Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 298 · 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 day at the beach (b) a busy railway station (c) my new bicycle (d) flying kites
2. 2.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) a day at the beach (b) the vegetable market (c) a cricket match (d) making a rangoli
3. 3.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) our pet cat (b) our classroom (c) the village fair (d) my grandfather
4. 4.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
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) the old banyan tree (b) my grandfather (c) grandma's garden (d) a visit to an old fort
6. 6.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
7. 7.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) a visit to an old fort (b) my best friend (c) the old banyan tree (d) our pet cat
8. 8.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 school library (b) our school sports day (c) a busy railway station (d) eating healthy food
9. 9.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
10. 10.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 school sports day was full of fun. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
11. 11.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
12. 12.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) my grandfather (b) the old banyan tree (c) my best friend (d) eating healthy food
13. 13.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
16. 16.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) the old banyan tree (b) elephants (c) a day at the beach (d) my new bicycle
17. 17.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
18. 18.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) a visit to an old fort (c) the vegetable market (d) a cricket match
19. 19.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 school library (b) the rainy season (c) the peacock (d) my new bicycle
20. 20.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
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) grandma's garden (b) my new bicycle (c) elephants (d) the school library
22. 22.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
23. 23.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
24. 24.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
26. 26.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
27. 27.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
28. 28.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
29. 29.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) elephants (c) our postman (d) my best friend
30. 30.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) the rainy season (b) a visit to an old fort (c) the peacock (d) my best friend
31. 31.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
32. 32.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 busy railway station (b) our postman (c) the old banyan tree (d) our trip to the zoo
33. 33.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. A magician does tricks for the children. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
34. 34.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
35. 35.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We must not waste water. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
36. 36.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
37. 37.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The night sky is full of wonders. Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) the night sky (b) the school library (c) our pet cat (d) a cricket match
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
39. 39.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) ants (b) a cricket match (c) my grandfather (d) our pet cat
40. 40.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.

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