Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 204 · 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?
   
   ___ Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) We must not waste water. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) We must not waste water. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
5. 5.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The railway station is always busy.
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
9. 9.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
10. 10.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
11. 11.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    In January, the sky fills with kites. Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) the night sky (b) flying kites (c) the vegetable market (d) our postman
12. 12.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
13. 13.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 cricket match (b) my best friend (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the school library
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They have long trunks and big ears. An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
15. 15.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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) a day at the beach (b) our pet cat (c) grandma's garden (d) elephants
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
20. 20.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our school library is my favourite place. It has tall shelves full of storybooks. The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) the school library (b) a busy railway station (c) the old banyan tree (d) ants
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
22. 22.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We spent a happy day at the beach. The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) my grandfather (b) our postman (c) saving water (d) a day at the beach
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
24. 24.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
25. 25.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) the school library (b) my new bicycle (c) the rainy season (d) our trip to the zoo
26. 26.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
27. 27.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) our pet cat (b) our school sports day (c) a cricket match (d) grandma's garden
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. We collected shells near the shore. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
29. 29.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our classroom is bright and clean. It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) our classroom (b) my grandfather (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the vegetable market
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They have long trunks and big ears. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
33. 33.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
35. 35.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The night sky is full of wonders. Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) the old banyan tree (b) the school library (c) saving water (d) the night sky
36. 36.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) elephants (b) our school sports day (c) the rainy season (d) the peacock
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. The librarian helps us find good books. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We must not waste water.
39. 39.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. The postman knows every house on our street. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
40. 40.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The vegetable market near our house opens early. Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) my new bicycle (b) the vegetable market (c) a day at the beach (d) my best friend

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