UNDERSTANDING

PARAGRAPH
 Table of contents
01 Identifying the Topic of a Paragraph

02 Topic Sentences
Main Ideas of
Paragraphs
03
Connecting Ideas in
04 Paragraphs
Identifying the topic of a paragraph

The topic is a single

word or phrase that tells
the paragraph is about
 Let’s see this one !

My husband and I bought our first house last November,

and we love it. It is located in West Provo near Utah lake.
Although we cannot see the lake from our house, we do
have a beautiful view of Mount Timpanogos. Our house
has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a
family room and a large kitchen and dining area. We also
have a small backyard and a small garden. We are very
happy to own our own home, and I hope that we will live
there for several years.
 Topic Sentence
Complete sentence that helps
the reader to know the
paragraph is about
Look Closer
!
The students had fun on their field
trip. They visited the Marine
Museum. They were able to tour tug
boat and they bought souvenirs in the
gift shop. After the tours, they ate a
picnic lunch in the park and played
with their friends
 Main Ideas of Paragraphs

the idea that the writer wants to

say about the topic. To explain
the idea,the writer includes
several supporting details in the
paragraph
 Main Ideas of Paragraphs
Inffering the main ideas

A paragraph always has main idea .

But the main idea is not always
stated in the sentence,but then if the
sentence is not there , how can we
figure out the main idea is...
Let’s look at a paragraph with an
implied main idea

John sings so beautifully that many people think he

should be a professional singer. He also won a
dance contest last year. Have you ever seen John's
paintings? They are exceptional! In addition, he
learned how to program a computer by himself,
created an application, and made millions of dollars
selling it. Sport ? Jhon is good at any sport that he
has ever played.
04
Connecting ideas
in paragraphs
 DEFINITION
Understanding a paragraph or a longer
passage often involves more than just
identifying the topic and main idea.
 Connecting Ideas of Paragraph
Pronouns as Connectors
Pronouns as Connectors Pronouns
often function as connecting words
within a sentence or among different
sentences.
Some of the pronouns that can be used
this way are:
• Personal pronouns—he, it, they, him,
us, etc.
• Possessive pronouns—his, her, our,
their, etc.
• Demonstrative pronouns—this, that,
these, those
• Relative pronouns—which, who,
where, whose, etc.
 Connecting Ideas of Paragraphs
Transition Words and Phrases as Connectors
 Connecting Ideas of Paragraphs
Transition Words and Phrases as Connectors
Quiz
Choose the best topic sentence for each paragraph on the line
provided.

1. _____________________ . Firstly, living in a foreign

country helps you learn another language faster than studying
it at school. Secondly, you can learn directly about the history,
geography, and culture of a country. Thirdly, you become a
more tolerant person because you experience different ways of
living. The last, living in a foreign country makes you
appreciate your own country better.
A. You can learn by living in a foreign country.
B. We should live in a foreign country for a while.
C. Some benefits you can get by living in a foreign country.
 Yesterday at my school, we had an International Day. We had performances, food stalls,
displays, raffle ticket draw, and some of us were dressed in costumes. We started our day off
with performances but the one I liked best was the one from fourth grade. We played games.
The performance I was in was Labamba. Straight after our performances, we had our lunch.
There were food stalls. They came from Australia, Asia, Arab, and Greece. Everyone had a
job. These people were from sixth grade. I did my job after I had lunch. My job was to sell
International Day Books. We had displays in the hall. These displays were good but I did not
get to see them. The displays came from many countries. There were also a Trash and
Treasure stall where they sold toys. The school got these things by asking the children to bring
them in. Although I did not win anything, International Day was still fun.

2. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

A.Invitation of writer's International Day
B.Invitation of Grandparents' International Day
C.Celebration of Sue's International Day
3. How to find the main idea in a paragraph?

A. Determine the topic, looking for the

patterns in the detail
B. Determine the topic, than guess it
randomly
 Thanks!
Do you have any questions?

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