📖 AVTC1_Unit 2_Topic Sentences and Concluding Sentences

UNIT 2: THE TOPIC SENTENCE AND THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE

I. PRE-WRITING
1. Definition
1.1 What is a topic sentence?
* Every good paragraph has a topic sentence. The topic sentence is the sentence that
introduces the main idea of the whole paragraph.
* Structure of a topic sentence:
Topic sentence = a topic + controlling ideas

Example:
The topic is “my friend”.
=> The topic sentences may be:

=> The paragraph will be about why “my friend is an honest person” or why “my friend is the
kindest and funniest person I know”.
(Adapted from:
Folse, K. S., Muchmore-Vokoun, A., & Solomon, E. V. (2019). Great writing 1: Great Sentences (p.45). National Geographic Learning.
Savage, A., & Shafiei, M. (2019). Effective academic writing 1: The paragraph (p.10). Oxford University Press.)

1.2 What is a concluding sentence?

* Every good paragraph has a concluding sentence. The concluding sentence
summarizes the main points of the paragraph and can add the writer’s final thought.
* Structure of a concluding sentence:
Concluding sentence = a summary of the main idea + a final thought (optional)

Example:
My Favorite Color
a. My favorite color is blue. I have six blue shirts. I wear blue jeans almost every day. I also
have three pairs of light blue tennis shoes. I own a blue car, and my computer is blue too.
Other colors are nice, but I like blue the best. (a summary of the main idea)
b. My favorite color is blue. I have six blue shirts. I wear blue jeans almost every day. I also
have three pairs of light blue tennis shoes. I own a blue car, and my computer is blue too. In
brief, I like blue the best, and I hope it will soon become the world’s favorite color. (a
summary of the main idea + a final thought)

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📖 AVTC1_Unit 2_Topic Sentences and Concluding Sentences

2. Grammar for Writing 1: Features of a Good Topic Sentence and Concluding

Sentence

2.1. Features of a Good Topic Sentence

2.1.1. It controls or guides the whole paragraph.

When you read the topic sentence, you know what to expect in the paragraph.

My Favorite Color
My favorite color is blue. I have six blue shirts. I wear blue jeans almost every day. I also
have three pairs of light blue tennis shoes. I own a blue car, and my computer is blue too.
Other colors are nice, but I like blue the best.

 The main topic of this paragraph: My favorite color.

 The topic sentence: My favorite color is blue.

2.1.2. A good topic sentence is not a fact that everyone knows.

For example, a bad topic sentence would be "Libraries have books." The information in this
sentence is true, but it is a fact and everyone knows this fact. Therefore, it is not a good
topic sentence.
=> A good topic sentence can be “Public libraries are a great place to study and complete
group assignments.”

2.1.3. A good topic sentence is specific.

"Tea is delicious" is not a good topic sentence because the information in the sentence is
too general. The reader does not know what to expect in the paragraph. If you want to write
a paragraph about tea, make your topic sentence more specific.
=> A good topic sentence can be "Green tea has many health benefits."

2.1.4. However, a good topic sentence is not too specific.

"This dictionary contains more than 42,000 words" limits the topic too much. In other words,
the information in the sentence is too specific - there is nothing else for the writer to say in
the paragraph.
=> A good topic sentence can be “This dictionary contains a lot of words and information.”

(Adapted from:
Folse, K. S., Muchmore-Vokoun, A., & Solomon, E. V. (2019). Great writing 2: Great Paragraphs (p.51). National Geographic Learning.)

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📖 AVTC1_Unit 2_Topic Sentences and Concluding Sentences

2.2. Features of a Good Concluding Sentence

2.2.1. It restates the main idea in a different way (paraphrasing, using
synonyms, or changing sentence structures).
Example:
 Topic sentence: I love the color red.
 Concluding sentence: Red is my favorite color.

2.2.2. It gives the writer’s final thought on the topic.

a. A warning, a piece of advice, or a suggestion
Example: In brief, there are four steps to get good grades at school (main idea). If you do
not follow these steps, you may not get the grade that you want (a warning).
b. A prediction
Example: In conclusion, the car industry will change thanks to technology (main idea), and
soon everyone will be driving pollution-free cars (a prediction).
c. An opinion
Example: In short, learning languages has many advantages (main idea). I believe that
each student should learn at least one foreign language at school (an opinion).

(Adapted from:
Savage, A., & Shafiei, M. (2019). Effective academic writing 1: The paragraph (p. 9). Oxford University Press.)

