Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 75 · 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?
   
   ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The railway station is always busy.
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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
3. 3.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. The postman knows every house on our street. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
4. 4.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. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
5. 5.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We must not waste water.
7. 7.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) our trip to the zoo (c) our classroom (d) a day at the beach
8. 8.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) a cricket match (b) grandma's garden (c) the vegetable market (d) the peacock
9. 9.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) a visit to an old fort (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) the vegetable market
10. 10.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 old banyan tree (b) elephants (c) grandma's garden (d) our classroom
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
12. 12.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. Farhan and I play football after school. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
13. 13.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
14. 14.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
15. 15.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 pet cat (b) the school library (c) making a rangoli (d) the peacock
16. 16.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) the night sky (b) a busy railway station (c) eating healthy food (d) our trip to the zoo
17. 17.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
18. 18.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
19. 19.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
20. 20.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
22. 22.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 vegetable market (b) flying kites (c) the rainy season (d) our school sports day
23. 23.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
24. 24.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. We buy strong string for our kites. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
25. 25.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
26. 26.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
27. 27.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) our school sports day (b) the village fair (c) the rainy season (d) the old banyan tree
28. 28.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) the night sky (b) my best friend (c) grandma's garden (d) a busy railway station
29. 29.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) my best friend (c) grandma's garden (d) making a rangoli
30. 30.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. A magician does tricks for the children. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
31. 31.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) a busy railway station (c) the old banyan tree (d) making a rangoli
32. 32.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 rainy season (b) the village fair (c) grandma's garden (d) elephants
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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
34. 34.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 village fair (b) a busy railway station (c) the night sky (d) our trip to the zoo
35. 35.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) the school library (b) a cricket match (c) making a rangoli (d) a visit to an old fort
36. 36.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
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) ants (b) the vegetable market (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the village fair
38. 38.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
39. 39.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 trip to the zoo (b) the rainy season (c) our school sports day (d) our postman
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My best friend is Farhan.

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