Title / Main Idea / Topic Sentence
The TITLE is what your readers see first. It tells them the subject of your essay. If it is too general or vague (
漠然), your readers will not know what they're going to read about.Too general (
一般的 ): My NameSpecific (
特定 ): A Name to Be Proud OfYour Title:
The MAIN IDEA (
主辞) is the general TOPIC of your essay. It is what your readers will learn about from reading your essay. It may be a sentence or a phrase.OK: My maiden name
Better: Reasons for disliking and liking my name
Your Main Idea:
The TOPIC SENTENCE is a full sentence which clearly states the topic of the essay. It should not be too general or too specific. It will be followed by supporting sentences with more details. The topic sentence is generally at or near the beginning of your essay.
Not a topic sentence: My maiden name is Leach.
A topic sentence: My maiden name seems to have an unpleasant meaning, but I'm actually proud of its origin.
Your Topic Sentence:
Prepared by C.A. Edington, 2001; revised 2004
Academic Writing