Reading: Understanding Text Structure, Cohesion & Coherence (Basic): A2 Lesson 1: Identifying the Topic of a Simple Paragraph

Reading: Basic Decoding & Word Recognition

A2 Lesson 3: Identifying the Topic of a Simple Paragraph

Listen to this lesson's explanation.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to find the main topic (what a paragraph is *about*) in a simple paragraph.

Before You Read 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

Let's learn these important words for today's lesson.

Topic

| ប្រធានបទ

The main subject of a paragraph; what it is about.

Paragraph

| កថាខណ្ឌ

A group of sentences about one main idea.

Key Word

| ពាក្យគន្លឹះ

An important word that is repeated in a paragraph.

What is a Topic?

The topic is the main subject of a paragraph. It’s what the whole paragraph is about. Think of it like a title for the paragraph.

The topic is usually one or two words, like "My Cat" or "Khmer Food."

How to Find the Topic:

1. Read the whole paragraph.
2. Ask yourself: "What is this mostly about?"
3. Look for key words that are repeated. The repeated words often tell you the topic.

Let's Try An Example:

My cat is named Sophy. Sophy is very lazy. Sophy likes to sleep all day. She is a black and white cat. I love my cat.

Analysis:

• What is this paragraph mostly about? A cat.
• What words are repeated? "cat" and "Sophy".
• So, the topic is: My Cat.

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Quiz: Find the Topic

Read the paragraphs below and choose the best topic. Click "Check Answers" when you are done.

I love Khmer food. My favorite food is amok. Amok is a fish curry. I also like lok lak. Lok lak is stir-fried beef. Khmer food is delicious.

1. What is the topic of this paragraph?

• A) Amok
• B) Lok Lak
• C) Khmer Food

In Cambodia, many people ride motos. Motos are fast and easy to park. Tuk-tuks are also popular for transportation. Tuk-tuks are good for groups. Some people also drive cars.

2. What is the topic of this paragraph?

• A) Motos
• B) Transportation in Cambodia
• C) Tuk-tuks

Key Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)

These are useful words from the practice paragraphs.

• Amok | អាម៉ុក
  A traditional Khmer steamed fish curry.
• Lok Lak | ឡុកឡាក់
  A popular Khmer stir-fried beef dish.
• Moto | ម៉ូតូ
  A motorcycle or scooter, a common way to travel.
• Tuk-tuk | រ៉ឺម៉កកង់បី
  A small vehicle with three wheels used as a taxi.
• Delicious | ឆ្ងាញ់
  Having a very good taste or smell.

Your Reading Mission ⭐

Find the Topic

1. Find a short English paragraph (2-5 sentences) online or in a book.
2. Read it carefully and look for repeated key words.
3. Ask yourself, "What is this paragraph mostly about?"
4. Write down the topic in 1-3 words.