Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 578 · 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?
   
   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 vegetable market (b) eating healthy food (c) saving water (d) grandma's garden
2. 2.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) flying kites (b) our school sports day (c) the old banyan tree (d) saving water
3. 3.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
4. 4.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) the old banyan tree (b) the school library (c) flying kites (d) saving water
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
6. 6.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
7. 7.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) the night sky (b) our school sports day (c) a busy railway station (d) my best friend
8. 8.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
9. 9.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 busy railway station (b) the school library (c) elephants (d) a cricket match
10. 10.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
12. 12.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The railway station is always busy.
13. 13.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
14. 14.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We must not waste water. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
15. 15.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. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The railway station is always busy.
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) saving water (b) a visit to an old fort (c) the old banyan tree (d) our pet cat
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
18. 18.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
19. 19.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) a cricket match (b) making a rangoli (c) eating healthy food (d) grandma's garden
20. 20.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) our pet cat (c) the school library (d) making a rangoli
21. 21.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) our pet cat (b) saving water (c) our school sports day (d) making a rangoli
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) We must not waste water. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
23. 23.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
25. 25.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 new bicycle (c) my best friend (d) our classroom
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
27. 27.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 visit to an old fort (c) our postman (d) the school library
28. 28.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
29. 29.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 trip to the zoo (b) my new bicycle (c) elephants (d) my best friend
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
32. 32.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
33. 33.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) the village fair (b) a busy railway station (c) the rainy season (d) my best friend
34. 34.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) ants (b) the rainy season (c) our classroom (d) the peacock
35. 35.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
36. 36.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We must not waste water. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
38. 38.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
39. 39.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) the vegetable market (b) eating healthy food (c) our classroom (d) our postman
40. 40.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. We buy strong string for our kites. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.

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