Task 1: Recognizing Effective Topic Sentences.

Read each set of sentences, write the general topic that the sentences share. Then put a
check mark √ on the line next to the best topic sentence. (The first one has been done as an
example). Explain your choice.

1. General Topic: winter

____ Winter is a good season.

____ Winter weather is cold, and it snows.

√ The best season for kids is winter.

2. General Topic: ________________

____ Soccer is popular for many reasons.

____ You need a ball to play soccer.

____ Soccer is a nice game.

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📖 AVTC1_Unit 2_Topic Sentences and Concluding Sentences

3. General Topic: ________________

____ There are many people in Los Angeles.

____ People from many different cultures live in Los Angeles.

____ Los Angeles is a big city in California.

4. General Topic: ________________

____ French perfumes are expensive for different reasons.

____ My mother's perfume smells flowery.

____ You can buy perfumes in expensive blue crystal bottles.

(Adapted from:
Folse, K. S., Muchmore-Vokoun, A., & Solomon, E. V. (2019). Great writing 2: Great Paragraphs (p. 51). National Geographic Learning.)

Task 2: Read the paragraphs below. Choose the best concluding sentence for
each paragraph.
1. Colors reflect a person’s moods. For example, yellow is a happy color because it is the
color of the sun. However, red often shows an angry feeling because it is like the color of the
fire. Additionally, blue is the color of sadness. We often say “I feel blue” when we are
unhappy. And finally, pink shows excitement. People often wear pink when they go to the
gym.
a. Therefore, I like wearing clothes of different colors to show how I feel.
b. That is to say, different colors make us feel happy, sad, angry, or excited.
c. What colors do you like to wear?
d. In short, I like all colors.

2. Farmers’ markets are lively and great fun to visit. Some markets have local musicians
playing music. Local food vendors also sell their delicious foods. The best part, however, is a
wide choice of fresh produce from local farmers and gardeners.
a. Farmers’ markets are so much fun, so everyone should go to one!
b. I go to the Farmers’ markets every week.
c. I love eating food from the Farmers’ markets.
d. Food at the Farmers’ markets is often cheap to buy.

3. Skiing on the mountain is great exercise. When skiers begin to go down the hill, they are
using a lot of energy. It takes great leg strength to keep the right position. Also, skiers must
use strength to keep the skis straight and forward. Besides, turning and weaving uses many
muscles in the legs and back.
a. Skiing is difficult.

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📖 AVTC1_Unit 2_Topic Sentences and Concluding Sentences

b. I love to ski.
c. Skiing is a good experience.
d. If you want good exercise, try skiing.

4. Everyone thinks puppies are cute, but having a puppy requires time, patience, and
training. A puppy has a lot of energy and needs to be walked and played with every day. He
needs to learn to use the bathroom in the right place. He also needs to learn basic orders
like sit, stay, and wave. This training requires a lot of patience.
a. Therefore, you must train your puppy well.
b. In brief, there are a lot of duties for having a puppy.
c. I think everyone should have a puppy.
d. I wish I had a puppy.

5. Fast food restaurants are everywhere these days. In the sixties, there were only a few
places like McDonald’s to get quick and cheap food. Now, even a small town like Brockville
has several dozen fast food chains, such as Burger King, Subway, Wendy’s, and many
more.
a. The explosion of fast-food restaurants is the cause of an increase in the obesity rates.
b. Brockville should get a Taco Bell.
c. People now have many choices for fast food restaurants.
d. Eating fast food is better than eating home-cooked food.

(Adapted from Quizizz - the world's most engaging learning platform. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2022, from https://quizizz.com/admin/
quiz/5a716b476043b5001d32671e/3-concluding-sentences.)

3. Grammar for Writing 2: Using Transitional Words or Phrases for Concluding

Sentences
The concluding sentence restates the main idea or summarizes the main points of the
paragraph. The following transitional words and phrases are commonly used at the
beginning of a concluding sentence:
Overall,
In brief, In short, In conclusion, To summarize,

Example:
At some point, most parents have to decide whether or not to allow their children to have
pets. Some parents believe that pets teach children a sense of responsibility because
children have to learn how to take care of their pets. In addition, many parents believe that
pets can be fun for the family. On the other hand, some parents are afraid that their children
might hurt the animals or that these animals might hurt the children. Besides, some families

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📖 AVTC1_Unit 2_Topic Sentences and Concluding Sentences

do not have the extra time or money that pets require. In brief, although many children want
a pet, it depends on their parents’ decisions for some important reasons.

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