Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 413 · 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?
   
   ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We must not waste water. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
3. 3.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
4. 4.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. The postman knows every house on our street. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
5. 5.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) the school library (b) my grandfather (c) a busy railway station (d) grandma's garden
6. 6.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) a visit to an old fort (b) a day at the beach (c) our classroom (d) the school library
7. 7.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 school library (b) a busy railway station (c) the old banyan tree (d) our postman
8. 8.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) my best friend (b) flying kites (c) a visit to an old fort (d) saving water
9. 9.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
10. 10.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
11. 11.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
12. 12.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
13. 13.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) the rainy season (b) our classroom (c) grandma's garden (d) my grandfather
14. 14.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) saving water (b) the night sky (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the rainy season
15. 15.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) a day at the beach (b) eating healthy food (c) the night sky (d) elephants
16. 16.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
17. 17.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
18. 18.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) my best friend (b) a busy railway station (c) my grandfather (d) the rainy season
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
20. 20.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
21. 21.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) my best friend (b) making a rangoli (c) the village fair (d) saving water
22. 22.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) a day at the beach (b) the old banyan tree (c) the night sky (d) the school library
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. 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) A fair comes to our village every winter.
24. 24.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
25. 25.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
26. 26.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 best friend (b) making a rangoli (c) the vegetable market (d) the peacock
27. 27.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
28. 28.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 visit to an old fort (b) saving water (c) eating healthy food (d) a cricket match
29. 29.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 new bicycle (b) our postman (c) the rainy season (d) saving water
30. 30.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The railway station is always busy.
31. 31.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 best friend is Farhan. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
32. 32.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
33. 33.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) grandma's garden (c) our pet cat (d) our postman
34. 34.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (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.
35. 35.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 school library is my favourite place. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
37. 37.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
38. 38.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The railway station is always busy.
40. 40.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) flying kites (b) my grandfather (c) our trip to the zoo (d) our pet cat

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