IXL | Choose the topic sentence that best captures the main idea

Read the details below.

Pitcher plants have hollow, liquid-filled leaves that capture insects and small animals.
The hinged leaves of the Venus flytrap snap shut to trap ants, spiders, and other prey.
Plants that use a flypaper trap, like the butterwort, catch small bugs with their sticky leaves.

Choose the best topic sentence to introduce a paragraph containing these details.

Plants that eat insects and other animals have unique ways of catching prey, often using their leaves.

There are many examples in nature of plants and animals with useful adaptations for catching prey.

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Learn with an example

question

Read the details below.

The Arctic lemming grows long winter claws that help it dig through snow in search of food.
White-tailed deer produce a winter coat made of hollow hairs that trap air and help keep the deer warm.
When cold weather arrives, the ruffed grouse grows scales on its feet to help grip icy surfaces.

Choose the best topic sentence to introduce a paragraph containing these details.

Each winter, the snowshoe hare's fur changes from brown to white to match the animal's snowy surroundings.

Many animals' bodies undergo special seasonal changes to help them survive the colder winter months.

key idea

A topic sentence states the main, or central, idea of a paragraph and lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about. The rest of the paragraph provides evidence to help support this idea.

When writing a paragraph, be sure to craft a topic sentence that accurately signals what the paragraph will cover. Your topic sentence should not be too broad, too narrow, off topic, or introduce a new detail.

solution

First decide what the details have in common. In this case, they are all about how animals' bodies adapt to their winter environments.

This sentence best introduces the details:

green checkmark, Many animals' bodies undergo special seasonal changes to help them survive the colder winter months.

This sentence would not be a good topic sentence to introduce the details:

red X symbol, Each winter, the snowshoe hare's fur changes from brown to white to match the animal's snowy surroundings.

This sentence introduces a new detail. It discusses how an animal's body adapts in winter, but it adds information rather than tying together the details provided.

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Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

R.1Choose the best topic sentence

A.1Use key details to determine the main idea

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