Question

Before the Industrial Revolution, most goods were made by hand, in peoples’s homes. Workers would buy raw materials and complete each step in the process to make a finished product. Manufacturing by hand took a long time, and therefore, the prices for finished goods was high. Industrialization changed all that. Machines took over the manufacturing process. These machines were much more efficient than workers creating items by hand. This meant that many more items could be produced, drastically reducing their price, and making them more affordable for consumers. Based on the information you were just given, which statement would make the best topic sentence for an essay about industrialization?

Answer 1

The industrial revolution improved how goods were made.

Answer 2

A topic sentence for an essay about industrialization needs to include the main point, in other words the main claim that will be made throughout the essay and backed up with solid arguments. In this case a good topic sentence could be one of the following:

• The Industrial Revolution changed the way in which goods were produced; mass production reduced the price of goods and decreased the amount of manufactured goods.
• Before the Industrial Revolution more goods were made by hand, however mass production decreased dramatically the price of goods.
• The Industrial Revolution put a stop to manufactured goods and introduced mass production which lowered the prices.