WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.186 --> 00:00:01.542 Which of the following would best 2 00:00:01.542 --> 00:00:03.878 be described as the topic sentence 3 00:00:03.878 --> 00:00:05.270 of the passage above. 4 00:00:05.270 --> 00:00:07.334 Be careful on the exam because 5 00:00:07.334 --> 00:00:09.974 a lot of times our instinct would be to choose 6 00:00:09.974 --> 00:00:11.686 the first sentence of a passage 7 00:00:11.686 --> 00:00:13.286 when it asks for the topic sentence, 8 00:00:13.286 --> 00:00:14.366 cause that's where we're often 9 00:00:14.366 --> 00:00:16.454 used to seeing the topic sentence. 10 00:00:16.454 --> 00:00:18.678 But, in most cases, on the exam, 11 00:00:18.678 --> 00:00:19.814 they're gonna try to trick you 12 00:00:19.814 --> 00:00:20.902 into choosing the first one 13 00:00:20.902 --> 00:00:22.486 when in fact the topic sentence 14 00:00:22.486 --> 00:00:24.886 is buried further down into the passage. 15 00:00:24.886 --> 00:00:26.992 So, don't assume it's the first sentence. 16 00:00:28.332 --> 00:00:29.830 What is a topic sentence? 17 00:00:29.830 --> 00:00:31.366 The topic sentence is a sentence 18 00:00:31.366 --> 00:00:34.246 that introduces, or basically lays out 19 00:00:34.246 --> 00:00:37.990 the main idea that most of the passage is about, 20 00:00:37.990 --> 00:00:40.090 or most of the paragraph is about. 21 00:00:41.370 --> 00:00:45.330 So, let's look and see what is this really about, 22 00:00:45.330 --> 00:00:48.166 and then which sentence really lays that out. 23 00:00:48.166 --> 00:00:51.254 which one really puts that topic out 24 00:00:51.254 --> 00:00:53.556 in the broad sense or introduces it. 25 00:00:54.716 --> 00:00:55.974 So, first sentence says, 26 00:00:55.974 --> 00:00:57.494 "With it's warm weather, sunshine, 27 00:00:57.494 --> 00:01:00.086 and dozens of tourist attractions, California draws 28 00:01:00.086 --> 00:01:02.272 thousands of visitors from all over the world." 29 00:01:02.422 --> 00:01:05.206 Is most of this passage about the many 30 00:01:05.206 --> 00:01:07.254 tourist attractions in California? 31 00:01:07.254 --> 00:01:08.950 No, it's really not, right? 32 00:01:08.950 --> 00:01:11.718 It's about one specific tourist attraction. 33 00:01:11.718 --> 00:01:13.328 Or one specific place. 34 00:01:14.806 --> 00:01:16.582 Two, "While cities such as San Diego, 35 00:01:16.582 --> 00:01:18.390 Los Angeles, and San Francisco 36 00:01:18.390 --> 00:01:19.878 often take center stage, 37 00:01:19.878 --> 00:01:21.414 many of the state's smaller towns 38 00:01:21.414 --> 00:01:24.030 also present wonderful opportunities 39 00:01:24.030 --> 00:01:26.486 for adventure, fun, and relaxation." 40 00:01:27.616 --> 00:01:29.856 So, is this about the smaller towns? 41 00:01:30.894 --> 00:01:32.886 We may say, oh yea, it is. 42 00:01:32.886 --> 00:01:35.510 Cause it's talking about this small town, Oak Glen, 43 00:01:35.510 --> 00:01:37.702 but is it about all smaller towns, 44 00:01:37.702 --> 00:01:39.878 or is it about this one specific town. 45 00:01:39.878 --> 00:01:42.054 Most of the sentences that follow are about 46 00:01:42.054 --> 00:01:44.918 this specific town of Oak Glen. 47 00:01:44.918 --> 00:01:48.982 So two is also an attractive wrong answer. 48 00:01:48.982 --> 00:01:51.506 Three says, "One great small town 49 00:01:51.506 --> 00:01:53.462 tourist stop is Oak Glen, 50 00:01:53.462 --> 00:01:54.854 nestled at the base of the Cal- 51 00:01:54.854 --> 00:01:56.806 of the San Bernardino mountains." 52 00:01:56.806 --> 00:01:58.470 And then when we read on, 53 00:01:58.470 --> 00:02:00.806 sentence four says, "Rooted in a tradition 54 00:02:00.806 --> 00:02:02.678 of apple growing, Oak Glen offers visitors 55 00:02:02.678 --> 00:02:04.660 the chance to do this, and this, and this." 56 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.358 Sentence five describes the hay rides, the petting zoos. 57 00:02:08.358 --> 00:02:10.054 The other things they have at Oak Glen. 58 00:02:10.054 --> 00:02:12.566 So really everything after sentence three 59 00:02:12.566 --> 00:02:14.806 is expanding on why Oak Glen 60 00:02:14.806 --> 00:02:16.502 is a good tourist attraction. 61 00:02:16.502 --> 00:02:18.950 So sentence three is the one that introduces 62 00:02:18.950 --> 00:02:22.448 what most of this paragraph is really about. 63 00:02:22.454 --> 00:02:24.278 There's no supporting sentences 64 00:02:24.278 --> 00:02:26.186 that really expand on or build on 65 00:02:27.186 --> 00:02:30.276 all of the attractions in California, 66 00:02:30.276 --> 00:02:34.438 or that talk about other small towns. 67 00:02:34.438 --> 00:02:35.782 So there's nothing to support one, 68 00:02:35.782 --> 00:02:37.670 and nothing to support two. 69 00:02:37.670 --> 00:02:39.670 Three is the one where other sentences 70 00:02:39.670 --> 00:02:41.654 expand on the idea it introduced. 71 00:02:41.654 --> 00:02:43.644 And that's why three is the topic sentence.