How to Write a Topic Sentence: Compelling Paragraphs

Learning how to write a topic sentence will significantly improve the quality of your written work. It’s a crucial aspect of any essay or assignment, as it introduces the points you will make.

But, as we reveal in this article, a topic sentence does so much more than this. It also helps your work flow and brings in numerous arguments while presenting a specific perspective.

When you specifically consider and formulate compelling topic sentences, the reader of your work will appreciate it. Given that the reader is likely to be your professor or the person assessing your work, paying attention to topic sentences is in your interest.

In this article, we show you precisely how to write a topic sentence. We present examples that you can use and provide tips you can follow when writing an essay. We also show you how to use AI tools to create topic sentences that are clear, concise, and easy to understand.

What is a topic sentence?

Before explaining how to write a topic sentence, we need to explain what it is and why it’s used. In most instances, it is the first sentence in a paragraph that is responsible for setting the tone and voice.

Given that the topic of an essay often changes from paragraph to paragraph, including a topic sentence is crucial to guide the reader. If you don’t include a topic sentence, the reader might get confused if you jump from one point to another without providing clarity.

An effective topic sentence in an essay should:

⭐️Present the main idea and topic of the paragraph.

⭐️Connect the current paragraph with the previous one, maintaining the flow of the article.

⭐️Provide a preview of what the reader can expect from the content that follows.

⭐️Be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

How to write a topic sentence: Use these tips to guide you

Here are some handy tips from our expert writers that will help you write the perfect topic sentences in your essays:

1: Hook the reader

Hooking the reader means that you grab their attention right away. Therefore, in your topic sentence, you might include a startling statistic or a memorable quote.

You shouldn’t just pluck the quote or statistic out of thin air, but if it’s relevant to the argument, it can be a great way to start the paragraph.

For example, if you’re writing about the compulsive nature of mobile phone usage, you could start with an alarming statistic:

Topic sentence example: Incredibly, teenagers spend more than seven hours in front of screens every day, on average.

This statistic immediately hooks the reader and makes them want to learn more. You could follow the topic sentence with more information or a compelling argument about why reducing screen time is necessary.

2: Use the end of the previous paragraph as the link

Remember, we told you that an excellent topic sentence links the current paragraph to the previous one. Therefore, you can take the final sentence of the last paragraph to drive home a point at the start of this one.

You may also use the previous sentence to pivot slightly and to make a new point based on the information that you’ve already provided.

For example:

End of the previous paragraph: This highlights just how much time teenagers are spending on their devices, which is potentially leading to many mental health issues.

New paragraph topic sentence: Research shows that up to 20% of teenagers will experience some form of depression by the time they reach their 17th birthday. Many experts point to excessive screen time and compulsive social media use as the main drivers.

3: Make it clear and concise

A topic sentence must be clear and concise to hook and engage the reader. They shouldn’t have to try and decipher the message or point that you’re making at the start of a new paragraph.

The best way to deliver a compelling message is to be clear and concise. Therefore, we recommend limiting your topic sentence to approximately 20 words to ensure you make your point as concise as possible.

You can always elaborate on the point you’ve made in the topic sentence. After all, that’s the point of the paragraph. Once you’ve hooked the reader, you can follow up with more details in the subsequent sentences, which will help you to make your points.

4: Remove fluff and filler content

Sometimes when writing with a word count in mind, it’s tempting to include fluff and filler content to pad out your work. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

But from experience, teachers, professors, and assessors hate filler content. This is particularly true when you include it at the start of paragraphs, where you should be making a compelling point.

Let’s look at how fluff and filler content can negatively impact a topic sentence:

Example one (fluff & filler): Teenagers like to spend so much time on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, even while watching TV or playing games on their computers, thus increasing screen time even when they’re not really paying attention to anything in particular.

Example two (clear & concise): Teenagers spend too much time in front of screens. Often, they have multiple screens on the go simultaneously, limiting their ability to concentrate.

Identifying and removing fluff and filler content is a writing skill that will serve you well at university or college. It will sharpen your writing and make your arguments much more compelling. As a result, it will help you land better grades.

