This sentence starts a paragraph and indicates the subject and controlling idea.
What is a topic sentence?
100
Words like because, if, when and as that are used to combine sentences
What are glue words or subordinate conjunctions?
100
The subject in this topic sentence:
Studying with a friend is an effective and helpful way to prepare for an exam.
What is "Studying with a friend"?
100
The purpose of expository writing
What is to inform or explain?
100
The problem in this topic sentence:
In this paragraph I will explain three main causes of the common cold.
What is an announcement?
200
An "on topic" example, fact, reason or other support that provides evidence for the topic sentence
What is a relevant detail?
200
Words like that, which, who--they are used to combine sentences
What are WH words or relative pronouns?
200
The controlling idea word(s) in this sentence: Studying with a friend is an effective and helpful way to prepare for an exam.
What are effective and helpful?
200
A revision tool that helps writers look at variety in sentence openings, verbs, use of combining techniques, and sentence lengths
What is an SOS?
200
The problem in this topic sentence:
Seventy-one per cent of students in CPS will catch a cold between October and April.
What is too narrow or a "dead-end" fact?
300
Found in the topic sentence, this tells what the paragraph is about.
What is the subject?
300
One way to combine these two sentences using a glue word:
The teacher explained the concept. The students listened carefully.
What are (various answers are correct) As the teacher explained the concept, the students listened carefully
300
A sentence in a paragraph that does not support the topic sentence
What is an irrelevant detail sentence?
300
A sentence that is not complete
What is a fragment?
300
The problem in this topic sentence:
The causes and effects of the common cold.
What is a title?
400
Found in the topic sentence, this word or words express the writer's attitude toward the subject
What is a controlling idea?
400
One way to combine these two sentences using a WH word:
The students listened carefully. The students understood the directions.
What is either "The students who listened carefully understood the directions." or "The students who understood the directions listened carefully."?
400
The subject in this topic sentence:
When I was in 8th grade my favorite teacher was Mr. Jerzinski.
What is Mr. Jerzinski?
400
A sentence structure error that occurs when two or more sentences are not combined or joined correctly
What is a run-on?
400
The problem with this topic sentence:
Many people suffer from illnesses these days.
What is too broad?
500
Two skills used to create variety in sentence openings and create impact
What are combining and rearranging?
500
The three words that are used to create variety and a complex sentence structure: As the thunder boomed, my cat ran for the front porch, hoping he could get in before the rain started.
What are "As" "hoping" and "before"?
500
The controlling idea word(s) in this topic sentence: Bossy and selfish, my sister really gets on my nerves.
What are bossy, selfish, gets on my nerves?
500
The punctuation mark that can be used to join two sentences that are closely related in meaning--one way to fix a run-on sentence
What is a semi-colon?
500
The problem in this topic sentence:
Three contagious viruses: causes of the common cold among school-aged children in Chicago.