PART TWO READING, WRITING, AND ORGANIZING PAragraphs

Topics, Main Ideas, and

Topic Sentences

5
Learning

Goals
Learn how to . . .
Goal 1

Structure a paragraph
Goal 2

Identify the topic of a

paragraph
Goal 3

Locate main ideas

Goal 4

Think critically about

main ideas
Goal 5

Write effective topic

sentences

Think About It!

Look at the photograph on this page. What do think is happening? Create a story or scenario in your mind. Then write a sentence describing
what you think is happening.
The sentence you have written states the main ideaor main
pointthe photograph conveys. It expresses your view of what is
happening. When others read the sentence you wrote, they understand your interpretation of the situation. They may agree or disagree with your view, but they will understand it. Both readers and
writers, then, communicate and exchange ideas through the effective use of sentences that state a main point, which are called topic
sentences.

143

144

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Reading and Writing Connections

Everyday Connections
Writing You are sending an e-mail to the technical support
personnel of a computer manufacturer asking for help with a
problem. Your topic sentence should directly state the problem.
Reading As a support technician, you need to read an e-mail
complaint or question and identify the customers problem before
you can provide assistance.
Academic Connections
Reading You are reading a section of a sociology text titled
Communities: Goals and Structures. You try to find a paragraph
that defines what a community is.
Writing When answering an essay exam question for the same
class, you are asked to briefly define and provide examples of a
community. Your topic sentence should give a brief definition of
community.
Workplace Connections
Writing You are the manager of a chain restaurant and must
write an incident report for corporate headquarters about a theft
that occurred on the premises. Your topic sentence should state
the time, location, date, and item stolen.
Reading As a director at corporate headquarters, you begin
reading the report by looking for a sentence in the first paragraph
that concisely states what happened.

Focusing on Reading and Writing

What is a Paragraph?
Goal 1

Structure a paragraph

A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develop a main thought, or

idea, about a single topic. The structure of a paragraph is not complex. There are
usually three basic elements: (1) a topic, (2)a main idea, or topic sentence, and
(3) supporting details. The topic sentence states the main point or controlling
idea. The sentences that explain this main point are called supporting details.
These details may be facts, reasons, or examples that provide further information
about the topic sentence.
As a writer, these paragraph elements provide you with an easy-to-follow
structure for expressing your ideas clearly and effectively. As a reader, these
same elements help you know what to look for and ensure that you will understand and remember what you read. This chapter will show you how to identify
main ideas as you read and how to write clear and concise topic sentences.
Chapters 68 will show you how to recognize key details as you read and how to
provide and organize details as you write.

What Is a Paragraph?

145

Read the following paragraph, noticing how all the details relate to one
point, and explain the topic sentence, which is highlighted and labeled:
Topic sentence

There is some evidence that colors affect you physiologically. For example,
when subjects are exposed to red light, respiratory movements increase; exposure
to blue decreases respiratory movements. Similarly, eye blinks increase in frequency
when eyes are exposed to red light and decrease when exposed to blue. This
seems consistent with the intuitive feelings about blue being more soothing and
red being more arousing. After changing a schools walls from orange and white
to blue, the blood pressure of the students decreased while their academic
performance improved.

DeVito, Human Communication: The Basic Course, p. 182

In this paragraph, look at the highlighted topic sentence. It identifies the

topic as color and states that colors affect people physiologically. The remaining
sentences provide further information about the effects of color.
You can think about and visualize a paragraph this way:
Idea Map
Topic sentence

VISUALIZE IT!

Detail

Detail

Detail

Heres how you might visualize the paragraph on color:

Idea Map
Colors affect people physiologically.

Respiratory movements increase

in red light and decrease in
blue light.

Eye blinks increase in red light

and decrease in blue light.

Findings are consistent with the

idea that blue is soothing and red
is arousing.

A change in a schools walls from

orange and white to blue decreased
students blood pressure and
improved academic performance.

146

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Notice how well the topic sentence and details in the above paragraph work
together to develop a main idea. The more general topic sentence is explained
by the more specific details. You might ask, How can I tell what is general
and what is specific when I am reading? Here are a few examples. The first
three use one-word topics and details; the last two use topic sentences and detail
sentences.
GENERAL emotions
SPECIFIC

love, fear, anger

GENERAL pollution
SPECIFIC

air pollution, water pollution, solid waste

GENERAL house building materials

SPECIFIC

lumber, bricks, wall board

GENERAL Our insurance agent is very professional.

SPECIFIC

She returns calls promptly.

She reviews our needs every year.

She explains insurance policies in plain language.

GENERAL Newspapers include a wide variety of different types of information.

SPECIFIC

Newspapers report world and local news events.

Newspapers publish human interest stories.

Newspapers advertise products and services.

Notice that in each of these examples, the specific points explain the general by giving examples, reasons, or further information. In the same way, supporting details in a paragraph explain or support a topic sentence.

Exercise 5-1

Using General and Specific Terms

Directions: For each list of items, select the choice that best describes that
grouping.
b

1. for money, for experience, to meet people

a. reasons to attend a party
b. reasons to get a part-time job
c. reasons to apply for loans
d. reasons to date

2. U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Federalist Papers, Twenty-fifth

Amendment
a. policies
c. historical documents
b. historical events
d. party politics

3. Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury

a. asteroids
c. galaxies
b. solar systems
d. planets

Exercise 5-2

What Is a Paragraph?

147

Adding Specific Details

Directions: Complete the following sets by supplying the missing information.
Answers will vary. Possible answers are shown.
1. GENERAL Advertisements are often misleading.

2.

3.

4.

5.

specific

a. Products often appear larger than they really are.

b. Claims of a products effectiveness are often exaggerated.

c. Ads often make products seem simple to use when they are not.

GENERAL

Television provides several types of entertainment.

specific

a. Television offers reality TV shows.

b. Television offers movie reruns.

c. Television shows sporting events.

GENERAL

Flexible work hours have numerous advantages.

specific

a. Flexible work hours permit employees to work at their peak

times of efficiency.

b. Flexible work hours help reduce line-ups at equipment

(faxmachine and copier, for example).

c. Flexible work hours help reduce rush hour traffic near the
office.

GENERAL

Many careers require specialized training.

specific

a. Nurses must learn anatomy and physiology.

b. Criminal justice majors study criminal behavior.

c. Auto mechanics must learn computerized diagnostic systems.

GENERAL

Commercials use numerous appeals to sell products.

specific

a. Some television commercials use humor to sell their product.

b. Other commercials use famous people to persuade their audience

to buy their product.

c. Some commercials use the message Everyones buying it, so

why dont you?

