Reading with Literal Comprehension

Identifying Topic Sentences

The most important part of a paragraph is its topic sentence in which the author states the main idea of the paragraph. If read in isolation, the topic sentence would rarely be understood by the reader. The main idea needs further explanation and amplification and this support is the purpose of other sentences in the paragraph. The topic sentence states the main idea; other sentences offer more information, rephrasing, clarifications, and examples to help the reader understand the main idea. When a reader completes a paragraph, the topic sentence should express its full meaning without additional explanation.

One reading competency that is crucial is an ability to identify the topic sentence of a paragraph. As an example of this competency, look closely at the first paragraph of this page and find its topic sentence. When you have selected it, click the "Next" button below.