LEARNING MODULE

IN ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND

PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
for remote teaching and learning use only

A COMPILATION:

LUCKY ANN
 INTRODUCTION

English for Academic and Professional Purposes for Senior

High School aims for the development of communication skills in
English for academic and professional purposes.

This module meets all the competencies outlined in the K to

12 curriculum guide now, the Most Essential Learning
Competencies. Furthermore, it aims to guide students to become
multi-skilled in different methods of learning and be flexible under
different communication circumstances.

Each lesson is packed with varied concepts, strategies and

activities for understanding, mastery, acquisition and practice of
academic writing.

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 CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

CHAPTER I……………………………………………………. 1
Academic Texts………………………………………………. 1
Structure of Academic Text……………………………. 6
Thesis Statement……………………………………………. 12
Writing a Summary………………………………………… 15
Outline…………………………………………………………... 22
CHAPTER 2…………………………………………………… 25
Writing a Reaction Paper and Review Paper…. 25
Writing a Critique……………………………………………. 32
Critical Approaches…………………………………………. 35
CHAPTER 3…………………………………………………… 43
Features of a Concept Paper…………………………. 43
Patterns of Concept Development…………………. 49

CHAPTER 4…………………………………………………… 55
Writing a Position Paper………………………………... 55
CHAPTER 5…………………………………………………… 63
The Report Survey…………………………………………. 65
Field Report……………………………………………………. 68
Research Report……………………………………………… 70
SAQ
Chapter 1………………………………….……………………. 77
Chapter 2………………………………….……………………. 90
Chapter 3………………………………….……………………. 96
Chapter 4………………………………….……………………. 99
Chapter 5………………………………….……………………. 103

REFERENCES………………………………………………… 109
.

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 CHAPTER I
READING ACADEMIC TEXTS

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, you are expected to:
 differentiate language used in
academic texts from various
disciplines;
 use knowledge of text
structure to glean the
information you need;
 use various techniques in
summarizing a variety of academic texts.

LESSON 1: ACADEMIC TEXTS

1.1. Academic Writing

 A formal style of writing used by students and researchers in
a particular field using a specific referencing style.
 Written usually in argumentative and expository, used to
convey information on a particular subject matter and what
evidence has contributed to that kind of thinking.
 Used in different documents such as essays, dissertations,
thesis and various academic publications (books, research
papers, journals, and conference papers).

1.2. Academic Language

Academic writing follows certain conventions which are
universally accepted.
ACADEMIC NON-ACADEMIC
 The general public or
Audience  Academics
friends and family
 A particular subject of
serious thought

 Generally  Of general interest or

argumentative and personal
expository presenting
Content
author’s opinions  Uses varied forms
about a particular appropriate for varied
subject matter subjects

 Have enough
evidential support

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  Complex sentences
 Mostly simple
with considerable
sentences joined by
variety in construction
conjunctions
 Formal language is
Style  Colloquial words or
expected and
expressions are
colloquial expressions
acceptable
are not acceptable
 Sentences may start
 Sentences start with
with “and” and “but”
transition words
 Clear and well-
planned, logical flow
 Less likely to be as
clear and organized
 Follows specific
referencing style such
Structure  Less likely to be
as American
referenced as it
Psychological
considers personal
Association (APA) or
views
Modern Language
Association (MLA)
 Free use of grammar.
Grammar  Likely to be error free
 Not always expressed
in complete sentences
 Subject-specific terms
 Everyday vocabulary.
and academic
language used
 Use of short forms,
accurately
Vocabulary idioms and slang to
some extent
 Variety of words;
more sophisticated
 Repetition of words
vocabulary
Point of  This generally uses  Uses any point of
View the third person view

Some examples of avoidable language in academic writing:

1. Do not use contractions and abbreviations.

 Contractions are words written in short version such as “can’t”
for “cannot” in full form. Any form of contraction is not
allowed in academic writing. Make sure you always use the
full forms of those contractions.
Example: don’t – do not; he’ll – he will; doesn’t – does not

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  Abbreviations such as “etc.” must not be used in academic
writing. You must use full forms of words.
Example: TV – television; memo – memorandum; quote – quotation

2. Avoid using informal language

 Do not write your essay in point or bullet form, numbering or
sub-headings, these are expected in your research or
observation reports.
 Do not use colloquial words or slang expressions such as
“cool”, “thing”, “kid”, “a lot of”, “stuff”, “sort of”.
 Avoid double words or phrasal verbs such as “what’s up”,
“put off”, “bring up”, “get away with”.
 Avoid common but vague words and phrase such as “nice”,
“get” and “thing”.
 Do not ask questions or use exclamation marks and dashes in
academic writing.
 Do not use the language for phone texting or SMS.

3. Be objective and avoid Personal Language

 Make your writing formal and impersonal by avoiding the use
of personal language such as “I”, “My”, “Our”, “Me”, “Myself”,
and “We”. Use third person to show that you are objective.
Example 1:
Wrong: In this essay, I am going to discuss the importance of…
Preferred: This essay discusses the importance of…
Example 2:
Wrong: My research has shown that…
Preferred: This research has shown that…
Example 3:
Wrong: What I can say about this is that…
Preferred: On this subject matter, it could be said that…
 Do not use emotive or emotional language but be objective
rather than subjective. State ideas in a neutral way.
Example 1:
Wrong: I believe that singing at night help reduce fear of the dark…
Preferred: It is believed that singing at night help reduce fear of the
dark… or; It can be argued that singing at night help reduce fear of the
dark…
 Note that every point made must be supported by evidence
from your reading by quoting the authors correctly.
Example:
a. The information provided by Debby (2014:23) clearly shows that…
b. This is not a view shared by everyone, Sitwe (2015) for example, claims
that…

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4. Avoid making sweeping statement or generalizations but be
precise and accurate.
 You must ensure that the phrases and sentences you are
making in your essays are based on facts with evidence well
stated or supported.
 Academic writing also demand precision; you need to be
precise when using dates or figures.
Example:
Wrong: “many people believe that” or “a lot of people believe that”
Preferred: “200 people believe that”
 Accuracy pertains to the use of correct words when writing.
For instance, synonyms such as “meeting”, “assembly”,
“gathering” and “conference” must be well utilized. Also,
words such as “money”, “cash”, “currency”, “capital” or
“funds” must be accurately used.
5. Structure your writing carefully
 Make short, clear and complete sentences.
 Organize your writing into paragraphs, use connecting
phrases to make your writing explicitly and easy to follow.
 You must also check your grammar correctly.
 Avoid expressing strong points opinions directly. Being
objective doesn’t require being too assertive.
Example:
Wrong: Banda has an extremely important point to make because he…
Preferred: Banda’s view is significant because…
Avoid words such as “really”, “very”, “quite”, and “extremely”.
6. Use evidence from your reading to support your cases and
reference this correctly.
 Good academic essays are supported by existing literature on
a particular subject matter.
 Every major point cited must be supported by at least one
scholar to qualify or support the point raised.
7. Use passive verbs than active to avoid stating the doer
 This is important and it is usually done with such sentences as
“tests have been conducted on ---“.
 Other recommended verbs or attitudinal signals to use:
 imagine
 suggest
 claim
 apparently
 arguably
 ideally
 unexpectedly
 strangely

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 Example 1:
Wrong: In my essay, I will discuss the role of the citizens in a country…
(active verb)
Preferred: In this essay, the role of the citizens in a country will be
discussed… (passive verb)
Example 2:
Wrong: I have divided the chapter into three sections.
Preferred: The chapter is divided in three sections.

Use of Grammatical Words and Tenses

In writing academic essays, every words must count. Avoid
using words that are not significant, they should be clear and
concise so that the meaning is simple and straightforward.

Example 1:
Wrong: A famous theorist scholar called Albert Bandura wrote a beautiful piece
of work on social learning which offers valuable insights into this discussion…
Preferred: Bandura (2003) offers valuable insights into…
Example 2:
Wrong: The denotation was hidden by the speaker.
Preferred: The meaning was hidden by the speaker.

 Aim for the right word for the right occasion expressed in a
manner that it would be easy to understand by your readers.
 Be consistent with the tense you are suing to inform your
readers. Use past tense if you are writing on something that
happened in the past. Use present tense for something that is
happening now.

Use of Jargons
Jargon refers to the specialized language of a professional or
occupational group. This is used by experts in a certain discipline
or field.

In scientific fields, for instance, researchers explore difficult

subjects that most people would not be able to understand. The
language the researchers use must be precise because they are
dealing with complex concepts (e.g. molecular biology, or
nuclear physics) and simplifying the language might cause
confusion or create room for error.
Examples:
1. AWOL – Short for “absent without leave” is a military jargon used
to describe a person whose whereabouts are unknown.

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2. Hard copy – A common term in business, academia, and other
fields which refers to a physical printout of a document (as
opposed to an electronic copy).
3. Cache – In computing, this refers to a place for short-term
memory storage.
LESSON 2: STRUCTURE OF ACADEMIC TEXT

2.1. Paragraph Development

The first kind of structure used in academic texts is the
paragraph. A paragraph is a collection of sentences that deals with
one topic or idea. A new paragraph usually signals the start of a
new concept in a text.

The parts of the paragraph are the following:

● topic sentence,
● supporting sentences, and
● concluding and/or transitional sentence.

The topic sentence should be the starting sentence, and its

function is to present the main point of the theme of the paragraph.
On the other hand, the supporting sentences support the main idea
in the topic sentence. The concluding sentence closes out the main
idea by summing up the entire concept and ensures that the
paragraph ends with a complete idea. In some cases, a transitional
sentence is used to close out the paragraph and pave the way to
the introduction of the next concept in the succeeding paragraph.

Example 1
Everyone knows that a decade is equivalent to ten years. However, when does
a decade truly end and start? Many like to believe that it ends with the year that ends
with a nine (9), not the year that ends with zero (0). Many people were confused
about the ending of the decade in 2019 because social media and news reported that
the decade would end in 2020. The Gregorian Calendar, the calendar used in most of
the world, starts at 1 AD, which supports the claim that a decade ends with years
ending in zeroes. Popular culture in most societies, however, names a decade by the
zero year, so the 90s pertain to the years 1990-1999. This will entail that a decade
ends with the years ending in nine. Despite all the arguments, people celebrate the
new year and the passage of time all the way, no matter what year it is.

Example 2
When conducting a new research topic, it is imperative to start with the
conceptualization of your main idea. Doing so involves several steps:
conceptualization, definition, indicator selection, operationalization, and
observation. First, conceptualization focused on what the research study will
encompass, including its variables and limitations. Next, the researcher should define
the concepts to be studied by reading related literature. Indicator selection entails
that the researcher sets how the variable shall be measured throughout the research
process based on its definition. Operationalization then allows the researcher to
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specify the measurement of the variables. Lastly, observation allows the researcher to
see if the said variables can be measured through testing. It may seem like an easy
process, but to be exact, research conceptualization allows the precise selection of a
research topic.

Example 3
It is well-known that playing sports has many benefits. Doing sports can help
improve concentration, increase creativity, and boost one's self-confidence. Research
suggests that athletes have better focus due to their exceptional ability to tune out
background noise. Their energy is also regularly boosted, resulting in a higher
concentration-time both in the classroom and on the field. Unstructured periods of
play have also led to more creativity in athletes as they have to think for themselves
while focusing on a specific goal. Playing sports also helps with one's self-confidence
as athletes find out their competence and self-worth through play and practice. These
benefits, researchers noted, hopefully, can entice more kids and adults to get more
exercise and do sports.

Analysis:
All three examples have a different way of presenting
information through a paragraph.
 In the first paragraph about the decade, it started with the
definition of a decade and how it differs from other time
periods. The thesis statement is actually the question, “When
does a decade start and end?”.
 The second example shows a process paragraph, in which the
thesis statement enumerates the five steps of conceptualizing
a topic.
 The third paragraph illustrates the benefits of sports.
 Each paragraph has supporting details: the first one lists
definitions, the second one describes each step, and the third
illustrates three concrete examples to back up its claim.
 Each paragraph also ends with a concluding sentence,
wrapping up each idea neatly, just in case a writer decides to
write more about the topic.

2.2. Three-Part Essay

A three-part essay is one of the ways of writing an essay. This

structure is composed of three basic parts: introduction, body, and
conclusion.

One prominent feature of the three-part essay is that the

body is generally longer than both the introduction and conclusion.

Short essays usually have one to three paragraphs for the

body, while longer essays may use more than three paragraphs and
may reach several pages long.

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Parts of the Essay:

1. The introduction should do the following:

● Introduces the topic.
● Places the topic into context.
● Provides background information.
● Points out the aim of the text.
● Describes how the aim will be fulfilled.
● Provides a thesis statement for the text.
● Suggests what the findings are.
● Explains why the topic could be considered as interesting.
● Catches the readers’ interest.

 The introduction starts off the essay with ideas that will be
discussed in the body. The thesis statement is usually found at
the end of the introduction, and it can act as a transitional
sentence for the body.

2. The body is the main section of the essay, usually divided into
subsections. The body is the most substantial part of the entire
essay.
It should do the following:
● Research and data are presented.
● Data is analyzed.
● Data is discussed thoroughly.

 In sum, the body should present evidence to support your

thesis statement.

3. The conclusion restates the thesis statement and wraps the

entire essay. It should shed more light on how the evidence and
data presented in the body support the thesis.

There is also an opportunity to evaluate the issue or topic at

hand for further topics in the future. No new material is to be
presented in the conclusion.

Lastly, writers can suggest further studies or exploration of

the topic at hand in the conclusion.

 The conclusion should not have the same thesis statement from
the introduction. Rewrite and reword the thesis statement for
the conclusion.

Example:
Filipino Food in the International Setting

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 The Philippines is known for its rich array of food, and shows like Fear
Factor and No Reservations brought Filipino food to the forefront of globalization.

In 2019, almost overnight, ube or sweet purple yam became a culinary favorite.
Food is a genuine part of our culture, which we are willing to share with the world.

In 2013, Fear Factor featured balut or fertilized chicken eggs, becoming one
of the challenges on the show. Most people were thoroughly disgusted by the
thought of eating a day-old chicken, yet some contestants found it quite yummy.
Strange as it may be, the Filipino people enjoy it immensely, as it is juicy and
apparently, nutritious. Fear Factor may have tried to scare people with the
Philippine delicacy, but it made people immensely proud. Ube also became quite
famous in other parts of the world, especially in the United States. Several
restaurants in the Los Angeles area, as well as numerous viral videos, feature ube
as an ingredient in a lot of desserts like ice cream, cheesecake, cake, buns, and
bread. Though common here in the Philippines, the fact that ube has hit the
international scene makes Filipinos quite proud of the sweet dessert dish.

As featured in the other parts of the world, Filipino food can be considered
special enough to share with others. Jollibee is already a beloved international fast-
food chain, and many non-Filipinos are in love with its sweet spaghetti and crispy,
juicy chicken. Hopefully, the food of the Philippines will be featured continuously
and shared with many, as the Filipino people love to do.

Analysis:
The essay follows the three-part essay structure: introduction,
body, and conclusion. It has three paragraphs, with the middle
paragraph as the body.
The introduction has a thesis statement, which is the focus of
the entire essay. The essay talks about Philippine food that has
reached the international setting.
The body paragraph has details that support the thesis
statement. They utilize examples that are relatable to the readers,
and they help the reader understand the topic more.
Lastly, the essay ends with a conclusion. The first sentence in
the conclusion reiterates the thesis statement. The conclusion also
emphasizes the details mentioned in the body, and there are also
implications for future research for each of the topics.

2.3. IMRaD
IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and
Discussion, with a Conclusion.

This kind of structure is usually used for academic texts,

mostly research papers. IMRaD aims to discuss the research topic
at hand, with the intention of explaining the topic and its
intended purpose.

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 i. Introduction
The introduction of the study usually contains the context of
the study and addresses what the study will entail. It starts with a
much more general topic than the indicated research questions. It is
necessary to introduce the topic by connecting it to something
relatable to the readers in a context which they understand, then
gradually zoom into the topic backed up with research.

You may opt to write a background of the study instead of an

introduction. An introduction aims to raise readers’ interests on the
topic and gives insight into the field of study, while a background
provides more extensive knowledge about the topic.

ii. Methods (and Materials)

The methods part of this particular structure describes how
the research was or will be conducted. In short, it explains how the
aim and research questions were fulfilled and answered.

Focus on the significant parts and facts of the methods used

to collect data and get results in this part, and forego the small
details.

Mention the study design used in the research and connect it

to the way the data was collected. This is imperative for the readers
to understand how the study progressed from idea to application.

iii. Results
The results section objectively presents the results and how
they were collected in the methods part of the research. If multiple
research questions were presented, the way the results are
reported should be presented in that order as well. It is
recommended to use graphs and charts to present data for a better
understanding.

The kind of data presented in figures should be significant to

the study’s topic statement and show readers what needs to
be observed. The data in the graphs or figures should not be
repeated in the text. Captions are also essential in presenting
figures because the reader may not read the entire commentary of
the figure.

iv. Discussion
After presenting the results, the writer should present the
analysis of the results in the discussion.

The writer should…

● remind readers of the aim of the study, and

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 ● analyze and discuss the results, especially if they were
significant in nature.
To facilitate the discussion, the following guide questions can be
used:
● What do the results mean?
● How does it relate or relay to prior research?
● What are the relative similarities or differences from previous
research to the current research?
● How did your chosen method(s) affect the results?
● What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study?
● How are the results important to future developments?
● What kind of research is needed in the field for the future?
v. Conclusion
End the text with a conclusion, which fulfills the aim of the
entire study. The conclusion helps connect all the sections of the
research coherently and to help find its primary focus.
Instead of reiterating the results, the conclusion can give
implications for the study itself and future research.

Example 1
Abstract on Community Malls and Public Markets in Parañaque

This research aims to study the effects of community malls on the businesses
that are part of the public market of Parañaque. In particular, this study identifies the
community malls and public markets, and notes their differences and similarities.

This research is qualitative in nature, which means that the researchers will
use a descriptive method of research. Information is gathered through personal
interviews with the proprietors at the public market and public administrators of
Parañaque. Document analysis is also utilized, focusing on financial statements and
market reports. The researchers hypothesized that the findings of the study will
express that there was a significant effect on the public market when the community
malls were established in Parañaque. Prior qualitative studies in other places and
countries that utilized the same manner of research supports the hypothesis. The
study also focuses on businesses such as groceries, apparel, and footwear only.
However, this study will dig deeper on the effects of community malls on the
businesses at public markets to come up with scientific basis for legislative measures.

It is concluded that the existence of community malls continues to affect local

businesses at the public market. It is recommended that further research is conducted
on customers’ market preferences in buying goods while looking into the business
strategies of local proprietors in combating community malls.

Explanation
The abstract follows the IMRaD format, complete with the
introduction, methods, results, and discussion. They also include
conclusions for each of the studies.
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 In the introductions, the aim of the study is included and
stated, in addition to how it will help out multiple beneficiaries,
especially in their respective fields.
The methods of each study are also indicated, with the
research design as the highlight of the abstract. The different forms
of data used is also mentioned, which gives light on how the data
was collected.
Results are also presented, as well as a short discussion and
recommendations of said results. The abstracts show, even in short
summaries, how the studies were conducted, and the
different implications for the different studies.
LESSON 3: THESIS STATEMENT

The thesis statement is the main idea or point the author is

trying to prove. It will dictate the purpose and flow of arguments in
the rest of the paper.