Need to Know
Important Terms
Paragraph: a group of sentences that focus on a single idea
Topic: the one thing a paragraph is about
Main idea: the point the paragraph makes about a topic
Topic sentence: the sentence that states the paragraphs main idea
Supporting details: those sentences that explain the topic sentence

148

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Reading

Locate the Topic

Goal 2

Identify the topic of a

paragraph

You already know that the topic is the general subject of an entire paragraph.
Every sentence in a paragraph in some way discusses or explains this topic. To
find the topic of a paragraph, ask yourself: What is the one idea the author is
discussing throughout the paragraph? Read the following paragraph with that
question in mind:
The major motive for excuse making seems to be to maintain our self-esteem,
to project a positive image to ourselves and to others. Excuses are also offered to
reduce stress that may be created by a bad performance. We feel that if we can
offer an excuseespecially a good one that is accepted by those around usit
will lessen the negative reaction and the subsequent stress that accompanies
poor performance.

DeVito, Human Communication: The Basic Course, p. 178

In this example, the author is discussing one topicmaking excusesthroughout

the paragraph. Notice that the word excuse is used several times. As you can see,
the repeated use of a word often serves as a clue to the topic.

Exercise 5-3

Locating Topics
Directions: After reading each of the following paragraphs, select the choice
that best represents the topic of the paragraph.

1.
Youve probably heard that older men die before older women virtually everywhere in the world. In the United States, women are expected
to live an average of 80.4 years, while men live only 75.2 years. Sociologists attribute many factors to this trend. For example, men have higher
testosterone levels than women, which may make men more likely to
abuse alcohol and tobacco, drive aggressively, and engage in other
life-threatening behaviors. Men also choose riskier types of work and become involved in wartime aggression, which are connected to mens decreased life expectancy. Studies also show that women are less likely to
experience life-threatening illnesses and health problems than men are.
Carl, Think Sociology, p. 211

a. womens health
b. men and risky behaviors
c. testosterone and age
d. mens life expectancy

2.
Many people look back to the 1950s as the golden age of the traditional family, but was it really? Teenage pregnancy rates were higher in
the 1950s than they are today, although a higher proportion of teenage
mothers were married (primarily due to shotgun weddings, a colloquialism that developed from the idea that many fathers of pregnant girls

Locate the Topic

149

had to force, possibly with a weapon, a man to marry his daughter once
she became pregnant). Many families were unable to survive the traumas of war and its aftermath, and the divorce rate rose from one in six in
1940 to one in four marriages in 1946. Although many families prospered
in the years following World War II, many others suffered from economic
hardship. In 1948, Newsweek reported that most of the 27 million schoolchildren in the United States were badly in need of medical or dental
care, while more than 900 thousand children were malnourished.
Kunz, Think Marriages & Families, p. 8

a. teenage pregnancy rates

b. the effect of war on divorce
c. family problems in the 1950s
d. golden age

3.
In the past few years, social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter have become hugely popular across all ages. Despite
the opinions of some that young people are in danger of turning into
crouching androids glued to their computers, research shows that the
majority of friendships are still maintained offline. Offline friendships are
characterized by more interdependence, depth, understanding, and
commitment, but online friendships can gain some of these qualities
with time. Most online friends tend to be rather cautious about disclosing personal information. However, this does not apply to people with
a negative view of themselves and others; they instead seem to share
more information, possibly in an attempt to become more self-confident
in their interactions. Interestingly, even in online friendships people seem
to gain more satisfaction when befriending people of a similar age and
place of residence.
Kunz, Think Marriages & Families, p. 82

a. offline vs. online friendships

b. technology and self-image
c. personal information sharing online
d. satisfaction in online friendships

4.
A century ago politicians used to say, Vote early and often. Cases
such as West Virginias 159,000 votes being cast by 147,000 eligible voters in 1888 were not that unusual. Largely to prevent corruption associated with stuffing ballot boxes, states adopted voter registration laws
around the turn of the century, which require individuals to first place
their name on an electoral roll in order to be allowed to vote. Although
these laws have made it more difficult to vote more than once, they
have also discouraged some people from voting at all. Voter registration requirements in the United States are, in part, to blame for why
Americans are significantly less likely to go to the polls than citizens of
other democratic nations.
Edwards, Government in America, p. 313

a. voter turnout
b. voter registration
c. voter eligibility
d. voter fraud

150

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

5.
Compared with the technical resources of a theater of today, those
of a London public theater in the time of Queen Elizabeth I seem hopelessly limited. Plays had to be performed by daylight, and scenery had to
be kept simple: a table, a chair, a throne, perhaps an artificial tree or two
to suggest a forest. But these limitations were, in a sense, advantages.
What the theater of today can spell out for us realistically, with massive
scenery and electric lighting, Elizabethan playgoers had to imagine
and the playwright had to make vivid for them by means of language.
Not having a lighting technician to work a panel, Shakespeare had to
indicate the dawn by having Horatio, in Hamlet, say in a speech rich in
metaphor and descriptive detail:
But look, the morn in russet mantle clad
Walks oer the dew of yon high eastward hill.

Kennedy, Literature, p. 1243

a. impact of technological limitations on Elizabethan theater

b. benefits of modern technology in theater performances
c. effects of Shakespeares writing style
d. the use of language to make ideas vivid

Locate the Main Idea

Goal 3

Locate main ideas

You learned earlier that the main idea of a paragraph is its most important point.
The main idea is also the most general statement the writer makes about the
topic. Pick out the most general statement among the following sentences.
1. Animals differ according to when they sleep.
2. Some animals sleep during daylight while others sleep during darkness.
3. Animals sleeping habits differ in a number of ways.
4. Hibernation is another kind of sleep for some animals.
Did you choose sentence 3 as the most general statement? Now we will
change this list into a paragraph by rearranging the sentences and adding a few
facts.
1Animals sleeping

habits differ in a number of ways. 2They differ according

to what time of day they sleep. 3Some animals sleep during daylight hours while
others sleep during darkness. 4They also differ in the length of time they sleep.
5Other

animals sleep for weeks or months at a time when they hibernate.

In this brief paragraph, the main idea is expressed in the first sentence. This
sentence, known as the topic sentence, is the most general statement in the
paragraph. All the other sentences are specific details that explain this main idea.

Tips for Finding the Main Idea

Here are some tips that will help you find the main idea.
1. Identify the topic. As you did earlier, figure out the general subject of the
entire paragraph. In the preceding sample paragraph, animals sleeping
habits is the topic.

