Writing Topic, Bridging and Linking Sentences

Purpose

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As part of each of these modules, there will be a purpose that connects back to VCE English.

Topic Sentences are, as mentioned in

Introduction to TEEL Body Paragraph Structure the most important sentence in a Body Paragraph. If it is written incorrectly, it will cost a lot of marks.

This module is designed to ensure that students understand the importance of a Topic Sentence, and also the basics of how to write one.

Post-Module Learnings

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Following this module, these are the following skills you should have.

I understand what I need to include in a Topic Sentence.

I am able to use the different structures for a Topic Sentence in different Body Paragraphs.

I am able to break down a Topic and understand how to write Topic Sentences based on it.

I am able to write the Bridging Sentence that connects the two Chunks within a Body Paragraph.

I am able to write a Linking Sentence that comes at the end of the Body Paragraph which links back to the Topic.

Content

The Purpose of a Topic Sentence

Firstly, there are two types of Topic Sentences, those in your Introduction, and those in the Body Paragraph. This module focuses on those in the Body Paragraph, which are generally a little more detailed and ‘longer’ in word-count than a standard Introduction Topic Sentence.

As part of the definition mentioned in

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Introduction to TEEL Body Paragraph Structure, the Topic Sentence should be introducing your entire point of view/argument for the Body Paragraph.

If you guys didn’t know, a Topic Sentence is the minimum amount you can show a tutor for correction. You don’t need to show a tutor a full essay, or even a full Body Paragraph. A single Topic Sentence from the Body Paragraph is enough. This is because the Topic Sentence should be a reflection of the arguments within your entire Body Paragraph and link back to the Topic itself.

Generally speaking, your Topic Sentence will summarise the two Idea Chunks within the Body Paragraph. As an example of how your Body Paragraph will look, so that you understand the Topic Sentence more clearly.

Let’s unpack the following Cause Body Paragraph (it is on Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel):

Station Eleven suggests that it is better to be inspired by truth and beauty than by success. Discuss.

Topic Sentence: From the outset, Mandel depicts the recognition of true beauty after the collapse of civilisation as sources of motivation for survival.

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Note that the Topic Sentence summarises the Body Paragraph as being that the author, Mandel depicts how people can find beauty in the post-apocalyptic [apocalypse is the end of the world, an event that destroys most of society] world.

Idea Chunk 1 (Evidence + Explanation): Indeed, Kirsten who is inspired by the Dr Eleven comics finds beauty in the post-collapse world, as she enjoys the wonder of “travel and communications” without soulless electronics and isolating vehicles, utilising Dr Eleven’s journeys as a way to bond with others in the apocalypse with similar tastes. Thus, highlighting the irony in that despite a lack of communication in post-collapse America, human connections were weaker before the Flu as they became "iPhone zombies” incapable of appreciating the beauty of the modern world and sharing such natural wonder with others, only seeking financial success and fandom.

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The first idea is about how Kirsten, a character, finds beauty in the new world as she travels the land without any electronics, not just a soulless “iPhone zombie” like we are in modern day (glued to our phones), and that’s what inspires her to keep living. This fits the Topic Sentence.

Idea Chunk 2 (Evidence + Explanation): Similarly, the Travelling Symphony demonstrates the power of historical art in motivating and offering connections to groups of survivors. By rehearsing and performing Shakespeare, what “audiences seemed to prefer”, the Travelling Symphony offers something more than simply surviving, giving hope and connections to the disconnected new world. Through their selfless sacrifice to bring joy to other survivors, Mandel’s readers notice that despite the difficulties individuals may encounter, art is a means for psychological survival, as physical “survival is insufficient”, unlike the dystopian reflection of nihilism unfolding in Dr Eleven comics, art serves as an escape from the reality of death and destruction, only picturing “what was best of the world”.

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The second idea is about how a group known as the Travelling Symphony now travel across the lands sharing the beauty of art, culture through plays and music, with any survivors and towns they can find to inspire them to keep living. This fits the Topic Sentence.

Linking Sentence: Thus, it is only through a newfound appreciation of what was lost in the ‘modern world’ that individuals begin to cherish human creativity, imagination and the ingenuity of the human mind in seeing life beyond mere survival.

As you can probably see, the one above was a ‘good’ example of what you should be doing in a Topic Sentence, which is to summarise what both of your Idea Chunks should be about broadly-speaking.

A good Topic Sentence can only be written if you have know roughly what your two Idea Chunks are going to be first.

Therefore, the order is as follows → come up with the main idea of your Body Paragraph (Cause, Response or Outcome) → come up with your two Idea Chunks that fit it → write your Topic Sentence based on those two Idea Chunks, make sure it always uses key words from the topic.

