Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 278 · 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?
   
   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) a busy railway station (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our school sports day (d) my new bicycle
2. 2.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
3. 3.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
4. 4.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We must not waste water.
5. 5.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 classroom (b) our pet cat (c) the peacock (d) grandma's garden
6. 6.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) the peacock (b) our postman (c) the night sky (d) ants
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) flying kites (b) our trip to the zoo (c) the rainy season (d) the vegetable market
8. 8.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
9. 9.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) our school sports day (b) elephants (c) the peacock (d) our postman
10. 10.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. The winners got shiny medals. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
11. 11.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The railway station is always busy.
12. 12.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) saving water (b) ants (c) the night sky (d) grandma's garden
13. 13.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
14. 14.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
15. 15.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
16. 16.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
17. 17.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) saving water (c) our school sports day (d) flying kites
18. 18.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
19. 19.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
20. 20.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 rainy season (b) our classroom (c) ants (d) eating healthy food
21. 21.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
23. 23.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
24. 24.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) a busy railway station (b) elephants (c) ants (d) making a rangoli
25. 25.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
26. 26.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 visit to an old fort (b) a busy railway station (c) grandma's garden (d) my best friend
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
28. 28.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 spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
29. 29.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) our classroom (b) eating healthy food (c) elephants (d) a day at the beach
30. 30.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
31. 31.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
32. 32.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) a day at the beach (b) saving water (c) grandma's garden (d) our pet cat
33. 33.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
34. 34.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) ants (b) making a rangoli (c) the vegetable market (d) the rainy season
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We must not waste water.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
38. 38.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
39. 39.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) ants (b) my grandfather (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a busy railway station
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) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.

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