11

Reading and Writing

Quarter 3, LAS 2:
Properties of a Well-Written Text
(Language Use)

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Creative Non-Fiction– Grade 11 Quarter 3 – LAS 2: Reading and Writing

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of the Government
of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office wherein the work is
created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office may, among
other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names, trademarks, etc.)
included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to
locate and seek permission to use these materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher
and authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them.

Development Team of the Module

Writer : ROSALLE B. NERY, TII

Editor : JOVELYN A. FLORECE, TIII

Reviewer : DARCY GUY Y. MAŃEBO, EPS

Illustrator : ROSALLE B. NERY, TII

Layout Artist: ROSALLE B. NERY, TII

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET 3

Name of Student: ____________________________________________________________

Learning Area – Grade Level: ________________________________________________

Date: ______________________________________________________________________

I. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPT
Knowing the parts of a paragraph and an essay will help you form the framework of your
composition, while knowledge of the properties that make a well-written text will enable you to
ensure the quality of your work. More importantly, the message you want to communicate will
effectively come through. There are many different kinds of texts and, therefore, there is not a
single formula or program that can be followed for them to be considered as "a well-written text".
However, there are certain properties that most example of a well-written text share.
These properties are:
• Language Use (choice of words)
• Mechanics (capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.)
• Coherence and cohesion (connection of ideas)
• Organization (clear and logical pattern)
In this activity sheet, you will learn how to evaluate a well-written text base on its language
use.
II. LEARNING SKILLS FROM THE MELCs
Evaluate a written text based on its properties (organization, coherence and cohesion,
language use and mechanics)
Specific Objectives:
At the end of this activity sheets, you should be able to:
a. Identify the properties of a well-written text (EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4)
b. Revise faulty and weak paragraph
c. Evaluate text based on its language use (EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4.3)
III. ACTIVITIES
The way language is use is one of the clearest indicators of a well-
written text. It enables the writer to effectively communicate ideas
without confusing the reader. Barrot (2016) explains: When writing your
composition, always observe the following:
1. Audience (Reader) 4. "There" and "It"
2. Vocabulary and Cliché sentences
3. Wordiness, Redundancy and Highfalutin 5. Point of View
Language 6. Language Bias

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Activity 1 Let’s Practice!
Read the guidelines below in observing the proper language used and rewrite each
sentence at the end of each guideline.
1. Know your Audience
How you use language affects the tone of the text and the readers’ interpretation of it.
Before writing, you have to think about and consider your target audience. This will determine
when it is appropriate to use a formal language or when it is acceptable to use informal
language.

The table below shows the difference between formal and informal language.
Formal Language Informal Language
Used in writing academic, business, and Usually used in writing for oneself or in
official texts. writing to family, friends, and colleagues.
Uses more serious words such as Uses casual words such as asked, call, and
requested instead of asked, contact instead get permission.
of call, and obtain permission instead of get
permission. Example:
Example: We asked the secretary to call the professor
We requested that the secretary contact the and get her permission for us to continue
professor and obtain her permission for us our research.
to continue our research.
Does not use contraction. Uses *contraction (e.g. aren’t, isn’t, haven’t)
Example: Example:
I have not submitted the report to the I haven’t submitted the report to the
secretary yet. secretary yet.

Use the appropriate level of formality. The Uses personal, casual, or *colloquial tone.
more formal texts use an academic tone

Try This!
Informal: It’s incredibly surprising to realize how low people can go just to make tons of
money.
Formal:_____________________________________________________________

2. Check Vocabulary and Cliché

After knowing your audience and deciding how formal your language should be, you have
to level your vocabulary words to the background of your audience. Use precise and simple
words and avoid cliché. Cliché are phrases that commonly used in everyday conversation. It
can be considered as a metaphor characterized by its overuse.

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Example:
Cliché Simple Vocabulary
She was hit by a car and was hanging in a She was hit by a car and was critical at the
thin red line at the hospital. hospital.
He is living behind bars. He is a prisoner.

Try This!
Cliché: Stop speaking against the government. You are just banging your head against
a brick wall.
Simple Vocabulary:__________________________________________________

3. Wordiness, Redundancy and Highfalutin Language

One of the students’ challenges in writing is meeting the required number of words in their
essay or hitting the required number of pages, resulting to lengthy sentences, redundant words
(or words with the same meaning in one sentence) and highfalutin language (too wordy).
Whether this is intentional or accidental, you should avoid this by being direct to the point. Again,
the simplest, the better your reader will understand your message.

Example:
Don’t
Image is a very important factor in politics
because once the reputation of a person is
smeared by accusations, the people’s
perception of the person is forever tainted
and it may cause him to lose credibility and
trust even when the truth behind allegations
is no yet verified.
Do
Image is a very important factor in politics.
Once the reputation of a person is smeared
by accusations, the people’s perception of
the person is forever tainted. The person
may lose his credibility, even when the
allegations are not yet verified.

