What is a topic sentence and what role does it play in a paragraph?

What is a topic sentence and what role does it play in a paragraph?

• A. A topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph and guides the supporting details that follow.
• B. A topic sentence lists all dates and names in the paragraph.
• C. A topic sentence is the final sentence that summarizes the paragraph.
• D. A topic sentence introduces the author's biography.

Answer: (A)

A topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph and guides the supporting details that follow. It acts like a roadmap, telling the reader what the paragraph will argue or explain and helping every sentence afterward connect back to that core idea. This keeps the paragraph focused and cohesive, so the details fit together around a single purpose. While topic sentences are often placed at the start, they can also appear later or be implied, but they should always anchor the paragraph’s purpose. The idea is not to list dates and names, nor to be the concluding sentence, nor to introduce the author’s biography.

A topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph and guides the supporting details that follow. It acts like a roadmap, telling the reader what the paragraph will argue or explain and helping every sentence afterward connect back to that core idea. This keeps the paragraph focused and cohesive, so the details fit together around a single purpose. While topic sentences are often placed at the start, they can also appear later or be implied, but they should always anchor the paragraph’s purpose. The idea is not to list dates and names, nor to be the concluding sentence, nor to introduce the author’s biography.