Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 401 · 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.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 trip to the zoo (b) making a rangoli (c) a cricket match (d) ants
2. 2.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
3. 3.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) grandma's garden (b) our trip to the zoo (c) the peacock (d) my new bicycle
4. 4.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
5. 5.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
6. 6.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) saving water (c) my best friend (d) my grandfather
7. 7.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) a busy railway station (b) the village fair (c) my grandfather (d) a day at the beach
8. 8.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
9. 9.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) making a rangoli (b) the rainy season (c) our school sports day (d) the peacock
10. 10.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 must not waste water. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
11. 11.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. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
12. 12.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) the village fair (b) my grandfather (c) a visit to an old fort (d) making a rangoli
13. 13.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
14. 14.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) ants (b) my new bicycle (c) the vegetable market (d) the village fair
15. 15.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) a day at the beach (b) the rainy season (c) ants (d) our classroom
16. 16.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) our school sports day (b) our pet cat (c) elephants (d) my grandfather
17. 17.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) elephants (b) flying kites (c) the village fair (d) a cricket match
18. 18.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) grandma's garden (b) ants (c) the old banyan tree (d) our school sports day
19. 19.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) my new bicycle (b) our postman (c) ants (d) our trip to the zoo
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) elephants (b) ants (c) the night sky (d) the school library
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
22. 22.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
23. 23.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
24. 24.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We must not waste water.
25. 25.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) the vegetable market (b) my best friend (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
26. 26.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 village fair (b) the school library (c) the rainy season (d) our postman
27. 27.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
30. 30.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The railway station is always busy.
31. 31.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. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
34. 34.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) saving water (b) my grandfather (c) grandma's garden (d) our trip to the zoo
35. 35.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 village fair (b) elephants (c) ants (d) the old banyan tree
36. 36.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
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) the old banyan tree (b) a day at the beach (c) the vegetable market (d) a visit to an old fort
40. 40.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) our pet cat (b) grandma's garden (c) the vegetable market (d) flying kites

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