Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 547 · 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?
   
   ___ The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
2. 2.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) our school sports day (b) the village fair (c) our trip to the zoo (d) my new bicycle
3. 3.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
4. 4.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
5. 5.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
6. 6.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ 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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
8. 8.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) my best friend (b) the rainy season (c) flying kites (d) our trip to the zoo
9. 9.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
10. 10.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
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. We place small lamps around the design. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
12. 12.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. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) We must not waste water.
13. 13.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) my best friend (b) our trip to the zoo (c) the rainy season (d) a busy railway station
14. 14.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) our postman (b) our pet cat (c) the night sky (d) a day at the beach
15. 15.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) elephants (b) the old banyan tree (c) my grandfather (d) our classroom
16. 16.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 trip to the zoo (b) the old banyan tree (c) flying kites (d) the peacock
17. 17.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The railway station is always busy.
18. 18.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. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
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. The postman knows every house on our street. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (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?
    
    ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
21. 21.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) a cricket match (b) grandma's garden (c) the old banyan tree (d) my best friend
22. 22.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) eating healthy food (b) saving water (c) making a rangoli (d) the rainy season
23. 23.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) We must not waste water. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
24. 24.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
25. 25.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
26. 26.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 grandfather (c) saving water (d) a day at the beach
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
28. 28.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 pet cat (b) the school library (c) flying kites (d) a busy railway station
29. 29.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. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
30. 30.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) our school sports day (b) the vegetable market (c) our pet cat (d) a day at the beach
31. 31.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) the rainy season (b) a visit to an old fort (c) eating healthy food (d) our postman
32. 32.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 visit to an old fort (b) our postman (c) the village fair (d) saving water
33. 33.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) eating healthy food (c) ants (d) a visit to an old fort
34. 34.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. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
35. 35.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) elephants (b) our classroom (c) the school library (d) a day at the beach
36. 36.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 street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
38. 38.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
39. 39.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
40. 40.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.

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