New York State Elementary Test Prep- ELA 4- 4th Grade

The main idea in a paragraph is stated within the topic sentence. Most often times the topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. Sometimes however, it can be found in the middle or even at the end of the paragraph.

Read the paragraphs below. Notice the highlighted sentences are the topic sentences.

We had a great time at the lacrosse game last Wednesday night. My dad took four of my friends and me to the dome at seven o'clock. We sat with other kids from our school. Our team was behind at the half, but pulled ahead to win by four goals. After the game we stopped for ice-cream before going home.

The alarm clock sounded for a full two minutes before Katie heard it. Even then, she put her pillow over her head, rolled over and groaned loudly. Getting up early in the morning was always hard for Katie. As usual, her mom had to pull the blankets off her and make her get up for school.

Review
As you can see in the first paragraph above, the topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph. In the second sentence, the topic sentence was located in the middle of the paragraph.

Click on the magnifying glass below to create some of your own!