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Chapter 10: Implied Topic Sentence
Writers use a variety of methods to weave a group of sentences into a paragraph. While this variety can make it difficult for the reader, no matter what organization a writer uses, there will always be Support (examples, statistics, and/or quotes) to prove the Topic Sentence.
Here is the complete organization of the paragraph:
Paragraph Organization1. Introduction
a. Gets the readers’ interest.
b. Sets the context for the paragraph/essay (provides background).
2. Topic Sentence
a. Topic or subject of the paragraph/essay.
b. Main idea (what the writer will prove or provide support for in the paragraph/essay.)
3. Support Sentences
a. General support (connects the topic sentence to the supporting details.)
b. Specific support (the details – quotes, statistics, and examples – that support the main idea.)
4. Conclusion
a. Restates the main idea (what the writer has proved in the paragraph in different words.)
Let’s take another look at the essay, “The Great White Shark.” The paragraph appears in the left column, which has the following code:
· The Topic of the Thesis Statement is underlined and the Main Idea is in Bold Type.
· The Topic Sentences for the Support Paragraphs are underlined.
· The General Support is in Blue Type.
· The Specific Support (examples, statistics, and/or quotes) is in Red Type.
· The Conclusion that restates the Main Idea of the essay is in underlined Green Type.
The paragraph also has footnotes to mark its organization. The footnotes are explained in the right column.
1There were good reasons why cage diving to view the Great White Sharks has not caught on at the islands. 2The weather is often nasty; 3the water temperature hovers around fifty-two degrees. A cold mist often rises from the water, settling over the boat like a cold, damp blanket. 4Underwater visibility is scant—and that’s on a good day. 5On a typical day, a client paying the better part of a G-note might see the blurry outline of a shark pass by the cage—if there isn’t too much plankton clogging up the visibility. There were days when the tourists struck out entirely, when the sharks stayed hidden and all the shivering divers saw from their cage was a murky emerald world. 6The choppy water makes being seasick a serious problem.7When the tourists returned to the boat, they would get tossed around like dice in a cup. More than half of them clustered along the back railing of the boat, their sheet-white faces drooping with misery. Entrepreneurs and fishermen may be tempted to start shark viewing businesses, but 8most are soon dissuaded by the conditions in this part of the Pacific Ocean. Still a small number persevere, and manage to make a living of it. / 1Topic Sentence: Topic—Cage diving to view Great White sharks + Main Idea—has not caught on at the islands:2General Support 1: the weather is nasty.
3Specific Support 1: a cold mist rises from the water.
4General Support 2: visibility is scant.
5Specific Support 1: if there isn’t too much plankton clogging up the visibility.
6General Support 3: being seasick a serious problem.
7Specific Support 3: tourists tossed around like dice in a cup.
8Conclusion: most are soon dissuaded by the conditions in this part of the Pacific Ocean.
A complete organizational structure makes a paragraph easier to understand. As discussed in Chapter 9, many writers do not follow the rules. That’s the bad news. The good news is that all professional writers to have two vital parts of every paragraph they write:
1. A Topic Sentence: Topic + Main Idea.2. Support sentences (examples, statistics, and/or quotes that provide evidence for the topic sentence.
In Chapter 9, we found that the topic sentence can appear anywhere in the paragraph from the first sentence to the last. In this chapter, we confront the frustrating fact that the topic sentence need not appear at all. How can a person make sense of a paragraph without a clearly stated topic sentence? The answer is since all paragraphs include support sentences, the reader can identify the topic sentence, whether stated or not, by understanding the purpose of the support sentences. For example, in the shark paragraph, we identified the topic and support points. That allow us to find the topic sentence, whether it’s stated in the paragraph or not. Here’s how:
After reading the paragraph, you’ve determined that the Topic is “Cage Diving to View the Great White Shark.” Next, identify the three main Support Points:
Support Point 1: the weather is nasty
Support Point 2: visibility is low underwater
Support Point 3: likelihood of becoming seasick
Ask yourself what is the support trying to prove about the topic sentence? You could answer that cage diving to view the Great White Shark at the islands is not likely to work well, since most people don’t enjoy nasty weather, low visibility, and becoming seasick.
The Topic Sentence you just developed is similar to the author’s Topic Sentence:
The Topic Sentence of the paragraph: / The Topic Sentence we developed based on the Topic and main Support Points:There were good reasons why cage diving to view the Great White Sharks has not caught on at the islands. / Cage diving to view the Great White Sharks at the islands is not likely to work well.
A topic sentence that is not stated in the paragraph is called an “implied topic sentence.” Topic sentences are often implied or hinted in college level textbooks and journal articles. Here’s the point: Identifying the topic and support points of the paragraph will lead you to the topic sentence, whether it’s stated or implied. On the other hand, if you rush to identify the Topic Sentence, you’ll often be wrong! There’s only one trustworthy way to find the topic sentence in a paragraph:
· Identify the topic and the support sentences, and then ask the question: What is the support trying to prove about the topic?” Answering this question will get you to the topic sentence. You can count on it!
Taking it one step at a time, let’s start by getting some practice finding the Implied Topic Sentence when the Topic and Support have already been identified.
Practice 1: Using the following Topics and Support Points, develop your own Topic Sentence that is consistent with the Topic and Support Points listed.
Topic 1: Pay for College Football Players
Support Point 1: College Football Players bring millions of dollars to the school but get little back in return.
Support Point 2: The coach, assistant coaches, trainers, and the athletic director and his staff are all paid handsomely; only the players are not paid.
