SHS

Reading and Writing Skills

Quarter 3 Module 1:
Patterns and Properties of Written Texts
 Target

Communication plays a vital role in our day-to-day activities, so it is necessary to be

adept to it. In order to understand and to be understood genuinely, it is very
significant to be virtuoso to the four macro-skills of communication: speaking,
listening, reading, and writing.
For this module, we will focus on the two macro-skills of communication:
reading and writing.
Writing is the process of choosing the appropriate letters, characters, and symbols
to be written in a paper or encoded in a computer. It is a skill that you should hone
in order to express ideas, concepts, or feelings in a nonverbal way.
Reading, on the other hand, is an act of decoding the letters, characters,
or symbols that were written, posted, or published. It is a skill that involves critical
thinking in order to fully understand the texts or symbols read. It is reading that
plays a significant role in your learning because it directs you to the path of infinite
potentials to gain information, to learn new skills, to grasp reality, to explore the
world, to unveil the truths, and to discover greatest treasures in life.
All subjects in your school require you to read so it is necessary to have the skill to
determine the patterns of written texts used in what you are reading.
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. Compare and contrast patterns of written texts across disciplines;
2. Evaluate a written text based on its properties (organization, coherence and
cohesion, language use and mechanics)
Lesson Patterns of Written Texts
1

Discover
When you want to write, it is very significant to know first your primary purpose
because it will help you to determine the patterns of development in writing to be
utilized.
The eight patterns of development are:
1. Cause-Effect
2. Classification
3. Comparison-Contrast
4. Definition
5. Description
6. Narration
7. Persuasion
8. Problem-Solution

A. CAUSE AND EFFECT

Think of the time when you were supposed to meet someone early in the
morning but because you slept late at night, you overslept and failed to meet the
person at the agreed time. In this scenario, sleeping late at night is the cause, and
oversleeping and being late are the effects.
A cause and effect present why something happens, what causes it, what are the
effects, and how it is related to something else. It is a relationship between an action
and a reaction where an action if taken, would result in a reaction. The cause is a
reason for an action or condition that brings an effect while the effect is something
that follows an antecedent (such as a cause or agent).
A cause of, because of, for, due to, as, and since are cue words to signify a cause. On
the other hand, some expressions that signify effect are, therefore, consequently, so,
so that, thus, the explanation for, and accordingly.
Example: KIDS WHO ARE BULLIED
Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic,
and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

• Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes

in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.
These issues may persist into adulthood.
• Health complaints
 • Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and
school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent
measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history
of being bullied.

Based on information from: [Link]

B. CLASSIFICATION

Most people love to classify and divide things according to their group, kind,
part, or type. Even a person’s economic status is classified according to his/her
family’s net worth or income either monthly, quarterly, or annually.
A classification pattern of written text groups or classifies items or things into their
parts, types, kinds, or categories.
The signal words to indicate that the classification pattern of written text is used are
a part of, a kind of, a group of, a way of, a class of, an example of, divided into, and
comprised of.
Example:

Types of Bullying

There are three types of bullying:

Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal

bullying includes:
• Teasing
• Name-calling
• Inappropriate sexual comments
• Taunting
• Threatening to cause harm
Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational
bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or
relationships. Social bullying includes:
• Leaving someone out on purpose
• Telling other children not to be friends with someone
• Spreading rumors about someone
• Embarrassing someone in public
Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or
possessions. Physical bullying includes:
• Hitting/kicking/pinching
• Spitting
• Tripping/pushing
• Taking or breaking someone’s things
• Making mean or rude hand gestures
Source: [Link]
what-is-bullying

C. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Have you ever tried comparing yourself to others? What were your points of
comparison? Was it the physique of a person? complexion? performance?
intelligence? confidence? attitude? character? beliefs? What were the bases of your
judgment?
More often than not, we do compare and contrast things or persons. From the most
mundane daily activity we do like buying food products (choosing which tastes better)
and to the most extraordinary work like managing the business (deciding a win-win
situation).
The comparison involves the identification of similarities of at least two things,
ideas, concepts, or persons being compared while contrast encompasses the
identification of differences between or among two subjects or topics.
To help you in making a comparison and contrast, signal words such as similarly, in
like manner, and in the same way present similarities or comparison while
expressions like on the contrary, the opposite, compared to, in contrast, although,
unless, however, signify differences or contrast.
Example:

ONLINE VS. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION (AN EXCERPT) BY KORI MORGAN

...As universities make greater use of Internet resources, online classes have continued
to grow in popularity and effectiveness. Online courses let students learn at their own
pace, accomplish assignments on their schedules, and acquire the same knowledge as
they would in a traditional, classroom-based course. Just like traditional classes, online
instructors use discussion, assignments, and community to educate students.
However, their means of execution for these tools are quite different.

