Identifying and Writing

Topic Sentences
English Reading and Writing
 Every good paragraph has a topic sentence, which clearly states the topic and the controlling idea of the
paragraph. In the other words, it states the main idea of a paragraph. It is a complete sentence and usually
(but not always) the first sentence in the paragraph.

A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. It briefly indicates what the paragraph is
going to discuss. For this reason, the topic sentence is a helpful guide to both the writer and the reader. The
writer can see what information to include (and what information to exclude). The reader can see what the
paragraph is going to be about and is, therefore, better prepared to understand it.

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There are three important points to remember about a topic sentence.
1. A topic sentence is a complete sentence; that is, it contains a subject, a verb, and (usually) a compliment. The
following are not complete sentences:
 Driving on freeways
 The importance of gold
 How to register for college classes
2. A topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea. It names the topic and then limits the topic to a
specific area to be discussed in the space of a single paragraph. The controlling idea tells the reader what you will
say about your topic. The following examples show how a topic sentence states both the topic and the controlling
idea in a complete sentence:
 Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness.
 Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.
 Registering for college classes can be frustrating for students.
 Many language students prefer bilingual dictionaries to monolingual dictionaries.
3. A topic sentence is the most general statement in the paragraph because it gives only the main idea. It does not give
any specific details. The following is an example of a general statement that could serve as a topic sentence:
 The Arabic origin of many English words is not always obvious
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4. It is not a fact. For example, “Libraries have books” is not a good topic sentence. The information in this
sentence is true, but it is a fact and there is little to say about it.
5. It is specific. “Tea is delicious” is not a good topic sentence because the information in the sentence is
too general. If you want to write a paragraph about tea, make your topic sentence more specific, such
as “Green tea has many health benefits.”
6. It is not too specific. “This dictionary contains more than 42,000 words” limits the topic too much.
There is nothing else for the writer to say, so the paragraph cannot continue

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Work with a partner and survey the photo. Then, predict the topic.

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Underline the first sentence in each paragraph in the
text. Match the heading a) -d) with paragraphs 1-4.

a) An interesting start
b) Amazon today
c) Starting the business
d) A new idea
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Study Skill (Part 2)
Skim the article and match the topic sentences a—e with paragraphs 1—4. There is one extra topic sentence.

a. What is wrong with a lot of food miles?

b. Traditionally, farmers sold their food in the local market, so the food did not have to travel very far.
c. Nowadays, the food that you buy comes from many different countries.
d. Tomatoes are not tasty nowadays because of food miles.
e. Some countries have to import most of their food.

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Sentences a)—f) are from a paragraph about Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.
Write number 1 next to the topic sentence and number 6 next to the
final sentence. Compare your answers with a partner.

a) At first, it was a very small company.

b) But she worked hard, and the company began to grow.
c) Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a successful businesswoman.
d) In 1978, she started a biotech company, Biocon, in a garage.
e) She was born in 1953 in Bangalore, India.
f) Today, Biocon is one of the leading biotech companies in the world.

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Read each set of sentences. Write the general topic that the sentences share. Then check (✓) the sentence you think is
the best topic sentence. Discuss your reasons with the class.

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Read the three sentences. Check (✓) the best topic sentence. Underline the controlling idea in that sentence.
Be prepared to explain your selections

 In an English class, most of the female students receive higher grades than the males.
 Research has shown female students like learning languages more than males do.
 Many students like languages very much.
 Cats are better pets than goldfish for many reasons.
 Cats and goldfish are both animals.
 Cats cannot swim very well, but goldfish can.
 The people in my office eat lunch from 11:30 to 12:30.
 Yesterday I went to work late, and my boss was of course very angry.
 Yesterday was the worst day of my life.
 Paul Cézanne was born in France in the last century.
 Paul Cézanne, the father of modern art, made important contributions to the history of art.
 Many of the museum visitors recognized Paul Cézanne's work immediately.

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These topic sentences are too general. Using the same topic, write a topic sentence with a clear controlling idea.
Then compare your sentences with a partner’s

1. Flowers are beautiful.

2. Cats are nice.
3. Paris is the capital of France.
4. Reading blogs is interesting.
5. Running is a hobby.

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Use the notes below to write a paragraph about Tamara
Mellon. Write full sentences in the same order as the
headings. Start with the topic sentence.

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 Read the paragraphs and write a topic sentence for each.

20XX Pitch deck title 15

Thank you

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