Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 940 · 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?
   
   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) the school library (b) ants (c) a busy railway station (d) grandma's garden
2. 2.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 peacock (b) our school sports day (c) the school library (d) making a rangoli
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
4. 4.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
6. 6.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
7. 7.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
8. 8.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
9. 9.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) saving water (b) elephants (c) grandma's garden (d) my grandfather
10. 10.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
11. 11.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. A magician does tricks for the children. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
12. 12.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) the old banyan tree (b) our postman (c) eating healthy food (d) the school library
13. 13.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) my best friend (b) a visit to an old fort (c) a busy railway station (d) the rainy season
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. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (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.
16. 16.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 railway station is always busy. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
17. 17.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 railway station is always busy. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
18. 18.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
19. 19.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
20. 20.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
21. 21.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
22. 22.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) the night sky (c) flying kites (d) the rainy season
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. Villagers rest in its cool shade. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
24. 24.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 vegetable market (b) the rainy season (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
25. 25.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) ants (c) the school library (d) our school sports day
26. 26.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
27. 27.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) my new bicycle (c) our school sports day (d) the old banyan tree
28. 28.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 grandfather (b) a busy railway station (c) grandma's garden (d) making a rangoli
29. 29.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) elephants (b) grandma's garden (c) the peacock (d) flying kites
30. 30.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
31. 31.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) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
32. 32.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) The railway station is always busy. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
33. 33.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) a cricket match (b) flying kites (c) my grandfather (d) the night sky
34. 34.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) my grandfather (c) my best friend (d) our classroom
35. 35.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) flying kites (b) our postman (c) our classroom (d) the school library
36. 36.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) making a rangoli (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) the vegetable market
37. 37.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. We may borrow two books every week. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
38. 38.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
39. 39.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) We must not waste water. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
40. 40.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.

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