D. DEFINITION

When you are reading an article, there are instances that you encounter
hifalutin or difficult words. It is a common solution to consult your dictionary to look
for the definition of the words for you to unlock your difficulties in understanding the
text you are reading but there are also Instances that even though the words read in
an article were unfamiliar to you, even without consulting the dictionary, you still
seemed to understand of what the writer is communicating with you. How is this
possible? It is because of the context clues surrounding the article that you are
reading. Context clues are hints given by the author in a written text to help the
reader grasp the meaning of the unfamiliar or unusual word.
Understanding the meaning of words sometimes needs shrewdness because our
language continuously changes as days, months, or years passed by. It has always
been taught to us that language is dynamic. A meaning of a word may differ on people
depending on their cultures, beliefs, traditions, and geographic locations. This proves
that our language is dynamic so is the definition of words in an article or text. This is
the reason why definition text enables us to better understand concepts, things, and
ideas.
Definition text explains what something is in comparison to other members of its
class, along with any limitations. It explains the nature of something and moves
beyond a dictionary definition to deeply examine the word, idea, or concept as we use
and understand it. It expounds the word, concept, or idea so that the reader
In dealing with definition as a pattern of written text, you will always encounter
denotation and connotation. Denotation is the literal meaning of a word which
means that consulting the dictionary is the best way for it while connotation is the
feeling or idea that the word suggests to its literal meaning. It is an expression of how
one perceives a word based on his/her background or experiences.
Some expressions that signal a definition text are: contain, make-up, involves, is/are,
means, is defined as, refers to, appears to be, as, and pertains to. When phrases like
“because” or “that are” follow a word, these may be explanations. Meanwhile,
definitions may follow an unfamiliar word. Terms like “is,” “means,” “is defined as,”
and “refers to” are used with definitions.
Example:

Why freedom
By F. Sionil Jose

Published April 14, 2018, 4:05 PM

By: manilabulletin_admin

My novel Sherds, which some consider as my very best, details the poignant

relationship between PG Golangco, a rich and accomplished potter, and his poor
and beautiful protégé, Guia Espiritu. Beyond the narrative level, I like to consider it
as an elegiac meditation on art, truth, and freedom. All these are, of
course, beautiful abstractions, inane and meaningless, if they are not given value—
social, political, national, and even personal.

What is freedom? What is truth? Are they useful?

Freedom itself, may be the root of injustice. A billionaire publisher, righteously

claiming freedom as is beacon may oppress his employees, intimidate his rivals
or corrupt officials to protect and enlarge his empire. Freedom then becomes a social
menace. Freedom as value as discussed in Sherds. In a major scene, the

potter artist, PG Golngco is asked: “Do you believe in art as social protest? Goya
and Picasso used their art politically.”

Golangco replies: “I would ask you to permit any artist all the freedom he needs. Art
thrives on freedom. The artist is free to determine his purpose.”

The artist is challenged by an academic. “Freedom is a political condition. And

you have freedom because you are very rich and can afford to speak your mind,
because you do not care whatever the consequences. Mr. Golangco, you are free
because you have the influence and the money to buy your freedom. But what
about the artists of the people? Who are not pampered like you? Who are denied this
precious freedom?

Yes, indeed, how can the poor be free?

By praying, by striving, by revolution perhaps?

In the end, freedom needs no logic, no reason. It is man’s fate, his ultimate
destiny.
Example:
There is no insurmountable barrier to this desire to be free. No dictator’s lash, no
tyrant’s sword can halt this striving for it is man’s pre-determined purpose,
entwined with every fiber in his being, a programmed culmination, the butterfly
emerging from the cocoon, the sperm and the ovum becoming and the river
flowing to the sea to become the sweet air we breathe.
But take care for this freedom is also very fragile and needs constant nurturing.
It lives only in the heart where it is often neglected or abused. If it dies there, no
power on earth can ever ever bring it back to life.
 E. DESCRIPTION

If a stranger would approach and ask you for a direction in your place, how
would you help the stranger to reach his destination without the dilemma of getting
lost? You would probably consider describing famous landmarks, when to turn left
or right, or what would be the possible mode of transportation to get there.
Description as a pattern of written texts refers to identifying concrete details about
appearances, characteristics, and actions.
Adjectives and adverbs are abundant in descriptive texts. Adjectives are used to
denote quality, to indicate quantity or extent, or to specify a thing as distinct from
something else, and adverbs used to modify verb, adjectives, or another adverb can
be used to signal description.

