Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 615 · 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?
   
   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) our trip to the zoo (b) making a rangoli (c) a busy railway station (d) a visit to an old fort
2. 2.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
3. 3.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
4. 4.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) saving water (b) the peacock (c) grandma's garden (d) our school sports day
5. 5.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
6. 6.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) our postman (b) grandma's garden (c) the night sky (d) flying kites
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
8. 8.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) eating healthy food (b) our school sports day (c) my new bicycle (d) elephants
9. 9.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
10. 10.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) the rainy season (b) ants (c) flying kites (d) saving water
11. 11.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
13. 13.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 village fair (b) our pet cat (c) making a rangoli (d) our school sports day
14. 14.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
15. 15.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
16. 16.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
17. 17.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 school library (b) saving water (c) flying kites (d) the village fair
18. 18.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
19. 19.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 best friend is Farhan. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
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) my best friend (b) our trip to the zoo (c) elephants (d) flying kites
21. 21.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) saving water (b) making a rangoli (c) a busy railway station (d) the school library
22. 22.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) a day at the beach (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) a visit to an old fort
23. 23.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
24. 24.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
25. 25.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 school library (b) the rainy season (c) a cricket match (d) a busy railway station
26. 26.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
28. 28.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) my new bicycle (b) eating healthy food (c) the school library (d) our postman
29. 29.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 best friend (b) the school library (c) grandma's garden (d) the peacock
30. 30.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. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
31. 31.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) my best friend (c) our classroom (d) the school library
32. 32.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
33. 33.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We must not waste water.
34. 34.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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
35. 35.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
36. 36.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) a visit to an old fort (b) making a rangoli (c) the vegetable market (d) our postman
37. 37.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
38. 38.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
39. 39.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
40. 40.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.

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