Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 629 · 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?
   
   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) flying kites (b) the village fair (c) a cricket match (d) the night sky
2. 2.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) We must not waste water. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
3. 3.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
5. 5.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
6. 6.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We must not waste water.
7. 7.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 grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We must not waste water.
8. 8.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 peacock (b) our postman (c) saving water (d) my best friend
9. 9.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
11. 11.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
12. 12.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) flying kites (b) a cricket match (c) my best friend (d) our school sports day
13. 13.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
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 busy railway station (c) our trip to the zoo (d) flying kites
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We must not waste water.
16. 16.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
17. 17.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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) our school sports day (b) a busy railway station (c) our classroom (d) eating healthy food
19. 19.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) the village fair (b) the rainy season (c) my grandfather (d) the old banyan tree
20. 20.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) my new bicycle (b) our classroom (c) the village fair (d) our postman
21. 21.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) a cricket match (b) my best friend (c) the village fair (d) eating healthy food
22. 22.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The railway station is always busy.
23. 23.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) making a rangoli (c) the school library (d) eating healthy food
24. 24.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 peacock (b) the vegetable market (c) ants (d) the school library
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The day began with a march past. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
26. 26.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We must not waste water.
28. 28.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We must not waste water.
29. 29.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
30. 30.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
31. 31.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) flying kites (b) grandma's garden (c) the rainy season (d) the vegetable market
32. 32.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
33. 33.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
34. 34.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 busy railway station (b) the school library (c) making a rangoli (d) a day at the beach
35. 35.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) saving water (b) grandma's garden (c) the peacock (d) the night sky
36. 36.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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We must not waste water.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
38. 38.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
39. 39.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
40. 40.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.

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