3.1 Identifying the Thesis Statement

A thesis statement can only be expressed by a complete
declarative sentence. Therefore, be sure to write out a complete
sentence when identifying the source’s thesis.

Typically, the following are the characteristics of a thesis statement:

 It shows where you stand regarding the subject matter you
are discussing.
 It tells the reader what they can expect from the rest of your
paper.
 It directly answers a question posed to you.
 It makes a claim that can be disputed.
 It is a single sentence near the start of your paper that
presents your argument to the readers.

The rest of the paper then contains evidence that will help
back up the thesis statement in order to persuade others to take
the same stand.

3.2. How to Write a Thesis Statement

When receiving assignments that require you to submit a
paragraph, an essay, or a paper, make sure to understand the
instructions carefully to see if you’ll need to develop a thesis
statement. If you are asked to analyze, interpret, compare and
contrast, show causes and effects, or choose a side or stand on an
issue, then more often than not you will need to write a thesis
statement for your assignment. The body of your paper should then
support and defend your thesis.

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 A thesis statement cannot be written hastily. Formulating a
thesis is not the first thing you do upon receiving an assignment or
task.

A thesis must be the result of a long process of thinking and

planning. Before you can develop any kind of thesis, you must first
do your research on the topic. Look for information, evidence, and
details and organize them based on the points they make. Look for
possible relationships between pieces of information and try to
analyze and find the significance of these relationships. Once you
have done this initial process, you’ll likely be able to come up with a
“working thesis” that has a basic main idea that you feel you could
support with evidence.
Don’t worry if your thesis and your arguments might need
adjustments along the way. What matters is that you can find
substantial evidence to support a more concrete thesis, even if you
had to adjust from time to time.

Example 1
Given the following question: Should the SOGIE Bill be passed
in the Philippines?

A thesis statement will be required for this kind of question since it

is asking you to take a stand on a particular issue. A simple thesis
statement would be to say, “I believe the SOGIE Bill should be
passed,” as it already shows a clear stand that you can defend with
research and data. To improve on this even further, you can add a
primary reason for choosing the side you did, which you will defend
using the rest of your paper. For example, “I believe the SOGIE Bill
should be passed because it ensures that all basic human rights are
available to all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender
expression.”

Tip:
Make your thesis statement as specific as possible by:
● Expressing just one major idea.
● Naming the topic and asserting something specific about it.
● Stating your position or opinion about the issue.

Example 3
Take a look at the following example of an introductory paragraph:

Tobacco use, or smoking, kills nearly six million people every year. In the
Philippines alone, around 87,600 people die yearly because of smoking-related
diseases. That’s 240 deaths every
day, or 10 deaths every hour. Most of these deaths come from families in the lower
classes, who can afford to buy cheap cigarettes but cannot afford to be treated in
most hospitals. As long as cigarettes continue to be available even to the most
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vulnerable in Philippine society, the number of smoking-related deaths will only
continue to rise. So, a heavier tax must be implemented on all cigarette products so
that they are not accessible to the poorer communities in the Philippines.

Analysis:
The paragraph introduces the problem through a quick
discussion of statistics on smoking-related deaths. It then makes
the connection between low cigarette prices and smoking-related
deaths in poorer communities in the Philippines. The thesis
statement, found at the end of the paragraph, then introduces the
paper’s stand: cigarette products should be made more expensive
so that less fortunate families will have less access to them.

3.3. Writing Strong Thesis Statements

When reviewing your first draft and thesis statement, you can
ask yourself the following questions for evaluation:

 Am I answering the question?

Go back to the question prompt, if there is one, after
developing your working thesis. Review any arguments or the
thesis statement itself and see if they work towards answering
the question.

 Have I taken a position that can possibly be disputed by

others?
Your thesis has to be persuasive and yet open to opposition.
If it is simply stating a fact or facts that people cannot
disagree with or argue against, then it is likely that you are
only writing a summary and not an argument.

 Is my thesis statement specific enough?

If your thesis statement is too general, it won’t have a strong
argument. Avoid using vague words such as good or
successful and try being more specific. What makes the work
“good”? What specifically proves that something is
“successful”?

 Does my thesis statement pass the “So what?” test?

If a reader looks at your thesis statement and asks, “So
what?” then you need to make some clarifications, provide a
deeper relationship, or connect to a more relevant issue.

 Does the rest of my essay specifically and concretely

support my thesis statement?

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 There are instances when the body of your paper and your
thesis statement might not mesh well. When this happens,
you have to change one of them.

Remember, it’s okay if your thesis statement is modified

during the process of writing your paper. Sometimes, in your
research, you uncover things that will change your own
perspective or widen your perspective on a certain topic, and
it is perfectly acceptable to modify your thesis statement to
reflect your newfound knowledge.

 Does my thesis statement pass the “how and why?”

test?
If a reader sees your thesis and first asks “How?” or “Why?”
then it’s possible that your thesis statement is still too open-
ended. Add a supporting statement that will clarify your
position and strengthen your stance right from the start.

 Remember:
A good thesis statement is backed with facts and achieved
through hours of research. Creating an initial statement and
developing it to be more specific is an excellent way to start
your research.

Example:
What if you were given an assignment to critique a method of
helping the environment?
For example, are the use of metal straws instead of plastic straws
helpful in saving the environment?

If you write a thesis statement based on stock knowledge and

without initial research, you might be inclined to write:
Using metal straws instead of plastic straws is an effective way to
reduce the amount of waste in the country.

It is a thesis statement with a clear stand, however remember to

avoid vague words like effective. Be more concrete in your stance.
Research why it is effective and add it to your thesis statement.

Then, what if during your research, you find evidence that your
initial working thesis should be modified? You can still change your
thesis to something that is both more concrete and also more
supported by the evidence you’ve found.

For example:
Metal straws are a band-aid solution to the problem of global
warming because in mass-producing metal straws for people to use,

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large companies continue to emit dangerous amounts of CO2 into
the environment.

In your research, you’ve found a more significant issue to connect

to the use of metal straws and have found convincing evidence on
it, and so you’ve shifted the direction of your thesis statement. You
have also made your thesis statement more specific and made your
stance clearer in the process. Again, it is up to the rest of your
paper to defend the thesis statement you’ve developed.
LESSON 4: WRITING A SUMMARY

Summarizing a text is distilling its essential concepts in a

paragraph or two. This is an excellent practice to follow when you’re
conducting research or studying.

Typically, a summary has two goals:

1. to reproduce the key ideas and points of a text, identifying the
general concepts that prevail throughout the entire piece, and
2. to express these concepts and ideas with precise and specific
language.

When writing a summary, it is not enough to rely on the

author’s words, as you must still deliver the author’s points without
the language becoming too general. You must also be ready to
make decisions about which parts to include and which parts to
exclude in your summary.

When reading a text, there are two techniques you can use in
order to prepare for writing a summary. These techniques are
previewing and skimming and scanning.

4.1. Previewing
It is best to read any academic text with set goals in mind,
especially when you plan to summarize it later on for research or
study purposes. Doing so will allow you to be more focused on your
reading and to pay more attention to the parts of the text that are
important for your purposes.

As a student, your primary purposes for reading are usually

dictated by your course or track and the papers you are writing for
your subjects. Before you read a text in earnest, try the
previewing technique first in order to better orient yourself to
what you need from the text you are about to dive into.

Below is a general list of steps or questions you can follow in

order to preview a text. Not every step will be relevant to the text

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you are reading, and sometimes you might find yourself coming up
with additional questions to ask or steps to follow.

1. Don’t skip the title! Make sure to read it as they are usually
written to orient the reader and should provide a hint as to
what the central concepts of the text will be.

2. Take a few moments to consider the subject matter: Have

you read about this topic before? Where and when? What
prior information about it do you already have, or what can
you guess? Is it connected in any way to something you’ve
personally experienced? Do you already have opinions about a
part or parts of this topic?

3. Who wrote the text? Do you already have information about

the author? Is additional information on the author available
in any part of the text, like the title page or the body of the
text? If the author is a historical figure, what do you already
know about him or her?

4. Where was this text originally published? How was it

published, and how does it relate to the field of study it was
written in? Who might be the audience for this kind of text?
What could the audience expect to find in the text?

5. When was this text originally published? Is there a

connection between the time period in which it was written
and the field of study in which it was published? Is the text
historical, current, or possibly outdated? Were there any
important events or significant trends during the time the text
was written or published?

6. Read the chapter titles or the headings that section the

article or text. What seems to be the general progression of
ideas here?

7. Why has your professor assigned this text? Where does it fit
into the course or subject as a whole? What sort of facts and
ideas are you expected to remember from this reading?

4.2. Skimming and Scanning

In order to be more focused when reading a text, it is best to
get a general overview of it before beginning to read thoroughly.

 By first skimming through a text, you can get an idea of its

overall logical progression. Skimming can also help you
determine which parts of the text need your utmost attention
in order to achieve your purposes for reading the text.
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Listed below are steps you can take when skimming, but they can
be modified or adjusted depending on what is comfortable for you.

1. Before skimming, make use of the previewing techniques

from the previous subsection.

2. Then, carefully read the introductory paragraph or perhaps

the first two paragraphs. Ask yourself what the point of the
text appears to be, and try to predict the direction of the
coming explanations, arguments, and examples.

3. Carefully read the first one or two sentences of each

paragraph, as well as the concluding sentence or
sentences.

4. In between the opening and closing sentences, keep your

eyes moving and try to avoid looking up unfamiliar words or
terminology. Your goal, for now, is to take in the overarching
concepts and overall picture or pattern of the text.

5. Carefully read the concluding paragraph or paragraphs.

What might the author’s overall purpose be? Keep in mind
that you may be mistaken, so be ready and willing to modify
your answer if needed.

6. Finally, return to the beginning and do a more focused

reading of the text. Be more mindful now of the
complexities you might have missed in your skimming and try
to fill in the gaps in your understanding. Keep your purpose in
mind and remember what you need to retain. Use these to
adjust your focus accordingly. Look up the terms you need to
know, or unfamiliar words that appear multiple times.

 Scanning is similar to skimming, except you should have a

more focused purpose. You are now skimming to find a
particular fact or figure or to see if the text mentions a
specific subject you are researching. Keep your specific goal in
mind as you scan the text, and try not to be distracted by
other details.

4.3. What Is Included in a Summary?

An effective summary should be able to condense a passage
into a shorter form because it only communicates the essential facts
of the original text. However, keep in mind that summarizing is not
the same as paraphrasing. When you summarize something, you
are rewriting the text to be more focused on the main points for
easier reference later on.
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 Effective summarizing is important for both research and
writing because it can allow you to return to pertinent information
much faster.

Below is a list of what is and what isn’t included in a summary. The

list may be adjusted depending on your needs.
1. Include the title and the name of the author in your first
sentence.

2. The first few sentences of your summary should contain the

author’s thesis so that it is easier to recall what the key
points of the text are. It will also make it easier to navigate
through the summary.

3. Often, longer articles are divided into subsections so that it

is easier to organize information. In your summary, make
sure to maintain the subsections and keep information with
similar ideas close together so that they can be located more
quickly when necessary.

4. Omit minor details and ideas that are not central to the text.
Don’t be pressured into thinking that you have to recreate the
author’s exact train of thought. However, be careful in
omitting too much and warping the author’s original intention.

5. In general, omit specific examples unless it is an extended

definition that is integral to the author’s argument. If the
purpose of the example is to provide clarification, then it can
be omitted.

6. Avoid opinions or personal responses in your summaries. A

summary should only contain the author’s ideas. Save your
own thoughts for your actual paper.

7. Be careful not to plagiarize the author’s words. To avoid

plagiarism, try writing the first draft of your summary without
looking back at the text as you write. This is to ensure that
you are more reliant on your own words and your own
understanding of the text rather than the author’s words.

Example 1:
Below is an example of a summary:
In his paper “Global Implications of Patent Law Variation,” Koji Suzuki
(1991) says that the world’s patent laws have a lot of inconsistencies and that this
can be a serious problem. In the majority of countries in the world, the first to file for
a patent is given the patent ownership. However, in the United States, patent
ownership is given to the inventor directly. In light of this, the patent ownership can
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change depending on the country. While the existence of multiple possible patent
ownerships can cause economic problems, the international tension that it creates is
a bigger problem. The United States violates the Paris Convention on Industrial
Properties by not recognizing patent ownership in other countries and has prompted
the World Intellectual Properties Organization (WIPO) to ask the United States to
review its existing patent law principles.

Analysis:
In this summary, the author and the title of the text are
already present in the first sentence.
The thesis is also immediately given, providing a clear guide
on how the rest of the summary can be written. It also provides an
overview of what else the original text might be talking about.
The summary then goes on to talk about the important details
in the text, excluding any additional examples and personal
opinions, thus succinctly summarizing the original text.

Example 2:
Below is a sample article and how an approach to summarizing it
might go:

Article Process

Choosing Schools – All Kids Learn Differently
This is the title of the
article. Do not skip it! It
provides a hint on what the
article’s main idea and key
concepts might be.

Later this month, the nation’s largest-ever The first sentence explains
celebration of educational opportunity will kick National School Choice
off. During National School Choice Week (Jan Week. While the
26-Feb 1), 50,000 events and activities around information is significant, it
the nation will raise awareness about K-12 is not exactly vital to
describe the week in the
education choices. The real impact of school
summary any further than
choice is what gives the Week such energy.
its name and purpose.

The underlined sentence is

A learning environment can change a life, the overall purpose of the
sometimes unexpectedly. Remember the Dr. National School Choice
Seuss story featuring a character who, until he Week and is also the thesis
actually tries it, insists a dish of green eggs and of the text.
ham is not for him? As President of National
School Choice Week, I have the joy each month
of hearing students, parents, and educators
around the country share their own "green eggs
and ham" moments. A teacher who was ready to The section that follows the
leave the education field – until she overcame thesis provides specific
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 her skepticism about teaching in a virtual examples that help explain
school. A mom who never dreamed she’d the thesis but are not vital
homeschool – until her son’s medical needs led to the summary, and so can
her to discover its benefits. A student who felt be omitted.
out of place in his previous school,
but is now happy and thriving in a different
traditional public school. That’s the power of
school choice.
The underlined statement is
All children learn differently and families’ needs what the examples are
vary. In the midst of healthy differences and human discussing and is a
change, choice empowers families to access the supporting sentence to the
learning environments that work for them now. thesis. For your summary,
School choice recognizes that parents are best it is important to add an
positioned to know their child’s passion for botany, explanation of this instead
reading struggles, or penchant for drawing quirky of any of the examples
cartoons. And those same parents are best qualified above.
to choose their children’s learning environments.
National School Choice Week celebrates traditional It is important to mention
public, public charter, magnet, private, online, and
what the National School
home education. We celebrate and support families,
Choice Week celebrates
too, whichever type of school they choose. That’s
since it supports the thesis
because when families and schools bring their gifts
together, students succeed. All children deserve to of the text. However, be
close their school books at the end of each week careful about including too
inspired and equipped to give back. many details.

This is the advocacy of the

week that states what
So, if you love your school, celebrate it during should be done in support
School Choice Week! If you’re searching for a of the thesis, and so should
school, be willing to try something new to find the be included in your
right fit. You might have a green-eggs- and-ham summary.
moment, when your child’s frustration with learning
turns into an excited "I do love it!"

Source: “Choosing Schools – All Kids Learn Differently”

(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/education/choosing-
schools-all-kids-learn-differently-2/)

 Remember that any information you choose to include should

still be explained in your own words and not copied verbatim
from the original text.

Example 3:
Take a look at the following example of a summary:

In the introduction of her book, Cultivating Humanity, Nussbaum opens with a

quick retelling of Aristophanes’ comedy entitled The Clouds. She describes a mock
debate in the comedy where the values of traditional education are compared with the
newer Socratic methods of education. In the debate, old education is described as
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disciplinary and regimented, dealing more with memorization than exploration.
Meanwhile, the scripted counter of the Socratic argument is that with Socrates,
students will be taught how to think freely and liberally with little heed to authority.
As the Aristophanic conservatism is against the free-thinking of Socrates, it is made
to look like the Socratic discipline will teach students how to be rebellious and sex-
driven degenerates.

The comedy presents liberal thinking as poisonous to the minds of the youth.
Yet, in today’s society, as Nussbaum is presenting, it is the prevailing method of
learning in America today. With a new rule regarding diversity being implemented in
America’s system of education, there is now a requirement for students to study non-
Western culture, gender issues, and ethnic issues within the United States. In
implementing this rule, there now seems to be a focus on diversity and
internationalization. Students can no longer remain focused just on their comfort
zones or their familiar local groups. They must reach out and familiarize themselves
with other cultures, other kinds of people, and the rest of humanity in general.

She concludes her introduction with the argument that yes, schools and
universities educate our citizens, and that in being educated, citizens learn to be
inquisitive and how to be reasoning, but it should also be so much more. Educated
citizens should also learn to be capable of understanding other people’s cultures. It
means, more than anything, that educated citizens should put their humanity before
anything else. This broadens the mind, allows for a better understanding of the many
different cultures and ethnicities around the world, and eliminates close-minded and
narrow points of view. This, Nussbaum states, is more than “political correctness.”
This, rather, is “the cultivation of humanity.”

Analysis:
In this example, the summary includes and even begins with
a specific example used in the main text.
This is acceptable in this case because the specific example is
a concept that is necessary for explaining the primary idea of the
original author.
She needed to present that example so that she could
compare it against the ideas about today’s education.
This shows that there will always be a need for you to be
discerning when reading a text with the intention of writing a
summary.
There are times when an example is indeed needed in order
to explain the overarching concept or idea of the text.

LESSON 5: OUTLINE
An outline is an ordered list of the main points of an essay.
In writing, outlining helps you define and organize your topic and
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subtopics so that you bring the reader on a logical journey from
your thesis, through your supporting evidence, to your conclusion.

 Topic Outline – provides a quick overview of topics included

in an essay. A topic outline uses words and phrases.

 Sentence Outline – the thesis and topic sentence are fully

written out. The sentence outline is written out in sentences.
5.1. Features of a Good Outline
1. Parallel Structure
Each heading and subheading should have the same form.
Main ideas should be properly labelled (1, 2, and 3). Use
parallelism in labelling, for instance, when you use verbs, all
labels must be stated using verbs (e.g. Organize, Create,
Evaluate).
2. Coordination
Each heading and subheading should have equal significance.
For instance, Labels 1,2, and 3 are all main ideas; Labels a, b,
and c are all supporting details.
3. Subordination
Headings should be more general, while subheadings should
be more specific.
4. Division
A detailed outline will also have division. Each heading should
be divided into at least two parts.
5.2. How to Create an Outline
1. Place the thesis statement at the beginning.
2. List the major points that support the thesis. Label them in
Roman Numbers (I, II, III, etc.)
3. List supporting ideas or arguments for each major point. Label
them in capital letters (A, B, C, etc.)
4. If applicable, continue to sub-divide each supporting idea until
the outline is fully developed. Label them 1, 2, 3, etc., and
then a, b, c, etc.
Sample Topic Outline:
Thesis Statement: Federal regulations need to foster laws that will help protect wetlands,
restore those that have been destroyed, and take measures to improve the damage from
overdevelopment.
I. Nature’s ecosystem
A. Loss of wetlands nationally
B. Loss of wetlands in Illinois
1. More flooding and poorer quality
2. Loss of ability to prevent floods, clean water and store water
II. Dramatic Floods
A. Cost in dollars and lives
1. Death of 13 between 1988 and 1998
2. Cost of $39 million per year

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 B. Great Midwestern Flood of 1993
1. Loss of wetland in Illinois
2. Devastation in some states
C. Flood Prevention
1. Plants and Soils
2. Floodplain overflow
III. Wetland laws
A. Inadequately informed legislators
1. Watersheds
2. Interconnections in natural water systems
B. Water Purification

Sample Sentence Outline:

Thesis Statement: A discussion on global warming and its causes.

