SHS READING AND WRITING, QUARTER 3

Name: __________________________________________________________ Score: ______________

Grade and Section: _____________________________________________ Date: _______________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET NO.3

I. Introduction

What constitute a good writing? Opinions on this matter vary widely. For some,
there is no formula or program for writing well. However, there are certain properties
that most examples of well-written texts are shared.

Gear up your mind because in this learning activity sheet, we are going to tackle
some of the important properties of a well-written text. This lesson will surely help you in
improving your writing skills.

II. Learning Competency

Evaluate a written text based on its properties (organization, coherence and

cohesion, language use and mechanics) EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4

III. Objectives
At the end of this learning activity sheet, you are expected to:
1. identify the properties of a well-written text;
2. arrange the jumbled sentences to create a coherent paragraph;
3. underline the unnecessary sentence in a paragraph to achieve coherence and
cohesion; and
4. revise faulty and weak paragraphs.

IV. Discussion

PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT

A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized, coherent, and are all related
to a single topic. For a paragraph, or for any composition, to be effective, it must always
consider the Properties of a Well-Written Text. These properties are: Organization,
Coherence and Cohesion, Language Use and Mechanics. But in this learning activity
sheet, we will focus on the first three properties which are Organization, Coherence and
Cohesion.

ORGANIZATION
also known as arrangement, is achieved when ideas are logically and accurately arranged
with focus on the arrangement of ideas, incidents, evidence, or details in a definite order
in a paragraph, essay, or speech. It can be done with a recognizable plan that defines one
sentence connection to the other sentence and paragraph to the other paragraph.
Check the following paragraph arrangements and the words which are useful in securing
each of them:
1. Chronological Order - first, second, later, before, next, as soon as, after, then,
finally, meanwhile, following, last, during, in, on, until
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 2. Order of Importance - less, more, primary, next, last, most important, primarily,
secondarily
3. Spatial Order - above, below, beside, next to, in front of, behind, inside, outside,
opposite, within, nearby
4. Definition Order - is, refers to, can be defined as, means, consists of, involves, is a
term that, is called
5. Classification - classified as, comprises, is composed of, several, varieties of,
different stages of, different groups that
6. Process - first, next, then, following, after that, last, finally
7. Cause and Effect - Causes: because, for, since, stems from, one cause is, one
reason is, leads to, causes, creates, yields, due to, breeds, for this reason //
Effects: consequently, results in, one result is, therefore, thus, as a result, hence
8. Comparison and Contrast - Similarities: both, also, similarly, like, likewise, too, as
well as, resembles, correspondingly, in the same way, to compare, in comparison,
share// Differences: unlike, differs from, in contrast, on the other hand, instead,
despite, nevertheless, however, in spite of, whereas, as opposed to
9. Listing - the following, several, for example, for instance, one, another, also, too, in
other words, first, second, numerals (1, 2, 3...), letters (a, b, c...)
10. Clarification - in fact, in other words, clearly
11. Summary - in summary, in conclusion, in brief, to summarize, to sum up, in
short, on the
12. Example - for example, for instance, to illustrate
13. Addition - furthermore, additionally, also, besides, further, in addition, moreover,
again

Check the example below:

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

 This text represents strong example of organization. By using sequential

signal words (first, second and third) before the beginning of every sentence,
you can follow what seems to be the writer’s list of three reasons why the
novel influenced him. The word thus also signals the conclusion and the end
of the list.

Text organization makes a text easy to read. It prevents the reader from becoming confused
by a jumble of words, sentences, and paragraphs that are in no particular order.

When ideas are organized well, a text can achieve Coherence and Cohesion.

COHERENCE
refers to the overall sense of unity in a passage, including both the main point of
sentences and the main point of each paragraph. A coherent passage focuses the
reader’s attention on the main ideas and the specific people, things, and events you
are writing about.

