Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 2 · 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?
   
   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) a visit to an old fort (b) making a rangoli (c) a day at the beach (d) the rainy season
2. 2.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) my best friend (b) the rainy season (c) the peacock (d) ants
3. 3.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) saving water (c) elephants (d) the school library
4. 4.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 postman (b) a day at the beach (c) our school sports day (d) the vegetable market
5. 5.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
6. 6.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
7. 7.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) my new bicycle (b) our school sports day (c) my best friend (d) the night sky
8. 8.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
9. 9.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 day at the beach (b) the vegetable market (c) my best friend (d) grandma's garden
10. 10.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
11. 11.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
12. 12.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) eating healthy food (b) my new bicycle (c) our school sports day (d) the old banyan tree
13. 13.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 rainy season (b) our pet cat (c) the village fair (d) grandma's garden
14. 14.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
15. 15.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The railway station is always busy.
16. 16.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
17. 17.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) my new bicycle (b) the vegetable market (c) eating healthy food (d) the village fair
18. 18.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) making a rangoli (b) eating healthy food (c) the old banyan tree (d) a visit to an old fort
19. 19.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
20. 20.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) my grandfather (b) my new bicycle (c) our school sports day (d) the school library
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
22. 22.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) the vegetable market (b) ants (c) eating healthy food (d) a visit to an old fort
23. 23.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) the night sky (b) flying kites (c) the rainy season (d) our pet cat
24. 24.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
25. 25.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
26. 26.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
28. 28.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) our trip to the zoo (b) ants (c) our pet cat (d) the peacock
29. 29.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
30. 30.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) a day at the beach (b) the school library (c) elephants (d) my new bicycle
31. 31.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
32. 32.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) ants (b) a cricket match (c) the school library (d) our pet cat
33. 33.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
34. 34.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
35. 35.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) making a rangoli (b) the school library (c) a cricket match (d) the village fair
36. 36.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
37. 37.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
38. 38.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
39. 39.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
40. 40.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) the vegetable market (b) grandma's garden (c) my new bicycle (d) our postman

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