Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 52 · 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 have long trunks and big ears. An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
2. 2.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) my best friend (b) our school sports day (c) ants (d) making a rangoli
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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We must not waste water. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
4. 4.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
5. 5.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) a cricket match (c) our postman (d) my grandfather
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. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
7. 7.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) elephants (b) making a rangoli (c) saving water (d) grandma's garden
8. 8.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
9. 9.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) flying kites (b) my new bicycle (c) our classroom (d) our trip to the zoo
10. 10.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
12. 12.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 school library is my favourite place. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
13. 13.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) our school sports day (b) the village fair (c) our postman (d) the night sky
14. 14.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) We must not waste water. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
15. 15.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) a cricket match (b) flying kites (c) making a rangoli (d) the rainy season
16. 16.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) our postman (c) flying kites (d) ants
17. 17.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) grandma's garden (b) a busy railway station (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the rainy season
18. 18.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) flying kites (b) the night sky (c) our postman (d) a day at the beach
19. 19.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
20. 20.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
21. 21.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) our pet cat (b) making a rangoli (c) our classroom (d) a busy railway station
22. 22.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 rainy season (b) saving water (c) my new bicycle (d) our classroom
23. 23.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
24. 24.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
25. 25.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) ants (b) our classroom (c) my best friend (d) the school library
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
27. 27.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We must not waste water.
28. 28.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
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 cricket match (b) my new bicycle (c) flying kites (d) the vegetable market
30. 30.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
31. 31.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They have long trunks and big ears. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The railway station is always busy.
33. 33.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
35. 35.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) a visit to an old fort (b) my grandfather (c) a busy railway station (d) our pet cat
36. 36.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
38. 38.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
39. 39.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
40. 40.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.

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