COHESION
is also a very important aspect of academic writing because it immediately affects the

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 tone of your writing. Cohesive writing does not mean just “grammatically correct”
sentences; cohesive writing refers to the connection of your ideas both at the sentence
level and at the paragraph level. Cohesion is important because it allows writers to
make multiple references to people, things, and events without reintroducing them at
each turn. If we had to repeat these every time we wanted to refer to them, the text
would be very tedious to read.

Techniques to improve paragraph cohesion:

*Transitions
Use a conjunction or conjunctive adverb to link sentences with particular logical
relationships.
To Specify Sequence
again, also, and, and then, besides, finally, first . . . second . . . third, furthermore, last,
moreover, next, still, too

To Specify Time
after a few days, after a while, afterward, as long as, as soon as, at last, at that time,
before, earlier, immediately, in the meantime, in the past, lately, later, meanwhile, now,
presently, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, then, thereafter, until, when

To Specify Comparison
again, also, in the same way, likewise, once more, similarly

To Specify Contrast
although, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead,
nevertheless, nonetheless, on the contrary, on the one hand . . . on the other hand,
regardless, still, though, yet

To Specify Examples
after all, for example, for instance, indeed, in fact, of course, specifically, such as, the
following example, to illustrate

To Specify Cause and Effect accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this
reason, hence, if . . . then, since, so, then, therefore, thereupon, thus, to this end

To Specify Place
above, adjacent to, below, beyond, closer to elsewhere, far, farther on, here, near,
nearby, opposite to, there, to the left, to the right

To Specify Concession
although it is true that, granted that, I admit that, it may appear that, naturally, of
course

To Specify Summary, Repetition, or Conclusion

as a result, as has been noted, as I have said, as mentioned earlier, as we have seen, in
any event, in conclusion, in other words, in short, on the whole, therefore, to summarize
 Repetition
In sentence B, repeat a word from sentence A.
 Synonymy
If direct repetition is too obvious, use a synonym of the word you wish to repeat.
This strategy is called 'elegant variation.'
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 Antonymy
Using the 'opposite' word, an antonym, can also create sentence cohesion, since in
language antonyms actually share more elements of meaning than you might
imagine.
 Pro-forms
Use a pronoun, pro-verb, or another pro-form to make explicit reference back to
a form mentioned earlier.
 Collocation
Use a commonly paired or expected or highly probable word to connect one
sentence to another.
 Enumeration
Use overt markers of sequence to highlight the connection between ideas. This
system has many advantages: (a) it can link ideas that are otherwise completely
unconnected, (b) it looks formal and distinctive, and (c) it promotes a second
method of sentence cohesion\.
 Parallelism
Repeat a sentence structure. This technique is the oldest, most overlooked, but
probably the most elegant method of creating cohesion.

Check these examples:

Coherent but not "My favorite color is blue. I'm calm and relaxed. In the summer I lie
cohesive on the grass and look up."
Cohesive but not “My favorite color is blue. Blue sports cars go very fast. Driving in
coherent this way is dangerous and can cause many car crashes. I had a car
accident once and broke my leg. I was very sad because I had to
miss a holiday in Europe because of the injury."
Coherent and "My favorite color is blue. I like it because it is calming and it relaxes
cohesive me. I often go outside in the summer and lie on the grass and look
into the clear sky when I am stressed. For this reason, I'd have to
say my favorite color is blue."
Remember the following when trying to evaluate if your text has cohesion and coherence:
 A text with cohesion but no coherence is difficult to follow.
 A text with coherence but no cohesion has no definite point.
 A text with both cohesion and coherence is logically sequenced and stays on topic.
Read the sample paragraph below.
“Poor management of ground water resources is a major issue all over the world.
one-third of the world’s population depends on ground water,
which has taken thousands of years to develop. reserves of water
are very large, they are being used without any thought for the future.
, world-wide, people are using significantly more of this water than can be replaced.
, the world’s water capital is being steadily depleted, and this is going to have
disastrous consequences for the future if management plans are not implemented soon.”

 This paragraph contains coherence and cohesion.

