Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 136 · 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 vegetable market (b) the old banyan tree (c) grandma's garden (d) our postman
2. 2.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
3. 3.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. We buy strong string for our kites. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
4. 4.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
5. 5.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
6. 6.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) a day at the beach (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the school library
7. 7.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) making a rangoli (b) my best friend (c) the village fair (d) the night sky
8. 8.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) our school sports day (b) grandma's garden (c) a cricket match (d) the village fair
9. 9.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) our pet cat (b) grandma's garden (c) eating healthy food (d) making a rangoli
10. 10.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) grandma's garden (b) a visit to an old fort (c) the peacock (d) our trip to the zoo
11. 11.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
12. 12.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
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) a busy railway station (b) the old banyan tree (c) the school library (d) the vegetable market
14. 14.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) a day at the beach (b) my best friend (c) saving water (d) our school sports day
15. 15.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) the old banyan tree (b) my best friend (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the vegetable market
16. 16.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
17. 17.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) a day at the beach (b) saving water (c) a busy railway station (d) my grandfather
18. 18.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
19. 19.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
20. 20.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
21. 21.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) a busy railway station (b) our school sports day (c) the peacock (d) our trip to the zoo
22. 22.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) grandma's garden (b) our postman (c) my best friend (d) a visit to an old fort
23. 23.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
24. 24.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
25. 25.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) the village fair (b) elephants (c) our postman (d) our trip to the zoo
26. 26.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The railway station is always busy.
27. 27.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
28. 28.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) a visit to an old fort (b) grandma's garden (c) my grandfather (d) our pet cat
29. 29.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 street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
30. 30.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The railway station is always busy.
33. 33.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 trip to the zoo (c) flying kites (d) grandma's garden
34. 34.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
36. 36.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
37. 37.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
38. 38.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. We collected shells near the shore. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
40. 40.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) We must not waste water. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.

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