Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 221 · 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) our school sports day (b) my new bicycle (c) a day at the beach (d) saving water
2. 2.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
3. 3.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) a visit to an old fort (c) the vegetable market (d) grandma's garden
4. 4.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) our trip to the zoo (c) making a rangoli (d) grandma's garden
5. 5.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
6. 6.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We must not waste water. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
8. 8.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) eating healthy food (b) a visit to an old fort (c) flying kites (d) our school sports day
9. 9.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) elephants (c) my new bicycle (d) the vegetable market
10. 10.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
11. 11.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) saving water (b) our school sports day (c) elephants (d) our classroom
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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
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 night sky (b) the vegetable market (c) grandma's garden (d) the old banyan tree
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
15. 15.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
16. 16.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
17. 17.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 pet cat (b) elephants (c) grandma's garden (d) the peacock
18. 18.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
19. 19.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
20. 20.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) our postman (b) ants (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the old banyan tree
21. 21.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
23. 23.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 postman (b) our classroom (c) elephants (d) our trip to the zoo
24. 24.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
25. 25.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) a visit to an old fort (b) eating healthy food (c) the school library (d) a day at the beach
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
27. 27.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) ants (b) the old banyan tree (c) the night sky (d) eating healthy food
28. 28.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) the school library (b) elephants (c) my grandfather (d) our school sports day
29. 29.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
32. 32.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
34. 34.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
35. 35.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
36. 36.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
37. 37.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) our pet cat (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our classroom (d) our school sports day
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
40. 40.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) eating healthy food (c) the night sky (d) our school sports day

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