the 1 million couples who married during the 1860s, which the historian G. M. Young described as the best decade in English history to have been brought up in, raised the figure to 6.2. Only one out of eight Victorian families had one or two children, while one in six had ten or more, so that the counsel 'little children should be seen and not heard' was prudent rather than simply authoritarian advice

Science
5)_________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ The first is the way in which living cells develop an energy currency. This, like ordinary money, can be used to exchange one vital commodity for another. The second is the use of substances called enzymes as go-betweens to reduce the amount of energy needed to make many chemical reactions essential to life take place fast enough. These 2 biochemical chemical principles are essential for healthy life.

Politics
6)_________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________In many countries today Americans are cordially disliked; in others merely tolerated. The reasons for this sad state of affairs are many and varied, and some of them are beyond the control of anything this country might do to try to correct them. But harsh as it may seem to the ordinary citizen, filled as he is with good intentions and natural generosity, much of the foreigners' animosity has been generated by American behaviour.

Science
7)_________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ It is the study of how our species evolved from more primitive organisms; it is also the study of how our species developed a mode of communication known as language and a mode of social life known as culture. It is the study of how culture evolved and diversified. And finally, it is the study of how culture, people, and nature interact wherever human beings are found.

Law
The lucrative nature of the drugs market means that traffickers will go to any means to protect their trade, including the use of violence wherever necessary (Hammersley, 2008). Many of the damaging effects of this industry are evident worldwide, from volatile cultivation and distribution countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia and Mexico, to UK- based addicts who commit crime to support their habit (UN, 2010b). Consequently, the threat posed by the trade is the focus of much governmental policy. This research examines the contemporary patterns in drug-trafficking and associated violence, as well as identifying case studies and theoretical explanations for such activities, in order to assess whether the current strategies implemented are actually effective in tackling such problems, or if criminal justice responses further escalate violence by trafficking groups There are also problems with internet sources as many websites contain out-of-date poor quality material (Denscombe, 2003:58), as well as further issues of authenticity and credibility, as the creator of a website may be unknown. They also may be created with a particular audience or sales point in mind, for example government websites publish documents which are possibly biased. Although bias may be apparent in many documents due to the authors/publishers stance on the topic, it may also be possible for the reader to misinterpret a document in order to find answers to the questions they are searching for, therefore care has to be taken when analysing the meaning of a source. Finally, when looking at government and official statistics relating to youth crime and youth gangs, the credibility has to be questioned due to the dark figure created by crimes which have gone unreported and unrecorded.

English Literature
Since the name of Shakespeare was first introduced into China, Shakespeare in China has witnessed several different development phases in the fields of translating, performing and criticism. In any of the phases, the characteristic of Shakespearean studies in China was closely associated with the historical, cultural and political situation at that time; for instance, the complete disappearance of the Chinese public life during the Cultural Revolution. Thereupon, some scholars have asserted that the Chinese have misunderstood Shakespeare, even appropriated him for their own purposes. Although the political element did play an important leading role in Chinas reception of Shakespeare, it is doubtless that any literature must have its potential social function, no matter the terms of the artistic or social value. So, this was the case with Shakespeare in China

Social Science
In general, Victorian families were big. In 1851 their average size was 4.7, roughly the same as it had been in the seventeenth century, but the 1 million couples who married during the 1860s, which the historian G. M. Young described as the best decade in English history to have been brought up in, raised the figure to 6.2. Only one out of eight families had one or two children, while one in six had ten or more, so that the counsel 'little children should be seen and not heard' was prudent rather than simply authoritarian advice

Science
The complexities of biochemistry can be reduced to two fundamental processes. The first is the way in which living cells develop an energy currency. This, like ordinary money, can be used to exchange one vital commodity for another. The second is the use of substances called enzymes as gobetweens to reduce the amount of energy needed to make many chemical reactions essential to life take place fast enough. These two biochemical principles are essential for healthy life.

Politics
Though the United States has spent billions of dollars on foreign aid programs, it has captured neither the affection nor esteem of the rest of the world. In many countries today Americans are cordially disliked; in others merely tolerated. The reasons for this sad state of affairs are many and varied, and some of them are beyond the control of anything this country might do to try to correct them. But harsh as it may seem to the ordinary citizen, filled as he is with good intentions and natural generosity, much of the foreigners' animosity has been generated by the way Americans behave.