Example:
How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife
(An Excerpt)
By Manuel E. Arguilla

She stepped down from the carretela of Ca Celin with a quick, delicate grace. She
was lovely. She was tall. She looked up to my brother with a smile, and her
forehead was on a level with his mouth.

"You are Baldo," she said and placed her hand lightly on my shoulder. Her nails were
long, but they were not painted. She was fragrant like a morning when papayas are
in bloom. And a small dimple appeared momently high on her right cheek. "And this
is Labang of whom I have heard so much." She held the wrist of one hand with the
other and looked at Labang, and Labang never stopped chewing his cud. He
swallowed and brought up to his mouth more cud and the sound of his
insides was like a drum.

I laid a hand on Labang's massive neck and said to her: "You may scratch his
forehead now."

She hesitated and I saw that her eyes were on the long, curving horns. But she came
and touched Labang's forehead with her long fingers, and Labang never

stopped chewing his cud except that his big eyes half closed. And by and by she
was scratching his forehead very daintily.

F. NARRATION

Each of us has a unique story to share: our joys, sorrows, failures, triumphs,
dreams, fears, disappointments, pains, hesitations, rejections, and doubts. We,
humans, are social beings so it is but normal for us to share our life’s stories with
the significant others of our lives.
 Narration deals with stories. When you write a narrative, you are expected to tell a
story, whether it is real or imaginary. You use your creativity and imagination on
how are you going to bring your characters to life in the minds of your readers.
Writing a story is not only about how you vividly described your characters, how you
amazingly knitted your plot, how you have perfectly chosen your settings, how you
flawlessly showcased your tone and style of writing but it is also about how you
sincerely touched your readers’ hearts and how you effectively made a difference in
their lives.

ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE WRITING

1. Characters 5. Theme
2. Setting 6. Tone
3. Plot 7. Style
4. Point of View 8. Conflict

Example: The Monkey and the Crocodile

(A Tagalog Fable)

One day, a monkey saw a tall macopa tree laden

with ripe fruits, which stood by a wide river. It was
hungry, so it climbed the tree and ate all of the
fruits. When it climbed down, it could find no
means by which to cross the river. Then it saw a
young crocodile who had just woken up from its
siesta. It said to the crocodile in a friendly way,
“My dear crocodile, will you do me a favor?”
The crocodile was greatly surprised by the
monkey’s amicable salutation. So, it answered
humbly, “Oh, yes! If there is anything I can do for
you, I shall be glad to do it.” The monkey then told
the crocodile that it wanted to get to the
other side of the river. Then the crocodile said, “I’ll take you there with all my heart.
Just sit on my back, and we’ll go at once.”
The monkey sat firmly on the crocodile’s back, and they began to move. In a short
while, they reached the middle of the stream. Then the crocodile began to laugh
aloud. “You foolish monkey!” it said, “I’ll eat your liver and kidneys, for I’m very
hungry.” The monkey became nervous. Trying to conceal its anxiety, it said, “I’m very
glad that you mentioned the matter. I thought myself that you might be hungry, so I
have prepared my liver and kidneys for your dinner. Unfortunately, in our haste to
depart, I left them hanging on the macopa tree. Let us return, and I’ll get them for
you.”
Convinced that the monkey was telling the truth, the crocodile turned around and
swam back in the direction of the macopa tree. When they got near the riverbank,
the monkey nimbly jumped up onto the land and scampered up the tree. The
crocodile came to realize what happened and said, “I am a fool.”
 A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson or conveys a moral. Fable features
animal characters or inanimate objects that behave like people.
The monkey is a common animal character in Philippine fables. It is often
depicted as a cunning animal.

