 Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica, and I'm a peer learning facilitator with the Undergraduate Writing Center here at UCLA. Today we're going to be talking about topic sentences. Most writers know that topic sentences are essential for all kinds of academic writing, but crafting effective topic sentences can be really tough. I think of it like a mini-thesis for each body paragraph. The goal is to introduce all the things I talk about in my body paragraph, nothing more, nothing less. And each topic sentence should be directly related to your thesis. Someone should be able to read only the thesis and the topic sentences and get a good idea of everything you discuss in your paper. Topic sentences also clarify the logical flow of the paper. They acknowledge the idea in the last step of the paragraph, and they bring it a step further. Each topic sentence should add another layer to your main argument. With each body paragraph, you are convincing your reader of your argument step by step. Let's see an example. The tragic hero is typically on top of the wheel of fortune, halfway between human society on the ground and the something greater in the sky. Prometheus, Adam and Christ hang between heaven and earth, between a world of paradisal freedom and a world of bondage. Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them. Great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may, of course, be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning. Milton Samson destroys the Philistine Temple with himself, and Hamlet nearly exterminates the Danish court in his own fall. Note that the topic sentence succinctly introduces everything that's discussed in the rest of the paragraph. Now there are a couple ways to approach writing topic sentences. I personally start by making a roadmap of all the topics in my essay. Then after writing my thesis, I write my topic sentences before actually writing my body paragraphs. That way I know a roadmap of where I'm supposed to go. But you could also try the opposite. You could start by writing your body paragraphs, then determine the main topics of the paragraphs, and then write your topic sentences. In maintaining specificity, if there's any content that strays from your two paragraphs main argument, then either move it or cut it. No matter which approach you take, be sure to proofread your topic sentences at the end. I try to ask myself, do my topic sentences introduce everything I talk about in my body paragraph and nothing extra? Do they show the connection between the idea in the paragraph and the main thesis idea? Do they serve as a bridge between the previous paragraph and the current paragraph? If someone were to read only my topic sentences, would they be able to get the main ideas of my paper? Does my argument become clearer and more effective with each topic sentence? Having a really clear topic sentence for each body paragraph is extremely helpful for readers. It definitely helps me keep track of different ideas when I read academic papers. Topic sentences are one of the biggest concerns we have as undergraduate writers, but practicing creating roadmaps of our essays and sticking to specific and concrete topic sentences can create a stronger and more coherent paper and argument. Hopefully with these tools in your back pocket, you can create essays that are specific, clear, argumentative, and effective. Thank you!