Topic sentence and supporting sentences: Revisit 1

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What is one of the common issues our candidates have when it comes to writing? It is none other than not having a proper topic sentence before they provide their details or elaborations. 

A good body paragraph should have a topic sentence which is followed by a number of supporting sentences. Would you agree?

For this writing task, which first sentence of the paragraph is better?

Writing task: Why should teens be involved in charity projects?

A – Teenagers should be involved in a charity project because they will learn to be better individuals. Besides, they can also ….

B – Teenagers should be involved in charity projects. First and foremost, they will learn to be better individuals. Besides, they can also …

What’s the difference between A and B above? Well, obviously, B has a proper topic sentence which is followed by supporting sentences. Paragraph A does not have a topic sentence which controls the idea of the whole paragraph. Its first sentence already offers a detail (be better individuals) which by right should be written in the next sentence or supporting sentence.

No doubt, when essays in SPM are marked by examiners, emphasis was not really given on candidates’ ability to write topic sentences and supporting sentences. As long as they are able to fulfill all the writing tasks, they deserve a mark for their content. However, I still believe our pupils should be taught to know and understand about what topic sentence and supporting sentences are all about. Why? This is because to avoid issues like the following.

Issue 1

Pupils (like in A above) tend to include a detail in the topic sentence. By right, the detail has to be written in one of the supporting sentences.

Issue 2

When pupils do not have a topic sentence but straight away write sentences giving the details, sometimes, readers can get lost; may not understand clearly what the pupils is trying to convey. I am confident teachers have experienced this - after reading the first, second and third sentences in the paragraph, they still do not get the clue that the pupil is responding to the task given.

Issue 3

The pupils themselves are lost when answering the writing tasks given to them. They may include ideas or details which are not relevant. This could stem from the absence of having a topic sentence which is normally formed using the keywords found in each writing task. Some pupils think that they are responding to the task but actually, they do not.

Wouldn’t it good if our pupils know how to write a proper topic sentence in line with the writing task given to them? Isn’t it great when each topic sentence is supported by supporting sentences? Of course, pupils know they have to elaborate so most of them do provide relevant details. When they understand this clearly, they will know that details cannot simply be written in any paragraph but must only be written in that particular paragraph.

For sure, teaching topic sentence and supporting sentences is not for all learners. Perhaps, it is more suitable for potential A and advanced learners as they are the ones who can write well or have minimal issues to express their ideas in English. As always, teachers are the best decision makers in their own classroom. It is the teachers’ prerogative to decide whether their learners need a clear understanding of topic and supporting sentences.