PRACTICE on WRITING TOPIC SENTENCES to

GIVEN THESIS STATEMENTS

RPW 305

WRITING

(ALL DEPARTMENTS)

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

1. Use a transition phrase (firstly, secondly, etc.)

2. Include the topic word or phrase in the topic sentence:

For example:- Topic: e-learning- The other reason is working while studying.- The other reason for university students to benefit from

e-learning is that they can both study and work thanks to e-learning.

- The other reason is that university students can both study and work thanks to e-learning.

X

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

3. Use a variety of language structure rather than sticking to just one.

4. Do not announce the topic:For example:- Firstly, I want to start with freedom to fail.- Firstly, giving students freedom to fail is

one of the reasons why e-learning is beneficial.

X

Practice: Write topic sentences for the given thesis statement:

“Smoking can cause heart diseases, lung cancer, and emphysema.”

T.S. 1: - First, one of the most important effects of smoking is

getting heart diseases.- The first effect of smoking for a long time is having heart

diseases.- To begin with, heart diseases are among the most

common effects of smoking for a long time.- Firstly/ First of all, smoking for a long time can lead to/

leads to / results in / culminates in heart diseases.

T.S. 2• Another result of smoking is having lung cancer,

which is a terrible disease that can result in death at early ages.

• Furthermore, heavy smokers can have lung cancer after long years of smoking.

• Moreover/ Secondly/ Next, addicts of cigarette can suffer from lung cancer.

• In addition to heart diseases, people who are in the habit of smoking may have to suffer from lung cancer.

T. S. 3• Lastly / Finally / Eventually / Consequently

/Thirdly emphysema can be caused by smoking for a long time.

• The final result/ effect / impact of smoking is emphysema.

• Emphysema is the last but not the least result of smoking.

• The consequent result is that people who smoke heavily can have emphysema.

• In addition to heart diseases and lung cancer, people who smoke heavily can have emphysema, too.

• Emphysema is the last but not the least impact of smoking, as well as heart diseases and lung cancer.

• As well as / Besides heart diseases and lung cancer, emphysema is one of the dangerous effects of smoking.

Underlined phrases shown with this colour are BRIDGEs to previous body paragraphs.

Try the following thesis statement:

“Women generally live longer than men for two main reasons: They tend to make better care of their health and they have better resistance to stress.”

T.S. 1• The first reason for women to live longer is that they

give more importance to their health.• First of all / To start with, the fact that women take

better care of their health results in longer life expectancy in women.

T. S. 2• Secondly, women are able to cope with stress

more effectively, which results in living longer.• The second reason for women to live longer is

that they are less affected by stress than men.• The other reason for the fact that women live

longer is due to women’s having better skills of coping with stress.

vs.

Try writing topic sentences for the given thesis statements.

• Thesis Statement 1:“Students have a difficult time taking notes due to the heavy accents of professors, echoing in auditoriums, and the number of students’ being large.”

• Thesis Statement 2:“A computer is necessary for college students to do research, to have instant access to software needed for assignments, and to get in touch with classmates and/or professors any time.”