Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 895 · 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?
   
   ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) We must not waste water. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
2. 2.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 village fair (c) our classroom (d) my grandfather
3. 3.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   An old banyan tree stands in our village. Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) the school library (b) the old banyan tree (c) making a rangoli (d) ants
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 school library (b) saving water (c) our school sports day (d) eating healthy food
5. 5.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 peacock (b) a visit to an old fort (c) the school library (d) the night sky
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) our postman (b) a day at the beach (c) the old banyan tree (d) our school sports day
7. 7.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) my grandfather (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our classroom (d) our postman
8. 8.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
9. 9.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) our trip to the zoo (b) grandma's garden (c) the old banyan tree (d) the school library
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Kunal bowled very fast. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
11. 11.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
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. We place small lamps around the design. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
15. 15.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
16. 16.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) my grandfather (b) the old banyan tree (c) the peacock (d) our trip to the zoo
17. 17.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) the night sky (b) a busy railway station (c) my best friend (d) our pet cat
18. 18.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our class visited an old fort on a hill. Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) elephants (b) a visit to an old fort (c) making a rangoli (d) the village fair
19. 19.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
22. 22.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) my best friend (b) eating healthy food (c) a busy railway station (d) flying kites
23. 23.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
24. 24.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) flying kites (b) the school library (c) a visit to an old fort (d) my new bicycle
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
26. 26.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 pet cat (b) a visit to an old fort (c) flying kites (d) my grandfather
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
28. 28.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
29. 29.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) the school library (b) a cricket match (c) our school sports day (d) eating healthy food
30. 30.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
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) our postman (b) the old banyan tree (c) a day at the beach (d) the peacock
32. 32.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
33. 33.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. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
34. 34.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) ants (b) the old banyan tree (c) a day at the beach (d) the village fair
35. 35.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 trip to the zoo (b) the vegetable market (c) saving water (d) our pet cat
36. 36.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 have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
37. 37.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
38. 38.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) our postman (b) a busy railway station (c) eating healthy food (d) the rainy season
39. 39.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) the school library (c) my best friend (d) our pet cat
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) We must not waste water.

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