Not all paragraphs have clearcut topic sentences, and topic sentences can actually occur anywhere in the paragraph as the first sentence, the last sentence, or somewhere in the middle. A topic sentence basically serves as the roadmap for a paragraph. If you want to start your paragraph in style, this is the place to begin. Duncan, along with five other former members of this advisory council, say otherwise. Hard rock was one of the major types of music in the sixties. Type v sentences have a transitive verb followed by a direct object do. Every topic sentence raises questions that you expect the paragraph to answer.
The advantages of the five paragraph essay are that it provides structure for students and that it aids students in developing topics in sufficient depth. Conditional sentences are one of the trickier parts of english grammar. They state the central focus of the paragraph and provide cohesion for the paragraph. Paragraph structure coherence writing tutorial services. Students write a paragraph on each topic and underline their topic sentence. English enhanced scope and sequence 1 lesson skill. A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. I usually go skiing every weekend in the winter even. Teaching topic sentences is made much easier with this ready to teach unit in two versions. Irrelevant sentences worksheets 5 in these exercises, identify the irrelevant sentences for each passage. The worksheets below are aimed to help your student become a master at recognizing and writing topic sentences. Choose the best topic sentences for the paragraphs below. Five characteristics of a good topic sentence the classroom. Finally, the most compelling reason that treasure island should be considered the best pirate novel is its unique plot.
My topic sentence packet explains each sentence type with lots more detail and has practice pages for each type as well. What questions would you ask for the following topic sentences. Cigarette smoking harms the body by constricting the blood vessels, accelerating the heartbeat, and activating excess gastric secretions in the stomach. Materials copies of the main idea group activityattached, cut apart, and placed into envelopes copies of an interesting recent informational article copies of the topic sentence writing gameattached and envelopes.
This is, that is, these are, those are, 1 this is a book. Generally, the main idea of a paragraph is stated in the topic sentence. Thesis statements are used for essay writing when the writer expresses an opinion, takes a position, or makes an argument. Here is a classic learning exercise that allows learners to practice identifying topic sentences. This is because paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions of an essay begin and end, and thus help the. Here, for instance, is the topic sentence which opens a paragraph about the collapse of the stock market in 1929. Then place a check to the left of the best topic sentence in each group. Its important for students to learn to write clear and concise topic sentences. This worksheet includes a list of informational topics. A paragraph is made of a few sentences that talk about one single topic. One of the first strategies companies need to implement in order to protect their ships from pirates near the somali coast is to require armed security on all vessels. Some guidelines for writing strong topic sentences. Topic sentences help to keep the reader focused on the point of your paragraph. Topic sentences a paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related to a single topic.
A topic sentence must predict or promise what follows, so it cannot be a question. Main idea, topic sentence, supporting details duration. Students who complete this text will then have the skills needed for a more advanced english composition and essay writing course. Well have it back up and running as soon as possible. For each of the sentences below, underline all words that reveal an attitude. Choose two of your topic sentences from activity 5 and write them below. Recognizing perfect topic sentences practice worksheet 2 the following paragraph is missing a topic sentence. Reading as a support technician, you need to read an email. Fiveparagraph essay jackson state community college. It includes the main idea that tells the reader what information will follow. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should be organized into paragraphs. Match each supporting sentence with the corresponding topic sentence by writing the correct topic sentence number on the line beside the supporting sentences. For you to write good topic sentences, you need to know what your paragraphs are going to be about. Writing summary topic sentences students will practice writing summaries with a focus on topic sentences.
This sentence has five words university of texas at austin. There are nine types of subordinate adverb clause, six types of subordinate noun clause. You can see the sentences in the picture to the left. Generally, the topic sentence appears at the beginning of the paragraph. Type v sentences have an agent actor in the subject, a main verb that identifies an action, and a direct object that is the recipient of the action. Below is a list of possible topic sentences for the paragraph. An effective paragraph always begins with the topic sentence that supports the main idea of the entire paragraph. Today children are more difficult than they used to be. They read five different paragraphs about various topics, and underline the topic sentence in each paragraph with a green crayon. A topic sentence should not contain supporting details.
