Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 362 · 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?
   
   ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We must not waste water. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
2. 2.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
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) eating healthy food (b) the rainy season (c) our postman (d) our pet cat
4. 4.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The railway station is always busy.
5. 5.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
6. 6.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
7. 7.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) flying kites (b) the village fair (c) the rainy season (d) the night sky
8. 8.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 rainy season (b) saving water (c) a cricket match (d) flying kites
9. 9.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They have long trunks and big ears. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We must not waste water.
11. 11.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) a day at the beach (b) the peacock (c) the old banyan tree (d) our school sports day
12. 12.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 postman (b) our pet cat (c) ants (d) the village fair
13. 13.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
14. 14.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
15. 15.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
16. 16.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
17. 17.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) elephants (b) my grandfather (c) eating healthy food (d) a visit to an old fort
18. 18.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
19. 19.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
20. 20.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
21. 21.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
22. 22.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) our classroom (b) a cricket match (c) our school sports day (d) the school library
23. 23.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) my best friend (b) a day at the beach (c) the night sky (d) a busy railway station
24. 24.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) our postman (b) making a rangoli (c) a visit to an old fort (d) flying kites
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
26. 26.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) the peacock (b) making a rangoli (c) elephants (d) the rainy season
27. 27.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 trip to the zoo (b) a day at the beach (c) the vegetable market (d) our school sports day
28. 28.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) the old banyan tree (b) our school sports day (c) our postman (d) my best friend
29. 29.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) a busy railway station (b) making a rangoli (c) saving water (d) the old banyan tree
30. 30.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) eating healthy food (b) our school sports day (c) my grandfather (d) our pet cat
31. 31.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
32. 32.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
33. 33.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The railway station is always busy.
34. 34.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
35. 35.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
36. 36.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
37. 37.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
38. 38.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) a cricket match (b) our pet cat (c) the rainy season (d) the school library
39. 39.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
40. 40.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The railway station is always busy.

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