Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 600 · 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 tall shelves full of storybooks. The librarian helps us find good books. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
2. 2.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 railway station is always busy. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
3. 3.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) my grandfather (b) eating healthy food (c) grandma's garden (d) my best friend
4. 4.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) a busy railway station (b) the vegetable market (c) the night sky (d) a visit to an old fort
5. 5.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) elephants (b) the village fair (c) saving water (d) our postman
6. 6.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) the night sky (c) saving water (d) making a rangoli
7. 7.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) We must not waste water. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
8. 8.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
9. 9.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
10. 10.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
12. 12.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 near our house opens early. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
14. 14.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) a cricket match (b) the rainy season (c) a visit to an old fort (d) elephants
15. 15.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. Our house won the tug of war. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
16. 16.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
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) the rainy season (b) our classroom (c) elephants (d) the vegetable market
19. 19.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
20. 20.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 rainy season (b) the village fair (c) the school library (d) the night sky
21. 21.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
22. 22.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 old banyan tree (b) saving water (c) my grandfather (d) the school library
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The railway station is always busy.
25. 25.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) my best friend (b) our school sports day (c) ants (d) our pet cat
26. 26.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
27. 27.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
28. 28.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. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
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) our postman (b) eating healthy food (c) a cricket match (d) ants
30. 30.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
31. 31.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
32. 32.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
33. 33.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We must not waste water.
34. 34.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) my grandfather (b) our pet cat (c) our school sports day (d) ants
35. 35.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) our school sports day (c) making a rangoli (d) flying kites
36. 36.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. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
37. 37.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
38. 38.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. We may borrow two books every week. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
39. 39.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
40. 40.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.

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