Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 105 · 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?
   
   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) our trip to the zoo (b) making a rangoli (c) our pet cat (d) the vegetable market
2. 2.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
4. 4.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) making a rangoli (b) saving water (c) a busy railway station (d) the rainy season
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
6. 6.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) a cricket match (b) flying kites (c) our school sports day (d) the school library
7. 7.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 school library (b) elephants (c) a day at the beach (d) making a rangoli
8. 8.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
9. 9.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
10. 10.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 school sports day (c) making a rangoli (d) a visit to an old fort
11. 11.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
13. 13.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) my best friend (b) our pet cat (c) a day at the beach (d) ants
14. 14.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
15. 15.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) my grandfather (b) our classroom (c) the school library (d) a cricket match
16. 16.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) our school sports day (b) our classroom (c) my new bicycle (d) the rainy season
17. 17.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
18. 18.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
19. 19.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) our pet cat (b) the night sky (c) the rainy season (d) our school sports day
20. 20.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) saving water (b) grandma's garden (c) my grandfather (d) the rainy season
21. 21.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
22. 22.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) my grandfather (b) saving water (c) my best friend (d) our pet cat
23. 23.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) elephants (b) the night sky (c) the school library (d) a visit to an old fort
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They have long trunks and big ears. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
25. 25.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
26. 26.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 rainy season (b) a visit to an old fort (c) making a rangoli (d) grandma's garden
27. 27.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
28. 28.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We must not waste water.
29. 29.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) the rainy season (b) our school sports day (c) flying kites (d) a busy railway station
30. 30.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) our classroom (b) the rainy season (c) elephants (d) saving water
31. 31.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
32. 32.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) We must not waste water. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
35. 35.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
36. 36.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
37. 37.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) 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) The peacock is the national bird of India.
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We must not waste water.
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
40. 40.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My best friend is Farhan.

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