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Overview of One-paragraph Essay
Topic Sentence ( X is Y) Support (1) Support (2) Support (3) Reworded Topic Sentence (X is Y in other words) |
Grammatically speaking, topic sentence is X + Y
X is a noun
Y is and adjective
+ is a form of "to be"
Prior to writing a topic sentence, it is better to limit the domain of the topic. To limit a
topic, one may add time, place, color, age, gender, nationality, quality and so on.
For example, let’s assume we are supposed to talk about “dieting”. To begin with,
we can add the concept of “age” to the issue. “dieting for the teenagers”. Now the
topic is limited enough to accept an adjective like “futile”
Sample Topic Sentences
In the United States, hitchhiking is dangerous. Dieting for the teenagers is futile. Dieting for the old people is detrimental. In Iran, restoring old houses is rewarding. For the elderly, soccer is a physically demanding sport. Soccer in England is dangerous for several reasons. |
Rewording the Topic Sentence
Although all the topic sentences presented above are acceptable, they seem too
mechanical and austere. In order to add flexibility and embellishment, we can use
a simple procedure: Write the sentence so that it conveys the exact same meaning.
However, do not use “be” and replace it with another verb.
Reword the topic sentences which are in the above box (the first one is done)
Hitchhiking has
proved to be the last ride for many people. |
Below is an example of a fully shaped essay with only one paragraph.
Even
though I have never really lived there, going to my grandmother’s farm always seems like coming home.
The Feeling begins as soon as I cross the threshold of that quaint
little house and tumble into the arms of waiting aunts and cousins. The sense
of welcome overwhelms me. Then, there are the cozy rooms_ the ceilings
don’t seem higher than six feet _ with their crackling fireplaces that make me
want to snuggle down into the feather- stuffed chairs. But the memory that always
lasts the longest is the smell of Grandma’s biscuits and pastries cooked in
her coke-fed Stove. Yes, only in Grandma’s house do I feel the warmth
and welcome that always seems like coming home. |
Topic
sentence: Going to my grandmother’s farm seems like coming home.
Specific
Support (1): greeting by relatives
Specific
Support (2): coziness of house
Specific
Support (3): smell of home- cooked food
Reworded TS: I feel the warmth and welcome…
Another sample comes below
| In the United States, hitchhiking is dangerous. Whereas hitchhikers are not supposed to pay, as the name connotes, they are maltreated by the drivers. Even worse, they are the subject of verbal abuse or sexual harassment. Moreover, legal system of the country does not endorse this action and provides little if any aid when things go ugly between the hitchhiker and the driver. Poor hitchhikers are considered low creatures in many cases which paves the way for malcontent minds. In brief, hitchhiking has proved to be the last ride for many people. |