Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 910 · 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?
   
   ___ Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) We must not waste water. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
2. 2.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 busy railway station (b) saving water (c) my new bicycle (d) a cricket match
3. 3.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 busy railway station (b) our trip to the zoo (c) the vegetable market (d) our postman
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. 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 night sky is full of wonders. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
5. 5.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
6. 6.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. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We must not waste water.
8. 8.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 school sports day (b) a busy railway station (c) grandma's garden (d) the vegetable market
9. 9.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. The postman knows every house on our street. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
10. 10.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) a cricket match (b) my best friend (c) the peacock (d) ants
11. 11.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
12. 12.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) saving water (b) flying kites (c) the rainy season (d) the school library
13. 13.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) We must not waste water.
14. 14.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
15. 15.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
16. 16.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 school sports day (b) the rainy season (c) making a rangoli (d) my best friend
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The day began with a march past. I ran in the hundred-metre race. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
18. 18.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
19. 19.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
20. 20.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 peacock (b) our trip to the zoo (c) my grandfather (d) our postman
21. 21.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) ants (b) the night sky (c) our postman (d) elephants
22. 22.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) our postman (c) the school library (d) the vegetable market
23. 23.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) my grandfather (b) grandma's garden (c) the village fair (d) elephants
24. 24.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
25. 25.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) our pet cat (c) the night sky (d) our classroom
26. 26.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
27. 27.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
28. 28.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) our classroom (b) the vegetable market (c) my grandfather (d) elephants
29. 29.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) our trip to the zoo (b) the rainy season (c) the peacock (d) my best friend
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The railway station is always busy.
31. 31.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) grandma's garden (d) a busy railway station
32. 32.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) elephants (b) eating healthy food (c) a busy railway station (d) our school sports day
33. 33.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The railway station is always busy.
35. 35.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) We must not waste water. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
37. 37.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
38. 38.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
39. 39.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
40. 40.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.

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