I. Global warming is alive and well and thriving in Antarctica.

A. In winter 1995, an iceberg the size of Rhode Island broke off.
B. In October 1998, an iceberg the size of Delaware broke off.

II. Global warming is a gradual warming of the Earth from human activities.
A. It is characterized by a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
1. Each year, five tons of CO2 are pumped into the atmosphere.
2. The carbon dioxide traps heat.

B. Carbon pollutants also eat a hole in the ozone layer.

1. In 1998, this hole set a size record.
2. This allows more ultraviolet radiation to reach earth.

CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 1

NOTE:

Activities, assessments and evaluation for Chapter 1

are on PAGES 77-89.

Make sure to have all the requirements

accomplished ready for submission on Saturday.

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 CHAPTER II
WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/
REVIEW/CRITIQUE

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, you are expected to:
 identify the features and structure
of a reaction paper;
 read and analyze a reaction paper
and review paper;
 understand the use and purpose
of a critique;
 outline a topic for a reaction
paper;
 write balanced reaction and
review papers considering factual
data, appropriate language, and coherence;

LESSON 1: WRITING A REACTION PAPER and REVIEW PAPER

1.1 Features Structure of the Reaction Paper and Review

paper

The reaction or response paper is the response of a writer about

another piece of work. These pieces of work can include books,
research papers and articles, television shows, and
films. The purpose of the reaction paper is to discuss the piece of
work, evaluate its merit, and recommend it to others.

A. Features
The reaction paper is divided into two parts: the summary and the
reaction. The summary is an objective report about the work. The
summary should contain the following:
1. Title and author of the work
2. Highlights of the main points and supporting details
3. Direct quotes for illustration of the main points
4. Objective and factual approach to the summary

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 The writer should reflect on the following questions before
composing a reaction:
1. How is the main idea of the text related to concepts which you
are familiar with and have previously been discussed?
2. How does the work relate to any present-day problems?
3. How is the material related to personal life experiences,
feelings, and ideas?
4. Did the material increase your knowledge and understanding
of any particular issue?
5. Did it change the perspective of the issue?
6. Evaluate the merit of the work: What is the value, accuracy,
completeness, and organization of the work?
7. Would you recommend this work to other people?

B. Structure
The structure of the paper contains three parts: the introduction
integrated with the summary, the reaction, and the conclusion.

1. Introduction
The introduction should contain an integrated summary of the work.
The topic sentence should include the author and the title of the
work. The summary should be concise, and it should omit specific
details that may seem irrelevant to discuss in the paper itself. The
use of direct quotations is recommended, as it gives the readers a
visualization of the ideas being discussed.

2. Reaction
The reaction is the second part of the paper and usually contains
three main ideas to support the thesis statement of the writer. The
reaction can discuss the emotions the writer felt about the piece of
work, the contribution of the work to the topic or research area, and
the evaluation or judgement of the piece itself. These main ideas
should then be supported by the text itself, whether using direct
quotations or paraphrased material. Without the supporting and
relevant information, the writer has no basis to make such a
reaction.

3. Conclusion
The conclusion should contain a summary of the thesis statement
and main ideas with a recommendation of the text for other
readers. No new ideas should be presented in the reaction paper.

Example 1
The series finale of The Good Place aired early in 2020, and the finale showed how
one could indeed, change the course of one’s life. The series finale followed the six
friends, Michael, Janet, Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, and Tahini, to their final destinations.
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Viewers got a chance to see how they reached the end of each of their journeys. Time
is irrelevant in the actual Good Place, and that was an essential fact in the last
episode of the series. The episode was able to show the impact of the friends’ efforts
to make the afterlife fairer for people. People no longer ended up in the Bad Place,
and those who were stuck in the Good Place had a chance to “move on” from eternal
paradise. At the end of the episode, Jason, Chidi, and Eleanor chose that path, while
Tahini became an architect for the afterlife. Michael finally got his wish to be human,
and Janet, not a robot nor a girl, continued to live in the Good Place. Many critics
said that it was the last sitcom of its kind in modern television culture, and gave the
viewers a perfect goodbye.

The Good Place allows the audience to reflect on the kind of life they live, making it
not only entertaining but thought-provoking. Though no one is truly certain of what
exists in the afterlife, the show gave viewers an idea of what could potentially happen
to them after death. The premise of encouraging its characters to become better
people rubbed off on the viewers themselves. The show began by challenging the
viewers to live better lives, and this stayed true until the end of the series. The finale
showed the impact that people can have on one another’s life. Eleanor, Chidi, Jason,
and Tahani all got to meet the people who had an impact on their lives once more in
the Good Place, because they acted as the agents of change for the system of the
afterlife. They became better people because of them experiences, and because of that
the people around also became good enough to finally make it to the Good Place.
That kind of mindset is inspiring, and hopefully the show had an impact on its viewers
in that aspect.

I found the finale to be somewhat bittersweet, and a lot of tears were shed from the
time Chidi moved on from the Good Place until the last scene. Viewers who had
invested in the relationships of the characters could not help but feel that this was a
true ending to the series. They were all saying goodbye, and the audience sat and
wept with them as they were glued to their screens. Those who were invested from the
start were probably even more emotionally attached to the show and the finale.

In recent years, social media has not been kind to many television show finales, as
audiences often felt that they were abrupt or anti-climatic. However, The Good Place
was able to give its audience a satisfying and definite end. The only question which
arises from it all is “Where do they go after the Good Place?”

The Good Place taught its audience that anyone can change for the better, no matter
the circumstances. It also tried to send the message to people that the ability and time
to be empathetic and good on Earth are limited. The characters had a chance at a do-
over and they became better people in the process, but the reality is that people on
Earth only have one life to do good deeds, so we should make good use of our time
here. The finale showed that they had become better people while trying to get into
the Good Place, even though there were challenges, that goodness continued until the
last scene.

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People on Earth may not get the same opportunities as the characters on the show,
but they can learn from them. Because of that, The Good Place was an amazing
series, one that was both hilarious and thought-provoking. Its finale was also fittingly
poignant, and gave the audience a chance to definitively say goodbye to the
characters. In order to appreciate the finale, watch the entire series, and take the
opportunity to learn the value of being a good human being.

Explanation
The writer discusses the series finale of the television show The
Good Place, and the thesis statement focuses on how the series
gave a proper goodbye to the audience. The reaction of the writer
supports the thesis statement. The writer discusses how the series
and the
finale was thought-provoking and bittersweet, while teaching the
audience to be better people. Based on the reaction paper, the
writer enjoyed the series and finale, as he or she discussed how the
episode touched him or her on an emotional level, and
recommended to
readers to pursue the show.

1.2 Analyzing a Reaction Paper and Review Paper

A. Analyzing a Reaction Paper

The first thing you must do when analyzing a reaction paper is to

read, view, or have some knowledge of the material it is
reacting to. Knowing the source material will also allow you to
have a better understanding of what the paper is talking about,
and later on, it will help you formulate your ideas regarding the
reaction paper. You could make use of the summary the author
would normally provide at the start of their reaction paper.

Then, the questions you keep in mind when formulating

your own reaction paper can later be used to analyze
another person’s paper.

If the reaction paper is for a class, what points or aspects, when

emphasized, would make the most sense in the context of the
class? When you are the one analyzing instead of writing, try to
find these ideas in the paper and see how the writer treats them.

Do you agree with what they said? Do you feel that what
they chose to focus on in their reaction paper is
something relevant to the class? If yes, how? If not, what
would you emphasize or focus on instead?

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Writing a reaction paper also means that you will evaluate the
merits of the chosen work. What are its strengths and
weaknesses? Is it complete? Is it accurate? If there needs to be
one, what is the lesson or moral of the narrative? Is it delivered
effectively? In analyzing a reaction paper, you must have your
own opinions about the work as well, which is why you must also
be familiar with the work being reacted to. Lastly, do not forget
to see if you agree with the points the author made about the
work’s merits.

Remember!
Talking about your personal connection to the work is
important when writing a reaction paper. However, when
analyzing one, it is best to use this part of the paper to get an
idea of how the author personally feels about the work, and not
use it to find something to dispute.

B. Analyzing a Review Paper

Similar to analyzing a reaction paper, you must also be
familiar with the work that a review paper is discussing
when you analyze it. As a casual reader of a review, you
need not be too familiar with the work, since the reason you
are reading the review could be to see if the work it is
reviewing is worth checking out or not. However, if your goal
is to analyze and possibly raise counterpoints against it, then
you should also be familiar with the work in question.

A review paper will most likely also have its own

analysis and interpretation of the work. This is where the
bulk of the review paper is, and where most of your analysis
will focus. Analyzing a review paper is similar to preparing to
write a reaction or review of your own. The difference is that
you will not only provide an analysis of the work in question,
but you will also analyze how the author of the review
analyzed and interpreted the work

A review paper will most likely have a conclusion

where the points and key ideas of the paper will be

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 summarized. In the conclusion section, your analysis should
also focus on the
recommendation. Does the author recommend this work to
their readers? They could explain why or why not during the
conclusion, although it is likely that most of the evidence
for this can be found in the body of the paragraph.

C. Presenting the Counterpoint

1. Use neutral language to present the argument. Make

it clear and distinct that you are presenting someone else’s
viewpoint, but do so fairly and objectively by using neutral
language. Don’t use emotionally charged or biased
language to present the topic, or you’ll come off as
dismissive. This does not weaken their argument, but it
does weaken yours.
2. Avoid the temptation of using the straw man fallacy
when presenting the argument. This is when you
purposely weaken the opposing argument by overly
simplifying it, taking it out of context, or describing it
incompletely. This is a commonly used tactic, but it is often
looked down upon and can be detected easily.

Example 1
Avoid presenting a counterpoint like this: “David ignorantly calls The Little Prince a
predictable book written only for children, which shows that the point of the book
clearly went over his head.”

 The statement is riddled with emotionally charged language and is outright

dismissive of the argument. This is a poor presentation of the counterpoint,
and will also make your own points sound weaker.
Instead, try wording it this way: “David believes that The Little Prince is a
predictable book and is primarily intended for children to read.”

Example 2
A straw man fallacy in action looks like this: “There are students who cheat in tests
because they claim that they just don’t have time to study. However, they just need to
practice proper time management skills to solve this problem.”

Simply saying that “they don’t have time to study” oversimplifies the argument and
does not show much sympathy or respect. Plus, the use of words like “they claim”
and “just” implies that you are belittling the topic because of the tone of disbelief and
the oversimplification of the possible solution.

Instead, try saying it like this: “Students have many responsibilities: they have
obligations with family, extracurricular activities, friends, and academic
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expectations, especially from teachers who feel their class should be the top priority.
Sometimes, students are forced to cheat because they could not make time to study for
a subject in between all of their other responsibilities. However, I think that with the
right time management skills, they’ll be able to find more time to study for tests.”

D. Refuting the Counterpoint

After you present the argument that you are opposing, you can
then proceed to show the readers why they should take your
side.

You should have convincingly and respectfully presented the

opposing views. Your next step is to introduce your own
counterarguments. Remember, the stronger the starting
argument, the stronger your own points are going to be when
you are successfully able to counter them.

There are four main parts that should be part of your

refutation:
● introducing the counterpoint
● stating your objections to the points raised by the paper
● offering evidence to support your rebuttal
● concluding your point by comparing the two viewpoints head to
head

1.3 Writing a Reaction Paper and Review Paper

A. Prewriting for the Review and Reaction Paper

 Prewriting is the first stage of the writing process. For the
review and reaction paper, it is necessary to make use of
prewriting strategies. These strategies include reading from
various sources and materials, outlining, and/or using graphic
organizers.

Example 1
Topic: The Little Prince 2015 movie

I. Introduction
A. Summary
B. Thesis statement: The Little Prince movie is a close adaptation of the
book of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and the magic of the book is carried
over to the 2015 adaptation of the book, which is visually stunning
with additional stories that build on the delightful classic.
II. Body
A. Parallels of book and movie
1. Mostly faithful adaptation
2. Consistently charming characters
B. Visual appeal of the movie
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 1. Beautiful animation
2. Colors as tool for storytelling
C. Extra story in the movie
1. Grandfatherly relationship between protagonists
2. Exploration of Mother-Daughter relationship
III. Conclusion
A. Restatement of thesis statement
B. Summary of main points
C. Recommendation for audience

B. Compiling Data for the Review Paper

Compiling data includes scrutinizing the methods of data
collection, the results of the studies, and the analysis of the
data. This will be the basis for the synthesis. There are
several ways to compile data for a review paper. One way is
to use a research matrix, wherein all the data about the
research can be found in a table.

Sample Research Matrix

Title and Objectives of Methods for Results

Author the Study Data
Collection

A writer can also take annotations in a notebook, word processing

document, or spreadsheet, if that is his or her preference. The
information that should be found in the notes include the following:
● Title and Author
● Objectives of the Study
● Methods for Data Collection
● Results
● Analysis

Once the data are compiled, the writer can now answer his or her
own research questions about the review. A synthesis can be
formed based on the data collected by the researcher.

LESSON 2: WRITING A CRITIQUE

What Is a Critique?

A critique is a form of academic writing that critically evaluates a

work or text. A critique, similar to most other forms of academic
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writing, uses formal academic language and has a clear structure,
that is, an introduction, body, and conclusion. The body of the
critique includes a brief summary of the work being critiqued and
the critical evaluation of the work.

The purpose of a critique is to gauge the usefulness or

contribution of the work to its field. Writing a critique will also help
us develop a further understanding of the work’s subject area and
any related fields. It will also help us understand the purpose,
intended audience, development of argument, structure of
evidence, and creative style of a work.

How to Critique
1. Content- consider the topic. Is it an appropriate, important,
or interesting study, especially considering the field it is in? Is
it broad or specific? How is the topic developed? Are its
arguments clear enough? Does it have sufficient examples
and evidence?

2. Organization- look at how the work is begun and concluded.

Are the introduction and conclusion talking about the same
idea, thus properly framing the thesis statement or main
idea? Is the thesis, if applicable, in an easily identifiable
section? Is the thesis mentioned or implied? How is the work
structured or ordered to develop the idea? Is it successful or
confusing?

3. Style can refer to a number of things. You can analyze the

tone of the work. What tone does the work have? Is it
satirical, humorous, reflective, or something else? Is the
chosen tone appropriate to the topic? You can also look at
how the paragraphs are written. Are the kinds of information
or narrative styles varied? If so, is it good that it is varied or
would it be better off a little static? Style can also refer to
individual sentences. Are they varied in style and length? Is
the word choice appropriate and interesting?

4. Correctness refers to grammar, punctuation, and spelling for

written works, and the addition of the elements and the form
for other works. While seemingly the most unimportant to
analyze when it comes to critiquing a work, it is still vital that
we pay close attention to them. After all, even if the text has
good ideas and well-developed arguments, it would still be in
pretty bad form if there are mistakes in correctness. It would

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 show carelessness and a lack of proofreading, and may also
be more difficult for the reader to understand.

Features of a Critique
a. Introduction
Typically, the introduction is short, being less than 10% of
the word length, and it should do
the following:
 Name the work being critiqued as well as the date it was
made and the author/creator’s name.
 Describe the main idea, thesis statement, or purpose of the
work.
 Explain the context of the work being critiqued. This can be
the social or political context in which the work was made, the
importance of the work in an academic field or discipline, or
the relationship between the work and the creator’s life
experience.
 Have a concluding sentence that preempts what your
evaluation of the work will be. You may indicate that it is a
positive, negative, or mixed evaluation.

Example 1

Here is an example of a short introduction for a critique paper,

which discusses a research paper.

Juan dela Cruz, a senior high school student, conducted an experiment comparing the
effects of rubbing alcohol, plain soap, and antibacterial soap when used to wash
hands. He wrote a paper titled, “Washing Our Hands: Which Method is the Best?”
where he talked about the findings of his experiment, and it was published on March
16, 2020. He wanted to find out which of the three would be most effective in
removing germs and bacteria from our hands, especially in light of the Covid-19
pandemic. Overall, the research paper effectively discusses the pros and cons of these
handwashing techniques, and it was written in a time when it is very relevant.

Explanation

The example starts with an introduction of the author, the title of

the work, and the date it was published. It is then followed by the
purpose of the paper, which is finding out which method of
handwashing is best, as well as the context of the paper, which is
that it was written during the time of Covid-19. It then ends with a
preview of the evaluation, which in the case of the example is a
positive one.

b. Body
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 In the body of the critique is where the summary and critical
evaluation are located. This should also be the bulk of your
critique.

c. Summary
The summary should briefly enumerate and explain the main
points and objectively describe how the creator portrays these
by using varied techniques, styles, media, characters, or
symbols. The summary should not be the focus of the critique
and so is usually much shorter than the critical evaluation.

d. Critical Evaluation
The longest part of your critique. It should give a systematic
and detailed assessment of the different elements of the
work. Evaluate how well the creator was able to achieve their
purpose through these elements. For example, assessing a
novel would include looking at the plot structure, the
characterization, and setting of the novel. Meanwhile,
critiquing a research project would look at subject selection,
design of the experiment, the analysis of the data, and the
conclusion.

A critical evaluation should not only highlight the

weaknesses of a work. It should pay attention to all the
details of the work and assess both its strengths and its
weaknesses. It should examine a work and evaluate its
success in light of its purpose.

Here are some key critical questions that you can ask when writing
your critical evaluation

 Who is the creator? Is the work presented objectively or

subjectively?
 What are the aims of the work? Were the aims achieved?
 What techniques, styles, or media were used in the work? Are
they effective in portraying the purpose?
 What assumptions underlie the work? Do they affect its
validity?
 What types of evidence or persuasion are used? Has evidence
been interpreted fairly?
 How is the work structured? Does it favor a particular
interpretation or point of view? Is it effective?

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  Does the work enhance understanding of key ideas or
theories? Does the work engage with key concepts or other
works in its discipline?

e. Conclusion
This is usually a very brief paragraph, and should include the
following:
 A statement indicating the overall evaluation of the work.
 A summary of the key reasons, identified and discussed in the
critical evaluation, why this evaluation was formed.
 While not mandatory, recommendations either for the
improvement of the work or for other people to read this work
may be included, if appropriate.

LESSON 3: CRITICAL APPROACHES IN WRITING A CRITIQUE

A. The Formalist Critical Approach

In the formalist approach, the focus is on the literary elements of

a text, like the plot, the characters, the setting, the mood and tone,
the imagery, and more. It analyzes how these elements connect
and come together to contribute to the aesthetic quality of the text.
It looks at how the elements work together to move the plot, relay
a message or moral, or portray a theme.