Science
Anthropology is the study of humankind, especially of Homo sapiens, the biological species to which we human beings belong. It is the study of how our species evolved from more primitive organisms; it is also the study of how our species developed a mode of communication known as language and a mode of social life known as culture. It is the study of how culture evolved and diversified. And finally, it is the study of how culture, people, and nature interact wherever human beings are found. Source: http://www.uefap.com/writing/exercise/parag/paragex3.htm WEB ENGLISH
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The Genius of Leonardo.

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1. He was the illegitimate son of a Florentine lawyer and property owner. His artistic bent obviously appeared at an early age for when he was 15 he was apprenticed to the painter Verocchio. In 1472 he was accepted in the painters guild in Florence, where he remained until 1481. 2. And among his early drawings were many sketches of mechanical apparatus and weapons, evidence of his interest in, and knowledge of things mechanical. 3. His artistic achievements in Milan reached their peak with the mural The Last Supper completed in 1497. 4. In the 1490s he began monumental treatises on painting, architecture, human anatomy and mechanics. He set down his observations on these themes in voluminous notes and sketches, which he would later assemble in his notebooks. There remain of his notebooks a prodigious 7000 pages, all in characteristic mirror-writing. 5. He then went back to Milan and entered the service of the French King Louis XII. Later he was to work in Rome with Raphael and Michelangelo on designs for the new church of St Peter. In 1516 he settled in France, at Cloux, near Amboise, where he died three years later. 6. He was no mere theorist advancing fanciful ideas. He was a practical man, who designed things that would work, because he could see how they would work. 7. There is no evidence that Leonardo actually built the machines and mechanical devices he sketched and described. And in many cases their practical importance remained unrealised and unrealisable for centuries. There was neither the demand for them nor the technology. Match these topic sentences with the correct sentence above a. Leonardo returned to Florence in 1499, where he painted that most famous painting 'The Mona Lisa' (1503). b. Between 1482 and 1499 he was employed in the service of the Duke of Milan, to whom he was painter, sculptor, musician and technical adviser on military and engineering matters. c. In whatever subject he studied, Leonardo laid absolute faith in the evidence of his eyes. d. Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 in Vinci, a small village in Tuscany. e. And it is in his 'things', his machines, that we are interested in this book. f. By then Leonardo's expertise with paint brush and palette, pen and pencil was already well advanced. g. But his creative energies now were turning more and more to scientific and literary pursuits.

Identifying topic sentences - answers The Genius of Leonardo.

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1. Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 in Vinci, a small village in Tuscany. He was the illegitimate son of a Florentine lawyer and property owner. His artistic bent obviously appeared at an early age for when he was 15 he was apprenticed to the painter Verocchio. In 1472 he was accepted in the painters guild in Florence, where he remained until 1481. 2. By then Leonardos expertise with paint brush and palette, pen and pencil was already well advanced. And among his early drawings were many sketches of mechanical apparatus and weapons, evidence of his interest in, and knowledge of things mechanical. 3. Between 1482 and 1499 he was employed in the service of the Duke of Milan, to whom he was painter, sculptor, musician and technical adviser on military and engineering matters. His artistic achievements in Milan reached their peak with the mural The Last Supper completed in 1497. 4. But his creative energies now were turning more and more to scientific and literary pursuits. In the 1490s he began monumental treatises on painting, architecture, human anatomy and mechanics. He set down his observations on these themes in voluminous notes and sketches, which he would later assemble in his notebooks. There remain of his notebooks a prodigious 7000 pages, all in characteristic mirror-writing. 5. Leonardo returned to Florence in 1499, where he painted that most famous painting The Mona Lisa (1503). He then went back to Milan and entered the service of the French King Louis XII. Later he was to work in Rome with Raphael and Michelangelo on designs for the new church of St Peter. In 1516 he settled in France, at Cloux, near Amboise, where he died three years later. 6. In whatever subject he studied, Leonardo laid absolute faith in the evidence of his eyes. He was no mere theorist advancing fanciful ideas. He was a practical man, who designed things that would work, because he could see how they would work. 7. And it is in his things, his machines, that we are interested in this book. There is no evidence that Leonardo actually built the machines and mechanical devices he sketched and described. And in many cases their practical importance remained unrealised and unrealisable for centuries. There was neither the demand for them nor the technology. Source: http://www.uefap.com/writing/exercise/parag/paragex4.htm