A topic sentence is the first sentence of a body paragraph. It immediately tells the reader what the central topic (main idea) of the paragraph is.
To reach band 7 or higher in IELTS Writing Task 2 you should have a clear central topic in each body paragraph of your essay (see IELTS Writing Task 2 band descriptors - Band 7: Coherence & cohesion). For this reason, good topic sentences, which tell the reader what the central topic of the paragraph will be, are really important.
Topic sentences should describe the main idea of the body paragraph in a general way. You should not give too much detail at this point. The detail follows later in the paragraph.
To create a good topic sentence you need to organise your ideas first. After organising your ideas, you will know what the main idea of the paragraph will be, and what details you will add to develop and extend this main idea.
Let’s look at an example of an IELTS Writing Task 2 question and the notes a candidate made while planning.
Some people believe that public parks play an important role in a city, while others argue that they are a waste of taxpayer money.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Candidate's Notes:
The candidate has lots of good ideas, so the question is, what will she choose as the main idea and what will be the sub-ideas to develop and extend it.
Let’s focus on why parks are important. The candidate has several ideas, so how can she group these under a main idea?
Looking at these ideas, she could focus on a few things:
How parks are important for health.
How parks encourage people to be more active.
How parks provide space for outdoor activities.
The first two ideas are good but the third idea seems more like a sub-idea. It could be used to support either of the two previous ideas.
I actually like the first idea the most, because it’s more general. So, the candidate could organise the paragraph like this:
Topic sentence (main idea): Parks are an important investment in any city because they help people to be more healthy.
Sub-idea A: They provide a space for outdoor activities such as sports, walking & games (physical health)
Sub-idea B: They help people to relax and connect with nature (mental health)
Notice that our topic sentence begins by telling the reader why parks are important in a general way. We then have sub–ideas which can develop this main idea.
So how would the whole paragraph look? Perhaps like this:
Parks are an important investment in any city because they help people to be more healthy. These green spaces provide city residents with a place where they can go for a walk or bike ride, play sport, or in the case of children, run around and play games. In today’s world, where our lives are becoming more sedentary, helping people to be more physically active is crucial. Furthermore, parks play a role in improving the mental health of nearby residents. Scientific research has shown the importance of connecting with nature, and parks allow people to do this. Not only that, but they also offer an area where residents can escape the noise, and hustle and bustle of the city, and therefore relax and unwind.
Below, I'll give more examples of IELTS Writing Task 2 questions, followed by the main ideas and sub-ideas I decided on, and the topic sentences I used for each body paragraph. You'll also find links to the full model answers for each IELTS question.
Example 1:
Question: Some people prefer to eat at restaurants, whereas others prefer to eat home-made food. Which do you prefer?
Essay Ideas:
Main Idea 1: Home cooked food is healthier
Sub-idea A: Use high quality and healthy ingredients
Sub-idea B: Hygienic preparation
Main Idea 2: Cheaper to cook at home
Sub-idea A: The home cook does not need to pay cooks, waiters etc.
Sub-idea B: Restaurants are business that aim to make a profit
Topic sentence 1: To begin with, preparing food at home is often a healthier option.
Topic sentence 2: Not only can home cooked food be much healthier, but it is usually much cheaper to make too.
Now look at a few more examples of IELTS Writing Task 2 main ideas and the topic sentence I’ve created:
Example 2:
Question: It is generally agreed that family relationships are not as close as they were in the past.
Explain why you think this has happened and suggest how family relationships could be made closer.
Essay Ideas:
Main Idea 1: Changes in society make it harder to maintain close relationships
Sub-idea A: People are more likely to move to another area or city
Sub-idea B: People have very busy lives so have less time for family
Main Idea 2: People should make more effort to foster family relationships
Sub-idea A: People should make an effort to meet up with family regularly
Sub-idea B: We can take advantage of modern communication technology
Topic sentence 1: In the modern world, changes that have occurred in society make it much harder to maintain close family ties.
Topic sentence 2: However, it is possible, even in today’s world, to maintain strong and vibrant relationships with family members, if more effort is made to foster them.
Example 3:
Question: Some people believe that governments should invest more in trains, while others argue that it is more important to improve the roads.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Essay Ideas:
Main Idea 1: Road transport is more convenient and flexible
Sub-idea A: Can travel directly from home, avoid bad weather
Sub-idea B: Travelling by car is flexible - reach any destination with less planning
Main Idea 2: Trains are safer for passengers and the environment
Sub-idea A: Trains are involved in far fewer accidents and deaths
Sub-idea B: They are more efficient, creating less pollution
Topic sentence 1: Travelling by car is often the most convenient way to get to your destination.
Topic sentence 2: Compared to travelling on the roads, train travel is safer for both passengers and the environment.
If you read the entire essays, you’ll see that each body paragraph has a very clear main idea, which is then developed using the sub-ideas. By using very clear topic sentences to show the main idea of the paragraph in this way, you can really help yourself achieve band 7 or higher in IELTS Writing Task 2.
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