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READING AND WRITING SKILLS

R Writing needs direction before your ideas slip away.

Let these patterns in writing help you, if they may.

e If you tell a story of what happened, NARRATION is the

v way. DESCRIPTION is when large, sweet or soft are words

you say.

i If you tell the meaning of a concept, term or subject,

and explain what something is, DEFINITION is what you

e expect.

w Put items related in categories or groups in any way,

CLASSIFICATION is definitely the game you play.

R
Stating the reason and result, that’s CAUSE AND EFFECT.
e You want to convince readers? PURSUASION is perfect.

v When there’s an issue or problem and a solution is made

today,
i obviously , PROBLEM AND SOLUTION pattern is on display.

e If similarities and differences are the ideas, you collect

Then, COMPARISON AND CONTRAST pattern is what you

w reflect.
 LESSON 3

PROPERTIES OF A
WELL-WRITTEN TEXT
 DISCUSSION
TEXT
ORGANIZATIO
N
COHERENCE
AND
COHESION
LANGUAGE
USE
MECHANICS
 1. TEXT ORGANIZATION
• Text organization is the way a text is
organized that helps to guide the reader
logically through it. This property makes a
text readable and its message clear.
• makes a text readable and its message clear.
Organization can be achieved through the following
techniques:
• Physical format
• Signal words
• Structure
Physical Format
• how the text physically appears
• format is an aspect of the organization that is immediately apparent
to the reader.
• headings and subheadings, bullet points or font emphasis.

Marxist ideology has three main theories. Historical

materialism
purports that all the features of society can historically be
traced back to economic activity. Social class in capitalist
societies is what produces unjust structures of power that
exist today. Socialism would be the next rational step for
EXPLANATION:

The words in bold are the three most important

Marxist theories that the fi rst sentence is referring
to.
By emphasizing these words, the reader can
identify the correct term for the concepts along
with their defi nitions; this would also aid in
remembering the theories since they stick out
from the rest of the text.
Signal Words
• textual cues that readers can use to follow a text. They can “signal” the
transition from one point to another, the ordering of events and concepts.
• linear narration, question and answer.

Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club greatly infl uenced me as a

fi ctional writer. First, his use of the unreliable narrator fascinated
me, and I have written similar characters in my works. Second,
the theme of patriarchal oppression can also be found in the
stories I write. Third, the novel’s stunning twist is something that I
have been trying to recreate. Thus, I am extremely grateful to
have encountered Palahniuk’s genius early in my writing career.
EXPLANATION

By using sequential signal words (fi rst, second

and third) before the beginning of every
sentence, the reader can follow what seems to be
the writer’s list of three reasons why the novel
infl uenced him. The word thus also signals the
conclusion and the end of the list.
Structure

The structure provides the framework upon

which the text is organized. It consists of the
following:
• Beginning
• Middle
• End
Example
Ancient philosophies believe that a person has an “aura,” this

appears as a rainbow of light around the body that can be seen by

individuals with clairvoyant abilities. The colors change depending on

one’s mood, health, and thoughts. Some scientists believe that the

existence of the aura has something to do with the electromagnetic

fi elds produced by cells and tissues in the human body. Whether

auras are real or not, the fact remains that there are forces

everywhere that are real even though we cannot see them.

Explanation
Organization in this paragraph is not readily noticeable as it does

not use cues like formatting or signal words. However, the text is

organized in this way:

