Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 726 · 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 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) the school library (b) my grandfather (c) a visit to an old fort (d) a cricket match
2. 2.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) elephants (c) making a rangoli (d) my new bicycle
3. 3.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) our postman (b) our classroom (c) my best friend (d) the village fair
4. 4.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 vegetable market (b) the rainy season (c) a day at the beach (d) eating healthy food
5. 5.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) a day at the beach (b) my best friend (c) ants (d) the rainy season
6. 6.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
7. 7.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
8. 8.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 peacock (b) the old banyan tree (c) a cricket match (d) the night sky
9. 9.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
10. 10.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
11. 11.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) our trip to the zoo (c) the vegetable market (d) ants
12. 12.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) a cricket match (b) making a rangoli (c) the village fair (d) our classroom
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
14. 14.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) our trip to the zoo (b) eating healthy food (c) the night sky (d) making a rangoli
15. 15.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) We must not waste water. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
16. 16.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
17. 17.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) my new bicycle (b) the rainy season (c) our trip to the zoo (d) flying kites
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
19. 19.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
20. 20.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
22. 22.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
23. 23.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) the village fair (b) flying kites (c) the school library (d) the rainy season
24. 24.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 oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
25. 25.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 must not waste water. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They have long trunks and big ears. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
27. 27.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
28. 28.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
29. 29.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 spent a happy day at the beach. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
30. 30.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) eating healthy food (b) the vegetable market (c) a busy railway station (d) the school library
31. 31.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
32. 32.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) ants (b) my grandfather (c) the peacock (d) making a rangoli
33. 33.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) elephants (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the school library
34. 34.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 busy railway station (b) elephants (c) the village fair (d) a day at the beach
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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
36. 36.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) our school sports day (b) the school library (c) the vegetable market (d) the night sky
37. 37.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) elephants (c) the peacock (d) ants
38. 38.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 vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
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. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
40. 40.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) my new bicycle (c) the night sky (d) my grandfather

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