Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 980 · 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 class visited an old fort on a hill. Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) a visit to an old fort (b) our trip to the zoo (c) flying kites (d) our school sports day
2. 2.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
3. 3.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) making a rangoli (b) the rainy season (c) my grandfather (d) my new bicycle
4. 4.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) a visit to an old fort (b) the vegetable market (c) the old banyan tree (d) the school library
5. 5.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
6. 6.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) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
7. 7.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The railway station is always busy.
8. 8.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) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
10. 10.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) a day at the beach (d) my grandfather
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) Ants are tiny but very hard-working.
12. 12.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) The peacock is the national bird of India. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
13. 13.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We must not waste water. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
15. 15.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
16. 16.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) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The railway station is always busy.
17. 17.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) A fair comes to our village every winter.
18. 18.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
19. 19.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) elephants (b) the vegetable market (c) my grandfather (d) grandma's garden
20. 20.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) a cricket match (b) our trip to the zoo (c) eating healthy food (d) our pet cat
21. 21.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) my new bicycle (b) saving water (c) flying kites (d) the school library
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) We must not waste water. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
24. 24.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
25. 25.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 busy railway station (b) our postman (c) the old banyan tree (d) our school sports day
26. 26.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
27. 27.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
28. 28.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 rainy season (b) making a rangoli (c) elephants (d) a visit to an old fort
29. 29.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) grandma's garden (b) our pet cat (c) elephants (d) our school sports day
30. 30.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 night sky (b) our pet cat (c) the school library (d) saving water
31. 31.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) We must not waste water. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
33. 33.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
34. 34.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) my new bicycle (b) the school library (c) a cricket match (d) our postman
35. 35.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 visit to an old fort (b) the vegetable market (c) the peacock (d) our school sports day
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) We must not waste water. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
37. 37.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) our pet cat (c) our school sports day (d) flying kites
38. 38.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) a cricket match (b) making a rangoli (c) the rainy season (d) a busy railway station
39. 39.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) making a rangoli (b) the vegetable market (c) my grandfather (d) eating healthy food
40. 40.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 railway station is always busy. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.

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