Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 994 · 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?
   
   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) the old banyan tree (b) eating healthy food (c) making a rangoli (d) grandma's garden
2. 2.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) the rainy season (b) the vegetable market (c) the school library (d) saving water
3. 3.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
5. 5.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
6. 6.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 vegetable market (b) a day at the beach (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
7. 7.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 rainy season (b) a day at the beach (c) the peacock (d) our pet cat
8. 8.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) the village fair (c) ants (d) the old banyan tree
9. 9.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 trip to the zoo (b) the peacock (c) the old banyan tree (d) our postman
10. 10.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
11. 11.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) my new bicycle (b) flying kites (c) a visit to an old fort (d) making a rangoli
12. 12.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
13. 13.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
14. 14.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
16. 16.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) flying kites (b) our pet cat (c) a busy railway station (d) the old banyan tree
17. 17.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The railway station is always busy.
18. 18.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
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 peacock (c) the school library (d) a day at the beach
20. 20.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
21. 21.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) eating healthy food (b) a busy railway station (c) elephants (d) making a rangoli
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
24. 24.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) saving water (b) a cricket match (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our trip to the zoo
25. 25.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
26. 26.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
27. 27.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) grandma's garden (b) ants (c) a day at the beach (d) my grandfather
28. 28.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) saving water (b) our school sports day (c) the peacock (d) flying kites
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
30. 30.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) We must not waste water.
31. 31.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) a day at the beach (c) making a rangoli (d) a busy railway station
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We must not waste water.
34. 34.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) our classroom (c) our trip to the zoo (d) flying kites
35. 35.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) making a rangoli (c) our classroom (d) a visit to an old fort
36. 36.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
37. 37.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
38. 38.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
39. 39.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
40. 40.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) We must not waste water. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.

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