Irrelevant Sentence

A paragraph of five numbered sentences contains one sentence that breaks the unity of the text. This sentence is usually about the same general subject and may even repeat a key word, but it moves away from the specific topic or interrupts the logical flow.

• Use the first sentence to find the topic. The first sentence is rarely the answer.
• Check the links between sentences: each sentence should connect to the one before it through pronouns, linkers or ideas.
• Beware of the keyword trap: the irrelevant sentence often contains a word from the paragraph (e.g. melatonin, olive) but talks about something else.
• Read the paragraph without your chosen sentence: it should flow perfectly.