Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 58 · 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?
   
   ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
2. 2.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) my grandfather (b) the school library (c) a day at the beach (d) the night sky
3. 3.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
4. 4.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
5. 5.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
6. 6.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The railway station is always busy.
7. 7.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
8. 8.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
9. 9.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
10. 10.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 old banyan tree (b) elephants (c) a cricket match (d) my new bicycle
11. 11.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
12. 12.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    A fair comes to our village every winter. There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) the village fair (b) eating healthy food (c) flying kites (d) my grandfather
13. 13.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) my new bicycle (b) our pet cat (c) the rainy season (d) elephants
14. 14.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) a visit to an old fort (c) a day at the beach (d) flying kites
15. 15.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 must not waste water. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
16. 16.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
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 classroom (b) grandma's garden (c) saving water (d) a cricket match
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
20. 20.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
21. 21.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) making a rangoli (b) my grandfather (c) grandma's garden (d) elephants
22. 22.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 pet cat (b) my best friend (c) our postman (d) the old banyan tree
23. 23.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) a busy railway station (c) elephants (d) a visit to an old fort
24. 24.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) eating healthy food (b) saving water (c) my new bicycle (d) our trip to the zoo
25. 25.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
26. 26.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
27. 27.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. We collected shells near the shore. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
30. 30.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) the night sky (c) flying kites (d) grandma's garden
31. 31.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) a cricket match (b) my grandfather (c) ants (d) the village fair
32. 32.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) our classroom (c) the vegetable market (d) my new bicycle
33. 33.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
34. 34.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
35. 35.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
37. 37.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
38. 38.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) saving water (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the rainy season
39. 39.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
40. 40.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 pet cat (b) my grandfather (c) saving water (d) a day at the beach

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