Imagery and figurative language are essential aspects

of the formalist approach. It is important to analyze the
symbolism and the language used and try to interpret their
meaning. How are the symbols in the story established? How
are the figures of speech used? How do they come together or
support other elements of the text to improve the work as a
whole?

In the formalist approach, the usefulness and effectiveness of

the work is decided by how well its elements are used and
how well they come together for the aesthetic appeal of the
text.

Example 1
Sample Text
“In the square below,” said the Happy Prince, “there stands a little match-
girl. She has let her matches fall in the gutter, and they are all spoiled. Her
father will beat her if she does

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 not bring home some money, and she is crying. She has no shoes or stockings,
and her little head is bare. Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and her
father will not beat her.”
“I will stay with you one night longer,” said the Swallow, “but I cannot pluck
out your eye. You would be quite blind then.”

“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “do as I command you.”
So he plucked out the Prince’s other eye, and darted down with it. He
swooped past the match-girl, and slipped the jewel into the palm of her hand.
“What a lovely bit of glass,” cried the little girl; and she ran home, laughing.

Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. “You are blind now,” he said, “so
I will stay with you always.”
“No, little Swallow,” said the poor Prince, “you must go away to Egypt.”
“I will stay with you always,” said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince’s
feet.

Explanation
In a formalist reading, this passage could be significant for
the critique. It demonstrates the characterization of the Prince
and the Swallow, who are, by their nature, kind and helpful
characters to the point of self-sacrifice. Their characterization
moves the plot, as it is about the magical statue of a Prince
who sacrifices the things that make him beautiful so that he
can make the lives of the poor people in his town somewhat
better. His jewels for eyes and golden skin are symbolisms for
the valuable things he is willing to sacrifice, even at the cost
of his own comfort. A formalist reading could analyze that the
literary elements are seamlessly coming together to tell a
story and create something aesthetically pleasing

B. The Feminist Critical Approach

For the feminist approach, the focus is on the portrayal of

characters in the text, mainly but not limited to, the female
characters. It highlights the awareness that in society, there
exists economic, political, social, and psychological
oppression against women and established gender
stereotypes that are harmful to both men and women. When
analyzing a text under the lens of the feminist approach, we look at
how a work uses its elements to either reinforce or undermine the
oppression against women and these harmful gender stereotypes.

Feminism is also concerned with the context of the work. For

example, what was the political climate when the work was written?

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In what ways were women undermined by the patriarchy at the
time? What gender stereotypes were prevalent and even enforced?

Example 1

Take a look at another excerpt from the short story “The Happy
Prince” below. This time, look at it with a feminist lens and find
what could be important to the feminist critical approach.

Sample Text

Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. “You are blind now,” he said, “so I will
stay with you always.”

“No, little Swallow,” said the poor Prince, “you must go away to Egypt.”

“I will stay with you always,” said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince’s feet.

The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but he would not leave the Prince, he
loved him too well. He picked up crumbs outside the baker’s door when the baker was
not looking and tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings.

But at last he knew that he was going to die. He had just strength to fly up to the
Prince’s shoulder once more. “Good-bye, dear Prince!” he murmured, “will you let
me kiss your hand?”

“I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “you
have stayed too long here; but you must kiss me on the lips, for I love you.”

“It is not to Egypt that I am going,” said the Swallow. “I am going to the House of
Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not?”

And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell down dead at his feet.

At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue, as if something had broken.
The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped right in two. It certainly was a
dreadfully hard frost.

Explanation

We can see in these scenes from the story signs of affection and
compassion from the Prince and the Swallow. While there aren’t
that many prominent female characters in the

short story, looking at the Prince and the Swallow’s

characterizations through a feminist lens could still be fruitful. It
demonstrates a breaking of typical male masculinity, which is also
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reinforced by a patriarchal society. In the story, the Prince is not
afraid to show affection towards the Swallow, and the Swallow is
also able to reciprocate the Prince’s affection. A feminist critique
could then see this as a healthy depiction of men without resorting
to gender stereotypes and misconceptions.

C. The Marxist Critical Approach

The Marxist critical approach is mostly concerned with answering

the question “Who does the work benefit?” It focuses on class
differences, economic and otherwise, that are prevalent in a
capitalist society. It is also concerned with how lower and working
classes are oppressed both in everyday life and in artistic works.

The Marxist school of thought is guided by a process of thinking

called the material dialectic. In this process, it is believed that
the material realities of society’s economic base are what drives and
furthers historical change. Furthermore, Marxism believes that
stable societies tend to develop sites of resistance. The conflict
between classes lead to contradictions in social systems that
ultimately lead to social revolution and the rise of a new society.
This cycle continues because there will always be conflict among the
upper, middle, and lower classes, and these will always be reflected
in literature and other forms of expression.

What is important then, when looking at a text through a Marxist

lens, can be summarized through this series of questions:
 Whom does it benefit if the work or effort is accepted/
successful/ believed, etc.?
 What is the social class of the author?
 Which class does the work claim to represent?
 What values does it reinforce?
 What values does it subvert?
 What conflict can be seen between the values the work
champions and those it portrays?
 What social classes do the characters represent?
 How do characters from different classes interact or conflict?

Example 1
Sample Text

“When I was alive and had a human heart,” answered the statue, “I did not know
what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci, where sorrow is not allowed
to enter. In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, and in the
evening I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round the garden ran a very lofty wall, but
I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. My
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courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be
happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here
so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my
heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep.”
…

“I am covered with fine gold,” said the Prince, “you must take it off, leaf by leaf, and
give it to my poor; the living always think that gold can make them happy.” Leaf after
leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till the Happy Prince looked quite dull
and grey. Leaf after leaf of the fine gold he brought to the poor, and the children’s
faces grew rosier, and they laughed and played games in the street. “We have bread
now!” they cried.

Then the snow came, and after the snow came the frost. The streets looked as if they
were made of silver, they were so bright and glistening; long icicles like crystal
daggers hung down from the eaves of the houses, everybody went about in furs, and
the little boys wore scarlet caps and skated on the ice.

…
Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in company with
the Town Councillors. As they passed the column he looked up at the statue: “Dear
me! How shabby the Happy Prince looks!” he said.

“How shabby indeed!” cried the Town Councillors, who always agreed with the
Mayor; and they went up to look at it.

“The ruby has fallen out of his sword, his eyes are gone, and he is golden no longer,”
said the Mayor in fact, “he is litttle better than a beggar!”

“Little better than a beggar,” said the Town Councillors.

Explanation

The first paragraph describes how the Prince used to live when he
was alive and compares it to what he sees now as a living statue. In
a Marxist critique, this would be an important passage because it
describes a representation of the class divide in society. The Prince,
being part of a rich family, was sheltered from the harshness of
what the lower class have to go through. So, in the next excerpt, it
shows the Prince giving back to the poor in his town. They now
experience the happiness he felt when he was alive, even though it
was at the cost of the Prince’s own golden skin and jewelled eyes.
That turn in the story could demonstrate the overturning of the
class divide, where the poor are now rich and happy while the
Prince ends up looking “like a beggar.”

D. Reader-Response Criticism

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In reader-response criticism, the reactions of the consumers of the
work are vital to interpreting the meaning of the work. It believes
that the role of the readers is important in understanding literature
and other expressions of art. Readers are also not passive in their
consumption of literature but are, in fact, active in searching for
meaning in the works that they consume.

Reader-response criticism can be combined with other critical

approaches, but in general, they can follow a few questions when
reading a text:
● How does the interaction of text and reader create meaning?
● Do the sounds/shapes of the words as they appear on the page or
how they are spoken by the reader enhance or change the meaning
of the word/work?
● How might we interpret a literary text to show that the reader's
response is similar or related to the topic of the story?

Example

How would a reader combine the reader-response criticism with another critical
approach, say the formalist approach? The formalist approach pays special attention
to the literary elements and how well they can collaborate to tell a story. To combine
it with the reader-response criticism, the next step, after analyzing the literary
elements, would then be to analyze how readers might take in and interpret the
information given to them through the story. How would they react to the story as it
unfolds? Is their response appropriate to what the story is trying to say?

E. Psychoanalytic Criticism

Psychoanalytic criticism uses terms and concepts in modern

psychology in the analysis of literature and other works. A
prominent figure in psychoanalysis is Sigmund Freud, whose
theories explored and attempted to explain concepts like repression,
sexuality, wish fulfillment, and the unconscious. Using psychology in
literary analysis could add another layer to the meaning behind
language and symbolism. What we read and the symbols we see in
a text could be reflective of some unconscious fear or desire.

While psychoanalytic criticism has many approaches, it can be

summarized to three techniques:

 Investigate the creative process of the artist: what is the

nature of literary genius and how does it relate to normal
mental functions?

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  Focus on a particular artist or author, usually noting how their
biographical circumstances could affect or influence their
motivations and/or behavior.
 Analyze the character/s in the text using the language and
methods of psychology.

Example

Go back to this short passage from “The Story of an Hour.” Sample Text She could
see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with
the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a
peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing
reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves. There were
patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled
one above the other in the west facing her window.

Explanation

The passage describes what Louise could see, hear, and feel from
her window. As mentioned earlier, in a literary analysis using
psychoanalysis, what we read and the symbols we see in a text
could be reflective of some unconscious fear or desire. The
sensations Louise could see and hear from her window could be
representative of the freedom she never knew she had long wished
for. Feeling them now, alongside the news of her husband’s death,
could have awakened something in her that finally made her realize
what she had always wanted, and that was to be free.

F. Historical Approach

The historical approach, unlike the formalist approach, takes into

consideration the social, cultural, and intellectual context that
produced the work. When and where was the work made? What
was the political climate at the time? What were the dominant
cultures or schools of thought?

This, of course, also includes the author’s biographical information.

Who was the author? How were they affected by their context and
environment? How does this, then, affect their work?

Lastly, the approach also considers how the work affected its
original readers when it was published. This approach requires not
just an analysis of the text or work, but also background research
on the author, where they were based, and the time they wrote the
story.

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 CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 2

NOTE:

Activities, assessments and evaluation for Chapter 2

are on PAGES 90-95.

Make sure to have all the requirements

accomplished ready for submission on Saturday.

CHAPTER III
WRITING THE CONCEPT PAPER

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, you are expected to:

 identify the functions of the concept

paper.
 enumerate the different kinds of
concept papers.
 identify the different ways of
presenting concepts.
 determine the various structures of sample texts.

LESSON 1: Features of a Concept Paper

Defining the Concept Paper

The concept paper is a summary that informs readers about the

purpose of the project or research, the significance of the project,
and how it will be carried out. It is a guide for the researcher in
order to see any holes or downfalls that may occur in the project
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before its execution. It also gives readers an idea of what will be
accomplished when the research is done.
1.1 Features of a Concept Paper

The main purpose of the concept paper is to lay out the

basics of a research proposal. Some researchers would
also use the concept paper to apply for any research grants
for funding.

Writers use the concept paper for the following

reasons:
 Interest potential funders
 Develop potential solutions or investigations into project ideas
 Determine whether a project idea is fundable
 Serve as a foundation of a full proposal.

The elements of the concept paper are as follows:

 Title in question-form
 A brief overview of the research topic with conceptual and
background knowledge
 A brief statement of the problem that the project seeks to
answer
 Explanation of the significance of the study
 Description of the methods to execute the project

1.2 Parts of the Concept Paper

The concept paper is usually two to three pages long, with at
least 200 to 500 words.

A. Introduction
The introduction contains how the researcher and the funder
or project head’s missions align with one another. It
addresses why the funder should support the project of the
researcher.

B. Rationale
The rationale contains the general information about the
topic, as well as the research gap which the research intends
to fulfill. The writer should state the need for the research and
why the project is the best possible solution to solve the
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 problem. It also provides statements addressing the
significance of the study.

C. Project Description
This section includes the project’s goals and objectives,
methodology, and benefits. The project description also
includes the actual solution to the addressed problem. This is
the part wherein the researcher ultimately sells the idea for
the research. The goal addresses the end or condition which
the solution addresses, while the objectives are the
measurable outcome of the solution for the project. The
objectives should detail how the researcher plans to
accomplish the goal. The next part of the project description
includes the methodology of the project. It is also known as
the action plan. The action plan needs to be aligned with the
goals and objectives, as it should be executed and achieved in
the proposed timeline. Lastly, the benefits or anticipated
outcomes concludes the project description. It states who will
be benefiting from the accomplished project.

D. Support
This section contains either an outline of the budget to be
used for the project or the projected amount for the project’s
execution. It is recommended that a breakdown of expenses
is included for transparency purposes.

E. Contact Information
The last section contains the contact information of the
project head or researchers.

Examples of a Concept Paper

Example 1

This qualitative study focuses on the perception of Generation X on the physical

attributes of transgender people in a senior high school in Cavite. This
intergenerational problem between Generation X and succeeding generations causes
misconceptions in terms of cultural, gender, and sex viewpoints, more specifically in
the aspect of transgenderism.

The negative notions that surround transgenderism have resulted to transgender

people becoming subjected to acts of discrimination and mistreatment. However, as
newer generations, namely Millennials and Generation Z, are empowered with
technology, it is possible for these individuals to be further enlightened by gaining
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proper knowledge through external influences and not only through the opinions of
the preceding generations’, specifically Generation X. The intergenerational problem
between the said groups is evident as not much exposure to the concept of
transgenderism was given to individuals under Generation X, which led to their
confusion and disregard for its existence. Additionally, factors such as conservatism
and the widespread belief in Christianity during their period may also affect their
views on transgenderism.

Hence, this research intends to answer how Generation X perceives the physical
attributes of transgender people in accordance with the practice of Lasallian values
as its main question. Furthermore, the researchers ought to determine the factors that
influence the perception of Generation X on transgender people, which may include
the concept of conservatism and current technology. The perception of said
participants regarding specific attributes of transgender people, such as clothing,
gestures, and genitalia, will also be tackled. Lastly, the study will also seek how the
school’s values affect the perception of Generation X on transgender people in terms
of their tolerance and acceptance to the individuals.

The school’s core values are integrated into this study to identify the parts that play a
role in affecting the social judgment of Generation X towards transgender people.
The research aims to promote a more harmonious school community in which
inclusivity, regardless of sex and gender, is practiced and observed through
scrutinizing the policies and beliefs in the institution that may negatively affect
LGBTQ+ members. The study will be beneficial to the authorities and administration
of the University in the case of a situation wherein the

said individuals, especially transgender people, are part or seek to join the
community, which can also aid them in implementing policies in protecting the
welfare of the individuals. This may also influence other educational institutions in
delivering awareness on the said issues and can help establish movements to
minimize discrimination against genders and sexes, particularly transgenderism.

The goal of the study is to give focus on the viewpoint of Generation X towards
transgenderism. It will tackle how their social judgment plays a part in their
perspective on the physical attributes of the transgender people while associating the
school’s values in practice. In line with this, the study aims to answer how
Generation X tolerates and accepts transgender people in modern times with both
external influences of current technology and internal influences in terms of one's
capacity of social judgment affected by social norms, culture, and even religion.

The researchers have selected a qualitative approach that addresses Generation X

and how they perceive transgender people and members of the LGBTQ+ community,
focusing specifically on their physical attributes as a measure of their tolerance or
acceptance to these individuals. The research will be conducted in the senior high
school of a university in Cavite, wherein the researchers will gather data from six
participants through in-depth interviews, three of which are LGBTQ+ members while
the latter are nonmembers. They will be selected based on the following criteria: (1)
The participants must be born between years 1965-1979 (40-54 years old); (2) The
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participants must have been in the Lasallian community for three years or longer, as
faculty or previous alumnae who worked as faculty; (3) The participants must be
working in the university at present.

The expense of the research will be allocated for the following:

Table 1. List of necessary expenditures in conducting the study.

Item Price Item Price
Printing of Paper ₱ 550.00
Payment for Research Adviser ₱ 1,000.00
Payment for Defense Panelist ₱ 1,000.00
Book Binding ₱ 250.00
Total Expenses: ₱ 2, 800.00

Explanation
The researchers of this project intend to conduct a qualitative
research study to ascertain the perceptions of people of a certain
generation about the school’s transgender people. The researchers
introduced the topic at the beginning of the paper, then gave a
rationale of the study. Next, they discussed the methods to be used
for the research and how the methods for collecting data will fulfill
the objectives and goals of the study. Lastly, the researchers
included an actual breakdown of the expenses for the research
study.

Tip
Be sure to introduce the intention to use the funding for the
project using a table or outline to present the expenses.

Example 2

This research aims to use cellulose as an insulator to incandescent light bulbs. As

research continues to show innovation among bulbs, this study focuses on showing an
improvement in the surroundings around the said bulb, due to the fact that most
incandescent light bulbs show increased temperature around its surroundings.
According to Francisco (2015), incandescent bulbs can reach high temperatures,
which can burn the skin of people. This is caused by the way the bulb produces light
through heating wire filaments utilizing electricity. The bulb functions by sending
electricity to curly tungsten filament. Due to its long twisting path, the electrical
resistance increases by the traveling electrons with 2726.85ºC temperature. The
resulting produced heat will glow up into a yellowish-white light. The incandescent
bulb uses a massive waste of heat, but some devices are pros to this mechanism, such
as heat lamps, which are mainly used for heating. Incandescent bulbs are improved
each year. They can usually hold up to 100 days; however, compared to LED bulbs, it
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has a massive difference because LEDs can last between 1000 and 2000 days. The
cost of replacement of bulbs (usually three to six months) is increasing; that’s why the
life of bulbs has a significant impact, especially to the consumers. Aside from the
reduced lifespan, an incandescent bulb is more fragile compared to other types of
bulbs. The tungsten filament and encasing glass part of the bulb can be easily broken,
which may cause hazards and may cost a lot for replacement or maintenance.

Aside from aiming to decrease the light bulb-related fire cases, this study also
projects to create a more efficient incandescent light bulb that has a slower heat
increase. Only 10% of the energy used by an incandescent light bulb is converted to
light; the other 90% is lost as heat. Therefore, it means that most of the electricity
becomes heat, which makes the bulb heat up faster than other bulbs. The research
targets to design a model to reduce the heat being released by incandescent light
bulbs. Applying cellulose with the contents of cotton will address the said problems in
the light bulb.

The following groups will benefit from this project: the community, who need the
occurrence of fires caused by incandescent light bulbs to decrease; the scientists, who
want to incorporate this research into future innovations; the engineers, who will be
able to use this study to find new ways or alternatives to improve the incandescent
light bulbs; the manufacturers of incandescent light bulbs, who will be able to
innovate the structure and components of incandescent light bulbs through this
research; and lastly, the student researchers, who may want to pursue this as a field
of their study.

Some people prefer to use incandescent light bulbs rather than a more advanced and
alternative type of bulbs, such as LED, due to its price difference and adaptability.
Incandescent bulbs are cheap to manufacture and purchase; they are widely
available and adaptable to a broad range of voltages. Due to the incandescent light
bulb’s capability to rise to the temperature of its surroundings, the study will explore
how to decelerate the rise of temperature of the light bulb and add a fire-retardant
property to its structure.

