Topic sentence

1. The purpose of a supporting/relevant detail is to:

• A. be the main idea

• B. convince you to do something

• C. Give more detail/explanation to the main idea

• D. none of the above

A topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. It introduces the

topic of the paragraph and links back to the main topic of the essay.

• True

• False

What does an interrogative sentence end with?

• A full stop

• An exclamation mark

• A question mark

Choose the best topic sentence for the supporting sentence.

1.) ______________.

North Americans send cards for many occasions. They send cards to family and friends on birthdays and holidays. They also send thank-you cards, get well cards, graduation cards, and congratulation cards. It is very common to buy cards in stores and send them through the mail, but turning on the computer and sending cards over the Internet is also popular.

• a) Sending cards is very popular in North America.

• b) Birthday cards are the most popular kind of card.

• c) It is important to send thank-you cards.

Choose the best topic sentence for the supporting sentence. 2.______________________ . I enjoy summer sports like water skiing and baseball. The weather is usually sunny and hot, so I can go to the beach almost every day. Gardening is my hobby and I spend many summer days working in my garden. Unfortunately, the days pass too quickly in summer.

• a) I like to garden in summer.

• b) Summer is my favourite season.

• c) Summer is too short.

Choose the best topic sentence for the supporting sentence.

3.) _______________________ . First of all, we need money to repair old roads and build new roads. We also need more to pay teachers’ salaries and to pay for services such as trash collection. Finally, more tax money is needed to give financial help to the poor citizens of the city. It is clear that the city will have serious problems if taxes are not raised soon. a) We should raise city taxes. b) City taxes are too high. c) City taxes pay for new roads.

• a) We should raise city taxes.

• b) City taxes are too high.

• c) City taxes pay for new roads

RECOGNIZING IRRELEVANT SENTENCES

Instruction: There is one irrelevant sentence in each paragraph that follows. Find that sentence and write it.

• UNDERSTOOD

• UNDERSTOOD BUT IN SKY BLUE

There is one irrelevant sentence in each paragraph that follows. Find that sentence and cross it out.

There are several ways people can conserve natural resources. One way is to turn lights off and appliances when they are not in use. Another way is to drive cars less. My favourite kind of car is convertible. People can also insulate their houses better. Finally, by reusing things like bottles and plastic bags, people can reduce the amount of waste. By practicing these simple guidelines, we can save our natural resources.

• My favourite kind of car is convertible.

• Unfortunately, some people are allergic to their hair.

• There are many different types of governments in the world

There is one irrelevant sentence in each paragraph that follows. Find that sentence and cross it out.

The packaging of many products is very wasteful. Often the packaging is twice as big as the product. Packaging is used to protect things that are breakable. Many food items, for example, have several layers of extra packaging. Most of these extra layers could be eliminated.

• There are many different types of governments in the worlds.

• Some Japanese universities are developing medical robots to detect certain kinds of cancer.

• Packaging is used to protect things that are breakable.

Choose a concluding sentence for the paragraph.

There are many reasons why I like wearing a uniform to school. First of all, it saves time. I don’t have to spend time picking out my clothes every morning. Wearing a uniform also saves money. It’s cheaper to purchase a new uniform than to go out and buy lots of school clothes. In addition, I don’t have the pressure of keeping up with the latest styles. Most importantly, wearing a school uniform gives me a sense that I belong. I really think that it adds to the feeling of school spirit and community. _____________________________________________ .

• I am happy that we have to wear a uniform to school.

• I am not keen on wearing a uniform to school. / I don’t like to wear a uniform to school. / I am not fond of wearing a uniform to school.

• Credit cards are my favourite means of payment. / Credit cards are the best means of payment.