GRAMMAR:
TOPIC SENTENCES
SUPPORTING SENTENCES
CONCLUDING SENTENCES
Components to cover:
Topic sentences
Supporting sentences
Irrelevant sentences
Concluding sentences
WHAT IS A TOPIC SENTENCE
A topic sentence is the most important sentence in
a paragraph.
Sometimes referred to as a focus sentence, the topic sentence
helps organize the paragraph by summarizing the information
in the paragraph.
In formal writing, the topic sentence is usually the first
sentence in a paragraph.
PURPOSE OF THE TOPIC SENTENCE
A topic sentence essentially tells what the rest of the
paragraph is about. All sentences after it, have to give more
information about the sentence.
For example, if the topic sentence concerns the types of
endangered species that live in the ocean, then every
sentence after that needs to expound on that subject.
Topic sentences also need to relate back to the thesis of the
essay. The thesis statement is like a road map that will tell the
reader or listener where you are going with this information or
how you are treating it.
TOPIC
SENTENCES
AND
CONTROLLING
IDEAS
Every topic sentence will
have a topic and a controlling
idea. The controlling idea
shows the direction the
paragraph will take.
Example
Topic sentence: There are many
reasons why pollution in Chinatown is
the worst in the world.
The topic is “pollution in Chinatown
Town is the worst in the world” and
the controlling idea is “many
reasons.”
TOPIC
SENTENCES
AND
CONTROLLING
IDEAS
Each topic sentence will
surely have a controlling idea
that guides the statement or
question.
Example
Topic Sentence: Dogs make
wonderful pets because they help
you to live longer.
The topic is "dogs make wonderful
pets" and the controlling idea is
"because they help you to live
longer."
Example
TOPIC
SENTENCES
The topic sentence should
not be too general or too
specific. When considering
the options, look for a topic
sentence that is general
enough to show the
paragraph’s main idea instead
of just one of its details.
During the 1990s, I really enjoyed
watching Friends on television every
Thursday night. I really wanted
Rachel’s haircut—I think every girl
wanted Rachel’s haircut back then!
Rachel’s haircut went really well with
the Guess Jeans that were so popular
in the 1990s. I remember all the
advertisements for Guess and Calvin
Klein Jeans that were in each
month’s Sassy magazine. I don’t
think Sassy magazine exists anymore,
but it was one of the most popular
magazines for young women in the
1990s.
TOPIC
SENTENCES
Answer
The bold sentence is one
possible topic sentence for
the example paragraph.
Note: This is just one possible
topic sentence. You may have
thought of others that are
also appropriate.
Thinking about the 1990s
brings back a lot of
memories for me about
fashion and popular culture.
HOW WRITE A
TOPIC
SENTENCE?
You need to summarize the
main idea of your paragraph.
And indicate to the reader
what your paragraph will be
about.
Example
Canada has an excellent health care
system. All Canadians have access to
medical services at a reasonable
price. Moreover, Canada has a high
standard of education. Students are
taught by well-trained teachers and
are encouraged to continue studying
at university. Finally, Canada's cities
are clean and efficiently managed.
Canadian cities have many parks and
lots of space for people to live. As a
result, Canada is a desirable place to
live.
HOW WRITE A
TOPIC
SENTENCE?
After reading the paragraph
the student will know what is
the central idea of the
paragraph.
Answer
There are three reasons why
Canada is one of the best
countries in the world.
ACTIVITY 1
Americans relaxing at home, for example, may put on
kimonos, which is a Japanese word. Americans who
live in a warm climate may take an afternoon siesta on
an outdoors patio without even realizing that these
are Spanish words. In their gardens, they may enjoy
the fragrance of jasmine flowers, a word that came
into English from Persian. They may even relax on a
chaise longue, while sipping a drink made with vodka,
words of French and Russian origin, respectively.
ANSWER TO
ACTIVITY 1
Although the
majority of
Americans may not
be aware of it, many
features of their
culture and their
language are in fact
imports from other
cultures.