How to write a topic sentence: Examples of different approaches

In addition to using our tips above, there are a few other approaches you can take when writing topic sentences. Below, we reveal a few methods and some specific examples you can use to guide your work:

Example one: Ask a question

Asking a question can be a great way to begin a paragraph. Rhetorical questions are thought-provoking and encourage the reader to think about what’s coming next. It can also help them relate to the point you’re making or even emphasize with the reader. For instance:

• What would you do with unlimited data and no parental restrictions on your phone as a 16-year-old?
• How many teenagers would use their phones less if they had viable alternatives during their leisure time?

Example two: Transition to a new argument

Transitioning from one argument to another might be necessary at the start of your next paragraph. After all, you may need to cover numerous points of view in an academic essay, so transitioning to a new perspective is a good way to use a topic sentence. For example:

• It’s the pervasive view, but not all academics agree with this sentiment.
• Depression might be increasing among teenagers, but not all researchers think screen time is at fault.

Example three: Emphasize a point

Another way to utilize a topic sentence is to emphasize a point that you made in the previous paragraph. You might do this with statistics or by quoting an expert to show that numerous people share this perspective. For instance:

• Watts isn’t the only expert who has presented this viewpoint. Research from 2023 shows that increased anxiety among teens is a growing trend in all developed countries.
• Watts’ argument is backed up by Higgins, who presents compelling evidence showing the relationship between teen depression and screen time.

How to write a topic sentence with the help of AI

Learning how to write a topic sentence will make a big difference to the quality of your academic assignments. But did you know that Arvin’s AI chat tool can help you?

By prompting our AI correctly, you can create a compelling topic sentence that’s perfect for your essay. Below is an example with screenshots to show how it works:

Step 1: Provide a prompt

To kickstart the process, ask Arvin AI to help you formulate a topic sentence. We kept things simple: “Help me to write a topic sentence.”

Step 2: Offer details of the paragraph that you’re working on

Next, provide the AI tool with an overview of the topic that you’re writing about. The more specific you are, the better and more relevant the topic sentence will be.

Step 3: Refine the sentence

Now, knowing how to write a topic sentence by referring to the tips and examples at the start of this article; we think the example provided here is too long.

It also doesn’t engage or hook the reader with a statistic. Therefore, we want the AI tool to create a better, more engaging topic sentence. This encouraged us to be more specific. We asked for a maximum number of words and requested a statistic.

Step 4: Check the topic sentence and include it in your paragraph

We were much happier with this sentence. It is 20 words long and provides an intriguing statistic that hooks the reader immediately. This topic sentence sets up the paragraph perfectly and allows us to write more about smartphone addiction, specifically how it relates to an increase in teen mental health issues.

The verdict: How to write a topic sentence in an assignment

The secret to writing a topic sentence is ensuring that it’s concise, relevant, and engaging. As it’s the start of a paragraph, it should hook the reader and provide details about what’s coming next.

The best topic sentences are short, engaging, and easy to understand. You should learn how to remove fluff and filler content to keep things short and sweet. We also recommend tying the sentence to the end of your previous paragraph to help the flow of your article.

Please also use our AI tools to create an engaging topic sentence for any paragraph. We also recommend using our AI Grammar Checker to pick up any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or typos before submitting your work.

How to write a topic sentence FAQ

What is an example of a topic sentence?

Let’s say you’re writing about the best-paid sports stars in the world. An excellent introductory topic sentence might be: “Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s best-paid sports star in 2024; he earned $260 million in the past twelve months.” You can then reveal other stars in the paragraph or provide more details of Ronaldo’s salary.

How do you write a good topic sentence?

You can use Arvin AI to write a good topic sentence. You can prompt our chat tool to create the ideal topic sentence for any paragraph. We recommend being as specific as possible with your prompts, detailing how long you want the sentence to be and whether or not you would like a statistic. The more specific you are with your prompts, the better the sentence will be.

What is the formula for a good topic sentence?

We recommend the following formula: use 20 words or less + include a statistic + keep the language concise and easy to understand. If you follow this formula, you will successfully hook the reader, encourage them to read on and make a compelling point at the start of every paragraph in your academic essay.