- Let's talk about topic sentences, something you need in all essays you write, so it's best to have it nailed down. Hi, I'm Jessica from Scribbr, here to help you achieve your academic goals. Topic sentences indicate what each paragraph in your paper is about. You can think of the topic sentence as a headline for the paragraph. 

The two things that make up a topic sentence are the topic and the central point of the paragraph. So keep it short and straight to the point. In this example, meat industry is the topic, and significant environmental impact is the central point. To keep your essay focused, make sure your topic sentences support your essay's central argument, often called the thesis statement. 

Every topic sentence should expand on the thesis statement, and each paragraph should elaborate the topic sentence with evidence and examples. If you want to know more about thesis statement, check out this video. Where do you put the topic sentence, you asked? The topic sentence pretty much always goes at the very start of a paragraph. 

You can also use topic sentences to transition smoothly between paragraphs and show the connections between the points. Here are two examples of topic sentences work as a transition. If the paragraph will turn to a different aspect of the same subject, the topic sentence can sum up the previous paragraph, which is beef's environmental impact, and forecast the new information will appear in this one, which is other animal products' global emissions. 

If the paragraph compares and contrasts information, the topic sentence can use words that highlight differences. However, the environmental costs of dietary choices are not always clear cut. In some cases, small-scale livestock farming is more sustainable than plant-based food production. 

I can also use "yet" or "on the other hand" in this sentence. Now it's time for you to put what you've just learned into practice. Make sure to drop like and subScribbr. I'll see you in our next video.