what is the focus of a sentence

What Is a Focus Sentence?

• Focus Sentence Defined Thesis sentences announce the topic for the entire essay, with the paragraphs supplying the supportive arguments. ...
• Purpose of a Focus Sentence The main purpose of a focus sentence is to summarize the information contained within a paragraph. ...
• Paragraphs Support the Focus Sentence ...
• Writing a Focus Sentence ...

Full Answer

What is a focus sentence in an essay?

The focus sentence -- or topic sentence -- states the main point of each paragraph. It reveals what argument each paragraph will be discussing. The main purpose of a focus sentence is to summarize the information contained within a paragraph. However, it serves several other purposes as well.

How do you write a 3 word focus statement?

Start with a three-word statement Starting your focus statement with a three-word format will make things easier for you as you can just expand and expound those three words in order to create a full sentence. You can incorporate the 5 Ws and 1 H question in your full sentence, however, remember that ‘why’ and ‘how’ are the most important ones.

What is the difference between a thesis and a focus sentence?

The essay is launched by a thesis statement, whereas focus sentences, also known as topic sentences, open the paragraphs. Thesis sentences announce the topic for the entire essay, with the paragraphs supplying the supportive arguments.

What is a focus statement?

What is a Focus Statement? A focus statement, as the name implies, is the main topic of the writing piece. It is the verbal/written expression of the writer of the piece he/she is trying to accomplish. It is usually crafted before the actual writing process begins. You may also see objective statements.

What is the purpose of a focus sentence?

What is the focus sentence in an essay?

What is a focus statement?

How should an essay be constructed?

What is the focus in writing?

A Definition of Focus The focus of the text is also referred to as its thesis, theme, controlling idea, main point. In effect, writers tell readers what territory they plan to cover. That's the focus.

What is a focus in a paragraph?

Focus your paragraph with a topic sentence. If the paragraph is part of an essay, the topic sentence should focus the paragraph as well as support the thesis. This sentence is your main idea, and all other sentences included in this topic sentence must fit under its umbrella.

What is a focus statement example?

An example of a good focus statement might be: "If poker can be proven to be a game of skill, should online poker then be legalized?" A less effective focus statement on the same topic might be: "There is currently controversy about the legality of online poker.

What is a main focus?

the main or central point of something, especially of attention or interest: I think Dave likes to be the focus of attention. The main focus of interest at the fashion show was Christian Lacroix's outrageous evening wear.

What is a focus topic?

What is it? Focusing a research topic is narrowing (or sometimes broadening) a topic so that you can demonstrate a good understanding of it, including enough examples and important details, within the size limits of the project you are required to produce.

How do you write a focus essay?

The Focus Essay Your essay should chronicle the ways in which your ideas about your topic developed as a result of exploring the relevant literature. You should discuss how this led you to a more focused topic as well as a working hypothesis or central research question that will guide your further research.

What is a focus statement 4th grade?

Your focus statement gives your writing direction. A focus helps you know what to say about your topic. A lack of focus leaves your readers unsure what point you are trying to make.

What is unfocused paragraph?

Unfocused paragraph in which the writer confused about the topic, their ideas were not clear about the topic. One way to keep a paragraph focused as you write and to help readers recognize that focus is to state your topic and your main idea or perspective in a single sentence, a topic sentence.

What is focus in English?

In English, focus also relates to phonology and has ramifications for how and where suprasegmental information such as rhythm, stress, and intonation is encoded in the grammar, and in particular intonational tunes that mark focus. Speakers can use pitch accents on syllables to indicate what word (s) are in focus.

How does focus affect meaning?

Different ways of pronouncing the sentence affects the meaning, or, what the speaker intends to convey. Focus distinguishes one interpretation of a sentence from other interpretations of the same sentence that do not differ in word order, but may differ in the way in which the words are taken to relate to each other . To see the effects of focus on meaning, consider the following examples:

How are focus denotations computed?

Focus denotations are computed using the alternative sets provided by alternative semantics. In this system, most unfocused items denote the singleton set containing their ordinary denotations.

What is focus in linguistics?

In linguistics, focus ( abbreviated FOC) is a grammatical category that conveys which part of the sentence contributes new, non-derivable, or contrastive information. In the English sentence "Mary only insulted BILL", focus is expressed prosodically by a pitch accent on "Bill" which identifies him as the only person Mary insulted. By contrast, in the sentence "Mary only INSULTED Bill", the verb "insult" is focused and thus expresses that Mary performed no other actions towards Bill. Focus is a cross-linguistic phenomenon and a major topic in linguistics. Research on focus spans numerous subfields including phonetics, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics .

What is the question/answer paradigm?

The question/answer paradigm shown in (3)– (5) has been utilized by a variety of theorists to illustrate the range of contexts a sentence containing focus can be used felicitously. Specifically, the question/answer paradigm has been used as a diagnostic for what counts as new information. For example, the focus pattern in (3) would be infelicitous if the question was ‘Did you see a grey dog or a black dog?’.

