Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 399 · 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?
   
   ___ 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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We must not waste water. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
2. 2.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
3. 3.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) grandma's garden (c) my new bicycle (d) a day at the beach
4. 4.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
5. 5.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. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
6. 6.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) a cricket match (b) my new bicycle (c) making a rangoli (d) our classroom
7. 7.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
8. 8.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) elephants (b) a day at the beach (c) the night sky (d) our postman
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. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
10. 10.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
12. 12.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
13. 13.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
14. 14.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) my grandfather (b) our postman (c) the night sky (d) our trip to the zoo
15. 15.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) grandma's garden (b) ants (c) the old banyan tree (d) our pet cat
16. 16.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) my new bicycle (b) a cricket match (c) our postman (d) a visit to an old fort
17. 17.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) a visit to an old fort (b) ants (c) the village fair (d) my new bicycle
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
19. 19.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) the vegetable market (c) a visit to an old fort (d) saving water
20. 20.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) the village fair (b) the old banyan tree (c) eating healthy food (d) a busy railway station
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) a visit to an old fort (b) the vegetable market (c) making a rangoli (d) our trip to the zoo
22. 22.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
23. 23.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) our postman (b) saving water (c) our pet cat (d) my grandfather
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
25. 25.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) our postman (b) our pet cat (c) making a rangoli (d) the school library
26. 26.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
27. 27.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) the night sky (b) our school sports day (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a day at the beach
28. 28.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
29. 29.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
30. 30.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 best friend (b) saving water (c) making a rangoli (d) our pet cat
31. 31.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) our pet cat (c) saving water (d) our postman
32. 32.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
33. 33.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) a cricket match (c) elephants (d) our postman
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
35. 35.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
37. 37.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) the peacock (c) the rainy season (d) our school sports day
38. 38.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
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 school library is my favourite place. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The railway station is always busy.
40. 40.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.

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