Topic sentence definition, examples, and guidelines. Your topic can have some evidence or examples to support it, but these should all be related to each other. Then, write the best topic sentence on the line above the paragraph. Choose the best topic sentence for each group of supporting sentences and. Your topic sentence should directly state the problem. Not all paragraphs have clearcut topic sentences, and topic sentences can actually occur anywhere in the paragraph as the first sentence, the. The five paragraph essay the five paragraph essay is a formal essay comprising exactly five paragraphs. A good topic sentence is clear, concise, interesting, emphatic and written in an active voice. The introduction is the first paragraph of the essay, and it serves several purposes.
Free grammar and writing worksheets from k5 learning. The topic sentence is the most important sentence of a paragraph. Each new paragraph should begin with a sentence designed to specify the contents of the paragraph and to keep the momentum of the essay moving. Topic sentences are a vital part of paragraph writing. Writing a topic sentence strand writing, reading nonfiction sol 3. Sentence and paragraph writing takes students from basic sentence writing skills at the beginning to sound and competent paragraph writing at the end. Eating disorders afflict as many as five to ten million women and one million men in the unites states. Sometimes referred to as a focus sentence, the topic sentence helps organize the paragraph by summarizing the information in the paragraph. Summary topic sentences are made up of identifying the item storyarticle, a summary verb, and finishing your thought. Begins with a topic sentence that identifies one main idea that will be discussed as support or proof for the thesis statement. I displayed five topic sentences on a powerpoint and asked students to take turns reading all of the sentences aloud in their groups. Write a topic sentence for the group of sentences provided. It is designed to be an intensive onesemester course. Inside most textbooks students will find directions for reading and using the materials correctly and effectively.
A paragraph is basically a group of at least three to five sentences that discuss a central topic. This is a good practice to improve your reading and prepare for major exams such as toefl, ielts, pet, ket. As a rule, conditional sentences in english consist of two parts the main part and the if part or the conditional part. Our grade 5 sentences worksheets focus on helping students improve their writing by avoiding common errors sentence fragments, runon sentences, comma splices, using different sentence structures and making writing more readable by varying sentence length, adding details in writing and so forth. Each of your three topic sentences will state a support point. Write whats good or bad about the possible topic sentences below each example. Every paragraph should include a topic sentence that identifies the main idea of the paragraph. They all resigned in disgust over the companys refusal to take animal. You should have at least five to seven sentences in your paragraph. Choose the best topic sentence for each group of supporting sentences and circle the answer. He was the author of many books across a range of genres including four awardwinning young. It is no longer than the idea requires, and it stresses the important word or phrase. A topic sentence essentially tells readers what the rest of the paragraph is about.
The beaches are fantastic with soft white sand, and the sea is deep blue. A strong topic sentence focuses each paragraph around one main point. Every paragraph of your essay should have a main idea, point, or goal that youre trying to get across. All sentences after it have to give more information about that sentence, prove it by offering facts about it, or describe it in more detail. In formal writing, the topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph although it doesnt have to be. A topic sentence also states the point the writer wishes to make about that subject. To view a worksheet or download a printable pdf, simply click on the title.
It states the main idea and introduces the reader to the topic. This paragraph gets your readers attention, develops the basic ideas of what you will cover, and provides the thesis statement for the essay. The topic sentence tells the topic of the paragraph and the general idea regarding the topic that is going to be discussed. A topic sentence is a sentence that indicates the main idea or thesis of a paragraph. Topic sentences a topic sentence is a sentence that indicates the main idea or thesis of a paragraph. Topic sentences are used for paragraph and report writing when the writer is explaining facts. It is not possible to cite all examples here, but as request. After reading aloud, i asked students to evaluate the effectiveness of each topic sentence by assigning it an x if it was missing a subject or claim because.