Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 536 · 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?
   
   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) grandma's garden (b) our school sports day (c) making a rangoli (d) elephants
2. 2.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) We must not waste water. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
3. 3.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
4. 4.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 ride it to the park every evening. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
5. 5.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
6. 6.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) our classroom (c) elephants (d) our school sports day
7. 7.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
8. 8.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
9. 9.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) our postman (b) grandma's garden (c) a busy railway station (d) flying kites
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) a busy railway station (b) my new bicycle (c) our trip to the zoo (d) our pet cat
11. 11.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
12. 12.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. We place small lamps around the design. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
13. 13.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
14. 14.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) my best friend (b) our trip to the zoo (c) the peacock (d) a busy railway station
15. 15.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 peacock (b) the school library (c) our pet cat (d) the rainy season
16. 16.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) the peacock (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our pet cat (d) the vegetable market
17. 17.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 railway station is always busy. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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) the old banyan tree (b) our trip to the zoo (c) a day at the beach (d) our pet cat
19. 19.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) flying kites (b) the night sky (c) our school sports day (d) my new bicycle
20. 20.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We must not waste water. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
21. 21.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) We must not waste water. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
22. 22.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We must not waste water. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
23. 23.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the night sky (c) elephants (d) our trip to the zoo
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
25. 25.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) the old banyan tree (b) ants (c) our classroom (d) my grandfather
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
27. 27.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
28. 28.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
29. 29.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 classroom (c) making a rangoli (d) the school library
30. 30.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) the vegetable market (b) our school sports day (c) the night sky (d) grandma's garden
31. 31.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) our trip to the zoo (b) ants (c) flying kites (d) the rainy season
32. 32.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We must not waste water.
33. 33.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The railway station is always busy.
34. 34.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 trip to the zoo (b) our postman (c) eating healthy food (d) the village fair
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
36. 36.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
37. 37.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
38. 38.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 school sports day (b) my new bicycle (c) the village fair (d) the vegetable market
39. 39.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 railway station is always busy. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
40. 40.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.

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