ACADEMIA SYSTEM GLOBAL COLLEGES

Brgy. Tabunok, City of Talisay, Cebu, Philippines

Subject Code: CORE11 Subject Title: Reading & Writing Skills

Module No: 5 Topic: PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT

(PART 2)

Teacher: Ms. Pechie P. Cabiles

I. OVERVIEW

Good day! The relationship among reading, writing, and understanding is clear.
Students engaged in reading-to-learn will also be prepared to write well. In
turn, students who are engaged in writing-to-learn will become more effective
readers. Through both approaches, students will gain a better understanding of
material and a greater ability to demonstrate that understanding.

A. Learning Competency

Learners will be able to:

• Identify properties of a well-written text. (EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4)

B. Specific Learning Objectives

The learners will be able to:

Critique a text based on its:

➢ Organization(EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4.1);
➢ Coherence and Cohesion(EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4.2);
➢ Language Use and; (EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4.3)
➢ Mechanics (EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4.4).

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 II. LET’S BEGIN

➢ Organization makes your writing effective as it provides the readers a structural

framework that will guide them on what to have in a text and helps the reader follow the
complete and logical development of thoughts in a written text (Ibona et al. 2).

III. LET’S DIG DEEPER

➢ Coherence – It means sticking or holding together and pertains to the sentences that solely
support the main idea of the paragraph. Moreover, coherence relates to the paper’s structure,
as to what holds the sentences together to keep them from falling apart, and establishes a
relationship between the ideas presented in a paragraph.
In a coherent paragraph, the ideas are logically arranged. The ideas and sentences are in
an order that make sense to the readers. If the ideas are arranged, the readers can easily
follow the progression of ideas. They can quickly understand the main idea and follow the
writer’s thinking. The readers will be able to follow a paragraph easily if the paragraph has a
smooth flow which means that one sentence leads easily into the next sentence. The
sentences are well connected. This characteristic of a paragraph is called cohesion (Ibona et al.
7).
➢ Cohesion – It expresses the continuity that exists between one part of the text and another. It
occurs where the interpretation of some element in the discourse is dependent on that of
another. To achieve coherence, the following Cohesive Devices are applied in writing (Ibona
et al. 7):
a. Repetition – to focus on the main idea by repeating a key word or phrase. This is to keep you
as a writer as well as your readers on track on the idea being discussed (Ibona et al. 7).
b. Synonyms – to use words with the same meaning in the sentence. This can keep you as a
writer and also your readers mindful of the connections between sentences. The use of
synonym provides some variety in your word choices (Ibona et al. 8).
c. Pronouns – to replace the nouns with words like he, she, it, they, we, us, him or them. Each
pronoun should clearly refer back to a specific noun mentioned earlier in the text (Ibona et al. 8).
d. Transitions – to use a transition word or phrase that links the sentence of a paragraph
together. This guides the readers with the movement of an idea from one sentence to the next
sentence or the relationships among ideas (Ibona et al. 8).

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 List of Common Transitional Words and Phrases
A Addition first, also, then, next, in addition, moreover, furthermore,
besides, additionally
Comparison also, too, in the same way, similarly, likewise, in like manner,
both…and, not only… but also, either…
Contrast however, nevertheless, yet, on the other hand, although, but,
in contrast, on the contrary, contrarily, unlike, conversely,
in spite of, whereas, still, otherwise
Example and Illustration for example, for instance, as an illustration, to illustrate, in
particular, in general
Emphasis above all, especially, in fact, surely, most importantly, equally
important, indeed, after all, in truth
Concession granted, certainly, of course, no doubt, surely, naturally
Cause and Effect accordingly, and so, as a result, because, consequently, for
this reason, hence, since, so, then, therefore, thus
Time before, meanwhile, afterward, at the same time, to begin with,
subsequently, at last, previously, at present, briefly,
currently, eventually, gradually, immediately, finally, in the
future, then, now, suddenly, earlier, shortly, in the past, in
the meantime
Location here, below, above, beyond, beside, further, there, inside,
outside, nearby, next to, on the far side, behind, adjacent
to, in the background, opposite to, to the right, to the left
Summary overall, all in all, finally, in brief, in other words, lastly, on the
whole, to sum up, in sum
(Ibona et al. 9)

➢ Language Use – As a writer, you have to consider your tone, style and clarity of your writing
to communicate effectively. To have appropriate language use, consider the words that suit
your writing situation (your subject, purpose, and audience) and those words that fit your
meaning and convey your attitude accurately (Ibona et al. 10).
➢
Elements of Effective language:
o Concise Language – use of the fewest number of words possible by using simple
sentences and active verbs. Get to the point to communicate effectively without sacrificing
clarity and completeness. One way to achieve conciseness is to eliminate redundant or
lengthy words or phrases (Ibona et al. 10).

