A topic sentence supports the main point directly

First, come up with a starting topic◦ Usually broad-ex. Celebrities

Second, narrow the topic to come up with a topic sentence◦ Limited topic-ex. People are too obsessed with

celebrities Third, develop a topic sentence

◦ The American public is overly obsessed with celebrity culture.

DON’T create a title: ex. What celebrities mean to me.

DON’T explain what you are going to be discussing: ex. In this paper, I will talk about how Americans are obsessed with celebrities◦ I know this is what you will be discussing! You

don’t have to tell me that!

Each sentence that follows the topic sentence, must relate back to the main sentence.

Ex. The American public is overly obsessed with celebrity culture. Too many people spend their time devoted to watching the actions of people that live in Hollywood, rather than focus on their own lives. Magazines and web sites exist for the sole purpose of divulging celebrity gossip. People need to spend more time concerning themselves with what is going on in the real world, rather than creating icons out of the rich and famous.

Limited topic: how to train a cat◦ 1. This paragraph is about how to train a cat.◦ 2. Before a cat learns anything, it first teaches its

owner a lesson in humility◦ 3. Everything you wouldn’t have thought to ask

about training a cat.◦ 4. Training a cat takes physical stamina.◦ 5. Animal training is a complicated subject.

Limited topic: scuba diving◦ 1. The excitement of scuba diving.◦ 2. My childhood fascination with scuba diving.◦ 3. It is very interesting to experience scuba

diving.◦ 4. The sport of scuba diving has always excited

me.◦ 5. Since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by

scuba diving.

For this assignment, you will be required to write a number of paragraphs revolving around the same topic. Each paragraph should be 5-6 sentences in length. Start with a topic sentence and each following sentence should support, describe, or further explain the topic, depending on the paragraph category.