A main idea sentence is the key to cohesive, effective writing. The main idea is the leading point that guides your readers so they easily can decipher the point of your writing. A few simple steps can produce effortless main idea sentences.
Instructions
1. Identify the topic. All writing has a topic, and the topic is the most general idea in a piece of writing. The topic can usually be condensed into one word. Some examples include "children," "music" or "food."
2. Pick a direction. The direction is how you want to talk about a topic or what you want to say about it. If you were writing about children, you might decide to write specifically about the stresses involved in parenting or the money requirements inherent in raising a child. Both would be suitable directions.
3. String the two together. When you join a topic and direction, you have a topic sentence. An example might be, "Raising children requires financial stability to avoid undue stress on parents." In this case, "raising children" is the topic while "requires financial stability to avoid undue stress on parents" represents the direction.
4. Think of an umbrella. A main idea sentence is sort of like an umbrella in that it covers all of the possible examples you might use in your writing. Once you write a topic sentence, decide whether you can expand it into a paragraph or essay without repeating yourself or including extraneous details to fill space.
5. Put your main idea sentence to use. As you write your paragraph or essay, let your main idea keep you on track. Do not write anything that does not fall under the umbrella of your main idea sentence. Repeat your main idea at the end of your writing to bring a piece full-circle.
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