Locate the Main Idea

151

2. Locate the most general sentence (the topic sentence). This sentence
must be broad enough to include all of the other ideas in the paragraph.
The topic sentence in the sample paragraph (Animals sleeping habits differ in a number of ways.) covers all of the other details in that paragraph.
The tips in the next section will help you locate topic sentences.
3. Study the rest of the paragraph. The main idea must make the rest of the
paragraph meaningful. It is the one idea that ties all of the other details
together. In the sample paragraph, sentences 2, 3, 4, and 5 all give specific
details about how animals sleeping habits differ.

Tips for Locating the Topic Sentence

Although a topic sentence can be located anywhere in a paragraph, it is usually
first or last.

Topic Sentence First

In most paragraphs, the topic sentence comes first. The author states his or her
main point and then explains it.
Topic Sentence
Detail
Detail
Specific
Detail

General

A focus group is a small group, usually consisting of about seven to ten

people who are brought together to discuss a subject of interest to the researcher.
Focus groups are commonly used today in business and politics; that flashy slogan
you heard for a political campaign or a new toothpaste was almost certainly
tested in a focus group to gauge peoples reactions. Social researchers may use
a focus group to help design questions or instruments for quantitative research or
to study the interactions among group members on a particular subject. In most
cases, researchers ask predetermined questions, but the discussion is unstructured.
Focus groups are a relatively cheap method of research and can be completed
quickly. They also allow for the flexible discussions and answers that are desirable
in qualitative research. However, they definitely require a skilled leader to avoid
leading participants in a predetermined direction, to establish an atmosphere
in which all participants feel comfortable speaking, and to allow discussion of
uncomfortable or challenging topics. It is also possible for two different researchers
to analyze the discussion in different ways.

Kunz, THINK Marriages & Families, p. 36

Here, the writer first defines a focus group. The rest of the paragraph provides
more details about focus groups.

Topic Sentence Last

The second most likely place for a topic sentence to appear is last in a paragraph. When using this arrangement, a writer leads up to the main point and
then states it at the end.
In the developing world 1.1 billion people still lack access to safe drinking
Specific
General

Detail
Detail
Detail
Topic Sentence

water, 2.6 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation services, and more
than 1.6 million deaths each year are traced to waterborne diseases (mostly
in children under five). All too often in developing countries, water is costly or
inaccessible to the poorest in society, while the wealthy have it piped into their
homes. In addition, because of the infrastructure that is used to control water,
whole seas are being lost, rivers are running dry, millions of people have been

152

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

displaced to make room for reservoirs, groundwater aquifers are being pumped
down, and disputes over water have raised tensions from local to international
levels. Fresh water is a limiting resource in many parts of the world and is certain to
become even more so as the 21st century unfolds.

Wright, Environmental Science, p. 247

In this paragraph, the author discusses water as a limiting resource and concludes that water will become more limited throughout the 21st century.

Topic Sentence in the Middle

If a topic sentence is placed neither first nor last, then it may appear somewhere in the middle of a paragraph. In this arrangement, the sentences before
the topic sentence lead up to or introduce the main idea. Those that follow the
main idea explain or describe it.
Specific

Detail
Detail
General
Topic Sentence
Detail
Specific
Detail

In colonial days, huge flocks of snowy egrets inhabited the coastal wetlands
and marshes of the southeastern United States. In the 1800s, when fashion
dictated fancy hats adorned with feathers, egrets and other birds were hunted
for their plumage. By the late 1800s, egrets were almost extinct. In 1886, the newly
formed National Audubon Society began a press campaign to shame feather
wearers and end the practice. The campaign caught on, and gradually, attitudes
changed; new laws followed. Government policies that protect animals from
overharvesting are essential to keep species from the brink of extinction. Even
when cultural standards change due to the efforts of individual groups (such as
the National Audubon Society), laws and policy measures must follow to ensure
that endangered populations remain protected. Since the 1800s, several important
laws have been passed to protect a wide variety of species.

Wright and Boorse, Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future, p. 150

In this paragraph, the author discusses how one species nearly became extinct
and concludes that government regulations are necessary to prevent this from
happening again.

Topic Sentence First and Last

Occasionally writers put the main idea at the beginning of a paragraph and again
at the end. Writers may do this to emphasize the main point or to clarify it.
General
Specific

Topic Sentence
Detail
Detail

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has taken a brute-force approach to

screening species for cancer-suppressing chemicals. NCI scientists receive frozen
samples of organisms from around the world, chop them up, and separate them
into a number of extracts, each probably containing hundreds of components.
These extracts are tested against up to 60 different types of cancer cells for their
efficacy in stopping or slowing growth of the cancer. Promising extracts are then

Specific
General

Detail

further analyzed to determine their chemical nature, and chemicals in the extract

Detail
Topic Sentence

are tested singly to find the effective compound. This approach is often referred to
as the grind em and find em strategy.

Belk, Biology, p. 334

The first and last sentences together explain that the NCI takes an aggressive
strategy to finding and testing samples for cancer-suppression.

Exercise 5-4

Locate the Main Idea

153

Locating Topic Sentences

Directions: Underline the topic sentence in each of the following paragraphs.
1.

Crime is a major concern in the United States. The possibility of becoming a

ictim of crime, particularly of a violent assault, is the number one fear of millions
v
of Americans. This concern is well founded, as 5.3 million people over the age
of 12 annually will be victimized by violent crimes. That nearly 14 million serious
crimes are reported yearly to the police indicates only part of the situation. An
annual study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics surveys American households to
determine the extent of serious crime not being reported to law-enforment authorities. Initiated in 1973, the National Crime Survey measures the number of crimes
unreported to the police as opposed to reported crime, which is documented annually by the FBIs Uniform Crime Reports Bulletin. The results of the National Crime
Survey are disturbing to the entire criminal justice system, indicating that people
and households in the United States face 49 million crime attempts a year when
unreported and reported crime occurences are combined.
Gilbert et al., Criminal Investigation, p. 33

2.

A living will is a legal document prepared by a patient. This document gives

instructions about the health care to be provided if the patient becomes terminally ill or falls into a permanent coma or persistent vegetative state. A living will is
a way for the patient to make health-care decisions before experiencing a healthcare emergency. A living will specifies whether the patient wants to be kept on
life-support machines. It specifies whether the patient wants tube feedings or artificial (IV) hydration when the patient is in a coma or persistent vegetative state. It
may also contain other instructions related to health care. For example, the living
will may contain a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. This order instructs any healthcare worker not to use cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the comatose or terminally ill patient experiences a life threatening event, such as heart attack or stroke.
adapted from Badasch, Health Science Fundamentals, p. 88

3.

