Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 514 · 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?
   
   ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) We must not waste water.
2. 2.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) a busy railway station (b) the rainy season (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
3. 3.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We must not waste water. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
4. 4.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
5. 5.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
6. 6.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
7. 7.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) the peacock (b) our school sports day (c) saving water (d) ants
8. 8.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
9. 9.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
10. 10.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
11. 11.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) a busy railway station (b) saving water (c) making a rangoli (d) a cricket match
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
13. 13.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) saving water (b) my grandfather (c) flying kites (d) my best friend
14. 14.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
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) our classroom (b) ants (c) the peacock (d) making a rangoli
16. 16.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
17. 17.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) the school library (b) the rainy season (c) our school sports day (d) the vegetable market
18. 18.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) making a rangoli (b) our postman (c) elephants (d) our school sports day
19. 19.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
20. 20.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
21. 21.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) eating healthy food (b) a cricket match (c) my new bicycle (d) our classroom
22. 22.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
24. 24.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
25. 25.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) my best friend (b) eating healthy food (c) our classroom (d) flying kites
26. 26.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
27. 27.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 sports day was full of fun. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
28. 28.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) my best friend (c) a day at the beach (d) the old banyan tree
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
30. 30.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
33. 33.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
34. 34.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 old banyan tree (b) the village fair (c) a day at the beach (d) grandma's garden
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
36. 36.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) the night sky (b) my best friend (c) elephants (d) saving water
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
38. 38.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 must not waste water. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
39. 39.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) a busy railway station (c) the school library (d) the village fair
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.

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