Practice with topic sentences

Exercise 1: Identify the topic sentence in each of the following groups of sentences and then
rearrange the sentences to make a logical paragraph.

Paragraph 1
a. Next, add antifreeze to your windshield washer fluid; otherwise, the fluid will freeze and possible
break the container.
b. First, put on snow tires if you plan to drive on snowy, icy roads very often.
c. Driving in winter, especially on snowy, icy roads, can be less troublesome if you take a few simple
precautions
d. Finally, it is also a good idea to carry tire chains, a can of spray to unfreeze door locks, and a
windshield scraper in your car when driving in winter weather.
e. Second, check the amount of antifreeze in your radiator and add more if necessary.

Paragraph 2
a. Furthermore, researchers are continuing to work on the development of an efficient, electrically
powered automobile.
b. Researchers in the automobile industry are experimenting with different types of engines and fuels
as alternatives to the conventional gasoline engines.
c. One new type of engine, which burns diesel oil instead of gasoline, has been available for several
years.
d. Finally, several automobile manufacturers are experimenting with methanol, which is a mixture of
gasoline and methyl alcohol, as an automobile fuel.
e. A second type is the gas turbine engine, which can use fuels made from gasoline, diesel oil,
kerosene, other petroleum distillates or methanol.

Paragraph 3
a. Later one, people began to write on pieces of leather, which were rolled into scrolls.
b. In the earliest times, people carved or painted messages on rocks.
c. In the Middle Ages, heavy paper called parchment was used for writing, and books were
laboriously copied by hand.
d. With the invention of the printing press in the middle of the fifteenth century, the modern printing
industry was born.
e. Some form of written communication has been used throughout the centuries.
Paragraph 4
a. If there had been a big storm on the day of a baby’s birth, the baby might have been named
Thunder Cloud.
b. American Indian names are very descriptive, for Indians were usually named for a physical
attribute, for an occurrence in nature, or for an animal.
c. Grey Eagle, Red Dog, Big Bear, and Spotted Wolf are examples of Indians named after animals.
d. Indians with distinctive physical characteristics might be given names such as Big Foot or Crooked
Leg.

Paragraph 5
a. After an attack by a great white, 462 stitches were required to sew up an Australian scuba diver.
b. With their razor-sharp teeth and strong jaws, great white sharks are very dangerous.
c. Nevertheless, one did just that near a public beach in Australia in 1985.
d. Even when they attack humans, however, great whites do not usually eat them.
e. It bit in half and totally devoured a young woman swimmer.
f. Great whites do not usually attack humans, but when they do, they always cause serious injury.

Exercise 2: Identify the topic and the controlling idea in the following topic sentences.

1. Driving on freeways requires nerves of steel.

2. The Caribbean island of Trinidad attracts tourists because of its calypso music.

3. Spectacular beaches make Puerto Rico a tourist paradise.

4. Living in an American college dormitory can be a stressful experience for newly arrived foreign
students.

5. Many religious rules developed from the health needs of ancient times.

6. The spread of AIDS can be slowed by educating the public.

7. A major problem for foreign students is taking essay examinations.

8. Participating in class discussions in English is a problem for foreign students.

9. In my opinion, many television commercials for cosmetics lie to women.

10. It is an expensive luxury to own an automobile in a large city.

Exercise 3: Practice writing topic sentences:

A. Write good topic sentences for the following paragraphs in the space provided. Remember
to include both a topic and a controlling idea.
Paragraph 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 outdoor 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 lounge while sipping a drink made with vodka, words of
French and Russian origin, respectively.
Paragraph 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 don’t. Furthermore, in 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, tests, and homework
assignments, and there is almost always a final examination in each course at the end of the
semester.
Paragraph 3
...................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................... . House construction in various parts of
the world depends mainly on the availability of building materials. For example, the Eskimos, living in a
treeless region of snow and ice, sometimes build temporary homes out of thick blocks of ice. People
who live in deserts, one the other hand, use the most available material, mud or clay, which provides
good insulation from the heat. In northern Europe, Russia, and other areas of the world where forests
are plentiful, people usually construct their homes out of wood. In the islands of the South Pacific,
where there is a plentiful supply of bamboo and palm, people use these tough, fibrous plants to build
their homes.
B. Write a topic sentence for the following topics

The topic sentence states the topic and a controlling idea concerning that topic. The following phrases
or ones similar to these can be used in your topic sentence to express the controlling idea:

- the reasons for

- the causes of (the effects of)

- the steps for

- the advantages of (the disadvantages of)

- the ways to (the methods of)

- the different sections (parts, kinds, types of)

- the characteristics (traits, qualities of)

- the problems of

- the precautions of

- the changes to

Now, write a topic sentence for each of the following topic. Use one of the phrases above or one of
your own for your controlling ideas.

e.g. catching cold: People can avoid catching a cold by taking precautions

1. large cars

2. living in a remote area

3. studying abroad

4. accidents

5. airports

6. absenteeism

7. taking exams

8. computers

9. rice

10. camping

Notes: Your topic sentence should tell the person who is reading your paragraph what the paragraph
is about.