6.4 Topic sentences
The following activities give you more practice in recognising topic sentences.
Activity 45 Recognising topic sentences
Allow about 10 minutes
Read the following text and answer the questions below:
Generally, people all over Britain speak the same form of English. Many forms of English use dialect words, however, which may not be easily understood by English speakers in other parts of Britain. One example concerns the shoes that school children wear for sport. In the south they are known as ‘daps’; they are ‘pumps’ in the Midland counties and usually known, more formally, as ‘gym shoes’ in the rest of Britain.
1. What is the text about?
Answer
It’s about the use of the English language across Britain.
2. What sentence tells you this (the topic sentence)?
Answer
The first sentence.
3. Suggest a title for the text.
Answer
‘The English Language in Britain’ is one possibility.
Activity 46 Topic sentences in a longer text
Allow about 15 minutes
Read the following text and highlight the topic sentence in each paragraph.
Now answer these questions in the box below:
- What is the text about?
- What do you think is the purpose of the whole text?
OpenLearn - Everyday English 1
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