Diocesan Schools of Abra

READING AND WRITING

SECOND SEMESTER

WEEK 5
Properties of a Well-Written Text

Content Standard:

The learner realizes that information in

a written text may be selected and organized
to achieve a particular purpose.

_____________________________________________
Name of Student

_____________________________________________
Name of Teacher
 DAY 1
Properties of a Well-Written Text
(Organization & Coherence and Cohesion)

Learning Competency:
o Evaluate a written text based on its properties
(organization, coherence and cohesion, language
use and mechanics)

I. MOTIVATION
 Arrange the following to form a logical
paragraph.

[1] I was so excited I could barely pack. [2] That all

changed the summer after my sophomore year of high
school. [3] My dad announced that we were going to
Singapore for vacation! [4] Today I've been all over the
world, but until I was 15 I had never left the United
States.

 What is the most logical order for these

sentences?
a. 1, 2, 3, 4
b. 1, 3, 2, 4
c. 3, 2, 1, 4
d. 4, 2, 3, 1
e. 4, 3, 2, 1

II. INSTRUCTION

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 For a text to be well-written, one must keep in
mind these four properties:
I. Organization
II. Coherence and Cohesion
III. Language Use
IV. Mechanics

I. Organization
 It is said that ideas are well-developed when
there is a clear statement of purpose, position,
facts, examples, specific details, definitions,
explanation, justifications, or opposing
viewpoints.
 This is achieved when these ideas are logically
and accurately arranged.

II. Coherence and Cohesion

COHERENCE – this means that sentences are
arranged in a logical manner, making them
easily understood by the reader.
COHESION – connection of ideas at sentence level
- the property of unity in a written
text or a segment of spoken
discourse that stems from links
among its surface elements, as
when words in one sentence are
repeated in another, and especially
from the fact that some words or
phrases depend for their

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 interpretation upon material in
preceding or following text

How to organize the details of a paragraph?

A. Arrangement of details according to
1. Chronological Order
o The details are arranged in the order
in which they happened.

This morning was crazy. My alarm clock was

set for Pm instead of AM, so I woke up really late. I just
threw on some clothes and ran out the door. I rode my
bike as fast as I could and thought that I was going to
be late for sure, but when I got there everyone was
outside and there were firetrucks all lined up in front of
school. I guess somebody pulled the fire alarm before
class started. It worked out though, because nobody

2. Spatial Order
o The sentences of a paragraph are
arranged according to
geographical location, such as
left-to-right, up-to-down, etc.

The inside of Bill’s refrigerator was

horrible. On the top shelf was a three-week old
carton of milk. Next to it sat a slice of melon that
had started to get moldy. To the right sat the
remains of a macaroni and cheese dinner that had

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been served a week earlier. On the shelf below was
a slice of cake from his sister’s birthday party.
Though there was food, none of it was edible.

3. Emphatic Order
o is when information found in a
paragraph is arranged to emphasize certain
points depending on the writer’s purpose.
o The coherence of the paragraph is
established in one of two ways: a.) from least to
most important, or b.) from most to least
important.

After looking at all the brochures

and talking to several salesmen, I decided to
purchase an SLR camera. For several years I had
been dissatisfied with the results I was getting from
my point-and-shoot camera. The framing was
imprecise and the focus was not always accurate. I
had planned a vacation to an area that promised
many fabulous photo opportunities, and I wanted to
capture each one with accuracy. But the most
important reason I decided on the SLR camera was
the great versatility it offered.

(In the above paragraph, the organization moves

from the least important idea (dissatisfaction with
the results of the point-and-shoot camera) to the
most important idea (the versatility offered with the
SLR camera).

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B. Signal Devices
 Words that give readers an idea of how the
points in your paragraph are progressing

1. Transitions
 Words that connect one idea to another, in
order for our ideas to flow smoothly
a. Time (first, immediately, afterward,
before, at the same time, after, earlier,
simultaneously, finally, next, in the
meantime, later, eventually, then,
meanwhile, now, subsequent, etc.)
b. Sequence (moreover, furthermore, next,
also, finally, last, another, first, second,
third, besides, additionally, etc.)
c. Space (above, next to, below, behind,
besides, etc.)
d. Illustration (for instance, specifically, for
example, namely, in this case, to
illustrate, etc.)
e. Comparison (similarly, also, in the same
way, still, likewise, in comparison, too,
etc.)
f. Contrast (but, despite, however, even
though, yet, on the other hand, although,
on the contrary, otherwise, conversely,
etc.)
g. Cause and Effect (because, as a result,
consequently, then, so, since, etc.)