Beginning: Introduce topic of aura

Middle: Defi nition and evidence of existence of auras

End: Ending message about forces in the world

 PARAGRAPH
• A paragraph is a section of writing that is
compose of one or more sentences that
focuses on a single topic or idea.
• A paragraph has 3 parts: Introduction, body
and conclusion
• A paragraph usually start with an indented
sentence to signal the beginning.
INTRODUCTION Contains topic sentence
BODY Provides facts, arguments, examples,
etc.
CONCLUSION Summarizes the connection of the
information that are discussed in the
body.
PARAGRAPH A
When I fi rst brought my cat home from the
Humane Society she was a mangy, pitiful animal. It
cost a lot to adopt her: forty dollar. And then I had
to buy litter, a litter box, food, and dishes for her
to eat out of. Two days after she came home with
me she got taken to the pound by the animal
warden. There's leash. Anyway, my cat is my best
friend. I'm glad I got her. She sleeps under the
covers with me when it's cold. Sometimes she
meows a lot in the middle of the middle of the
night and wakes me ups, though
PARAGRAPH B
I fi rst brought my cat home from the Human
Society she was a mangy, pitiful animal. She was
so thin that you could count her vertebrae just by
looking at her. Apparently, she was declawed by
her previous owners, then abandoned or lost.
Since she couldn't hunt, she nearly starved. Not
only that, but she also had an abscess on one hip.
The vets at the Humane Society had drained it, but
it was still scabby and without fur. She had
terrible cold, too. She was sneezing and sniffl ing,
and her meow was just a hoarse squeak. And she'd
lost half her tail somewhere. Instead of tapering
 2. COHERENCE AND
COHESION
• Refers how ideas, sentences, and paragraphs are connected.

Coherence – occurs when sentences are logically connected

to produce meaningful whole.
Cohesion – occurs when lexical (related to words) and
grammatical elements of a sentence are met.
 EXAMPLE
Coherent but "One of my favorite colors is purple. I am
not cohesive loyal and trustworthy. I watch the concert of
my idol."

Cohesive but not "One of my favorite color is purple. Purple

coherent flowers have calming effects. I am calm whenever
I have my security blankets. I always bring it
whenever I go."
Coherent and "One of my favorite color is purple. I like it
Cohesive because it symbolizes loyalty and trust. I learned
its limits when I watch the concert of my idol. For
that reason, I started to like purple."
COHESION WITH NO COHERENCE
PARAGRAPH:
“My favorite color is blue. Blue sports cars
go very fast. Driving in this way is
dangerous and can cause many car
crashes. I had a car accident once and
broke my leg. I was very sad because I had
to miss a holiday in Europe because of the
injury.”
 COHERENT AND COHESIVE
PARAGRAPH:
“My favorite color is blue. I like it because it
is calming and it relaxes me. I often go
outside in the summer and lie on the grass
and look into the clear sky when I am
stressed. For this reason, I’d have to say
my favorite color is blue.”
Coherence with no Cohesion

“My favorite color is blue.

I’m calm and relaxed. In the
summer I lie on the grass and
look up.”
Example:

My favorite painting is “The Weeping Woman” by Pablo Picasso,

which is an
intriguing painting that symbolizes suff ering. As a result, I love
bright primary colors, so I wear a lot of shocking yellows, blues, and
reds. Also, as an outgoing person, I enjoy performing for large
crowds. In the end, people should not judge an artist’s talent based
on one standard.
Explanation
Connecting words in the text suggest a sequence of ideas that the writer
wants to convey. “As a result” implies an eff ect of the previous statement
while “in the end” indicates the conclusion. However, the writer jumps from
one topic to another resulting in a lack of cohesion. For instance, the writer
talks about his or her favorite colors “as a result” of Picasso’s painting even
though they are not connected in any way. It can be inferred that the choice
of favorite colors was inspired by the colors of the painting, but the writer
does not make this clear.
COHESION AND COHERENCE
• A text with both cohesion and
coherence has a central concept
linking all the ideas in the text, and
these ideas are presented in a
logical manner.
• The main point is clear, and the
text is easy to follow and
understand.
Example:
International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March
of every year. It began as a Socialist political event in several
Western countries. Then, other countries also started
celebrating the holiday just as a way to express their love for
women. Currently, the United Nations observes the holiday as
a way to bring to light women’s issues around the world.
Explanation

