Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 548 · 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. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
2. 2.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) making a rangoli (b) the old banyan tree (c) ants (d) a day at the beach
3. 3.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
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. A green board hangs at the front. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
6. 6.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) flying kites (b) a visit to an old fort (c) a busy railway station (d) my grandfather
7. 7.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) the vegetable market (b) our classroom (c) our pet cat (d) elephants
8. 8.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) our pet cat (b) the night sky (c) flying kites (d) my best friend
9. 9.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 classroom (b) the rainy season (c) making a rangoli (d) our postman
10. 10.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
11. 11.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We must not waste water.
12. 12.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
13. 13.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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
14. 14.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
15. 15.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
16. 16.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 railway station is always busy. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
17. 17.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
18. 18.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) flying kites (b) a cricket match (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the vegetable market
19. 19.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) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) my new bicycle
20. 20.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
21. 21.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
22. 22.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
23. 23.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 postman (b) making a rangoli (c) my new bicycle (d) the village fair
24. 24.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. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
26. 26.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. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
27. 27.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
28. 28.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We must not waste water. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
29. 29.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 night sky (b) a busy railway station (c) grandma's garden (d) our school sports day
30. 30.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We must not waste water.
31. 31.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
32. 32.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) our pet cat (b) saving water (c) the vegetable market (d) the peacock
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
34. 34.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We have a pet cat named Mishti. She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) grandma's garden (b) our postman (c) our pet cat (d) making a rangoli
35. 35.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 day at the beach (b) our school sports day (c) the old banyan tree (d) ants
36. 36.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) the school library (b) a day at the beach (c) making a rangoli (d) our trip to the zoo
37. 37.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
38. 38.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
39. 39.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
40. 40.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.

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