Identifying Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences in an Explanatory Essay

Choose an alternative topic sentence for this paragraph (the topic sentence in bolded):

Fixing cars with Dad is awesome! He lets me pass him tools and clean car parts. When we are finished, I help tidy up the workshop. We make sure to wash our hands real good before dinner.

• We wash our hands before dinner.

• I like passing tools to Dad.

• Helping my Dad fix cars is one of my favorite things to do

• I get to clean up after Dad

Identify the best topic sentence for the following paragraph:

I love that family members we haven't seen for ages come over to stay. In the morning, we sit and discuss what we are thankful for. We all help prepare the family meal. Then our family and people from our community sit and have a big dinner together. I love Thanksgiving with my family.

• We all help prepare the family meal.

• Then our family and people from our community sit and have a big dinner together.

• In the morning, we sit and discuss what we are thankful for. We all help prepare the family meal.

• I love Thanksgiving with my family

What is the purpose of a topic sentence?

• To tell the reader the general theme.

• To tell the reader the topic and the main idea.

• To confuse the reader about the topic of the sentence.

• To conclude an argument.

A paragraph is made up of a topic sentence and _____

• topic statements

• other ideas

• main ideas

• supporting statements

Where can topic sentences be found in paragraphs?

• At the very beginning

• At the end

• In the middle

• All options are correct.

The topic sentence is:

• the details that make complicated ideas easier to understand

• the purpose of the essay

• the main idea of the paragraph

• none of the answer choices

If your topic sentence is: 'Students get sick frequently because of stress and other pressures of academic life,' your topic is _______ and your controlling idea is _______.

• because of stress and other pressures of academic life; students get sick frequently

• none of the answer choices

• students get sick frequently; because of stress and other pressures of academic life

• either option; they're both part of your topic sentence

In a topic sentence, the topic tells readers

• what the facts are that support the writer's position

• what the paragraph is going to be about

• all of the answer choices

• none of the answer choices

In a topic sentence, the controlling idea tells readers

• what you want to say about your topic

• what points you hope to make in your essay

• none of the answer choices

• what you want readers to believe or do

The topic sentence will have:

• a controlling idea

• both a topic and a controlling idea

• a topic

• a famous quote