Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 124 · 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?
   
   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 new bicycle (b) the peacock (c) elephants (d) the school library
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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
3. 3.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) grandma's garden (b) our trip to the zoo (c) the peacock (d) a busy railway station
4. 4.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
5. 5.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) eating healthy food (c) a visit to an old fort (d) making a rangoli
6. 6.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
7. 7.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
8. 8.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
9. 9.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. We may borrow two books every week. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
10. 10.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
12. 12.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 village fair (b) the school library (c) grandma's garden (d) eating healthy food
13. 13.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 busy railway station (b) my grandfather (c) my best friend (d) a cricket match
14. 14.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) eating healthy food (b) the peacock (c) ants (d) flying kites
15. 15.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 vegetable market (b) our postman (c) making a rangoli (d) our school sports day
16. 16.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) our trip to the zoo (b) flying kites (c) a day at the beach (d) the rainy season
17. 17.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) our classroom (b) our trip to the zoo (c) grandma's garden (d) our postman
18. 18.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) our pet cat (b) a busy railway station (c) saving water (d) the school library
19. 19.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We must not waste water.
21. 21.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
22. 22.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
24. 24.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. A magician does tricks for the children. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
25. 25.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 school library (b) a day at the beach (c) flying kites (d) the night sky
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
29. 29.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 rainy season (b) our classroom (c) the night sky (d) the vegetable market
30. 30.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
31. 31.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 walk one behind the other in a line. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
32. 32.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) grandma's garden (b) flying kites (c) the school library (d) our trip to the zoo
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
34. 34.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 school sports day (b) the school library (c) my best friend (d) a busy railway station
35. 35.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The railway station is always busy.
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 monsoon is my favourite season. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
37. 37.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
38. 38.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) ants (b) saving water (c) a cricket match (d) the village fair
39. 39.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 sports day was full of fun. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
40. 40.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) grandma's garden (b) elephants (c) my best friend (d) the night sky

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