1
The Topic Sentence of
the Paragraph
What does a paragraph look like?
A paragraph usually consists of a series of sentences. The first sentence of a paragraph always begins on a new line. The first word of the first sentence is indented, that is, slightly to the right of the
first words of other lines, as in the illustration below.
What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a group of sentences that develops
a single topic. All the sentences in a paragraph support that central idea. The topic, or main idea, of the
paragraph is often expressed in the topic sentence.
In this chapter you will learn about the topic sentence.
Mrs. Watanabe is a charitable person. Every
Tuesday afternoon she spends four hours helping
the nurses at the hospital. She visits the old folks’
home twice a month to read . . .
1.1
Before writing a word, you should ask yourself two questions: � What do I
want to talk about? and � What do I want to say about it? Read the paragraph below and answer the questions following it.
Mrs. Watanabe is a charitable person. Every Tuesday afternoon she spends four
hours helping the nurses at the hospital. She visits the old folks’ home twice a month
to read to those who have lost their sight. If the Red Cross appeals for volunteers for
a special work, Mrs. Watanabe will step forward. No matter how busy she is at
home, she always seems to find time for a worthy cause. There’s a good expression
to describe Mrs. Watanabe: she is the salt of the earth.
1 What does the writer talk about?
2 What does the writer say about it? Circle one of the letters.
A. She is awful.
2
B. She is charitable.
C. She is clever.
Chapter 1
1.2
The topic of a paragraph is what the paragraph is about. The assertion is
what the writer has to say about the topic. Read the paragraph below and
complete the sentences following it.
Going to school during the rush hour is tiring and unpleasant. I have to take a bus
to the train station and there is invariably a line at the bus stop. Sometimes I can’t
get on and have to wait for the next bus.
The platform at the train station is packed
with people lined up before each door of
the train. Since the train stops so briefly,
there is always a lot of shoving as one
group struggles to get off the train and
the other tries to get on. Sometimes so
many people try to get on that the doors
can’t close. Then a station attendant has
to push the people in until the doors shut.
Forty minutes on such a train is an ordeal.
I’m often worn out when I finally get to
school.
1 The topic of this paragraph is:
2 The assertion about the topic is:
1.3
The topic sentence of a paragraph states both the topic and the assertion. It is
the general statement of purpose or the idea to be developed. Now complete
the following sentences.
1 The topic sentence of paragraph 1.1 is:
2 The topic sentence of paragraph 1.2 is:
3
1
1.4
Here are some sample topic sentences. Find the topic and the assertion of
each sentence.
A. Jack is the cleverest person I know.
1. The topic is:
2. The assertion is:
B. Travel broadens the mind.
1. The topic is:
2. The assertion is:
C. Working at a department store counter is a stressful job.
1. The topic is:
2. The assertion is:
D. It is not easy to become the chef at a top restaurant.
1. The topic is:
2. The assertion is:
4
◆The Topic Sentence of the Paragraph
Chapter 1
As shown in the previous sentences, a good topic sentence makes your topic
clear and limits what you are going to write about it.
1.5
Read the paragraph below and complete the sentences following it.
Becoming a tennis champion takes hard work.
Bob Mathews started when he was 10 years old.
By the time he was 13, he was winning
tournaments, and now, at 16, Bob is the youngest
player on the pro circuit. He practices at least
three hours every day during tournaments and
six hours or more when he’s at home. Bob says
he doesn’t have any hobbies; his only interest is
tennis.
1 The topic sentence is:
2 The topic is:
3 The assertion is:
The topic sentence of a paragraph is usually the first sentence of the paragraph.
Placing the topic sentence at the beginning of a paragraph as an introduction is the
clearest and most effective kind of paragraph organization. But it is also possible to
place the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph as a summary or conclusion.
5
1
1.6
Read the paragraph below and answer the questions following it.
Stuttering is not new; Aristotle stuttered. It is
not particularly rare; with an estimated 1 percent
of the world’s population suffering from it,
stuttering is found in every country. It is not
limited to one sex: both Moses and Marilyn
Monroe stuttered. The only thing definite about
stuttering is that those afflicted with it rarely get
any sympathy; teasing—or worse—is their usual
lot. The teasers sometimes suggest that stutterers
are not too bright, but there is no connection
between stutterring and a lack of intelligence. In
fact, some pretty smart people were stutterers:
Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Isaac
Newton, and Virgil. Nobody knows just why
people stutter, and nobody has yet found a way
to cure the disorder. Stuttering is a mystery.
1 What is the topic sentence?
2 What is the topic?
3 What is the assertion?
A good topic sentence states the paragraph’s topic clearly and limits the content of
the paragraph by making an assertion about the topic. So an assertion can also be
called a limiting statement. By limiting the topic, the writer controls the paragraph.
6
◆The Topic Sentence of the Paragraph
Chapter 1
1.7
Read the paragraph below and complete the sentences following it.
Cheese is one of the oldest and most popular foods. Ancient Romans and Greeks
were fond of it, and people in biblical lands were eating it as early as 1000 B.C. A
large percentage of the cheese on supermarket shelves is made from cow’s milk, but
cheese can also be made from the milk of goats, sheep, llamas, and yaks. Nobody
knows how many varieties of cheese there are. France alone, for example, produces
more than 200 kinds of cheese. Here are a few of the popular cheeses: Edam and
Gouda from the Netherlands, Brie and Camembert from France, Cheddar and Stilton
from England, and Gruyère and Swiss from Switzerland.
1 The topic sentence is:
2 The topic is:
3 The assertion is:
1.8
A. Make a photocopy of one paragraph you have selected from an English book, magazine, or newspaper. Underline the topic sentence.
B. Write a topic sentence for each of the following topics.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
My Best Friend
My Favorite Food
Shopping
Television
My Hometown
My Favorite Music
Classes at My College
7