Paragraphs 2 | Assessment Resource Banks

This task is about choosing a topic sentence to describe the main idea of a paragraph.

A topic sentence introduces the main idea in a paragraph. It usually appears at the start of a paragraph.

The paragraphs below are all missing topic sentences. Read each paragraph and then choose the best topic sentence.

Question

a) Famous artists

___________________________________________________________________. McCahon (1919-1987) is renowned for his symbolic paintings of landscapes, often on large canvases and annotated with words and numbers. He is one of the few New Zealand artists with an international reputation. Exhibitions of McCahon’s work have been held in London and Australia, as well as throughout New Zealand.

Choose the best topic sentence from the following options and then write it at the start of the paragraph.

- New Zealand artists are famous around the world.
- Colin McCahon is one of New Zealand’s most well-known artists.
- There are three reasons why Colin McCahon is famous.

Question

b) Soccer Teams

______________________________________________________. The first eleven soccer team won the Super 8 tournament in Timaru and came third in the National Tournament. Rawhiri Taylor was named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Soccer Team. Teams at all levels have done well in local competitions and all players are to be congratulated on their commitment to the sport. Belstone School can be proud of the soccer team’s achievements.

Choose the best topic sentence from the following options and then write it at the start of the paragraph.

- Belstone School is finally making a name for the quality of its soccer teams.
- All the school sports teams have played well this year.
- Rawhiri Taylor was the star soccer player this term.

Question

c) School Uniforms

Have you ever thought about the benefits of wearing a school uniform?_______________________________________________________________________
When you wear a uniform, you look the same as everyone else at your school, and that can help you feel as if you belong. If you go on a school trip, people can recognise what school you are from because of your uniform. This helps you stand out from the students at other schools and also gives you a feeling of school pride and belonging.

Choose the best topic sentence from the following options and then write it as the second sentence in the paragraph.

- School uniforms help to create a sense of belonging and school pride.
- Uniforms make you look the same as other people.
- It is important to wear a uniform whenever you go on a school trip.