3.6 choose the supporting sentence that best fits the context

flow of ideas in a paragraph

Sometimes, paragraphs are not written correctly. The flow of paragraph is interrupted when irrelevant sentences are in the paragraph. Irrelevant means not important.

In the following the sentences, find the sentence that interrupts the flow of the paragraph.

Albert is a collector. He has an extensive stamp collection. His toe nail clipping collection is the topic of much discussion. The vacuum bag collection that decorates his bedroom walls is one of a kind. Albert loves to vacuum the house for his parents. He has a rock collection, a comic book collection, and even a used staples collection. It’s no wonder that Albert's friends call him “Mr. Collector.”

Francine was certainly not as popular with her teachers as she was with her peers. She knew that she had earned her back seat in their hearts. She laughed out loud when Mr. Jones made his most serious statements in social studies class. She wrote mean little poems about Miss Baker, the soccer coach, and taped them on hallway walls. Her favorite subject was math. Every day, in every class, Francine would ask, “When can we go home?’

Another unusual thing about Travis is his eating philosophy. He believes that there is no such thing as a breakfast food, lunch food, or supper food. He’ll eat tuna sandwiches for breakfast if the mood strikes. He often eats pancakes for lunch. He frequently goes to the movies in his pajamas before supper. When it’s finally time to go to bed, Travis will have a big bowl of Cheerios.

Optical illusions occur when your eyes and brain give you the wrong idea about the way something looks. Then, your brain makes the wrong interpretation about the new image. Card tricks are awesome. Another optical illusion takes place when the brain cannot choose between equally possible interpretations. In yet another, the brain works perfectly well. However, the bending of light through the atmosphere creates mirages that fool your eyes.

Maria watched the telephone poles flash past her car window in a steady, hypnotic beat. The twisted wires ran from the road to small houses tucked back in the trees. As they raced past her window, she caught glimpses of families: eating at the table, playing in the yard, watching television. Cars drive really fast. Where was her family now? Were they somewhere at the end of one of these telephone wires?

The mountain loomed ahead like a sleeping giant. High above, his icy, pink crown shimmered in the afternoon sun. Beneath the crown, two stony eyes stared from a cliff face. His thick, stocky body sat on a bed of evergreens and, even as he slept, his river fingers combed the forest below, searching for anyone who dared to challenge him. Birds flew by, unaware.

Now: your turn!• Write a paragraph with a minimum of 5

sentences. In your paragraph, write one irrelevant sentence.

• On my cue, give your paragraph to a partner. Your partner will highlight (or underline) the irrelevant sentence in your paragraph.

• Then give your paragraph back to the writer. They should check to see that you found the irrelevant sentence in their paragraph.