Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 911 · 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?
   
   ___ Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
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) ants (b) our pet cat (c) the village fair (d) grandma's garden
3. 3.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) a visit to an old fort (b) a busy railway station (c) our school sports day (d) the village fair
4. 4.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) my best friend (b) our postman (c) a visit to an old fort (d) a day at the beach
5. 5.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 best friend (b) elephants (c) the peacock (d) the old banyan tree
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
7. 7.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants store food for the winter. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
9. 9.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
10. 10.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
11. 11.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The railway station is always busy.
12. 12.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
13. 13.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
14. 14.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
15. 15.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) our trip to the zoo (b) the old banyan tree (c) my new bicycle (d) our school sports day
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
17. 17.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. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
19. 19.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. Our house won the tug of war. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
20. 20.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) eating healthy food (b) a visit to an old fort (c) making a rangoli (d) my best friend
21. 21.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They live together in an anthill. Ants can carry food heavier than themselves. Ants walk one behind the other in a line. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
23. 23.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 rainy season (b) our postman (c) the school library (d) ants
24. 24.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) my best friend (b) elephants (c) flying kites (d) a cricket match
25. 25.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) our pet cat (c) grandma's garden (d) flying kites
26. 26.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) grandma's garden (b) our postman (c) the village fair (d) our trip to the zoo
27. 27.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 postman (b) grandma's garden (c) a visit to an old fort (d) my grandfather
28. 28.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) the old banyan tree (b) our postman (c) our pet cat (d) a day at the beach
29. 29.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
30. 30.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 sports day was full of fun. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
31. 31.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) elephants (b) grandma's garden (c) making a rangoli (d) saving water
32. 32.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
33. 33.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 school sports day (b) our trip to the zoo (c) saving water (d) making a rangoli
34. 34.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
35. 35.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) elephants (b) our classroom (c) a day at the beach (d) the peacock
36. 36.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) my new bicycle (b) our pet cat (c) making a rangoli (d) the village fair
37. 37.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. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
38. 38.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 cricket match (c) eating healthy food (d) our pet cat
39. 39.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 village fair (b) a day at the beach (c) a cricket match (d) eating healthy food
40. 40.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 trip to the zoo (b) elephants (c) the school library (d) a busy railway station

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