1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:05,200 In this lecture, we're going to go ahead and learn how to write topic sentences. 2 00:00:05,590 --> 00:00:11,710 Topic sentences are the second most important sentences in the entire essay. 3 00:00:11,830 --> 00:00:18,790 Of course, number one is the thesis statement, and your topic sentences are sort of like mini versions 4 00:00:18,910 --> 00:00:20,800 of a thesis statement. 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:27,040 So it's very important that you pay attention so that you can really learn how to write these types 6 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:28,090 of sentences. 7 00:00:28,990 --> 00:00:33,220 So let's start off by examining what is a topic sentence. 8 00:00:33,460 --> 00:00:40,620 A topic sentence, as you heard me say earlier, is like a mini thesis statement for each body paragraph. 9 00:00:40,630 --> 00:00:46,390 Its function is to unify all the all the contents of a body paragraph. 10 00:00:46,990 --> 00:00:52,690 Also, keep in mind, a topic sentence relates directly to the thesis statement. 11 00:00:53,020 --> 00:00:58,930 This is how you build unity and coherence throughout an entire essay. 12 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,220 The topic sentences must connect to the thesis statement. 13 00:01:05,230 --> 00:01:09,100 They cannot stand independent of the thesis statement. 14 00:01:09,430 --> 00:01:11,990 They're connected, right? 15 00:01:12,010 --> 00:01:20,380 You must start every body paragraph with a properly written topic sentence, properly written topic 16 00:01:20,380 --> 00:01:21,260 sentence. 17 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,010 This is what the examiner is expecting from you. 18 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:30,610 So the components of a topic sentence, you have two basic two basic components. 19 00:01:30,910 --> 00:01:33,550 You have the main idea position. 20 00:01:34,180 --> 00:01:41,740 This is the author's essay position or the general idea or subject matter of the question. 21 00:01:41,740 --> 00:01:44,170 And then you have your controlling idea. 22 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:49,120 A topic sentence has one controlling idea one. 23 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:55,480 If you have three or four controlling ideas in a topic sentence, then you're about to write a very 24 00:01:55,510 --> 00:01:57,250 incoherent paragraph. 25 00:01:58,540 --> 00:02:05,620 Also, if I haven't said this, make sure in your topic sentence that you do not put details in the 26 00:02:05,620 --> 00:02:12,700 topic sentence details don't go in the topic sentence arguments don't go in the topic sentence. 27 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:17,290 Here are some mistakes that people make with their topic sentences. 28 00:02:17,290 --> 00:02:21,370 Number one, that it does not support the thesis statement. 29 00:02:21,790 --> 00:02:25,060 Number two, there's no statement of fact. 30 00:02:25,780 --> 00:02:28,390 There must be something you're trying to prove. 31 00:02:28,780 --> 00:02:31,480 That's the point of having a topic sentence. 32 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,210 There's something there that you're trying to prove. 33 00:02:34,870 --> 00:02:40,510 Other common mistakes can be where you have a topic sentence that's too broad, where it doesn't have 34 00:02:40,510 --> 00:02:47,980 any really any real controlling idea or is too narrow because you've gone ahead and thrown in details 35 00:02:47,980 --> 00:02:49,780 or is this weakly written? 36 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:56,770 I'm going to include a document that you can download that kind of points out or gives you some examples 37 00:02:56,770 --> 00:03:00,100 of what weakly written topic sentences look like. 38 00:03:02,020 --> 00:03:08,140 So now let's go ahead and move forward with showing you some examples of a topic sentence. 39 00:03:08,140 --> 00:03:15,700 Remember, they introduced the general subject, the position and the controlling idea that will focus 40 00:03:15,850 --> 00:03:21,640 that paragraph in this first one about the boarding schools. 41 00:03:21,970 --> 00:03:26,560 I'm going to go ahead and write the topic sentences for you right there. 42 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,440 We have the question right there about the boarding schools. 43 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,690 You have to discuss both sides of the argument, discuss both sides of the argument. 44 00:03:34,690 --> 00:03:36,430 And you have to conclude. 45 00:03:41,420 --> 00:03:44,450 So I'm going to go ahead and write those topic sentences right now. 46 00:03:44,540 --> 00:03:48,020 Again, we're writing these are the these are the first sentences. 47 00:03:48,260 --> 00:03:52,150 These are the this is the first sentence for each body paragraph. 48 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,950 The first sentence for each body paragraph. 49 00:05:31,550 --> 00:05:32,210 Och. 50 00:05:32,210 --> 00:05:33,770 And there we have it. 51 00:05:34,010 --> 00:05:38,150 I have written out the topic sentences for you. 52 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,880 The topic sentence for a body, paragraph one. 53 00:05:41,540 --> 00:05:46,670 A few observations offer support to consider boarding schools as a beneficial option. 54 00:05:46,970 --> 00:05:54,050 So there you can clearly see from this topic sentence that the rest of the paragraph is going to explore 55 00:05:54,050 --> 00:05:55,700 support for boarding schools. 