Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 755 · 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. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
2. 2.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
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) the rainy season (b) our postman (c) ants (d) the school library
4. 4.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) making a rangoli (b) our postman (c) the peacock (d) my grandfather
5. 5.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) We must not waste water. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
6. 6.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
7. 7.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
8. 8.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) making a rangoli (b) the old banyan tree (c) our trip to the zoo (d) saving water
9. 9.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
10. 10.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
11. 11.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The railway station is always busy.
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) our trip to the zoo (b) the vegetable market (c) making a rangoli (d) my new bicycle
13. 13.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) saving water (b) a cricket match (c) our postman (d) our trip to the zoo
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
15. 15.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
16. 16.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) ants (b) the village fair (c) flying kites (d) my new bicycle
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) ants (b) a busy railway station (c) eating healthy food (d) flying kites
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
20. 20.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We must not waste water.
21. 21.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) saving water (b) the night sky (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
22. 22.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We must not waste water.
23. 23.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) a day at the beach (b) the school library (c) the peacock (d) grandma's garden
24. 24.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
25. 25.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
26. 26.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
27. 27.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
28. 28.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) the rainy season (b) a visit to an old fort (c) the village fair (d) elephants
29. 29.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) saving water (b) a day at the beach (c) the old banyan tree (d) eating healthy food
30. 30.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. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
31. 31.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
32. 32.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 classroom (b) the rainy season (c) my best friend (d) the night sky
33. 33.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
34. 34.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
35. 35.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
36. 36.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
37. 37.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
38. 38.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
39. 39.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) a day at the beach (c) ants (d) our school sports day
40. 40.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.

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