Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 344 · 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?
   
   ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
2. 2.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) We must not waste water. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
3. 3.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) the school library (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the peacock
4. 4.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
5. 5.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
7. 7.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) my new bicycle (b) the night sky (c) the school library (d) our pet cat
8. 8.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
9. 9.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) my best friend (b) eating healthy food (c) the old banyan tree (d) our postman
10. 10.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
11. 11.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. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
12. 12.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) the vegetable market (c) a busy railway station (d) the peacock
13. 13.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) eating healthy food (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our school sports day (d) grandma's garden
14. 14.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
15. 15.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
16. 16.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) my grandfather (b) the rainy season (c) a cricket match (d) a busy railway station
17. 17.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 walk one behind the other in a line. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
18. 18.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) a cricket match (b) the night sky (c) flying kites (d) our pet cat
19. 19.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
20. 20.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
23. 23.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
24. 24.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) our school sports day (b) the village fair (c) a visit to an old fort (d) making a rangoli
25. 25.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
26. 26.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
27. 27.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
28. 28.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We must not waste water.
29. 29.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 rainy season (b) the vegetable market (c) a day at the beach (d) elephants
30. 30.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
31. 31.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 railway station is always busy. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
32. 32.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) my new bicycle (b) flying kites (c) my grandfather (d) our classroom
33. 33.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 pet cat (b) grandma's garden (c) making a rangoli (d) a busy railway station
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
35. 35.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
36. 36.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
37. 37.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
38. 38.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
39. 39.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) elephants (b) a busy railway station (c) flying kites (d) a day at the beach
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.

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