Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 743 · 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?
   
   ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
2. 2.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
3. 3.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) grandma's garden (b) the rainy season (c) our pet cat (d) ants
4. 4.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) saving water (c) my best friend (d) my grandfather
5. 5.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
6. 6.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
7. 7.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
8. 8.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
9. 9.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
10. 10.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 night sky (b) a busy railway station (c) our postman (d) the vegetable market
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. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
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) saving water (c) the village fair (d) my best friend
14. 14.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
15. 15.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) my best friend (b) our postman (c) my new bicycle (d) a cricket match
16. 16.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
17. 17.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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) a visit to an old fort (c) grandma's garden (d) making a rangoli
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) We must not waste water. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
20. 20.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) We must not waste water.
21. 21.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
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. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
23. 23.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 rainy season (b) the night sky (c) the school library (d) making a rangoli
24. 24.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) saving water (b) grandma's garden (c) the night sky (d) my best friend
25. 25.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
26. 26.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
27. 27.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 cricket match (b) the night sky (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the school library
28. 28.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 classroom (c) making a rangoli (d) a visit to an old fort
29. 29.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 day at the beach (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our postman (d) a busy railway station
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
31. 31.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) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
32. 32.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. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
33. 33.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
34. 34.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) the village fair (b) the vegetable market (c) our classroom (d) our postman
35. 35.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) my new bicycle (b) our school sports day (c) a busy railway station (d) a day at the beach
36. 36.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
37. 37.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 night sky (c) my new bicycle (d) our pet cat
38. 38.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
39. 39.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 grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The railway station is always busy.
40. 40.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) ants (b) making a rangoli (c) grandma's garden (d) our school sports day

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