Identifying Topic Sentences in Writing

Birds can perform essential tasks like flying and building nests without being taught.

Parents who actively help with homework and show interest in their children's studies often lead to higher grades.

Needy people without another option might enter the US as refugees.

More people are choosing organically grown fruits and vegetables.

Some states have unusual, outdated laws.

A cat's whiskers are extremely sensitive touch organs.

People are living longer for a variety of reasons.

The style of clothing a person wears as part of a uniform; it's often specific and less diverse than casual clothing.

Convenience, use in emergencies, and improved money management skills.

Punctuation mark used to end a sentence that is not a question or exclamation.

Certain abbreviations use periods (e.g., a.m.) while others do not (e.g., Mr).

Three consecutive periods (...) used to indicate an incomplete thought or a partial quotation.

Marks used to structure and clarify writing to create sense, clarity, and emphasis.

The grammatical rule that the verb must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject.

Speaking or writing harshly about something or someone.

Greatly admired and respected.

A subject that refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

To work, especially hard and for a long time.

A subject that refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

Phrases or clauses that describe or add information about the subject or verb, but don't change the subject's number.

People living as members of a group.

A group of words beginning with a preposition (e.g., along with, besides) that act as modifiers, not subjects.

Someone who goes where they are not wanted or belong.

The leading or principal expert in a field.

A sentence structure where the verb comes before the subject.

Pronouns that do not refer to a specific person, place, or thing.

Not lasting long; temporary.

A disagreement or argument.

Indefinite pronouns that refer to a single thing (or person, place, etc.)

To come together.

Jacques Cousteau explored ancient Greek shipwrecks and documented underwater ice sculptures in Antarctica .

Cousteau received the Legion of Honor (France) for his military service and numerous Emmy nominations for his documentaries.

In his later years he stopped diving but continued to dedicate his efforts to protecting the oceans and educating the public about them.

A reference to something else, often in literature.

A misleading image, object, or idea.

Used when referring to three or more things.

Used when referring to two things.

The result or consequence of something.

To cause something to happen.

To influence or impact something.

Used for countable things.

Used for uncountable things.

To put to death by hanging.

To suspend.

The holiday the author enjoys the most, based on the provided text.

The holidays when the author's grandmother cooks particular dishes, like cupcakes.

The type of present that the author got in Christmas.

The costume the author wore on Halloween the previous year.

What the author values/desires most in the holidays.

The probable costume the author will wear for Halloween in the next year, based on previous behavior.

The central topic or theme of the passage; the author's feelings towards different holidays.

The best title that summarizes all the main ideas of the passage.