Oxford University Press Headway Plus ELEMENTARY Writing Guide 20-‐Sep-‐11
TOPIC SENTENCES Worksheet 1: What is a topic sentence?
Exercise 1: What is a topic sentence?
Read the paragraph.
My favourite drink is tea and I drink a lot of it. I always have
Look at the underlined sentence.
This is the topic sentence. tea in the morning for breakfast. I make a pot of tea and
then I drink it all myself. Sometimes I have another pot
before lunch. At four o’clock, I make a cup of mint tea.
Mint tea is good for waking up and studying.
Tick () the correct information
A topic sentence is:
about topic sentences.
at or near the start of the paragraph.
at the end of the paragraph.
the main idea of the paragraph.
a small detail from the paragraph.
one or two words.
a complete sentence.
Exercise 2:
Read the paragraphs. Underline the topic sentences.
I would like to tell you about my uncle. His name is Juma and he is thirty-‐nine years old. He is my
father’s youngest brother. I really like Uncle Juma because he is very kind and very funny. He
also tells us interesting stories about the places he visits.
I love football! I loved football when I was a small boy, and I love it now. My favourite team is
Manchester United. I go to see our local club team every weekend, and now I play for the college
three times a week.
My brothers all have jobs. My oldest brother, Edward, is a doctor at the hospital in the centre of
the city, and the second oldest, Daniel, is an accountant in an office near our home. My youngest
brother is a policeman. I am the only brother who is still at school.
I like most types of books. However, the books I enjoy the most are travel books. I like reading
about different countries and the famous places there. When I go on holiday, I always buy lots of
books about the place I am visiting. Travel books help you to understand a place.
Exercise 3:
Read the paragraphs.
Write the number of the topic sentence next to the correct paragraph.
Write TS where the sentence goes in the paragraph.
Topic sentences
1. I lived in a small town when I was a child.
2. When I have my own children, I want to move to a small town.
3. The town I live in is very small.
4. There are two main advantages of living in a small town.
Paragraph A: Topic sentence 4
First, you know everyone and everyone knows you. This helps you to feel safe, and it is friendlier.
Secondly, it is quiet and there are fewer cars. This means there is less pollution than in a big town
or city.
Paragraph B: Topic sentence 1
It was a very nice place to live then. Now it is much bigger than before. More people live there and
some big businesses opened offices there. My parents still live there but they say it was better in
the past.
Paragraph C: Topic sentence 2
I don’t want my children to live in a big city because a big city is not as friendly or as
safe as a village. I want to move to the village where my grandparents live. The children can
play in the street there and everyone knows each other.
Paragraph D: Topic sentence 3
There are only a few food shops and one school here. Most people go to the big city to go shopping
for clothes and gifts. There is a doctor’s but there isn’t a hospital. Again, you need to go to
the city if you need the hospital. However, our town is very nice and it has a beautiful park.
TOPIC SENTENCES Worksheet 2: Choosing and using topic sentences
Exercise 1:
Read the paragraph and tick () the best topic sentence.
Topic sentences:
ch as Toyotas and Nissans,
A: Japanwhich it sells
is a very all over
beautiful the world. It also produces electrical goods such as televisions and DVDs. Tokyo, the ca
country.
B: Japan, for example, makes computers.
C: Japan is a very important country.
D: Japan makes cars.
What is wrong with the other topic sentences? Match them to the problems.
Problems: Topic sentence:
It is an example.
It is a smaller idea, not the main idea.
Itis about something different from the other sentences.
Exercise 2:
Read the two topic sentences. Write the other sentences in order below the correct topic sentences.
1. Computers are very useful for learning English. 1. I need to buy a new computer.
2. You can use them in different ways. 2. My computer is very slow.
3. You can do your homework on 3. I need a faster one for my college
them. work.
4. You can also use online dictionaries and 4. I am going to give my old computer to
play games in English. my younger sister.
I am going to give my old computer to my youngerYou
sister.
can also use online dictionaries and play games in English.
You can do your homework on them. I need a faster one for my college work.
You can use them in different ways. My computer is very slow.
Exercise 3:
Read the topic sentence and write the rest of the paragraph.
Mobile phone are very important to many people now. You don't have to be at home all the time to
answer important calls cause you can bring it anywhere. For example, when you apply for a job, you
can receive a call from your employer anywhere. In addition, mobile phones facilitate planning with
friends. For example, you can make a night plan at work. Mobile phones also very important for
Internet communication. When we get lost and we need to know our location, we can use the map in
our mobile phone. So the conclusion is mobile phones are very useful in many situations.
