Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 171 · 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.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
2. 2.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) making a rangoli (b) the vegetable market (c) elephants (d) our pet cat
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The day began with a march past. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The railway station is always busy.
4. 4.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 busy railway station (b) elephants (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a visit to an old fort
5. 5.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) saving water (b) our classroom (c) flying kites (d) a cricket match
6. 6.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) the vegetable market (b) saving water (c) grandma's garden (d) our postman
7. 7.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
8. 8.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) the vegetable market (b) our postman (c) a busy railway station (d) my new bicycle
9. 9.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
10. 10.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. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
11. 11.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. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
13. 13.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
14. 14.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
16. 16.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) a busy railway station (b) the night sky (c) a day at the beach (d) the village fair
17. 17.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
18. 18.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
19. 19.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 school library (b) the night sky (c) our trip to the zoo (d) ants
20. 20.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
21. 21.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
22. 22.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
23. 23.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) saving water (c) grandma's garden (d) my best friend
24. 24.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) our school sports day (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our trip to the zoo (d) flying kites
25. 25.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 school library (b) my grandfather (c) the peacock (d) the rainy season
26. 26.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) the night sky (b) the rainy season (c) a day at the beach (d) the vegetable market
27. 27.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) a cricket match (b) our trip to the zoo (c) my best friend (d) grandma's garden
28. 28.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
29. 29.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) We must not waste water. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
30. 30.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) my grandfather (b) the peacock (c) the vegetable market (d) making a rangoli
31. 31.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) a busy railway station (b) flying kites (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a cricket match
32. 32.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) grandma's garden (b) saving water (c) our school sports day (d) the school library
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
34. 34.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 rainy season (b) grandma's garden (c) a visit to an old fort (d) saving water
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
36. 36.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
37. 37.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
38. 38.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. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
39. 39.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 school sports day (b) our classroom (c) the peacock (d) the school library
40. 40.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) ants (b) our trip to the zoo (c) grandma's garden (d) the vegetable market

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