The United States has a severe fire problem that if not addressed, will continue
to worsen drastically. Fire statistics show that our nation, one of the richest and
most technologically sophisticated countries in the world, lags behind its peer
nations in fire security. Nationally, there are millions of fires, thousands of deaths,
tens of thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars lost each yearfigures which
far exceed comparable statistics for other industrialized countries. In 2001, for example, the direct value of property destroyed in fires was $11 billion ($44 billion
if the World Trade Center loss is included). More recently in 2004, direct property
losses from fires were estimated at over $9.8 billion.
Loyd and Richardson, Fundamentals of Fire and Emergency Services, p. 12

4.

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is found in mollusks, clams, beef liver, rainbow

trout, and fortified cereals. Vitamin B12 is needed for healthy nerve cells, to make
DNA, and for the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin B12 is bound to the protein in food, and hydrochloric acid in the stomach releases B12 from the protein
during digestion. Once released, B12 combines with a substance called intrinsic

154

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

factor (IF) before it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Deficiency is a very serious
problem, ultimately leading to irreversible nerve damage signified by numbness
and tingling in the hands and feet. Signs and symptoms include fatigue, weakness, nausea, constipation, flatulence, loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty in
maintaining balance, depression, confusion, poor memory, and soreness of the
mouth or tongue. The RDI is 2.4 mg/day for both males and females.
Johnson, Pharmacy Technician, p. 455

5.

The star system has been the backbone of the American film industry since
the mid 1910s. Stars are the creation of the public, its reigning favorities. Their influence in the fields of fashion, values, and public behavior has been enormous.
The social history of a nation can be written in terms of its film stars, Raymond
Durgnat has observed. Stars confer instant consequence to any film they appear
in. Their fees have staggered the public. In the 1920s, Mary Pickford and Charles
Chaplin were the two highest paid employees in the world. Contemporary stars
such as Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise command salaries of many millions per film,
so popular are these box-office giants. Some stars had careers that spanned five
decades: Bette Davis and John Wayne, to name just two.
Giannetti, Understanding Movies, p. 251

6.

For decades, we have looked at our steadily increasing life expectancy rates
and proudly proclaimed that Americans health has never been better. Recently,
however, health organizations and international groups have attempted to quantify the number of years a person lives with a disability or illness, compared with
the number of healthy years. The World Health Organization summarizes this concept as healthy life expectancy. Simply stated, healthy life expectancy refers to
the number of years a newborn can expect to live in full health, based on current
rates of illness and mortality and also on the quality of their lives. For example, if
we could delay the onset of diabetes so that a person didnt develop the disease
until he or she was 60 years old, rather than developing it at 30, there would be a
dramatic increase in this individuals healthy life expectancy.
Donatelle, Health: The Basics, p. 6

7.

The functions of desktop publishing software are similar to those of word processing programs, except that some capabilities are more sophisticated. A user
can enter text using the desktop publishing program in the same way that he
or she can enter text with a word processing program. In addition, the user can
retrieve text from a file created by another program. For example, the user may
enter, edit, and save text using a word processing program and then retrieve the
saved text using the desktop publishing program.
Nickerson, Business and Information Systems, p. 249

8.

Are you twittered out? Is all that texting causing your thumbs to seize up in
protest? If so, youre not alone. Like millions of others, you may find that all of the
pressure for contact is more than enough stress for you! Known as technostress,
the bombardment is defined as stress created by a dependence on technology
and the constant state of being plugged in or wirelessly connected, which can
include a perceived obligation to respond, chat, or tweet.
Donatelle, Health: The Basics, p. 66

Think Critically about Main Ideas

155

9.

In the past, exposure to liability made many doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals reluctant to stop and render aid to victims in emergency situations, such as highway accidents. Almost all states have enacted a Good
Samaritan law that relieves medical professionals from liability for injury caused
by their ordinary negligence in such circumstances. Good Samaritan laws protect medical professionals only from liability for their ordinary negligence, not for
injuries caused by their gross negligence or reckless or intentional conduct. Most
Good Samaritan laws protect licensed doctors and nurses and laypersons who
have been certified in CPR. Good Samaritan statutes generally do not protect laypersons who are not trained in CPRthat is, they are liable for injuries caused by
their ordinary negligence in rendering aid.
Goldman, Paralegal Professional, p. 459

10.

At some time or another, many close relationships go through a conflict

phase. Were always fighting, complains a newlywed. But if she were to analyze
these fights, she would discover important differences among them. According to
communication researchers Miller and Steinberg, most conflicts fit into three different categories. There is (1) pseudoconflicttriggered by a lack of understanding.
There is (2) simple conflictstemming from different ideas, definitions, perceptions, or goals. Finally there is (3) ego conflictwhich occurs when conflict gets
personal.
adapted from Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond, Interpersonal
Communication, pp. 243, 248

Think Critically about Main Ideas

Goal 4

Think critically about

main ideas

A main idea is the most general statement a writer makes about a topic. Often,
main ideas are simple statements of fact that cannot be disputed. However, not
all main ideas and topic sentences are completely factual. Sometimes a main
idea presents an opinion about a topic, and that statement may not offer all
sides of the story. (To learn more about distinguishing fact and opinion, refer to
Chapter 13.) Look at the following passage:
No doubt about it, lobbying is a growth industry. Every state has hundreds
of public relations practitioners whose specialty is representing their clients to
legislative bodies and government agencies. In North Dakota, hardly a populous
state, more than 300 people are registered as lobbyists in the capital city of
Bismarck. The number of registered lobbyists in Washington, D.C., exceeds 10,000
today. In addition, there are an estimated 20,000 other people who have slipped
through registration requirements but who nonetheless ply the halls of government
to plead their clients interests.
In one sense, lobbyists are expediters. They know local traditions and
customs, and they know who is in a position to affect policy. Lobbyists advise their
clients, which include trade associations, corporations, public interest groups
and regulated utilities and industries, on how to achieve their goals by working
with legislators and government regulators. Many lobbyists call themselves
government relations specialists.

Vivian, The Media of Mass Communication, pp. 278279

156

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

The main idea of the first paragraph is a statement of fact; the author can
prove without a doubt that lobbying is a growth industry. The main idea of
the second paragraph is: Lobbyists are expediters. That is, lobbyists help their
clients influence the government in their favor. But this main idea presents
only one sense of the topic. What is the other sense or view? Lobbying is actually a controversial activity, and many people believe that lobbyists spend large
amounts of money influencing government employees in unethical or illegal
ways. However, that belief is not reflected in the main idea of this passage.

