Why This Matters
The topic sentence is the engine of your body paragraph. It tells the examiner what to expect, guides your structure, and directly affects your Coherence and Cohesion and Task Response scores. If you start vague, off-topic, or try to do too much, the whole paragraph collapses. A strong topic sentence sets up one clear point and makes the rest of your structure easy to follow.
What’s a Topic Sentence?
A topic sentence is the first sentence of your body paragraph.
Its job is simple:
→ Tell the examiner exactly what the paragraph is going to be about.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
It should set up one clear point.
Not two. Not three. Just one.
That’s what makes the paragraph focused, logical, and score-friendly.
Why Students Get It Wrong
Most students either:
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Paraphrase the question again
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Make a vague statement like “There are many reasons…”
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List too many ideas at once and lose focus immediately
This kills your Coherence and Cohesion score.
It also ruins the structure of your paragraph — because now you’re trying to explain too much at once.
Your Fixed Stems (Use These Every Time)
You don’t need to invent new sentence starters.
Stick to these, based on your essay type and structure:
Opinion Essays
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Body 1: So, why do I hold this stance?
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Body 2: Another reason I believe this is because…
Discussion Essays
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Body 1: On the one hand, some people think that [view], and I agree.
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Body 2: On the other hand, it is often believed that…
Outweigh Essays
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Body 1: So, why do I feel this way?
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Body 2: Nevertheless, despite the advantages above, I believe that…
Problem / Solution Essays
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Body 1: So, what is the main problem?
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Body 2: One effective solution is to…
Cause / Solution Essays
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Body 1: So, why is this happening?
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Body 2: One way to deal with this issue is…
Double Question Essays
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Body 1: So, what causes this issue in most cases?
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Body 2: Turning to how this can be resolved…
These stems change slightly depending on the exact question (e.g., cause + solution, reason + opinion), but the principle is always the same: one clear point, no list, no fluff.
Weak vs Strong Examples
Weak Topic Sentence:
There are many reasons why this is important.
→ What reasons? Which point will you develop? This doesn’t tell us anything.
Better:
One major reason why libraries deserve more funding than sports is because they benefit all students academically.
→ One clear point. You know exactly what’s coming next.
Avoid This Mistake
Don’t announce an example in your topic sentence.
For example, when people walk to work, they save money…
That’s not a topic sentence — it’s an explanation. You skipped the setup.
Start with the point. Then develop it. Then give the example.
QPEE and PEE are called structures for a reason — they rely on the right sentence doing the right job in the right order.
Final Tips
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One point per paragraph — don’t cram in multiple ideas
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Use your fixed stems — you’re not writing a novel, you’re writing to score
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Avoid generic claims — be specific and direct
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Don’t copy the question again — paraphrasing belongs in the introduction
The topic sentence is your chance to prove you know how structure works.
Use it properly, and the rest of the paragraph builds itself.