Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 963 · 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?
   
   ___ Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
2. 2.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) the school library (c) elephants (d) a visit to an old fort
3. 3.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 night sky is full of wonders. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The railway station is always busy.
4. 4.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) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
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) the vegetable market (b) elephants (c) the school library (d) our pet cat
6. 6.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
7. 7.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) eating healthy food (b) a cricket match (c) our classroom (d) our trip to the zoo
8. 8.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) the old banyan tree (b) saving water (c) ants (d) my grandfather
9. 9.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
10. 10.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 classroom (b) the peacock (c) making a rangoli (d) the rainy season
11. 11.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) grandma's garden (b) the village fair (c) our classroom (d) elephants
12. 12.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 peacock (b) the school library (c) our postman (d) a cricket match
13. 13.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) a busy railway station (b) flying kites (c) ants (d) our pet cat
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) our pet cat (b) saving water (c) the rainy season (d) a busy railway station
15. 15.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
16. 16.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) the rainy season (b) our classroom (c) our postman (d) the village fair
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) We must not waste water. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
18. 18.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 old banyan tree (b) a busy railway station (c) a day at the beach (d) the school library
19. 19.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. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
20. 20.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) making a rangoli (b) my grandfather (c) our school sports day (d) eating healthy food
21. 21.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) the night sky (b) the old banyan tree (c) our classroom (d) the peacock
22. 22.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
23. 23.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) our school sports day (c) the rainy season (d) our postman
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) We must not waste water. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
25. 25.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 old banyan tree (b) a cricket match (c) the village fair (d) the night sky
26. 26.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
28. 28.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 visit to an old fort (b) our pet cat (c) our school sports day (d) the rainy season
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) our pet cat (c) our classroom (d) a cricket match
30. 30.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) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
31. 31.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
32. 32.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
33. 33.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) our trip to the zoo (b) our school sports day (c) our postman (d) my new bicycle
34. 34.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
36. 36.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
37. 37.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The railway station is always busy.
38. 38.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) 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) The railway station is always busy.
39. 39.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) ants (b) a visit to an old fort (c) a cricket match (d) my best friend
40. 40.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 village fair (b) a visit to an old fort (c) my grandfather (d) the vegetable market

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