Exercise 5-5

Identifying Topics
Directions: For each of the following sets of topic sentences, specify the topic
that is being discussed. Note that each topic sentence presents a different facet
of (or opinion about) the topic.
1. The continued flow of immigrants into the United States has created a
rich, diverse society that has been beneficial to the country.
The presence of guest workers from South America in states like Arizona
and California has a positive effect on the U.S. economy.
Because the country is suffering from high unemployment, we must
reduce the number of people who come here looking for jobs.
Topic: immigration
2. Most scientists agree that temperatures now are warmer than they were
20 years ago.
It is hard to draw any definite conclusions from the hundreds of studies
that have considered whether climate change is occurring or not.
People who claim that the Earth is now hotter miss the point that the
Earth has been getting warmer over the last several thousand years, not
just the last 50 years.
Topic: climate change, or global warming

Exercise 5-6

Expressing Viewpoints About a Topic

Directions: For each of the following topic sentences, write another topic sentence that expresses a different opinion or point of view about the topic. Answers
will vary. Possible answers are shown.
1. It is better to live in a city than in the country because the city offers many
more activities and opportunities to its residents.
It is better to live in the country than in a city because the country offers more fresh air, 
more open space, and a lower crime rate.
2. Because tobacco products harm peoples health, all tobacco products should
be banned.
Because many products harm peoples health, it would not be fair to single out tobacco.


Write Effective Topic Sentences

157

3. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace create communities of

close-knit friends.
Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace can be a substitute for real human 
interaction.
4. Dancing with the Stars entertains us by allowing celebrities to exhibit their
unknown dance talents.
Dancing with the Stars is a rigged contest that exhibits celebrities whose lack of dance 
talent is covered up by their dance professional partners.

Writing

Write Effective Topic Sentences

Goal 5

Write effective topic

sentences

As a writer, it is important to develop clear and concise topic sentences that

help your readers understand your main ideas and guide them through your
paragraphs.

The Function of Topic Sentences

A good topic sentence does two things:
It makes clear what the paragraph is aboutthe topic.
It expresses a view or makes a point about the topic.
In the following examples, the topic is circled and the point about the topic is
underlined.
1. The first week of college is a frustrating experience.
2. State-operated lotteries are growing in popularity.
3. Time management is a vital skill in college and on the job.

Exercise 5-7

Expressing Viewpoints About a Topic

Directions: Working with a classmate, create two topic sentences that offer differing or opposing points of view about each of the following topics. Answers will
vary. Possible answers are shown.
1. Shopping malls are often appealing to teenagers. Shopping malls are crowded, 
inconvenient, and expensive places to shop.
2. Most fast-food restaurants are not concerned with their customers health or
nutrition. Most fast-food restaurants provide inexpensive and convenient food sources 
for busy people.

158

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

3. Monday morning is a time to get organized for the week. Monday morning is the
hardest day of the week because it means the pleasures of the weekend are over.
4. Violence on television may promote physical aggressiveness among young children.
Violence on television is necessary to portray events and stories in an accurate, 
true-to-life fashion.
5. College professors make sincere efforts to understand their students needs. College
professors are not only experts in their disciplines but also experts in explaining it to others.

Choosing a Manageable Topic

To write a good paragraph, you need a manageable topic, one that is the right
size. Your topic must be general enough to allow you to add interesting details
that will engage your reader. It must also be specific or narrow enough that
you can cover it adequately in a few sentences. If your topic is too general,
youll end up with a few unrelated details that do not add up to a specific point.
If your topic is too narrow, you will not have enough to say.
Suppose you have decided to write a paragraph about sports. You write the
following topic sentence:
Sports are a favorite activity for many people.

This topic is much too broad to cover in one paragraph. Think of all the different aspects you could write about. Which sports would you consider? Would
you write about both playing sports and watching them? Would you write
about both professional and amateur sports? Would you write about the reasons
people enjoy sports? The topic sentence must be more specific:
My whole family likes to watch professional football on Sunday afternoons.

Here you have limited your topic to a specific sport (football), a specific time
(Sunday afternoon), and some specific fans (your family).
Here are other examples of sentences that are too general. Each has been
revised to be more specific.
TOO GENERAL My parents have greatly influenced my life.
REVISED

My parents helped me make the decision to attend college.

TOO GENERAL Sex education is worthwhile.

REVISED

Sex-education courses in high school allow students to discuss

sex openly.

If your topic is too specific (narrow), you will not have enough details to use
in the paragraph, or you may end up including details that do not relate directly
to the topic. Suppose you decide to write a paragraph about the Internet and
come up with this topic sentence:
The Internet allows me to stay in touch with friends in other parts of the country.

Write Effective Topic Sentences

159

What else would your paragraph say? You might name some specific friends and
where they are, but this list wouldnt be very interesting. This topic sentence
is too specific. It might work as a detail, but not as a main idea. To correct the
problem, ask, What else does the Internet allow me to do? You might say that
it allows you to stay in touch with friends by e-mail, that it makes doing research
for college papers easier, and that the World Wide Web has information on
careers and even specific job openings. Here is a possible revised topic sentence:
The Internet is an important part of my personal, college, and work life.

Here are a few other examples of topic sentences that are too narrow, along
with revisions for each one:
TOO NARROW Only 36 percent of Americans voted in the last election.
REVISED

Many Americans do not exercise their right to vote.

TOO NARROW Markel Carpet Company offers child-care leave to both men and

women.
REVISED

The child-care leave policy at Markel Carpet Company is very flexible.

TOO NARROW A yearly subscription to Appalachian Voice costs $25.

REVISED

Appalachian Voice, a magazine devoted to environmental issues, is a

bargain, considering the information it provides.

How can you tell if your topic sentence is too general or too specific? Try
brainstorming or branching to generate ideas. If you find you can develop the
topic in many different directions, or if you have trouble choosing details from
a wide range of choices, your topic is probably too general. If you cannot think
of anything to explain or support it, your topic sentence is too specific.

Exercise 5-8

Evaluating Topic Sentences

Directions: Evaluate the following topic sentences. Label each G for too general
or S for too specific. Then rewrite each to create an effective topic sentence.
Corrected sentences will vary.
G
1. Learning a new sport is challenging.