 As you can see, the ideas are organized logically and the paragraph arrangement
shows cause and effect relationship.

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  Pay careful attention to the cohesive devices in bold. If we removed those words,
there would be no obvious connection between the sentences (other than the
keywords), and you would have to guess the function of each sentence.

Read another sample paragraph below.

“Depletion of ground water is going to have disastrous consequences for the future if
management plans are not implemented soon. The world’s water capital is being
steadily depleted. World-wide, people are using significantly more water than can be
replaced. Reserves of water are very large and people are using them without any
thought for the future. One-third of the world’s population depends on ground water.
Ground water has taken thousands of years to develop. Poor management of ground
water resources is a major issue all over the world.”
 In contrast, the second sample above is lack of coherence and cohesion.
 In this paragraph, the topic is easy enough to understand: there is an issue with
the use of ground water around the world. However, the only thing linking the
sentences together is the word “water”.
 It doesn’t contain transitions or cohesive devices like in the first sample paragraph.
 We don’t know ‘how’ the sentences are linked in terms of their purpose or function.
In other words, the ‘argument’ seems to be a list of statements without any logical
progression.

Now, let us create a coherent paragraph by arranging the following jumbled

sentences. I will provide the beginning sentence and you will write the succeeding
sentences to develop the whole paragraph. Don’t forget to observe proper mechanics in
writing your paragraph!
• To solve the problem of overpopulation, he devised a great war, which would sweep
like a conflagration over Greece.
• This was the Trojan war.
• Zeus, the ruler of the gods, seemed to have realized that the earth was getting
terribly overcrowded.

Zeus, the ruler of the gods, seemed to have realized that the earth was getting
terribly overcrowded.

At this point, you will work on your own. Below is a sample of a not well-written
paragraph. Find the errors and make corrections by applying what you have learned
in this lesson.

For me, the worst thing about waiting tables is the uniform. All the waitresses had to
wear this ugly brown striped jumper. The shirts were polyester. Sometimes, someone
you know comes in. Now I have a job in the office.

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V. Activities

A. What is it?
Directions: Read the following paragraphs and identify the missing property of a well-
written text in each item.
1. Zombies are becoming an important part of popular culture, perhaps as a way of coping
with some of the common fears in modern North America culture. Films like Shaun of
the Dead and Fido blend comedy with aspects of horror and romance, but still focus
on zombies. Simon Pegg has gone on to do other films and is popular and talented
comedic actor. Hollywood is taking advantage of resurgence of interest by remaking
several horror films as well. Television shows like “The Walking Dead” are popular with
a wide demographic. Cable channels like AMC and HBO are making more quality
television programs that deal with difficult and controversial topics in a way that is
both entertaining and enlightening.
Missing property of a well-written text:

2. Canadian software companies face several tough challenges in the new millennium
because of ‘brain drain’, and the monopoly held by their American counterparts.
However, the Canadian dollar is getting stronger. ‘Brain drain’ is a bad thing. Our
greatest resources are leaving. Microsoft is squeezing out its competitors. In
comparison, if the ‘brain drain’ continues, Canadian companies will find it difficult to
produce innovative software. If the dollar doesn’t stay strong, it will hurt us. It will help
the Americans.
Missing property of a well-written text:

3. The topics of leadership and management are both similar to and different from one
another in several important ways. To be effective, a manager should be a good leader.
And a good leader knows how to manage people effectively.
Missing property of a well-written text:

4. Horror films are most popular with teens. When a new horror film comes out, the theatre
sits are filled with teens. Adults don’t seem to be interested in two hours of edge-of-your-
seat fear and anxiety, but teens sure are. I think the popularity of these films with teens
is due to teenagers’ desires to test their limits in the real world, to see how far they can go
before they get scared and prefer the safety of home, and mom and dad. Horror films allow
teens to test their limits in the safety of the movie theatre, where they can put themselves
in the position of the teenagers in the film without any real danger to themselves. Last
week, I went to see the sci-fi/ horror film Alien, and got so scared anticipating the alien’s
attack on the crew that I had to leave the theatre. My friends didn’t seem as scared, so I
felt kind of stupid, but for me, that film was a bit more horrifying than I could take.
Children obviously would be too scared at horror films; everything would seem to real, too
possible, so that small children could end up with horrifying nightmares. Horror films,
with a few exceptions, are just right for teens.
Missing property of a well-written text:

