Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 120 · 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 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 peacock (b) our postman (c) a cricket match (d) saving water
2. 2.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We must not waste water.
3. 3.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
4. 4.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. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
5. 5.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
6. 6.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
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 busy railway station (b) our postman (c) a visit to an old fort (d) making a rangoli
8. 8.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) making a rangoli (b) my new bicycle (c) our pet cat (d) the village fair
9. 9.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) the village fair (b) elephants (c) a busy railway station (d) my grandfather
10. 10.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
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) a cricket match (b) a day at the beach (c) the rainy season (d) elephants
12. 12.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. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
14. 14.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
15. 15.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 school library (b) the peacock (c) making a rangoli (d) eating healthy food
16. 16.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
18. 18.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
19. 19.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 visit to an old fort (b) a cricket match (c) the old banyan tree (d) saving water
20. 20.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
21. 21.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) ants (b) the vegetable market (c) our pet cat (d) my grandfather
22. 22.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 postman (b) saving water (c) the village fair (d) the rainy season
23. 23.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) making a rangoli (b) our trip to the zoo (c) grandma's garden (d) eating healthy food
24. 24.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
25. 25.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
26. 26.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
27. 27.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We must not waste water.
28. 28.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) the night sky (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the vegetable market
29. 29.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 classroom is bright and clean. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
30. 30.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
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 library is my favourite place. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
32. 32.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
33. 33.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) ants (b) flying kites (c) a visit to an old fort (d) a cricket match
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
35. 35.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. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
36. 36.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) We must not waste water. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
37. 37.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. A green board hangs at the front. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
38. 38.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 best friend (b) making a rangoli (c) my new bicycle (d) our school sports day
39. 39.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) elephants (b) the peacock (c) my best friend (d) a cricket match
40. 40.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) our pet cat (b) the village fair (c) ants (d) our classroom

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