IXL | Choose the best topic sentence | 5th grade language arts

Read the paragraph. Then, add the better topic sentence.

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Originally the kilt was a long, thick piece of cloth. It was wrapped around the waist to make a skirt, and the extra cloth could cover the upper body as well. It was often worn by Scottish soldiers and provided good protection from rain, wind, and cold. Today's kilts are shorter, with only enough material for a skirt. People today wear kilts at weddings and other special events in Scotland.

The traditional Scottish kilt has changed over the years.

The patterned cloth used to make Scottish kilts is known as tartan.

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question

Read the paragraph. Then, add the better topic sentence.

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For example, glaciers can wear away the sides of mountains by scraping against them as they float past, creating valleys. They can also form small lakes when a piece of glacier breaks off and then melts. Some glaciers even transport huge boulders from one place to another.

Some valleys, like Yosemite Valley, were carved by glaciers.

Glaciers can change the shape of the land they move through.

key idea

Many paragraphs begin with a topic sentence. A topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about.

For example, maybe your paragraph is about how dogs and wolves are alike and different. This would be a good topic sentence:

green checkmark, Though dogs and wolves look alike, they have important differences.

Your topic sentence should not be too broad. "Too broad" means that the sentence doesn't tell you exactly what the paragraph is about. It doesn't give enough detail.

red X symbol, Pet dogs are different from jackals, wolves, and other wild dogs.

Your topic sentence should not be too narrow. "Too narrow" means that the sentence talks only about a detail.

red X symbol, Wolves and dogs have the same number of teeth.

Your topic sentence should not be off topic. "Off topic" means that the sentence doesn't match the paragraph well. It talks about something else.

red X symbol, There are two types of wolves that live in North America.

solution

The paragraph is about how glaciers change the surface of the earth. So, this is the better topic sentence:

green checkmark, Glaciers can change the shape of the land they move through.

This sentence is too narrow:

red X symbol, Some valleys, like Yosemite Valley, were carved by glaciers.

Only part of the paragraph talks about how glaciers form valleys.

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