S

2. Dinner for two at my favorite Italian restaurant costs $25.


S

3. The new day-care center opens earlier than most.


G

4. Many rules of etiquette have changed over the past 25 years.


S


5. Passive cigarette smoke makes me feel sick.

160

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Tips for Writing Effective Topic Sentences

Use the following suggestions to write clear topic sentences:
1. Your topic sentence should state the main point of your paragraph. It
should identify your topic and express a view toward it.
2. Be sure to choose a manageable topicone that is neither too general
nor too specific.
3. Make sure your topic sentence is a complete thought. Be sure your topic
sentence is not a fragment or run-on sentence (see p. xxx).
4. Place your topic sentence first in the paragraph. Topic sentences often
appear in other places in paragraphs, as described earlier, or their controlling idea is implied, not stated. For now, it will be easier for you to put yours
at the beginning. That way, as you write, you can make sure you stick to
your point, and your readers will immediately be alerted to that point.
5. Avoid announcing your topic. Sentences that sound like announcements
are usually unnecessary. Avoid such sentences as This paragraph will discuss how to change a flat tire, or I will explain why I object to legalized
abortion. Instead, directly state your main point: Changing a flat tire
involves many steps, or I object to abortion on religious grounds.
Not all expert or professional writers follow all of these suggestions. Sometimes, a writer may use one-sentence paragraphs or include topic sentences that
are fragments to achieve a special effect. You will find these paragraphs in news and
magazine articles and other sources. Although professional writers can use these
variations effectively, you probably should not experiment with them too early. It is
best while you are polishing your skills to use a more standard style of writing.

Exercise 5-9

Evaluating Topic Sentences

Directions: Evaluate each of the following topic sentences and mark them as
follows:
E = effective
A = announcement
S = too specific

G = too general
N = not complete thought

1. This paper will discuss the life and politics of Simn Bolvar.

2. Japanese culture is fascinating to study because its family traditions

are so different from American traditions.

3. The admission test for the police academy includes vocabulary

questions.

4. The discovery of penicillin was a great step in the advancement of

modern medicine.

5. I will talk about the reasons for the popularity of reality television
shows.

6. A habit leading to weight gain.

7. Each year Americans are the victims of more than 1 million auto
thefts.

Write Effective Topic Sentences

8. The White House has many famous rooms and an exciting history.

9. There are three factors to consider when buying a flat screen TV.

Exercise 5-10

161

10. Iraq has a long and interesting history.

Revising Topic Sentences

Directions: Analyze the following topic sentences. If a sentence is too general or
too specific, or if it makes a direct announcement or is not a complete thought,
revise it to make it more effective. Answers will vary.
1. World hunger is a crime.
REVISED

too general


2. E-mail is used by a great many people.

REVISED

too general


3. I will point out the many ways energy can be saved in the home.
REVISED

makes an announcement


4. Because Congress is very important in the United States.

REVISED

incomplete thought


5. In 2010, over 10,000 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.

REVISED

too specific


Exercise 5-11

Writing a Paragraph
Directions: Write a topic sentence for four of the following topics, using the tips
given on page 160. Then select one of your topic sentences and use it to develop
a paragraph.
1. S hould suicide be legal under certain circumstances?
2. W
 ho deserves college scholarships?
3. W
 hy do children need parental supervision when using the Internet?
4. W
 hy are baseball games fun to watch?
5. I s space exploration valuable or a waste of money?
6. D
 oes the news coverage of presidential campaigns unfairly influence voters?

162

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Writing a Paragraph

Exercise 5-12

Directions: Suppose you are taking a sociology course this semester. In preparation for class discussions that will focus on issues, your instructor has assigned the following topics. Choose one of the following topics and write a
one-paragraph response to it.
1. Educational reform: If you could make one significant change in the public
education system, what would it be?
2. Gender differences: Describe one way in which the behavior of men is different from that of women.
3. The family: What do you think is the most important function of a family?
That is, why do we live in family groups? What is one key advantage? Support your answer with examples from your own experience.
4. Discrimination: Describe one instance of discrimination (sexual, racial, religious, class, or age) that you have witnessed or experienced.

Integrating Reading and Writing

Read and Respond: A Student Essay
Kate Atkinson is a freshman at Beloit College in Wisconsin where she is
studying Russian language and psychology.
Atkinson wrote this essay for her writing class in response to the article School
of Hard Knocks. Atkinson studied in Russia during high school and used her
study abroad experience in responding to the article.

Title straightforwardly
announces the subjects of
the essay

The Russian and U.S. School Systems

Kate Atkinson
1

Russia and the U.S. share a complex history riddled with conflict and mutual

mistrust. In the years since the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union, the
Introduction draws the reader
in through discussing the ways
Russia and the United States
view each other

two countries have worked to set aside their differences but tension still simmers
beneath the surface. Russia is still viewed by many Americans as remote, mysterious, and even dangerous. Similarly, Russians harbor both admiration and contempt for Americas economic prowess and superpower status. One thing both
countries have in common, however, is an excellent system of education and

Write Effective Topic Sentences

163

impressive literacy rates (both above ninety-nine percent). Writes Mark H. Teeter for
TheMoscow News, Russians and Americans share a long tradition of dimly perceiving each others societies, and recent developments on both countries school
Thesis statement

fronts neatly illustrate this through-a-glass-darkly effect. Though both systems are
highly-acclaimed, they are each as different as the countries they belong to.

First subject is introduced:

Russia
Topic sentence: attendance
in Russia

In Russia, primary and secondary school education is compulsory from

around age seven to age fifteen. At fifteen, students either go on to vocational

school, join the work force, or remain in secondary school for two more years in
order to graduate and go on to higher education. This decision is usually not
made by the student, but by a combination of factors including family standards
and expectations, class, and location. Students who come from a family of industrial workers, for example, will usually go on to become one themselves. Russian
students specialize early on in school, and as a result they know from a young
age what type of career they are headed for. In recent years, specialized schools
called gymnasia have become increasingly common in which students can focus on subjects such as music and foreign languages.

Topic sentence: curriculum

in Russia

The Russian Ministry of Education determines the curriculum and as a result,

all schools meet a certain national standard of education (Teeter). Along with
the usual requirements, the Russian curriculum emphasizes oral communication,
memorization, and recitation. Russian school children are well-versed in the poetry
of the beloved poet Pushkin, and can recite famous lines without hesitation.

Topic sentence: classroom

conduct in Russia

In the classroom, the code of conduct between students and teachers is

formal and respectful. When a teacher enters the room at the beginning of class,
all students hastily rise and wait for the teachers greeting. Personal relationships
are discouraged and the teachers sole responsibility is to relay information to be
memorized by the students.

Author switches to second

topic: U.S.
Topic sentence: attendance
in U.S.

In the U.S., students must attend school between the ages of six and seventeen.

