The Top i c Sente n ce

A topic sentence tells about the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually found at the beginning of
a paragraph. In this unit, you will learn:

• the function of a topic sentence

• what a good topic sentence looks like
• how a good controlling idea guides the flow of the information in the paragraph

ACTIV ITY 1 Studying a Top i c Sentence i n a Paragraph

Discuss the Preview Questions with your classmates. Then read the opinion paragraph and answer the
questions that follow.

Preview Questions

1 . How did you learn to drive a car?

2. Can you tell someone how to drive a car? Why is it difficult to explain?
 Exam p le Paragraph 1 4

To Shift or Not to Shift

There are many benefits to driving a car with a manual a benefit: a good point; an
advantage
transmission. First of all, a car with a manual transmission uses
manual: by hand
less gas than a car with an automatic transmission. A typical a transmission: a device in a
vehicle that transfers power
economy car can get up to 35 miles per gallon, but an automatic
from the engine to the car to
car averages 28. In addition to better gas mileage, a manual enable it to move

typical: usual, average

transmission allows the driver to start a car that has a low battery.
an economy car: an inexpensive
With a foot on the clutch, the driver just needs to put the car in car with good gas mileage

second gear and have someone push the car until it gains enough up to: not more than, that
amount or lower
speed. The driver then releases the clutch quickly, and the car
a clutch: the left pedal in a
should start. Unfortunately, starting a car this way is impossible manual transmission car that
allows shifting of gears
with an automatic transmission. Finally, people with manual
a gear: the part of a machine that
transmissions say that they have much more control of their cars. has teeth or grooves around the
edge and turns another part of
For example, if the brakes suddenly stop working on this type the same machine

of car, the driver can shift to a lower gear to slow the car down. to release: to let go, allow to
escape
In contrast, people who drive automatic transmission cars have
a brake: the device that stops a
vehicle
to depend on the automatic system. If something malfunctions,
to sh ift: to change or move the
drivers have no control of their vehicles. While automatic cars are gears in a car

more convenient, manual transmission cars certainly offer many to malfunction: to stop working,
usually suddenly
more advantages.
while: although

Post-Reading

1 . Which one of these ideas tells the purpose of this paragraph? Put a check mark ./ next to the correct
answer.

a. to talk about the different kinds of manual transmissions

____ b. to explain what a manual transmission is

c. to tell why a manual transmission is better than an automatic transmission

d. to describe how a manual transmission interacts with the brakes in a vehicle

2. Underline the topic sentence in this paragraph.

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 3. A good paragraph has a very clear organization that you must learn. Underline the three sentences
that introduce the three benefits of a manual transmission.

4. What is the purpose of the sentence that comes immediately after each of your three underlined
sentences?

5. The following expressions are important to the organization of the paragraph. What does each one
mean? What is the purpose of each expression?

a. first of all

b. in addition to

c. finally

ACT I V I TY 2 Recognizing Effective Top i c Sentences

What do you already know about topic sentences? Read each set of sentences. Write the general topic
that the sentences share. Then put a check mark ./ on the line next to the best topic sentence. Be
prepared to explain your answers.

1. General Topic: __:w i n:.:t�e:.:r

..:.::.:. _____________________________

__ Winter is a good season.

__ Winter weather is cold, and it snows.

___!(___ The best season for kids is winter.

2. General Topic: -----

__ Soccer is popular for many reasons.

__ You need a leather ball to play soccer.

__ Soccer is a nice game.

3. General Topic: _________________________________

__ There are many people in Los Angeles.

__ People from many different cultures live in Los Angeles.

__ Los Angeles is a big city in California.

50 U N IT 3 • To p i c S e nten ces
4. General Topic: __
__________________________________________________________
______

____ Monolingual dictionaries have only one language, but bilingual dictionaries have two
languages.

___ Many language students prefer bilingual dictionaries to monolingual dictionaries.

__ Dictionaries that have two languages, such as French and English, are called bilingual
dictionaries.

5. General Topic: __
__________________________________________________________
______

__ French perfumes are expensive for a number of reasons.

__ My mother's perfume smells flowery.

__ You can purchase perfumes in expensive blue crystal bottles.

6. General Topic: __
____________________
______
______________________________________

__ An American Education has 540 pages.

__ A woman graduates in An American Education.

__ An American Education is an excellent historical novel.

How did you decide which sentences were the best topic sentences? What were you looking for?
Discuss your ideas with your classmates.

Featu res of a Good Top i c Sente n ce

A good topic sentence has the following features:

1. It controls or guides the whole paragraph.

When you read the topic sentence, you know what to expect in the paragraph.

2. A good topic sentence is not a fact that everyone accepts as true.

For example, a bad topic sentence would be, "Libraries have books:' The information in this
sentence is true, but it is a fact and is not a good choice for a topic sentence.

3. A good topic sentence is specific.

"Tea is delicious" is not a good topic sentence because the information in the sentence is too
general. The reader does not know what to expect in the paragraph. If you want to write a paragraph
about tea, make your topic sentence more specific, such as "Green tea has many health benefits:'

4. However, a good topic sentence is not too specific.

" This dictionary contains more than 42,000 words" limits the topic too much--there is nothing
else for the writer to say.

5. A good topic sentence has a controlling idea.

It includes words or phrases that help guide the flow of ideas in the paragraph. The controlling
idea focuses the content of the following sentences.

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Controlling Ideas
Here are some example topic sentences with controlling ideas. The controlling ideas have been
underlined.

1 . Many la nguage stu dents prefer b i l i n g u a l d i ctiona ries to monol i ngual d i ctiona ries.

Explanation: The reader expects the paragraph to explain why this statement is true.

2. The best season for kids is wi nter.

Explanation: The reader expects the paragraph to give reasons and examples of why winter is the
best season for children.

3. People from many different cultures l ive in Los Angeles

Explanation: The reader expects the paragraph to include information about various groups of
people who make up the population of Los Angeles.

4. Soccer is popu lar for many reasons.

Explanation: The reader expects the paragraph to give a variety of information about soccer and
why it is popular around the world.