Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 112 · 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?
   
   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) the old banyan tree (b) flying kites (c) a busy railway station (d) ants
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ 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 is Farhan. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
5. 5.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) a day at the beach (b) eating healthy food (c) the peacock (d) the old banyan tree
6. 6.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
7. 7.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) ants (b) saving water (c) our school sports day (d) a day at the beach
8. 8.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
9. 9.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. Our house won the tug of war. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
11. 11.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) my best friend (b) the village fair (c) a day at the beach (d) our classroom
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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
13. 13.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) the village fair (b) the rainy season (c) the school library (d) a visit to an old fort
14. 14.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
15. 15.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
16. 16.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) the peacock (b) the vegetable market (c) our classroom (d) the old banyan tree
17. 17.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) elephants (b) the school library (c) the vegetable market (d) a visit to an old fort
18. 18.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
19. 19.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 railway station is always busy. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
20. 20.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
21. 21.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
22. 22.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) the peacock (b) the school library (c) the night sky (d) our school sports day
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
24. 24.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) the rainy season (b) a busy railway station (c) our school sports day (d) a day at the beach
25. 25.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) We must not waste water. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
27. 27.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
29. 29.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) a day at the beach (b) the night sky (c) saving water (d) a visit to an old fort
30. 30.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 night sky (c) the village fair (d) the school library
31. 31.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
32. 32.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
33. 33.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 night sky (b) elephants (c) our pet cat (d) my grandfather
34. 34.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
35. 35.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 postman (c) my new bicycle (d) the old banyan tree
36. 36.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
37. 37.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 old banyan tree (b) making a rangoli (c) ants (d) the night sky
38. 38.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
39. 39.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We must not waste water.
40. 40.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We must not waste water.

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