METRO MANILA COLLEGE

U-Site, Brgy. Kaligayahan, Novaliches, Quezon City

BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Prepared by: Mr. Daryl Eldrin L. Valenzuela

 LESSON #1: TEXT AS CONNECTED DISCOURSE

Sub-cover 1. Different book pages (freepik.com)

CONTENT STANDARD:

The learner…
[CS.RWS.1] realizes that information in a written text may be selected and organized to achieve a
particular purpose.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:

The learner…
[PS.ORC.1] critiques a chosen sample of each pattern of development focusing on information
selection, organization, and development.

OBJECTIVE:

At the end of the module, you should be able to…

[MELC.RWS.1.1] describes a written text as connected discourse
 LESSON 1.1: TEXT VERSUS DISCOURSE
(adapted from Antonio et al., 2017)

The Common Ideas on Text and Discourse

People generally assume that text is a graphical

representation of language (a.k.a. written text)
and discourse is a spoken representation of
language (a.k.a. conversations, discussions, and the
like). Some people view them as the same thing.

While there is some degree of truth to these ideas,

both text and discourse cannot be reduced to these
definitions.

Etymology of Text and Discourse

The word text comes from the Latin word texere which means “to weave, fabricate, or
make” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2021, & Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d.). This can
refer to the fact that people use text to create points of discussion with one another.

Alternatively, the word discourse comes from the Latin word “discursus” when means “to
run off in different directions” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2021). This may refer to the
fact that conversations are dynamic – that conversations may be about different topics of interest or
that conversations may start with one topic and end with another.

Various Definitions of Text and Discourse

Text
- “a piece of writing or speech or the main body of a printed or written matter on a
page” (Merriam-Webster, as cited by Antonio et al., 2017)
- “a piece of naturally occurring spoken, written, or signed discourse identified for
purpose of analysis; a language unit with a definable communicative function, such
as a conversation or a poster” (Crystal, 1992:72, as cited by Antonio et al., 2017)
- “a stretch of language interpreted formally, without context” (Cook, 1989:158, as
cited by Antonio et al., 2017)

Discourse
- “the use of words to exchange thoughts and ideas; a long talk or piece of writing
about a subject” (Merriam-Webster, as cited by Antonio et al., 2017)
- “a continuous stretch of (especially spoken) language larger than a sentence, often
constituting a coherent unit such as a sermon, argument, joke, or narrative” (Crystal,
1992:72, as cited by Antonio et al., 2017)
- “a stretch of language perceived to be meaningful, unified, and purposive” (Cook,
1989:158, as cited by Antonio et al., 2017)
Takeaways from the Common Ideas and the Various Definitions of Text and Discourse

Text does not only refer to language in written form and discourse does not only refer to
language in spoken form, either.

Text refers to the plain spoken and written language while discourse refers to the
meaningful use of words to facilitate conversations, discussions, and other meaningful
interactions.

[ACTIVITY 1.1.] LET’S TAKE NOTE!

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in no less than THREE sentences. Write
your answers on the space provided (3 pts. each).

1. What is the most general assumption about text and discourse? (3 pts.)
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2. Where do the words text and discourse come from and what are the implications of their
etymologies? (3 pts.)
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3. Based on your understanding of the definitions presented in Lesson 1.1, how do text and
discourse differ from one another? (3 pts.)
________________________________________________________________________________
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4. What are some of the takeaways about common ideas about text and discourse? (3 pts.)
________________________________________________________________________________
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5. Based on the ideas presented in the Lesson 1.1, how would you personally define text and
discourse? (3 pts.)
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 LESSON 1.2: TEXT AS CONNECTED DISCOURSE
(adapted from Antonio et al., 2017)

Text as Connected Discourse

A connected discourse is formed when the elements of a text are sequenced in a way that
shows unity and facilitates clear understanding of a topic or subject matter. It must then be “logical
and well organized and easy to understand” (Antonio et al., 2017).

For a text to become a connected discourse, it must have the element of coherence.
Coherence, also known as the unifying element in a text and discourse, refers to proper
arrangement, connection, flow, and transition of ideas in a sentence or a text (Antonio et al,
2017).

When coherence is absent in a piece of writing, the reader is prompted to stop and analyze
what it is that the text wants to say. Alternatively, when coherence is absent in a conversation, the
receiver is prompted to analyze and clarify the message sent by the sender.

Three Basic Considerations to Achieve Coherence in Writing

According to Antonio et al. (2017), the three basic considerations that one must think of to
achieve coherence in writing are: [1] using of transitional words and phrases to show
relationships, [2] repeating key words and phrases, and [3] using parallel form or
observing parallelism.

