Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 603 · 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?
   
   ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
2. 2.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
3. 3.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The railway station is always busy.
4. 4.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
6. 6.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) grandma's garden (b) a day at the beach (c) the vegetable market (d) saving water
7. 7.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) my grandfather (b) a busy railway station (c) eating healthy food (d) a visit to an old fort
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) the village fair (b) our pet cat (c) the peacock (d) my best friend
9. 9.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
10. 10.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
11. 11.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 must not waste water. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
12. 12.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The railway station is always busy.
13. 13.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The vegetable market near our house opens early. Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) our trip to the zoo (b) elephants (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the vegetable market
14. 14.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
15. 15.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
16. 16.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
18. 18.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) grandma's garden (b) flying kites (c) our postman (d) a busy railway station
19. 19.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 trip to the zoo (b) the school library (c) the vegetable market (d) saving water
20. 20.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
21. 21.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 sports day was full of fun. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
22. 22.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) the old banyan tree (b) the peacock (c) ants (d) our pet cat
23. 23.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
24. 24.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The monsoon is my favourite season. Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) saving water (b) our classroom (c) the vegetable market (d) the rainy season
25. 25.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) making a rangoli (b) the village fair (c) our trip to the zoo (d) my new bicycle
26. 26.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
27. 27.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
28. 28.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
29. 29.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) the old banyan tree (b) ants (c) our school sports day (d) the peacock
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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
31. 31.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) flying kites (b) grandma's garden (c) eating healthy food (d) a cricket match
32. 32.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) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
33. 33.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
34. 34.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) a visit to an old fort (b) grandma's garden (c) the old banyan tree (d) the night sky
35. 35.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) the night sky (b) making a rangoli (c) a cricket match (d) our pet cat
36. 36.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
37. 37.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. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
38. 38.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
39. 39.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
40. 40.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.

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