Learn Topic Sentences, how to use them, and how to find them

1. GETTING ORGANIZED
The Key to Good Writing

2. Writing can be difficult in your
own language. In a new language,
writing can be even more difficult.
Writing involves skills that you
can learn, practice, and master.

3. Organizing Information Into Groups
Organization is the key to good
writing.
One way to organize is to group
similar ideas together.

4. Irrelevant Information:
All of the items in a group should
have something in common.
An item that doesn’t belong is
called irrelevant.

5. UNDERSTANDING PARAGRAPHS
A paragraph is a group of related
sentences.
The sentences in a paragraph
should all have something in
common.
They should all relate to the topic.

7. Most paragraphs follow a certain
format. They have three basic
parts:
1. topic sentence
2. supporting sentences
3. concluding sentence

8. Topic Sentence
 A good paragraph starts with a sentence that
states the main idea of the whole paragraph.
 - first sentence in a paragraph, introduces the
main idea
 - tells the reader what the upcoming paragraph is
about.
 - contains words or phrases called controlling
idea
 This sentence is called topic sentence.

9. Topic sentence should have two
parts.
The topic states the subject of the
paragraph.
The controlling idea limits your
topic. It tells what you are going to
say about the subject.

10. Supporting Sentences
The supporting sentences develop
the main idea stated in the topic
sentence.
Their purpose is to help readers
understand more about your main
idea.

11. Supporting sentences can give
1. examples,
2. facts,
3. explanations,
4. or reasons.

12. Concluding Sentence
This sentence restates the main
idea of the paragraph using
different words.
It summarizes the main points of
the paragraph or makes a final
comment on the topic.

13. Topic sentence:
The students in my class come
from many different parts of the
world.
Concluding Sentence:
My classmates are an interesting
mix of people from many different
countries.

14. PRACTICE PASSAGES
 Find the topic sentence in the paragraph below.
Passage 1
When oxygen comes in contact with most metals, they rust.
Aluminum is a special metal that does not rust. Instead, it
reacts with oxygen in a different way. It forms a tough
surface film that stops rust. Things that need to spend a lot
of time outside are often made of aluminum. This is why
people use aluminum to make cars and airplanes. It's can
also be used as a building material. However, aluminum
doesn’t have the strength of steel. When strength is
needed, even rusty steel is stronger than aluminum.

15. PASSAGE 1 ANSWER
 The topic of the paragraph (what the entire
paragraph is about) is aluminum.
 The main idea (the specific thing about
aluminum) of the paragraph is that aluminum
doesn’t rust.
 The topic sentence that contains the main idea
is: Aluminum is a special metal that does not
rust.

16. PRACTICE PASSAGES
 Find the topic sentence in the paragraph below.
Passage 2
Scientists have discovered a spider which is remarkably
different from any other known spider. This spider,
named Micromegale debliemma, has only two eyes
where most spiders have six or eight. Unlike most
spiders, it does not have lungs but instead absorbs
oxygen through its skin. Just three one-hundredth of an
inch long, Micromygale is one of the world’s smallest
spiders.

17. PASSAGE 2 ANSWER
 The topic of the paragraph (what the entire
paragraph is about) is spiders.
 The main idea (the specific thing about
aluminum) of the paragraph is that scientists
found a unique spider.
 The topic sentence that contains the main idea
is: Scientists have discovered a spider which is
remarkably different from any other known
spider.

18. PRACTICE PASSAGES
 Find the topic sentence in the paragraph below.
Passage 3
The Black Plague killed about one-third of Europe's whole
population from 1347-1351. The Black Plague was caused
because back then people knew almost nothing about
germs or sanitary conditions. They had no idea how the
disease spread. Rats ran everywhere. Fleas lived on the
rats. These fleas carried the deadly Black Plague germ.
Just before the Plague broke out, people had killed off a
great many cats. Up until then the cats had kept the rat
population small. With fewer cats, there were more rats
than ever before. And every rat had the plagueinfested
fleas in its fur.

19. PASSAGE 3 ANSWER
 The topic of the paragraph (what the entire
paragraph is about) is the Black Plague.
 The main idea (the specific thing about
aluminum) of the paragraph is that rats helped
cause the black plague.
 The topic sentence that contains the main idea
is: The Black Plague was caused because back
then people knew almost nothing about germs
or sanitary conditions.