Practice of topic sentences                                      

Practice 1

Match the topic sentences to the paragraphs:

Topic sentences:
(1) On the other hand, there are a number of reasons why carrier bags should be free.                        (2) Enthusiasts of technology point out the benefits for learning.                                       (3) Travelling is good for children's development.

Paragraphs:

(a) ______________________________________________________. Firstly it gives them a break from their own routine ensuring that they are fresh and ready to study when school starts again. Secondly, it gives young people a chance to encounter different ideas and perspectives. Finally, going abroad is beneficial because child have the perfect chance to have an immersion experience practising their foreign languages.

(b) ______________________________________________________. First, they are of huge practical value: you cannot carry your shopping home without a bag. Next, though for a well-off people, the cost of a carrier bag would be nothing, for the poorest in society, it would limit their budget to spend on food and clothes for their children. The final argument in favour of keeping carrier bags free is that the technology now exits to make them biodegradable, so they do not necessarily have to create pollution.

(c)  ______________________________________________________. For instance, every child is different. Using ipads in the classroom allows every child in the group to do slightly different exercises that matches their learning needs. Also, few people would deny that using technology motivates students. Young people are more enthusiastic about doing an exercise on a computer than in a notebook. My last point in favour of technology is that it allows instant feedback: whereas it takes time for a teacher to check each student’s work, software can check answers instantly telling students what they have got right and where they need to improve.

Practice 2

Choose a subject and write one paragraph. In your paragraph, include a topic sentence and three supporting ideas.

Topics:

(1) Sugary drinks / banned in schools                                                                       (2) Exams / a good way of assessing students                                                      (3)  The Olympics / good for the host country