How to Write Nursing Essay Topic Sentences Overview
To comprehend the significance of topic sentences in paragraph development, envision each paragraph as a miniature essay with its own thesis, supporting evidence, and conclusion.
Understanding the Role of Topic Sentences in Nursing Essay Writing
The components of a paragraph correspond to those of an essay:
Essay Level –> Paragraph Level
Thesis statement –> Topic sentence
Body paragraphs –> Supporting details, explanations, analysis
Conclusion –> Wrap-up sentence(s)
Just as an effective essay begins with an introduction that presents the thesis statement and indicates the specific claim or argument to be developed, each paragraph should commence with a topic sentence that reveals the focus of that paragraph. This alerts the reader to the particular subtopic that the paragraph will provide evidence to support.
The placement of a strong topic sentence is typically at or near the beginning of a paragraph. It should focus on a specific issue, avoid direct quotations, and allow room for support and analysis within the paragraph body. Let’s delve into the process of crafting an effective topic sentence.
Placement of Topic Sentences
Although the topic sentence does not necessarily have to be the first sentence in a paragraph, it should appear early on to immediately orient the reader to the paragraph’s focus. Occasionally, a writer may include a transition sentence before the topic sentence to establish continuity between topics.
Examples:
Topic Sentence to begin paragraph:
In the novel Sula, Morrison employs the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her characters into self-awareness.
Transition Sentence + Topic Sentence to begin paragraph:
However, Morrison goes beyond emotional and spiritual bonds between her female characters to initiate their coming-of-age. Additionally, she utilizes the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her adolescent protagonists into self-awareness.
Specificity
A topic sentence should be more narrowly focused than the thesis sentence, and the claim made should be supportable, arguable, and analyzable within the paragraph body.
Example:
In the novel Sula, Morrison employs the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her characters into self-awareness.
This topic sentence argues that the physical bonds of friendship, specifically, contribute to the female characters’ self-awareness. It can be refuted or supported by readers based on the essayist’s persuasive use of examples and analysis from the novel. The claim is narrow enough to address within a single paragraph, making this a successful topic sentence.
Avoiding Direct Quotations
While it may be tempting to begin a paragraph with a compelling quotation, as a general rule, topic sentences should state the main idea in your own words. Direct quotations are better incorporated later in the paragraph to support the topic sentence.
Examples:
Needs Improvement:
As Morrison (1982) conveyed, the girls’ “friendship let them use each other to grow on…they found in each other’s eyes the intimacy they were looking for” (p. 52).
Better:
In the novel Sula, Morrison employs the physical bonds of female friendship to propel her characters into self-awareness. Pointing to the connection of eyes meeting and bodies growing together, Morrison makes coming-of-age an interactive physical process between the adolescent protagonists. Specifically, Morrison describes how Sula and Nel have used “each other to grow on…they found in each other’s eyes the intimacy they were looking for” (p. 52).
In the improved example, the topic sentence appears first, orienting readers to the main focus of the paragraph. The quotation is used later as evidence or support for the topic sentence.
Extra Tips on Writing Nursing Essay Topic Sentences
If you struggle to create effective topic sentences, consider outlining before starting to write your paper. The points and subpoints in an outline can become the topic sentences for the paragraphs in your paper.
Additionally, because the topic sentence functions similarly at the paragraph level as the thesis does at the essay level, it may be helpful to review our information on constructing thesis statements. Our resource on paragraphs provides useful information on the scope of a paragraph as well. Paragraphs should be viewed as units of ideas rather than mere units of length. Each paragraph in an academic paper presents a distinct claim, building upon previous claims until the writer establishes the overall position of the entire paper.