Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 155 · 40 questions

Writing tip (Main idea first): Read the detail sentences and ask: what are they ALL about? The topic sentence names that main idea in one sentence. A sentence about a different topic cannot open the paragraph, however nice it sounds.

1. 1.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The day began with a march past. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The day began with a march past. I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
4. 4.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. First we draw the pattern with white chalk. Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) the school library (b) the vegetable market (c) the night sky (d) making a rangoli
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
9. 9.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
10. 10.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our class visited an old fort on a hill. Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) a visit to an old fort (b) the village fair (c) our trip to the zoo (d) elephants
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
12. 12.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We must not waste water. Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) a cricket match (b) the night sky (c) our classroom (d) saving water
13. 13.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The monsoon is my favourite season. Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) the rainy season (b) a visit to an old fort (c) eating healthy food (d) making a rangoli
14. 14.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The railway station is always busy. Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) a busy railway station (b) our school sports day (c) the village fair (d) making a rangoli
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
16. 16.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Elephants are the biggest land animals. They have long trunks and big ears. An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) saving water (b) my best friend (c) elephants (d) our school sports day
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
19. 19.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandfather is seventy years old. My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) my grandfather (b) our school sports day (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the old banyan tree
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
21. 21.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) elephants (b) flying kites (c) our trip to the zoo (d) my best friend
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
29. 29.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    An old banyan tree stands in our village. Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) grandma's garden (b) the school library (c) the old banyan tree (d) a visit to an old fort
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
31. 31.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We have a pet cat named Mishti. She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) my grandfather (b) our pet cat (c) my best friend (d) flying kites
32. 32.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My best friend is Farhan. Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) my best friend (b) my new bicycle (c) the night sky (d) the old banyan tree
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The railway station is always busy.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
35. 35.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    I got a new bicycle on my birthday. It is red with a shiny silver bell. Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) my new bicycle (b) making a rangoli (c) flying kites (d) the village fair
36. 36.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Ramesh is the postman in our area. He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) the village fair (b) ants (c) the school library (d) our postman
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
38. 38.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The peacock is the national bird of India. It has a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) the peacock (b) eating healthy food (c) making a rangoli (d) our pet cat
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.

Free writing skills lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/english-writing-skills