Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 935 · 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?
   
   ___ Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) We must not waste water.
2. 2.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 trip to the zoo (b) ants (c) my new bicycle (d) my grandfather
3. 3.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
4. 4.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 grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
5. 5.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
6. 6.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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
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) the rainy season (b) my new bicycle (c) ants (d) a cricket match
8. 8.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
9. 9.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 day at the beach (b) flying kites (c) a cricket match (d) the peacock
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The day began with a march past. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The railway station is always busy.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
12. 12.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
13. 13.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 school sports day was full of fun. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
14. 14.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 rainy season (b) a cricket match (c) our postman (d) our pet cat
15. 15.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) a visit to an old fort (b) a cricket match (c) my new bicycle (d) elephants
16. 16.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
19. 19.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
21. 21.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) making a rangoli (b) our classroom (c) grandma's garden (d) ants
22. 22.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
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) saving water (b) our pet cat (c) a cricket match (d) our postman
24. 24.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 night sky (c) saving water (d) the vegetable market
25. 25.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) grandma's garden (b) the old banyan tree (c) a cricket match (d) our school sports day
26. 26.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) the school library (b) the rainy season (c) the village fair (d) a busy railway station
27. 27.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
28. 28.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
29. 29.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 street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
30. 30.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Thousands of stars twinkle above us. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
32. 32.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. We collected shells near the shore. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
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) eating healthy food (b) my grandfather (c) ants (d) a day at the beach
36. 36.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) our postman (b) the peacock (c) eating healthy food (d) a cricket match
37. 37.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
38. 38.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 night sky (b) our postman (c) making a rangoli (d) the vegetable market
39. 39.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
40. 40.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 cricket match (b) ants (c) the village fair (d) the vegetable market

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