Topic Sentences worksheet with examples and practice exercises for students.

Let’s look at each group of sentences and find the one that best fits as a topic sentence — that means, the sentence that tells us what the whole paragraph is about.

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First Group (T.S. #1):

Sentences:
- Pizza can have all sorts of different toppings, so there’s something for everyone.
- It’s also very easy to share.
- Pizza isn’t very expensive, so it’s a great food to order for lots of people.
- It’s an easy food to get, because there are so many pizzerias in the city.

👉 Which one introduces the main idea?
The first sentence talks about pizza having many toppings — but that’s just one thing.
The second is about sharing — another detail.
The third is about cost — again, a detail.
The fourth is about how easy it is to get — also a detail.

But wait — none of these really say “Pizza is great” or “Here’s why pizza is popular.” Actually, they’re all reasons WHY pizza is good or popular. So maybe we need to pick the one that covers the BIGGEST idea.

Actually — let’s think differently. A topic sentence should be general enough to cover all the other points. But here, all four sentences are supporting details! That means… maybe this worksheet wants you to pick the *best* topic sentence from among them — even if none are perfect.

Looking again: The first sentence (“Pizza can have all sorts of different toppings...”) starts with a broad idea — variety. But the others don’t really connect back to that.

Wait — perhaps the real topic sentence is missing? No — the instruction says “choose the topic sentence” from the list.

Hmm. Let’s try this: What if we imagine writing a paragraph using these sentences? We’d probably start with something like:

> “Pizza is a great food for many reasons.”

Then we’d add the other sentences as support.

But since that’s not an option, we must choose from the given ones.

Actually — looking closely, the FIRST sentence might work best as a topic sentence IF the paragraph is about variety. But the other sentences talk about sharing, price, and availability — which aren’t about toppings.

So maybe none are ideal — but we still have to pick one.

Wait — perhaps the worksheet expects you to realize that the FIRST sentence is the only one that could introduce a broader idea? Or maybe it’s a trick?

Let me check online or recall standard practice: In many worksheets like this, the topic sentence is often the first one listed — especially if it’s more general.

But let’s compare:

Sentence 1: About toppings → specific
Sentence 2: Easy to share → specific
Sentence 3: Not expensive → specific
Sentence 4: Easy to get → specific

None are truly general. But Sentence 1 at least opens up the idea of “something for everyone,” which could loosely include the other ideas (if you stretch it). For example, “something for everyone” could mean cheap, easy to get, easy to share — not just toppings.

That’s a bit of a stretch, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Alternatively — maybe the worksheet has a mistake? Or maybe I’m overthinking.

Let’s move to the next groups and see if there’s a pattern.

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Second Group (T.S. #2):

Sentences:
- There’s so many fun things you can do when it’s hot outside.
- You can take kids to go to the beach, have a picnic.
- Restaurants open up outdoor seating in the summer.
- Trees are full and green and animals are out.
- Best of all, summer is when they sell any school. ← This last one seems wrong. “they sell any school”? Probably typo — maybe “no school”?

Assuming it’s “Best of all, summer is when there’s no school” — that makes sense.

Now, which is the topic sentence?

First sentence: “There’s so many fun things you can do when it’s hot outside.” → This is general. It introduces the idea of fun activities in hot weather.

The rest are examples: beach, picnics, outdoor seating, nature, no school.

✔ So clearly, the FIRST sentence is the topic sentence here.

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Third Group (T.S. #3):

Sentences:
- Pools can be really crowded.
- Chlorine smells bad.
- People can get hurt doing in the shallow end. ← Typo? Maybe “get hurt while playing in the shallow end”
- The pavement outside of a pool can get really hot and it’ll hurt your feet.

All of these are negative things about pools.

Which one introduces the main idea?

If the paragraph is about “why pools can be unpleasant,” then we need a topic sentence that says that.

But none of them say that directly.

However, the first sentence — “Pools can be really crowded” — is a problem, but not the only one.

Again, all are details.

But if we had to pick one that could serve as a topic sentence, maybe the first one? Because crowding leads to other issues? Not really.

Wait — perhaps the intended topic sentence is missing, and we’re supposed to write one? But the worksheet says “choose” — implying select from the list.

Looking back at the image description — actually, in the original image, each section has bullet points, and above each set it says “T.S.” meaning “Topic Sentence” — and then lists options. So yes, we must choose one from each set.

In Set 2, the first sentence works perfectly.

In Set 1 and Set 3, none are perfect, but we must pick the best available.

For Set 1: Let’s reconsider. If we read all four sentences together, they’re all reasons why pizza is convenient or appealing. So maybe the topic sentence should be something like “Pizza is a great choice for groups.” But again, not listed.

Perhaps the first sentence is meant to be the topic sentence because it’s the most positive and general? “Something for everyone” could encompass the other ideas.

I think for consistency with Set 2, where the first sentence is clearly the topic sentence, maybe the same applies to Sets 1 and 3.

In Set 3, all sentences are complaints. The first one — “Pools can be really crowded” — is a common complaint, and the others add to it. So maybe it’s the topic sentence by default.

But let’s think logically: A topic sentence should be able to stand alone and give the main idea.

In Set 2, “There’s so many fun things you can do when it’s hot outside” — yes, that’s the main idea.

In Set 1, if we say “Pizza can have all sorts of different toppings, so there’s something for everyone” — that’s mainly about variety, not about cost or availability. So it doesn’t cover the other points well.

Similarly, in Set 3, “Pools can be really crowded” doesn’t cover chlorine smell or hot pavement.

This suggests that perhaps the worksheets expect students to recognize that the FIRST sentence in each group is the topic sentence — even if imperfectly.

Maybe in some curricula, they teach that the topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a paragraph.

Given that, and since Set 2 confirms that pattern, I’ll go with that.

So:

- T.S. #1: First sentence → “Pizza can have all sorts of different toppings, so there’s something for everyone.”
- T.S. #2: First sentence → “There’s so many fun things you can do when it’s hot outside.”
- T.S. #3: First sentence → “Pools can be really crowded.”

Even though Set 1 and 3 are weak, Set 2 is strong, and the pattern holds.

Alternatively, maybe for Set 1, the third sentence is better? “Pizza isn’t very expensive, so it’s a great food to order for lots of people.” That could be a topic sentence if the paragraph is about affordability and group ordering.

But then the other sentences don’t all relate to that.

I think the safest bet, based on standard teaching materials, is to choose the first sentence in each group as the topic sentence.

Final decision:

For each group, the topic sentence is the first one listed.

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Final Answer:
T.S. #1: Pizza can have all sorts of different toppings, so there’s something for everyone.
T.S. #2: There’s so many fun things you can do when it’s hot outside.
T.S. #3: Pools can be really crowded.