I. What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is a group of related sentences about ONE main idea.

Example
Salyna is a good student. She is intelligent. She is responsible.
Salyna always does her homework, and she is never late for class. As
a result of her hard work, Salyna is one of the best students in school.

II. Parts of a paragraph

1. Topic Sentence: tells the main idea or what the paragraph is about.
2. Detail Sentences: explain and support the main idea. (She is responsible.
3. Concluding Sentence: restate the main idea.

1. Topic Sentence
Topic sentence tells the main idea. The main idea is what the paragraph is about. It is the most important idea in
the paragraph. See the example paragraph below.

Examples
1. Salyna is a good student.
2. Koh Tonsay is the perfect place for all visitors.
3. My mom is my hero.

Topic Sentence = Topic + main point/controlling idea

Topic: What you are writing about main idea: what you are saying about the topic

TOPIC SENTENCE PRACTICE

Choose the best topic sentence.
___________________________________ Fruits are delicious. Examples of fruits are apples,
oranges and bananas. Fruits have many vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin
E and Potassium. For these reasons, it is a good idea to eat lots of fruits.
2) What is the best topic sentence?
a. Everyone loves fruit.
b. Fruit is a delicious food to eat.
c. Fruit is a healthy and tasty food.

___________________________________ First, many schools require two or more years of foreign

language study for graduation. Secondly, learning other languages helps us communicate
with people from other countries. Also, knowing a foreign language can lead to job
opportunities. Finally, for many people, studying foreign languages is fun! There are many
reasons to learn a foreign language.
1) What is the best topic sentence?
a. In the USA, many students study Spanish language.
b. It is important to learn foreign languages.
c. In college, people need to know foreign languages.

___________________________________ Children who have a cell phone can call for help in an
emergency. Also, they can always communicate with their parents. Finally, cell phones help
children stay in contact with friends. For these reasons, when possible, children should
have a cell phone.
What is the best topic sentence?
a. There are many types of cell phones.
b. Cell phones help children call friends and parents. Scan me!
c. Having a cell phone can help children in several ways.

Khmer General Education`` Prepared By T. Pornnreay Tel: 010-926-629

1
What is not a topic sentence?
❖ A topic sentence is not a simple FACT. E.g., Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. This is a detail.
❖ A topic sentence is not a QUESTION. E.g., Who invented the car? This could be used as an “attention grabber”
Improvement: The invention of the light bulb has changed the world in many ways.
OR The world has changed in many ways by the invention of the light bulb.

➢ The topic/subject can be broad. The controlling idea limits the subject.

Examples of subjects could be:

? Daisies ? Space Travel ? Khmer New Year ? Tooth Decay ? Pride ? Angkor Wat

Examples of Controlling ideas are:

o can be grown easily by following these great steps [Daisies]
o increased during the Cold War. [Space Travel]
o is my favorite holiday for several reasons. [Khmer New Year]
o caused by three things [Tooth Decay]
o takes many form [pride]

Practice: Identify the Subject and Controlling Ideas.

1) An eagle is different from other bird because of three unique characteristics.
The Subject: “eagle”. The controlling idea: “characteristics”
➔ The paragraph will talk about the eagle. It will list three unique characteristics. The subject is
controlled by the characteristics.

2) The rabbit makes a good pet for several reasons.

3) Ancient Egyptian followed seven steps to mummify their kings.
4) If you want to create high quality ice cream, you must be aware of several precautions.
5) There are three ways to make your own ice cream.
6) Although the chemical weapons used during the Gulf War were effective in winning the war quickly, we
are just now discovering the effects they have had on our own soldiers.
7) Most people prefer to let their automatic dishwasher take care of the dinner dishes, but there are
advantages to washing dishes by hand.
8) Thousands of people made their way to the Yukon on their quest for gold, but obstacles to wealth were
many.
9) Winged insects found in Takeo fall into four major categories.

Scan me!

Khmer General Education`` Prepared By T. Pornnreay Tel: 010-926-629

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Detail Sentences
Detail sentences: explain and support the main idea. It sometimes gives examples, reasons or steps in a process. It
aims to explains why the topic sentence is TRUE. Look at this example.
Example2
Example1 Salyna is a good student. She is cute. She is
Salyna is a good student. She is intelligent. She is responsible. Salyna always gets As, and she is absent a
responsible. Salyna always does her homework, and she lot. As a result of her hard work, Salyna is one of the best
is never late for class. As a result of her hard work, students in school.
Salyna is one of the best students in school.

