Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 225 · 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?
   
   ___ An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
2. 2.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) grandma's garden (c) making a rangoli (d) our pet cat
3. 3.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
4. 4.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) our pet cat (b) a busy railway station (c) eating healthy food (d) ants
5. 5.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 trip to the zoo (b) eating healthy food (c) our pet cat (d) flying kites
6. 6.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) our pet cat (b) a visit to an old fort (c) the old banyan tree (d) the school library
7. 7.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) my new bicycle (c) flying kites (d) our postman
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
9. 9.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. People bargain loudly over prices. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
10. 10.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) my new bicycle (b) the night sky (c) our trip to the zoo (d) saving water
11. 11.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
12. 12.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
13. 13.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
14. 14.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) ants (b) grandma's garden (c) our school sports day (d) the old banyan tree
15. 15.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
16. 16.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
17. 17.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We must not waste water. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
18. 18.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
19. 19.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) my new bicycle (d) our pet cat
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
21. 21.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) elephants (b) ants (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the night sky
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
23. 23.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
24. 24.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
25. 25.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) the village fair (b) the old banyan tree (c) a busy railway station (d) flying kites
26. 26.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
27. 27.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 visit to an old fort (b) saving water (c) a cricket match (d) my grandfather
28. 28.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
29. 29.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 busy railway station (b) ants (c) the rainy season (d) our classroom
30. 30.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
31. 31.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) making a rangoli (b) our pet cat (c) our postman (d) our classroom
32. 32.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
33. 33.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) flying kites (b) our classroom (c) our pet cat (d) saving water
34. 34.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) We must not waste water. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
35. 35.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
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) a busy railway station (c) the vegetable market (d) the village fair
37. 37.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. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
38. 38.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) the school library (b) the rainy season (c) the vegetable market (d) our school sports day
39. 39.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. The postman knows every house on our street. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
40. 40.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) We must not waste water. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.

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