Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 671 · 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?
   
   ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
2. 2.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 pet cat (b) a visit to an old fort (c) grandma's garden (d) the peacock
3. 3.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (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.
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They have long trunks and big ears. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
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. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
7. 7.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
8. 8.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) the peacock (b) eating healthy food (c) elephants (d) a busy railway station
9. 9.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
10. 10.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
11. 11.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
12. 12.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 vegetable market (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our postman (d) our classroom
13. 13.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. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
16. 16.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) saving water (c) our school sports day (d) our trip to the zoo
17. 17.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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) my best friend (b) saving water (c) eating healthy food (d) the rainy season
19. 19.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
21. 21.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
22. 22.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
23. 23.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 pet cat (b) our postman (c) our school sports day (d) the peacock
24. 24.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
25. 25.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 library is my favourite place. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
26. 26.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We must not waste water.
27. 27.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
28. 28.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) our postman (b) the village fair (c) a cricket match (d) the school library
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) a visit to an old fort (b) a day at the beach (c) the old banyan tree (d) the school library
30. 30.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) saving water (b) the school library (c) our pet cat (d) the rainy season
31. 31.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
32. 32.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) ants (b) elephants (c) a cricket match (d) the vegetable market
33. 33.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 railway station is always busy. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
35. 35.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
36. 36.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) the rainy season (c) our school sports day (d) a busy railway station
37. 37.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) the rainy season (b) our postman (c) the school library (d) making a rangoli
38. 38.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
39. 39.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
40. 40.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the peacock (c) our postman (d) the old banyan tree

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