After passing all required courses, students graduate and either go on to higher
education or join the military or work force. The number of students who goon to
higher education has increased dramatically in the past decade as job opportunities have become more competitive and college degrees more accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. U.S. students have a vast network of private and
public universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges at their fingertips
and therefore, a great deal of choice in the course of their education.

Topic sentence: U.S. curriculum

Unlike Russia, the United States does not have a country-level curriculum.

Instead, independent city, state, and community boards determine curriculums

and each state has its own Department of Education (Teeter). The boards work
closely with the schools they monitor and can work to tackle problems such
as bullying more effectively than a national ministry. However, the flexibility in
curriculum from state to state has led to some schools not meeting the national
literacy standard, and issues such as what is an appropriate approach to sex
education and whether to teach creation science versus evolution are widely
debated (Teeter).

Topic sentence: classroom

conduct in U.S.

In general, American students have more freedom in the classroom and the

student teacher relationship is less rigid. Teachers are generally more tolerant of
laid back behavior in class but often do not get the respect they deserve.

164

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

Conclusion: a final discussion

about the two different
systems

The similarities and differences in these two systems of education closely

mirror the history and values of the countries themselves. Russia still clings to rigid
national control and standards while the U.S. allows for more freedom in the learning exchange. Both countries could learn from the other and work to smooth out
the wrinkles in their acclaimed systems. In order for this to happen however, the
two super powers would have to put the past aside and work to perceive each
another through less biased lenses.

Works Cited
Teeter, Mark H. School of Hard Knocks. themoscownews. The Moscow News, 29
Mar.2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2011.

Examining Writing
1. How does Atkinson indicate to her readers that she will be addressing
two topics in her essay?
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of her topic sentences.
3. In each paragraph, does Atkinson provide enough details to explain
and support the topic sentence?
4. What overall attitude toward education in the two countries does
Atkinson reveal throughout the essay?

Writing Assignments
1. In her essay Atkinson compares and contrasts two different but highly
successful systems of education. Create a summary of the main points
of comparison she addresses in the essay.
2. After reading the essay, what is your opinion of the Russian school
s ystem? What were you most surprised to learn? What aspects of
the Russian system were most and least appealing to you? Do you
think you would have flourished in a similar system of education?
Why or why not? Write an essay exploring your answers to these
questions.

Write Effective Topic Sentences

165

Read and Respond: A Professional Essay

Thinking Before Reading
The author of this article has written several books on the link between diet
and health. In the following reading, he examines a new partnership between
a famous fried chicken restaurant chain and a breast cancer advocacy group.
Before you read:
1. Preview the reading, using the steps discussed in Chapter 1, page. 15.
2. Connect the reading to your own experience by answering the following
questions:
a. How often do you eat fast food? Are you concerned about the effects of fast food on your health?
b. What do you already know about Susan G. Komen for the Cure?
3. Mark and annotate as you read.

Greed, Cancer, and Pink KFC Buckets

John Robbins

We live in a world of profound contradictions. Some things are just unbeliev-

ably strange. At times I feel like Ive found a way to adapt to the weirdness of the
world, and then along comes something that just boggles my mind. It is ironic
grassroots
involving ordinary people at a
local or community level

that the largest grassroots breast cancer advocacy group in the world, a group
called Susan G. Komen for the Cure, has now partnered with the fast food chain
KFC, known for its high-fat foods and questionable treatment of its chickens, in a
national Buckets for the Cure campaign. The program began last month and
runs through the end of May.

KFC is taking every chance it can manufacture to trumpet the fact that it

will donate 50 cents to Komen for every pink bucket of chicken sold. For its part,
Komen is announcing on its website that KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure
are teaming up . . . to . . . spread educational messaging via a major national
campaign which will reach thousands of communities served by nearly 5,000
KFC restaurants.

Educational messaging, indeed. How often do you think this messaging pro-

vides information about the critical importance a healthy diet plays in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing cancer? How often do you think it refers in
any way to the many studies that, according to the National Cancer Institutes
website, have shown that an increased risk of developing colorectal, pancreatic,
and breast cancer is associated with high intakes of well-done, fried or barbecued meats? If you guessed zero, youre right.

Meanwhile, the American Institute for Cancer Research reports that 60 to

70percent of all cancers can be prevented with lifestyle changes. Their number
one dietary recommendation is to: Choose predominantly plant-based diets rich

166

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

in a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes and

minimally processed starchy staple foods. Does that
sound like pink buckets of fried chicken?

Pardon me for being cynical, but I have to

ask, if Komen is going to partner with KFC, why not

take it a step further and partner with a cigarette
company? They could sell pink packages of cigarettes, donating a few cents from each pack while
claiming each pack you smoke brings us closer to
the day cancer is vanquished forever.

Whose brilliant idea was it that buying

fried chicken by the bucket is an effective way to

fight breast cancer? One breast cancer advocacy
egregious
outrageously bad
pinkwashing
using support for breast cancer
research to sell products,
especially products that can be
linked with cancer

group, Breast Cancer Action, thinks the Komen/KFC campaign is so egregious that
they call it pinkwashing, another sad example of commercialism draped in pink
ribbons. Make no mistake, they say, every pink bucket purchase will do more to
benefit KFCs bottom line than it will to cure breast cancer.
7

One thing is hard to dispute. In partnering with KFC, Susan G. Komen for the

Cure has shown itself to be numbingly oblivious to the role of diet in cancer prevention. Of course its not hard to understand KFCs motives. They want to look good.
But recent publicity the company has been getting hasnt been helping. For one
thing, the company keeps taking hits for the unhealthiness of its food. Just last
month, when KFC came out with its new Double Down sandwiches, the products
were derided by just about every public health organization for their staggering
levels of salt, calories and artery-clogging fat.

Then theres the squeamish matter of the treatment of the birds who end up in

KFCs buckets, pink or otherwise. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
has an entire website devoted to what it calls Kentucky Fried Cruelty, but you dont
have to be an animal activist to be horrified by how the company treats chickens, if
you lift the veil of the companys PR and see what actually takes place.

When PETA sent investigators with hidden cameras into a KFC Supplier of the

Year slaughterhouse in Moorefield, West Virginia, what they found was enough to
make KFC choke on its own pink publicity stunts. Workers were caught on video
stomping on chickens, kicking them and violently slamming them against floors
and walls. Workers were also filmed ripping the animals beaks off, twisting their
heads off, spitting tobacco into their eyes and mouths, spray-painting their faces,
and squeezing their bodies so hard that the birds expelled fecesall while the
chickens were still alive.

10

KFC, naturally, did everything they could to keep the footage from being aired,

but their efforts failed. In fact, the video from the investigation ended up being
broadcast by TV stations around the world, as well as on all three national evening news shows, Good Morning America, and every one of the major cable news
networks. Plus, more than a million people subsequently watched the footage on
PETAs website.

