Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 731 · 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?
   
   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) our classroom (b) the school library (c) the night sky (d) eating healthy food
2. 2.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
3. 3.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The railway station is always busy.
4. 4.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
5. 5.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 village fair (b) my new bicycle (c) the old banyan tree (d) saving water
6. 6.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) We must not waste water.
7. 7.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) our school sports day (c) flying kites (d) our postman
8. 8.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) saving water (b) a day at the beach (c) a cricket match (d) elephants
9. 9.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
10. 10.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) our trip to the zoo (c) a cricket match (d) saving water
11. 11.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
12. 12.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) the vegetable market (b) the night sky (c) my best friend (d) our trip to the zoo
13. 13.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) a busy railway station (b) the village fair (c) our school sports day (d) flying kites
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We must not waste water.
15. 15.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 trip to the zoo (c) our classroom (d) the school library
16. 16.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
17. 17.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) grandma's garden (b) my grandfather (c) eating healthy food (d) flying kites
18. 18.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
20. 20.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
21. 21.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
22. 22.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 busy railway station (b) grandma's garden (c) our pet cat (d) the rainy season
23. 23.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The monsoon is my favourite 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 ride it to the park every evening. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
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) the vegetable market (b) our classroom (c) making a rangoli (d) our pet cat
27. 27.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
28. 28.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) ants (b) saving water (c) a cricket match (d) the night sky
29. 29.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
31. 31.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) our trip to the zoo (c) the rainy season (d) our school sports day
32. 32.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
33. 33.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
34. 34.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
35. 35.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 postman (b) making a rangoli (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a visit to an old fort
36. 36.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) the night sky (c) the rainy season (d) the peacock
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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
38. 38.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) our classroom (b) the peacock (c) ants (d) the vegetable market
39. 39.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
40. 40.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. Our house won the tug of war. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.

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