PORTFOLIO

OF SAMPLE TEXT
WITH DIFFERENT
PATTERNS OF
DEVELOPMENT
Submitted by: Bea E. Sancover
Estelle Vera Canaugan
Submitted to: Mrs. Ma-an C. Actub

Coherence and Cohesion

•Coherence and Cohesion makes your text easier for your readers to follow and
understand. Cohesion is the connection of ideas to the central concept of text.

•Coherence is the relationship of ideas between sentences. Both should be present in your
text because having one without the other will still create confurion for readers.
Example:

Cubism is an avant-garde art movement that started in the early 20th century in Europe. A famous
filipino cubist painter is Vicente Manansala. He is a nation artist of the Philippines in Visual arts. Did
you know that visual arts have different forms including video, architecture an textile?

Critique:

Every sentence is related to the next sentence in some way. The paragraph stays on the
topic of art, which is the “glue” that holds the text together and allows it to exhibit
cohesion. However, the way it was developed does not make sense. It began with the origins
of Cubism and through the artist Manansala was able to end with a seemingly unprovoked
question about visual art forms.

Example:

International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March of every year. It began as a
Socialist political event in several Western countries. Then, other countries also started
celebrating the holiday just as a way to express their love for women. Currently, the United
Nations observes the holiday as a way to bring to light women’s issues around the world.

Critique:
The main topic of the text is International Women’s Day, which was stated in the first
sentence. The paragraph proceeds to outline the history of the holiday starting from some
Western countries and its spread to other nations. It ends with the current way that the
whole world celebrates the day. The writer can present different ideas about the holiday in
a logical manner and without veering away from the topic.

Language Use
•Proper language use allows you to capture the message that you want to convey to your
readers. It is all about choosing the right words that accurately capture your ideas.

However, writers sometimes encounter problems with the following: Misused Words ,
Words with Unwanted Connotations, and Technical or Highfalutin Words

Misused Words
•A writer might sometimes use a word incorrectly, and this occurs when the word does
not mean what he or she thinks it does. So, it is important to be certain of the definition of a
word before using it; this often happens with words that sound or look alike.

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

Critique
 The writer confused the word “amoral” with “immoral.” The former means neither
moral nor immoral (without moral quality) while the latter means not moral. Sometimes, it
is easy to guess the correct meaning of a word just by looking at how it is spelled. The
prefix a- signals that something is without such as in “anarachy” (without a government)
or “atypical” (without typical features). On the other hand, the prefix im- simply means
not such as in “imperfect” (not perfect) or “impossible” (not possible).

Words with Unwanted Connotations

There are words that take on a meaning specific to a context. Some writers might not be
aware of these connotations, so they end up using language that is unintentionally
confusing, comical or even offensive to readers. 

Example: 
The coast guard salvaged Priscilla and her sister after their fishing boat was damaged in the
storm.

Critique:
The word “salvage” means to save usually from the wreckage of a marine vessel. However, the
Philippine media and police often use the term to mean a violent killing, which is opposite from its
traditional English meaning. It comes from the Spanish word “salvaje” that has a meaning similar
to “savage.” Thus, if the writer produced this text for a Filipino audience, the meaning that he or
she intended would be lost. Using the word “saved” or “rescued” would remedy the issue.

Technical or Highfalutin Words 

Writers want to sound smart by using words that are very technical or have deep
meanings. Though some writing genres require the use of such words, writers should still
be careful about using them since they make readers work harder to understand texts.

Example: 
There is an ongoing discourse about the antidisestablishment assemblage and the administrative
political body. 

Critique:
 The text is complicated because it is filled with words that are difficult to understand. If the
terms are important to use, then the writer could define what they mean. Otherwise, the sentence
could be rewritten simply this way: There is an ongoing discussion between the opposition and the
government. This sentence still “sounds smart” but it is easier for most people to understand and it
does not change the meaning of the original sentence in any way.

Mechanics 
•Mechanics are conventions that have to be considered in writing. Some of these conventions are
spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. It is important to know and observe these conventions in
writing to avoid confusion.

Spelling 

When you write, always make sure that you are consistently using one standard with regard to the
spelling of your words. Remember that there are slight differences in American English spelling
and British English spelling.

Example:

American Spelling British Spelling color colour defense defence organize organise traveled travelled
theater theatre learned learnt airplane aeroplane anesthesia anaesthesia analyze analyse aging ageing

Critique:

Before writing, think of your target audience. Whether you write using the British or American
spelling, it is important to be consistent in spelling. If you are unsure of the spelling of a word, consult a
dictionary or a spell checker.

Punctuation

Punctuation is the act of using a system of symbols such as the comma, period, quotation marks,
question marks, etc. that are used to give structure to and organize a text. The use of punctuation
guides the reader regarding how the text should be read.

Example: 

I love to paint portraits I would paint one every day if I had the time I love to paint portraits. I would
paint one every day if I had the time. This book is dedicated to my parents, Noel and Corazon. This book is
dedicated to my parents, Noel, and Corazon.

Critique:

The first example does not make use of proper punctuation marks, while the second example
presents two sentences that are correctly punctuated. In the third example, the sentence denotes that the
author’s parents are Noel and Corazon. In the fourth example, the use of the serial comma denotes that the
book is dedicated to four persons: the author’s mom, the author’s dad, Noel, and Corazon. The simple act of
adding a comma completely changed the meaning of the statement.

Capitalization 

Capitalization is the act of writing the first letter of a word in uppercase while the rest of the letters
are in lowercase. There are rules in capitalization that one has to remember.

Organization
•Text organization is the way a text is organized that helps to guide the reader logically through it.
This property makes a text readable and its message clear.

Example:

Marxist ideology has three main theories. Historical materialism purports that all the features of society
can historically be traced back to economic activity. Social class in capitalist societies is what produces
unjust structures of power that exist today. Socialism would be the next rational step for the development of
human society.

Critique:

The words in bold are the three most important Marxist theories that the first sentence is referring to.
By emphasizing these words, the reader can identify the correct term for the concepts along with their
definitions; this would also aid in remembering the theories since they stick out from the rest of the text.