Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 100 · 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?
   
   ___ The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
2. 2.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
3. 3.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
4. 4.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
5. 5.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We must not waste water.
6. 6.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We must not waste water. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
7. 7.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
8. 8.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) the rainy season (b) the vegetable market (c) making a rangoli (d) a busy railway station
9. 9.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 school library (b) flying kites (c) our trip to the zoo (d) ants
10. 10.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
11. 11.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) grandma's garden (b) my best friend (c) elephants (d) the rainy season
12. 12.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
13. 13.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
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. Children float paper boats in puddles. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
15. 15.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) grandma's garden (c) a day at the beach (d) a busy railway station
16. 16.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) our classroom (b) a cricket match (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a visit to an old fort
17. 17.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 best friend (b) making a rangoli (c) our school sports day (d) a cricket match
18. 18.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
19. 19.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
20. 20.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 trip to the zoo (c) our school sports day (d) the night sky
21. 21.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) grandma's garden (c) flying kites (d) the peacock
22. 22.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) a cricket match (b) the night sky (c) elephants (d) the school library
23. 23.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
24. 24.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
25. 25.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) our trip to the zoo (b) our postman (c) eating healthy food (d) grandma's garden
26. 26.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
27. 27.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) our trip to the zoo (c) grandma's garden (d) the old banyan tree
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
29. 29.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) making a rangoli (b) the night sky (c) a cricket match (d) our classroom
30. 30.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
31. 31.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) the peacock (b) my best friend (c) eating healthy food (d) a visit to an old fort
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
35. 35.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
36. 36.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
37. 37.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
38. 38.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) a cricket match (b) a day at the beach (c) our pet cat (d) eating healthy food
39. 39.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
40. 40.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.

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