Topic Sentence/Main Idea:

A topic sentence serves the purpose of identifying the goal of each paragraph in writing. It is crucial to create a well-crafted topic sentence to ensure a well-structured paragraph. The topic sentence acts as an organizer for the entire paragraph, stating its objective. Subsequent supporting sentences aim to provide evidence that substantiates the ideas expressed in the topic sentence. Typically, topic sentences are positioned early within the body paragraph.

Types:

Three types of topic sentences exist: General Topic Sentences, Clueing Topic Sentences, and Specific Topic Sentences.

• General Topic Sentence: This type names the paragraph's main idea. For example, "This year's presidential race promises to be exciting."
• Clueing Topic Sentence: It names the main idea while providing additional information about the details to be included in the paragraph. For example, "There are three reasons that this year's presidential race promises to be exciting."
• Specific Topic Sentence: This type names the main idea and specifies the details to be covered. For example, "The backgrounds, strategies, and personalities of the candidates indicate that this year's presidential race will be exciting."

Main Idea: The main focus of a passage is the topic or individual being discussed, while the main idea reflects the author's most significant point regarding the subject. Discovering main ideas can be achieved through various methods: Commonly, main ideas are positioned at the onset of paragraphs, where the initial sentence introduces the topic under discussion. Alternatively, main ideas can be found in the concluding sentences of paragraphs. Occasionally, the main idea is not directly expressed, resulting in a more challenging task of identification. In such instances, it can be deduced or implied by examining other words within the paragraph. Implied main ideas can be detected using the following techniques: Multiple sentences might present facts about the topic before explicitly mentioning the subject, thereby implying the main idea. Implied ideas can be inferred from facts, reasons, or examples that offer clues or suggestions pertaining to the main idea.

Christopher Seebaran (pc)