How and Where to Use a Topic Sentence
Topic sentences serve two main functions. Specifically, they
- Establish the relevance of the paragraph to what has come before in the text. When topic sentences are relevant, they carry the story line of your document. If a reader were to skim only the topic sentences, they should be able to follow that story line.
- Predict the paragraph content. In this sense, the topic sentence is your main message for the paragraph. A good topic sentence is usually analytical, not technical. The sentences in the rest of the paragraph should reinforce the point established by the topic sentence, offering technical information as needed.
In every case, topic sentences only succeed when the rest of the paragraph supports the idea they express.
For the type of writing that you do for the World Bank, the best position for a topic sentence is usually right at the beginning of the paragraph. This position helps your reader the most and enables those who are too busy to read the whole document to skim through it and capture the main ideas.
Have a look at the following two examples. The topic sentences are in bold. Click on the Relevance and Prediction buttons for a description of how each topic sentence serves these functions.
Example 1
Uganda’s economic fortunes have varied considerably over the past 40 years according to its political situation. After independence in 1962 and throughout the 1960s, Uganda showed great potential as one of the strongest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, its performance was set back considerably during the subsequent periods of military rule (1971-79) and civil war (1980-85). Then, in 1987 the new National Resistance Movement (NRM) government under the leadership of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni launched a recovery program to restore financial stability, create conditions for rapid and sustained growth, and develop human capital. It also embarked on policy and institutional reform to deregulate the economy, eliminate direct state involvement in all but essential public services, and improve institutional efficiency. These efforts put Uganda on a path of recovery, but progress was slow through the early 1990s. |
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Example 2
Factors related to language and culture also affect access and interactions with social service providers. Roma children may have difficulty starting school because of limited proficiency in the majority language. Similarly, parents may have trouble communicating with teachers, understanding health personnel, and maneuvering through local government offices to access social assistance. Poor communication and negative stereotypes of both Roma and non-Roma breed mistrust and reinforce preconceptions on both sides. Related to this is the overall absence of Roma personnel involved in policy design and working in public services, which means that there are few individuals who can bridge between cultures. |
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