Reading: Understanding Text Structure, Cohesion & Coherence: B1 Lesson 1: Identifying Main Idea & Topic Sentences in Paragraphs

Reading B1

lunch_dining

lunch_dining

The Hamburger Paragraph

ការកំណត់អត្តសញ្ញាណប្រយោគប្រធាន (Topic Sentences)

A good paragraph is built just like a hamburger!

កថាខណ្ឌ (Paragraph) ដ៏ល្អមួយ ត្រូវបានរៀបចំឡើងដូចជានំប៉័ងហាំបឺហ្គឺ (Hamburger) អញ្ចឹង!

my_location

1. The Top Bun my_location

ប្រយោគប្រធាន (Topic Sentence)

The Topic Sentence contains the Main Idea. It tells the reader exactly what the entire paragraph is about. It is usually the FIRST sentence.

Identify the Topic Sentence Top Bun Dogs make excellent pets. They are loyal to their owners. They can protect your house. Also, playing with them reduces stress. (សត្វឆ្កែគឺជាសត្វចិញ្ចឹមដ៏ល្អឥតខ្ចោះ។ ...) *The first sentence controls everything else in the paragraph!

set_meal

2. The Meat set_meal

ចំណុចគាំទ្រ (Supporting Details)

These sentences give facts, examples, or reasons to prove the Topic Sentence is true.

Identify the Details The Meat Dogs make excellent pets. They are loyal to their owners. They can protect your house. Also, playing with them reduces stress. (... ពួកវាស្មោះត្រង់នឹងម្ចាស់។ ពួកវាអាចការពារផ្ទះរបស់អ្នក។ ម្យ៉ាងទៀត ការលេងជាមួយពួកវាជួយកាត់បន្ថយភាពតានតឹង។) *Notice how every detail directly connects back to "excellent pets"!

lunch_dining

3. The Bottom Bun lunch_dining

ប្រយោគសន្និដ្ឋាន (Concluding Sentence)

This is the last sentence. It summarizes the main idea or repeats the Topic Sentence in different words.

Identify the Conclusion Bottom Bun ... Also, playing with them reduces stress. For all these reasons, having a dog is a wonderful choice. (... ដោយសារហេតុផលទាំងអស់នេះ ការចិញ្ចឹមឆ្កែគឺជាជម្រើសដ៏ល្អមួយ។) *It closes the paragraph nicely.

warning The "Too Broad" Trap!

A Topic Sentence must be JUST RIGHT.

(ប្រយោគប្រធាន មិនអាចទូលាយពេកទេ ហើយក៏មិនអាចលម្អិតពេកដែរ! វាត្រូវតែល្មមសម្រាប់តែ១កថាខណ្ឌ។)

Dogs are animals. close

(Too Broad! ទូលាយពេក មិនដឹងចង់និយាយពីអីច្បាស់)

Dogs have 42 teeth. close

(Too Narrow! លម្អិតពេក វាជា Supporting Detail!)

Dogs make excellent pets. check_circle

(Just Right! ល្មមសម្រាប់សរសេរគាំទ្រ)

bolt

Quick Check bolt

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យរហ័ស

Identify the Topic Sentence

(1) First, you break the eggs. (2) Making an omelet is very easy. (3) Next, you mix them with cheese. Which sentence is the Topic Sentence?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាជា Topic Sentence?)

Understanding Roles

What is the job of "Supporting Details"?

(តើ "ចំណុចគាំទ្រ" (Supporting details) មានតួនាទីអ្វី?)

TRAP QUESTION! close

Does the Topic Sentence ALWAYS have to be the very first sentence?

(តើប្រយោគប្រធានត្រូវតែស្ថិតនៅដើមគេជានិច្ចមែនទេ?)

Matching Details

Details: It is raining heavily. The wind is very strong. The streets are flooded. What is the best Main Idea?

(តើមួយណាជាគំនិតសំខាន់ដែលស៊ីគ្នានឹងចំណុចលម្អិតខាងលើ?)

Evaluate the Topic Sentence

Topic: Learning English Which is the BEST topic sentence?

(តើមួយណាជាប្រយោគប្រធានដ៏ល្អបំផុត?)

lunch_dining

Mission my_location

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

Find the Bun lunch_dining (អានអត្ថបទព័ត៌មានភាសាអង់គ្លេសមួយកថាខណ្ឌ រួចគូសបន្ទាត់ពីក្រោម Topic Sentence!)

edit

Mission my_location

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

Write it down edit (សរសេរកថាខណ្ឌខ្លីមួយអំពីម្ហូបដែលអ្នកចូលចិត្ត ដោយចាប់ផ្តើមដោយប្រយោគប្រធានឲ្យបានច្បាស់លាស់។)

person_raised_hand

Mission my_location

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

Teach a friend person_raised_hand (ពន្យល់មិត្តភក្តិរបស់អ្នកពីក្បួន "Hamburger Paragraph"!)

mic

Mission my_location

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

Voice Note mic (ថតសំឡេងនិយាយ ១ ប្រយោគ ដែលជា Topic Sentence រៀបរាប់ពីទីក្រុងបាត់ដំបង។ ឧទាហរណ៍: Battambang is a beautiful city with rich culture.)

Video Lesson

មេរៀនជាវីដេអូ

Ask a Question person_raised_hand

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

U

Recent Questions

S

Sovan 2 hours ago

Is the Topic Sentence the same thing as the Title of the story?

Reply thumb_up 15

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

No, they are different! The Title is just a few words for the WHOLE book or article (e.g., "The Lost Dog"). A Topic Sentence is a FULL complete sentence that controls just ONE paragraph (e.g., "Finding a lost dog can be very difficult"). lunch_dining

V

Vireak 5 hours ago

What if I read a paragraph and I can't find a Topic Sentence anywhere?

Reply thumb_up 8

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 4 hours ago

That happens sometimes, especially in stories or novels! It is called an "Implied Main Idea". The author gives you all the details, and you have to guess the main idea yourself based on the clues. search

M

Minea 8 hours ago

How many supporting details do I need in a paragraph?

Reply thumb_up 5

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 7 hours ago

A good rule for B1 writing is to have at least 2 or 3 supporting details (the meat, lettuce, and tomato!). If you only have 1 detail, your paragraph will be too thin! lunch_dining