Ideas: Writing a Topic Sentence

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, supporting details and a closing sentence.

A topic sentence tells you what the paragraph is about.

Jun practices math everyday. He loves to solve different kinds of math problems including multiplication and division. He finishes his homework quickly and asks for more. Jun is very good at mathematics.

Where is the topic sentence?

Jun practices math everyday. He loves to solve different kinds of math problems including multiplication and division. He finishes his homework quickly and asks for more. Jun is very good at mathematics.

Sonya organized a picnic at a park. She invited a group of her friends. Everyone brought one dish to share. They played different games and went on boat rides.

Where is the topic sentence?

Sonya organized a picnic at a park. She invited a group of her friends. Everyone brought one dish to share. They played different games and went on boat rides.

Eating salads is good for you. You can make salads with any kind of vegetables. Usually people make salads with lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, and olives. They also add variety of dressings to make the salads tasty.

Where is the topic sentence?

Eating salads is good for you. You can make salads with any kind of vegetables. Usually people make salads with lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, and olives. They also add variety of dressings to make the salads tasty.

Max’s little brother can be quite annoying. Yesterday, he drew all over his homework and the walls with marking pens. While he was at school, he messed up the puzzle he had been working on for days. Then at dinner, he knocked his glass of milk and it landed on his lap.

Where is the topic sentence?

Max’s little brother can be quite annoying. Yesterday, he drew all over his homework and the walls with marking pens. While he was at school, he messed up the puzzle he had been working on for days. Then at dinner, he knocked his glass of milk and it landed on his lap.

When a whale calf is hungry, it bumps its mother. She squirts milk into the calf's mouth. It drinks many gallons of milk in a short time. The milk is so rich a calf can gain eight pounds in one hour. A baby whale needs its mother's milk to grow.

Where is the topic sentence? (tricky)

When a whale calf is hungry, it bumps its mother. She squirts milk into the calf's mouth. It drinks many gallons of milk in a short time. The milk is so rich a calf can gain eight pounds in one hour. A baby whale needs its mother's milk to grow.

Which is the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

____________________________________________. There are so many choices. There’s ice-cream, cake, pie and cookies. I think brownies are my favorite. I wish I could just eat only desserts and never spinach!

a) I usually eat dinner at 6:30.b) My grandmother makes the best roast turkey!c) I cannot live without desserts!d) I never finish my lunch at school.I usually eat dinner at 6:30.

Which is the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

____________________________________________. There are so many choices. There’s ice-cream, cake, pie and cookies. I think brownies are my favorite. I wish I could just eat only desserts and never spinach!

a) I usually eat dinner at 6:30.b) My grandmother makes the best roast turkey!c) I cannot live without desserts!d) I never finish my lunch at school.I usually eat dinner at 6:30.

Which is the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

_____________________________________________I can hear him snoring at night. In the daytime he goes outside and eats my mom’s plants. He tracked his muddy footprints into the house. I ask for extra macaroni and cheese to feed my dinosaur.

a) I watch TV right before I go to bed.b) I think a dinosaur lives under my bed!c) Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.d) I saw a kangaroo for the first time in Australia last summer.I usually eat dinner at 6:30.

Which is the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

_____________________________________________I can hear him snoring at night. In the daytime he goes outside and eats my mom’s plants. He tracked his muddy footprints into the house. I ask for extra macaroni and cheese to feed my dinosaur.

a) I watch TV right before I go to bed.b) I think a dinosaur lives under my bed!c) Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.d) I saw a kangaroo for the first time in Australia last summer.I usually eat dinner at 6:30.

Which is the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

_____________________________________________They pinch my feet. I cannot wiggle my toes as much as I want to. My feet get sweaty inside. I can’t wait until summer when my feet can come out to play!

a) I hate waiting for the school bus!b) I hate PE class!c) I hate wearing sweaters! d) I hate wearing thick socks!

I usually eat dinner at 6:30.