Making sure your topic sentences relate to the SAQ: Explanation and worked examples.

Ensuring your topic sentence doesn’t wander alone in the desert.

Outline:

In the TEEL essay criteria it says that topic sentences must ‘have a clear and simple topic sentence that is directly related to the topic.’ So how do we ensure that our topic sentences are ‘DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TOPIC?’

This is important because if we don’t continuously check this direct relation our body paragraphs can have the tendency to not respond to the SAQ at all. All because the guiding statement of the body paragraph, the topic sentence, is misdirected.

Central Concept:

The MAIN idea should be: in every single topic sentence you must explicitly refer to the essay question. So how do we do that…

Worked Examples:

SAQ: Romeo and Juliet are responsible for the tragedy in the play. Do you agree?

The key word or concept of the above SAQ is 'tragedy of the play.' Every single topic sentence you write on this topic must explicitly relate to the ‘tragedy in the play’ in some manner. (This is why it is important to define the ‘key word/concept’ in your introduction. The ‘tragedy’ in the play can mean different things to different readers. The assessor needs to know your interpretation of this key term)

Below are three topic sentences that could plausibly come from a student’s essay. So which topic sentences relate the SAQ and which don’t?

 

• TS1: Social expectation controls how Romeo lives.

• TS2: Social expectation controls how Romeo lives and is partly responsible for the death of the title characters.

• TS3: Within Shakespeare’s narrative social expectation plays a large role in guiding the destiny and tragedy of the title characters.

Lets annotate these example TS.

TS1: Social expectation controls how Romeo lives.

                This TS makes the very valid suggestion that social expectations control how Romeo lives. However the SAQ isn’t concerned with how Romeo lives, this TS isn't directly addressing the SAQ. The concern is with the ‘tragedy’ in the play and this idea of the tragedy MUST be referred to in some way.

TS2: Social expectation controls how Romeo lives and is partly responsible for the death of the title characters

This second TS is identical to the first (in RED) except adds that the social expectation causes the tragedy in the narrative (Underlined) . This underlined section is crucial because it directly creates a link between the idea and the SAQ. Without the underlined section it is just a comment on how social expectation affects Romeo’s life, with the underlined section it draws the connection explicitly with the SAQ.

TS3: Within Shakespeare’s narrative social expectation plays a large role in guiding the destiny and tragedy of the title characters.

                The third TS doesn’t refer explicitly to Romeo at all (It doesn't need to). It simply states that social expectations within Verona play a part in the tragedy within the play (in GREEN). It refers directly to the SAQ by explicitly making reference to the 'tragedy' of the title characters (Romeo and Juliet). Everything underlined must be stated (not just the GREEN) though because we must ensure that we are directly referring the narrative of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.



Worked Example 2

SAQ: Romeo and Juliet die because of the society in which they live and the people who are closest to. Do you agree?

The most important thing you need to realize is that his question is about the ‘death’ of Romeo and Juliet. All topic sentences must refer to the death of Romeo or Juliet in some way. (Again your interpretation of their ‘death’ is important. It may not necessarily only mean their physical death, but also the ‘death of their love’ or the ‘death of their individuality.’ You need to define this interpretation in your introduction.

TS1 Juliet’s parents make her marry Paris

The primarily issue with this topic sentence is that it is an example not an idea (If you don’t understand why this is a problem, look at the ‘TOPIC SENTENCE: IDEAS V EXAMPLES’ page) Non-the-less it doesn’t comment on our key idea of ‘death’ in any way. IT DOESN’T RELATE TO THE SAQ.

TS2 Juliet is controlled by the feud

This topic suggests that Juliet is controlled by the feud. However it doesn’t make a suggestion about how this relates to the key idea of death. TS DOESN’T RELATE TO THE SAQ

TS3 Juliet is controlled by the feud and this causes her death.

This topic sentence suggests that Juliet is controlled by the feud and adds that this ‘feud’ is what causes her death (Underlined). TS DOES RELATE TO SAQ.

TS4 Juliet’s exposure to the forceful nature of the feud leads to her discontent and eventual death.

This topic sentence also comments on the nature of the feud, this time describing it as forceful (italics) The topic sentence requires the additional ‘and eventual death’ to relate it to the key idea of Romeo and Juliet’s death.

 

For examples you can practice at home see the 'Ensuring TOPIC Sentences relate to the SAQ practice blog.'