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 h. Conclusion (thus, therefore, in
conclusion, in short, etc.)

2. Repetitions (repetitions of main ideas keep

continuity and highlight important ideas)
 It could be a word, phrase, or a full
sentence, or a poetical line repeated to
emphasize its significance in the entire
text.
Examples:
1. If you think you can do it, you can do
it.
2. The boy was a good footballer, because
his father was a footballer, and his
grandfather was a footballer.
3. The judge commanded, stamping his
mallet on the table, “Order in the court,
order in the court.”
4. The president said, “Work, work,
work,” are the keys to success.

3. Synonyms
 These are words similar in meaning to
important words or phrases that prevent
tedious repetitions.

4. Pronouns
 Words that connect readers to the original
word that the pronouns replace

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 Example of Pronouns used in an actual sentence:

INCORRECT: Rodrigo Duterte is the 16th President

of the Republic of the Philippines. Aside from that,
Rodrigo Duterte also served as Davao City’s Mayor
for a long period of time. Rodrigo Duterte is also
known by the populace as ab adamant leader.

CORRECT: Rodrigo Duterte is the 16th President

of the Republic of the Philippines. Aside from that,
he also served as Davao City’s Mayor for a long
period of time. He is also known by the populace as
an adamant leader.

III. PRACTICE
Here are excerpts or examples from a text. Try
to determine what property of a well written
is presented/used in it. Be specific with your
answer. For example;

Michael took the children with him.

Answer: Coherence and cohesion, Pronouns

1. Central Idea: The Eiffel Tower is divided into three

sections.
Main Points: I. the lowest section of the tower
contains the entrance, a gift shop, and a restaurant.
II. The middle section of the tower
consists of stairs and elevators that
lead to the top.
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 III. The top section of the tower includes
an observation deck with a
spectacular view of Paris.
Answer:_________________________________________________

2. During the early twentieth century, in addition to

industrialization, urban growth and technological
development, Australian society was experiencing
a transformation of the domestic ideal.
Consequently, people were subject to an increasing
array of government and professional programs
aiming to manage and regulate life, particularly
family life. Some of these programs were…
Answer:_________________________________________________

3. This morning was crazy. My alkarm clock was set

for PM instead of AM, so I woke up really late. I just
thres on some clothes and ran out the door. I rode
my bike as fast as I could and thought that I was
going to be late for sure, but when I got there
everyone was outside and there were firetrucks all
lined up in front of the school. I guess somebody
pulled the fire alarm before class started. It worked
out though, because nobody really noticed or
minded that I was tardy.
Answer:_________________________________________________

4. President Rodrigo Duterte was the 16 th President

of the republic of Philippines. He is also the former
Mayor in Davao City for a long time.
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 Answer:_________________________________________________

IV. ENRICHMENT
 Look at the following text about growing
cotton in India. The paragraphs have not been
printed in the correct order. Arrange the paragraphs
in the correct order. Remember that the topic of one
paragraph should follow logically from the topic of
the last paragraph and should lead on to the topic of
the next paragraph.

Pesticide Suicide
Most of the farmers are extremely poor. Attracted by
cheap loans from pesticides traders and the prospect of a
quick buck, they borrowed heavily to raise cotton on
small plots of land.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the crop
losses and destruction in Andhra Pradesh arose from the
repeated application of excessive amounts of chemicals -
a practice actively encouraged by pesticides traders.
The suicide of Samala Mallaiah in Nagara
village grabbed media headlines. He owned one acre of
land, leased two more and grew cotton on all three. After
making a loss in the first year, he leased yet more land in
an attempt to recover. Confronted with falling prices,
mounting debts and pest attacks, he
committed harakiri. ‘Cotton has given us shattered
dreams,’ said one old farmer in Nagara village.
As many as 60,000 small farmers in the region
of Andhra Pradesh, southern India, have taken to farming
cotton instead of food crops. Some 20 of them have
recently committed suicide by eating lethal doses of
pesticide.

