Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 948 · 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?
   
   ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
2. 2.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) flying kites (b) the peacock (c) eating healthy food (d) my best friend
3. 3.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) making a rangoli (b) my new bicycle (c) my grandfather (d) our postman
4. 4.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. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
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) our classroom (b) a busy railway station (c) flying kites (d) eating healthy food
7. 7.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
8. 8.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
9. 9.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
10. 10.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
11. 11.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
12. 12.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The railway station is always busy.
13. 13.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) a cricket match (b) the school library (c) the old banyan tree (d) a day at the beach
14. 14.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 oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
15. 15.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
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) ants (b) our classroom (c) the vegetable market (d) elephants
17. 17.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) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
18. 18.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The railway station is always busy.
19. 19.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) our trip to the zoo (b) our school sports day (c) eating healthy food (d) our pet cat
20. 20.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
21. 21.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) my grandfather (b) my new bicycle (c) a busy railway station (d) making a rangoli
22. 22.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) the rainy season (b) elephants (c) our trip to the zoo (d) eating healthy food
23. 23.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
24. 24.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
25. 25.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) my grandfather (b) our school sports day (c) making a rangoli (d) the rainy season
26. 26.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
27. 27.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) the village fair (b) our pet cat (c) our school sports day (d) the rainy season
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
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. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
30. 30.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
31. 31.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) a busy railway station (b) grandma's garden (c) our postman (d) elephants
32. 32.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
33. 33.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
34. 34.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) 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) My grandfather is seventy years old.
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) The railway station is always busy. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
36. 36.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 school library is my favourite place. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
38. 38.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) eating healthy food (b) our trip to the zoo (c) my best friend (d) the vegetable market
39. 39.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) making a rangoli (b) the old banyan tree (c) a cricket match (d) our school sports day
40. 40.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) making a rangoli (b) the school library (c) elephants (d) the vegetable market

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