Reading and Writing Skills

Paragraph Development:
Description and Definition
EN11/12RWS-IIIbf-3.2 – 3.3

Jennelle Marie R. Aragon

Teacher

04-05-21
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Che nmen
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Ass 1
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Answer the following questions.

1. What do you call the words that are used to
provide a striking effect on the senses of the
reader?
2. How do these words help create a vivid
description of the given words?
3. What kind of paragraph can you develop using
the given details?
 DESCRIPTION

Description gives information of what a person, an

object, a place or a situation is like.
 It appeals to the reader’s senses.
 A descriptive paragraph has concrete and specific details,
which are carefully chosen by a writer to paint a picture
in the mind of the reader.
 PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT-DESCRIPTION

According to Dayagbil & et al, 2016, the use

of description plays an important role
to elucidate the nature of people, places and
things. A series of detailed observation
about the subject can help you create a good
descriptive paragraph. This involves
the use of adjectives and adverbs in the
paragraph.
PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT-DESCRIPTION
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Use your imagination!

Imagine yourself somewhere in the forest.
You cannot find your way to get back home.
Write a short paragraph describing your
sensations. You may use the word bank list
to help you express your sensations.
 PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT-DESCRIPTION

Use your imagination!

Then imagine yourself still in the forest. You
continue walking and you get lost along the way
and you really don’t know where to go. You get
tired, so you sit under a tree. Suddenly, a lady
appears in front of you. How would you describe the
lady so that others could imagine her?
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Sensory Languages- the kind of

words we used to describe
how your subject looks,
sounds, feels, smells or even
tastes like
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2 Types of Description
1. Objective Description
2. Subjective Description
 PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT

2 types of description
1. Objective Description - is
primarily factual, omitting any
attention to the writer, especially
with regards to the writer's
feelings
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2 types of description
1. Subjective Description -
includes attention to both the
subject described and the
writer's reactions (internal,
personal) to that subject.
Accdg. To Hawaii.Edu
 DESCRIPTION

Read the paragraphs below. Tell whether the description is

subjective description or objective.
1. Sampaloc Lake is an inactive volcanic maar on the
island of Luzon, the Philippines. It is the largest of the
Seven Lakes of San Pablo, Laguna. Nearly
half of the lake's depth has a shallow depression at the
bottom, indicating its volcanic origin. It is
approximately 104 hectares and 3.5 kilometer
boardwalk. The lake is behind San Pablo City Capitol
and at the foot of the Doña Leonil
 PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT

2. Sampaloc Lake is one of the best tourist spots in

San Pablo. It is where you can bring your friends
and loved ones for picnic and bonding. Most of
San Pableños jog around the lake and do ride
bicycles not only to have morning
good exercise but also have fresh air. You can
witness the beauty of nature for it is surrounded
with mountains.
DESCRIPTION
 DEFINITION

Definition is the main constituent of any dictionary. In developing a paragraph by

definition, you should take account of these things:
a) the term to be defined
b) the class to which the term belongs
c) the characteristics that distinguish the term from the other members of its class.
Take a look at this example of a definition:
An owl is a bird with a large head, strong talons and has a nocturnal habit.
Owl – is the term to defined
Bird – is the class where the owl belongs
with a large head, strong talons and has a nocturnal habit – are the characteristics that
distinguish the owl from the other birds.
 DEFINITION

In this lesson, we will focus on

the three different types of
definitions: formal definition,
informal definition, and
extended or expanded definition.
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What is being defined in this paragraph? Do the supporting points help you understand the definition
better? Are there facts, reasons, examples, and details that
make it even clearer?
What transition words are used between supporting points?
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

1. INFORMAL
DEFINITION – either
CONOTATION or
DENOTATION.
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

Denotation is the dictionary

meaning of the word.
For example: Rose is a family of
prickly shrub with pinnate
leaves and showy flowers.
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

Connotation is the secondary meaning of a

word and not necessarily included in the
dictionary. Rather it is how a writer
understands a word based on their own
personal or consensual experiences.
In the example: A dozen of pink roses is usually
given to their beloved ones. Instead of literally
referring to flowers, love and romance are
connoted.
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

