Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 338 · 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.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) making a rangoli (b) my grandfather (c) elephants (d) our pet cat
2. 2.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
3. 3.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
4. 4.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 visit to an old fort (c) the old banyan tree (d) the night sky
5. 5.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
6. 6.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 vegetable market (b) the village fair (c) my new bicycle (d) grandma's garden
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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
9. 9.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) We must not waste water. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
10. 10.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) grandma's garden (b) the school library (c) our classroom (d) our pet cat
11. 11.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 night sky (b) saving water (c) the village fair (d) flying kites
12. 12.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. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
13. 13.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make 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) flying kites (b) a visit to an old fort (c) a busy railway station (d) my grandfather
15. 15.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) a busy railway station (b) eating healthy food (c) my grandfather (d) the vegetable market
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
17. 17.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 new bicycle (b) the vegetable market (c) grandma's garden (d) our trip to the zoo
18. 18.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
19. 19.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) our school sports day (b) the village fair (c) making a rangoli (d) flying kites
20. 20.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The railway station is always busy.
21. 21.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) the night sky (c) a busy railway station (d) our trip to the zoo
22. 22.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
23. 23.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The railway station is always busy.
24. 24.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) ants (b) my grandfather (c) flying kites (d) our pet cat
25. 25.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 walk one behind the other in a line. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
26. 26.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) ants (b) the vegetable market (c) saving water (d) the rainy season
27. 27.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) our school sports day (b) a day at the beach (c) a busy railway station (d) my best friend
28. 28.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) saving water (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) the night sky
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
31. 31.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We must not waste water.
32. 32.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. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
33. 33.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
34. 34.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. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
35. 35.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The railway station is always busy.
36. 36.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. People bargain loudly over prices. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
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 old banyan tree (b) our postman (c) the village fair (d) the peacock
39. 39.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 pet cat (b) the village fair (c) our classroom (d) a visit to an old fort
40. 40.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.

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