What is a topic

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Topic
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What is a topic?
"A topic is a word or phrase that tells what the
author is writing about in a paragraph."
(from Opening Doors, p.191)
(It) is a word or phrase that labels the
subject but does not reveal the specific contents
of the passage. (from Bridging the Gap College
Reading, p.124
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How to find the topic?
To find the topic of a paragraph or passage,
First, skim - the Title and Subtitles -
Key nouns, especially in the first and
second sentences - Any numbers or charts
Next, ask yourself Who or what is this paragraph
about?
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Clues to Topic Location
The topic can . . .

• Appear as a heading or title

Doing Business and Learning About a Culture
Through Its Language (p.192 from Opening Doors)

• Appear in special type such as bold print,
  italics, or color

"A felony is a serious crime . . . A misdemeanor
is a minor offense, . . ." (p.193 from Opening
Doors)
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Topic
Where else can we look?

• Look for repetition

"Claustrophobia. Acrophobia. Xenophobia. Although
these sound like characters in a Greek tragedy,
they are actually members of a class of
psychological disorders known as phobias. . . ."
(p.193 from Opening Doors)

• Watch out for pronouns!

"Before the age of 13, Isaac Newton had invented
the mathematical methods . . . His was a lonely .
. . His father died . . ., and after his mother
remarried, he was raised by . . . In 1661, he was
admitted to Cambridge University, . . ."
(pp.193-194 from Opening Doors)
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"Topics are general categories, like titles,
but they are not main ideas."
(from Bridging the Gap College Reading, p.124)
What is the topic for each set of items?
1) shirt, pants, jacket, sweater
CLOTHES
2) history, reading, math, English
COURSES
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Topic
What is the topic for the cluster below?
Favorite Room
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Topic
What is the topic for the cluster below?
My Mother
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Topic
What is the topic for the passage below?
My Favorite Book
I dont know where to start. I read so many
books that are interesting that its hard to
choose just one. I guess I could start by
talking about the kinds of books I really like.
I like biographies and autobiographies the best.
I really enjoy reading about another persons
life. One of my favorite books is called Roots
by Alex Haley. How the author was able to trace
his family history all the way back to Africa was
amazing! Another book I really enjoyed was Carl
Sandburgs biography of Abraham Lincoln. What an
incredible president! There are also some very
interesting books about leaders like Napoleon,
Churchill, and Stalin. Well, I guess that gives
me a few ideas about where I can start on my
topic.
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Topic

• Lets practice!