5. It was the worst movie I've seen in a long time. It was really boring. The characters were
undeveloped and the plot was one cliché’ after another. I should have just stayed home.
I'm sorry I wasted six dollars on such a stupid film.
Missing property of a well-written text:

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B. Fix me!
Directions: Arrange the jumbled sentences to create a coherent paragraph. Then
write your arranged paragraph on a separate sheet of paper.
 In these areas, 70 % of the agricultural land suffers from dryness and lack of
irrigation.
 As a result, the crops are usually marginal with hardly enough production to feed
the farmer’s family.
 The first fact to consider is that over 60% of the population lives in rural
communities.
 In my country, one of the most urgent problems facing the government today
relates to agriculture.
 And without irrigation, agricultural production is wholly dependent on the
uncertain rainfall.
 To understand the nature of this problem, one has to look at some facts.
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C. Find out!
Directions: Read each of the following paragraphs. Underline the sentence that should be
omitted to achieve coherence and cohesion.

1. Oceans and lakes have much in common, but they are also quite different. Both
are bodies of water, but oceans are very large bodies of salt water, while lakes are much
smaller bodies of fresh water. Lakes are usually surrounded by land, while oceans are
surrounded by continents. Both have plants and animals living in them. The ocean is
home to the largest animals on the planet, whereas lakes support much smaller forms of
life. When it is time for a vacation, both will make a great place to visit and enjoy. I want
to swim in the lake.

2. Sunset is the time of day when our sky meets the outer space solar winds. There
are blue, pink, and purple swirls, spinning and twisting, like clouds of balloons caught in
a blender. Sunset is the opposite of sunrise. The sun moves slowly to hide behind the line
of horizon, while the moon races to take its place in prominence atop the night sky. People
slow to a crawl, entranced, fully forgetting the deeds that still must be done. There is a
coolness and calmness when the sun does set.

3. Here is the perfect system for cleaning your room. First, move all of the items that
do not have a proper place to the center of the room. Get rid of at least five things that you
have not used within the last year. Take out all of the trash, and place all of the dirty
dishes in the kitchen sink. Now find a location for each of the items you had placed in the
center of the room, for any remaining items, see if you can squeeze them in under your
bed or stuff them into the back of your closet. 5s is a Japanese cleaning system. See, that
was easy!

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4. Credit cards are convenient, but dangerous. People often get them in order to make
large purchases easily without saving up lots of money in advance. This is especially
helpful for purchases like cars, kitchen appliances, etc., that you may need to get without
delay. However, this convenience comes at a high price: interest rates. The more money
you put on your credit card, the more the bank or credit union will charge you for that
convenience. If you’re not careful, credit card debt can quickly break the bank and leave
you in very dire economic circumstances! Credit scores are based on a person’s past credit
history, including credit defaults, inquiries, accounts, and outstanding balances.

5. For me, the worst thing about waiting tables was the uniform. At the last place I worked,
all the waitresses had to wear an ugly brown striped jumper. Underneath it, we had to
wear an even uglier polyester shirt. Sometimes, someone I knew would come in and I’d
feel embarrassed by my outfit. Now, I have a job in an office.

VI. Assessment
Directions: The following paragraphs are not well-written. Use the “Properties of a Well-
Written Text” as a guide in finding errors. Make the necessary corrections and rewrite the
paragraph.

