For example, one of the most common patterns in academic writing is outlined below. Topic sentence. A topic sentence introduces the main point of the paragraph. It should contain a main idea and a controlling idea which support the thesis statement and unify the content of the paragraph. 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. 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. 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. The example topic sentence suggests the paragraph topic is "the economy," and the controlling idea about the economy is how it "plays a role in an increase" in opioid addition. The signal word "also" connects this topic as an additional example or contributing factor to the opioid epidemic, the focus of the paper. Typically, a topic sentence includes several key elements, such as a clear and concise statement of the main idea, a focus on a specific aspect or aspect of the topic, and an indication of the direction that the rest of the paragraph will take. Other important elements may include supporting evidence or examples, transitions to connect the .

topic sentence and controlling idea examples