Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 398 · 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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
2. 2.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
3. 3.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) a cricket match (c) my best friend (d) flying kites
4. 4.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) my best friend (c) the night sky (d) our pet cat
5. 5.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) the vegetable market (c) the peacock (d) a day at the beach
6. 6.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
7. 7.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
8. 8.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. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
9. 9.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
10. 10.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
11. 11.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    An old banyan tree stands in our village. Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) the old banyan tree (b) the rainy season (c) our postman (d) our pet cat
12. 12.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
13. 13.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) the village fair (b) the vegetable market (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the peacock
14. 14.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) We must not waste water. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
15. 15.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) elephants (b) the rainy season (c) my best friend (d) the peacock
16. 16.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) ants (b) grandma's garden (c) the vegetable market (d) the school library
17. 17.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
18. 18.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) my grandfather (b) our school sports day (c) the peacock (d) making a rangoli
19. 19.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
21. 21.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) my new bicycle (c) saving water (d) a cricket match
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
23. 23.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. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
24. 24.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Ants are tiny but very hard-working. They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) our trip to the zoo (b) our classroom (c) ants (d) a day at the beach
25. 25.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
26. 26.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
27. 27.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) grandma's garden (b) our school sports day (c) the peacock (d) a day at the beach
28. 28.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. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
29. 29.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) the old banyan tree (b) the vegetable market (c) our pet cat (d) the village fair
30. 30.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) flying kites (b) our trip to the zoo (c) a cricket match (d) elephants
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
32. 32.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
33. 33.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) our school sports day (b) saving water (c) the peacock (d) grandma's garden
34. 34.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) elephants (b) our classroom (c) flying kites (d) making a rangoli
35. 35.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
36. 36.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) the night sky (b) a day at the beach (c) a cricket match (d) ants
37. 37.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
38. 38.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We must not waste water.
39. 39.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 school sports day was full of fun. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
40. 40.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.

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