Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 263 · 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?
   
   ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
2. 2.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We must not waste water.
3. 3.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. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
4. 4.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We must not waste water.
5. 5.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
6. 6.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) a busy railway station (b) the vegetable market (c) a cricket match (d) our trip to the zoo
7. 7.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 cricket match (b) the rainy season (c) our school sports day (d) my grandfather
8. 8.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. Our house won the tug of war. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
9. 9.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. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
10. 10.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We must not waste water.
11. 11.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 ride it to the park every evening. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
12. 12.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
14. 14.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
16. 16.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) the vegetable market (b) a day at the beach (c) eating healthy food (d) elephants
17. 17.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) flying kites (b) my grandfather (c) the rainy season (d) our postman
18. 18.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 busy railway station (b) grandma's garden (c) making a rangoli (d) the village fair
19. 19.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the rainy season (c) my grandfather (d) our classroom
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
21. 21.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
22. 22.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 pet cat (b) the vegetable market (c) our postman (d) making a rangoli
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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The railway station is always busy.
24. 24.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
25. 25.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) my grandfather (c) eating healthy food (d) the night sky
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
27. 27.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) making a rangoli (b) the vegetable market (c) the village fair (d) grandma's garden
28. 28.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) the night sky (b) my new bicycle (c) a busy railway station (d) our school sports day
29. 29.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 postman (b) the rainy season (c) the old banyan tree (d) the school library
30. 30.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
31. 31.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
32. 32.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
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) our classroom (b) grandma's garden (c) our postman (d) saving water
34. 34.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) our school sports day (b) a visit to an old fort (c) making a rangoli (d) ants
35. 35.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) our pet cat (b) my best friend (c) the old banyan tree (d) the peacock
36. 36.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
37. 37.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
38. 38.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
39. 39.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
40. 40.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.

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