Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 882 · 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 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) our trip to the zoo (c) our school sports day (d) a visit to an old fort
2. 2.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) making a rangoli (b) ants (c) the vegetable market (d) a cricket match
3. 3.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
4. 4.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 rainy season (b) eating healthy food (c) my best friend (d) flying kites
5. 5.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 day at the beach (b) a visit to an old fort (c) making a rangoli (d) our postman
6. 6.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 old banyan tree (c) making a rangoli (d) our classroom
7. 7.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) making a rangoli (c) the rainy season (d) our pet cat
8. 8.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) flying kites (b) our pet cat (c) the old banyan tree (d) our classroom
9. 9.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) We must not waste water.
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We climbed up to the tower. 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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
11. 11.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 best friend is Farhan. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
12. 12.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
13. 13.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) 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) In January, the sky fills with kites.
14. 14.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
15. 15.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) the rainy season (c) a busy railway station (d) a visit to an old fort
16. 16.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) our school sports day (b) a day at the beach (c) saving water (d) a visit to an old fort
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. We may borrow two books every week. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
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) the school library (c) a busy railway station (d) grandma's garden
20. 20.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) eating healthy food (b) flying kites (c) a cricket match (d) our trip to the zoo
21. 21.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
22. 22.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We must not waste water.
23. 23.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. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
24. 24.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
25. 25.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
26. 26.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) ants (b) eating healthy food (c) the vegetable market (d) elephants
27. 27.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We must not waste water. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
28. 28.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 cricket match (b) our school sports day (c) elephants (d) the vegetable market
29. 29.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. A green board hangs at the front. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
30. 30.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) a day at the beach (b) our postman (c) grandma's garden (d) our classroom
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ 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 street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
32. 32.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 rainy season (b) my grandfather (c) the village fair (d) ants
33. 33.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
34. 34.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) We must not waste water. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
35. 35.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
36. 36.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
37. 37.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) the rainy season (b) grandma's garden (c) making a rangoli (d) our trip to the zoo
38. 38.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 school sports day was full of fun. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
39. 39.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) my grandfather (b) a visit to an old fort (c) grandma's garden (d) saving water
40. 40.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.

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