Unit1:IntroductiontoParagraphs

TopicSentences(pp.413)
PracticeExercises
Name: ______________________________________________

Section: ___________

Date: ______________________________________________

Score: ___________

ACTIVITY1:SelectingaGoodTopicSentence
Ineachpairofsentences,putacheckmark()nexttothebettertopicsentence.Be
preparedtoexplainyourchoices.
1. _____
_____
2. _____
_____
3. _____
_____
4. _____
_____
5. _____
_____

a. Bilingualdictionariescanhelpnonnativelearnersintwoveryimportant
ways.
b.Inabilingualdictionary,theinformationispresentedintwodifferent
languages.
a. Apersonwhoisinterviewingforajobhastoarriveontimetothe
interview.
b.Apersonwhoisinterviewingforajobhastodothreeimportantthings
duringtheinterview.
a. TherearemanytheoriesaboutwhokilledJohnF.Kennedy.
b.JohnF.KennedywasassassinatedonNovember22,1963.
a. Smartphoneshaveanumberofusefulfeatures.
b.Smartphonesusetouchscreentechnology.
a. Fossilsaretheremainsofplantsoranimalsthatdiedalongtimeago.
b.Therearenumeroustechniquesthatscientistsusetodiscovertheageofa
fossil.

ACTIVITY2:StudyingTopicSentencesinaParagraph
DiscussthePreviewQuestionswithaclassmate.Then,readtheparagraphandanswer
thequestionsthatfollow.

PreviewQuestions

1. Haveyoueverhadaflattireonyourcar?

2. Whatdidyoudo?

Folse,K.,VestriSolomon,E.,&Clabeaux,D.(2015).GreatWriting3:Fromgreatparagraphstogreatessays

(3rd
ed.).Boston,MA:NationalGeographicLearning/CengageLearning.
1


Unit1:IntroductiontoParagraphs
TopicSentences(pp.413)

PostReading
1. Putacheckmark()nexttothestatementthattellsthepurposeoftheparagraph.
_____ a. Totelltheimportanceofatireonacar
_____ b. Toshowhowtochangetheoilinacar
_____ c. Totellwhyitisimportanttocarryasparetire
_____ d. Toshowhowtochangeaflattire

2. Underlinethetopicsentence.
3. Accordingtothisparagraph,howmanystepsarethereinchangingaflattire?____________

Folse,K.,VestriSolomon,E.,&Clabeaux,D.(2015).

GreatWriting3:Fromgreatparagraphstogreatessays(3rd
ed.).Boston,MA:NationalGeographicLearning/CengageLearning.
2


Unit1:IntroductiontoParagraphs
TopicSentences(pp.413)
ACTIVITY3:RecognizingEffectiveTopicSentences
Readeachofthefollowinggroupsofsentences.Writethegeneraltopicinthespace
provided.Putacheckmark()nexttothebesttopicsentence.
Example
1. Generaltopic:smartphones
_____ a. Smartphoneshavemorefeaturesthanregularphones.
_____ b. Smartphonesareexpensive.
_____ c. Youcandownloadappsonasmartphone.

Exercises
2. Generaltopic:____________________________________________________________
_____ a. Pepperoniandmushroomsaremytwofavoritetoppingsonapizzafrom
NinosPizzeria.
_____ b. NinosPizzeriahasawideselectionofdeliciousfood.
_____ c. NinosPizzeriamakesgoodchickenandsandwiches.
3. Generaltopic:____________________________________________________________
_____ a. Somedolphinsaregray.
_____ b. Dolphinsarequiet,friendly,unique,beautiful,andsmart.
_____ c. Dolphinsareoneofnaturesmostincredibleanimals.
4. Generaltopic:____________________________________________________________
_____ a. Fewpeopleknowtheinterestinghistoryofsnowboarding.
_____ b. Snowboardsaremadeoffiberglassandhavesharpmetaledges.
_____ c. Snowboardingisawintersport.
5. Generaltopic:____________________________________________________________
_____ a. Myfavoriteseashellisorangeandwhite.
_____ b. Myhobbyiscollectingseashells,butmybrothershobbyisplayingsports.
_____ c. Seashellsmakegreatsouvenirsforseveralreasons.

Folse,K.,VestriSolomon,E.,&Clabeaux,D.(2015).GreatWriting3:Fromgreatparagraphstogreatessays(3rd
ed.).Boston,MA:NationalGeographicLearning/CengageLearning.
3


Unit1:IntroductiontoParagraphs
TopicSentences(pp.413)
ACTIVITY4:ReviewingTopicSentencesandControllingIdeas
Readeachgroupofsentences.Putacheckmark()nexttothebesttopicsentence.
Underlinethecontrollingideainthesentenceyouchoose.
1. _____ a. NorthAmericansdrinkabouthalfabillioncupsofcoffeeeveryday.
_____ b. CoffeeisthedrinkofchoiceformanyNorthAmericans.
_____ c. MostNorthAmericansdrinkcoffeeinordertowakeupinthemorning.
2. _____ a. YesterdaywasthetenthofApril.

_____ b. Yesterday,Ispilledspaghettisauceonmyshirtduringmylunchbreak.

_____ c. Yesterday,Ihadaterribledayatwork.

3. _____ a. MybestfriendandIhadawonderfultimeattheamusementparklastweek.

_____ b. Werodethreedifferentrollercoasters.

_____ c. MybestfriendandIenjoyedtherollercoastersmorethantheFerriswheel.

4. _____ a. OverhalfamillionU.S.highschoolathletesparticipatedinoutdoortrack
andfieldeventslastyear.

_____ b. Thesportoftrackandfieldisveryold.

_____ c. Thesportoftrackandfieldhasincreasedinpopularityinrecentyears.

5. _____ a. Myiguanastriptotheveterinarianwasacatastrophe.

_____ b. Myiguanascratchedtheveterinarianwhenshetriedtopickitup.

_____ c. Peopledonotlikeiguanas.

Folse,K.,VestriSolomon,E.,&Clabeaux,D.(2015).GreatWriting3:Fromgreatparagraphstogreatessays(3rd
ed.).Boston,MA:NationalGeographicLearning/CengageLearning.
4


Unit1:IntroductiontoParagraphs
TopicSentences(pp.413)
ACTIVITY5:UsingControllingIdeastoLimitorNarrowaTopic
Thefollowingtopicsentencesaretoogeneral.Rewritethemandaddorchangethe
controllingideas.

1. Lyingisbad.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Itisimportanttoworkhard.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. TheLouvreislocatedinParis,France.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Folse,K.,VestriSolomon,E.,&Clabeaux,D.(2015).GreatWriting3:Fromgreatparagraphstogreatessays(3rd
ed.).Boston,MA:NationalGeographicLearning/CengageLearning.
5