UWF - Writing Lab

Now you have chosen a topic for your essay and organized the main points you want to make. These main points are the basis for your topic sentences or controlling ideas for each paragraph. To support your main points, you can add examples and details (these might come from your readings, observations, and experiences). Examples provide the clarification and proof to convince the reader of the soundness (or truthfulness) of the topic sentences.

The following topic sentence is a general idea that needs examples and supporting details to be effective in an essay.

Drug use destroys lives.

For this topic sentence, you may want to discuss particular people whose lives have been destroyed by drugs--Jimi Hendrix, Len Bias, and Janis Joplin--or you may want to discuss ways drugs destroy lives--physical damage, psychological damage, financial damage, and social damage. These ideas will support the topic sentence while clarifying the truthfulness or soundness of your argument.

Now you try it. List details or examples under each topic sentence.

Cars are a status symbol
SATs are unfair measures of student ability.
Freshman parking facilities are inadequate.
Home environment has a great effect of students at college.
While cheating on homework and tests may get you a better grade in the short term, it may damage your chances for success in the future.

Carefully read the following example, then write a topic sentence, several revised and expanded topic sentences, and give three supporting details for each topic listed below. Remember, your opinions are important and are the bass for a persuasive essay. Examples and details can be drawn from your own experience.

EXAMPLE

Topic: The homeless

Topic Sentence: The increasing ranks of the homeless in America's cities show the U.S. government's apathy toward social issues.

Revised and clarified topic sentences:

The U.S. government's neglect of the problems of the homeless shows that issues concerning defense take precedence over those concerning social matters.
The problems of the homeless in the United States illustrate the government's unwillingness to appropriate funds to help those who cannot obtain shelter for themselves.
The increasing ranks of the homeless in the U.S. show that the government's priorities favor the administration's interest above the public interest.

Supporting details:

lack of low cost housing
few shelters for homeless people
deinstitutionalized mental patients
funds budgeted for homeless versus defense
housing programs cut from federal budgets

Exercise

Topic 1: Helmet laws for motorcyclists

Topic 2: Coed dorms

Topic 3: Playing loud music in the dorms/apartment complexes on school nights.

Topic 4: Fraternities and sororities

Topic 5: Besides getting an education, students can use their college years to . . .

University of West Florida

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