Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 291 · 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?
   
   ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
3. 3.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) flying kites (b) the rainy season (c) grandma's garden (d) the vegetable market
4. 4.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) my best friend (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our postman (d) ants
5. 5.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 old banyan tree (b) a busy railway station (c) making a rangoli (d) my grandfather
6. 6.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We must not waste water.
7. 7.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) a day at the beach (b) a cricket match (c) our postman (d) saving water
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants store food for the winter. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
9. 9.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
11. 11.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. We may borrow two books every week. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
13. 13.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Ants are tiny but very hard-working. They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) the night sky (b) our school sports day (c) my best friend (d) ants
14. 14.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 postman (c) a day at the beach (d) ants
15. 15.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 peacock (b) the school library (c) my new bicycle (d) our pet cat
16. 16.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
18. 18.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) grandma's garden (b) our trip to the zoo (c) my best friend (d) the old banyan tree
19. 19.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) our trip to the zoo (b) my new bicycle (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our school sports day
20. 20.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our school sports day was full of fun. The day began with a march past. I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) the village fair (b) our school sports day (c) ants (d) our trip to the zoo
21. 21.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
22. 22.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    A fair comes to our village every winter. There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) our school sports day (b) the rainy season (c) the peacock (d) the village fair
23. 23.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 school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
24. 24.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandmother has a lovely garden. Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) my grandfather (b) eating healthy food (c) a day at the beach (d) grandma's garden
25. 25.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) grandma's garden (b) a busy railway station (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our school sports day
26. 26.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The railway station is always busy.
27. 27.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) making a rangoli (b) our postman (c) the rainy season (d) ants
28. 28.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) the village fair (b) the vegetable market (c) my best friend (d) making a rangoli
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
30. 30.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We must not waste water.
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
37. 37.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) my grandfather (b) our classroom (c) the old banyan tree (d) our pet cat
38. 38.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The railway station is always busy.
40. 40.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. Farhan and I play football after school. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.

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