Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 107 · 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?
   
   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) our school sports day (c) our classroom (d) making a rangoli
2. 2.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
5. 5.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) eating healthy food (c) making a rangoli (d) my new bicycle
6. 6.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
7. 7.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) a cricket match (b) our postman (c) our pet cat (d) the village fair
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants store food for the winter. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
9. 9.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) making a rangoli (b) our postman (c) our school sports day (d) elephants
10. 10.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) my best friend (b) my grandfather (c) our postman (d) our school sports day
11. 11.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) the rainy season (b) the old banyan tree (c) a busy railway station (d) our trip to the zoo
12. 12.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) our classroom (b) our trip to the zoo (c) a busy railway station (d) my best friend
13. 13.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
14. 14.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 best friend (b) the rainy season (c) saving water (d) the peacock
15. 15.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
16. 16.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
17. 17.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) the old banyan tree (b) a visit to an old fort (c) grandma's garden (d) my grandfather
18. 18.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) my grandfather (b) my new bicycle (c) our trip to the zoo (d) ants
19. 19.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 peacock (b) the rainy season (c) the village fair (d) a day at the beach
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
21. 21.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
22. 22.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We must not waste water.
23. 23.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
24. 24.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. 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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
26. 26.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
29. 29.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The peacock is the national bird of India. It has a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) a busy railway station (b) the school library (c) the peacock (d) our postman
30. 30.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 new bicycle (b) the rainy season (c) our classroom (d) the village fair
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
32. 32.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) the rainy season (b) ants (c) saving water (d) flying kites
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
34. 34.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) grandma's garden (b) the vegetable market (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a cricket match
35. 35.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We must not waste water.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 is seventy years old. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) We must not waste water.
37. 37.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
38. 38.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) the old banyan tree (c) eating healthy food (d) the school library
39. 39.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) the old banyan tree (b) the peacock (c) a day at the beach (d) our pet cat
40. 40.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 railway station is always busy. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.

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