The study will be used to determine if the application of cotton in the incandescent
light bulb can slow down the rapid rise of temperature in a certain room.
Furthermore, applying cotton will give a retardant property to the said light bulb due
to its capability to produce a large amount of wasted heat. To use the fire-retardant
feature on the bulb, the researchers will perform the sodium borate bath treatment for
cotton. The researchers would like to create a comparative research between the
normal incandescent light bulb and the experimental cotton-based bulb. It will be
observed in a different mini room made from plywood to determine the difference in
temperature. The researchers will be collecting data every 30 minutes within 2 hours
in each trial of the experiment. After that, they will use the t-test to determine the
significance of the average in each trial. Lastly, they will perform a t-test again to
find the average of the averages.

Table 1. List of necessary expenditures in conducting the study

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 Materials Quantity Cost / Price Total Cost

Plywood 6 4ft x 4ft 200 1200

Sodium borate 1 kg 159 159
Incandescent 12 56 672
light bulbs
Bulb socket 2 39 78
Cotton 2 kg 84 168
(Gossypium
Hirsutum)
Stainless grills 12 40 480
Saw 1 200 200
Measuring tape 1 49 49
Hammer 1 150 150
Concrete nails ¼ Kg 30 30
hermometer 1 390 390
Overall Cost 3,576

Explanation

The researchers of this project intend to conduct an experimental

study to test if cotton can slow down the rise of temperature of
iridescent light bulbs. The researchers introduced the topic at the
beginning of the paper, then gave a rationale for the project. They
were also able to mention a lot of conceptual knowledge using facts
cited from other sources. Next, they discussed the methods to be
used for the research and how the methods for collecting data will
fulfill the objectives and goals of the study. Lastly, the researchers
included an actual breakdown of the expenses for the research
study. This breakdown is very specific in terms of quantity, which is
essential in laboratory experiments.
Remember!
The concept paper uses its own format. The three-part essay and
IMRaD structure are not applicable for the concept paper.

Lesson 2: Patterns of Concept (or Idea) Development

2.1 Definition Pattern of Development

The definition pattern of development aims to do the following:

clarify meaning, set the foundation of an argument, and give
background information about a concept. The definition essay aims
to go beyond a dictionary definition of a term or concept to deeply
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examine a word and to see how it is used in various contexts. It will
ultimately use the extended definition of the concept

A writer should keep the following in mind:

● Choose a seemingly abstract concept,
● Select potential elements of the definition, and
● Create the definition using a text structure.

In selecting the potential elements, the writer should include

the following:
● Analysis of the term,
● Classification or categorization of the term,
● Unfamiliar concepts that may be associated with the term,
● Traditional details about the term,
● Meanings the term does not cover, and
● Background information of the term.

The definition pattern can be presented in a paragraph or a full

essay. A thesis statement should contain the writer’s own personal
definition of the concept and that definition should be aligned with
the discussion. The succeeding parts of the text should present and
explain the different ways to define the term.

Example 1
One discipline many students consider pursuing in college is psychology. This branch
of social science gives students opportunities to explore humans’ brains, minds, and
behaviors. It is a helpful path to pursue, especially for Filipino people. Students need
to have an overview of the field of psychology for them to truly understand what it is
before considering it as an option for further study. Psychology is the scientific study
of the human mind and its function, especially those affecting behavior in a given
context.

The American Psychological Association defines psychology as the scientific study of

the mind and behavior (McLeod, 2019). Many say that it is a relatively new branch of
science; however, there are indications of psychology as far back as 400-500 BC,
with the ancient
Greeks.
Psychology has four goals: describe, explain, predict, and change the behavior and
mental processes of people (McLeod, 2019). It aims to describe conditions by
creating general laws on human behavior, explain these laws and behaviors, and why
these behaviors happen.
Once the general laws are established, it aims to predict behavior according to
research. Lastly, after confirmation of behaviors because of research, there can now
be an intervention for people to change their behavior. Though they may seem simple,
the basics
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of psychology require a lot of research and effort.

Through the definition of psychology, it is safe to say that studying it will require
effort in the studying and observation of humans. Without that kind of perseverance,
it is best that those students who are not serious about studying psychology should
consider another program.

Explanation
The short definition essay defines psychology as a scientific study.
The writer included his or her own definition, which is found in the
introduction. In the body, the writer uses two definitions; one is
from the APA and one from the researcher McLeod. The first
definition is
a basic definition of the term, and the one by McLeod gives a more
in-depth definition of what psychology entails. With this essay,
students get to know more about what psychology is and the steps
to find answers in the scientific field.

Example 2
In order to find answers in research, the best method is the scientific method. The
scientific method is a procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th
century. It consists of the following steps: systematic observation, measurement,
experimentation, and formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses. It is a
step-by-step process, usually done over and over again to get results. The scientific
method requires researchers to be
inquisitive and to constantly engage themselves critically to get answers.

Explanation
The paragraph discusses the scientific method by presenting a
definition. The writer also stresses that researchers must be
inquisitive and engaging, as it is important when doing the scientific
method. Moreover, the writer lists the steps of scientific method in
the paragraph. Each step would probably be discussed in the
succeeding paragraphs, with its own definition and an elaboration
on how to perform the step.

2.2 Exemplification Pattern of Development

The exemplification pattern of development utilizes examples to

clarify a point, give a picture or specific instance, and to concretize
an abstract idea. It illustrates examples in great detail, which can
help readers understand the points of the concepts. It is essential to
create examples which are relevant, strong, and properly used in
the context.

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These examples must discuss the 5 W’s and 1 H questions: who,
what, when, where, why, and how. The examples must be
related to the overall topic that determines the author’s intended
meaning, difficult concepts, and unfamiliar ideas.

When creating a paragraph or essay which uses exemplification, the

thesis statement should still contain the concept being
discussed and the specific ways that it will be exemplified in
the written output. If writing an essay, each body paragraph
should contain a different example in order to illustrate the main
idea more clearly and logically.

Example 1
Psychology has four goals: to describe, explain, predict, and change the behavior
and mental processes of people (McLeod, 2019). It aims to describe conditions by
creating general laws on human behavior, explain these laws and behaviors, and why
these behaviors happen. For example, if one wanted to study how the youth react to
political issues, one can observe how they react to political posts on social media
sites. For research, one can post particular questions about political issues on social
media, and allow people to post comments. Then, the researcher may observe the
results and posit a hypothetical theory about this particular human behavior. Once
the trends are explained, the researcher must attempt to predict behavior via
additional research. An experiment can then take place. The researcher can expand
the scope of the research through several possible means: distribute questionnaires,
ask for the help of a focus group, adjust the scope of experimental posts on social
media, etc. Lastly, after the confirmation of behaviors through research, there can be
intervention for people to change their behavior if it is deemed necessary in this case,
the researcher may create a program or class that focuses on a campaign to make
social media discourse about politics more civil. This may include steps such as
classes on netiquette and logical fallacies, therapy for people who are easily
triggered by troll posts, and further research on the methods and rationale behind
troll behavior. These steps are parts of studying human behavior. Though they may
seem simple, the basics of psychology require a lot of research and effort.

Explanation
The paragraph gives examples of the steps in studying psychology.
Each step is defined, followed by an example to help readers
understand the concept being discussed in the paragraph.

Example 2
The steps of the scientific method are the following: systematic observation,
measurement, and experimentation, and formulation, testing, and modification of
hypotheses. If a study wanted to observe which kinds of rope can carry the heaviest
mass, the scientific method can be used to get answers to solve the problem.
Observation would mean that the researchers had observed that rope can be used to
carry objects of different mass. Experimentation can entail using different types of
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ropes to carry the same object with a fixed mass. While doing the experiment,
researchers need to take note of the strain each rope manifests while carrying the
object. A hypothesis can be that the strongest rope would have the least strain while
carrying the object, while the weakest kind of rope would exhibit the most strain. The
steps in testing could be the same as those in the earlier experiment, but with
additional steps and changes in the variables to better test the hypothesis. Lastly,
based on the results of the experiment, the hypothesis can be revised, especially if the
results produced did not confirm the hypothesis. Though the steps initially seem
simple, they are numerous phases and it can take time to produce a definitive result.

Explanation
This paragraph explains how a rope experiment can be undertaken
using the scientific method. Not all the details of the experiment are
included, however, the paragraph gives the reader insight on how
to perform the scientific method. The paragraph answers the “what”
and “how” questions to explain the details. Examples for each step
of the scientific method were also presented.

2.3 Expanding Ideas for the Concept Paper

As discussed in the previous lesson, the concept paper intends to

propose a project or research which can be executed by the writer.
Before a writer can discuss the project itself, the concepts must be
discussed. These concepts and ideas, first presented in abstract
form,
are discussed in the introduction. They serve as the backbone for
the concept paper, as readers now have more opportunities to
understand the ideas being developed in relation
to the project or research to be executed. Since the writer should
substantially discuss the concepts, the definition and exemplification
patterns of development may be helpful in
paper writing.

A writer can give the definitions and concepts presented in research

studies and articles. These give the writer a foundation for the
entire paper, especially if he or she intends to make his or her own
definitions. As a writer uses definitions and examples from the
different research of other authors, he or she also creates the
contextual situation for his or her own project. This is also essential
for the readers’ understanding.

Example 1
The study aims to determine if psychology students are aware of the rigors of the
program they are pursuing and if they have any plans of shifting to another program.
This will determine if the students pursuing psychology are doing so based on their
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own interests. This will also help determine if they are mentally prepared for the
rigors of the program in college. With the results of the paper, the writer can create
recommendations for students who intend to pursue the discipline in higher
education.

Explanation
This introduction could be found in a research paper about students
who are pursuing psychology as their program in college. The
concept “psychology” had to be defined before delving into the
study. The research problem is indicated in the second-to-last
sentence of the paragraph, as well as the researcher’s intent to
make recommendations for psychology students.

Example 2
This study aims to see if students are critical of the scientific method in their
experimentation and laboratory reports in the subjects of biology, chemistry, and
physics. Although many students theoretically know about the scientific method, they
may fail to realize that the process applies to making their laboratory reports in three
major science subjects. To be critically aware of the process will lead to better
understanding of the requirements of experimentation. Having students who have in-
depth understanding of the scientific method will help teachers who teach biology,
chemistry, and physics.

Explanation
This study would like to test the understanding of STEM students
who must know the scientific method in order to complete their
laboratory work. The scientific method and the steps are mentioned
in the introductory paragraph of the concept paper. Before the
research questions were presented, the definition had to be made
concrete in order to give the readers a clear view of the flow of the
discussion.

Example 3
It is essential to see which method young Filipinos prefer when paying for their
college education, especially that of students from low- to middle-class income
families that cannot easily afford private universities. Although many young Filipinos
are in dire need of financial aid to continue their education, there is limited
knowledge of the options available to them. By disseminating information on these
options for financial aid, the Filipino youth can have better opportunities to continue
their education without straining the income and savings of their families. Therefore,
it is essential to study the available financial aid systems in the Filipino setting. This
study aims to determine the preference of SHS students when it comes to financial aid
options.

Explanation

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The last example utilized both definition and exemplification to
discuss the concepts in the study. The research gap is presented in
the Filipino context before the presentation of the purpose of the
research. This is essential for Filipino readers, as the main concept,
in this case financial aid for education, may be unfamiliar.

CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 3

NOTE:

Activities, assessments and evaluation for Chapter 3

are on PAGES 96-98.

Make sure to have all the requirements

accomplished ready for submission on Saturday.

CHAPTER IV
WRITING A POSITION PAPER
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, you are expected to:
 understand the principles and uses of a
position paper;
 analyze arguments used by the writer
in manifestoes;
 writes a convincing position paper
based on properly cited factual
evidence.
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 In your Reading and Writing Skills (Engl 11), you have
learned on writing a position paper. The concepts and strategies are
the same. Below are some of the necessary information on writing a
position paper.

 A Position Paper
A position paper is a type of academic writing in which the
author presents his or her position on a debatable issue and
defends or supports it with evidence.

The main purpose of a position paper is to persuade readers

to take the position of the writer. The position paper presents a
unique approach to solve a problem based on what the writer
believes in and agrees with.

Through a position paper, you can also establish your

credibility and passion by presenting your claim based on
appropriate and relevant research about the topic.

 FEATURES OF A POSITION PAPER

A position paper has various features that make it different
from other types of writing. Below are some of those features.

1. It uses formal language. Contractions and slang are

avoided.
2. It defines an issue. Through research, the writer explores
the issue and gathers relevant information that can help him
or her take a position on it. He or she examines the beginning
of the issue and any recent development. Also, he or she
looks into different writings by people who made significant
contributions to the discussion of the issue.
3. It states the writer’s position explicitly. In a single
thesis statement, the writer takes sides on the issue.
4. It makes claims or assertions that support the
writer’s position. The claims or assertions are stated
plainly and supported by evidence.
5. It disputes counterclaims. The writer states the
weaknesses of those counterclaims, further highlighting
the strengths of his or her stand.
6. It uses a logical pattern in presenting the
arguments. The ideas are arranged in an organized manner
that is appropriate to the author’s purpose and that is easy
and understandable for the readers. For instance, the writer
presents his or her claims in increasing importance.

 GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE POSITION PAPER

1. Values Communicated
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 a. Logical Thinking
b. Objective expression of ideas
c. Balanced assignments of conflicting opinions

2. Modes of Reasoning
a. Inductive
Inductive reasoning derives a generalization from
specific examples and situations. Through an organized
presentation of factual evidence and proofs, the reader is
convinced of the soundness of the arguments that lead to a
well-founded general conclusion.

b. Deductive
Deductive reasoning proceeds from a general statement
that leads to particular or specific inferences.

3. Qualities of a Convincing Position Paper

a. Contains a clear proposition or statement that must be
defended
b. Assesses conflicting opinions or opposing views on the
issue.
c. Takes a firm stand on the issue.
d. Lists arguments in an organized manner to defend the
stand.
e. Presents factual evidence or proofs to support each
argument.

 STRUCTURE OF A POSITION PAPER

The structure of a position paper is made up of three parts:

a. Introduction – This contains the background of the topic and

the issues to be discussed. In this part, the author usually states his
or her position on the issue.

b. Body – Each paragraph in the body focuses on a particular claim

of the author and the supporting evidence. Also, to show readers
that all sides of the issue are taken into account, the author
discusses the counterclaims. Then, he or she disproves them to
strengthen his or her stand.

c. Conclusion – This restates the author’s position on the issue and

the claims. In this part, the author emphasizes the relevance of the
issue and urges the readers to take his or her side of the issue.

Take a look at this example of a position paper:

Assignments take up most of students' free time. This includes weekends when
they are supposed to spend more time with their families and spend their time for rest
and recreation. However, assignments would take up most of their weekend because
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they need to do their homework and projects, which contribute to their stress.
Weekends should be a time for students to enjoy their rest and recreation away from
school work and assignments.
Students are required to work on various experiments, solve math problems,
and engage in advanced readings. These may seem easy, but doing everything for
eight hours a day for five consecutive days contribute to stress and restlessness. Aside
from schoolwork, they are also given assignments to be done on top of their daily
chores at home. This causes confusion and stress on which task they have to finish
first.
Too much schoolwork also takes a toll on students' health because this leads
to inadequate rest and exercise. Because they are too busy with their homework, they
tend to stay in their rooms or sit in front of their computers or study tables to finish
all of their assigned tasks. This means that they have less time engaging in exercise
and are most likely getting less than the recommended eight hours of sleep. As such,
the stress they experience from schoolwork can take a toll on their well-being.
On the other hand, doing assignments on weekends will provide reinforcement
of what they have learned during the entire week. It would also allow students to do
advanced studies during the weekend as they answer problem sets or read books.
Some studies suggest that aside from lessons from school with the assistance of a
teacher, doing self-study will also help students understand their lessons better.
However, weekends are also among the only times when the family can spend
their time together. Because most parents also work during the weekdays, they can
give time for their children during the weekends. Weekends are also allotted for
religious activities and customs that they practice.
The weekend is also an opportunity for the family to go out and do
recreational activities such as going to the mall or engaging in a hobby as a family.
As weekends are supposed to be days of rest and should be allotted for bonding with
family, students should not be given excessive homework on Fridays. School
administrators can see to it that only a certain number of subjects would require
students to do their homework over the weekend. This way, students can still do some
self-study but would have enough time to rest and enjoy other activities.

Analysis:
In this example, the writer expressed his or her insight that
students should not have assignments given to them during the
weekends. According to the writer, less schoolwork during
weekends would give students more time to rest and spend with
their family.
Take note that in this example, the writer was able to present
and use his or her arguments to dispute a counterargument in the
paper. It also discussed the issue in a way that the reader
could understand it better.

Below is another example of a position paper for comprehension

and analysis.

Women Talk Too Much

Janet Holmes

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(1) Do women talk more than men? Proverbs and sayings in many languages express the
view that women are always talking:
Women’s tongues are like lambs’ tails – they are never still. – English
The North Sea will sooner be found wanting in water than a woman at a loss for words. –
Jutlandic
The woman with active hands and feet, marry her, but the woman with overactive mouth,
leave well alone. – Maori

(2) Some suggest that while women talk, men are silent patient listeners.
When both husband and wife wear pants it is not difficult to tell them apart – he is the
one who is listening. – American
Nothing is so unnatural as a talkative man or a quiet woman. – Scottish

(3) Others indicate that women’s talk is not valued but is rather considered noisy,
irritating prattle:
Where there are women and geese there’s noise. – Japanese

(4) Indeed, there is a Japanese character which consists of three instances of the character
for the concept “woman” and which translates as “noisy”! My favourite proverb, because
it attributes not noise but rather power to the woman speaker is this Chinese one:
The tongue is the sword of a woman and she never lets it become rusty.

(5) So what are the facts? Do women dominate the talking time? Do men struggle to get a
word in edgewise, as the stereotype suggests?

The Evidence
(6) Despite the widespread belief that women talk more than men, most of the available
evidence suggests just the opposite. When women and men are together, it is the men
who talk most. Two Canadian researchers, Deborah James and Janice Drakich, reviewed
sixty-three studies which examined the amount of take used by American women and
men in different contexts. Women talked more than men in only two studies.

(7) In New Zealand, too, research suggests that men generally dominate the talking time.
Margaret Franken compared the amount of talk used by female and male “experts”
assisting a female TV host to interview well-known public figures. In a situation where
each of three interviewers was entitled to a third of the interviewers’ talking time, the men
took more than half on every occasion.

(8) I found the same pattern analyzing the number of questions asked by participants in
one hundred public seminars. In all but seven, men dominated the discussion time. Where
the numbers of women and men present were about the same, men asked almost two-
thirds of the questions during the discussion. Clearly women were not talking more than
men in contexts.

(9) Even when they hold influential positions, women sometimes find it hard to contribute
as much as men to a discussion. A British company appointed four women and four men
to the eight most highly paid management positions. The managing director commented
that the men often patronized the women and tended to dominate meetings:

I had a meeting with a [female] sales manager and three of my [male] directors once…It
took about two hours. She only spoke once and one of my fellow directors cut across her

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and said “What Anne is trying to say Roger is…” and I think that about sums it up. He
knew better than Anne what she was trying to say, and she never got anything said.