Detail Sentences Practice

Read the paragraph. Then choose the answer.
People should not drink soda. Soda is an unhealthy drink. It contains a lot of sugar. This is
why soda is so delicious. Also, soda contains caffeine and other chemicals that are not
nutritious. For these reasons, people should avoid drinking soda.
1. Which detail sentence does NOT belong in this paragraph?
a. This is why soda is so delicious.
b. It contains a lot of sugar.
c. Also, soda contains caffeine and other chemicals that are not nutritious.

Read the paragraph. Then choose the answer.

The best pet to own is a fish. First, fish do not require a lot of space. Secondly, fish are
easy to care for. Finally, there are many types of fish that are beautiful, large, small, and exotic,
so an owner has many choices of which fish to get. Of course, some fish are ugly and strange.
For all of these reasons, fish make excellent pets.
2. Which detail sentence does NOT belong in this paragraph?
a. Secondly, fish are easy to care for.
b. Finally, there are many types of fish that are beautiful, large, small, and exotic, so
an owner has many choices of which fish to get.
c. Of course, some fish are ugly and strange.

Read the paragraph. Then choose the answer.

Children should not play video games. First, children should be active, so playing outside
is better than playing video games. Secondly, many video games are violent. However, many
video games are not violent. Finally, time spent playing video games could be spent reading or
spending time with friends and family. In conclusion, many activities are better for children
than playing video games.
3. Which detail sentence does NOT belong in this paragraph?
a. Secondly, many video games are violent.
b. However, many video games are not violent.
c. Finally, time spent playing video games could be spent reading or spending time with
friends and family.

Detail Sentences - More Practice Instructions:

Each pair has a topic sentence and a detail sentence. Label each one.
1. a) The best pet is a dog. _________ b) One reason is because dogs are friendly.
_________
2. a) Broccoli has iron and Vitamin K. _________ b) Vegetables are healthy. _________
3. a) Biologists study living organisms. _________ b) One organism biologists study is cells.
_________
4. a) Some species of flowers are dangerous. _________ b) Hogweed flowers can burn your skin! _________Scan me!

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3
 The Concluding Sentence
▪ It reminds us the topic sentence.
▪ It is the last sentence in a paragraph.
▪ It repeat/restate the topic sentence but in different words
▪ It does NOT give new details.

Example
Salyna is a good student. She is intelligent. She is
responsible. Salyna always does her homework, and she
is never late for class. As a result of her hard work, Salyna
is one of the best students in school.

The Concluding Sentence Practice

Let’s change the concluding sentence.

Example1
Salyna is a good student. She is
intelligent. She is responsible. Salyna
always does her homework, and she is
never late for class. Salyna is a top student
because she works hard in school.
Example2
Salyna is a good student. She is
intelligent. She is responsible. Salyna always
does her homework, and she is never late for
class. Salyna is a very good friend to many
people at our school.

The Concluding Sentence More Practice

Read the paragraph. Then choose the answer.

Walking is the best exercise. First, walking is free, so people don't need to buy a gym
membership to do it. Secondly, people can walk wherever they live. Third, studies show that
walking outside not only burns calories but also helps a person feel happy and optimistic.
1) What is the best conclusion sentence?
a. For these reasons, walking is an excellent form of exercise.
b. In conclusion, walking does not cost any money.
c. In summary, many people love to walk.

Read the paragraph. Then choose the answer.

Families should take a vacation at least once a year. On vacation, families can spend
time together without distractions from work and school. Also, during a trip, families can
explore new places and activities together, which is fun. Finally, during their time away,
families can relax together without the stresses of daily life.
2) What is the best conclusion sentence?
a. In summary, families need vacations together to rest, do new activities, and enjoy
each other's company.
b. In conclusion, families need vacations to see new places.
c. Finally, vacations are good for single people too.

Read the paragraph. Then choose the answer.

It is important to study history. History repeats itself, so learning about the past can
help us make better decisions in the present. Also, knowing about important historical
leaders, wars, and events can help us understand cultures, people, and politics in today's
world. Finally, learning about unusual people, places, and events in history is fascinating!
3) What is the best conclusion sentence?
a. In summary, history is a popular subject. Scan me!
b. This is why everyone loves history.
c. In conclusion, there are many reasons people should study history.

Khmer General Education`` Prepared By T. Pornnreay Tel: 010-926-629