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 Examples of long expressions which can be replaced with shorter ones:
at all times Always
at this point in time Now
attached herewith Attached
by means of By, through
due to the fact that since, because of
with regard to concerning, about
in the event that If
in the near future Soon
for the purpose of For
during the time that While
all of a sudden Suddenly
located close by Near
a large number of Many
made contact with contact/meet
it is important that Must
(Ibona et al. 11)

o Concrete Language – to use concrete words which descriptions can lead the readers
visualize through details or bring to the readers specific visual images rather than abstract
words which are ambiguous. You must choose the right words that most express your
meaning or specific words to clarify ideas and images. To be concrete is to be clear, firm
and unchanging based on our senses (Ibona et al. 11).
o
o Common Language – use common words in writing which are easily understood and
recognized by the readers (Ibona et al. 12).
Concur Agree prior to before
Commence Start monitor check/watch
demonstrate Show subsequent later,next
Facilitate Help sufficient enough
Forward Send terminate stop
Implement Do Utilize use
Modify change afford an opportunity let
Numerous many
(Ibona et al. 12).

o Precise and Clear Language – to give readers clear and precise word imagery to make
your writing easier to understand and to follow. Precise and clear language like a
vocabulary of precise nouns and vivid verbs help you create strong mental pictures for your
readers, and this will eliminate confusion and wordiness (Ibona et al. 13).

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 ➢ Mechanics
o Capitalizing Proper Nouns
a. names of races, ethnic groups, Manobo, Ifugao, Chinese
tribes, nationalities
b. languages Mandarin, English, Spanish
c. religions Roman Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist
d. specific people and their titles that President Rodrigo R. Duterte,
accompany them Commissioner Kim Henares, Queen
Elizabeth II
e. specific family members and their Auntie Lucy, Uncle Ben, Mommy Lot
titles
f. specific countries, cities, towns and Japan, Cebu City, Ramos Street
streets
g. bodies of water Pacific Ocean, Mainit Lake, Pasig River
h. specific geographical regions Middle East, American South, Southern
Philippines
i. specific buildings and monuments City Hall, Capitol Building, Lapu-
lapuMonument
j. specific groups, clubs, teams and Gilas Pilipinas, Philippine Basketball
associations Association, Asianistas
k. specific historical periods, events Independence Day, Sinulog Festival
and documents
l. names of businesses, government Waterfront Hotel, Department of Labor and
agencies, schools, and other instit Employment, Asian College of
utions Technology
m. brand names Under Armour, Chuck Taylor, Nike
n. specific academic courses Modern Algebra, Home Economics,
Philippine History
o. days of the week, months of the Wednesday, April, Christmas Day
year and holidays
(Ibona et al. 13)

o Using Minor Punctuation Marks

Each punctuation mark has its function like a period (.) for a statement, a question mark
(?) for an interrogative sentence, an exclamation point (!) for an exclamatory
sentence, a comma (,) to separate all elements in a series, an apostrophe (‘) to form
a contraction (ex: I am > I’m ) and to form the possessive form of a noun or an
indefinite pronoun (ex: Karl’s laptop), a semicolon (;) to join two complete sentences
only, a colon (:) to introduce a quotation, an explanation, a clarification, or an
example, and to introduce a list; a dash (-) to emphasize information by setting it off
from the rest of the sentence, and a parentheses () to present material that is not
essential part of the sentence (Ibona et al. 13-14).
o Punctuating Direct Quotations
A direct quotation is the direct speech or exact words of the speaker or writer. Direct
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 quotations are always placed within quotation marks (Ibona et al. 15).
o Setting Off Titles of Books, Stories, and Other Works
Titles aside from having the first letters of all important words are capitalized, can be
typed in italics or enclosed in quotation marks (Ibona et al. 15).

IV. WE’RE ON OUR WAY

Let us have short exercises to see if we have learned something from the PROPERTIES OF A WELL-
WRITTEN TEXT.

TRUE OR FALSE

Direction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and False if wrong.

