通常而言，主題句就是一段話的第一句。后面的句子一般為支持性的細(xì)節(jié)，以解釋、發(fā)展或是支持主題句所表現(xiàn)的主要論點(diǎn)。

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　　The recent string of corporate scandals provided a rude awakening to the importance of these internal checks. In the case of WorldCom, it was internal auditor Cynthia Cooper who blew the whistle on the company for inflating profits by $3.8 billion. She didn’t intend to be a hero, she said to Time magazine when it named her one of its Persons of the Year. She was just doing her job.

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　　Chief constables had disapproved of the use of league tables. They complained that they provoked unfair criticism because they did not compare like with like. Mr. Denham said the graphs were easier to comprehend than tables. “As people get familiar” with this type of graphical presentation they will realize it contains a lot of data that can be understood after an initial glance. “ The spidergrams are based on five indicators: reducing crime, investigation crime, public safety, deployment of resources and the view of a focus group of local citizens.

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　　有時(shí)候主題句也會(huì)出現(xiàn)在整段話的最后。這樣的結(jié)構(gòu)安排，通常出現(xiàn)在一個(gè)討論困難的、不為大眾所接受的話題或者文章的主要目的是為了說(shuō)服讀者接受某種結(jié)論的段落中。因?yàn)橄劝训览碚f(shuō)清楚，那么讀者就會(huì)比較容易接受新的觀點(diǎn)和看法。