WRITING A TOPIC SENTENCE.

I. IDENTIFY THE TOPIC SENTENCE

1. Firstly, the journey to our hotel was long, hot and boring. There were three reasons why I did
not enjoy the school trip. Secondly, we spent all our time in museums doing boring worksheets. And
thirdly, we had to go to bed really early.
2. There are many things that ESL students can do to improve their English more quickly. They
can join an after-school club which will give them the chance to practise spoken English while doing an
activity that they enjoy. They can also watch films, particularly DVDs with the English subtitles turned
on. Best of all, however, is to do plenty of reading for pleasure. Non-fiction in particular is an excellent
way of acquiring a strong academic vocabulary.
3. We can use metal cutlery instead of plastic ones that just get thrown away after the meal. We
could also have different trashcans to recycle paper and cola cans. We could also limit the number of
copies that teachers and students are allowed to make on the photocopier machine. The school could do
much more to protect the environment.
4. Living in a city can be expensive and stressful, but there are compensations. You never have
to travel very far to buy anything you could need. Entertainment such as discos, cinemas and theaters are
not far away. And you have a good choice of doctors and hospitals if you get sick. A further advantage is
that you can live anonymously if you choose.
5. Air pollution in Germany has decreased in recent years, but it is still a problem in the larger
cities. In Berlin, for example, the fine dust that is emitted from exhausts has been shown to exacerbate
asthma in young children living near busy roads. In Hamburg, with its large factories and oil refineries,
the industrial smoke can mix with fog to cause a low-lying smog that is slow to disappear.
6. There are some things that good teachers all do the same. They follow the three F advice: Fair,
Firm, Friendly. They prepare interesting lessons for their students; they are able to explain clearly the
new information, and they are always ready to help students who have difficulties.

II. CHOOSING TOPIC SENTENCES

B
1.) _________________________________________________. North Americans send cards for many occasions. They
send cards to family and friends on birthdays and holidays. They also send thank-you cards, get well
cards, graduation cards, and congratulation cards. It is very common to buy cards in stores and send
them through the mail, but turning on the computer and sending cards over the Internet is also popular.
a) Sending cards is very popular in North America.
b) Birthday cards are the most popular kind of card.
c) It is important to send thank-you cards.
2.) _____________________________________________ . I enjoy summer sports like water skiing and baseball. The
weather is usually sunny and hot, so I can go to the beach almost every day. Gardening is my hobby and I
spend many summer days working in my garden. Unfortunately, the days pass too quickly in summer.
a) I like to garden in summer.
b) Summer is my favourite season.
c) Summer is to short.
3.) ________________________________________ . First of all, we need money to repair old roads and build new
roads. We also need more to pay teachers’ salaries and to pay for services such as trash collection. Finally,
more tax money is needed to give financial help to the poor citizens of the city. It is clear that the city will
have serious problems if taxes are not raised soon.
a) We should raise city taxes.
b) City taxes are too high.
c) City taxes pay for new roads.
4.) _________________________________________ . For example, a person can have breakfast in New York, board an
airplane, and have dinner in Paris. A businesswoman in London can instantly place an order with a
factory in Hong Kong by sending a fax. Furthermore, a schoolboy in Tokyo can turn on a TV and watch a
baseball game being played in Los Angeles.
a) Airplanes have changed our lives.
b) Advances in technology have made the world seem smaller.
c) The fax machine was an important invention.
5.) ___________________________________________ . One thing you must consider is the quality of the university’s
educational program. You also need to think about the school’s size and location. Finally, you must be
sure to consider the university’s tuition to make sure you can afford to go to school there.
a) It is expensive to attend a university in the United States.
b) There are several factors to consider when you choose a university to attend.
c) You should consider getting a good education.

III. SELECT A GOOD TOPIC SENTENCE

IV. WRITING A TOPIC SENTENCE

1.) ___________________________________________________ . He has collected stamps and coins ever since he was a
child. He is very proud of his valuable collections. Paul also enjoys painting and drawing. Recently he has
become interested in gardening. Out of all his hobbies, Paul’s favourite one is reading. He usually reads at
least one book every week. Paul keeps busy with all of his hobbies.
2.) _________________________________________________ . I can’t wait to come home from school and eat the
delicious meals she has prepared. She is famous for her desserts like peach pie and chocolate soufflé. She
is always experimenting with new recipes and trying different ingredients. No one in the world can cook
the way my mother does.
3.) _________________________________________________ . It never starts in cold weather. The horn and the left turn
signal don’t work properly. Worst of all, the radio only gets one station and the CD player is completely
broken. I wish I could get a new car.
4.) __________________________________________________ . First and most importantly, the work is very interesting. I
learn new things every day and I get to travel a lot. In addition, my boss is very nice. She is always willing
to help me when I have a problem. I have also made many new friends at my job. Last, but not least, the
salary is fantastic.
5.) ____________________________________________________ . To start things off, my plane was six hours late. When I
finally got to my hotel, I was very disappointed. It was small and dirty. On the third day, my wallet was
stolen, and I lost all my credit cards. It rained very day except one, and on that day I got a terrible
sunburn. All in all, it wasn’t a vacation to remember.
V. WRITE SUPPORTING IDEAS
1. People who own their cars have many expenses to pay in order to keep their cars
2. I am very interested in cars.

VI. IDENTIFY IRRELEVANT INFORMATION

1.) There are several ways people can conserve natural resources. One way is to turn lights off and
appliances when they are not in use. Another way is to drive cars less. My favourite kind of car is
convertible. People can also insulate their houses better. Finally, by reusing things like bottles and plastic
bags, people can reduce the amount of waste. By practicing these simple guidelines, we can save our
natural resources.
2.) Cats make wonderful house pets. They are very loving and friendly. Cats are also clean. They don’t eat
much, so they are not expensive. Unfortunately, some people are allergic to their hair. Cats look beautiful
and they’re fun to have in your home.
3.) The capital city of a country is usually a very important city. The government offices are located in the
capital city and political leaders usually live there nearby. There are many different types of governments
in the world. The capital may also be the centre of culture. There are often museums, libraries, and
universities in the capital. Finally, the capital city can serve as a centre of trade, industry and commerce,
so it is often the
financial centre of the country.
4.) The Japanese automobile industry uses robots in many stages of its production process. In fact, one
large Japanese auto factory uses robots in all of its production stages. Some Japanese universities are
developing medical robots to detect certain kinds of cancer. Another automobile factory in Japan uses
them to paint cars as they come off the assembly line. Furthermore, most Japanese factories use robots to
weld the parts of the finished car together.
5.) The packaging of many products is very wasteful. Often the packaging is twice as big as the product.
Packaging is used to protect things that are breakable. Many food items, for example, have several layers
of extra packaging. Most of these extra layers could be eliminated.
VII. CHOOSING CONCLUDING SENTENCES.