For the old lesson, continue reading.
It doesn’t matter if you are doing IELTS General Training Writing Task 2 or Academic Writing Task 2, you need to write clear and concise topic sentences so the reader knows what each paragraph is about. If you can do this effectively it will benefit your Coherence and Cohesion band score.
What is a Topic Sentence?
- A topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a body paragraph.
- A topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about.
- The following sentences in the paragraph will provide examples and supporting ideas related to the topic sentence.
- A topic sentence is related to your thesis (the position/opinion you presented in the introduction).
So, how should I write a topic sentence?
Click here for more on complex noun phrases.
Look at the examples below.
One of the advantages of free higher education is that it allows poorer people to study.
‘that it allows people to study’ – this is a noun clause. It is introduced by the word ‘that’. This is an example of complex language and will benefit your Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA) band score.
One of the effects of global warming might be a large rise in sea levels which could cause problems for coastal communities.
The underlined relative clause provides more specific information and suggests the paragraph will focus on coastal communities.
A likely cause of rising food prices is that the global population is growing but the amount of food produced is not increasing at the same pace.
If you want some free feedback, write a response to the following question and then copy and paste your response into the comments section and we’ll get back to you when we can. Remember to write at least 250 words but don’t take longer than 40 minutes.
Some people think more money should be spent on protecting endangered wildlife while others think it is a waste of valuable money.
What is your opinion?
If you feel like you need more practice, we have another detailed interactive lesson on topic sentences here.