Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 482 · 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?
   
   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) ants (c) my new bicycle (d) a cricket match
2. 2.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
3. 3.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
4. 4.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
5. 5.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
6. 6.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 school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
7. 7.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We must not waste water. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
8. 8.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) eating healthy food (b) making a rangoli (c) saving water (d) elephants
9. 9.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
10. 10.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) our trip to the zoo (b) our pet cat (c) the rainy season (d) our school sports day
11. 11.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
12. 12.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 night sky (b) saving water (c) the rainy season (d) the old banyan tree
13. 13.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
14. 14.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 school library (b) saving water (c) ants (d) the village fair
15. 15.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 old banyan tree (b) my new bicycle (c) the night sky (d) my best friend
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
17. 17.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the village fair (c) our postman (d) elephants
18. 18.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) our trip to the zoo (b) the old banyan tree (c) elephants (d) my best friend
19. 19.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 pet cat (b) the peacock (c) our school sports day (d) the night sky
20. 20.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
23. 23.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) the school library (b) eating healthy food (c) our pet cat (d) a visit to an old fort
24. 24.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
25. 25.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
26. 26.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
27. 27.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) making a rangoli (b) elephants (c) the peacock (d) the school library
28. 28.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) my best friend (b) ants (c) saving water (d) our postman
29. 29.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
30. 30.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) elephants (b) eating healthy food (c) my best friend (d) our school sports day
31. 31.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) our pet cat (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our classroom (d) grandma's garden
32. 32.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The railway station is always busy.
33. 33.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) elephants (b) eating healthy food (c) our postman (d) a visit to an old fort
34. 34.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. Children float paper boats in puddles. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
35. 35.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
36. 36.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
39. 39.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) ants (b) the old banyan tree (c) saving water (d) the peacock
40. 40.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) our classroom (b) making a rangoli (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a visit to an old fort

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