topic

/ˈtɒpɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɑːpɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtä-pik/ (ame, mw)

topic — noun

  • topicsingular
  • topicsplural

1. an idea, event, or area of knowledge that people choose to talk or write about —

1.名詞A2
釋義

an idea, event, or area of knowledge that people choose to talk or write about — for instance, health in a doctor's meeting, or dinosaurs in a history lesson.

例句

Amihan chose climate change as the topic for his class presentation.

choose [something] as the topic — verb + topic pattern

The main topic of today's staff meeting is the new safety rules.

main topic of [event] — common collocation

同義詞
  • subject

    more general than 'topic'; can refer to a whole field of study

  • theme

    suggests a recurring or unifying idea, especially in literature or art

  • issue

    a topic that people disagree about or that has practical importance

  • matter

    a formal or impersonal topic, often in business or official contexts

文法句型

topic of [subject]

topic for [purpose]

choose/pick a topic

用法筆記

Topic is narrower and more specific than 'subject.' You can talk about the 'subject' of a book generally, but its 'topics' are the individual ideas covered within it.

常見錯誤

❌I need to find a topic to write my essay about.
✅I need to find a topic for my essay.
💡'topic for' is more natural when stating the purpose of the writing.

2. directly connected to the idea or subject that people are currently discussing o

2.名詞B1
釋義

directly connected to the idea or subject that people are currently discussing or studying — used primarily in the phrase 'on topic'.

例句

Please keep your questions on topic during the twenty-minute Q&A session.

keep + on topic — fixed phrasal structure

Every paragraph in your essay should stay on topic and support your main argument.

stay on topic — common verb + phrase

同義詞
  • relevant

    the more general term; available in any register

  • pertinent

    more formal than 'on topic'; suggests strong logical relevance

反義詞

文法句型

on topic (after verbs: keep, stay, remain)

on-topic (hyphenated before a noun)

用法筆記

Nearly always appears in the fixed phrase 'on topic' after a linking verb (be, stay, keep, remain). When placed before a noun, use a hyphen: 'an on-topic remark.'

常見錯誤

❌Your question is very on-topic.
✅Your question is very on topic.
💡After a verb, do not use a hyphen. The hyphen is only needed when the phrase comes before a noun: 'an on-topic question.'

3. not connected to the idea or subject that people are currently discussing or stu

3.名詞B1
釋義

not connected to the idea or subject that people are currently discussing or studying — used primarily in the phrase 'off topic'.

例句

His question about the cafeteria menu was completely off topic in the physics lesson.

completely off topic — intensifier + phrase

The teacher asked the students to stop sharing off-topic stories during group work.

off-topic as hyphenated adjective before a noun

同義詞
  • irrelevant

    the more general and formal term; can describe any lack of connection

  • unrelated

    suggests two things simply lack a connection, not necessarily that one distracts from the other

反義詞

文法句型

off topic (after verbs: go, be)

off-topic (hyphenated before a noun)

用法筆記

Appears mainly in the fixed phrase 'off topic' after a linking verb. Before a noun, hyphenate: 'an off-topic comment.' The verb 'go off topic' is common in classroom and meeting settings to describe when a discussion moves away from the original subject.

常見錯誤

❌The student kept going off-topic.
✅The student kept going off topic.
💡In the verb phrase 'go off topic', no hyphen is needed because the phrase follows a verb.