Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 775 · 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) The railway station is always busy. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
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 library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
4. 4.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
5. 5.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
6. 6.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
7. 7.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We must not waste water.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
9. 9.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) making a rangoli (b) our school sports day (c) our postman (d) the old banyan tree
10. 10.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
11. 11.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 night sky (b) our pet cat (c) the village fair (d) flying kites
12. 12.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) grandma's garden (b) the school library (c) the old banyan tree (d) ants
13. 13.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. We place small lamps around the design. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
14. 14.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
15. 15.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) a busy railway station (b) eating healthy food (c) our trip to the zoo (d) making a rangoli
16. 16.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) a cricket match (c) the night sky (d) the rainy season
17. 17.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
18. 18.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) the school library (b) the rainy season (c) our postman (d) the peacock
19. 19.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 vegetable market (b) making a rangoli (c) saving water (d) the school library
20. 20.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We have a pet cat named Mishti. She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) eating healthy food (b) our pet cat (c) a cricket match (d) our school sports day
21. 21.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
22. 22.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) a busy railway station (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our school sports day (d) the vegetable market
23. 23.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
24. 24.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
25. 25.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
26. 26.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. 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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
27. 27.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) a busy railway station (c) our trip to the zoo (d) the vegetable market
28. 28.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
29. 29.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
30. 30.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
31. 31.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 railway station is always busy. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
32. 32.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
33. 33.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The railway station is always busy.
34. 34.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. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
35. 35.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
36. 36.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We must not waste water. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
38. 38.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
39. 39.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.

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