Question: What other Philippine fables have you heard about the monkey?
Example:
The Creation
(A Tagalog Myth)

When the world first began there was no

land. There were only the sea and the sky,
and between them was a kite. One day the
bird which had nowhere to light grew tired of
flying about, so she stirred up the sea until it
threw its waters against the sky. The sky, to
restrain the sea, showered upon it many
islands until it could no longer rise, but ran
back and forth. Then the sky ordered the kite
to alight on one of the islands to build its
nest, and to leave the sea and the sky in
peace.
Now at this time the land breeze and the sea
breeze were married, and they had bamboo
as their child. One day when the bamboo was
floating about on the water, it struck the feet
of the kite which was on the beach. The bird,
angry that anything should
strike it, pecked at the bamboo. Out of one section came a man and from the other
a woman.
The earthquake called on all the birds and fish to see what should be done with the
man and the woman, and it was decided that they should marry. Many children were
born to the couple, and from them came all the different races of people.
After a while, the parents grew very tired of having so many idle and useless children
around. They wished to be rid of them, but they knew of no place to send them to.
Time went on, and the children became so numerous that the parents enjoyed no
peace. One day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and began beating them on
all sides.
The beating frightened the children so much that they fled in different directions.
Some seek hidden rooms in the house. Some concealed themselves in the walls.
Some ran outside, while others hid in the fireplace. Several fled to the sea.
Now it happened that those who went into the hidden rooms of the house later
became the chiefs of the islands, and those who concealed themselves in the walls
became slaves. Those who ran outside were free men, and those who hid in the
fireplace became negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone many years, and
when their children came back they were the white people.

Myths are told to explain a belief, a practice, or a natural

 phenomenon. These were the first tools man used to define his world. The origin of
the surrounding world has always been the object of interest of
prehistoric Filipinos.

G. PERSUASION

If you want to buy new shoes but you do not have enough money for them,
how would you persuade your parents to buy them for you?
If you had broken someone’s trust, how would you persuade that person to forgive
you and give you another chance?
If you failed to beat a deadline on the project you are working on, how would you
persuade your teacher to accept it?
Persuasion is a literary technique that writers use to present their ideas through
reason and logic, to influence the audience. Persuasion may simply use an argument
to persuade the readers, or sometimes may persuade readers to perform a certain
action. Simply, it is an art of effective speaking and writing in which writers make
their opinions believable to the audience through logic, by invoking emotions, and
by proving their credibility.

Types of Persuasion
Persuasion has three basic types:
1. Ethos
It is linked with morality and ethics. In this method of persuasion, writers or
speakers convince their audience of their goodwill and present themselves as
trustworthy. To determine whether a writer is credible or not, the audience needs to
understand his intention and his strong understanding of the subject.
2. Logos
Logos comes from logic, therefore writers use logic, reasoning, and rationality
to convince audiences of their perspectives.
3. Pathos
The third method is pathos, which invokes and appeals to the emotions of the
audience. This is contrary to logos, as it presents arguments without using logic or
reasoning. Many writers consider love, fear, empathy, and anger as strong factors to
influence the emotions of their audiences.

Example:

Campaign Speech, November 3, 2008 (By Barack Obama)

Barack Obama made a public speech a night before his election campaign in Virginia
on November 3, 2008, saying:

“This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of
retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard
work…This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack
up the equipment, he’s worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to
China… We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on
our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major
American city drowns before our eyes…”

This emotional speech plays on people’s sense of guilt, making it a good example of
pathos. Although Obama employs the snob appeal fallacy in his argument, it is a
very influential and emotional appeal.

H. PROBLEM-SOLUTION

Your mother assigned you to be in-charge of the birthday party of your sibling
because she had an important errand that she has to attend to. This posed a problem
to you because it would be the first time that you would host a party. What are the
things that you would do? Probably, the things that you would do would be: go out
to buy food for your guests and prepare other things needed to make your guests feel
at ease while in the comfort of your home.
Before going out, you would probably count how many are your expected
guests and list the things you would buy to determine your budget. When you’re at
the supermarket, you would possibly compare the prices of different brands of food
products or things you would buy to weigh which item is affordable yet it wouldn’t
compromise the quality.
In the example scenario above, it posed a problem and a possible solution to the
problem. Problem is inevitable in our lives but in every problem, there is a solution.
The solution depends on how we react to whatever adversities as we go along our
life’s journey.
One of the patterns of development in writing is a problem-solution. A problem-
solution text starts with a negative situation (a problem) and ends with a positive
situation (a solution). They are in some ways similar to cause-effect in terms of
structure.
Problem-Solution consists of four key components: a situation, a problem,
a solution, and an evaluation.