Try This!
While there is a desire to covet endangered animals, transform them into domestic
beasts, and all that jazz, it must be more central to our aims to preserve these wild
beings.
Rewrite:______________________________________________________________
_
4. Less "There" and "It"
Yes, nothing is wrong in starting your sentence with “there” and “it”, but too much is not
good. Avoid excessive use of “there” and “it” structures. These sentences can be revised by
dropping the “there” and “it” phrase and transforming the sentences appropriately.

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Example:
Don’t Do
There are many people walking on this street Many people walk on this street during
during Sundays. It is important to keep your Sundays. Keeping your valuables close to
valuables close to you. you is important.

Try This!
There are four species of pangolins found in Asia. It is of utmost importance to save these
endangered species
Rewrite:_______________________________________________________________

5. Consistent Point of View

Be consistent with your point of view. If you are writing an academic text, like research, it
is recommended that you use third person point of view, but if it is a professional text, like
business letters, it is okay to use first person. But whatever point of view you choose, make sure
that you are using it consistently throughout your text.

Example:
Don’t Do
We should accept that fate is simply an We should accept that fate is simply an
illusion; you must not leave our decisions to illusion; we must not leave our decisions to
something that does not exist. something that does not exist.

Try This!
The researchers are still developing the Covid-19 vaccine. We are hoping that the
government will be patient and continue to support us.
Rewrite:_____________________________________________________________

6. Avoid Language Bias

You should also be sensitive enough to use unbiased language, so that you will not offend
any individual or any particular group of people. Unbiased language is language that is free of
racial bias, free of religious bias, and free of gender bias. This issue can be addressed by using
articles (a, an, and the), using plural pronouns (they, their) instead of his or her, or using gender-
neutral nouns (e.g. chairperson instead of chairman) when writing in second person point of
view.
Example:
Don’t Do
Every employee should submit his All employees should submit their
credentials. credentials.

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 Try This!
A government leader should not be someone that can be easily sway with money and
power. He should have compassion for his people.
Rewrite:_____________________________________________________________

Activity 2 Let’s Do It!

Read the letter in the below and answer the guide questions in evaluating the text based
on its language use.

Dear Mr. Jones:

I read your ad for the assistant position and would like to apply. As my résumé shows you, I have a
lot of amazing experience that you can use. And, to be honest, this job is exactly what I want.
Please review my résumé and call me as soon as you can to schedule an interview. I am so eager to
meet you. Hope to CU soon.
Sincerely,
Juan dela Cruz
Original Source: Bad Cover Letter Examples: How To Fix Those Annoying Mistakes. (2020).
Guide Questions:
1. Encircle each error in writing and express your thoughts about each one. See how many
falls under language use.
2. If you are the receiver of this letter, how are you going to interpret the message? What
will be your impression about the sender?
3. What could be done or avoided to improve this letter?
IV. EVALUATION
In the previous activity, you have analyzed an example of a poorly written letter without a
proper language use. Surely, you have come to realize how important the language use in any
written text, right? In a one whole sheet of paper, explain in your own words the importance of
having proper language use. How do you think it will help you to convey your message to your
readers? Write at least 3 paragraphs. Make sure that it has proper language use.

V. ANSWER KEY
Activity 1 Let’s Practice! Answers may vary.

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Activity 2 Let’s Do It!
ad to be honest CU
amazing as soon as you can
Guided Questions:
Answer may vary

Evaluation
Rubrics for scoring
Score Language Use Mechanics Organization Coherence and
(40%) (20%) (20%) Cohesion
(20%)
5 Content has proper Content has proper Ideas are logically Ideas are logically,
language use. mechanics. and accurately clearly, and
arranged. smoothly linked to
one another.
4 There are few errors There are few Few ideas Few of the ideas
in language use but grammatical errors presented are presented smoothly
the message is but the clarity of the organized logically. linked to one
there. ideas is still another.
established.
2 There are several There are several The idea was there Lack of ideas. Some
errors in language grammatical errors. but organized. points introduced
use. Thoughts are vague. are inconsistent.
1 Inappropriate Limited vocabulary; Ideas are unrelated No connection to the
language use. errors impair to one another. topic.
communication.

VI. REFERENCES
Bad Cover Letter Examples: How To Fix Those Annoying Mistakes. (2020). Retrieved 13 July
2020, from https://www.resume-now.com/job-resources/cover-letters/bad-cover-letter-
examples-how-to-fix-annoying-mistake
Barrot, J. (2016).Principle of Effective Writing. Academic Reading and Writing (for Senior High
School). C & E Publishing Inc

SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF CAMARINES NORTE

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DepEd Camarines Norte