Defining the Topic Sentence (Revisited)

In the winter of 2003, a young teacher working with a GED class in Baltimore Maryland emailed us at the PALC. Her request was simple: could we please tell her which sentence was the topic sentence? Jeannette sent along two paragraphs for us to discuss.

L and I talked it over and answered her question to the best of our ability. But Jeannette hadn't asked only us; she had also sent along the request to publishers, professors of English, book editors and more. She even asked the original textbook publisher's opinion!

Their answers became the basis for an excellent resource for any student or teacher of English. Visit Defining the Topic Sentence; A Web Collaboration with Helping Up Mission of Baltimore Maryland to find out just how complicated (and interesting) topic sentences can be.

See our most recent tips.

Tips from November 2001 to April 2002

Tips from September 2000 to October 2001.

Tips from January to August 2000
Tips from January to December 1999