What is contrastive focus?

In such approaches, contrastive focus is understood as the coding of information that is contrary to the presuppositions of the interlocutor. The topic–comment model distinguishes between the topic (theme) and what is being said about that topic (the comment, rheme, or focus).

What is information structure?

Information structure has been described at length by a number of linguists as a grammatical phenomenon. Lexicogrammatical structures that code prominence, or focus, of some information over other information has a particularly significant history dating back to the 19th century. Recent attempts to explain focus phenomena in terms of discourse function, including those by Knud Lambrecht and Talmy Givón, often connect focus with the packaging of new, old, and contrasting information. Lambrecht in particular distinguishes three main types of focus constructions: predicate-focus structure, argument-focus structure, and sentence-focus structure. Focus has also been linked to other more general cognitive processes, including attention orientation.

How to get a sense of the portion of your visual field?

To get a sense of the portion of your visual field you are able to see in clear focusat one time, hold your thumb up at arm's length. The eyes move to focuson objects and maintain them within their visual field. Patients experience an unresolved visual field, making it difficult to focusand to perceive depth.

How far down the runway should you focus your eyes?

One fairly consistent rule, however, is to focusyour eyes on a point far down the runway, say 15 to 30 degrees to the left or right of the spinner. With the bumsters' new focuson butt-cleavage within the society of the naked ape, push-up brassieres will have to compete aggressively to bring attention back to the chest.

What kind of energy did we have to focus the mind?

We were all on edge with the sort of nervous energy needed to focusthe mind.

What is the focus of a 24 hour hackathon?

The focusof our 24-hour hackathon is to build new applications and products.

Is storage management a focus?

Indeed, today, storage management has such prominence and visibility that it is now seen to be a major focusof corporate attention.

Can you look at the director's vision of ideal beauty through a soft focus?

There are only so many times we can look at the directors vision of ideal beauty through a soft focusand not get annoyed.

What is a focus statement?

A focus statement, as the name implies, is the main topic of the writing piece. It is the verbal/written expression of the writer of the piece he/she is trying to accomplish. It is usually crafted before the actual writing process begins. You may also see objective statements.

What is the focus statement in a research paper?

In a research paper, the focus statement is the hypothesis, while for companies it is a vision statement. It acts as a blueprint of the writing piece; a solid foundation of the whole piece. It dictates to the writer what information to include, and where and how to further expand the topic. You may also see work statements.

How to write a focus statement for a story?

1. Identify the following elements of your story topic: who, what, when, where, why, how. Your focus statement should express a complete thought. It should be able to answer the 5 Ws and 1 H questions so that a clear idea is set from the start. You may also see capability statements. 2.

What is the central focus of a story?

Determine who or what (noun) is the central focus of your story. As the writer of the story, it is your responsibility to clarify and make it easier for your readers to understand your story. In this sense, the focus statement should indicate the main focal point of your story.

Why should you write a concept statement in an introduction?

It should be written in your introduction to help set the story on the right path. Also, it helps your readers have a clear picture of your topic. You may also see concept statements.

Can you include details that don't fit with your focus statement?

Details that don’t fit with your focus statement should not be included in the story. 5. It is okay to revise your focus statement. As you continue your research during the writing process, you may stumble upon a new idea or better information.

Can you expand a focus statement?

It is easier to expand the focus statement if it is phrased as a question. The answers to the questions can then be included in your focus statement. You can just add additional details to make it clearer and easier to understand. You may also see research statements.

What is the purpose of a focus sentence?

The main purpose of a focus sentence is to summarize the information contained within a paragraph. However, it serves several other purposes as well. Focus sentences tie the paragraph to the title, the introductory paragraph and the main topic of the essay. In addition to introducing the paragraph's topic, they hint at the paragraph's supporting ...

What is the focus sentence in an essay?

The focus sentence -- or topic sentence -- states the main point of each paragraph. It reveals what argument each paragraph will be discussing.

What is a focus statement?

Focus statements not only state the paragraph's argument and indicate its content, they dictate the sentence arrangement and unify the paragraph contents to the essay as a whole.

How should an essay be constructed?

When writing essays, the essay and its paragraphs must be constructed in a way that readers can follow the writer's train of thought. The paragraphs should be moderately short and, like the essay, should begin with a sentence announcing the topic, followed by the supporting arguments.

Overview

In linguistics, focus (abbreviated FOC) is a grammatical category that conveys which part of the sentence contributes new, non-derivable, or contrastive information. In the English sentence "Mary only insulted BILL", focus is expressed prosodically by a pitch accent on "Bill" which identifies him as the only person Mary insulted. By contrast, in the sentence "Mary only INSULTED Bill", the verb "insult" is focused and thus expresses that Mary performed no other actions towards Bill. Focus …

Functional approaches

Formalist approaches

See also

Notes