Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 31 · 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?
   
   ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) We must not waste water. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
4. 4.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) making a rangoli (b) elephants (c) our school sports day (d) our classroom
5. 5.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
6. 6.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We must not waste water.
7. 7.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) the school library (b) ants (c) saving water (d) a cricket match
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
9. 9.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
10. 10.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
11. 11.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) the vegetable market (b) the old banyan tree (c) flying kites (d) our pet cat
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
13. 13.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
14. 14.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) grandma's garden (b) the peacock (c) saving water (d) our school sports day
15. 15.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) making a rangoli (b) our postman (c) grandma's garden (d) a busy railway station
16. 16.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
17. 17.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) our classroom (c) a busy railway station (d) the peacock
18. 18.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
19. 19.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. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
20. 20.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
21. 21.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) the old banyan tree (b) our school sports day (c) our pet cat (d) our trip to the zoo
22. 22.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
24. 24.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) my best friend (b) our classroom (c) grandma's garden (d) a day at the beach
25. 25.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
26. 26.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
28. 28.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
29. 29.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We must not waste water.
30. 30.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
31. 31.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
32. 32.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) ants (c) our pet cat (d) our postman
33. 33.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
34. 34.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) We must not waste water. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
35. 35.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) my grandfather (b) our trip to the zoo (c) my best friend (d) our school sports day
36. 36.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
37. 37.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
38. 38.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
39. 39.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. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
40. 40.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 school library (b) elephants (c) our classroom (d) a visit to an old fort

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