Professor Garner
Name:________________
Parts of a Paragraph Worksheet
Exercise 1: Good Topic Sentences
Directions: Read the sentences in each group below. Decide which sentence is the
best topic sentence. Write “Best TS” on the line next to it. Then, decide what is wrong
with the other sentences (too specific, too general, not complete sentence).
Group 1
_______________a.
too general The history of astronomy is interesting.
_______________b.
not complete sentence Ice age people recorded the appearance of new moons by
making scratches in animal bones.
_______________c.
too specific For example, Stonehenge in Britain, built 3500 years ago to
track the movement of the sun.
_______________d.
Best TS Ancient people observed and recorded lunar and solar events in
different ways.
Group 2
_______________a.
Best TS It is hard to know which foods are safe to eat nowadays.
_______________b.
not complete sentence It some large ocean fish, there are high levels of mercury.
too specific
_______________c. Undercooked chicken and hamburgers may carry E. coli
bacteria.
_______________d.
too general Food safety is an important issue.
Exercise 2: Parts of the Topic Sentence
Directions: Circle the topic and underline the controlling idea in each of the following
sentences.
1. Driving on freeways requires an aggressive attitude.
2. Spectacular beaches make Puerto Rice a tourist paradise.
3. Moving away from home can be a stressful experience for young people.
4. It is an expensive luxury to own an automobile in a large city.
5. Taste and appearance are both important in Japanese cuisine.
6. Coffee is the drink of choice for many North Americans.
Professor Garner
Exercise 3: Paragraph Jumble
Directions: Read the sentences from the scrambled paragraph. Put them in the correct
order by putting a number (1-7) on the line next to the sentence. Then, write the
ordered paragraph on the lines below.
________a.
4 Another important change was that people had the freedom to live and
work wherever they wanted.
________b.
7 In short, American life has been quite difference since the invention of
the automobile.
________c.
2 The earliest significant change was for farming families, who were no
longer isolated.
________d.
5 The final major change brought by the automobile was the building of
superhighways, suburbs, huge shopping centers, and theme parks.
1
________e. The automobile revolutionized the way of life in the United States.
________f.
3 The automobile enabled them to drive to towns and cities comfortably
and conveniently.
6
________g. In fact, people could work in a busy metropolitan city and drive home
to the quiet suburbs.
_____________________________________________________________________
The automobile revolutionized the way of life in the United States. The earliest significant
change was for farming families, who were no longer isolated. The automobile enabled
_____________________________________________________________________
them to drive to towns and cities comfortably and conveniently. Another important change
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
was that people had the freedom to live and work wherever they wanted. The final major
_____________________________________________________________________
change brought by the automobile was the building of superhighways, suburbs, huge shopping
_____________________________________________________________________
centers, and theme parks. In fact, people could work in a busy metropolitan city and drive
_____________________________________________________________________
home to the quite suburbs. In short, American life has been quite difference since the
_____________________________________________________________________
invention of the automobile.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________