• Situation: Identify the problem and explain why it is a problem and who
should be responsible for it.
• Problem: Explain the problem clearly.
• Solution: Cite concrete solutions to the problem. Explain why it should be
considered and why it is the best solution to the problem. You may also
present series of steps or actions to be followed.
• Evaluation: It is a part of the conclusion in which you have to highlight the
problem and the value of your solution. Some key expressions that indicate a
problem-solution text are: the problem/dilemma is, if/then, so that, solves, an
answer to, and addresses the problem of.
 Deepen
You Complete Me!
Complete the table to present the similarities and differences of patterns
of written texts across disciplines.

Similarities to Differences to
Patterns of Other Patterns Other Patterns
Definition
Written Texts of Written of Written
Texts Texts

1. Narration

[Link]

3. Definition

[Link] and
Contrast

[Link] and Effect

[Link]
and Division

7. Persuasion

[Link]-
Solution
 Gauge
MULTIPLE CHOICES. Identify what is asked. Write the corresponding letter of
your choice on your answer sheet. USE CAPITAL LETTERS ONLY.
1. The pattern of development in writing that tells why something happens, what
causes it, what are the effects, and how it is related to something else is _____.
A. Cause and Effect B. Classification and Division
C. Compare and Contrast D. Definition
2. The pattern of development in writing that groups items into their parts or types
are called _____.
A. Classification and Division B. Definition
C. Description D. Persuasion
3. The pattern of development in writing that tells how something is like other
things or how something is different from other things is known as _____.
A. Compare and Contrast B. Description
C. Exemplification D. Problem-Solution
4. The pattern of development in writing that explains what something is in
comparison to other members of its class, along with any limitations refers
to _____.
A. Classification and Division B. Definition
C. Description D. Narration
5. The pattern of development in writing that details what something looks like and
its characteristics pertains to ____.
A. Compare and Contrast B. Description
C. Exemplification D. Problem-Solution
6. The pattern of development in writing that describes an issue and your position
or opinion on the subject is called ____.
A. Description B. Exemplification
C. Narration D. Persuasion
7. The pattern of development in writing that describes what, when, and where
something happened is known as ______.
A. Classification and Division B. Definition
C. Exemplification D. Narration
8. The sequence of events in a story refers to ______.
A. Characters B. Motif C. Plot D. Theme
9. The people, animals, or inanimate objects in the story that are affected by the
actions in the plot are known as ______.
A. Characters B. Plot C. Setting D. Theme
10. Because of, for, due to, so that, therefore are signal words of what pattern of
written text?
A. Problem-Solution B. Classification and Division
C. Cause-Effect D. Thesis Evidence
11. A part of, a kind of, a group of, a way of are signal words of what text structure?
A. Cause-Effect B. Classification and Division
C. Compare-Contrast D. Persuasion
12. Which of the following refers to what was yielded after something else took place?
 A. Causal Analysis B. Cause C. Cause-Effect Chain D. Effect
13. Which of the following refers to what prompted something to happen? A. Causal
Analysis B. Cause C. Cause-Effect Chain D. Effect
14. What part of the plot structure has an enticing opening to capture readers’
interest?
A. Climax B. Denouement C. Exposition D. Rising Action
15. What element in narrative writing reveals the message in a story?
A. Characters B. Plot C. Setting D. Theme
16. What part of the plot structure is considered as the turning point or the highest
point of interest in the narrative?
A. Climax B. Denouement C. Falling Action D. Rising Action
17. When you have a supportive audience or spectators who are already briefed on
the issue at hand, what appeal should you maximize to use to them?
A. Athos B. Ethos C. Logos D. Pathos
18. When you have spectators who are not readily accepting your ideas and who may
listen to you but that does not necessarily mean they automatically believe what
you’re saying, what appeal should you make use of?
A. Athos B. Ethos C. Logos D. Pathos
19. When you have spectators who are most difficult to please and to win, the appeal
that you should make use of is ____.
A. Athos B. Ethos C. Logos D. Pathos
20. When you have a hostile audience, what appeal is never a good idea to use to
them?
A. Athos B. Ethos C. Logos D. Pathos
Lesson Properties of Written Texts
2

Discover

PROPERTIES OF WRITTEN TEXT

When you are reading a text, how do you assess the effectiveness of the writer? What
are the things that you are looking into a written text for you to determine that it is
worth the time reading it? How can you say that the text is well-written? How do you
differentiate a good and bad article?
For a text to be well-written, one must keep in mind these four properties: a. text
organization
b. cohesion and coherence
c. language use
d. language mechanics

A. TEXT ORGANIZATION

Text organization is achieved when ideas are logically and accurately arranged. It
is said that ideas are well developed when there is a clear statement of purpose,
position, facts, examples, specific details, definitions, explanations, justifications, or
opposing viewpoints.

