Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 327 · 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?
   
   ___ Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
2. 2.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. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
3. 3.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
4. 4.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) a cricket match (b) the village fair (c) a day at the beach (d) our trip to the zoo
5. 5.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 cricket match (b) my new bicycle (c) flying kites (d) a day at the beach
6. 6.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 spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
7. 7.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) our classroom (b) eating healthy food (c) a visit to an old fort (d) my grandfather
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) our school sports day (b) our classroom (c) saving water (d) a day at the beach
9. 9.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
10. 10.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
11. 11.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) our classroom (b) a day at the beach (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the night sky
12. 12.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) our postman (b) a busy railway station (c) a visit to an old fort (d) my best friend
13. 13.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) my best friend (b) my grandfather (c) my new bicycle (d) eating healthy food
14. 14.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) the school library (b) my grandfather (c) the peacock (d) my best friend
15. 15.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
16. 16.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
17. 17.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
18. 18.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) a day at the beach (c) our postman (d) the peacock
19. 19.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) 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) My grandfather is seventy years old.
20. 20.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) the school library (b) a busy railway station (c) our pet cat (d) ants
21. 21.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
22. 22.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 oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
23. 23.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 railway station is always busy. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
24. 24.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
25. 25.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
26. 26.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
27. 27.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
28. 28.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
29. 29.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
30. 30.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) saving water (b) the vegetable market (c) my grandfather (d) a day at the beach
31. 31.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
32. 32.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
33. 33.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) We must not waste water. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
34. 34.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
36. 36.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) elephants (b) the old banyan tree (c) flying kites (d) our pet cat
37. 37.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
38. 38.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
39. 39.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
40. 40.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) the vegetable market (b) flying kites (c) my new bicycle (d) our postman

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