ACTIVITY 2
In European universities, students are not required to attend
classes. In fact, professors in Germany generally do not know
the names of the students enrolled in their courses. In the
United States, however, students are required to attend all
classes and may be penalized if they do not. Furthermore, in
the European system, there is usually just one comprehensive
examination at the end of the students' entire four or five years
of study. In the American system, on the other hand, there are
usually numerous quizzes, texts, and homework assignments,
and there is almost always a final examination in each course at
the end of the semester.
ANSWER TO
ACTIVITY 2
University systems
and syllabi can vary
considerably from
country to country
and particularly
from continent to
continent
SUPPORTING
SENTENCES
• Sequence of episodes
• Develops ideas and
arguments
• Targets the main point
• Some background
information about the
topic
SUPPORTING
SENTENCE
They come after the
topic sentence, making up
the body of a paragraph.
They give details to develop
and support the main idea of
the paragraph.
You should
give supporting facts, details,
and examples.
TYPES OF
SUPPORTING
SENTENCE
1. MAJOR SUPPORTING
SENTENCE
2. MINOR SUPPORING
SENTENCE
TYPES OF
SUPPORTING
SENTENCE
•
Major supporting
sentence tells us about
the topic sentence.
•
Minor supporting
sentence tells more
about the major
supporting sentence..
Example:
Topic sentence: Golden week in Japan
is combined celebration of four
holidays
Major Supporting Sentence: The first
takes place on April 29th , the birthday
of emperor Showa and
commemorates the 64 years of his
power.
Minor supporting sentence: It is a
time for the Japanese to remember
the important period of their history.
HOW TO WRITE A
SUPPORTING SENTENCE
The supporting sentences
need to be about the idea
presented in the topic
sentence. In a paragraph,
every sentence should
support the topic sentence.
If a sentence does not
support the main idea of the
paragraph, it does not
belong in that paragraph and
it should be moved to a new
paragraph.
Example
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a strong
leader. He was born on January 15,
1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He went to
college to become a minister, like his
father was. Dr. King became a leader
and civil rights advocate. His nonviolent leadership and powerful
speeches gained him respect from
the American people. On April 4,
1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was
shot and killed. Today we honor Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. by celebrating
his birthday as a national holiday.
ACTIVITY 1:
Fill in the blank with the correct supporting sentence:
Harriet Tubman was a runaway slave from Maryland who became
known as the "Moses of her people." ____________________.
The Underground Railroad was a secret network of safe houses
where runaway slaves could stay on their journey north to
freedom. She later became a leader in the abolitionist
movement, and during the Civil War she was a spy with for the
federal forces in South Carolina as well as a nurse.
ACTIVITY 1:
Fill in the blank with the correct supporting sentence.
Options are:
1. Over the course of 10 years at a great personal risk
she led hundred of slaves to freedom along the
underground railroad.
2. There should be a national holiday to celebrate her
achievements.
3. As a small child, she was a slave and frequently
subjected to sever whipping.
ANSWER TO
ACTIVITY 1:
Option 1 is correct
The first sentence is
correct because it
supports the supports
the topic of Harriet
Tubman as a person
who helped free
slaves.
ACTIVITY 2:
Fill in the blank with the correct supporting sentence:
Born Edward Kennedy Ellington, Duke Ellington was one of the
founding fathers of jazz music. __________________________. A
pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer, Ellington and his
band played together for 50 years. Some of Ellington's most
famous songs include "Don't Get Around Much Anymore,"
"Sophisticated Lady" and "In a Sentimental Mood."
ACTIVITY 2:
Fill in the blank with the correct supporting sentence:
Options are:
1. While vacationing in Asbury park, Duke heard of a
hot pianist named Harvey Brooks.
2. He played for the royalty and common people and
by the end of his fifty-year career, he had played
over 20,000 performances worldwide.
3. He stated playing piano at the age of seven, and by
the time he was fifteen he was composing.