Features of Text Organization

1. Physical Format
The format is an aspect of the organization that is immediately apparent to
the reader. It is seen in how the text physically appears like headings and
subheadings, bullet points, or font emphasis.
Example:
Exemplification provides typical cases or examples of something to prove a point. It is
very helpful when you want to discuss complex subjects, topics, or concepts to your
readers through the listing, enumerating, and giving examples that are common to your
target readers or audience.
Exemplification writing uses specific, vivid examples to add more information to
explain, persuade, define or illustrate a general idea. It moves from general to a specific
idea.
The transition words and phrases that signal the reader that additional specific
details follow are: such as, for example, for instance, like, in particular.
Explanation:
The words in bold are significant in the concept presented. By emphasizing these words,
the reader can identify easily the important terms in the text. It would aid a reader to
remember the words since the words stick out from the rest of the text.

2. Structure
The structure refers to the complete framework of the text. It consists of

• Beginning: introduction, thesis statement

• Middle: supporting details
• End: conclusion, summary, the final message
3. Signal Words-
Signal words are the cue in the ordering of events and concepts.

Guiding Questions For Organization

These guiding questions for an organization can help you to make sure that
you have provided coherent transitions between the ideas in your writing.
 Does your piece have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
 Does your piece have a strong beginning that hooks the reader?
 Does your piece have a strong ending that fits the focus?
 Are the ideas and actions connected?
 Can your reader follow the piece logically from beginning to end?
 Is it complete? Does it feel finished?

B. COHERENCE AND COHESION

Coherence and cohesion make your text easier for your readers to follow and
understand. Coherence is the connection of ideas to the central concept of the text
while cohesion is the relationship of ideas between sentences. Both should be
present in your text because having one without the other will still create confusion
for readers.
Coherence without cohesion has a central concept or glue that holds all the
different ideas together. Although without cohesion, there is no apparent logic to the
way these ideas are presented. The writer appears to move on to another related idea
without a proper transition from the previous idea.
Cohesion without coherence has ideas that are logically sequenced in a way
that is easy to follow for the reader. Although without cohesion, no central concept
links all these ideas together. The main point of the text remains unclear for readers.

C. LANGUAGE USE

You must make good choices when it comes to language use because how you
use the language affects the tone of the text and the reader’s interpretation of it.
When you are writing, you need to have the command of the language. You must
know when to appropriately use formal language and when to nonchalantly use
informal language. Formal language is used in writing academic, business, and
official texts while informal language is used when writing for oneself or in writing to
family, friends, and colleagues.

Examples:
1. We asked the secretary to call the professor and get her permission for us to
continue our research.
2. We requested the secretary to contact the professor and obtain her permission
for us to continue our research.
Explanation:
In the first sentence, the writer used casual words such as asked, call, and get
permission, which made the sentence informal. The second sentence used more
serious words such as: requested instead of asked, contact instead of call, and obtain
permission instead of getting permission. This sentence is formal and is appropriate
to use when talking or writing to a person of authority.

When you write, you should make sure that the language use is direct and
simple rather than complicated so that readers would easily understand the text
and you should be sensitive enough to use unbiased language so that you will not
offend any individual or any particular group of people. Unbiased language is a
language that is free of racial bias, religious bias, and gender bias.
Before writing, you have to think about and consider your target audience.
The time-tested principles in writing are:
 Use clear and concise sentences. Use precise vocabulary
 Avoid redundancies, jargon, slang, wordiness, clichés, and highfalutin
language.
 Avoid excessive use of there and its structures.  Be consistent with
pronouns  Avoid sexist language.

D. LANGUAGE MECHANICS

Language mechanics is a set of conventions on how to spell, abbreviate,

punctuate, and capitalize. It is important to know and observe these conventions
in writing to avoid confusion.
Conventions in Writing
1. Spelling
It refers to forming of words from letters according to accepted usage. Make sure
that you are consistently using one standard about the spelling of your words.
Remember that there are slight differences in American English and British English
spelling.

