| Exemplary Prose: |
| Essential Writing Skills in Context |
Identify topic sentence within a paragraph; select or write the best
topic sentence for a given paragraph.
The topic sentence is, in my humble opinion, the most important (and underrated) aspect of writing. A good topic sentence will carry a paragraph and give the reader some direction. A good topic sentence explains the main point of the paragraph (You do have a main point, don't you?). A good topic sentence will enhance your writing and help you score higher on the HSGQE because it will serve as evidence of organization. A good topic sentence alone will not serve as a panacea to all of your writing problems, but it is a start.
The HSGQE will test your skill concerning topic sentences by expecting you to include one in your writing. You will also be expected to identify the topic sentence in a writing passage. Look at the 4 following examples, taken from HSGQE practice tests, and see if you could get a better grasp on this important skill.
1. Find the answer choice that best develops the topic sentence below.
The Alaska Highway
was constructed during WWII in part to provide the military a means of
transporting men and goods from the contiguous United States to Alaskan military
bases.
A. The rudimentary conditions of the highway, along with frequently severe weather conditions, provided challenge and adventure to the travelers. Many military vehicles were abandoned along the route as they got stuck in the boggy ground.
B. The military constructed air strips for landing planes during the war. What is now the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage was an airfield during WWII.
C. Construction booms have accounted for much of Alaska's population fluctuation. Today, many visitors travel the Alaska Highway as well as Alaskans who vacation in Canada and the contiguous United States.
D. WWII brought Axis troops to American soil. Road travel was one way troops reached military establishments in Alaska.
2. Choose the topic sentence that best fits the paragraph.
________________. Petunias are one such flower. As they
bloom in a wide range of colors, petunias fit into almost any gardener’s color
scheme, making Alaska’s gardens beautiful.
A) Flowering plants bloom in a wide range of colors.
B) Everyone enjoys receiving flowers.
C) Fertilizer helps flowers grow.
D) There are many kinds of flowers that thrive in Alaska.
3. A tenth-grade student named David wrote a report for his English class. Read this paragraph from his report. Then answer the question.
_______________ Today it is considered one of the ten most popular children’s novels of all time, and has been translated into more than thirty different languages. What many people don’t know about Carroll is that he was a keen mathematician, publishing many works on the subject. He also taught mathematics and spent most of his life at this occupation. His other enterprises included serving as an officer for his church and writing poetry.
Chose the best topic sentence for the paragraph.
A. Other works by Lewis Carroll include “Sylvie and Bruno,” a fairy tale in verse.
B. Its sequel, Through the Looking Glass, achieved an equal amount of popularity.
C. The English author Lewis Carroll is best known for his book, Alice in Wonderland.
D. Lewis Carroll wrote the book for children, but that doesn’t stop many adults from enjoying it.
4. Choose the sentence that best supports this topic sentence about sleep.
Nightly sleep follows
a distinct sequence of cycles.
A. A person’s hidden feelings may surface in dreams. Just for fun, try keeping a dream journal for a few weeks.
B. Without sleep people cannot function properly. Symptoms range in severity from inability to concentrate to paranoia in extreme cases.
C. The stage of sleep in which we dream is called rapid eye movement or REM sleep. The brain’s activity is demonstrated by small movements of the eyelids.
D. Each cycle begins with a period of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) or deep sleep. About an hour and a half to two hours later, the rapid eye movement or REM sleep occurs.
The correct answer is A. You must recognize that the topic sentence sets up a paragraph about the Alaska Highway; therefore, answers B, C, and D would be inappropriate. Return to 1.
The correct answer is D. Answer A would be repetitious. Answers B and C are beyond the scope of the passage. Return to 2.
Remember, a strong topic sentence, supported by sentences that lend support, are the building blocks to a first-rate essay.