Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 675 · 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?
   
   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) my grandfather (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
2. 2.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
3. 3.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
4. 4.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) making a rangoli (b) ants (c) our classroom (d) my new bicycle
5. 5.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) our school sports day (c) our pet cat (d) a busy railway station
6. 6.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
9. 9.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) my grandfather (b) our classroom (c) saving water (d) the school library
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
11. 11.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. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (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) Our school library is my favourite place.
13. 13.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) a busy railway station (b) the night sky (c) my grandfather (d) elephants
14. 14.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 peacock (b) saving water (c) ants (d) a busy railway station
15. 15.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) ants (b) the night sky (c) our pet cat (d) the village fair
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
17. 17.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
18. 18.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. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
19. 19.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
20. 20.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We must not waste water.
21. 21.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
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. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
23. 23.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) our trip to the zoo (b) making a rangoli (c) flying kites (d) the old banyan tree
24. 24.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
26. 26.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) our classroom (b) grandma's garden (c) a day at the beach (d) the village fair
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
28. 28.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
29. 29.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) our pet cat (b) the old banyan tree (c) ants (d) the rainy season
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. We place small lamps around the design. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
31. 31.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
33. 33.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) my best friend (b) our pet cat (c) a day at the beach (d) the school library
34. 34.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
35. 35.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. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
36. 36.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 rainy season (b) my new bicycle (c) our postman (d) our pet cat
37. 37.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
38. 38.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) our school sports day (b) elephants (c) the night sky (d) the village fair
39. 39.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. Our house won the tug of war. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
40. 40.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.

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