Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 930 · 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?
   
   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) my grandfather (b) making a rangoli (c) our pet cat (d) elephants
2. 2.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The railway station is always busy.
3. 3.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
4. 4.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We must not waste water. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
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) flying kites (b) saving water (c) grandma's garden (d) a busy railway station
7. 7.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. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
8. 8.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. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
9. 9.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
10. 10.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
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) the school library (b) our classroom (c) my grandfather (d) a cricket match
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. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The railway station is always busy.
13. 13.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
15. 15.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
16. 16.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
17. 17.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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) our classroom (c) elephants (d) a busy railway station
19. 19.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) a day at the beach (b) the village fair (c) my new bicycle (d) saving water
20. 20.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
21. 21.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 day at the beach (c) the night sky (d) our school sports day
22. 22.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) making a rangoli (b) the old banyan tree (c) my best friend (d) the vegetable market
23. 23.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) my grandfather (b) a busy railway station (c) ants (d) our postman
24. 24.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) the vegetable market (b) the night sky (c) a cricket match (d) flying kites
25. 25.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
26. 26.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) elephants (b) a busy railway station (c) flying kites (d) my new bicycle
27. 27.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) my best friend (c) the night sky (d) saving water
28. 28.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
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 rainy season (b) eating healthy food (c) a cricket match (d) a visit to an old fort
30. 30.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
31. 31.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
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) eating healthy food (b) the school library (c) making a rangoli (d) a day at the beach
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
34. 34.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) a busy railway station (b) our school sports day (c) our pet cat (d) the old banyan tree
35. 35.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 railway station is always busy. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
36. 36.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) my best friend (b) flying kites (c) the village fair (d) eating healthy food
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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
38. 38.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The railway station is always busy.
39. 39.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 peacock is the national bird of India. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.

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