Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 991 · 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?
   
   ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
2. 2.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) eating healthy food (b) our school sports day (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the night sky
3. 3.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) grandma's garden (c) my grandfather (d) our pet cat
4. 4.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) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
5. 5.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) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.
6. 6.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) a cricket match (b) elephants (c) my best friend (d) our postman
7. 7.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 old banyan tree (b) the village fair (c) our school sports day (d) our pet cat
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. By noon, most of the vegetables are sold. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) A fair comes to our village every winter. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
9. 9.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
10. 10.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) the night sky (b) eating healthy food (c) saving water (d) a busy railway station
11. 11.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) the village fair (b) the night sky (c) eating healthy food (d) ants
12. 12.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) our trip to the zoo (b) the vegetable market (c) a busy railway station (d) our classroom
13. 13.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 school library (b) the night sky (c) the vegetable market (d) our postman
14. 14.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) the school library (b) our school sports day (c) our trip to the zoo (d) a cricket match
15. 15.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) flying kites (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our pet cat (d) making a rangoli
16. 16.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) flying kites (b) the peacock (c) the village fair (d) my grandfather
17. 17.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) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) In January, the sky fills with kites. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
18. 18.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 classroom is bright and clean. (b) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
19. 19.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 night sky (b) the vegetable market (c) the old banyan tree (d) a visit to an old fort
20. 20.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) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
21. 21.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The day began with a march past. I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) Our school sports day was full of fun.
22. 22.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) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
23. 23.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. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
24. 24.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) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
25. 25.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) my new bicycle (c) ants (d) a busy railway station
26. 26.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. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
27. 27.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 postman (b) grandma's garden (c) our school sports day (d) saving water
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) my grandfather (b) ants (c) making a rangoli (d) a cricket match
29. 29.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) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
30. 30.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) My best friend is Farhan. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The railway station is always busy.
31. 31.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) Our classroom is bright and clean. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo.
32. 32.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) our postman (b) a busy railway station (c) the vegetable market (d) our school sports day
33. 33.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) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
34. 34.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) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
35. 35.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 school sports day (c) my grandfather (d) grandma's garden
36. 36.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
37. 37.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) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
38. 38.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) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
39. 39.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) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
40. 40.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) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) My grandfather is seventy years old.

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