WORD DENOTATION CONOTATION

POISON A substance Harmful,
causing illness dangerous, evil
or death when
eaten, drunk, or
absorbed even
in relatively
small quantity.
BRUTAL Extremely cruel Violent to the
point of
entertaining.
COMMITMENT A pledge to do An emotional
connection to
another person
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

2.FORMAL DEFINITION The definitions

provided in dictionaries. Writers often include formal
definitions when they are writing about something that may be unfamiliar to
their readers. In textbooks, you may find the formal definition of terms
listed at the beginning, at the end of a chapter, or in the glossary, which is a
mini-dictionary of terms relevant to that text.
Formal definition example:

Term: freedom
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without
hindrance or restraint.
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

3. Expanded or extended
definition, it is a definition
sentence which is extended into a
paragraph by adding meanings,
descriptions, narrations , and other kinds
of paragraph development to make
clear the term being defined.
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

3. Expanded or extended
definition, generally have components of
both informal and formal definitions. However,
as the name suggests, the author uses a
number of other techniques to define a word,
concept, or phrase, including the following:
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

•Listing and describing the parts: identifying smaller, more familiar

pieces of an idea to point to the definition of the bigger concept.
•Etymology: sharing a word's origin.
•Examples or anecdotes: telling a story or example that illustrates
the term.
•Negation: defining a term by explaining what the concept is not.
•Evoking the senses: using a word that creates a picture in the
reader's mind so that the reader might relate through memory of
sound, sight, touch, hearing, or smell.
•Environment or sector: pointing out how and where something is
used.
•Ramifications: showing how the term or concept affects people or
objects.
•Historical references: showing how a word has been defined
throughout history.
Extended definition example:
 TYPES OF DEFINITION

Extended definition example:

To our colonial forefathers, freedom meant having a voice in their
government. (historical reference) The Revolutionary War was a last
resort against an empire that continued to tax its colonists without the
representation of the colonists in Parliament. Since the United States
won the right to rule itself, our country has been referred to as "the
land of the free and the home of the brave." (example) True freedom
means the ability to think, feel, say, or act however one
chooses. (listing parts) It is a state where the bars of bondage do not
exist. (negation) Unfortunately, the widening gap between the haves
and have nots means that some are now shackled by their lack of
education. (evoke the senses: shackled) Americans can attain real
freedom when everyone has the same educational opportunities.
TYPES OF DEFINITION
Read the following definitions; notice whether each one is a formal, informal, or extended definition. The
term being defined appears as bold.

1.When my friend Katrice was young, she disobeyed her parents near
Christmas. I don't recall the crime, but I do recall the consequence. When
she woke up on Christmas morning, there were no presents for her under
the tree from "Santa Claus." To make matters worse, she had to watch her
younger siblings open all their presents in front of her. Santa did not come
Extended definition
for Katrice that year because she was on the "naughty list." While her
parents may well still stand by their decision, Katrice maintains that she
was the victim of cruel and unusual punishment. I tend to agree, as it
seems that the consequences were too drastic for any child, no matter how
naughty she may have been.
Read the following definitions; notice whether each one is a formal, informal, or extended definition. The
term being defined appears as bold.

2.Many prisoners of war have been victims

of cruel and unusual punishment; people
were shocked and horrified when they learned
Informal
of the water definition
torture, temperature extremes, and
sensory overloads that the prisoners were
subjected to.
Read the following definitions; notice whether each one is a formal, informal, or extended definition. The
term being defined appears as bold.

3.The Cornell University Law School

website defines cruel and unusual
punishment (noun) as "punishment that is
Formal definition
extremely excessive in relation to the
crime, shocking to ordinary sensibilities, or
equivalent to torture."
 Assignment #2

Assignment 2: Try to develop a paragraph by using the

definition method. Choose your topic from the words listed
below. Define the term and expand it by description or giving
examples. Choose 1 topic below.
(1 paragraph composed of 10 sentences).
Due date: April 8, 2022|Friday
 
1. Education
2. Senior High School
3. Family
4. COVID-19
5. Student