Paragraph review

A paragraph is a group of ___________ that is unified by a single main idea.

• sentences

• phrases

• words

• structures

The _________ sentence states the main idea, and the rest of the sentences in the paragraph support the main idea.

• supporting

• topic

• concluding

• example

When you ___________, you write for a set period of time — perhaps five minutes — without stopping, and you keep going even if what you are writing doesn’t seem to have a point or a direction.

• stimulate

• outline

• brainstorm

• freewrite

When you _________, you record all the ideas about your topic that you can think of.

• stimulate

• outline

• brainstorm

• freewrite

Usually you brainstorm on your own, but at times you may find it helpful to do _______________ brainstorming, working with other students to find ideas.

• free

• group

• collaborative

• individual

____________, sometimes called mapping, is another strategy that can help you find ideas to write about. When you cluster, you begin by writing your topic in the center of a sheet of paper.

• Clustering

• Scattering

• Separating

• Dividing

A ________ is a notebook (or a computer file) in which you keep an informal record of your thoughts and ideas. In a _______, you can reflect, question, summarize, or even complain.

• journal

• book

• flash card

• handbook

A topic sentence is a complete sentence. There is a difference between a topic and a topic sentence. The topic is what the paragraph is about. A topic sentence, however, is a complete sentence that includes a subject and a verb and expresses a complete _________.

• statement

• structure

• thought

• saying

Read the following topic sentence: "Students all over the country participate in community service, making important contributions to their communities." This topic sentence is __________.

• TOO NARROW

• TOO VAGUE

• TOO ABSTRACT

• TOO BROAD

"Our school’s community service requirement has had three positive results." This topic sentence is _________.

• TOO NARROW

• TOO BROAD

• TOO THEORETICAL

• EFFECTIVE