Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 478 · 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?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
2. 2.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 postman (b) a day at the beach (c) saving water (d) my best friend
3. 3.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
4. 4.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. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
5. 5.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
7. 7.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) eating healthy food (c) our pet cat (d) a day at the beach
8. 8.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
9. 9.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 night sky (b) elephants (c) flying kites (d) our pet cat
10. 10.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) elephants (b) our postman (c) a day at the beach (d) a visit to an old fort
11. 11.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) the peacock (c) grandma's garden (d) saving water
12. 12.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) our classroom (c) our postman (d) the rainy season
13. 13.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) my best friend (b) a busy railway station (c) my grandfather (d) my new bicycle
14. 14.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) saving water (b) the school library (c) our pet cat (d) my new bicycle
15. 15.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
16. 16.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
17. 17.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
18. 18.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. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
20. 20.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 rainy season (b) our postman (c) the vegetable market (d) the village fair
21. 21.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. The winners got shiny medals. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
22. 22.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 rainy season (b) the old banyan tree (c) the peacock (d) our trip to the zoo
23. 23.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) a cricket match (c) ants (d) the vegetable market
24. 24.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
25. 25.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
26. 26.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) 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) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
27. 27.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 railway station is always busy. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
28. 28.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the old banyan tree (c) eating healthy food (d) saving water
29. 29.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the vegetable market (c) the school library (d) a day at the beach
30. 30.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
31. 31.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
32. 32.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the old banyan tree (c) making a rangoli (d) flying kites
33. 33.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 peacock (b) our school sports day (c) a busy railway station (d) my new bicycle
34. 34.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
35. 35.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
37. 37.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) a busy railway station (b) my best friend (c) my new bicycle (d) the peacock
38. 38.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) eating healthy food (b) the old banyan tree (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our postman
39. 39.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
40. 40.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.

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