Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 24 · 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?
   
   ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
2. 2.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
3. 3.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
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. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
5. 5.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) the vegetable market (c) the peacock (d) my best friend
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. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
7. 7.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) elephants (d) a day at the beach
8. 8.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) the school library (b) the vegetable market (c) the old banyan tree (d) my grandfather
9. 9.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
10. 10.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The railway station is always busy.
11. 11.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
12. 12.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) elephants (c) making a rangoli (d) flying kites
13. 13.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
14. 14.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) saving water (c) my best friend (d) the old banyan tree
15. 15.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 visit to an old fort (b) saving water (c) elephants (d) a day at the beach
16. 16.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) my best friend (b) our school sports day (c) grandma's garden (d) our classroom
17. 17.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
18. 18.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) a cricket match (b) our postman (c) elephants (d) my grandfather
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
20. 20.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
21. 21.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) the rainy season (b) eating healthy food (c) a cricket match (d) ants
22. 22.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
23. 23.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) making a rangoli (b) the vegetable market (c) my best friend (d) our classroom
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
25. 25.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
26. 26.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The railway station is always busy.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
28. 28.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
29. 29.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) saving water (b) flying kites (c) the rainy season (d) a visit to an old fort
30. 30.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) my grandfather (b) our trip to the zoo (c) a day at the beach (d) saving water
31. 31.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 best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
32. 32.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
33. 33.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) my grandfather (b) a busy railway station (c) our pet cat (d) the village fair
34. 34.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We must not waste water.
35. 35.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) our school sports day (b) a cricket match (c) my new bicycle (d) eating healthy food
36. 36.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
37. 37.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 visit to an old fort (b) the rainy season (c) grandma's garden (d) the village fair
38. 38.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
39. 39.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 classroom (b) elephants (c) a busy railway station (d) the peacock
40. 40.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) ants (b) the old banyan tree (c) grandma's garden (d) our trip to the zoo

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