Read the sample paragraph and discuss the questions below with a partner.
1. What is the topic sentence in this paragraph?
2. What two examples support the topic sentence?
3. How did the writer feel about this transition in his or her life?
4. How do the bolded expressions help you understand the writer's meaning?
When I finished middle school and started high school, my parents began to give me more responsibilities. I had already started to wash some of my own clothes when I had no homework to do, but that summer it became my responsibility to do laundry for the whole family. My other chore was buying groceries for my elderly grandmother, who lived a few blocks away from my neighborhood. I went to visit her twice a week, and I asked her what she needed from the grocery store. She gave me the shopping list and some money, and | returned with her food, soap, and other necessities. It wasn't hard to do at all. In fact, it was fun and I really enjoyed spending time with her that way. I also began to feel good about doing my family’s laundry each week. It felt like I was learning to take responsibility and moving from childhood toward adulthood.
