Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 595 · 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?
   
   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) my best friend (b) our postman (c) the village fair (d) grandma's garden
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
3. 3.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 peacock (b) our trip to the zoo (c) elephants (d) our pet cat
4. 4.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
5. 5.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) ants (c) our trip to the zoo (d) grandma's garden
6. 6.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
7. 7.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We must not waste water.
8. 8.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
9. 9.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) a busy railway station (b) grandma's garden (c) the rainy season (d) our pet cat
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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
11. 11.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We must not waste water.
12. 12.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
13. 13.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) the peacock (c) our classroom (d) the school library
14. 14.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 old banyan tree (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our school sports day (d) the school library
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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The railway station is always busy.
16. 16.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 rainy season (b) my best friend (c) a busy railway station (d) grandma's garden
17. 17.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) a cricket match (b) ants (c) my new bicycle (d) a day at the beach
18. 18.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
19. 19.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) my grandfather (c) eating healthy food (d) the old banyan tree
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
21. 21.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) grandma's garden (b) a day at the beach (c) our classroom (d) a busy railway station
22. 22.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
23. 23.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) my new bicycle (b) our postman (c) grandma's garden (d) my best friend
24. 24.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
25. 25.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 peacock (b) the village fair (c) the night sky (d) elephants
26. 26.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) ants (c) the village fair (d) flying kites
27. 27.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the school library (c) saving water (d) my best friend
28. 28.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) ants (b) the vegetable market (c) our trip to the zoo (d) elephants
29. 29.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 old banyan tree (b) the vegetable market (c) eating healthy food (d) our postman
30. 30.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) saving water (b) our school sports day (c) flying kites (d) our pet cat
31. 31.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
33. 33.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
34. 34.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
35. 35.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The railway station is always busy.
37. 37.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The day began with a march past. I ran in the hundred-metre race. The winners got shiny medals. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
40. 40.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.

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