Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 274 · 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?
   
   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) my best friend (b) the school library (c) the night sky (d) a busy railway station
2. 2.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 library is my favourite place. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
3. 3.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Its stone walls were very thick. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
5. 5.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) the village fair (b) the rainy season (c) the vegetable market (d) our pet cat
6. 6.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The railway station is always busy.
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) We must not waste water. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
8. 8.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) my grandfather (b) eating healthy food (c) the vegetable market (d) the old banyan tree
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) making a rangoli (b) the village fair (c) the vegetable market (d) our trip to the zoo
10. 10.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 school library (b) our classroom (c) the rainy season (d) saving water
11. 11.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) grandma's garden (b) a cricket match (c) the peacock (d) elephants
12. 12.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
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) my grandfather (b) making a rangoli (c) a busy railway station (d) grandma's garden
14. 14.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) our pet cat (b) the vegetable market (c) flying kites (d) the peacock
15. 15.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
16. 16.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We must not waste water.
17. 17.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) We must not waste water. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
19. 19.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
20. 20.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
21. 21.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) elephants (b) the night sky (c) our trip to the zoo (d) our pet cat
22. 22.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) my new bicycle (b) a day at the beach (c) a visit to an old fort (d) making a rangoli
23. 23.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) eating healthy food (b) the village fair (c) the vegetable market (d) a busy railway station
24. 24.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
25. 25.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 day at the beach (b) the vegetable market (c) my new bicycle (d) a visit to an old fort
26. 26.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
27. 27.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The railway station is always busy.
28. 28.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) a busy railway station (b) flying kites (c) eating healthy food (d) our school sports day
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
30. 30.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
31. 31.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
32. 32.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) the night sky (b) a cricket match (c) our classroom (d) our trip to the zoo
33. 33.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
34. 34.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
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) my best friend (b) elephants (c) the night sky (d) my grandfather
36. 36.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
38. 38.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) the peacock (b) making a rangoli (c) our trip to the zoo (d) ants
39. 39.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 postman (b) the night sky (c) my new bicycle (d) the school library
40. 40.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.

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