Exercise 1: Which alternative can be the topic sentence of the paragraph below?

a. Skiing is expensive.

b. Skiing is a popular sport despite its disadvantages.

c. Skiing has many disadvantages.

______. Many people enjoy it, although it is expensive and dangerous. Also, the severe cold
doesn’t keep skiers away from the slopes. It is clear that a lot of people spend every winter
weekend skiing, and many families go on winter ski holidays regardless of these drawbacks.

Exercise 2: Write a topic sentence for the paragraphs below.

_______________________________________________________. First of all, you must consider the

quality of the university’s academic program. The university’s size and location should also be
given careful thought. Finally, you must always be sure to consider the tuition before you decide
which university to attend. In short, a good education is important, so before choosing a
university, the quality of the education given, the size, the location and the tuition of a university
should be taken into consideration.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________. Even
small towns in the United States have at least one pizzeria and one Chinese restaurant. Every
midsize town has at least one taqueria, where you can get a delicious Mexican taco or burrito.
French food has always been popular, and hot dogs and hamburgers, German in origin, are
found everywhere. More recently, Middle Eastern shish kebab, Japanese sushi, and English fish
and chips are increasingly available in the United States.

Exercise 3: Write a list of things that fit each of the topics below.

Reading Materials: _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

Monetary Units : _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

Public Holidays : _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

Mass Media : _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

Exercise 4: Read the topic sentences below and think of suitable supporting sentences to
complete each paragraph.

Moreover, a person can improve his or her English by making friends abroad.
a. _________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________

To begin with, TV series can be an educational source for their audiences.

a. _________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________

Exercise 5: Study the analysis and write a paragraph about the general subject using one
of the three arguments.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s work on UNITY.

If all the sentences in a paragraph are about a single idea, and if the sentences are closely
related, the paragraph will be unified. (For instance, if your paragraph is about the advantages of
higher education, you should only discuss that, and you shouldn’t include any sentence that is
about the disadvantages of higher education.) Any sentence that doesn’t support the topic sentence
is irrelevant.

Exercise 6: Cross out the irrelevant sentence in each group.

1. Topic: It is interesting to visit foreign countries.

a. You can meet new people.

b. You can eat different kinds of food.

c. It is expensive.

d. You can see the way other people live.

2. Topic: People prefer small cars for a number of reasons.

a. They are cheaper to buy.

b. They use less gas than bigger cars.

c. They are easier to park.

d. Some small cars do not have enough legroom.

3. Topic: Different people spend their free time in different ways.

a. A lot of people spend their free time going to movies.

b. The price of movies has increased recently.

c. Some people like to read.

d. Many people enjoy sports.

e. Some people prefer to listen to music.

Exercise 7: Read the paragraphs below and cross out the irrelevant sentence in each
group.

(I) I love the location of my new house for many reasons. (II) First, it is a very safe
neighbourhood, and there is almost no crime, and most people don’t even lock their doors.
(III) Second, there are many stores, schools, restaurants, a library, a health and fitness centre
and a movie theatre nearby. (IV) Third, I really dislike the people in the neighbourhood
because they are unfriendly and have different life styles. (V) Some people say location is
very important when you are looking for an apartment and I agree.
(I) Margot is an old woman about 95 years old. (II) She has so many friends and too much
money to spend. (III) Some people have no money problems. (IV) She lives in a big house
near Cardiff and she likes travelling abroad, shopping, visiting and also helping the poor. (V)
She will leave all her money to the people who are in need.

Stress can be put into one of two categories: mental or physical. (II) Mental stress is
characterized by such things as worries over money or a loved one’s health, loss of a loved
one or losing a job. (III) Physical stress reasons include lack of sleep, poor diet or the effects
of an illness. (IV) If you are experiencing both of these types, you really need help. (V)
Therefore, third category is believed to be the most dangerous one.

(I) I think speaking languages is important nowadays. (II) There are more than two thousand
languages in the world. (III) When you speak more languages, it is better, especially for your
career. (IV) If you know a foreign language, it puts you in touch with other life styles and
cultures. (V) So, it could change your life in some positive ways.

A curriculum vitae, or “C.V.”, is a necessary document for anyone in search of employment. It