‘Jeff peers into the lives of others as a way of escaping his own troubles.' Do you agree?

Let’s look at another example of a Cause Body Paragraph on the film, Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock:

Topic Sentence: From the outset, Jeff finds pleasure and entertainment through his voyeuristic acts, under a thin veneer of justification through suspicion, representing the archetypal adventurous man's lust for the outdoors.

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Now, you will probably notice that in this one, there is a character mentioned in the Topic Sentence. This is usually not allowed, unless the Essay Topic itself mentions the character (which in this case it does). HOWEVER, if we treat the Topic Sentence as a summary of the entire Body Paragraph, this Topic Sentence sort of implies that Jeff is going to be the only character mentioned in the Body Paragraph.

Idea Chunk 1: Throughout the days Jeff spends watching his neighbours, he finds great joy slowly panning through the different windows, learning about his neighbours’ lives. This is quite evident when Lisa questions what is happening behind the newlywed's curtains and Jeff responds with a smile. The way Jeff allows himself to gaze over the many apartments stopping only when his interest is piqued reveals his voyeuristic nature and active enjoyment in both watching and speculating on the lives of those beyond the window.

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The first Idea Chunk is about how Jeff watches other people, and how he acts and treats others suspiciously, while enjoying the idea of watching others through his window. This fits the Topic Sentence about how Jeff finds pleasure and entertainment through watching others without their permission.

Idea Chunk 2: Furthermore, both Lisa and Stella find interest on spying on others despite their initial reluctance. Now using the same excuse as Jeff, they watch as Miss Lonelyheart's date goes wrong. In their eyes, by trying to solve a crime, they have been validated to dissect Miss Lonelyhearts' date that goes wrong. As such, Jeff has dragged both Lisa and Stella into the same realm they originally opposed.

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Uh oh, we’ve hit an issue. This Idea Chunk is about Lisa and Stella, two female characters, but they were clearly not hinted at in the Topic Sentence. This means that the Topic Sentence does not cover the entirety of the Body Paragraph, and is therefore wrong!

Linking Sentence: As a result, Hitchcock has shown that by personifying others on oneself is a form of escapism to fulfil a gap within their own lives.

Do’s and Don’ts of Body Paragraph Topic Sentences

Do’s

Summarise BOTH Idea Chunks in your Body Paragraph in the Topic Sentence. You don’t need to elaborate on more than just the overall point of each Idea Chunk.

Use the key words in the Essay Topic itself in the Topic Sentence, it’s not a good idea just to find synonyms as you may not understand how to use them appropriately.

Make sure you somewhat define what the key words that you’ve used are in the Topic Sentence. Don’t just pull out a dictionary and define it using a dictionary, define it contextually in terms of the Text itself.

Don’ts

Include character names in your Topic Sentence (you are only allowed to do so if the Essay Topic itself mentions a character’s name specifically). Generally it’s a bad idea because it implies you will ONLY talk about one character for the entire Body Paragraph, which is not enough.

Just put synonyms for the key words in the Essay Topic in your Topic Sentence.

Use quotes in your Topic Sentence, it is not the right place to be putting examples into your first sentence of the Body Paragraph.

Templates and Structures for the Body Paragraph Topic Sentences

Topic: Ray Bradbury’s The Veldt explores the dangers of heavily relying on technology. Discuss.

The below are some examples of basic structures for Topic Sentence formatting, so that you know how to apply them moving forward.

Cause

This is the most basic structure and format of a Topic Sentence for the Cause Body Paragraph:

From the outset, <author last name> highlights <Summarise Idea Chunk 1>, also <Summarise Idea Chunk 2>.

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From the outset: be aware that it is one of the most common starting phrases for topic sentence for body paragraph 1. Use something else!!!

Sample 1: From the outset, Bradbury heightens the inability for parents to connect with their own children due to their obsession with technology, also bringing out the savagery that civilised society seeks to hide.

Sample 2: From the outset, the short story emphasises the dependence of the family on technology, resulting in children who devalue their own parents which releases the savage animal instincts that human nature seeks to hide.

Response

However, having established <insert the problem>, <author last name **OR** text title> suggests that individuals are likely to <Idea Chunk 1> which may prompt <Idea Chunk 2>.

Sample 1: However, having established the threat of technology for replacing parents, Bradbury suggests that any attempt to disable the Happylife Home will prompt fierce resistance, due to being dependent on machinery. [30 words]

Outcome

Ultimately, <author last name> concludes with a warning against <Idea Chunk 1> that emphasises the <difficulty/danger/complexity> of <Idea Chunk 2>.