American Spelling British Spelling

Color Colour
Defense Defence
Organize Organise
Traveled Travelled
Theater Theatre
Learned Learnt
Airplane Aeroplane
 Anesthesia Anaesthesia
Analyze Analyse
Aging Ageing

Explanation:

• Before writing, think of your target audience. Whether you write using British
or American spelling, it is important to be consistent in spelling. If you are
unsure of the spelling of a word, consult a dictionary or a spell checker.
2. Punctuation
It pertains to the act or practice of inserting standardized marks or signs in the
written matter to clarify the meaning and separate structural units. The use of
punctuation guides the reader regarding how the text should be read.
The purpose of punctuation is to clarify the meanings of texts by linking or
separating words, phrases, or clauses.

Types of punctuation
There are fifteen basic punctuation marks in English grammar. These include
the period, comma, exclamation point, question mark, colon, semicolon, bullet point,
dash, a hyphen, parenthesis, bracket, brace, ellipsis, quotation mark, an apostrophe.
The following are a few examples of these marks being used in a sentence.

3. Capitalization
Capitalization is the act of writing the first letter of a word in uppercase while the
rest of the letters are in lowercase. There are rules in capitalization that one has to
remember. Below are few examples of words that require capitalization: -Proper
nouns: Alex, Manila
-Proper adjectives: Canadian
-Days of the week: Sunday
-Months of the year: January
-Specific course titles: Theater 101
-Kinship names used in place of personal names:
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Paz, Uncle Alvin
-Adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns, and pronouns in a title and the first and
last word in a title:
Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There(literature)
And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going (song)
-Historical periods, events, documents: Great Depression, the Renaissance,
the Constitution
 ARRANGE ME!
Direction: Read the following sentences carefully. Insert the necessary punctuation
marks and capitalize words where necessary.

1. I visited mr smith the chairman of the board on September 10

__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________. 2.
president smith gave a speech in which he said resigning is not an option
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
3. may i visit the oval office president
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________. 4.
he loved the book which was called a day in france
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
5. the federal bureau of investigations f b i ) looks into crimes and the bureau also
protect
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________. 6. i
am originally from the south but now i live in the north
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________. 7.
my courses this semester include english science and math 100
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________. 8.
the state board collects state and federal taxes
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________. 9.
september and october are the prettiest months of autumn
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
10. the book the big red dog is a hit among children they enjoy reading about the
dogs adventure
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
 Deepen

JUDGE ME!

Direction. Read the text and assess it based on its properties (organization,
coherence, cohesion, language use, and mechanics). Explain the reason of your rating
on each property.

Phase Out the Obsolete Jeepney (an excerpt)

