Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 43 · 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 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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
2. 2.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
3. 3.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
4. 4.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 old banyan tree (b) a busy railway station (c) the vegetable market (d) grandma's garden
5. 5.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) making a rangoli (b) a cricket match (c) grandma's garden (d) a visit to an old fort
6. 6.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
7. 7.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
8. 8.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) the school library (b) grandma's garden (c) eating healthy food (d) the vegetable market
9. 9.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) a busy railway station (d) our classroom
10. 10.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
11. 11.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
12. 12.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
13. 13.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 school library is my favourite place. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
14. 14.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We must not waste water. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
15. 15.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
17. 17.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) making a rangoli (b) grandma's garden (c) the rainy season (d) the peacock
18. 18.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) our school sports day (b) the school library (c) ants (d) my grandfather
19. 19.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
20. 20.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) our trip to the zoo (b) the vegetable market (c) our classroom (d) my grandfather
21. 21.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
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) the old banyan tree (b) our school sports day (c) our classroom (d) the rainy season
23. 23.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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
24. 24.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
25. 25.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) the school library (b) ants (c) our school sports day (d) grandma's garden
26. 26.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
27. 27.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) the school library (b) a busy railway station (c) the village fair (d) my new bicycle
28. 28.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
29. 29.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
30. 30.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
31. 31.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) the vegetable market (b) the rainy season (c) my grandfather (d) my best friend
32. 32.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
33. 33.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) the peacock (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our school sports day (d) our classroom
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) the night sky (b) our postman (c) elephants (d) our classroom
35. 35.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) saving water (b) a day at the beach (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the old banyan tree
36. 36.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
37. 37.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
38. 38.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 trip to the zoo (b) flying kites (c) our school sports day (d) grandma's garden
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 peacock (b) a day at the beach (c) grandma's garden (d) our postman
40. 40.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.

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