Primary Chinese | Finding Topic Sentences (Tutor Guide) | Four Paragraphs, Three First, One Last

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Pupils copy whole paragraphs into answer lines because they cannot tell which sentence carries the point. This lesson drills one move: circle one sentence per paragraph before answering anything.

Objectives — Pupils will: (1) explain the difference between a topic sentence and a supporting sentence, and locate topic sentences in a 4-paragraph text; (2) use the order “first sentence, then last”, finding the topic sentence in 3 first-sentence paragraphs and 1 last-sentence paragraph; (3) summarise a paragraph in their own words without copying; (4) complete 3 texts in 18 minutes (40% of the lesson).

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Paragraph idea	How many points does one paragraph usually make?	One; the rest support it
Connectors	What do “for example” and “therefore” introduce?	An example, a result
Summarising	How do you state a paragraph in ten characters?	Keep subject and conclusion only

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	Hook: choose one of two sentences	Read a paragraph, ask which sentence stands for it	Choose and justify
5-9 min	Act 1: topic vs supporting	Board the difference between the two kinds	Label one per paragraph
9-13 min	Act 2: first sentence first	Model circling the first sentence in 3 paragraphs	Circle three first sentences
13-17 min	Act 3: when the last sentence carries it	In 1 paragraph the first sentence is an example	Circle the last sentence
17-35 min	Three timed texts (18 min)	3 texts x 6 minutes, circle before answering	All circles before answers
35-40 min	Check and justify	Ask why another sentence is not the topic sentence	Name it as supporting
40-45 min	Exit check	Three oral questions	Re-circle one paragraph if stuck

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Separate the two kinds of sentence

Board two sentences: “Country parks cover about forty per cent of Hong Kong land.” and “For example, Tai Mo Shan and Shing Mun are country parks.” Ask which one stands for the paragraph. Most choose the first, but they must give the reason: delete the second and the point survives.
Definition: topic sentence = the paragraph loses its meaning without it; supporting sentence = the point survives, only the evidence is missing.

Pupils do: run the deletion test twice, once per sentence.

Scene 2: First sentence first, one circle per paragraph

Hand out a 4-paragraph text. The rule: read the first sentence; if it already covers the paragraph, circle it and move on. Model 3 paragraphs, stating each point in one line.
Tell them the first sentence often uses “X is…” or “X is divided into…”; those patterns are the cue.

Pupils say: what does the paragraph lose if your circled sentence is deleted?

Scene 3: Last sentence, and answers that are not copied

The first sentence of paragraph 4 is an example (“For example…”) and the point sits in the last sentence behind “therefore” or “so”. Model underlining it, then restating it in the pupil’s own words.
Fixed answer form: begin “This paragraph explains…” and compress the circled sentence to ten characters.

Remind: an answer as long as the original means the text was copied, not read.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Circle the topic sentence	Given a paragraph, circle the sentence that stands for it	Run the deletion test twice	Meaning breaks without it
Classify a sentence	Is “for example…” a topic or supporting sentence?	Ask whether the point survives deletion	Supporting
Summarise	State the paragraph in ten characters	Keep subject and conclusion, drop examples	Ten characters, no copying
Justify paragraphs	Why cannot two paragraphs be merged?	Find each paragraph’s point	Different points cannot merge

Sanity check (teach this): Count: 4 paragraphs = 3 first-sentence type + 1 last-sentence type. Demonstration 12 minutes (three acts of 4), practice 18 (40%), hook 5, checking 5, exit 5; total 45 minutes. 3 texts at 6 minutes each, circling before answering, fits Primary 4.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Circle four paragraphs	One sentence per paragraph, label first or last	No example sentences circled
Deletion test	Delete each sentence and record whether the point survives	Both tests recorded
Ten-character summary	Compress the circled sentence	Not a copy of the original

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Circling the example	Circled “For example, Tai Mo Shan…”	“Delete it. Does the paragraph still make sense?”
Copying the paragraph	Answer as long as the original	“Say it again in your own ten characters.”
Assuming first sentence always	Circled the first sentence in the last-sentence paragraph	“The first sentence is an example. Check the last one for therefore.”
Splitting by length	A new paragraph every three lines	“Merge paragraphs that share a point; length is irrelevant.”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 4 Chinese paper — Reading task: circle topic sentences in two paragraphs and summarise
Primary 5 Chinese paper — Reading task: identify one first-sentence and one last-sentence paragraph
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
How do you test a topic sentence?	Delete it and see if the point survives	Cannot explain means redo
Where do you look if the first sentence is an example?	The last sentence, for therefore or so	Still circling the first means error
May answers copy the text?	No, compress into your own words	Copying counts as unfinished

09 Tutor FAQ

What if a pupil circles two sentences?

Make them delete each one in turn and keep only the sentence whose removal breaks the paragraph.

Should they read the whole text first?

No. Circle paragraph by paragraph, then look at how paragraphs relate; it is faster and more accurate.

Must the summary be ten characters?

Ten is a practice cap that forces deletion of examples; fifteen is acceptable in an exam.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.