The topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph; it states the main idea of the paragraph and sets the tone for the content that follows.
It is like a mini-thesis statement for the paragraph, telling the reader what to expect in the section.
It also helps the writer stay on track, ensuring that the paragraph’s information is explicit and relevant to the topic at hand.
The rest of the sentences in the paragraph are developed to support and explain the topic sentence.
A successful topic sentence strikes a balance between being specific enough to give the reader an idea of what the paragraph will be about and being general enough to give the writer the freedom to expand on the subject.