Quick-Write: Paragraph Unity

Directions:

• Answer the question.
• Keep writing until time expires.
• Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
• Remember there is sometimes more than one correct answer.

(1) What is the topic sentence? (2) Where does this paragraph lose unity (go off-topic)? Why? How do you know?

[1] Among the oddities of the plant world, Venus’s-flytrap is one of the most interesting. [2] Venus is the mythological goddess of love. [3] It is a carnivorous plant that catches and devours insects and occasionally even small birds. [4] This is done by means of paired lobes that resemble the halves of an oyster or clam. [5] When the lobes are open, they expose a colorful interior that attracts insects in search of nectar. [6] Once it is distributed, the powerful lobes snap shut, and strong digestive juices go to work to break down and assimilate the body. [7] Some people have successfully grown these plants in their homes.