Grammar: A2 - ✨ Grammar Essentials: ✏️ Writing Mechanics - Expanding - Lesson 6: Basic understanding of a simple paragraph (one main idea)

✨ Lesson 6: Basic Understanding of a Simple Paragraph

We have learned how to write good sentences. Now, let's learn how to put them together to form a paragraph¹.

A paragraph is a group of sentences that are all connected to one main idea². Think of it like a box: you only put things that belong together inside the box.

The Topic Sentence

Most well-written paragraphs begin with a topic sentence³. The topic sentence is very important because it tells the reader the main idea of the entire paragraph.

For example, a topic sentence could be: "My favorite place in Siem Reap is the Old Market." After reading this, you know the rest of the paragraph will be about the Old Market.

Supporting Sentences

The sentences that come after the topic sentence are called supporting sentences⁴. Their job is to give more details, examples, or explanations about the topic sentence.

Let's build a paragraph:

• Topic Sentence: My favorite place in Siem Reap is the Old Market.
• Supporting Sentence 1: There are many interesting shops there.
• Supporting Sentence 2: I can buy souvenirs, clothes, and delicious street food.
• Supporting Sentence 3: It is always busy and full of energy.

All three supporting sentences give more information about the Old Market. They are all on topic⁵.

Staying On Topic
A good paragraph does not include ideas that are unrelated. Look at this example:
"My favorite place in Siem Reap is the Old Market. There are many interesting shops there. My favorite food is fish amok. It is always busy and full of energy."
The sentence "My favorite food is fish amok" does not belong because the main idea of the paragraph is about the Old Market, not your favorite food in general.

🧠 Practice Quiz: Find the Sentence That Doesn't Belong

Read the paragraph below and find the one sentence that is not on topic.

(1) Visiting Angkor Wat at sunrise is an amazing experience. (2) The colors in the sky are beautiful. (3) Angkor Wat is a very old temple. (4) Many people wake up early to see it. (5) It can be very quiet and peaceful at that time.

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Answer: Sentence (3) does not belong. The main idea is about the experience of sunrise at Angkor Wat, not a general fact about its age.

📝 Homework: Build a Paragraph

Here is a topic sentence. Write 2 or 3 supporting sentences to create a full paragraph.

Topic Sentence: My favorite type of weather is the cool season.

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(Example Answer: The air is fresh and not too hot. I can walk around the city comfortably. It is the best time for tourists to visit.)

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Paragraph: (Noun) - កថាខណ្ឌ (kâ'tha'khan) - A group of sentences about one main idea. ↩
2. Main Idea: (Noun) - គំនិតចម្បង (kumnit châmbâng) - The most important thought or message in a paragraph or story. ↩
3. Topic Sentence: (Noun) - ប្រយោគប្រធានបទ (brâyoŭk prôthéan'bât) - The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph. ↩
4. Supporting Sentence: (Noun) - ប្រយោគគាំទ្រ (brâyoŭk koam'trɔɔ) - A sentence that gives more details or examples about the main idea. ↩
5. On Topic: (Phrase) - ក្នុងប្រធានបទ (knong prôthéan'bât) - Related to the main idea. ↩