Exercise 1 - Identifying Supporting Sentences

Exercise 1. Identify the topic sentence of each of the following three paragraphs.
Step 1: Decide which of the following sentences the topic sentence of the paragraph is.
Step 2: Write TS (topic sentence) on the line next to that sentence.
Step 3: Decide the order of the supporting sentences.
Remember, the topic sentence indicates the main idea of a paragraph and is the most general
statement in the paragraph.
Paragraph 1
a. Next, add antifreeze to your windshield washer fluid; otherwise, the fluid will freeze
and possibly break the container. 3
b. First, put on snow tires if you plan to drive on snowy, icy roads very often. 1
c. Driving in winter, especially on snowy, icy roads can be less troublesome if you
take a few simple precautions. TS
d. Finally it is also a good idea to carry tire chains, a can of spray to unfreeze door
locks, and a windshield scraper in your car when driving in winter weather. 4
e. Second, check the amount of antifreeze in your radiator and add more if necessary. 2
Paragraph 2
a. Furthermore, researchers are continuing to work on the development of an

efficient, electrically powered automobile. 3
b. Researchers in the automobile industry are experimenting with different types of

engines and fuels as alternatives to the conventional gasoline engines. TS
c. One new type of engine, which bums diesel oil instead of gasoline, has been
available for several years. 1
d. Finally, several automobile manufacturers are experimenting with methanol, which is
a mixture of gasoline and methyl alcohol, as an automobile fuel. 4
e. A second type is the gas turbine engine, which can use fuels made from gasoline,
diesel oil, kerosene, other petroleum distillates, or methanol. 2
(Oshima & Hogue:1981)
Exercise 2. Identify the technique of support used: facts, examples, physical description, or
personal experience.
1. Milk is one of the most important sources of nutrition for human being and animals. It is
the first food provided for newborn babies because milk contains a large variety of nutritional
constituents, and at the same time, it is easily digestible. Milk is about 13% solids, and the solid
contain 3.3% protein, 5% carbohydrates, 4% fat, and many vitamins and minerals. Moreover,
milk protein contains all of the essential amino acids like casein and lactobacillus. Lactose is the
principal carbohydrate of milk, and milk is the only source of lactose in nature. Milk also
contains all of known vitamins A, B, D, E, and K. For all this reason, milk consumption is the
keystone of huma beings animals.
2. In indonesia, the government has concentrated o Transmigration Program-moving of

people from one island to another in order to solve their problems and improve living condition
as well. For example, is by moving people from very crowded island like Java to Sumatra and
Kalimantan island which still own many open area that have not been cultivated. Another
example is by moving people from villages which lack of water supply that causes the problem
of land irrigation. The goverment has successfully relocated many people from those islands and
villages to other islands and give them free lands in return to begin their lives again. At the new
places, the government provides the transmigrants living facilities such as home, farming
equipments, and the dams at certain areas for land irrigration. As a results, by implementing the
transmigration program, the government can help those people to overcome their problems and
start a better life through cultivating the fertile lands to produce food and increase their crops.
3. In 1969 when I first entered Moscow Airport coming from my country, I felt for the first
time in my life that I had been carried to an unknown place. After finishing the control
procedures in the airport, I took a taxi to the downtown area. The road, lined with its bare and
yellow tress, contrasted with what I had just left in my country, the Sudan I had left my town in
the middle of summer, where everything was green and lovely. Sitting in the taxi, the bleak, gray
city passed in front of me as if I was watching a movie. I was so completely absorbed in my
thinking that when the driver said something to me I couldn’t understand, even a single word, but
I did understand that he probably meant that I had reached my terminal point. I took my luggage
from the taxi and found myself in front of a huge gray building. I entered the building and went
through a narrow semi-dark corridor until I reached the Foreign Student Office. There they gave
me a key for my room. The room was small, damp, and painted gray. After I tested for a while, I
open the window to look at the street outside. The weather was so cold and dark, the sky covered
with dark colds. I realized then I had left the clear sky and twinkling stard of my country behind.
4. Finding meaningful work requires a thorough job search. There are three main ways to
search for such a job. In today's technological world, most people start their job search on the
Internet. Many websites are available with job postings, descriptions, and contact information for
job seekers. Another way to find a job is to talk to people in the field of interest. This allows a
job seeker to ask questions, gain information, and discuss opportunities. Finally, a person looking
for a meaningful job might first take an internship or apprenticeship in the field in which they are
interested. This allows job seekers to get hands-on experience. By searching the Internet, talking
to people in the field, or taking an internship, job seekers can find meaningful, fulfilling work.
Exercise 3. Write the supporting sentences based on the following topics.
1) Topic Sentence: I like studying English for three reasons.

Supporting sentences:
Reason 1:
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
Reason 2 :
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
Reason 3:
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

Exercise 1 - Identifying Supporting Sentences

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Exercise 1 - Identifying Supporting Sentences

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Exercise 1. Identify the topic sentence of each of the following three paragraphs.

a. Furthermore, researchers are continuing to work on the development of an

b. Researchers in the automobile industry are experimenting with different types of

(Oshima & Hogue:1981)

2. In indonesia, the government has concentrated o Transmigration Program-moving of

Exercise 3. Write the supporting sentences based on the following topics.

1) Topic Sentence: I like studying English for three reasons.

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