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The topic sentence acts as a kind of summary, and offers the reader an insightful view of the paragraph's main ideas. [3] More than being a mere summary of a paragraph, however, a topic sentence often provides a claim or an insight directly or indirectly related to the thesis. It adds cohesion to an academic text and helps organize ideas not ...
Each body paragraph should consist of eight sentences: a topic sentence (T) followed by two "chunks" made up of a sentence presenting a concrete detail (CD) such as a fact, quotation, plot point, or example, followed by two sentences of commentary on that material (CM), and then by a concluding sentence (CS).
English students are sometimes taught that a paragraph should have a topic sentence or "main idea", preferably first, and multiple "supporting" or "detail" sentences that explain or supply evidence. One technique of this type, intended for essay writing, is known as the Schaffer paragraph .
The upper-left square contains the opening supportive sentence, and the next two squares contain other supporting information. Finally, the student writes a summary sentence in the lower-right square. The summary sentence describes how the reader is intended to feel about the topic.
Sections usually consist of paragraphs of running prose, each dealing with a particular point or idea. Single-sentence paragraphs can inhibit the flow of the text; by the same token, long paragraphs become hard to read. Between paragraphs—as between sections—there should be only a single blank line. First lines are not indented.
All the sentences within a paragraph should revolve around the same topic. When the topic changes, a new paragraph should be started. Overly long paragraphs should be split up, as long as the cousin paragraphs keep the idea in focus. One-sentence paragraphs can be emphatic, and should be used sparingly.
The thesis statement, usually at the end of the introduction, should clearly articulate the writer's position on the topic. This statement serves as a roadmap for the reader, indicating what to expect in the following paragraphs. [3] Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single main idea that supports the thesis.
If the quotation is a single word or a sentence fragment, place the terminal punctuation outside the closing quotation mark. When quoting a full sentence, the end of which coincides with the end of the sentence containing it, place terminal punctuation inside the closing quotation mark. Miller wanted, he said, "to create something timeless".