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What is a topic sentence?. Turn to page 40 in your NeSA workbooks. Why are topic sentences necessary?. Think Pair Share. The topic sentence contains the central idea around which a paragraph is developed. A good topic sentence has the following characteristics:.
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What is a topic sentence? Turn to page 40 in your NeSA workbooks
Why are topic sentences necessary? • Think • Pair • Share
The topic sentence contains the central idea around which a paragraph is developed. A good topic sentence has the following characteristics:
It introduces the topic of a paragraph without announcing it. • Example: At the moment you enter the store you are blasted with a mixture of aromas. • Non-Example: The store has many smells.
It hooks the reader. • Example: The sweet shop in the year of 1923 was the very center of our lives. (from Boy by Roald Dahl) • Non-example: The sweet shop is my favorite place.
It uses thought provoking words. • Example: But by far the most loathsome thing about Mrs. Pratchett was the filth that clung around her. • Non-Example: The bad thing about Mrs. Prachett was that she was dirty.
It is usually the first sentence, however it can be anywhere in the paragraph or it can be implied • Example: A young man helps an old grandma reach something from the top shelf. A group of teenage girls giggle in the makeup aisle. Little kids cry when they don’t get a special toy. Couples argue over what kind of furniture to buy for their new homes. The whole store is as if I were living in a movie. It is an interesting place to observe people. • Non example: I see many sights at Wal-Mart.
It provides a transition from the previous paragraph. • Example: The other thing we hated Mrs. Pratchett for was her meanness. ( from Boy by Roald Dahl) • Non-example: Mrs. Prachett was mean.
Directions: • Read your “favorite time of year” essay. • Highlight each topic sentence. (If you don’t have topic sentences, ADD THEM!)
Directions • Using your notes, identify which characteristics each sentence contains. • Revise your topic sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Example: Original Sentence: Summer has many sounds. Revised Sentence: Children splashing at the pool, the ding, ding, ding of the ice-cream truck, fireworks booming at night are some of my favorite sounds of summer.