Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 694 · 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 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) our postman (d) a busy railway station
2. 2.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 school library (b) making a rangoli (c) eating healthy food (d) our school sports day
3. 3.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) our school sports day (b) the village fair (c) our classroom (d) our trip to the zoo
4. 4.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
5. 5.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
7. 7.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) making a rangoli (b) our trip to the zoo (c) flying kites (d) grandma's garden
8. 8.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
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 rainy season (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
10. 10.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The railway station is always busy.
11. 11.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. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
14. 14.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
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) grandma's garden (b) saving water (c) our classroom (d) the village fair
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
17. 17.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The railway station is always busy.
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
19. 19.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 day at the beach (b) grandma's garden (c) the rainy season (d) the school library
20. 20.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) the rainy season (b) a cricket match (c) the peacock (d) our trip to the zoo
21. 21.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) the village fair (c) grandma's garden (d) our pet cat
22. 22.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. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) We must not waste water. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
23. 23.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We must not waste water. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
24. 24.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. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
26. 26.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) elephants (c) our pet cat (d) a visit to an old fort
27. 27.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
28. 28.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
29. 29.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) my new bicycle (b) the village fair (c) grandma's garden (d) our classroom
30. 30.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
31. 31.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
32. 32.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) flying kites (b) saving water (c) the peacock (d) a day at the beach
33. 33.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) the peacock (b) a busy railway station (c) ants (d) the old banyan tree
34. 34.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) making a rangoli (b) grandma's garden (c) the peacock (d) our pet cat
35. 35.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) my best friend (b) our classroom (c) a day at the beach (d) elephants
36. 36.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
37. 37.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
38. 38.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the old banyan tree (c) the village fair (d) ants
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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The railway station is always busy.
40. 40.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) a busy railway station (b) the school library (c) ants (d) the rainy season

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