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Write a Strong Topic Sentence
Grade 4 - Writing - Building Confidence
Worksheet 1
1Read the details: The museum ticket shows the date. The guidebook names the exhibit rooms. A photograph shows the old train station. Which topic sentence fits all of them?
2Which sentence is too broad for a paragraph about class investigations?
3Which sentence is too narrow to introduce all these details: The museum ticket shows the date. The guidebook names the exhibit rooms. A photograph shows the old train station.
4Which sentence is off topic for details about school garden health?
5Revise this dull topic sentence: "This paragraph is about a garden."
About this worksheet
A topic sentence gives a paragraph direction. It should be broad enough to cover all the details but focused enough that the reader knows what the paragraph will explain. Fourth graders often choose a topic sentence that is only one detail, such as the final fact in the paragraph, or a sentence so broad that it could introduce almost anything. This worksheet gives sets of details and asks students to pick or revise the sentence that holds those details together. Parents should ask whether every detail fits under the topic sentence. If one detail does not fit, the sentence may be off focus. If the topic sentence gives away only one detail, it is probably too narrow. The first sentence should guide the whole paragraph.
What your child will learn
Choose a topic sentence that fits all details
Tell broad, narrow, and off-topic openings apart
Revise dull topic sentences to be more focused
Use details to test paragraph focus
Worked example
Details about a map key, scale bar, and compass rose need a topic sentence about map tools, not only a compass rose.
Common mistake
Choosing a true detail as the topic sentence even though it cannot cover the whole paragraph.
Helpful hint
The topic sentence should act like an umbrella for every detail.
Worksheet 1