11

It wasnt just animal activists who condemned the fast food chain for the

level of animal cruelty displayed at KFCs Supplier of the Year slaughterhouse.

Write Effective Topic Sentences

167

Dr. Temple Grandin, perhaps the meat industrys leading farmed-animal welfare
expert, said, The behavior of the plant employees was atrocious. Dr. Ian Duncan,
ethology
the branch of zoology that studies
the behavior of animals in their
natural habitats

a University of Guelph professor of applied ethology and an original member of

KFCs own animal-welfare advisory council, wrote, This tape depicts scenes of the
worst cruelty I have ever witnessed against chickens . . . and it is extremely hard to
accept that this is occurring in the United States of America.

12

KFC claims, on its website, that its animal-welfare advisory council has been a

key factor in formulating our animal welfare program. But Dr. Duncan, along with
five other former members of this advisory council, say otherwise. They all resigned
in disgust over the companys refusal to take animal welfare seriously. Adele Douglass, one of those who resigned, said in an SEC filing reported on by the Chicago
Tribune that KFC never had any meetings. They never asked any advice, and then
they touted to the press that they had this animal-welfare advisory committee. I felt
like I was being used.

13

You can see why KFC would be eager to jump on any chance to improve its

public image, and why the company would want to capitalize on any opportunity
to associate itself in the public mind with the fight against breast cancer. Whats far
more mystifying is why an organization with as much public trust as Susan G. Komen
for the Cure would jeopardize public confidence in its authenticity. As someone once
said, it takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but only 15 minutes to lose it.

Getting Ready to Write

Checking Your Comprehension
Answer each of the following questions using complete sentences.
1. Describe the Buckets for the Cure campaign.
2. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, what percentage
of all cancers can be prevented with lifestyle changes?
3. What is the number one dietary recommendation of the American Institute for Cancer Research?
4. What is pinkwashing and what does it have to do with the Komen/KFC
campaign?
5. Give a brief summary of what PETA investigators found at the KFC Supplier
of the Year slaughterhouse in West Virginia. How did KFCs animal-welfare
advisory council react?

Strengthening Your Vocabulary

Using the words context, word parts, or a dictionary, write a brief definition of
each of the following words as it is used in the reading.
1. profound (paragraph 1) deep
2. contradictions (paragraph 1) ideas in conflict or opposition
3. advocacy (paragraph 1) active support of a cause

168

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

4. predominantly (paragraph 4) mostly

5. cynical (paragraph 5) skeptical, pessimistic
6. vanquished (paragraph 5) defeated, eliminated
7. derided (paragraph 7) criticized, condemned
8. atrocious (paragraph 11) terrible
9. jeopardize (paragraph 13) put at risk
10. authenticity (paragraph 13) genuineness, validity

Examining the Reading: Drawing Idea Maps

Create an idea map of the reading that starts with the title and thesis and then
lists the authors main points. Use the guidelines on page 21.

Reacting to Ideas: Discussion and Journal Writing

Get ready to write about the reading by discussing the following:
1. Discuss why Komen chose to partner with KFC. Do you think the Buckets
for the Cure campaign will be considered successful?
2. Did the description of animal abuse at KFCs supplier affect your opinion
of fast food in general and KFC in particular? Why or why not?
3. Write a sentence that summarizes the authors opinion regarding the
partnership between Komen and KFC. Do you agree or disagree with his
opinion?
4. What is the authors purpose for writing this essay? Who is his intended
audience?
5. Evaluate the introduction of the essay. What does it add to the piece of
writing? How successful is it in capturing your interest?
6. How does the photo accompanying this essay add to or detract from the
material? Do you think a different photo would be more effective? What
would it show?

Writing About the Reading

Paragraph Options
Read and Complete the
Exercise at myskillslab.com

1. How would this essay be different if it were written as a strictly factual report? Write a paragraph in which you summarize the facts of the essay in
objective language.

Read and Complete the

Exercise at myskillslab.com

2. Write a paragraph explaining whether you agree or disagree that Susan G.

Komen for the Cure has jeopardize[d] public confidence in its authenticity by partnering with KFC.

Read and Complete the

Exercise at myskillslab.com

3. The author points to the importance of a healthy diet in preventing cancer.

Do you think most people (including yourself) make that connection? Write
a paragraph explaining your answer.

Write Effective Topic Sentences

169

Essay Options
Read and Complete the
Exercise at myskillslab.com

4. Is it appropriate for advocacy organizations such as Komen to promote

their causes using commercial means? Write an essay explaining why or
why not. Try to think of other advocacy groups that have formed such
partnerships, on either a national or a local level.

Read and Complete the

Exercise at myskillslab.com

5. What responsibility do restaurants and other commercial enterprises have

toward consumer health? Write an essay exploring this question. In your
own experience, what effect does educational messaging from advertising campaigns have on your lifestyle choices?

Read and Complete the

Exercise at myskillslab.com

6. Imagine that you are a member of an animal-welfare advisory council for

a large company. What guidelines would you promote for the company to
follow regarding animal welfare? Write an essay describing your ideas for
animal welfare in a commercial setting.

Self-Test Summary
To test yourself, cover the Answer column with a sheet of paper and answer each question in
the left column. Evaluate each of your answers as you work by sliding the paper down and
comparing your answer with what is printed in the Answer column.
QUESTION

ANSWER

Goal 1 Structure a paragraph

A paragraph is a group of related sentences that

What is a paragraph and what are its three key

elements?
Goal 2 Identify the topic of a paragraph

How do I identify the topic of a paragraph?

Goal 3 Locate main ideas

How do I locate the main idea of a paragraph?

develop one thought or idea. The three key elements are

the topic, topic sentence, and supporting details.
Look for the one thing the author is discussing
throughout the paragraph.
Find the topic and then locate the sentence in the
paragraph that is the most general. Check to be sure this
one sentence brings all the other details together under
one common concept.

Goal 4 Think critically about main ideas

How can I think critically about main ideas?

Ask if there are other views that can be held about the
topic.
(continued)

170

Chapter 5 Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences

(continued)

QUESTION

ANSWER

Goal 5 Write effective topic sentences

Write a sentence that identifies your topic and expresses

How can I write effective topic sentences?

a view or makes a point about the topic. Choose a

manageable topic and be sure the sentence expresses
a complete thought.

An Overview of Title TK
For more help in meeting the goals of this chapter, go to
your learning path in MySkillsLab at www.myskillslab.com.