1. It is a fact that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. Statistics show that in
states with capital punishment, murder rates are the same or almost the same as in
states without capital punishment. It is also true that it is more expensive to put a
person on death row than in life imprisonment because of the costs of maximum
security. Unfortunately, capital punishment has been used unjustly. Statistics show
that every execution is of a man and that nine out of ten are black. So prejudice shows
right through.
2. Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I like it because on Sunday, I watch football. On
other days, I also get to watch football but not all day. There are other sports on other
days to watch on TV. All the other days, I have to eat at the table which is less fun.
Some days, my dad doesn’t make it home from work until after I’m in bed. Some weeks
my dad travels, and I don’t see him for several days. The highlight of the day is when
we watch the Dolphins play. Dad and I get so excited, we yell and cheer together. The
thing that I like to do best in the world is watch TV with my dad.
3. The motive of the fictional autobiographers of Charlotte Bronte’s novels must have been
to “sum” an existence, “bound” a life, and find safety in the “straight limits” of an
enclosed mind. Because all three autobiographers, William Crimsworth, Jane Eyre, and
Lucy Snowe, seem to need to oversimplify both their own natures and the worlds in
which they live in. They are all different, however, they go and do it in basically the
same way! Repressing what her more instinctual impulses tell her about the complex
truths of experience; this is how they generate personal mythologies by which to
rationalize their lives.
4. Club Palm Resort’s isolation created dissatisfaction among some vacationers. The
quality of the food was poor. People want a choice of entertainment in the evening. Most
of us spent too much time together day after day. People expect to be able to go out for
a meal if they feel they like it.
5. A vacation at Club Palm Resort has its good points and bad points. The beaches are
nice, but they may not be enough for some vacationers.

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VII. Reflection

Directions: Fill in each blank with the right word/words to make each statement
complete. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1. A is a series of sentences that are organized, coherent, and

are all related to a single topic. For a paragraph, or for any composition, to be
effective, it must always consider the Properties of a Well-Written Text. These
properties are Organization, Coherence and Cohesion, Language Use, and
Mechanics.
2-4. Organization also known as , is achieved when ideas are logically
and accurately arranged with focus on the arrangement of ideas, incidents,
evidence, or details in a definite order in a paragraph, essay, or speech. When
ideas are organized well, a text can achieve and
.
5-6. Coherence occurs when ideas are at the conceptual level
while refers to the connection of ideas at the sentence level.

VIII. REFERENCES

Tan, Monica 2021. “Properties of a Well-Written Text”. Accessed January 25.

https://www.academia.edu/34256187/READING_AND_WRITING_First_Quart
er_Period_PROPERTIES_OF_A_WELL_WRITTEN_TEXT
Literary Terms 2015. “Literary Terms.” Last modified June 1.
https://literaryterms.net/
Wordpress 2021. “Coherence and Cohesion”. Accessed on January 25.
https://eapwriting.com/coherence/
Larioque, Ronaldo R. and Luijim S. Jose 2016. “Reading and Writing Skills”.
Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corporation.

Prepared by:

AILA MAE B. VILLANUEVA

Teacher II- SCNHS-SHS

Note: Practice Personal Hygiene Protocols at all times.

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Activities:
Activity A
1. Coherence and Cohesion
2. Coherence and Cohesion
3. Organization
4. Coherence and Cohesion
5. Organization
Activity B
In my country, one of the most urgent problems facing the government today relates to agriculture.
To understand the nature of this problem, one has to look at some facts. The first factor to consider
is that over 60% of the population lives in rural communities. In these areas, 70% of the agricultural
land suffers from dryness and lack of irrigation. And without irrigation, agricultural production is
wholly dependent on the uncertain rainfall. As a result, the crops are usually marginal with hardly
enough production to feed the farmer’s family.
Activity C:
1. I want to swim in the lake.
2. Sunset is the opposite of sunrise.
3. 5s is a Japanese cleaning system.
4. Credit scores are based on a person’s past credit history, including credit defaults,
inquiries, accounts, and outstanding balances.
5. Now, I have a job in an office.
Assessment:
(answers may vary)
Reflection:
1. Paragraph
2. Arrangement
3. Coherence
4. Cohesion
5. connected
6. Cohesion
IX. Key to Correction