PROFESSOR: Hi, and we are still talking about topic sentences.
But now we're going to look at some common errors in topic
sentences.
Because when we're looking at what makes a good topic
sentence, I think a good place to start
is what makes for a bad topic sentence.
Let's look at some of the most common mistakes.
First of all, a topic sentence should
be more than just an announcement of the topic.
You don't want to start out with this paragraph will tell you,
or this essay is about--
that's what we call announcement.
We'll look at some examples of that.
A topic sentence should also never be too broad.
You don't want to start out with a big general statement.
Really, you want to avoid those altogether in your writing.
But they really make for ineffective topic sentences.
It's just too big for a single paragraph
and it doesn't really tell your reader
where you're going to go in this specific paragraph.
Finally, though, a topic sentence
shouldn't be too narrow.
We don't want to just use a specific statement of fact
as a topic sentence.
And so let's look at some examples.
Here's an example of an announcement,
my car is the concern of this paragraph.
Now if you'll remember in the last video,
we talked about how a topic sentence
has two main components, right.
We have the limited topic, which is what the paragraph is
going to be about.
And then we also have the idea or attitude about that topic.
Well in this sentence, what is the limited topic?
My car.
That's what the paragraph is going to be about.
But what's the idea or attitude being conveyed?
Well, just based on this one sentence we don't know.
So we're missing one of the key components of a topic sentence.
So that's why an announcement is a mistake.
Many people have problems with their cars.
Well, that's a good example of a topic sentence
that's just too broad, because who are these many people?
It could be anybody.
And what kind of problems are we talking about?
Are we talking about mechanical problems?
Are we talking about the problems
that come from day to day ownership of a car?
It could just be all sorts of things.
And it's just too broad for a single paragraph.
It doesn't tell your reader exactly where
you're going to go.
Here's an example of a topic sentence
that's just far too narrow, my car is a Ford Focus.
OK, well that's a statement of fact.
And it might even be a good supporting detail
in your paragraph, but it just isn't an effective topic
sentence.
Because once again, we have a limited topic, my car,
which is a Ford Focus--
but what's the idea or attitude about that car
that the writer here is going to try to convey.
Once again, we just don't know.
It's too narrow.
Here's an example of an effective topic sentence,
and you can see how a topic sentence can be very simple
and still be really effective--
I hate my car.
So here, let's see if it meets the requirements here.
Does it have a limited topic?
Yes, my car, right.
And then does the writer have an idea or attitude they're
conveying about their car?
Well, yeah, a pretty strong one--
I hate my car.
So that's a good example of what a topic sentence should be.
So let's go through these errors again with another example.
Here's an example of announcement,
I want to talk about the minimum wage.
We never want to start a paragraph
with I want to tell you or I want to talk about,
or this paragraph will.
That's all announcement.
And it does give you a limited topic,
but it fails to give you that idea or attitude.
Everyone wants to make a living.
Well, that's true.
I'm not going to argue with that.
But it's just too broad of a statement.
Just based on that one sentence, I really
don't know what the paragraph is going
to be about, because that's just such a huge topic.
I mean, I could write a book on that topic, not just
a single paragraph.
Here's one that's too narrow, the minimum wage
is currently $7.25.
Well, that is true.
It is a statement of fact.
But is there any idea or attitude
that we're going to explore in our paragraph?
Well, not based on this one sentence.
It might be a great specific detail in your paragraph,
but it just doesn't work as a topic sentence.
Now, here's a great example of a topic sentence for you,
the minimum wage should be raised for three reasons.
So now we have our limited topic, right, the minimum wage.
And what's the idea or attitude that the writer
is going to try to convey?
That it should be raised.
And I really love the ending of this sentence,
I think this makes it a really strong topic sentence,
that it should be raised for three reasons.
That is such a clear indicator for your reader
of where you're going to go.
I know when I read that paragraph
that I'm about to hear three good reasons supporting
raising the minimum wage.
So those are some great examples of topic sentences
and what to do and what not to do.
In the next video, we're going to examine
using supporting details to further back up
that topic sentence.