The document provides guidance on writing topic sentences. It defines a topic sentence as the sentence that controls or guides the whole paragraph. A good topic sentence is specific, not too general, and lets the reader know what to expect in the paragraph. Several activities are included for students to practice identifying topic sentences and their controlling ideas in sample texts.

1. The Topic Sentence Basic Writing WTUC March 15, 2007

2. Goal and Language Focus To learn how to write a topic sentence Focus: Sentence fragments and comma splices

3. Questions about the Topic Sentence What is the function of a topic sentence? What does a good topic sentence look like? How can you tell if a sentence is a good topic sentence? Where is a topic sentence usually found in a paragraph?

4. Activity 1: To Shift or Not to Shift Read the paragraph Take note of the vocabulary

5. Activity 1: Answers, pp. 38–40 1. c; 2. There are many benefits to driving a car with a manual transmission. 3. ☺ 4. better gas mileage, the driver can start a manual car that has a low battery, greater control of the vehicle 5. a) the first (and potentially most important) detail is… b) also, an added point is… c) the last or concluding point is… 6. Answers will vary.

6. Activity 2: Recognizing Effective Topic Sentences Answers may vary. Suggested answers: 1. winter, The best season for kids is winter. 2. soccer, Soccer is popular for many reasons. 3. Los Angeles, People from many different cultures live in Los Angeles. 4. bilingual dictionaries, Many language students prefer bilingual dictionaries to monolingual dictionaries. 5. perfumes, French perfumes are expensive for a number of reasons. 6. the book An American Tragedy, An American Tragedy is an excellent psychological novel. Explanations may vary.

7. Features of a Good Topic Sentence, p.42 A good topic sentence has the following features: It controls or guides the whole paragraph. When you read the topic sentence, you know what to expect in the paragraph. A good topic sentence is not a general fact that everyone accepts as true e.g. “Libraries have books” is not a good topic sentence. A good topic sentence is specific. A good topic sentence is not too specific.

8. Controlling Ideas The best season for kids is winter. Provide reasons and examples why winter is the best season for children. Soccer is popular for many reasons . People from many different cultures live in Los Angeles. Many language students prefer bilingual dictionaries to monolingual dictionaries.

9. Activity 3: Recognizing Controlling Ideas in Topic Sentences 1. SAT , two distinct sections , two different skills ; Explanation: a listing of the two sections and skills in the SAT 2. crash , jumbo jet , baffled investigators ; Explanation: what has puzzled investigators 3. Crossword puzzles , educational , fun , addictive ; Explanation: reasons people do crossword puzzles 4. Research , dark green, leafy vegetables , reduce , cancer ; Explanation: medical benefits or decreased risk of cancer from eating these vegetables 5. Buying a house , renting an apartment , advantages ; Explanation: why renting an apartment is better than buying a house

10. Activity 4: More Practice Recognizing Controlling Ideas Answers may vary. 1. Research has shown that girls are better at languages than boys . 2. Cats are better pets than dogs for many reasons . 3. Yesterday was the worst day of my life . 4. George Washington , the father of our country, made numerous contributions to the United States. 5. The current population of Canada is a reflection of the international background of its citizens and immigrants .

11. Activity 6, Writing Topic Sentences. Paragraph 15, p.48: 1. People like ports cars for different reasons. Paragraph 16, p.48: 2. Dinosaurs differ from modern reptiles in three main ways. Paragraph 17, p.49 3: 3. Exercise can benefit people in several important ways. Paragraph 18, p. 49: 4. Popcorn is a simple but excellent snack food. Paragraph 19, p.50: 5. An amazing new method for learning foreign language vocabulary has two stages.

12. Activity 7: Comma Practice 1. Correct 2. Correct 3. extent, 4. Correct 5. growing, 6. tourists,

13. 7. However, 8. Correct 9. Muslim, 10. king, 11. colony, 12. Thus,

14. Activity 8, pp. 51–52: Paragraph 20, p.51: Malaysia and Thailand are two countries in Southeast Asia. Because they are located next to each other, we might expect these two nations to share many similarities. To a certain extent, this is true. Both countries have temperate climates throughout the year. Thailand’s economy is growing, and so is Malaysia’s. Malaysia has miles of beautiful beaches that attract tourists, and Thailand does, too. However, there are also man differences. Malaysians and Thais speak completely different languages. Most Malaysians are Muslims, and most Thais are Buddhist. Thailand has a national king, but Malaysia does not. Malaysia was a British colony, but Thailand was never a British colony. Thus, the fact that two countries are near each other does not always mean they are similar.

15. Activity 9, pp. 54-55: More than one correction may be possible. 2. SF; Most of the flights were canceled due to the torrential rains and high winds. 3. CS; Computer programs can help students learn a foreign language. Many students use the language programs in the computer center. 4. Correct 5. CS; Family is a locally produced magazine, and the quality of the writing is very high. or: Family is a locally produced magazine. The quality of the writing is very high. 6. SF; Last year the magazine won several awards for the content and the style of its stories.