By: Neal H. Cruz

If the jeepney strike pushes through today, the government should use it to
phase out the jeepneys. This World War II relic should have been phased out a long
time ago but successive administrations had no balls to go through with the phase
out. They were afraid of the jeepney drivers who always threatened a strike when
they were told to obey the law. And there were not enough buses to replace the
jeepneys to service commuters.
But the jeepney, although a tourist attraction and a romantic example of folk
art, is the principal source of the daily traffic jams. Its drivers are undisciplined,
reckless and probably don’t know half of the traffic rules. Because of the huge
number of vehicles in Metro Manila, there is only one way to improve traffic: make
each and every driver, private and public, obey each and every traffic rule.
Jeepney drivers have gotten away for so long with murder by bribing corrupt
policemen that it is a shock to them to be made to obey traffic rules and be fined if
they violate them. Anarchy reigns in the streets because of them.
Although they are not in the driver’s seat, jeepney operators are also to blame
for the anarchy. They make the drivers pay a flat rental (the boundary) for the
jeepney. Whatever the driver earns in excess of the boundary, plus the cost of fuel
and oil-and bribes- is his take home pay. So the driver is forced to break traffic rules
so that he can earn as much as he can. But that is no excuse.
Perhaps if the operator pays his driver a regular salary, plus social security
and mediocre premiums, and fixed times for trips, the driver would be less reckless
and we would have more orderly traffic.
As for the jeepney terminals, they really are a source of traffic congestion. Try
this: whenever you come to a traffic jam, trace the source and in may cases it would
be a jeepney terminal. Jeepneys lined up along narrow street take up space intended
for moving vehicles. Some jeepney routes are too short, which means more terminal-
and bigger fares for passengers.
Another reason why the jeepney should be phased out is that it takes up too
much road space and consumes more fuel for the number of passengers it can
accommodate. One bus can take in passengers of ten jeepneys but take up only a
fourth of the space occupied by the 10 jeepneys. In short, the jeepney is all right in
the provinces where there is ample road space but not in a crowded metropolis like
Metro Manila. It was a great as emergency civilian transportation during the
Liberation days, but not anymore. Alas, it has become obsolete in the city.
 The phase out doesn’t mean throwing the jeepneys into the junk heap and
their drivers into the ranks of the jobless. There is a great need for the jeepney in
many areas of the Philippines where there is a shortage of transportation. Send them
there.
Where will the commuters ride without the jeepneys? Send in more buses with
salaried drivers and conductors and fixed trip schedules so they don’t have to clog
loading//unloading zones waiting for passengers. Organize the bus companies in
Metro Manila into one super-consortium so that the bus ticket of one company can
be used to transfer to another bus of a different company. This is to prevent
passengers and buses clogging bus stops because they are waiting for the bus going
exactly to where they are going. If transfers are allowed, they can board any bus going
in the same direction (and the bus doesn’t have to wait long for passsengers) and
then transfer to another bus at their convenience.
Encourage commuters to use the Metrotren by improving the coaches and
having more trips.
Use the Pasig River. The Metro Ferry failed because there were not enough
passengers mainly because the boats are small. Hongkong type shallow-drift ferries
will certainly attract more passengers. Use the smaller boats during high tide to be
able to pass under the bridges. Have another ferry service to Cavite City to relieve
traffic on Coastal Road. (There used to be one; why was it discontinued?)
And hurry up with the C-5 and the C-6…

Criteria: (5 as the highest and 1 as the

lowest) Organization (Rating: ____)
Explanation of Assessment:
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
Coherence (Rating: ____)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
Cohesion (Rating: ____)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
Language Use (Rating: ____)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
Mechanics (Rating: ____)
 Gauge
Direction: Read each question carefully and critically. Choose the
letter of your best answer.

1. What can you achieve when your ideas are logically and accurately arranged in
your written text?
A. Coherence B. Cohesion
C. Language Use D. Text Organization

2. How the text physically appears refers to ____. A. Language Use B.

Physical Format
C. Signal Words D. Structure

3. The relationship of ideas between sentences is known as ____.

A. Coherence B. Cohesion
C. Language Use D. Text Organization

4. The complete framework of the text pertains to _____.

A. Language Use B. Physical Format
C. Signal Words D. Structure

5. The cue in ordering of events and concepts is called ___.

A. Language Use B. Physical Format
C. Signal Words D. Structure

6. The connection of ideas to the central concept of a text is ____.

A. Coherence B. Cohesion
C. Language Use D. Text Organization

7. Which of the following is NOT a property of a well-written text?

A. Coherence and Cohesion B. Coherent Mechanics
C. Language Mechanics D. Language Use

8. Which property of a well-written text constitutes features that facilitate textual

continuity?
A. Coherence and Cohesion B. Language Mechanics
C. Language Use D. Text Organization

9. Which property of a well-written text refers to the appropriate language to be

used in writing/speaking?
A. Coherence and Cohesion B. Language Mechanics
C. Language Use D. Text Organization

10. Which property of a well-written text constitutes proper paragraphing and logical
order of presentation of ideas?
A. Coherence and Cohesion B. Language Mechanics
C. Language Use D. Text Organization
11. Which property of well-written text refers to the established writing conventions
for words that you use?
A. Coherence and Cohesion B. Language Mechanics
C. Language Use D. Text Organization

12. The act or practice of inserting standardized marks or signs in the written matter
to clarify the meaning and separate structural units pertains to ____.
A. Capitalization B. Physical Format
C. Punctuation D. Spelling

13. The act of writing the first letter of a word in uppercase while the rest of the
letters are in lowercase is known as ____.
A. Capitalization B. Physical Format
C. Punctuation D. Spelling
14. In the setting of conventions on how to spell, abbreviate, punctuate, and
capitalize, a writer should account _____.
A. Language Mechanics B. Physical Format
C. Signal Words D. Structure

15. Forming of words from letters according to accepted usage is called ______.
A. Capitalization B. Physical Format
C. Punctuation D. Spelling