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 Whitefly, boll weevils and caterpillars
multiplied and destroyed their crops, despite the
constant application of pesticides. The average yield of
cotton fields in Andhra Pradesh fell by more than half in
just one year. Now the farmers are in no position to
repay the loans or feed their families.
Nearly half the pesticides used in India go into
protecting cotton, the most important commercial crop in
the country. However, pests have shown increased
immunity to a range of pesticides. Last year there were
heavy crop losses due to leaf-curl, which is caused by the
dreaded whitefly. This nondescript, milky-white fly sucks
sap from the cotton leaves, making them curl and dry up.
The fly struck first in Pakistan and north-western India.
Then it turned south.
(New Internationalist, June 1998, p. 13)

V. EVALUATION
 Write an essay about the given topic. You may
need to research the topic in order to respond
with sufficient depth and complexity. 

Title: Addressing Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying involves using technology to harm,
intimidate, and embarrass others. One form of
cyberbullying called “trolling” occurs when anonymous
Internet users intentionally post inflammatory content in
an attempt to provoke and upset other users. While much
effort has been made to counteract bullying in schools, the
online and anonymous nature of cyberbullying makes it
difficult to regulate. Write an essay that explains to your
fellow students ways to counteract cyberbullying.
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 DAY 3
Properties of a Well-Written Text
(Language Use & Mechanics)

Learning Competency:
o Evaluate a written text based on its properties
(organization, coherence and cohesion, language
use and mechanics)

I. MOTIVATION
 Explain this saying, “Words can break a
person’s heart,” in your own understanding.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

II. INSTRUCTION

III. LANGUAGE USE

 Appropriateness of word/vocabulary
usage

Words and phrases one must avoid to use in order

to practice appropriate Language use:
1. Too informal
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 Example:
A bit – The interviews were a bit difficult to
schedule
Alternative: The interviews were
(difficult/somewhat difficult) to
schedule.
2. Too unsophisticated
Example:
Bad – a bad result
Alternative: A (poor/negative) result

3. Too vague
Example:
Stuff – People are concerned about their
stuff.
Alternative: People are concerned about
their (belongings, possessions, personal affects).

4. Other tips
 Jargon (i. e. “insider” terminology that may
be difficult for readers from other fields to
understand)
 Clichés (which are expressions that are
heavily overused, such as think outside of
the box and but at the end of the day)
 Everyday abbreviations (e. g. photos,
fridge, phone, info)
 Slang (e. g. cops, cool)
 Not gender neutral (e. g. firemen,
mankind)
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 III. MECHANICS
 Set of conventions on how to spell,
abbreviate, punctuate, and capitalize
**Avoid contractions and exclamation points (unless part
of a direct quotation).
**Mention the full name before the abbreviation.
**Numbers from 0-10 must be spelled out.

IV. PRACTICE
 Here are excerpts or examples from a text.
Try to determine what property of a well
written is presented/used in it. Be specific
with your answer.

1. ALTERNATIVE: A poor or negative result

Instead of: A bad result
Answer: ___________________________________

2. (Aside from transitions) During the early twentieth

century, in addition to industrialization, urban
growth and technological development, Australian
society was experiencing a transformation of
domestic ideal.
Answer: ___________________________________

3. Incorrect: The value in this variable is used to

determine when to pause during long display
output, such as during a software dump. Its value is
reset each time the ok prompt is displayed.
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 Correct: The value in this variable is used to
determine when to pause during long display
output, such as during a software dump. The
variable’s value is reset each time the ok prompt is
displayed.
Answer: ___________________________________

V. ENRICHMENT
 Capitalization and punctuation are the most
common sentence errors. A capital letter should
always be placed at the beginning of a sentence
and should always begin a proper noun. (i.e. Jose
went to New York City for vacation.) Use commas
in between words in a series, and use a comma in
a compound sentence. Periods should separate
run-on sentences. Finally, apostrophes are used
both for possessives and contractions, but follow
different rules -- let’s see if you remember those!

Each sentence below contains an error pertaining

to either capitalization or punctuation (or both). Circle
the error(s) and rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. We went to the park and brought a basket sandwiches a

ball and dessert for the picnic.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Sara and i were late for school we were caught in a
traffic jam.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. jessica had to go to california for a wedding.

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 ___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

4. The Smith’s went to Disney World Universal Studios

and Magic Kingdom over the weekend.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

DAY 4
VI. EVALUATION
 Create a short well-written paragraph (about
anything) employing the properties of a well-
written text. Your essay will be rated
according to this analytic rubric.
Consequently, use this rubric as a guide when
writing your essay and check it again before
you submit your essay.

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