ANSWER TO
ACTIVITY 2:
Option 3 is correct
The third sentence is
correct because it adds
details to the topic
sentence. The first
sentence is off topic
and the second
sentence confuses the
reader.
IRRELEVANT SENTENCES
• “Looks like” a supporting sentence
• Are off topic
• Are random opinions or statements
• Do not prove the controlling idea – they might
actually disprove it
• Repeat facts
• Incomplete sentences (missing subject or verb or
incomplete thoughts)
IRRELEVANT
SENTENCES
Usually irrelevant sentence
will destroy the unity of the
paragraph and will sound
odd for the topic.
Example
The disappearance of Amelia Earhart
remains a mystery. Earhart, who was the
first woman pilot to fly across the Atlantic
Ocean, crashed into the Pacific Ocean while
attempting to fly around the world. She was
born in Atchison, Kansas, in 1897. Some
researchers believe that she survived the
crash into the Pacific, because radio distress
calls were received. An intensive search for
the source of the signals was made.
Searchers were not able to find her,
however. Finally, the distress signals ceased.
In spite of continued searches by airplane
and ship, no clue about what became of
Amelia Earhart has yet been found.
IRRELEVANT
SENTENCES
Sometimes paragraphs
contain sentences that have
information that do not
match its theme or interrupt
its flow.
These sentences are called
irrelevant sentences.
Example
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12,
1809 in a log cabin in Kentucky. When he
was a child, he moved to Indiana and as a
young man moved to Illinois. While he was
living in Illinois, he became a lawyer and
served in the state House of Representatives.
He later served in the U.S. House of
Representatives and eventually ran for
president. Abraham Lincoln wore a stovepipe
hat. He was elected president in 1860 and
led our country through the Civil War. Sadly,
he was assassinated in April of 1865.
Abraham Lincoln was very tall.
Example
IRRELEVANT
SENTENCES
A careful reading is required
before straightaway coming
to a conclusion.
Sometimes sentences can
be confusing.
Abraham Lincoln was born on
February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in
Kentucky. When he was a child, he
moved to Indiana and as a young man
moved to Illinois. While he was living
in Illinois, he became a lawyer and
served in the state House of
Representatives. He later served in
the U.S. House of Representatives
and eventually ran for president.
Abraham Lincoln wore a stovepipe
hat. He was elected president in 1860
and led our country through the Civil
War. Sadly, he was assassinated in
April of 1865. Abraham Lincoln was
very tall.
ACTIVITY 1
Choose the irrelevant sentence for the options
provided.
(1) Pope John Paul" reigned as pope of the Roman
Catholic Church for almost 27 years until his death. (II)
He was the first non-Italian pope since the 16th century.
(III) During his reign, the pope traveled extensively,
visiting over 100 countries, more than any of his
predecessors. (IV) Even in 1992 as he was diagnosed
with Parkinson disease, he continued with his travels.
(V) He maintained an impressive physical condition
throughout the 1980s.
ANSWER TO ACTIVITY
1:
Option 5 is an irrelevant
sentence
Option 5 is an irrelevant
sentence because Pope’s
physical conditions were
not good and he was
suffering from Parkinson
disease.
ACTIVITY 2
Choose the irrelevant sentence for the options provided.
(I) Seismic waves are the vibrations from earthquakes that
travel through Earth. (II) The Richter magnitude
scale was developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter of the
California Institute of Technology to compare the
intensity of earthquakes. (III) They are recorded on
instruments called seismographs. (IV) Seismographs
record a zigzag trace that shows the varying amplitude of
ground oscillations beneath the instrument. (V)
Sensitive seismographs, which greatly magnify these
ground movements, can detect strong earthquakes
from sources anywhere in the world.
ANSWER TO
ACTIVITY 2:
Option 2 is an
irrelevant
sentence
The whole
paragraph talks
about the seismic
waves whereas,
option 2 talks
about the history.
CONCLUDING SENTENCE
• Gives the paragraph a strong finish
• Sometimes called a clincher sentence
• Ties together the information in your supporting
sentences and reminds your readers of the
importance of your main idea
• Ties the whole paragraph together
• Makes the main idea stick in the reader’s mind
A concluding sentence
is the last sentence of
the paragraph.