Support Point 3: Our country is based on getting paid for what the job is worth. If an athlete generates money for the university, he should be fairly compensated.
Your Topic Sentence:
Topic 2: Domestic Violence
Support Point 1: Psychologically harmful
Support Point 2: Can lead to serious injury or death.
Support Point 3: Affects innocent children.
Your Topic Sentence:
Topic 3: Archeologists and Hollywood Movies Involving Archeologists (examples: Temple of Doom, The Mummy)
Support Point 1: Drama and action.
Support Point 2: Money (gold, jewels, etc.).
Support Point 3: Magic and spells.
Your Topic Sentence:
Topic 4: Pollution
Support Point 1: Negatively affects animals and their habitat.
Support Point 2: Cause asthma, cancer, and other health consequences.
Support Point 3: Impacts climate
Your Topic Sentence:
Topic 5: Outsourcing Jobs to Other Countries
Support Point 1: Increases unemployment.
Support Point 2: Decreases U.S. workers wages.
Support Point 3: Only corporations benefit .
Your Topic Sentence:
Reading college level paragraphs can be tricky, and just about impossible if you do not identify the organization of the writing. To identify the organization, and minimize your mistakes, make sure to use the following steps, even if it takes longer. Remember, taking extra time leads increased understanding and comprehension.
Steps in Reading a Paragraph at the College Level
Here’s a strategy you can use to read paragraphs in college:
· Engage
· Question
· Focus
· Investigate
· Understand
1. Engage: Read the paragraph once through carefully. Listen to what the paragraph has to say.2. Question: Underline the unknowns (people, places, events, vocabulary) that you have questions about. Use the book, dictionary, computer, or ask for help to find the answers.
3. Focus: Identify the topic. What is the reading about?
4. Investigate: Identify the support sentences (the details – quotes, statistics, and examples in the essay)
5. Understand: Answer the following questions:
· In your own words what is the writer’s opinion about the topic? Support your position with words, sentences, and ideas from in the essay.
· How does the support reveal the writer’s opinion about the topic?
· What sentence in the essay reflects the topic and the writer’s opinion about the topic.
By asking and answering questions, you interact with the reading, making it possible to understand, remember, and apply what you’ve read.
Use each of the above steps in the following practice exercises.
Practice 2: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions below:
As you read, notice your thoughts, especially the three kinds of thoughts covered in Chapter1:
1. Random Thoughts that just pop into your mind. “I wish I had some coffee like the girl has at the table across the aisle. It sure looks good!” “I wonder if it’s going to rain because I need to walk to the bus after class.” “I’ve got to remember to call my mother this afternoon to see if I can borrow the car,” and on and on.
2. Judgments about people, events in your life, or the essay. “This essay [or just one idea in the essay] is good or bad, interesting or boring, worthwhile, or worthless,” and so on.
3. Negative self-thoughts. “I’m not understanding any of this stuff because I’ve never been any good at reading and never will be! It’s better to give up now and cut my losses.”
Choose one instance as you read the passage when you had one of above types of thoughts and record it here:Practice letting go of the thought and bringing your attention back to the reading.
Use the following scale to rate how difficult it was for you to let go of the thought and return your attention to the reading._____ Easy _____ Somewhat Easy
_____ Somewhat Hard _____ Hard
Read Paragraph 1 and complete the following:
Part 1: Define or explain the following terms or ideas:
· a virtual thrift shop
Part 2: Identify the topic and support points in the following paragraph and use that information to develop a topic sentence.
Topic:
Support Point 1:
Support Point 2:
Support Point 3:
Support Point 4:
Your Topic Sentence:
Paragraph 1:
You don’t even know how half the newest digital camera’s features work, but you persuade yourself to pay extra for the features just in case. You no longer have anything in common with someone who keeps calling you, but you hate to just zap the relationship. You have a virtual thrift shop with all the clothes you no longer wear, but you keep them in your closet, thinking maybe someday you’ll want to wear that plaid shirt, that blue dress, or those faded t-shirts. Your child is exhausted from after-school soccer, ballet, and Chinese lessons, but you won’t let her drop the piano lessons. They could come in handy! And who knows? Maybe they will.Adapted from: “The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors”
Top of Form
John Tierney, The New York Times, February 26, 2008
Read Paragraph 2 and complete the following:
Part 1: Define or explain the following terms or ideas:
· “The best strategy was to quickly check out the three rooms and settle in the one with the highest rewards.”
· Flummoxed
Part 2: Identify the topic and support points in the following paragraph and use that information to develop a topic sentence.
Topic:
Support Point 1:
Support Point 2:
Support Point 3:
Your Topic Sentence:
Paragraph 2:
The experiments had students playing a computer game that paid real cash to look for money behind three doors on the screen. After they opened a door by clicking on it, each subsequent click earned a little money, with the sum varying each time. As each player went through the 100 allotted clicks, he could switch rooms to search for higher payoffs, but each switch used up a click to open the new door. The best strategy was to quickly check out the three rooms and settle in the one with the highest rewards. Even after students got the hang of the game by practicing it, they were flummoxed when a new visual feature was introduced. If they stayed out of any room, its door would start shrinking and eventually disappear. They should have ignored those disappearing doors, but the students couldn’t. They wasted so many clicks rushing back to reopen doors that their earnings dropped 15 percent. Even when the penalties for switching grew stiffer - besides losing a click, the players had to pay a cash fee - the students kept losing money by frantically keeping all their doors open.