Sample 1: Ultimately, Bradbury concludes with a caution against allowing technology’s insidious (secretly evil) rise, emphasising the danger of humanity being enslaved under an addictive mechanical overlord. [25 words]

Sample 2: Ultimately, Bradbury cautions against allowing technology to become too addictive, emphasising the danger of humanity becoming completely dependent on electronic rulers. [21 words]

Another Sample Topic Sentence

We’re going to go through some examples of how to tackle how to write Topic Sentences for specific topics. We will apply what we’ve learnt above, and I will show you some more complex examples.

“Sometimes it’s worse to stay than it is to run.” ‘Hitchcock’s primary interest in Rear Window (Director: Alfred Hitchcock) is the conflict between men and women.’ Do you agree?

Write a Topic Sentence for BP1 - Cause

Jeff has fights with his girlfriend Lisa because he feels inferior as he is stuck in a wheelchair and paid like a poor photographer while his girlfriend works two jobs and buys expensive stuff. Emasculation (man feels inferior)
A married couple called the Thorwalds who fight over small details, due to the nagging wife. He feels his wife makes him look small and weak, as she always ‘wins’ the fights.

The Bridging Sentence

After you have familiarised yourself with how to write a Topic Sentence, it is essential to then work on writing the Bridging Sentence that connects the two Chunks together within a Body Paragraph.

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The reason we need a Bridging Sentence is that without it, your two Chunks within the Body Paragraph may not sound like they fit that nicely together, and clearly sound like they were written separately.

You usually would say, Where [author last name] depicts the … [idea 1], he further elucidates [idea 2]…

Or, just as [author] explores the societal consequences of …, he delves into a specific individuals’ plight against … .

You’re just linking the two chunks together so they flow more smoothly.

One of the best ways to write the Bridging Sentence is to work on making it sound like your first chunk flows into your second one. Rather than making it sound like, I’ve finished my first idea, here’s my second, you want it to sound more ‘smooth’.

Here are some examples of bridging sentences:

For the Rear Window example: While Jeff's voyeuristic tendencies stem from his feelings of inadequacy and confinement, Hitchcock further explores tumultuous relationship of the Thorwalds, demonstrating how marital discord can arise from similar fears of emasculation.

For The Veldt example: As Bradbury illustrates the parents' inability to connect with their children due to technological dependence, he simultaneously unveils how this disconnect can unleash the primitive instincts lurking beneath civilised facades.

These Bridging Sentences smoothly connect the two main ideas presented in each body paragraph, creating a cohesive flow of thought. They highlight the relationship between the ideas and show how they contribute to the overall argument of the essay.

When crafting your own bridging sentences, consider the following tips:

Use transitional phrases or words to indicate the relationship between ideas (e.g., "Furthermore," "Similarly," "In contrast," "Building upon this idea").

Here are some more that can be used:

Moreover,

Consequently,

Conversely,

Nevertheless,

Subsequently,

In essence,

Notably,

Crucially,

Briefly recap the main point of your first idea chunk.

Introduce the second idea chunk by showing how it relates to or builds upon the first.

Ensure that the bridging sentence aligns with your topic sentence, do not contradict yourself here.

The Linking Sentence

The Linking Sentence is final sentence within the Body Paragraph. Typically, you should be mentioning the author/director’s last name here while linking it back to the topic.

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It’s best to think of the Linking Sentence as your final chance to connect your ideas back to the topic in the Body Paragraph. Without it, you lose that last chance

Usually, Linking Sentences should have a strong concluding connective word to open (but not Ultimately, as we save that for the Topic Sentence of Body Paragraph 3 or the Conclusion).

Here are some examples of strong concluding connective words to open a Linking Sentence:

Consequently,

Therefore,

As a result,

Hence,

Thus, (obviously be careful if you have already used these words earlier in your chunks, don’t repeat them!)

When crafting your Linking Sentence, consider the following guidelines:

Restate the main ideas of your Body Paragraph briefly.

Connect these ideas back to the Topic.

Use the author's last name or the text's title.

Avoid introducing new information or examples.

Here's an example of a Linking Sentence for the Rear Window topic:

Consequently, Hitchcock illustrates that the conflicts between men and women in Rear Window stem from deeper insecurities and power imbalances, rather than superficial disagreements.

Here’s one for the topic on The Veldt:

Thus, Bradbury demonstrates that an overreliance on technology not only disrupts familial bonds but also unleashes primal instincts, highlighting the dangers of technological dependence.

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While for most students it is critical to have a Linking Sentence at the end of your Body Paragraph, there are some instances where the ending of your last Chunk in a Body Paragraph is technically a Linking Sentence, and you do not have to write one.

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