Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 721 · 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?
   
   ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
2. 2.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
3. 3.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
4. 4.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
5. 5.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
6. 6.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) the village fair (b) saving water (c) a cricket match (d) flying kites
7. 7.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) our school sports day (b) my grandfather (c) my best friend (d) ants
8. 8.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
9. 9.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) a cricket match (b) our pet cat (c) ants (d) saving water
10. 10.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We must not waste water.
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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
12. 12.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
14. 14.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 grandfather (b) flying kites (c) the village fair (d) my new bicycle
15. 15.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The railway station is always busy.
16. 16.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
17. 17.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
18. 18.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
19. 19.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We must not waste water.
20. 20.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) our school sports day (b) my new bicycle (c) my best friend (d) a day at the beach
21. 21.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The railway station is always busy.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
24. 24.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Elephants are the biggest land animals. They have long trunks and big ears. An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) elephants (b) the vegetable market (c) saving water (d) our school sports day
25. 25.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
26. 26.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
27. 27.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
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. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
29. 29.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
30. 30.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the school library (c) our school sports day (d) a day at the beach
31. 31.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) grandma's garden (c) our postman (d) saving water
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) the rainy season (b) eating healthy food (c) flying kites (d) our pet cat
33. 33.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) the rainy season (b) the village fair (c) my best friend (d) the night sky
34. 34.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 railway station is always busy. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
36. 36.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
37. 37.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
38. 38.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
39. 39.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
40. 40.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. We may borrow two books every week. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.

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