Page 38

Selecting a Topic

Before you can begin your topic search, be sure you understand the assignment. The PAST strategy can help you do this. Each letter in PAST stands for one of the parts—P is for purpose, A is for audience, S is for subject, and T is for type.

Let’s say your teacher gave you this assignment: Write a paragraph describing a favorite person and be ready to share this paragraph with your classmates. Here’s how the PAST strategy can be used to understand each part of this assignment.