<P> In expository writing, a topic sentence is a sentence that summarizes the main idea of a paragraph . It is usually the first sentence in a paragraph . </P> <P> Also known as a focus sentence, it encapsulates or organizes an entire paragraph . Although topic sentences may appear anywhere in a paragraph, in academic essays they often appear at the beginning . The topic sentence acts as a kind of summary, and offers the reader an insightful view of the writer's main ideas for the following paragraph . More than just being a mere summary, however, a topic sentence often provides a claim or an insight directly or indirectly related to the thesis . It adds cohesion to a paper and helps organize ideas both within the paragraph and the whole body of work at large . As the topic sentence encapsulates the idea of the paragraph, serving as a sub-thesis, it remains general enough to cover the support given in the body paragraph while being more direct than the thesis of the paper . </P> <P> By definition a complex sentence is one that has a main clause which could stand alone and a dependent clause which cannot by itself be a sentence . Using a complex sentence is a great way to refer to the content of the paragraph above (dependent clause) and then bring in the content of the new paragraph (the independent clause). Here is a typical example: </P> <P> While the ant generally works for the benefit of the community, he also carries out duties for his own needs . </P>

Where is the topic sentence least often found in a paragraph