Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 803 · 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.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) my best friend (b) the vegetable market (c) grandma's garden (d) ants
2. 2.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 village fair (b) my new bicycle (c) my grandfather (d) a busy railway station
3. 3.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 school sports day (b) a cricket match (c) the night sky (d) our classroom
4. 4.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
5. 5.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
6. 6.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) a visit to an old fort (b) my best friend (c) our postman (d) the vegetable market
7. 7.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 old banyan tree (b) a day at the beach (c) eating healthy food (d) elephants
8. 8.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
9. 9.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
10. 10.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
11. 11.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) our pet cat (b) our classroom (c) the peacock (d) grandma's garden
12. 12.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 postman (b) the village fair (c) the school library (d) making a rangoli
13. 13.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
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) a visit to an old fort (b) my best friend (c) my new bicycle (d) flying kites
16. 16.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) a visit to an old fort (b) our pet cat (c) our postman (d) making a rangoli
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
18. 18.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) the peacock (b) my best friend (c) the school library (d) eating healthy food
19. 19.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
20. 20.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. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
23. 23.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
24. 24.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
26. 26.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
27. 27.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) elephants (b) a cricket match (c) my grandfather (d) my new bicycle
28. 28.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
29. 29.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 night sky (b) flying kites (c) the school library (d) saving water
30. 30.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
31. 31.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 vegetable market (b) a day at the beach (c) the village fair (d) elephants
32. 32.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) ants (b) making a rangoli (c) my best friend (d) my new bicycle
33. 33.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
34. 34.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
35. 35.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 trip to the zoo (b) flying kites (c) our school sports day (d) grandma's garden
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. We collected shells near the shore. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We must not waste water.
38. 38.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) saving water (b) elephants (c) a cricket match (d) making a rangoli
39. 39.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
40. 40.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My best friend is Farhan.

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