Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 260 · 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?
   
   ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
2. 2.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. We place small lamps around the design. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (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?
   
   ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
4. 4.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. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
6. 6.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
7. 7.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) flying kites (b) the vegetable market (c) a cricket match (d) our pet cat
8. 8.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
9. 9.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We must not waste water.
10. 10.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
11. 11.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) saving water (b) flying kites (c) a busy railway station (d) my new bicycle
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
13. 13.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 classroom (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) making a rangoli
14. 14.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
15. 15.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) eating healthy food (b) my grandfather (c) our postman (d) the school library
16. 16.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
17. 17.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
18. 18.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. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The railway station is always busy.
19. 19.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) a day at the beach (b) the village fair (c) our pet cat (d) a busy railway station
20. 20.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
21. 21.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) a day at the beach (b) the village fair (c) the rainy season (d) a cricket match
22. 22.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
23. 23.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
24. 24.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
25. 25.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
27. 27.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
28. 28.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
29. 29.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
30. 30.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) my new bicycle (c) our pet cat (d) grandma's garden
31. 31.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. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
32. 32.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) our pet cat (c) my grandfather (d) my new bicycle
33. 33.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) the peacock (b) eating healthy food (c) our school sports day (d) a busy railway station
34. 34.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 rainy season (b) our trip to the zoo (c) elephants (d) flying kites
35. 35.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
36. 36.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
37. 37.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) the village fair (b) my best friend (c) grandma's garden (d) our postman
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
39. 39.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) our pet cat (b) a day at the beach (c) the old banyan tree (d) making a rangoli
40. 40.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.

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