56 00:05:55,910 --> 00:05:58,010 And then the topic sentence for body. 57 00:05:58,010 --> 00:05:59,060 Paragraph two. 58 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:07,250 Despite the above arguments that builds coherence and endorsement for drawbacks involving boarding schools 59 00:06:07,250 --> 00:06:10,300 subsists, that means that it exists. 60 00:06:10,310 --> 00:06:11,450 It's present. 61 00:06:12,470 --> 00:06:12,890 All right. 62 00:06:12,890 --> 00:06:17,150 So that's how you write topic sentences. 63 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:22,110 Now. 64 00:06:22,110 --> 00:06:27,880 We'll go ahead and move through the other questions and take a look at those topic sentences. 65 00:06:27,900 --> 00:06:35,220 The reason why I have the outline for you there on the right hand side is because I want you to be able 66 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:42,480 to see what I'm writing, the topic sentence that is connecting directly to the first controlling idea. 67 00:06:42,930 --> 00:06:46,310 You'll also notice that I'm not including details. 68 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,590 The details don't go in the topic sentences. 69 00:06:55,490 --> 00:07:00,140 So for this one here, we're actually going to go to number three. 70 00:07:01,730 --> 00:07:02,450 Right. 71 00:07:02,450 --> 00:07:10,220 And this is the one that's dealing with whether tobacco should be treated as illegal like other drugs. 72 00:07:10,370 --> 00:07:14,720 And there you can see the outline here is body paragraph number one, topic sentence. 73 00:07:15,020 --> 00:07:22,280 Under no circumstances should policymakers determine smoking as an illegal product. 74 00:07:22,820 --> 00:07:28,850 And then body paragraph number two, with the illegal illegality argument now dismissed. 75 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,800 Attention can shift towards the opinion that smoking offers no positive outcomes. 76 00:07:34,070 --> 00:07:40,640 So you can get from the first body paragraph, topic, sentence, you already know the entire paragraph 77 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:42,650 is focusing on that. 78 00:07:44,180 --> 00:07:47,230 It should not be determined as an illegal product. 79 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:55,100 And then for body, paragraph number two is clear that we're moving forward and talking about the issue 80 00:07:55,100 --> 00:08:03,170 of it, not offering any positive outcomes, very focused paragraphs, and that's the purpose of having 81 00:08:03,170 --> 00:08:03,590 a topic. 82 00:08:06,950 --> 00:08:08,330 For this next one. 83 00:08:08,330 --> 00:08:15,080 This is the question where we are agreeing or disagreeing with whether they should reduce fossil fossil 84 00:08:15,110 --> 00:08:16,490 fuel consumption. 85 00:08:17,180 --> 00:08:20,040 And the first one connects to pollution. 86 00:08:20,060 --> 00:08:23,480 And the second body paragraph connects to alternative sources. 87 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:30,530 This first argument connects with the cutting with cutting oil in light of the resulting pollution. 88 00:08:31,580 --> 00:08:34,340 And then body paragraph number two. 89 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:35,820 Yes, the points. 90 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:41,960 The points mentioned above offer strong arguments, but also consider alternative sources of power. 91 00:08:43,850 --> 00:08:53,360 There we have our two topic sentences for our body paragraphs and now we're in the Ford number four, 92 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:54,830 topic sentence five. 93 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,700 This is the question about the experienced person. 94 00:08:59,900 --> 00:09:03,140 And let's take a look at this one in the smaller screen version. 95 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,390 Right, because this one I want to point I really want to point some things out to you. 96 00:09:08,870 --> 00:09:16,700 The first one says as an initial point, severe problems often present common themes to pass experiences, 97 00:09:16,700 --> 00:09:20,690 then knowledgeable compatriots previously navigated. 98 00:09:21,500 --> 00:09:27,530 Right now, the words in purple are really just highlighting really good collocation words, severe 99 00:09:27,530 --> 00:09:30,140 problems previously navigated. 100 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:35,330 We have the focus is on the common themes of the past. 101 00:09:35,780 --> 00:09:42,380 And then for the second one, we have the controlling idea there of a sounding board and then we have 102 00:09:42,380 --> 00:09:48,140 more collocation language that examiners love, information leading individuals. 103 00:09:48,260 --> 00:09:51,350 That's another way of saying individuals that have a lot of information. 104 00:09:53,710 --> 00:09:54,130 Right. 105 00:09:54,130 --> 00:10:02,260 So it's really important that you're able to really notice how we're going about putting together these 106 00:10:02,260 --> 00:10:03,610 topics sentences. 107 00:10:03,610 --> 00:10:10,330 And you can look directly at the outline and see what I'm doing here, and this is what I need for you 108 00:10:10,330 --> 00:10:13,600 to be able to replicate in your own writing. 109 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:21,310 All right. 110 00:10:21,310 --> 00:10:22,800 So thank you very much. 111 00:10:22,810 --> 00:10:29,260 And we're now going to take a short pause and then we're going to go ahead and move into part number 112 00:10:29,260 --> 00:10:36,360 two of doing the thesis statements of doing of doing the topic sentences. 113 00:10:36,370 --> 00:10:37,560 So I'll talk to you soon. 114 00:10:37,570 --> 00:10:38,410 Thank you very much.