Topic Sentences-Practice
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BryanTopic Sentences-Practice
Uploaded by
BryanTopic Sentences Practice
Topic Sentences:
Topic sentences are used to focus ideas and express the main point of paragraphs. A
strong set of topic sentences will work together to support a thesis.
Practice:
Practice using topic sentences to keep your ideas focused: Read the paragraph
below: Find the topic sentence; can you find the irrelevant sentence?
Learning a second language can provide a deeper understanding of a foreign
culture. Social habits that may not make sense to most outsiders might start to make
more sense after a few vocabulary lessons. For example, I always wondered why my
Dutch cousins rarely said “you’re welcome” after I said “thank you”. My cousin can
speak English but sometimes makes mistakes. At first I thought he was being rude, but
when I learned more about his language I realized that they don’t use “you’re welcome”
the same way we do: in response to “thank you”. They actually say something that
translates to “If you please” when they offer you something. This is one of the first
things I learned about Dutch culture when I started to learn their language and it gave
me a different perspective on the roles of host and guest since in Dutch the onus to be
polite is on the host, and not the guest as it seems to be in English.
Exercise:
Read the following sentences. As you read complete the following tasks:
For screen reader users: Blanks will be indicated by a * sign.
A. Identify correct Topic Sentences (write OK).
B. Identify and correct sentences which are too broad or too narrow (write TB or
TN) .
C. Identify and correct sentences which announce the topic (write A).
D. Identify and correct incomplete ideas (write INC).
1) *______ Why coping is an important aspect of recovery will be shown in the
following paragraphs.
©Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College, 2020 | Visit us at www.georgebrown.ca/tlc
2) *______ Mr. X has five full-grown children.
3. *______ Quitting smoking may improve your singing voice.
4. *______ This paragraph outlines the negative effects of daylight savings on your
health.
5. *______ Steven takes vitamin C every morning.
6. *______ This paragraph concerns how helmets should be worn by all hockey
players.
7. *______ Drug use in Canada is a controversial issue.
8. *______ The greatest thing about Toronto is the night life.
9. *______ How I learned to cook healthier food.
10. *______ The politician’s earnest answers made the audience feel at ease.
Answers: 1. INC, 2. TN, 3. OK, 4. A, 5. TN, 6. A, 7. TB, 8. OK, 9. INC, 10, OK.
Controlling Idea:
A good topic sentence of a paragraph contains two elements: the topic and the
controlling idea.
Topic: The subject of the paragraph.
Controlling Idea: limits the topic, shows the reader how the writer will limit the topic.
Example:
Adjusting to Canadian winters has been a real challenge for me.
Topic: Adjusting to Canadian Winters.
Controlling Idea: has been a real challenge for me.
Exercise:
Now it is your turn! Look at the following TOPICS. They are very broad. Decide how to
limit them by writing a topic sentence with a CLEAR controlling idea.
©Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College, 2020 | Visit us at www.georgebrown.ca/tlc
1. Summer
Limited Topic:
Controlling Idea:
Topic Sentence:
2. Learning English
Limited Topic:
Controlling Idea:
Topic Sentence:
3. Sports
Limited Topic:
Controlling Idea:
Topic Sentence:
4. Food
Limited Topic:
Controlling Idea:
Topic Sentence:
5. Smoking
Limited Topic:
Controlling Idea:
Topic Sentence:
©Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College, 2020 | Visit us at www.georgebrown.ca/tlc
