Reading: Skimming (Reading for Gist - Very Simple Texts): Lesson 2: Understanding if a Short Text is a List, a Sign, or a Simple Sentence

Reading: Skimming for Gist (Very Simple Texts)

Lesson 2: Understanding if a Short Text is a List, a Sign, or a Simple Sentence

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What Kind of Text Is It?

In our last lesson, we learned to skim to find a text's topic. Now, we will learn to quickly identify the Text Type⁴.

When you know the text type, you can guess its purpose much faster. We will practice identifying three common types: the List¹, the Sign², and the Sentence³.

Part 1: What is a List?

list_alt

Look for: Numbers (1, 2, 3), bullets (•), or short lines of text.

Purpose: To organize information.

Example (Shopping list for Kampot market):

• Rice
• Fish
• Mangoes
• Kampot Pepper

Part 2: What is a Sign?

warning

Look for: Very few words, often in capital letters, sometimes with a picture.

Purpose: To give a quick, important instruction or warning.

Example (A sign at a shop):

OPEN

Part 3: What is a Sentence / Paragraph?

article

Look for: Words grouped together, starting with a capital letter and ending with a period (.).

Purpose: To tell or describe something.

Example (Describing the weather):

The weather in Kampot is hot today. The sun is shining. I want to go to the river.

Your Turn to Practice!

Practice Quiz: What am I?

Look at the text below. What text type is it?

STOP

• A. A List
• B. A Sign
• C. A Sentence

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Answer: B. A Sign. It is a short, important instruction.

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What about this one?

My cat is black. He likes to sleep.

• A. A List
• B. A Sign
• C. A Sentence / Paragraph

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Answer: C. A Sentence / Paragraph. It describes something and ends with a period.

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And this last one?

1. Do homework
2. Wash dishes
3. Go to bed

• A. A List
• B. A Sign
• C. A Sentence

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Answer: A. A List. It uses numbers to organize tasks.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. List (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: បញ្ជី (Banh-chee)
   A series of names or items written one after another. ↩ back to text
2. Sign (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ស្លាកសញ្ញា (Slak sanh-nha)
   A notice with words or pictures that gives an instruction or warning. ↩ back to text
3. Sentence (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ប្រយោគ (Bprayo)
   A group of words that expresses a complete thought, ending with a period (.). ↩ back to text
4. Text Type (*noun*)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ប្រភេទអត្ថបទ (Prɔphet atthabot)
   The style or format of a piece of writing (e.g., a list, a sign, a story). ↩ back to text

Homework Task

Go on a Text Hunt! Look around your home, your school, or the town of Kampot.

Find and write down in your notebook:

• One example of a Sign (e.g., on a shop, on the road).
• One example of a List (e.g., a menu, a shopping list).
• One example of a Sentence (e.g., from a book, a newspaper).

Be ready to share what you found!