Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 313 · 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?
   
   ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The railway station is always busy.
2. 2.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) grandma's garden (b) the village fair (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the old banyan tree
3. 3.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
5. 5.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) our postman (b) the old banyan tree (c) the school library (d) eating healthy food
6. 6.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) a day at the beach (b) the village fair (c) the school library (d) grandma's garden
7. 7.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) We must not waste water. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
8. 8.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
9. 9.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
10. 10.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
12. 12.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
13. 13.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
14. 14.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
15. 15.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) our school sports day (b) a cricket match (c) the vegetable market (d) our classroom
16. 16.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
17. 17.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) elephants (b) the school library (c) our pet cat (d) grandma's garden
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) saving water (b) the school library (c) the peacock (d) the village fair
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
21. 21.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The railway station is always busy.
22. 22.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) grandma's garden (b) my new bicycle (c) the village fair (d) flying kites
23. 23.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
24. 24.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) flying kites (b) our postman (c) the peacock (d) the village fair
25. 25.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 village fair (b) our postman (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the night sky
26. 26.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
28. 28.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
30. 30.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
31. 31.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
32. 32.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
34. 34.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 store food for the winter. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We must not waste water.
35. 35.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) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
36. 36.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) my new bicycle (b) saving water (c) the vegetable market (d) the village fair
37. 37.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 rainy season (b) a cricket match (c) our pet cat (d) elephants
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
39. 39.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) flying kites (b) our trip to the zoo (c) saving water (d) the peacock
40. 40.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) eating healthy food (b) our classroom (c) a day at the beach (d) saving water

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