(10) There is abundant evidence that this pattern starts early. Many researchers have
compared the relative amounts that girls and boys contribute to classroom talk. In a wide
range of communities, from kindergarten through primary, secondary and tertiary
education, the same pattern recurs – males dominate classroom talk. So on this evidence
we must conclude that the stereotype of the garrulous woman reflects sexist prejudice
rather than objective reality.

Looking for an Explanation

(11) Why is the reality so different from the myth? To answer this question, we need to
go beyond broad generalizations and look more carefully at the patterns identified.
Although some teachers claim that boys are “by nature more spirited and less
disciplined,” there is no evidence to suggest that males are biologically programmed to
talk more than females. It is much more likely that the explanation involves social factors.

What is the Purpose of the Talk?

(12) One relevant clue is the fact that talk serves different functions in different contexts.
Formal public talk is often aimed at informing people or persuading them to agree to a
particular point of view (e.g., political speeches, television debates, radio interviews,
public lectures, etc.). Public talk is often undertaken by people who wish to claim or
confirm some degree of public status. Effective talk in public and in the media can
enhance your social status – as politicians and other public performers know well. Getting
and holding the floor is regarded as desirable, and competition for the floor in such
contexts is common. (There is also some risk, of course, since a poor performance can be
damaging.)

(13) Classroom research suggests that more talk is associated with higher social status or
power. Many studies have shown that teachers (regardless of their gender) tend to talk for
about two-thirds of the available time. But the boys dominate the relatively small share of
the talking time that remains for pupils. In this context, where talk is clearly valued, it
appears that the person with most status has the right to talk most. The boys may
therefore be asserting a claim to higher status than the girls by appropriating the majority
of the time left for pupil talk.

(14) The way women and men behave in formal meetings and seminars provide further
support for this explanation. Evidence collected by American, British and New Zealand
researchers shows that men dominate the talking in committee meetings, staff meetings,
seminars and task-oriented decision-making groups. If you are sceptical, use a stopwatch
to time the amount of talk contributed by women and men at political and community
meetings you attend. This explanation proposes that men talk more than women in public,
formal contexts because they perceive participating and verbally contributing in such
contexts as an activity which enhances their status, and men seem to be more concerned
with asserting status and power than women are.

(15) By contrast, in more private contexts, talk usually serves interpersonal functions. The
purpose of informal or intimate talk is not so much status enhancement as establishing or
maintaining social contact with others, making social connections, developing and
reinforcing friendships and intimate relationships. Interestingly, the few studies which
investigated informal talk have found that there are fewer differences in the amount
contributed by women and men in these contexts (though men still talked more in nearly

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a third of the informal studies reviewed by Deborah James and Janice Drakich). Women,
it seems, are willing to talk more in relaxed social contexts, especially where the talk
functions to develop and maintain social relationships.

(16) Another piece of evidence that supports this interpretation is the kind of talk women
and men contribute in mixed-sex discussions. Researchers analyzing the functions of
different utterances have found that men tend to contribute more information and
opinions, while women contribute more agreeing, supportive talk, more of the kind of talk
that encourages others to contribute. So men’s talk tends to be more referential or
informative, while women’s talk is more supportive and facilitative.

(17) Overall, then, women seem to use talk to develop personal relationships and
maintain family connections and friendships more often than to make claims to status or
to directly influence others in public contexts. Of course, there are exceptions, as
Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto and Jenny Shipley demonstrate. But, until recently,
many women seem not to have perceived themselves as appropriate contributors to
public, formal talk.

(18) In New Zealand we identified another context where women contributed more talk
than men. Interviewing people to collect samples of talk for linguistic analysis, we found
that women were much more likely than men (especially young men) to be willing to talk
to us at length. For example, Miriam Meyerhoff asked a group of young people to
describe a picture to a female and to a male interviewer. It was made quite clear to the
interviewees that the more speech they produced the better. In this situation, the women
contributed significantly more speech than the men, both to the male and to the female
interviewer.

(19) In the private but semi-formal context on an interview, then, women contributed
more talk than men. Take in this context could not be seen as enhancing the status of the
people interviewed. The interviewers were young people with no influence over the
interviewees. The explanation for the results seems to be that the women were being more
cooperative than the men in a context where more talk was explicitly sought by the
interviewer.

Social Confidence
(20) If you know a lot about a particular topic, you are generally more likely to be willing
to contribute to a discussion about it. So familiarity or expertise can also affect the
amount a person contributes to a particular discussion. In one interesting study the
researcher supplied particular people with extra information, making them the “experts”
on the topic to be discussed. Regardless of gender, these “experts” talked more in the
subsequent discussions than their uninformed conversational partners (though male
“experts” still used more talking in conversation with uninformed women than female
“experts” did with uninformed men).

(21) Looking at people’s contributions to the discussion section of seminars, I found a

similar effect from expertise or topic familiarity. Women were more likely to ask
questions and make comments when the topic was one they could claim expert
knowledge about. In a small seminar on the current state of the economy, for instance,
several women economists who had been invited to attend contributed to the discussion,
making this one of the very few seminars where women’s contributions exceeded men’s.

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(22) Another study compared the relative amount of talk of spouses. Men dominated the
conversations between couples with traditional gender roles and expectations, but when
the women were associated with a feminist organization they tended to talk more than
their husbands. So feminist women were more likely to challenge traditional gender roles
in interaction.

(23) It seems possible that both these factors – expert status and feminist philosophy-
have the effect of developing women’s social confidence. This explanation also fits with
the fact that women tend to talk more with close friends and family, when women are in
the majority, and also when they are explicitly invited to talk (in an interview, for
example).

Perceptions and Implications

(24) If social confidence explains the greater contributions of women in some social
contexts, it is worth asking why girls in school tend to contribute less than boys. Why
should they feel unconfident in the classroom? Here is the answer which one sixteen-
year-old gave:

Sometimes I feel like saying that I disagree, that there are other ways of looking at it, but
where would that get me? My teacher thinks I’m showing off, and the boys jeer. But if I
pretend I don’t understand, it’s very different. The teacher is sympathetic and the boys
are helpful. They really respond if they can show YOU how it is done, but there’s nothing
but “aggro” if you give any signs of showing THEM how it is done.

Talking in class is often perceived as “showing off,” especially if it is a girl-talk. Until

recently, girls have preferred to keep a low profile rather than attract negative attention.

(25) Teachers are often unaware of the gender distribution of talk in their classrooms.
They usually consider that they give equal amounts of attention to girls and boys, and it is
only when they make a tape recording that they realize that boys are dominating the
interactions. Dale Spender, an Australian feminist who has been a strong advocate of
female rights in this area, noted that teachers who tried to restore the balance by
deliberately “favouring” the girls were astounded to find that despite their efforts they
continued to devote more time to the boys in their classrooms. Another study reported
that a male science teacher who managed to create an atmosphere in which girls and boys
contributed more equally to discussion felt that he was devoting 90 percent of his
attention to the girls. And so did his male pupils. They complained vociferously that the
girls were getting too much talking time.

(26) In other public contexts, too, such as seminars and debates, when women and men
are deliberately given an equal amount of the highly valued taking time, there is often a
perception that they are getting more than their fair share. Dale Spender explains this as
follows:
The talkativeness of women has been gauged in comparison not with men but with
silence. Women have not been judged on the grounds of whether they talk more than men,
but of whether they talk more than silent women.

(27) In other words, if women talk at all, this may be perceived as “too much” by men
who expect them to provide a silent, decorative background in many social contexts. This
may sound outrageous, but think about how you react when precocious children dominate
the talk at an adult party. As women begin to make inroads into formerly “male” domains

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such as business and professional contexts, we should not be surprised to find that their
contributions are not always perceived positively or even accurately.

Conclusion
(28) We have now reached the conclusion that the question “Do women talk more than
men?” can’t be answered with a straight “yes” or “no.” The answer is rather, “It all
depends.” It depends on many different factors, including the social context in which the
talk is taking place, the kind of talk involved and the relative social confidence of the
speakers, which is affected by such things as their social roles (e.g. teacher, host,
interviewee, wife) and their familiarity with the topic.

(29) It appears that men generally talk more in formal, public contexts where informative
and persuasive talk is highly valued, and where talk is generally the prerogative of those
with some societal status and has the potential for increasing that status. Women, on the
other hand, are more likely to contribute in private, informal interactions, where talk more
often functions to maintain relationships, and in other situations where for various reasons
they feel socially confident.

(30) Finally, and most radically, we might question the assumption that the more talk is
always a good thing. “Silence is golden,” says the proverb, and there are certainly
contexts in all cultures where silence is more appropriate than talk, where words are
regarded as inadequate vehicles for feelings, or where keeping silent is an expression of
appreciation or respect. Sometimes it is the silent participants who are the powerful
players. In some contexts, the strong silent male is an admired stereotype. However,
while this is true, it must be recognized that talk is very highly valued in western culture.
It seems likely, then, that as long as holding the floor is equated with influence, the
complexities of whether women or men talk most will continue to be a matter for debate.

CHECK your understanding CHAPTER

NOTE:
Activities, assessments and evaluation for Chapter 4
are on PAGES 99-100.

Make sure to have all the requirements

accomplished ready for submission on Saturday.

CHAPTER V
WRITING THE REPORT SURVEY/FIELD REPORT
LABORATORY/SCIENTIFIC TECHNICAL REPORT
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, you are expected to:
 understand the principles and uses of
surveys, experiments and scientific
observations;
 determine the objectives and
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 structures of various kinds of reports;
 produces a well written report.

Every human being has done some informal reporting

some time, but once this verbal ability is used to tell about
surveys conducted; work done in the field; experiments
performed inside the laboratory; observations noted
systematically; and inventions, inquiries, and others resulting
from technological advances and research – a structured
presentation is in order.

 GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE SURVEY/ FIELD/

LABORATORY/ SCIENTIFIC/ TECHNICAL REPORT

1. Value Communicated
Objective, accurate, and honest presentation of facts
and results
2. Basic Content
a. May consist of eyewitness accounts or first – hand
information
b. May contain facts, data, figures, or statistics on or
from people, events, phenomena, structures,
experiments, questionnaires, interviews, and library
research.
c. May include materials and procedures or methods.
3. Modes of Ordering
a. Chronological or time order.
b. Geographical or space / spatial order.
c. Logical – Inductive and Deductive
d. Problem – Solution
e. Cause and Effect
f. Formal, e.g.:
Abstract – Introduction – Background – Statement
of the Problem – Materials – Method or Procedure –
Results – Discussion – Summary, Conclusion, and
Recommendations
4. Basic Qualities of a Good Report
a. Objective, not subjective point of view
b. Accurate, not sloppy presentation of facts, numbers,
statistics and data
c. Honest, not false or incomplete details and results
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 d. Brief and direct sentences.

 GENERAL FORMAT OF A REPORT

The format conforms to the guidelines set by the Publication Manual

of the American Psychological Association Sixth Edition (2013).
FEATURES DESCRIPTION
This page presents the title of the research, the
Title page
author’s name, and the school’s name.
This is a brief, comprehensive summary of the
Abstract
contents of the report.
This is the first section of the body of the report.
It is where the problem is stated, the
Introduction
background or review of literature is given, and
the hypothesis is stated.
This is the second section of the body of the
report.
Methodology It mentions the subjects or the participants of
the study and the actual steps in conducting the
study.
This is the third section of the body of the
report. It is where the research data and
Results
analysis are summarized. It shows graphical,
tabular, and textual presentations of the data.
This is where the implications and applications
of the study are explained, such as whether the
hypothesis previously stated is supported or
Discussion disproved. Also, it is where the limitations of the
research and recommendations are discussed as
well as the conclusions that shed light on or
solve the problem.
This part contains the different sources
References mentioned in the report. The style depends on
the research adviser.
Lesson 1. The Report Survey
Generally, a survey is a method of gathering information
from a sample of people. Surveys provide a critical source of data
and insights in the fields of economy, business, academics, and
others.

How to Conduct a Survey:

1. Define your research questions and goals
Example:

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  Do you want to know about students’ insight on wearing
of school uniform?
 Are you looking into the advantages and disadvantages
of online learning?
2. Identify who you’ll be surveying
Example:
 Senior High School students of CCDC
 Parents of Senior High School students
3. Design and pre-test surveys
Design the questionnaire carefully and then pre-testing it
before sending it to all your respondents.
A questionnaire is a set of questions to be asked from
respondents with appropriate instructions considering the
appropriate questions to be asked, and their arrangements.

 Below is a list of some basic linguistic and

organizational rules in designing a questionnaire:
a. Choice of words
 Avoid negatives.
 Consider the tense. Present tense for ongoing activities and
imperfect for finished activities.
 Avoid abbreviations, difficult words and technical terms. If they
must be used, explain their meaning.
 Use words and formulations that can be interpreted as neutral.
Otherwise, the question could be interpreted positively or
negatively and be leading.

b. Be specific
• Specify unit to be used in the answer and desired precision.
• Give reference date/period clearly. Do not change reference
date/period
• between questions if it is not absolutely necessary.
• State which components should be included and which should not
(e.g. "domestic sales", "exclusive VAT", "during 3rd quarter 1999").

c. Syntax and comprehensibility

• Use simple and clear language - even when asking technical staff!
• Use short and concrete questions. (In long complex questions, it
can be difficult to distinguish which part the respondent should
answer).
• Avoid sentences with many and long words.
• Formulate questions so that the respondent can give a clear
answer.
• Watch out for abstractions and hypothetical questions
• Ask about one thing at a time - avoid summarizing questions.
• Watch out for questions containing conjunctions such as "and", "as
well as", "or". Then the question may contain several questions and
should be split up.

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 d. Order/orientation
• Position the instructions as near the question as possible. Limit the
length.
• Follow a logical sequence in the order of the questions.
• Divide the questionnaire into logical blocks.
• Give the blocks titles and divide the questionnaire into sections,
also graphically. This applies particularly to so-called omnibus
surveys, which often have abrupt transitions between question
areas and need intermediate text between them.
• Use graphic signals to show where to find the instructions,
important concepts and the logical way through the questionnaire.
• If possible, position questions which can be difficult to answer at
the end of the questionnaire. It is important that the respondent
does not get stuck on the first questions.
• Position questions, which risk being interpreted as sensitive or as
an invasion of privacy, but which must be included, at the end of
the questionnaire.

e. Other
 Avoid mixing questions demanding different types of data
formations. (answers to be copied, processed or "directly
answered".)
 Avoid changing the direction and position of answer boxes.
 Use the same division of response alternatives as far as possible.
 Never include a question just because "it might be interesting".

4. Select a sample to survey

If you have a large population to consider, sampling helps in
limiting the number of respondents. For instance, if there are 600
Senior High School students in CCDC, you may have a sample of
100 students to answer your questionnaire. (Sampling techniques
will be discussed further in your Research classes)

5. Send out your survey

As much as possible, you should get responses from all your
respondents.

6. Analyze the data

Statistical analysis can help you with the interpretation of
your data. You may write a survey report, use diagrams, tables and
other appropriate tools to come up with a comprehensive analysis.

Sample reports on a survey:

Example 1

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 The survey is an interview survey based on paper questionnaires. The average
interview time is 67 minutes. To maintain the response rate, telephone interviews
were accepted in 11% of the cases. Interviews by proxy with a member of the family
account for 4% of all the interviews. In these interviews, questions having to do with
knowledge and attitudes (one-fifth of all the questions) are excluded. In telephone
interviews, a fatigue effect is seen during the last quarter of the interview, item
nonresponse being consistently more common there.

Example 2
Survey of Academic and General Reading in English
On 8th February 1999, a survey was conducted among 16 overseas post-
graduate students at the University of England. The purpose of the survey was to
discover the reading habits in English of the students.
The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire given to the stu¬dents
to complete. The first part of the questionnaire dealt with the type of reading and its
frequency. The second section was concerned with newspapers: the type of items read
and those that were read first.
From the table of data, the most significant items are as follows. In the first
section 81% of the students regularly read academic books" while 44% regularly
read academic journals. Nothing else is read regularly or often by 40% or more of
the students. The following comments can be made about the reading of newspapers,
magazines and fiction. 75% sometimes read regional or local newspapers, 69%
sometimes read books of fiction, 62% sometimes read general magazines, and 56%
sometimes read national daily newspapers. On the other hand, 37% never read
Sunday newspapers and 31% never read fiction.
In the second section, not surprisingly, 100% read news about their own
country in newspapers and 56% read this first. 94% read international news,
25% read this first. 81% read about Britain and look at radio and TV informa-tion.
The only other item that is usually read by more than 50% of the students is current
affairs (read by 56%).
If any conclusions may be drawn from the data, they are, perhaps, as fol-lows.
Overseas students presumably have little time for general reading: most of their
reading time is spent on books and journals on their own subject. Out-side their
studies, apart from reading news about their own country, interna-tional news, and
news about Britain, they probably spend most time watching TV and listening to the
radio.
/from Academic Writing Course by R.R. Jordan/

LESSON 2. FIELD REPORT

Field reports require the researcher to combine theory and
analysis learned in the classroom with methods of observation and
practice outside of the classroom.

Purpose: To describe an observed person, place, or event and to

analyze that observation data in order to identify and categorize
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common themes in relation to the research problem(s)
underpinning the study.

Content: The data is often in the form of notes taken during the
observation but it can also include any form of data gathering, such
as, photography, illustrations, or audio recordings.

Your responsibility when writing a field report is to create a research

study based on data generated by the act of observation, a
synthesis of key findings, and an interpretation of their meaning.

Structure and Writing Style: How you choose to format your field
report is determined by the research problem, the theoretical
perspective that is driving your analysis, the observations that you
make, and/or specific guidelines established by your instructor.

Note: Field reports should be written in the past tense.

Elements of a Field Report:

I. Introduction
 Describe the specific objective and important theories or
concepts underpinning your field study.
 Describe the nature of the organization or setting where you
are conducting the observation, what types of observations
you have conducted, what your focus was, when you
observed, and the methods you used for collecting the data.
 Include a review of pertinent literature.

II. Description of Activities

Provide sufficient details; a helpful approach is to answer the
“Five W’s of Investigative Reporting.”
 What – describe what you observed.
 Where – provide background information about the setting of
your observation and if necessary, note important material
objects that are present that help contextualize the
observation.
 When – record factual data about the day and the beginning
and ending time of each observation.
 Who – note the participants in the situation in terms of age,
gender, ethnicity, and/or any variables relevant to your
study.
 Why – describe the reasons for selecting particular situations
to observe.

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III. Interpretation and Analysis
Some questions to ask when analyzing your observations:
a. What is the meaning of what you have observed?
b. Why do you think what you observed happened? What
evidence do you have for your reasoning?
c. What events or behaviors were typical or widespread? If
appropriate, what was unusual or out of ordinary? How
were they distributed among categories of people?
d. Do you see any connections or patterns in what you
observed?
e. Why did the people you observed proceed with an
action in the way that they did? What are the
implications of this?
f. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the
observations you recorded?
g. Do you see connections between what you observed
and the findings of similar studies identified from your
review of the literature?
h. Have you learned anything from what you observed?

Note: Base your interpretations on what you have actually

observed. Do not speculate or manipulate your observational
data to fit into your study’s theoretical framework.

IV. Conclusion and Recommendations

The conclusion should briefly recap of the entire study,
reiterating the importance or significance of your
observations. Avoid including any new information. You
should also state any recommendations you may have. Be
sure to describe any unanticipated problems you encountered
and note the limitations of your study. The conclusion should
not be more than two or three paragraphs.