The main topic of the text is International Women’s Day, which was
stated in the fi rst sentence. The paragraph proceeds to outline the
history of the holiday starting from some Western countries and its
spread to other nations. It ends with the current way that the whole
world celebrates the day. The writer can present diff erent ideas about the
holiday in a logical manner and without veering away from the topic.
3. Appropriate Language
Use
• Refers to the acceptable style of language for a specific
situation or usage of the text.
• For example; business correspondences use formal,
concise and courteous tone.
Levels of Language Use
A. Informal language- these are
the slang words, local
expressions, text messaging.
Examples: Sup, Gnyt, OTW, Bes,
Bro.
B. Standard/ Academic – these are
the accepted words that usually
appear in books.
Example:
Rizal Park, which feature a statue of Jose
Rizal, stands as a reminder of the Filipinos
who sparked the revolution and launched
our fight from freedom.
C. Business/Technical - these are
scientific terms or jargons.
Example:
Both lungs are clear. Heart is not
enlarged. Pulmonary vascularity is
not accented. Diaphragm and
sinuses are intact.
When you write, you should also
make sure that the language you
use is
• direct and simple rather than
complicated so that readers
would easily understand the text.
You should also be sensitive
enough to use unbiased language
so that you will not offend any
individual or any particular group
of people.
 Proper
Language Use
Proper language use allows you to
capture the message that you want
to convey to your readers.
Problems:
• Misused Words
• Words with Unwanted Connotations
• Technical or Highfalutin Words
 A. Misused Words
• A writer might sometimes use a word
incorrectly, and this occurs when the word
does not mean what he or she thinks it does.
• it is important to be certain of the definition of
a word before using it.
• this often happens with words that sound or
lookalike.
 A. Misused Words

Example:
• There are many behaviors that past
societies considered legal but are now
deemed amoral including slavery,
sexism, and racism.
 A. Misused Words

Example:
• There are many behaviors that past
societies considered legal but are now
deemed IMMORAL including slavery,
sexism, and racism.
 B. Words with Unwanted
Connotations

• There are words that take on a meaning

specific to a context.
• It ended up confusing the readers.
 B. Words with Unwanted
Connotations

Example:
The coast guard salvaged Priscilla and her
sister after their fishing boat was damaged
in the storm.
 B. Words with Unwanted
Connotations
Marine Vessel: (Salvage) to save usually
from the wreckage.
Philippine Media and Police: a violent
killing.

Spanish term : “Salvaje”

Instead, used “saved” or “rescued” .
 C. Technical or Highfalutin Words

Example:
There is an ongoing discourse about the
antidisestablishment assemblage and the
administrative political body.
C. Technical or Highfalutin Words

There is an ongoing
discussion between the
opposition and the
government.
Mechanics
 1. Spelling

• always make sure that you are consistently

using one standard with regard to the spelling
of your words.
• there are slight differences in American English
spelling and British English spelling.
 2. Punctuation

• is the act of using a system of symbols such as

the comma, period, quotation marks, question
marks, etc. that are used to give structure to
and organize a text.
• The use of punctuation guides the reader
regarding how the text should be read.
 2. Punctuation
1. Period (.) - To show the end of the sentence.
2. Comma (,) - Use to show a separation of ideas or elements
within the structure of a sentence.
3. Question mark (?) to indicate a direct question.
4. Exclamation (!) - to show feelings of happiness, sadness and
surprise.
5. Inverted Commas ( " " ) (quotation mark)- To quite the exact
words of someone.
6. Colon (:) - It introduces a quotation, an explanation, and
example, or a series.
 3. Capitalization
• is the act of writing the first letter of a word in uppercase
while the rest of the letters are in lowercase.

PROPER ADJECTIVES
PROPER NOUNS Canadian
DAYS OF THE WEEK
Alex, Manila
Sunday

SPECIFIC COURSE TITLES

MONTHS OF THE YEAR
Theater 101
January