Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 636 · 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 a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
3. 3.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
4. 4.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) a busy railway station (b) the school library (c) a visit to an old fort (d) my grandfather
5. 5.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
6. 6.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) ants (b) a visit to an old fort (c) grandma's garden (d) eating healthy food
7. 7.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) our school sports day (b) the school library (c) the peacock (d) the night sky
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 old banyan tree (b) saving water (c) my best friend (d) our school sports day
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) the school library (b) elephants (c) my new bicycle (d) our pet cat
10. 10.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) a cricket match (b) a busy railway station (c) the peacock (d) our school sports day
11. 11.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) the rainy season (b) a visit to an old fort (c) grandma's garden (d) my best friend
12. 12.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
13. 13.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 night sky (b) elephants (c) my grandfather (d) grandma's garden
14. 14.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) the vegetable market (b) our postman (c) flying kites (d) elephants
15. 15.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
16. 16.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) We must not waste water. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
17. 17.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandfather is seventy years old. My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) the rainy season (b) grandma's garden (c) our school sports day (d) my grandfather
18. 18.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) our trip to the zoo (b) our school sports day (c) my best friend (d) a cricket match
19. 19.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
20. 20.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) We must not waste water. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
21. 21.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
22. 22.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 night sky (b) flying kites (c) the vegetable market (d) a cricket match
23. 23.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) eating healthy food (b) a visit to an old fort (c) a cricket match (d) the night sky
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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
26. 26.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) our postman (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a day at the beach
27. 27.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We must not waste water.
28. 28.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) the rainy season (b) a cricket match (c) the village fair (d) our pet cat
29. 29.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 must not waste water. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
30. 30.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 school sports day was full of fun. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
31. 31.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
32. 32.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 night sky (c) the village fair (d) the rainy season
33. 33.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 school library (b) my new bicycle (c) the rainy season (d) the village fair
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
35. 35.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 street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
36. 36.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
38. 38.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) our classroom (b) the village fair (c) our postman (d) my best friend
39. 39.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
40. 40.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.

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