Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 831 · 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?
   
   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 vegetable market (b) the rainy season (c) a visit to an old fort (d) our school sports day
2. 2.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) our postman (b) our trip to the zoo (c) saving water (d) flying kites
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
4. 4.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) the school library (b) grandma's garden (c) my grandfather (d) a day at the beach
5. 5.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
6. 6.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
7. 7.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) We must not waste water. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
9. 9.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
10. 10.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
11. 11.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) my best friend (b) the night sky (c) the village fair (d) the school library
12. 12.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) the rainy season (b) the peacock (c) a day at the beach (d) flying kites
13. 13.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) our trip to the zoo (c) the vegetable market (d) my grandfather
14. 14.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
15. 15.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
16. 16.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) our postman (b) the village fair (c) the peacock (d) the school library
17. 17.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) grandma's garden (b) our pet cat (c) my best friend (d) a cricket match
18. 18.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
19. 19.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) my grandfather (c) our school sports day (d) a cricket match
20. 20.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
21. 21.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
22. 22.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We must not waste water.
23. 23.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
24. 24.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
25. 25.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
26. 26.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
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) our school sports day (b) our pet cat (c) elephants (d) our postman
28. 28.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
29. 29.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
30. 30.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 postman (b) our trip to the zoo (c) my best friend (d) my new bicycle
31. 31.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) a visit to an old fort (b) flying kites (c) the night sky (d) our postman
32. 32.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) elephants (b) our postman (c) the peacock (d) grandma's garden
33. 33.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
34. 34.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) the vegetable market (c) ants (d) our postman
35. 35.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) saving water (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our classroom (d) making a rangoli
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) 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) My best friend is Farhan.
37. 37.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
38. 38.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
39. 39.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
40. 40.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We must not waste water.

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