V. Appendix
This is where you would place information that is not
essential to explaining your findings, but that supports your
analysis (especially repetitive or lengthy information), that
validates your conclusions, or that contextualizes a related
point that helps the reader understand the overall report.
Examples of information that could be included are
figures/tables/charts/graphs of results, statistics, pictures,
maps, drawings, or if applicable, transcripts of interviews.

VI. References
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 List all sources that you consulted and obtained
information from while writing your field report. Be sure to
write them in the preferred citation style of your discipline
(i.e. APA, MLA, etc.).

LESSON 3: RESEARCH REPORT

 Research is the systematic investigation and study of
materials and sources to establish facts and reach new
conclusions. An essential part of learning, research allows you
to delve deeper into a subject matter and articulate what you
think about it based on what you have learned.

 A research report is a document that presents a complete

piece of research in a focused and coherent manner.
It follows a definite format, which depends on the discipline.

For students, the purpose of making research reports is to

demonstrate their full understanding of a problem or topic,
the methodology used, and the implications or applications of
the results. The students’ audience is composed of faculty
members who would review their works.

 Below are some considerations regarding some

features of the research report.

1. The title should be a concise statement of the main topic of

the research report. It should clearly indicate the purpose of
the research or study. It should be self-explanatory.
Example:
Effects of Serif and Sans Serif Typefaces on Reading Speed
2. The statement of the problem should be clear and definitive.
It should tell why the research or study is important.
3. The hypothesis must be clear as to how it will be tested. The
important terms should be clear, and the outcomes should be
measurable.
Example:
Learners have more significant gains in comprehension in reading texts
encoded using the sans serif typeface than in those encoded using the serif
typeface.

4. The methodology allows the reader to evaluate the procedure

and the results of the research or study. Thus, it should have
sufficient details for the reader to repeat the procedure in a
future study.
5. The results section should state the results or outcomes of
the research or study, including those that counter the
expectations made in the beginning.
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 6. The discussion section should present the similarities and
differences of the results between the current study and
those of the previous ones done on the same subject.
The similarities and differences will provide context to
the results of the current research as well as clarify and
confirm those results.

Below is an example of a requirement for scientific

reports, analyze how the structure, elements, and
content are organized.

GUIDELINES FOR PHYSICS LAB REPORTS

http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/110769.pdf

A laboratory report has three main functions:

(1) To provide a record of the experiments and raw data included in
the report,

(2) To provide sufficient information to reproduce or extend the

data, and

(3) To analyze the data, present conclusions and make

recommendations based on the experimental work.

General Comments:
The single most important requirement for a laboratory report
is clarity. Imagine that your audience is one of your classmates who
missed that experiment. If you are using a word processor for your
lab report, then use the spelling and grammar checkers. The
grammar check can be annoying because often technical sentences
are wordy and complex, but it will help you avoid using too many
passive sentences. In general, passive sentences are less
understandable. However, grammar check will not assess clarity,
and it will ignore simple errors. (I do not doubt there are still
mistakes in this document I have run it through spelling and
grammar checks.)
Many technical writers prefer to write sentences with passive verbs.
A simple example: “The spring constant k was found from the slope
to be 3.02 N/m.” If you run this sentence through the grammar
check, it will tell you that “was found” is a verb in the passive voice.
To change this to an active voice you could write: “The spring
constant k is the slope, 3.02 N/m.” Not every sentence has to be in
an active voice. What you want is a report that is readable.

Lab Report Structure:

I. Cover Sheet:

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 This page has the course number and assigned lab section,
the title of the experiment, your name, your lab partner’s names,
the date that the lab was performed and your TA’s name.

II. Abstract:
The purpose of an abstract in a scientific paper is to help a
reader decide if your paper is of interest to him/her. (This section is
the only section that a manager reads.) The abstract should be able
to stand by itself, and it should be brief. Generally, it consists of
three parts which answer these questions:

 What did you do? – A statement of the purpose of the

experiment, a concise description of the experiment and physics
principles investigated.
 What were your results? – Highlight the most significant results
of the experiment.
 What do these results tell you? – Depending on the type of
experiment, this is conclusions and implications of the results or it
may be lessons learned from the experiment.

Write the abstract after all the other sections are completed. (You
need to know everything in the report before you can write a
summary of it.)

III. Data Sheets:

For each experiment, the lab manual has one or more data
sheets for recording raw data, as well as, intermediate and final
data values. These are not for doodling, but for recording your data.
Record the data neatly in pen. If your data values are so sloppily
recorded that you have to recopy them, then the accuracy of the
data is questionable. This fact will be reflected in your laboratory
performance score. If there is a mistake, then draw a single line
through that value. “White-Out” and similar covering agents are
expressly forbidden.

The values that you record on your data sheet must have:
 Units (such as kg for kilograms)
 Reasonable uncertainty estimates for given instruments and
procedures
 Precision consistent with uncertainty (proper significant digits)
 Propagation of error for calculated quantities
 Your lab instructor’s initials.

If you happen to forget your lab manual, then you will take
your data on notebook paper. Your lab instructor will initial that as
your data sheet and you will turn that in with your lab report as well
as your own data sheet from the lab manual. You may not use your
lab partner’s datasheet and then make a photocopy.
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IV. Graphs:
You must follow the guidelines in the lab manual for all
graphs. The first graphs of the semester must be made by hand,
not computer software. After your lab instructor gives permission,
you may use computer software to make graphs. Those graphs
must also conform to the guidelines in the lab manual. Remember
that when plotting data with units, both the slope and intercept of a
graph also have units.

V. Sample Calculations:
Show calculations in a neat and orderly outline form. Include
a brief description of the calculation, the equation, numbers from
your data substituted into the equation and the result. Do not
include the intermediate steps. Numbers in the sample calculations
must agree with what you recorded in your data sheet. For
calculations repeated many times, you only include one sample
calculation. Answers should have the proper number of significant
figures and units. (It is not necessary to show the calculation for
obtaining an average, unless your TA requests that you do so.)
Typing the equation into the lab report is not required; it is easier
and faster to print these calculations neatly by hand. If you wish to
type this section, then use the equation editor in Microsoft Word.
Your lab instructor can give you information on using the equation
editor.

VI. Discussion of Results:

This is the most important part of the lab report; it is where
you analyze the data. (In the future, you may not actually collect
data; a lab technician or other people may collect the raw data.
Regardless of your discipline, the most challenging and rewarding
part of your work will be analyzing the data.) Begin the discussion
with the experimental purpose and briefly summarize the basic idea
of the experiment with emphasis on the measurements you made
and transition to discussing the results. State only the key results
(with uncertainty and units) quantitatively with numerical values;
do not provide intermediate quantities.

Your discussion should address questions such as:

 What is the relationship between your measurements and your
final results?
 What trends were observable?
 What can you conclude from the graphs that you made?
 How did the independent variables affect the dependent
variables? (For example, did an increase in a given measured
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(independent) variable result in an increase or decrease in the
associated calculated (dependent) variable?)

Then describe how your experimental results

substantiate/agree with the theory. (This is not a single statement
that your results agree or disagree with theory.) When comparison
values are available, discuss the agreement using either uncertainty
and/or percent differences. This leads into the discussion of the
sources of error. In your discussion of sources of error, you should
discuss all those things that affect your measurement, but which
you can't do anything about given the time and equipment
constraints of this laboratory. Included in this would be a
description of sources of error in your measurement that bias your
result (e.g. friction in pulleys that are assumed frictionless in the
formula). Your analysis should describe the qualitative effect of
each source of error (e.g. friction slowed motion, causing a smaller
value of acceleration to be measured) and, where possible, provide
an estimate of the magnitude of the errors they could induce.
Describe only the prominent sources of error in the experiment. For
example, the precision of the triple balance beam, a fraction of a
gram, compared to the 250.0 g lab cart is not significant. Note that
a tabulation of all possible errors without any discussion of
qualitative effect of the error will receive no credit.

Your discussion should address questions such as:

 Are the deviations due to error/uncertainty in the experimental
method, or are they due to idealizations inherent in the theory (or
both)?
 If the deviations are due to experimental uncertainties, can you
think of ways to decrease the amount of uncertainty?
 If the deviations are due to idealizations in the theory, what
factors has the theory neglected to consider?

In either case, consider whether your results display

systematic or random deviations. A conclusion is not required in the
rubric. You will not lose points for leaving this out. However, in
order to receive the points for a very well written report in
Achievements and Flaws, a brief conclusion is recommended.

Considerations:
These are not questions to be answered as a separate part of the
lab report. They are hints. They are things for you to think about.
Some of them should be addressed in your lab report. Not because
your TA says to do so, but because it adds depth to your discussion.
You are never to simply list answers to considerations.

Endnotes:
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The report should not be a big production. It should not take hours
to write. The objective is to write down the significant details of the
experiment, the analysis of the experimental data. A few neatly
written pages, including your data sheets will suffice for most
experiments. Hopefully the sample lab report that follows will help
you.

Note:
1. No student should copy data from anyone who is not his or her
lab partner.
2. You may discuss the experiment with your lab partner and other
classmates, but the lab report that you turn in must be your own
work. Lab reports are subject to all the rules governing academic
honesty.
3. Photocopies of any parts of the lab report are not permissible

Read the following report, then analyze how the ideas

were organized. A summary is provided for you.

Fast-food Addiction
(1) It is no secret that the US is leading the world in its swelling
obesity. The nation is subsisting on a diet of high-calorie
convenience food. In fact, Americans have increased their spending
on fast-food items from $6 billion to nearly $160 billion annually
over the past four decades. What may come as a shock, however,
is the accumulation of evidence suggesting that the main
ingredients in the typical “hamburger, fries, and a cola” are
addictive compounds that keep customers lining up for their next
fix.

(2) The key culprits are sugar and fat. Empirical studies reveal that
the heavy dosage of these substances in today’s super-sized
standard of a fast-food meal can trigger brain activity similar to that
endured when a person is on hard drugs. A representative
individual serving at McDonald’s or Burger King can dish out up to
2000 calories, including more than a cup of sugar and 84 grams of
fat. Single-handedly, this meal sized portion meets the full daily
caloric requirement for the average woman. Moreover, it exceeds
the recommended daily allowances of both sugar and fat for any
adult, regardless of gender.

(3) Whereas heroin is an opiate, both sugar and fat stimulate

endogenous opioids such as beta-endorphins in the hypothalamus,
just above the brain stem. These naturally occurring painkillers
activate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, into a small
cluster of cells located in the midbrain called the nucleus acumens.
Here, dopamine functions to elicit feelings of pleasure or euphoria.
What’s more, it motivates an individual to proactively repeat any
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action that originally fueled its production. In the case of sugar and
fat, purported addiction is a consequence of the body craving the
release of dopamine inherent in their consumption.

(4) To validate reports that fat and sugar behave in a drug-like

fashion, researchers have conducted laboratory studies
demonstrating that they induce classic addictive symptoms. For
example, eliminating sugar from the nutritional regime of rats that
are used to a primarily sweet diet produced anxiety asymptomatic
of heroin and nicotine withdrawal. Moreover, increased tolerance to
addictive food substances was noted. In one experiment, rates were
fed a chocolate drink containing a high ratio of both fat and sugar.
Although the animals were found to ingest increasing amounts of
the potent liquid, their total production of resulting brain opiates
was, in fact, diminished. This would suggest that the rodents had
become progressively more tolerant to the effects of fat and sugar.
Furthermore, it is likely they would subsequently require a greater
quantity in order to achieve the same high.

(5) Likewise in humans, brain-imaging scans of obese and non-

obese persons illustrate that the heftier the individual, the fewer
dopamine receptors are present. Researchers are uncertain whether
this is the basis or the outcome of obesity. However, it is clear that
as weight rises, individuals need to consume increasingly larger
portions to experience a comparable euphoric effect.

Parts of the report on fast-food addiction:

1. Statement of the Problem: Fast-food addiction leading to obesity
2. Cause of the Problem: Sugar and fat in fast-food causing
addiction
3. Analysis of the Cause: Step by step description of how sugar and
fat affect the brain and lead to addiction
4. Proof (of the cause-effect relationship): Laboratory experiments
on rats given a sugar and fat diet of chocolate drink
5. Application of the research: Sugar and fat addiction in rats being
similar to fast-food addiction in humans, leading to weight gain

Summary of report:
 Obesity is caused by fast-food addiction.
 A sugar and fat diet in fast-food leads to fast-food addiction.
 Endogenous opioids in the hypothalamus (above the brain stem)
activate the release of dopamine into the midbrain.
 Dopamine elicits feelings of pleasure (euphoria).
 Furthermore, dopamine motivates a repetition of the addictive
behavior to sugar and fat.

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 CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 1
Name: ____________________________ Section: ___________


Activity 1. Academic Texts.

Instruction: Compare and contrast the language used in academic

texts and non-academic texts. Identify at least 4 differences and 2
similarities. Write your answers in phrases using the Venn Diagram
below.

Academic Non-academic

Similarities

Activity 2. Academic Texts.

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Instruction: Read and analyze the given statements. Then, rewrite
the sentences to make academically acceptable based on the
avoidable language in writing academic texts.

1. Darwin’s theory is very much interesting to discuss.

____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
2. In my essay, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of
online learning.
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
3. Confucius, a very popular philosopher from China, emphasized
personal and governmental morality.
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
4. We strongly believe that dried garlic powder aid in the relief of
toothache.
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
5. The gov’t shouldn’t take sides but resolve the dispute between
the AFP and the PNP.
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Activity 3. Structure of Academic Text.

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Instruction: Analyze and answer the questions comprehensively.
Write your answers in complete sentences maximizing the space in
the given boxes.

1. What are the parts of the three-part essay?

2. What does IMRaD stand for?

3. What should the thesis statement do in a three-part essay?

4. Why should IMRaD include the research design in the Methods section?

5. Why should the three-part essay be organized in such a way?

Activity 4. IMRaD.

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Instruction: Use the abstract to identify the IMRaD. Write your
answers in complete sentences using the boxes given.
This quantitative study aimed to prove or disprove that branded clothing is
better in quality than unbranded clothing. This study also validated different
prejudices for and against branded and unbranded clothing and aided consumers’
perceptions in buying clothing. The data was gathered from the surveys conducted on
Grade 12 students from a school in Manila and different research articles related to
the topic. Using this method, vital information on the factors that the students
consider when buying clothes and their perceptions towards branded and unbranded
clothes are collated. The preferences of buying clothing vary in each consumers’
shopping behavior. While most of the female teenagers are affected by the trends,
male teenagers are conscious of the brands. Branded items are usually innovative
and comfortable, as they usually guarantee great quality. On the other hand,
unbranded items are typically cheap, but the quality is questionable. Most of the
respondents prefer branded clothing because of its familiarity through their famous
endorsers and advertisements. Branded clothes are also considered trendy. Because
of that, it is mostly teenagers that responded that brands are a must when buying
clothing. However, brands are not deemed as necessary in terms of household
materials. In the future, it would be helpful to identify the most sensitive
denomination when it comes to brands and the most commonly bought clothing
brands within an area.
Introduction:

Methodology:

Result:

Discussion:

Conclusion:

Activity 5. Thesis Statement.

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Instruction: Identify whether the statement makes a good thesis
or not. Write GT for a good thesis and NT for a statement that is
not good or appropriate.

____ 1. The World Trade Center is impressive.

____ 2. Despite its general excellence, the new health program
should be run only on an experimental basis for two or
three years.
____ 3. The worst problem of the American steel industry is lack of
funds to renovate outdated plants and equipment.
____ 4. Crime must be stopped.
____ 5. The American steel industry has problems.
____ 6. The world is in a terrible mess.
____ 7. Drug addiction has caused a dramatic increase in crimes of
violence.
____ 8. While cell phones provide freedom and mobility, they can
also become a leash, compelling users to answer them
anywhere at any time.
____ 9. Philippines is the best country.
____ 10. Parents ought to participate more in the education of their
children.
____ 11. I want to share some thoughts with you about our space
program.
____ 12. Solving our environmental problems is more difficult than
many environmentalists believe.
____ 13. The many unforeseen problems I encountered when I
went camping are the topic of this theme.
____ 14. The police officers are cruel.
____ 15. Online learning is very exciting for students like me.

Activity 6. Thesis Statement.

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Instruction: Write a strong and effective thesis statement that
would answer the following questions.

1. Should the schools implement online learning amidst the Covid-

19 pandemic?

2. Do you think celebrities – including professional athletes, actors,

and musicians – are good role models?

3. Why is education important?

4. Are you in favor of the death sentence?

5. Should we allow same sex marriage in the Philippines?

Activity 7. Writing a Summary.

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Instruction: Preview, skim, and carefully read the following article.
Then, answer the following questions.
Mental Health Patients Reap Benefits of Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis, often stereotyped in arts and literature as patients reclining on
couches and talking about their mothers, is enjoying renewed scientific support. Studies have
found that psychoanalytic therapies are evidence-based and lead to significant improvements
in mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.
According to recent research, psychoanalytic therapies achieve lasting results by exploring
underlying causes of one’s mental health issues. This deeper exploration gets to the root of a
person’s symptoms and sets psychoanalysis apart from more superficial therapies that only
treat symptoms. By looking closely at each person’s life, psychoanalytic therapies help one
feel more understood as a unique individual, improve personal relationships, relieve painful
emotional symptoms, and change life-long ways of coping. This is not your father’s
psychoanalysis. In fact, in a 2019 survey conducted by Psychoanalysis. Now, 400
psychoanalysts in the United States highlighted the realities of psychoanalysis and how it
works. Almost all the professionals surveyed (96 percent) said they regularly conduct therapy
either once or twice per week, which is feasible for most patients’ schedules. The stereotype
of lying on a couch during therapy is an option – but only if the patient chooses it for
relaxation and comfort. Otherwise, patients and their analysts are seated facing each other in
chairs. Roughly, 73 percent of analysts surveyed report that they also conduct therapy
sessions remotely, via telephone or through Internet video connections. "Psychoanalysis is
often indicated when other less intensive therapies have failed to achieve the desired results,"
according to the website of the American Psychoanalytic Association. "It truly offers
something different and more comprehensive, and is a good place to turn when symptoms
remain or behavioral or relationship patterns continue after one or two attempts at less
intensive, shorter term psychotherapy. "However, one’s problem need not be too severe to
benefit from psychoanalysis. Individuals struggling in the workplace, who have long-term
relationship issues with family members, or who simply want a new perspective on their lives
can benefit. Through psychoanalysis, one can unlock the past, inform the present, and expand
the future to reach their full potential. Children and teens can also benefit as some
psychoanalysts specialize in working with children in partnership with parents.
Source: “Mental Health Patients Reap Benefits of Psychoanalysis”
(https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com/health/mental-health-patients-reap-benefits-of-psychoanalysis/)

1. What is the article’s thesis statement?

2. Was the title able to hint at the direction the whole article would
take? Why or why not?

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3. Are there specific examples in the text? Can they be omitted? If
so, why? If not, why should they be kept?

4. Write a short summary of the article, keeping in mind your

answers to the previous questions.

Activity 8. Writing a Summary.

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Instruction: Answer the following questions in complete sentences
using your own words.

