Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 69 · 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?
   
   ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
4. 4.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
6. 6.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The railway station is always busy.
7. 7.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
8. 8.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) saving water (c) flying kites (d) our school sports day
9. 9.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 day at the beach (b) making a rangoli (c) our classroom (d) our pet cat
10. 10.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) elephants (b) a day at the beach (c) the village fair (d) grandma's garden
11. 11.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
12. 12.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
13. 13.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) We must not waste water. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
14. 14.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
15. 15.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. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
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) making a rangoli (c) elephants (d) our school sports day
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
18. 18.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) a visit to an old fort (b) our school sports day (c) our trip to the zoo (d) grandma's garden
19. 19.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
20. 20.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
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) the old banyan tree (b) the night sky (c) the rainy season (d) eating healthy food
22. 22.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. We collected shells near the shore. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
24. 24.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
25. 25.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
26. 26.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) the rainy season (b) our trip to the zoo (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our school sports day
27. 27.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) a cricket match (c) our postman (d) the village fair
28. 28.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) making a rangoli (b) a day at the beach (c) the peacock (d) a busy railway station
29. 29.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 school sports day (b) grandma's garden (c) a cricket match (d) the night sky
30. 30.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
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) the night sky (b) the old banyan tree (c) our postman (d) ants
33. 33.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
34. 34.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 spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
35. 35.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The railway station is always busy.
36. 36.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) my best friend (b) my grandfather (c) the old banyan tree (d) the vegetable market
37. 37.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
38. 38.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
39. 39.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
40. 40.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 school library (c) grandma's garden (d) our school sports day

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