Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 688 · 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?
   
   ___ 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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
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) my best friend (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our school sports day (d) our pet cat
3. 3.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
4. 4.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
5. 5.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) our school sports day (b) eating healthy food (c) the village fair (d) the night sky
6. 6.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 rainy season (b) the school library (c) the peacock (d) grandma's garden
7. 7.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
9. 9.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
10. 10.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
11. 11.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) my new bicycle (b) my grandfather (c) ants (d) the night sky
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. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
14. 14.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) eating healthy food (b) the night sky (c) the school library (d) the rainy season
15. 15.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 rainy season (b) the school library (c) my new bicycle (d) saving water
16. 16.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
17. 17.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
18. 18.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
19. 19.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 school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
20. 20.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 night sky (b) saving water (c) the village fair (d) the vegetable market
21. 21.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 ride it to the park every evening. (a) We must not waste water. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
23. 23.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
24. 24.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
25. 25.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
26. 26.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) a cricket match (b) our postman (c) grandma's garden (d) our pet cat
27. 27.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) eating healthy food (b) the old banyan tree (c) the school library (d) my new bicycle
28. 28.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
29. 29.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) We must not waste water. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
31. 31.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) making a rangoli (b) the village fair (c) my new bicycle (d) a cricket match
32. 32.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 peacock (b) our postman (c) a busy railway station (d) our classroom
33. 33.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) my grandfather (b) saving water (c) our pet cat (d) the village fair
34. 34.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
35. 35.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We must not waste water. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
38. 38.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    I got a new bicycle on my birthday. It is red with a shiny silver bell. Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) saving water (b) our school sports day (c) making a rangoli (d) my new bicycle
39. 39.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
40. 40.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) ants (b) saving water (c) eating healthy food (d) a busy railway station

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