Topic Sentences: How Necessary Are They?
Kenneth John Odle -- ENGL 5740 -- Fall 2009 -- Western Michigan University
If you know of ways in which this presentation can be improved, I urge you to contact me. Thanks!
I would like you to consider two passages.
The first is here:
and the second is here:
Or you can view these in a .pdf (suitable for printing).
In pairs, small groups, or even within your own head, consider:
- Do either of these passages have a topic sentence? More than one topic sentence?
- Would either passage make a good paragraph on its own? Do they have too many ideas? Too few?
- How are ideas developed in each paragraph?
- Mark the paragraph breaks, if you see any.