Writing: Basic Mechanics and Formation (A1) - Lesson 9: Copying Simple Sentences Correctly

Lesson 9: Copying Simple Sentences Correctly

You have learned all the parts of a simple sentence: subjects, verbs, objects, capital letters, and punctuation. Today, we will practice putting everything together by learning how to copy¹ sentences correctly².

This skill is very important because it trains your eyes and brain to see the small details. Practicing this will help you avoid simple mistakes³ in your own writing.

How to Copy Like an Expert

Good copying is not about being fast; it's about being accurate. Follow these steps:

1. Read: First, read the original sentence to understand its meaning.
2. Write: Write the sentence slowly and carefully in your notebook.
3. Check: Compare your sentence to the original. This is the most important step! Use the checklist below.

The Copy-Checker's Checklist

After you copy a sentence, ask yourself these questions:

• Capital Letters: Did I copy the capital letter at the start of the sentence? Did I copy capitals for names (like Sokha) and the word I?
• Spelling: Is every letter in every word exactly the same as the original?
• Spacing: Is there one space between each word?
• Punctuation: Did I copy the correct mark at the end (. or ?)?

Common Copying Mistakes

Let's look at an original sentence and some common mistakes people make when copying.

Original Sentence:

My friend Dara works in Kampot.

Bad Copy ❌ (Punctuation/Capitalization Error)

my friend dara works in kampot?

Bad Copy ❌ (Spelling Error)

My freind Dara woks in Kampot.

Good Copy ✅ (Perfect)

My friend Dara works in Kampot.

🧠 Practice Quiz: Find the Copying Error

Look at the original sentence and the copy. Can you find the mistake?

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Original: She reads a book every day.

Copy: She reads a bok every day.

Answer: The spelling is wrong. It should be "book", not "bok".

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Original: How are you today?

Copy: How are you today.

Answer: The punctuation is wrong. It should be a question mark (?), not a full stop (.).

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Original: I eat rice with my family.

Copy: i eat rice with my family.

Answer: The capitalization is wrong. The word 'i' should be a capital 'I'.

📝 Homework: Become a Perfect Copier

Get your notebook and pen. Carefully copy these sentences exactly as they are written. Use the "Copy-Checker's Checklist" for each sentence when you are finished.

1. My name is Vuthy and I am a student.
2. Where is the nearest restaurant?
3. The weather in Cambodia is hot in April.
4. He does not like coffee.
5. Do you play football?

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Copy: (Verb) - ចម្លង - To write something exactly as it is written somewhere else. ↩
2. Correctly: (Adverb) - ឱ្យបានត្រឹមត្រូវ - In a way that is true, accurate, or right; without mistakes. ↩
3. Mistake: (Noun) - កំហុស - An action or a judgment that is wrong; an error. ↩
4. Checklist: (Noun) - បញ្ជីផ្ទៀងផ្ទាត់ - A list of things to check or do.
5. Accurate: (Adjective) - ត្រឹមត្រូវ - Correct in all details; exact.