Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 696 · 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?
   
   ___ My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) We must not waste water. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
3. 3.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
4. 4.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
5. 5.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) the school library (b) flying kites (c) our postman (d) my best friend
6. 6.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 old banyan tree (b) the vegetable market (c) a cricket match (d) the peacock
7. 7.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
8. 8.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) the school library (c) my grandfather (d) elephants
9. 9.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) our postman (b) a day at the beach (c) the village fair (d) the old banyan tree
10. 10.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) making a rangoli (b) the rainy season (c) my best friend (d) flying kites
11. 11.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
12. 12.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) my best friend (b) the rainy season (c) the old banyan tree (d) the village fair
13. 13.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) our school sports day (b) my best friend (c) our pet cat (d) a busy railway station
14. 14.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
15. 15.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 classroom (b) our postman (c) the old banyan tree (d) a visit to an old fort
16. 16.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
17. 17.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) grandma's garden (b) my new bicycle (c) the rainy season (d) the night sky
18. 18.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
19. 19.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
20. 20.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) flying kites (b) my new bicycle (c) the old banyan tree (d) the peacock
21. 21.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) our postman (b) grandma's garden (c) our school sports day (d) the night sky
22. 22.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) grandma's garden (b) flying kites (c) our school sports day (d) a day at the beach
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) The railway station is always busy.
24. 24.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) making a rangoli (b) ants (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our classroom
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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
26. 26.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The railway station is always busy.
27. 27.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
28. 28.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) elephants (b) a day at the beach (c) ants (d) grandma's garden
29. 29.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
30. 30.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
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) the vegetable market (b) making a rangoli (c) my new bicycle (d) a cricket match
33. 33.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
34. 34.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
36. 36.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) our classroom (b) the vegetable market (c) making a rangoli (d) my grandfather
37. 37.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. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
38. 38.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) eating healthy food (b) my grandfather (c) our classroom (d) our pet cat
39. 39.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
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) a cricket match (b) a busy railway station (c) my new bicycle (d) the peacock

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