• Sometimes it restates
the main idea of the
paragraph
• It can also be a sentence
that leaves the reader
with a thought or
feeling about the topic
Example
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
A concluding sentence is
usually the last
sentence that which
revises the central
theme of a paragraph.
1) Whales, one of nature's largest mammals,
can be divided into two categories. (2)
Baleen whales are one kind of whale. (3)
Baleen whales have a type of keratin called
baleen that hangs in their mouths and sifts
food from the ocean waters. (4) Baleen
whales can consume up to 9,000 pounds of
fish a day. (5) The toothed whale is the other
type of whale. (6) The toothed whales have
teeth instead of baleen. (7) They gnaw and
chew on their meals. (8) Like the baleen
whales, the toothed whales consume large
portions of food each day. (9) Though many
varieties of whales exist in our oceans, they
are all categorized according to whether they
have baleen or teeth inside their gigantic
mouths.
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
Concluding sentence
demonstrates the
importance of the topic or
the central idea.
It is also a transition to the
next paragraph.
Answer
(9) Though many varieties of whales
exist in our oceans, they are all
categorized according to whether
they have baleen or teeth inside their
gigantic mouths.
DO’S FOR
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
Do stick to the main
points.
Do allow for a smooth
transition between the
concluding sentence and
the topic sentence of the
next paragraph.
Example
Concluding sentence
"For these reasons, sea level
rise is a climate change
impact.“
Topic sentence in following
paragraph:
"Another key stressor from
climate change is extreme
weather."
DO’S FOR CONCLUDING SENTENCE
Do focus and be specific about how your
supporting sentences contribute to the concluding
sentence.
Do arrange the body of the paragraph in a
sequence that flows to lead up to the concluding
sentence.
Do make sure that a concluding sentence is
necessary for your paragraph, as some short
paragraphs may not require one.
DONT’S FOR
CONCLUDING SENTENCE
Do not simply rephrase
your topic sentence. It
would be redundant.
Use well chosen words to
conclude the paragraph
Example
In conclusion",
In summary",
In closing",
As shown in the essay."
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
Example
Are complete sentences and
complete thoughts. They
appear at the end of the
paragraph.
Thesis: The most memorable
moment in my life was the 1987
Minnesota Twins World Series
win.
It usually restate or tie back
to the topic. It also
restate/tie back to the
controlling idea in other
words.
Restate: The Twins victory that
day sealed their world title and
made my day.
ACTIVITY 1
Read the following paragraph and identify the best
answer:
Humans have known that earthworms have been vital
to enriching Earth's rich soil all throughout history.
Egyptian Queen Cleopatra called earthworms sacred.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle said earthworms were
the intestines" of the soil. In 1881 Charles Darwin
stated, "It may be doubted whether there are many
other creatures which have played so important a part
in the history of the world."
ACTIVITY 1
Read the following options and identify the best
answer:
The options are:
a) Could Earth support mankind without the earthworm?
b) People throughout history have understood that earthworms
are extremely important.
c) Charles Darwin was a scientist.
d) Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist.
ANSWER
TO
ACTIVITY 1
Option B
ACTIVITY 2
Read the following paragraph and identify the
best answer:
Have you ever bitten into a nice juicy apple only to find
that a worm had already been there? The apple
worm is really the caterpillar of the codling moth. The
young hatch from eggs the size of pin heads and feast
on apples for about a month. When the caterpillar is
about a half-inch long it leaves the apple and spins a
cocoon. After a month the adult moth emerges.
ACTIVITY 2
Read the following options and identify the best
answer:
The options are:
a) Apples are an extremely healthy food to eat.
b) Moths and butterflies are different in several ways.
c) Sometimes three generations of the codling moths
may live in the orchard in just a year.
d) The codling moth is a pesky varmint.
ANSWER TO
ACTIVITY 1
Option C
The end