Main Idea Practice Topic Sentence Evidence to Support

A paragraph is a group of sentences that are about the same ____________.

• topic

• word

• detail

• book

What does the topic sentence of a paragraph tell you?

• How many sentences the paragraph has

• A supporting detail about the topic

• The main idea of a paragraph

• A summary of the supporting details

The topic sentence is the ____________ sentence of a paragraph.

• first

• second

• third

• last

What do supporting details do?

• Introduce the main idea

• Prove why the main idea is true

• Give a summary of the main idea

• Restate the main idea in different words

Which of these is most likely a topic sentence?

• Out of all the pizza toppings, pepperoni is the best.

• First, pepperoni is salty, crispy, and chewy.

• I usually order pepperoni on my pizza, today I got olives.

• In conclusion, pepperoni is a perfect pizza topping.

Which question would be most helpful when writing a topic sentence?

• What is the most interesting detail about this topic?

• How do I want this paragraph to end?

• What is the main thing I want to say about the topic?

• How does this sentence give evidence to support the main idea?

The topic sentence of a paragraph is "Adaptations help animals and plants survive in their environments."

Which of these details best supports the topic sentence?

• There are many different species of animals that live on Earth.

• Grasshoppers adapted to be bright green so they could blend in with grass.

• Harriet opened her book so she could read more about grasshoppers and other insects.

• My favorite insect is the grasshopper.

The supporting details of a paragraph include "Fossilized footprints help us understand an animal's size and weight," and "Fossilized teeth can give us hints about an animal's diet."

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

• Fossils help us learn more about animals and plants that lived on Earth many years ago.

• You can find fossils at natural history museums, like the one in New York City.

• Paleontologists are scientists who study fossils.

• When a species is extinct, it no longer exists on Earth.

Which of these is in a the correct order for writing a paragraph?

• topic sentence, closing sentence, detail sentences

• detail sentences, topic sentence, closing sentence

• closing sentence, detail sentences, topic sentence

• topic sentence, detail sentences, closing sentence

A paragraph is a group of sentences that are all about one topic. It is easy to spot a paragraph because the first line is usually indented. That means it is set farther from the left margin than the rest of the text. Paragraphs can give information, or facts, about the topic. They can also express an opinion, or the writer’s beliefs about that topic.

To find the beginning of a paragraph, look for ________.

• a fact

• an opinion

• an indented line

• a belief about the topic