The Use of Transitional Prompts

Transitional prompts are words and phrases that connect ideas in a sentence
or composition. They signal the relationship between or among words or ideas in
a piece. Some of the common ones are coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS – for, and,
nor, but, or yet, so) and subordinating conjunctions (although, because, and the like).

Some Useful Transitional Prompts

(directly lifted from Antonio et al., 2017):

1. Giving Examples – for example, for instance, in fact, indeed, to illustrate

2. Comparing – also, likewise, similarly, in the same way, at the same time
3. Contrasting – although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite of, in spite of,
nevertheless, in contrary, on the other hand, even though, though, however,
notwithstanding
4. Adding – and, also, again, in addition, furthermore, moreover
5. Showing Place or Duration – above, below, beneath, beyond, farther, here
6. Summarizing – in other words, in short, in summary, to sum up, all in all
7. Showing Time – after, before, during, finally, afterward, next, since, then, until,
while, immediately, later, as soon as, finally
 8. Indicating Logical Relationship(s) – because, therefore, thus, for this reason,
hence, if, otherwise, as a result, accordingly

Please note that one must use different transitional prompts as much as possible so
that the text will not look too repetitive or jarring!

The Use of Repetition in Compositions

In our study of Oral Communication in Context through the lens of Hermosa,

Hernandez, and Vergara (2019), we learned that repetition can be used to one’s advantage.
People normally do this to highlight / emphasize a point or to draw attention to
themselves. Use this technique wisely or you risk boring the reader or the listener!

Also, remember that a person can use substitute words (such as pronouns) and/or trim
sentences to avoid excessive repetition.

e.g.
[X] Go, go, go! You can do it! Fighting! Yes, go! You got this, man! (too repetitive)
[/] Go for it, bud! You got this! (shorter)

[X] Celine is my friend. Celine is beautiful. Celine is charming.

[/] Celine is my friend. She is beautiful and charming.

[X] Karen is my friend. Karen is defending me from my brother.

[/] Karen, my friend, is defending me from my brother.

Using Parallel Forms / Observing Parallelism

Parallelism can be defined as “having the same grammatical structure or

pattern to clearly express ideas which are given in a series”. People must be mindful
of the tense, the part of speech, and the overall structure that they use to write sentences or
compositions that are related to one another!

e.g.
[X] Jean likes to play, writing, and milk tea.
[/] Jean likes to play, write, and drink milk tea.
[/] Jean likes playing, writing, and drinking milk tea.

[X] Jessa is a teacher. She was teaching for four years now.
[/] Jessa is a teacher. She has been teaching for four years now.

[X] Lynn is punctuality, possesses intelligence, and sincerity.

[/] Lynn is punctual, intelligent, and sincere.

[X] To see is believing!

[/] To see is to believe!
[/] Seeing is believing!
 [ACTIVITY 1.2.] LET’S ANALYZE FACTS!
DIRECTIONS: Write TRUE if the statement is correct. Otherwise, write FALSE if it is
incorrect. Use CAPITAL letters only. (1 pt. each)

___________ 1. Coherence is the unifying element in a text and discourse.

___________ 2. A connected discourse is arranged in a way that facilitates clear understanding of a
certain topic or matter in a conversation.
___________ 3. It is acceptable to repeat words and ideas in a composition all the time.
___________ 4. A person can still understand a text even if coherence is absent in that piece.
___________ 5. Parallelism refers to the use of words and phrases to connect ideas in a piece.
___________ 6. One must always strive to use different transitional prompts for better readability.
___________ 7. A way to avoid faulty parallelism is to use pronouns as substitutes for some words.
___________ 8. People normally repeat words to emphasize a point or to draw attention.
___________ 9. Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions are examples of transitional prompts.
___________ 10. When coherence is present in a conversation, it will be free-flowing.

[ACTIVITY 1.3.] LET’S TRANSITION CORRECTLY!

DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph by writing the appropriate transitional words in
the blanks after the number. The choices are in the box below. Please note that they may
be used more than once (1 pt. each).

CHOICES:
However / with / After / to / The first step / and / so / notwithstanding / adversely / lastly

Last week, we installed a kitty door [1]_________ that our cat could come and go as she
pleases. Unfortunately, we ran into a problem. Our cat was afraid to use the kitty door. We tried
pushing her through, and that caused her to be even more afraid. The kitty door was dark
[2]_________ she couldn’t see what was on the other side. [3]_________we took in solving this
problem was taping the kitty door open. [4]_________ a couple of days, she was confidently coming
[5]_________ going through the open door. [6]_________, when we removed the tape
[7]_________ closed the door, once again, she would not go through. They say you catch more
bees with honey, [8]_________ we decided to use food as bait. We would sit next to the kitty door
[9]_________ a can of wet food and click the top of the can. When our kitty came through the
closed door, we would open the can and feed her. It took five days of doing this [10]_________
make her unafraid of using the kitty door. Now we have just one last problem: our kitty controls our
lives!

