Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 793 · 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?
   
   ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
2. 2.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
3. 3.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
4. 4.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) our trip to the zoo (b) making a rangoli (c) ants (d) saving water
5. 5.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) a day at the beach (b) our trip to the zoo (c) grandma's garden (d) a cricket match
6. 6.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 school library (b) a busy railway station (c) flying kites (d) a day at the beach
7. 7.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) our postman (b) a day at the beach (c) our trip to the zoo (d) my new bicycle
8. 8.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We must not waste water.
9. 9.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 best friend is Farhan. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
10. 10.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
11. 11.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) a cricket match (c) a day at the beach (d) the school library
12. 12.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We must not waste water. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
14. 14.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
16. 16.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
17. 17.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) our trip to the zoo (b) our classroom (c) flying kites (d) a busy railway station
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We must not waste water.
20. 20.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 vegetable market (b) grandma's garden (c) a cricket match (d) the night sky
21. 21.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) our postman (b) flying kites (c) my new bicycle (d) the village fair
22. 22.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
23. 23.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) the school library (b) our classroom (c) our pet cat (d) making a rangoli
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
25. 25.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 school library (b) my new bicycle (c) our trip to the zoo (d) saving water
26. 26.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) the night sky (b) my grandfather (c) the school library (d) my best friend
27. 27.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) eating healthy food (b) the vegetable market (c) a busy railway station (d) our postman
28. 28.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
29. 29.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. Ants store food for the winter. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
31. 31.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 cricket match (c) our pet cat (d) a busy railway station
32. 32.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 village fair (b) the vegetable market (c) a cricket match (d) our trip to the zoo
33. 33.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The railway station is always busy.
35. 35.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) a day at the beach (b) my best friend (c) saving water (d) flying kites
36. 36.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 railway station is always busy. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
37. 37.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 street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
38. 38.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
39. 39.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
40. 40.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) ants (c) flying kites (d) the village fair

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