Topic Sentences: Developmental Paragraphs

First Sentence in Paragraph:

· Identifies main point clearly

· Ties point to thesis (can be implied)

· Transitions smoothly from the previous point

· Is general enough to invite development (no specifics)

Example:

Parents who purchase their children’s Halloween costumes at Walmart are putting their children in grave danger. Perhaps the most deleterious characteristic of said costumes is that many of them are made with flammable materials.

If children manage to make it through Halloween without having a close encounter with the flames of a jack–o–lantern or the spark of an escorting chain–smoker’s cigarette, their health will still be compromised due to the toxicity of the costume itself.

While wearing the costume presents many hazards for the child, acquiring the costume presents an equally perilous predicament for the child’s guardian.

Finally, even if both parent and child survive the acquisition and wearing of the costume, these triumphs will be undercut by the humiliation of seeing other children in the same costume, even if the other children are covered with scorch marks and full–body rashes.