Week 2 Exercise Exercise 3-1, p. 42 Underline the topic sentence in the following paragraph and cross out any material that does
not clarify or develop the central idea. Quilt making has served as an important means of social, political, and artistic expression for women. In the nineteenth century, quilting circles provided one of the few opportunities for women to forge social bonds outside of their families. Once a week or more, they came together to sew as well as trade small talk, advice, and news. They used dyed cotton fabrics much like the fabrics quilters use today; surprisingly, quilters' basic materials haven't changed that much over the years. Sometimes the women joined their efforts in support of a political cause, making quilts that would be raffled to raise money for temperance societies, - hospitals for sick and wounded soldiers, and the fight against slavery. Quilt making also afforded women a means of artistic expression at a time when they had few other creative outlets. Within their socially acceptable roles as homemakers, many quilters subtly pushed back at the restrictions placed on them by experimenting with color, design, and technique.
1. The topic sentence in the passage is underlined as follows: "Quilt making has ... expression for women."
The topic sentence discusses the role of quilt making in enabling women to self-express themselves.
2. The material that does not clarify or develop the central idea is: "They used dyed cotton fabrics ...; surprisingly, ... years."
This statement has no relevance to the topic sentence. It digresses from the main topic to discuss the materials used for quilting instead of concentrating on the social, political, and artistic significance that quilting generates for women, as captured in the topic sentence.
Thus, the topic sentence captures the main idea of the passage. Other sentences help to develop and support the main idea.