(directly lifted from https://patternbasedwriting.com/elementary_writing_success/paragraph-

examples/)
 [ACTIVITY 1.4.] LET’S REWRITE FOR CLARITY!
DIRECTIONS: Rewrite the following sentences or condense the thought of the following
sentences to lessen repetition. Write your answer on the space provided. An example is
given below for your guidance (2 pts. each)

e.g.
[X] I don’t like Brian. I super-duper-hyper-mega hate Brian. I dislike you – a lot.
[/] I don’t like Brian; I hate him.

1. [X] Carl is my friend. Carl is intelligent, witty and amazing.

[/] _________________________________________________________________

2. [X] Stop it! You’re annoying! You’re getting on my nerves! You’re pissing me off!
[/] _________________________________________________________________

3. [X] Max is my dog. Max is big and furry.

[/] _________________________________________________________________

4. [X] Aria is my best friend. Aria is really sweet. Aria gave me flowers on my birthday.
[/] _________________________________________________________________

5. [X] Darius is a warrior. Darius fights for glory.

[/] _________________________________________________________________

[ACTIVITY 1.5.] LET’S CORRECT THESE STATEMENTS!

DIRECTIONS: Rewrite the following statements to observe proper parallelism. Write
your answer on the space provided. An example is given below for your guidance (2 pts. each).

e.g.
[X] Daryl worked as a call center agent, a waiter, and teaching three years ago.
[/] Daryl worked as a call center agent, a waiter, and a teacher three years ago.

6. [X] To stay at home is not as interesting as hanging out with friends.

[/] _________________________________________________________________

7. [X] Alice likes to write, sing, and playing computer games.

[/] _________________________________________________________________

8. [X] I don’t like her. She was my archenemy.

[/] _________________________________________________________________

9. [X] A person judges others by their words and what they do.
[/] _________________________________________________________________

10. [X] He was told to leave the apartment and finding a new place to stay in.
[/] _________________________________________________________________
 BIBLIOGRAPHY (LESSON 1)

===============================================

Content References:

Main Reference (Book):

Antonio, M.T., Sarte, M., Inigo, M.E., & Tagonan, O. (2017) Reading and writing skills for
senior high school sudents. Mutya Publishing House, Inc.

Supporting References (Book and Internet):

Hermosa, A.L., Hernandez, M.R., & Vergara, S. (2019) Oral communication: for senior high
school (V. M. Victorio, Consultant). Educational Resources Corporation.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Text. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 1,

2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/text

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Discourse. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February

1, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourse

Online Etymology Dictionary (n.d.) Discourse. In Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved

February 1, 2021, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/discourse

Book Cover:

Piqsels (2021). Person using magnifying glass [Digital Image]. Retrieved 28 Jan 2021 from
https://www.piqsels.com/en/public-domain-photo-svvbd

Pictures for Lesson 1:

Piqsels (2021). Reading book late summer [Digital Image]. For Figure 1.1. Retrieved 28 Jan
2021 from https://www.piqsels.com/en/public-domain-photo-zbskr

Logos for Module 1:

Milano83 (2017). Check and cross signs paint. [Digital Image]. Retrieved 23 Jul 2020 from
https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/check-cross-signs-paint-
design_1136697.htm#page=1&query=check&position=24

YAWD (n.d.). Light Bulb. [Digital Image]. Retrieved 15 Jul 2020 from https://ya-
webdesign.com/explore/idea/
 YAWD (n.d.). Note with thumbtack. [Digital Image]. Retrieved 15 Jul 2020 from https://ya-
webdesign.com/explore/note/

YAWD (n.d.). Pencil and note pad. [Digital Image]. Retrieved 15 Jul 2020 from https://ya
webdesign.com/explore/writing/

YAWD (n.d.). Perplexed female #1. [Digital Image]. Retrieved 15 Jul 2020 from https://ya-
webdesign.com/explore/thinking/

Special Fonts Used in the Title Page:

“Benja” by Don Marciano

https://www.1001fonts.com/benja-font.html

“Xerography” by Vic Fieger

https://www.1001fonts.com/xerography-font.html