Examples of topic sentences. Here are examples of topic sentences with a main idea listed to help you see how the topic sentence supports the main point of a piece of writing: Example 1: Main idea: President James Polk expanded the physical land of the United States during his presidency. The topic sentence is typically the first sentence of a paragraph, and it introduces the subject of a paragraph by laying out a controlling idea or particular point of view on the topic. The rest of the paragraph will include supporting sentences with examples and evidence to support the main point. Every topic sentence has two parts: a topic (what the paragraph is about) and a controlling idea (the direction the paragraph will take). Take a look at these topic sentence examples in which the topic is bold and the controlling idea is in italics. Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence. Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the paragraph's development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence. I. What is a Topic Sentence? A topic sentence in a paragraph is like the GPS in a car. It shows you (and others) where you are going and explains the point of the paragraph. Everything else is used as supporting details. The topic sentence contains two parts: the topic and a controlling idea. Matt Ellis Updated on June 2, 2022 Students A topic sentence, usually the first sentence in a paragraph, introduces the main idea of that paragraph and sets its tone. A topic sentence is especially important in essays, where topics change from paragraph to paragraph. .

topic sentence and controlling idea examples