1. Get to the point to communicate effectively without sacrificing clarity and completeness.
2. To use concrete words which descriptions can lead the readers visualize through details or bring to
the readers specific visual images rather than abstract words which are ambiguous.
3. use common words in writing which are easily understood and recognized by the readers.
4. Coherence expresses the continuity that exists between one part of the text and another. It occurs
where the interpretation of some element in the discourse is dependent on that of another.
5. Cohesion means sticking or holding together and pertains to the sentences that solely support the
main idea of the paragraph.

V. HOW FAR HAVE WE GONE

IDENTIFICATION

Direction: Identify what is being described below.

1. Use words with the same meaning in the sentence. This can keep you as a writer and also
your readers mindful of the connections between sentences.
2. Focus on the main idea by repeating a key word or phrase.
3. Replace the nouns with words like he, she, it, they, we, us, him or them. Each pronoun should
clearly refer back to a specific noun mentioned earlier in the text.
4. use a transition word or phrase that links the sentence of a paragraph together.
5. As a writer, you have to consider your tone, style and clarity of your writing to communicate
effectively.

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VI. WALKING THE EXTRA MILE

Critique the text based on the rubric provided.

As an English major I have learned to appreciate the peaceful, yet exhilarating moment
when my mind engages with an author's thoughts on a page. As Toni Morrison says in The
Dancing Mind, "[reading is] to experience one's own mind dancing with another's." In my early
days as a college student, I wanted to know the "true" meaning of a work or what the author
intended, however, I have now realized this would void literature of its most noteworthy
complexities. Individual interpretations bring varied insights to a work and it is also interesting
to point out messages the author may not have realized s/he included in the piece.
I have always been a thinker, but throughout my coursework, I have greatly sharpened
my critical analysis skills. Instead of focusing on proposed meanings or biographical
background, I have learned to continuously ask "why" on many different levels. I challenge
myself to dig into a text as deeply as possible and unpack every detail to develop a satisfying
close read. Also, by reading multiple novels by the same author I have learned to identify
different writing styles and make connections that weave texts together; this helped me
develop a deeper understanding of the novels. When I look at one of my freshman level novels
and see clean pages, I realize that I did not actively read the book. I guess you could say that I
have learned to read with a pen, which has drastically taken my writing to a new level because
I am able to connect back with my initial insights marked on the page.
Writing had always been one of my strengths, but it was challenging to take that initial
step past the high school, five-paragraph essay form that constricted my ideas for so long.
Moving past this form, however, has greatly opened my mind. My thoughts are now able to be
more complex because I have learned how to sustain a logical argument in an organized
manner. My writing has become increasingly more concise and I no longer have room for
added "fluff" or "padding." Another improvement is my ability to point out multiple complexities
within a text, instead of sticking to one-sided arguments in my papers. Furthermore, learning
how to find peer reviewed journal articles and order books through interlibrary loan has
significantly widened the scope of my research, which has lead to more scholarly papers with
credible references. My writing is so much more interesting than it used to be.
It is difficult to identify gaps in my knowledge as an English major, only because I feel
like I have learned so much. I feel that I have largely expanded my literary analysis and writing
skills, but I need to be prepared to teach high school students their required literature. I think it
would be useful to identify commonly taught novels in our local high schools and study them
myself. By studying the required literature and thinking about how to teach it, I will have a
sturdy foundation to work from once I am in the classroom.
(https://english.csuci.edu/program/sample-essay-example-1.htm)

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 RUBRICS IN WRITING A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT

PROPERTIES OF
A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT 1 2 3 4
(Poor) (Good) (Very (Excellent)
Good)
Organization
-provides the readers a structural
framework that will guide them
on what to have in a text and
helps the reader follow the
complete and logical
development of thoughts in a
written text.

Coherence and Cohesion

➢ - Ideas are sticking or holding
together and supports the main
idea of the paragraph. It
expresses the continuity that
exists between one part of the
text and another.

Language Use
➢ Uses concise, concrete,
common, precise and clear
language

Mechanics
➢ Observes correct spelling,
punctuation, capitalization,
sentence structure and
grammar.
TOTAL:

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VI. REFERENCES

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/05/07/reading-and-writing-understanding

Asian College of Technology, RWS-Manual

http://writeenglish.net/paragraph1-1.php
http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/Climatic-Order.html
1984)http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/Spatial-Order.html
https://wikis.engrade.com/paragraphwriting3
https://www.In.edu.hk/eng/rhetoric/Paragraph%20Developmet/Paragraph08.html
http://www.kirnskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixtrait/organization/patters.html
(https://english.csuci.edu/program/sample-essay-example-1.htm)

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