Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 945 · 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?
   
   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) my best friend (b) making a rangoli (c) grandma's garden (d) our school sports day
2. 2.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 cricket match (b) my new bicycle (c) a busy railway station (d) the school library
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 cricket match (b) the vegetable market (c) a busy railway station (d) our postman
4. 4.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) the peacock (c) my grandfather (d) a busy railway station
5. 5.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
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) the vegetable market (b) a cricket match (c) grandma's garden (d) the village fair
7. 7.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) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
8. 8.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 class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
9. 9.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) a cricket match (b) our school sports day (c) saving water (d) my best friend
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) the peacock (b) our pet cat (c) our classroom (d) a cricket match
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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
12. 12.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
13. 13.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) The railway station is always busy.
14. 14.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) grandma's garden (c) flying kites (d) my best friend
15. 15.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. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
16. 16.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 monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
17. 17.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
18. 18.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) grandma's garden (b) eating healthy food (c) our postman (d) my new bicycle
19. 19.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 pet cat (b) making a rangoli (c) elephants (d) a busy railway station
20. 20.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
21. 21.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
24. 24.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) We must not waste water. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) We must not waste water. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
26. 26.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
27. 27.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
28. 28.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. She sleeps in a basket near the window. (a) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
29. 29.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
30. 30.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. Farhan and I play football after school. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
31. 31.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) the rainy season (b) our classroom (c) a day at the beach (d) our trip to the zoo
32. 32.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 postman (b) the village fair (c) a day at the beach (d) our trip to the zoo
33. 33.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 peacock (b) a day at the beach (c) the village fair (d) the vegetable market
34. 34.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) We must not waste water. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
35. 35.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) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
36. 36.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
37. 37.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 village fair (b) ants (c) the night sky (d) a busy railway station
38. 38.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) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (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?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
40. 40.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.

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