Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 525 · 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?
   
   ___ Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
2. 2.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
3. 3.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
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 rainy season (b) eating healthy food (c) grandma's garden (d) our trip to the zoo
5. 5.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
6. 6.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
7. 7.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
8. 8.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
9. 9.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) saving water (b) our trip to the zoo (c) a cricket match (d) ants
10. 10.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
11. 11.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
12. 12.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
13. 13.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
14. 14.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) We must not waste water. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
15. 15.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) my best friend (c) our school sports day (d) my grandfather
16. 16.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
17. 17.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) saving water (b) my best friend (c) my grandfather (d) making a rangoli
18. 18.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 trip to the zoo (b) a cricket match (c) ants (d) our classroom
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
20. 20.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
21. 21.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
22. 22.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
23. 23.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. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
24. 24.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
25. 25.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 busy railway station (b) the old banyan tree (c) flying kites (d) my best friend
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
27. 27.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) making a rangoli (b) ants (c) my best friend (d) grandma's garden
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) a busy railway station (b) the peacock (c) our classroom (d) our postman
29. 29.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) a cricket match (c) making a rangoli (d) flying kites
30. 30.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the school library (c) my new bicycle (d) elephants
31. 31.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 vegetable market (b) flying kites (c) elephants (d) my best friend
32. 32.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
33. 33.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) a day at the beach (b) our trip to the zoo (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our classroom
34. 34.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
35. 35.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
36. 36.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) our postman (b) eating healthy food (c) the old banyan tree (d) grandma's garden
37. 37.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
39. 39.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
40. 40.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) the peacock (b) a cricket match (c) the school library (d) making a rangoli

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