Topic Sentences

First, I made flyers describing my service and prices. Mom and I delivered them to all the houses in our neighborhood. A few days later my neighbors dog was my first customer. The owner thought I did such a nice job that he told all his friends. I've been in business almost a year and I'm so busy. Every Saturday I have about seven dog washing appointments. I hope to save enough money to buy a pet store some day. What would be a good topic sentence for this paragraph? 

• My Own business
• Last summer I started my dog washing business. 
• Mom helped me with my business.
• I have lots of dogs to wash on Saturday. 

Which sentence is most likely the topic sentence of the paragraph?

No one likes to eat with a dirty knife, fork, or spoon. It is important to completely wash all utensils before using them. Using clean, soapy water is best. Clean utensils won't transmit germs and bacteria. They also are more pleasant to eat with. No one likes to pick up a fork with food stuck on it!

• No one likes to eat with a dirty knife, fork, or spoon.

• It is important to completely wash all utensils before using them.

• Clean utensils won't transmit germs and bacteria.

• They also are more pleasant to eat with.

Select the best topic sentence for the paragraph.
Johnny has to spend twice as long on his math homework. Sometime he gets the numbers mixed up, and he can't remember the formulas. He has to study and practice a lot to get good grades in math.

• Johnny has a difficult time in school.
• Math is Johnny's most difficult class.
• Reading is Johnny's favorite subject.
• Math is the worst subject ever.

After the topic sentence, you ........

• repeat the same information over and over again.

• expand on the point with evidence and examples.

• write about a completely different theme.

Which topic sentence is stronger?

• Living in a big city has advantages such as good public transportation and access to a variety of entertainment.

• Many students choose to live in a big city for a few years after they graduate from university.

They can't really play with you. You don't even know if they like you. They are pretty boring to have around.
Which sentence would make a good topic sentence.

• Goldfish are bad pets.
• Teachers are the worst.
• My aunt has two brothers.
• My XBox is the bomb!

Which of the following would be a good topic sentence if I were writing a paragraph about the dangers of smoking.

• Lebron James smokes a cigar after each win.
• Most celebrities look really cool when they smoke.
• Smoking is one way that people relieve stress.
• Smoking leads to many different illnesses. 

You run up and down the court. You have to be able to chase down the ball. Sometimes you play for five or six minutes straight without a time out.
Which of the options below would make a good topic sentence for this paragraph?

• Exercise is hard.
• Basketball is an athletic sport.
• I love the Lakers.
• I played basketball last Thanksgiving.

Sports can brighten someone's mood. Research has shown that sportspeople have a longer lifespan than those who do not play sports. Usain Bolt motivates many to take up exercising. Sports releases dopamine in our body, which is the happy hormone.

• There are many advantages of taking up sports.

• Sports can brighten someone's mood, have a longer lifespan, and release dopamine.

• There are pros and cons of sports.

• The subject of sports has been discussed for many years.

Many cultures have their own versions of the same or similar fairy tales. For example, there are Cinderella stories from all over the world! They aren’t exactly the same, though. For instance, the fairy tale “How the Raja’s Son Won the Princess Labam” is from India. “Raja” is a title for king in India. In a Scottish version, the main character is named Rushen Coatie. Even though the details and words might be different, the basic story is similar.

What is the topic sentence of the passage?

• In Scotland, Cinderella is called Rushen Coatie.

• Cultures all around the world tell similar fairy tales.

• “Raja” is a title for king in India.

• There is only one version of the Cinderella story that people tell.