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Can a topic sentence go anywhere in a paragraph: true or false?
Quick answer:
A topic sentence can indeed go anywhere in a paragraph, though it is typically found at the beginning. It may also appear at the end to summarize previous details or after a transitional opening sentence. The key is identifying the most general statement that encapsulates the paragraph's main idea. While placing it at the beginning aids clarity and organization, flexibility in placement can still effectively convey the overarching topic.
Absolutely a topic sentence can go anywhere in a paragraph! Students are often told—which is often true—that the topic sentence is found at the beginning of a paragraph. Therefore, students will sometimes simply assume the first sentence of a paragraph is always the topic sentence.
Odds are that that is correct, but, alas, it may not the case. A topic sentence can come as the final sentence of the paragraph, summing up all the details that went before. This is the second most popular placement for it besides as the first sentence in a paragraph. It can also follow an opening sentence in a paragraph that simply provides a transition from the previous paragraph. Finally, a topic sentence can go anywhere else.
The key is not to look for location but to find the statement in the paragraph that is most general; that is the topic sentence. A paragraph may...
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begin, for example, by discussing different kinds of childcare, such as hiring a nanny, finding a daycare center, or relying on relatives, but those are only examples of the broader topic, which is the kinds of childcare available. To find the topic sentence, think, in general terms, about what is the overarching subject of the paragraph in question. Try to think of one or two words that define the topic of the paragraph, then find the sentence that makes the broadest statement about those words.
Let's remember what the purpose of a topic sentence is. A topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph. It is an organizational signpost so your reader can clearly follow and understand what you will be discussing in the rest of your paragraph. If you wait and put the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph, how will your reader know what the topic of the paragraph is? The reader needs it at the beginning to insure that they can follow the structure of a clear, focused writing. That doesn't mean that you can't have a transitional sentence or important detail before the topic sentence, but to make sure you are communicating effectively to your reader, it should be as close to the beginning of the paragraph as possible.