Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 172 · 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?
   
   ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
2. 2.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) a day at the beach (b) our school sports day (c) our pet cat (d) a cricket match
3. 3.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) a cricket match (b) elephants (c) the vegetable market (d) making a rangoli
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. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
5. 5.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
6. 6.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
7. 7.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) our postman (b) our school sports day (c) the village fair (d) a visit to an old fort
8. 8.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) our classroom (b) our trip to the zoo (c) elephants (d) the vegetable market
9. 9.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 village fair (b) ants (c) a busy railway station (d) the night sky
10. 10.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) We must not waste water. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
12. 12.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
13. 13.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The railway station is always busy.
14. 14.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 rainy season (b) the peacock (c) the school library (d) grandma's garden
15. 15.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
16. 16.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
17. 17.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) the rainy season (c) the school library (d) saving water
18. 18.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) saving water (b) a cricket match (c) ants (d) our school sports day
19. 19.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 peacock (b) the village fair (c) a busy railway station (d) my grandfather
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
21. 21.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) 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) In January, the sky fills with kites.
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) our pet cat (b) eating healthy food (c) our postman (d) the school library
23. 23.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
26. 26.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
27. 27.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
28. 28.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. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
29. 29.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) our postman (b) a day at the beach (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the vegetable market
30. 30.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 peacock (b) making a rangoli (c) a busy railway station (d) the night sky
31. 31.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
32. 32.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
33. 33.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
34. 34.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 village fair (b) my grandfather (c) making a rangoli (d) eating healthy food
35. 35.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
36. 36.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
37. 37.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
38. 38.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 school sports day (b) grandma's garden (c) the school library (d) our postman
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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
40. 40.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.

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