Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 159 · 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) saving water (b) our pet cat (c) my new bicycle (d) my grandfather
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
3. 3.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) elephants (b) the school library (c) our postman (d) a busy railway station
4. 4.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 classroom (b) saving water (c) making a rangoli (d) our school sports day
5. 5.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
6. 6.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
7. 7.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
8. 8.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) our pet cat (b) the rainy season (c) my best friend (d) grandma's garden
9. 9.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
10. 10.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) flying kites (b) saving water (c) making a rangoli (d) a visit to an old fort
11. 11.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 peacock (b) the village fair (c) the school library (d) my best friend
12. 12.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
13. 13.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) eating healthy food (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the night sky
14. 14.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) our classroom (b) a busy railway station (c) a cricket match (d) the night sky
15. 15.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
16. 16.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) making a rangoli (b) our pet cat (c) a day at the beach (d) ants
17. 17.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
18. 18.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 cricket match (b) the school library (c) my grandfather (d) a day at the beach
19. 19.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
20. 20.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) elephants (b) ants (c) the village fair (d) our classroom
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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
22. 22.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We must not waste water. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
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. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
25. 25.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
26. 26.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
27. 27.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) elephants (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our pet cat (d) my new bicycle
28. 28.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
30. 30.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
31. 31.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
33. 33.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 peacock (b) making a rangoli (c) ants (d) our trip to the zoo
34. 34.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) the village fair (b) a visit to an old fort (c) eating healthy food (d) ants
35. 35.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
36. 36.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) saving water (c) the rainy season (d) our classroom
37. 37.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 school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
38. 38.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) We must not waste water. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
39. 39.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) the school library (b) grandma's garden (c) our postman (d) eating healthy food
40. 40.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.

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