1. What is a summary?

2. What is previewing?

3. What is skimming?

4. How is skimming different from scanning?

5. What parts of a text should be included in a summary?

Activity 9. Topic Outline.

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Instruction: Read the following text. Then, identify the thesis
statement and make a topic outline of the text.
Competition and Cooperation
Explanations of the interrelation between competition and cooperation have
evolved over the time. Early research into competition and cooperation defined each
of them in terms of the distribution of rewards related to each. Competition was
defined as a situation in which rewards are distributed unequally on the basis of
performance, cooperation on the other hand, was defined as a situation in which
rewards are distributed equally on the basis of mutual interactive behaviour among
individuals. By this definition, a competitive situation requires at least on competitor
to fail for each competitor that wins, while a cooperative situation offers a reward
only if all members of the group receive it.
Researchers have found definitions of competition and cooperation based
upon rewards inadequate primarily because definitions of these two concepts based
upon rewards depict them as opposite. In current understanding, competition is not
viewed as opposite of cooperation, instead, cooperation is viewed as integral
component of competition. Cooperation is necessary among team members, perhaps
in a sporting event or in a political race, in order to win the competition, it is equally
important to understand that cooperation is of great importance between teams in
that same sporting event or ground rules of the game or election in order to compete.
Interestingly, the word competition is derived from a Latin verb which means
“to seek together.” An understanding of the derivation of the word competition
supports the understanding that cooperation, rather than evoking a characteristic at
the opposite extreme of human nature from competition, is in reality a necessary
factor in competition.

Activity 10. Sentence Outline.

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Instruction: Read the following text. Then, identify the thesis
statement and make a sentence outline of the text.
The Golden Age of Comics
The period from the late 1930s to the middle 1940s is known as the golden
age of comic books. The modern comic book came in the early 1930s in the United
States as a giveaway premium to promote the sale of the whole range of household
products such as cereal and cleanser. The comic books, which are printed in bright
colours to attract the attentions of potential customers, proved so popular that some
publishers decided to produce comic books that would come out on a monthly basis
and would sell for a dime each. Though comic strips had been reproduced in
publications prior to this time, the Famous Funnies comic book, which was started in
1934, marked the first occasion that a serialized book of comics was attempted.
Early comic books reprinted already existing comic strips and comics based
on known characters, however, publishers soon began introducing original
characters developed specially for comic books. Superman was introduced in Action
Comics in 1938, and Batman was introduced a year later. The tremendous success of
these superhero comic books led to the development of numerous comic books on a
variety of topics, though superhero comic book predominated. Astonishingly, by
1945, approximately 160 different comic books were being published in the United
States each month, and 90 percent of US children were said to read comic books on a
regular basis

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 EXHIBIT your understanding

With your learning in this chapter – Reading Academic

Texts, observe the structure, language and development of ideas in
the following texts. Then, summarize your observations to be
written in the box. Refer to the previous lessons for concepts,
ideas, analysis, etc.
Legal Indictment
State of ----
--- Country
TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL
DISTRICT COURT

THE GRAND JURORS of the State of --- duly impanelled and

sworn, in and for --- County in the name and by the authority of the
said State upon their oath, find and present:
That one John Doe late of --- County, on the 223rd day of
January in the year of our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and
Twenty-Four, with force and arms, in -- - County, aforesaid and
within jurisdiction of the Twenty First Judicial District Court of ---,
for the --- County, did unlawfully, feloniously, with malice
aforethought kill and slay one Porphyria Blank by strangulation.
Contrary to the form and the Statutes of the State of ---, in
such cases made and provided and against the peace and dignity of
the same.
…………………………………………………..
District Attorney for the 21st
Judicial District of ---

Local Girl Found Slain by Rejected Lover

(Newspaper Account)
Ms. Porphyria Blank, 21, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Blank,
of Barton Park, was found strangled this morning in the cottage
owned by John Doe, 25, who was apprehended on the scene of the
crime by officers Bailey and Hodge. Doe was found holding the body
in his arms, and appeared to be in stupor, his only reply to repeated
questioning being, “I killed her because I loved her.”
According to the members of the Blank family, Doe had paid
attention to Miss Blank for the last several months, though it was
strenuously denied that his regards for Miss Blank was returned.
Miss Blank’s engagement with Mr. Roger Weston was announced
last month. Mr. Weston could not be reached for a statement. Mrs.
Blank was prostrated by the news of her daughter’s death.
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 The slain girl vanished last evening at approximately eleven
o’clock from a dinner party given at her parent’s home in honour of
the approaching wedding. The family became alarmed when it was
discovered that she was not in her room, and instituted a search for
her about midnight. The police, who were promptly notified, in the
course of their search knocked at Mr. Doe’s cottage, a building
some quarter of a mile from the Blank estate, at five in the
morning. Receiving no answer, they forced the door and discovered
Doe sitting with the dead girl in his lap. She had apparently been
strangled, Dr. A. P. Reynolds, Autopsy Surgeon for the county, state
that, from the condition of the body, death must have occurred at
about midnight.

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 CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 2

Name: _________________________ Section:

___________

Activity 1. Reaction Paper/Review Paper.

Instruction: Answer the following questions as accurately and

precisely as you can.
1. What is a reaction paper?

2. What are the parts of the reaction paper?

3. What is the function of a reaction paper?

4. What is a review paper?

5. Justify which would be more appropriate to write for the topic

“countries utilizing solar energy for consumption”: reaction or
review paper?

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Activity 2. Writing a Reaction Paper.

Instruction: Find a reaction paper on a novel, short story, or poem

you are familiar with online. Then write a short paragraph of your
own that presents your ideas contrary to the paper.

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Activity 3. Reaction Paper/Review Paper

Instruction: Answer the following questions in complete sentences

using your own words.

1. What is the first thing you should do before analyzing a reaction

or review paper?

2. What can you use to help you analyze a reaction paper?

3. What goal could you have for reading a review if you were a
casual reader?

4. What will you focus on in your analysis of a review paper?

5. How should you look at the points you plan to oppose later on?

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Activity 4. Writing a Review Paper.
Instruction: Review and rewrite the following summary of a review
paper.
There is an overwhelming increase of cases of eating disorders in modern
society. According to multiple case studies, Anorexia nervosa was identified as the
third most prevalent chronic disease among adolescents - with the highest mortality
rate. Common symptoms of the aforementioned disease include a limitation of
calorie-intake, drastic weight loss, and fear of weight gain. The study aims to
determine if there is a significant relationship between Anorexia Nervosa and the
presence of structural brain abnormalities. The researchers applied the qualitative
research design in gathering data for the research. Through the use of modern
technology, by utilizing the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Functional
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), structural changes were observed in 100
participants currently diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN).
The results showcased that of 100 participants diagnosed with AN, 100 were
confirmed to have the presence of structural brain abnormalities. The results are
compared using standard regional and global analyses. Moreover, 54 previous case
reports of eating disorders and brain damage are systematically reviewed. In the MRI
scans, reduction of gray and white matters were found. Additionally, results from
fMRI showcased altered neural activity in the brain involving the frontal, parietal,
temporal and occipital lobes. The results found that in the case of AN patients, the
cerebrospinal fluid increased whilst the left hypothalamus, left inferior parietal lobe,
right lent form nucleus and right caudate are observed to have regional decreases.
Previous studies found that eating disorders are associated with hypothalamic
disruption, indicating the significant role of frontotemporal circuits with right
hemispheric predominance in pathogenesis. Given the results, it is therefore
concluded that there is a significant relationship between having Anorexia Nervosa
and the inevitable presence of structural brain abnormalities. To thoroughly
investigate neurobiological distinctions between the subtypes of Anorexia Nervosa,
further studies are an essentiality.

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Activity 5. Critique.
Instruction: Read the instructions for the following items carefully.
Write your answers and explain them comprehensively on the space
provided.
1. Why do we write critiques?

2. Why is it important to discuss both the strengths and

weaknesses of a work?

3. Why is a brief summary still important in a critique?

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4. What makes a critique paper different from a review paper?

5. Why do we still need to use sources to support our claims in a

critique?

EXHIBIT your understanding

With your learning in this chapter – Writing the Reaction
Paper/Review/ Critique, work on the following requirement.
Refer to the previous lessons for concepts, ideas, analysis, etc.

Instruction: Watch the movie “The Stoning of Soraya M.”

(copied in your USB).

What critical approach would you use to analyze this text? Explain your
answer by providing excerpts from the text that would be significant to
your chosen approach.

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 CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 3
Name: ________________________ Section:
____________
Activity 1. Concept Paper.

Instruction: Answer the following questions as accurately and

precisely as you can.
1. What is a concept paper?

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2. What are at least two functions of the concept paper?

3. What is the difference between a goal and an objective?

4. Why is the concept paper relevant in research writing?

5. Why should the methodology and time frame be specified in the

concept paper?

Activity 2. Concept Paper.

Instruction: Carefully think before writing a complete answer for

each question.

1. Justify the most important part of the concept paper.

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2. Why would the guidance office approve student-led research
about mental health myths and facts amongst the senior high
school population?

3. Justify the need for a breakdown of expenses in a concept paper.

4. Give a projected budget for the materials of a research paper

with a data collection method of distributing questionnaires to 30
respondents.

5. Give the possible reasons for research in a senior high school to

conduct a survey on the improvement of the TLE laboratory
facilities.

EXHIBIT your understanding

With your learning in this chapter – Writing a Concept
Paper, work on the following requirement. Refer to the previous
lessons for concepts, ideas, analysis, etc.

Instruction: Create an extended definition of at least two

concepts from you own research topic. Cite your sources if
necessary.

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 CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 4
Name: ____________________________ Section: ___________
Activity 1. Position Paper.

Instruction: Read and analyze the given statement. Write TRUE if

the statement is correct and FALSE if it is incorrect. Write your
answer on the blank provided before each number.
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_______1. A position paper is an academic writing that shows the
writer’s stand on a controversial issue.
_______2. The purpose of the position paper is to inform others
about the issue at hand.
_______3. Writing a position paper showcases the writer’s
capability to present pieces of evidence for the claim
based on his or her research.
_______4. It is important to know the interest of the audience
about the issue.
_______5. The audience will not mind the pieces of evidence
presented in the position paper to convince them that the
claim has merit.
______6. The writer should identify his or her position while writing
the draft of the position paper.
______7. Writing an outline beforehand can help in organizing the
contents of a position paper.
______8. New information can be introduced in the conclusion part
of the position paper.
______9. Spelling and grammar should be checked during revision.
______10. Revisions are important to spot mistakes in your draft
and correct them.

Activity 2. Position Paper Analysis.

Instruction: Read the position paper below and answer the
questions that follow.
The question of whether college students still have to wear uniforms or not
has come up a lot. Others agree with the idea that students should have the right to
express themselves and therefore should wear whatever they want, while others argue
that students should have the discipline to abide by the rules of the school. I intend to
prove that wearing a uniform makes a
student proud to be part of the institution and also part of the team.
There are several reasons why it is a good thing for students, not only in
primary, middle, and high school, but also in college, to wear a school uniform. Here
is one of those reasons:

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 Many students who wear uniforms claim that they feel prouder of their school.
Being proud of one’s school and being a member of that institution is a very
worthwhile thing. As students spend many years at school, being able to enjoy the
time and look forward to going to school is truly an important part in the growth and
development of every individual. Being proud of your school
and wearing your school uniform is a great way to establish a strong and resilient
character.
Another advantage when students take pride in their school and wear their
uniforms properly is that it becomes somewhat a form of advertisement for the
university. People whom the students will encounter in their daily walk to and from
their school will see the properly worn uniforms of their university. This may cause
people to consider that certain university as an option for their children in the future.
1. What is the issue presented in the position paper?

2. What is the writer’s position on the issue?

3. Was the language used in the position paper appropriate? Why?

4. Was the argument strong enough to support the writer’s

position? Why?

5. Is this example complete? Why?

Activity 3. Deductive/Inductive Reasoning.

Instruction: Identify whether each of the following statements

uses DEDUCTIVE or INDUCTIVE reasoning. Write your answer on
the blanks provided.

____________ 1. Studying for exams results in better grades; thus,

if I study for tomorrow's exam, I will get a better
grade.
____________ 2. Whenever I pet my cat, it starts to purr;
therefore, petting cats causes them to purr.

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____________ 3. My race car has won every race it has run. I
predict I will win tomorrow's race.
____________ 4. I ate oysters and then got sick later on; I
conclude that oysters make me sick.
____________ 5. Because cats only come to my garage at night, I
predict there will be no cats in my garage now
that it is daytime.

EXHIBIT your understanding

With your learning in this chapter – Writing a Position
Paper, write a convincing position paper based on properly cited factual
evidence on any of the following topics. Remember to choose a topic that best
suits your stand. Maximize the next two pages for your comprehensive
writing.

a. The best way to solve the most urgent problem of the country
(e.g. crime, corruption, poverty)
b. The best solution to Baguio’s (or any city’s/district’s) traffic
problem
c. The best place to live in the Philippines
d. The best home/livelihood industry to engage in
e. The best way to support the Philippine athletes
f. The most important reform to introduce to ________________
(Philippine politics, sports, etc.)

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Page 104 of 111
 CHECK your understanding CHAPTER 5

Name: ____________________________ Section: ___________

Activity 1. Report.
Instruction: Identify and/or provide the information being asked in
each number. Write the correct answer on the blanks provided.
_______________ 1. A method of gathering information from a
sample of people.
_______________ 2. A set of questions to be asked from
respondents with appropriate instructions considering the
appropriate questions to be asked, and their arrangements.
_______________ 3. This is a brief, comprehensive summary of
the contents of the report.
_______________ 4. This mentions the subjects or the participants
of the study and the actual steps in conducting the study.

_______________ 5. This is where the implications and

applications of the study are explained, such as whether the
hypothesis previously stated is supported or disproved.
_______________ 6. It is where the research data and analysis are
summarized. It shows graphical, tabular, and textual presentations
of the data.
_______________ 7. A document that presents a complete piece of
research in a focused and coherent manner which follows a definite
format, which depends on the discipline.
_______________ 8. This require the researcher to combine theory
and analysis learned in the classroom with methods of observation
and practice outside of the classroom.
_______________ 9. This refers to the systematic investigation and
study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new
conclusions.
_______________ 10. This is where you would place information
that is not essential to explaining your findings, but that supports
your analysis (especially repetitive or lengthy information), that
validates your conclusions, or that contextualizes a related point

Activity 2. Various Reports. Analyze the given statement and

identify the correct answer from the options given below. Write the
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letter of your answer in the first column. Use CAPITAL LETTERS
ONLY.
A. Both statements are TRUE.
B. The first statement is TRUE but the second statement is FALSE
C. The first statement is FALSE but the second statement is TRUE
D. Both statements are FALSE
1.  A good report is honest without false or incomplete
details and results.
 A good report should be objective and doesn't use a
subjective point of view.
2.  A good report should be accurate without sloppy
presentation of facts, numbers, statistics and data.
 A good report is lengthy and uses complex sentences.
3.  A good report may consist of eyewitness accounts or
first-hand information.
 A good report may contain facts, data, figures or
statistics on or from people, events, etc.
4.  A good report may include materials and procedures or
methods.
 A good report is objective and accurate with honest
presentation of facts and results.
5.  A good report is organized using lists, transitions, etc.
 A good report focuses on observations, surveys, and
experiments.
6.  A good survey includes every member of the whole
population.
 A good survey requires a definition of research questions
and goals.
7.
 A good questionnaire should consider the tense of verbs.
 A good questionnaire should be legibly handwritten.
8.  A good questionnaire uses words and formulations that
can be interpreted as neutral.
 A good questionnaire uses abbreviations and difficult
words.
9.  A good questionnaire uses complex language and
technical terms.
 A good questionnaire uses lengthy and complicated
questions.
10.  A good questionnaire follows a logical sequence.
 A good questionnaire uses graphic signals for clear
instructions.
11.
 A good questionnaire includes questions that might just
be interesting.
 A good questionnaire uses abstractions and hypothetical
questions.

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12.
 A field survey collects data in the form of notes taken
during the observation.
 A field survey should be written in the past tense.
13.
 A field survey presents the objective and important
theories or concepts of the study.
 A field survey doesn't include a review of pertinent
literature.
14.
 A field survey notes the participants in the situation in
terms of favorite food, music and movie.
 A field survey records factual data about time and place
of observation.
15.
 A good research report demonstrates a full
understanding of a problem or a topic.
 A good research report should a clear and definite
statement of the problem.
16.
 A good research report presents a hypothesis clearly
with measurable outcomes.
 A good research report states the results or outcomes of
the study.
17.
 A good research report presents the similarities and
differences of the results between two studies.
 A good research report presents a concise statement of
the main topic in the title.
18.  A good research report should tell why the research or
study is important.
 A good research report should have sufficient details for
the reader to repeat the procedure in a future study.
19.
 A good report presents the summary of research data
and analysis in the methodology.
 A good report shows graphical, tabular, and textual
presentations of the data.
20.
 A good report contains an abstract that present a
comprehensive summary of the contents of the report.
 A good report presents a list of sources and references.

Page 107 of 111

 I am a Good Writer!
Congratulations! You have finished your
module and this concludes your learning in
English 11A – English for Academic and
Professional Purposes.

Equipped with the lessons you’ve had since the

first part, your final requirement is here:

Conduct a survey online in your class and

write a report of your data.

Instructions:
1. Identify 10 students in your class to be your respondents.
2. Decide on a topic you would like to study about concerning any of the
following:
a. Efficiency of online learning amidst the pandemic (COVID19)
b. Challenges of remote teaching and learning to students
c. Benefits of CCDC sa Radyo program to the students
3. Determine one (1) main objective for conducting a survey on your
decided topic.
4. Formulate five (5) YES or NO questions that would provide you with
the necessary data in answering your objective. (Remember to check
on the organization of your questions)
5. Analyze, interpret and present the results of your survey through a
comprehensive report. Use the table below in accomplishing your
task.

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score

(0-6 points)
Content The research report is
missing three or more
features of writing a
research report. The
content is irrelevant to
the given task.
Organizatio There is no logical order
n of ideas throughout the
research report. The
transition from one idea
to another is unclear
and confusing.
Language There are a lot of errors
in spelling, mechanics,
grammar, and word
usage in the research
report.
Page 108 of 111
(7-13 points) (14-20 points)
The research report is The research report
missing one to two has a clear and
features of writing a complete features
research report. The of writing a
content is relevant to the research report. The
given task. content is relevant
to the given task.
There is a clear and There is a clear and
logical organization of logical organization
ideas for the most part of ideas. There is a
of the research report. smooth transition
There is a smooth from one idea to
transition from one idea another.
to another although it
still can be improved.
There are minimal errors There is no
in spelling, mechanics, error in spelling,
grammar, and word mechanics,
usage in the research grammar, and word
report. usage in the
research report.
 Name: ________________________ Section: ___________

I. Title: _______________________________________

II. Objective: _________________________________________

______________________________________
III. Respondents:
Name (First Name, Last Name) Address (Barangay, Municipality)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

IV. Questionnaire:
YE
Question NO
S
1.

1. 2.

2. 3.

3. 4.

4. 5.

Page 109 of 111

V. SURVEY REPORT (Includes the title, objective, participants, results,
analysis, and interpretation of the data gathered from the survey)

Page 110 of 111

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