PROPERTIES OF A

WELL-WRITTEN
TEXT
a. organization
b. coherence and cohesion
c. language use
d. mechanics
 PROPERTIES OF A
WELL-WRITTEN
TEXT

1. Text
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.
ORGANIZATION CAN BE
ACHIEVED THROUGH THE
FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES:

 Physical format
 Signal words
 Structure
PHYSICAL FORMAT
 The format is an aspect of the
organization that is immediately
apparent to the reader. It is seen in
how the text physically appears like
headings and subheadings, bullet
points or font emphasis. However,
use this technique with discretion as
improper or superfluous formatting
can be confusing.
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 structure, structures
of power that exist today. Socialism
would be the next rational step for
the development of human society…
EXPLANATION:
The words in bold are the three
most important Marxist theories that
the first sentence is referring to. By
emphasizing 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.
SIGNAL WORDS
are textual cues that readers can use
to follow a text. They can “signal” the
transition from one point to another, the
ordering of events and concepts, or the
writer’s chosen text type (e.g., linear
narration, question and answer).
EXAMPLE:
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.
EXPLANATION:
By using sequential signal words
(first, second, third) before the
beginning of every sentence, the
reader can follow what seems to be
the writer’s list of three reasons why
the novel influences him. The word
thus also signals the conclusion and
the end of the list.
 STRUCTURE
The structure provides the
framework upon which the text is
organized. It consist of the following:

 Beginning: introduction, thesis statement,

hook
 Middle: supporting details
 End: conclusion, summary, final message
EXAMPLE:
Ancient philosophies believe that a person
has an “aura”, this appears as a rainbow of
light around the body that can be seen by
individuals with clairvoyant abilities. The
colours change depending on one’s mood,
health, and thoughts. Some scientists believe
that the existence of the aura has something
to do with the electromagnetic fields
produced by cells and tissues in the human
body. Whether auras are real or not, the fact
remains that there are forces everywhere that
are real even though we cannot see them.
EXPLANATION:
 Beginning: Introduced topic of aura
 Middle: Definition and evidence of
auras
 End: Ending message about forces in
the world by adhering to the structure,
the writer can produce a text that is
still easy to follow. The topic,
supporting details and concluding
messages is still clear to the reader.
 Text organization makes a text easy to
read. It prevents the reader from
becoming confused by a jumbled of
words, sentences, and paragraphs that
are in no particular order.

 Organization can be achieved through the

physical format, signal words, and
structure.
 PROPERTIES OF A
WELL-WRITTEN
TEXT

2. Coherence
and Cohesion
 Coherence and cohesion make your text
easier for your readers to follow and
understand.

 Cohesion is the connection of ideas to the

central concept of a text.

 Coherence is the relationship of ideas

between sentences.

 Both should be presented in your text

because having one without the other will
still create confusion for readers.
COHESION WITHOUT COHERENCE

A text with cohesion has a

central concept or “glue” that hold
all the different ideas together.

Although without coherence, there

is no apparent logic to the way
these ideas are presented. The
writer appears to without a proper
transition from the previous idea.
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 National Artist of
the Philippines in Visual Arts. Did you
know that visual arts have different
forms including architecture, video
and textile?
EXPLANATION
Every sentence is related to the next
sentence in some way. The paragraph stays
on the 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.
COHERENCE WITHOUT COHESION

A text with coherence has

ideas that are logically sequenced
in a way that is easy to follow for
the reader. Although without
cohesion, no central concept links
all these ideas together. The
main point of the text remains
unclear for readers.
EXAMPLE
My favourite painting is “The
Weeping Woman” by Pablo Picasso,
which is an intriguing painting that
symbolizes suffering. As a result, I
love bright primary colors, so I wear a
lot of shocking yellows, blues, and
reds. Also, as an outgoing person, I
enjoy performing for large crowds. In
the end, people should not judge an
artist’s talent based on one standard.
EXPLANATION
Connecting words in the text suggest a
sequence of ideas that the writer wants to
convey. “As a result” implies an effect of the
previous statement while “in the end” indicates
the conclusion. However, the writer jumps from
one topic to another resulting in a lack of
cohesion. For instance, the writer talk about his
or her favourite colors “as a result” of Picasso’s
painting even though they are not connected in
any way. It can be inferred that the choice of the
painting, but the writer does not make this clear.
COHESION AND COHERENCE

A text with both cohesion

and coherence has a central
concept linking all the ideas in
the text, and these ideas are
presented in a logical manner.
The main point is clear, and the
text is easy to follow and
understand.
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.
EXPLANATION
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 form 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.
TIPS: 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.
 PROPERTIES OF A
WELL-WRITTEN
TEXT

3. Language
Use
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
Technical or Highfalutin Words
1. 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 much behaviour that past
societies considered legal but are now
deemed amoral including slavery,
sexism, and racism.
EXPLANATION:
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 “anarchy” (without a government) or
“atypical” (without typical features). One the
other hand, the prefix im – simply means not
such as in “imperfect” (not perfect) or
“impossible” (not possible).
2. WORDS WITH UNWANTED
CONNOTATION.
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.
EXPLANATION:
The words “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 form 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.
3. TECHNICAL AND
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 hard to understand the
texts.
EXAMPLE:
There is an ongoing discourse about
the anti-disestablishment assemblage
and the administrative political body.
EXPLANATION:
The text is complicated because it is
filled with words that are difficult to
understand. If the terms are important to
use, than the writer could define what they
mean. Otherwise, the sentence could be
rewritten simple this way: There is an
ongoing discussion between the opposition
and the government. This sentence still
“sound smart” but it is easier for most
people to understand and it does not
change the meaning of the original
sentence in any way.
Tips: When you use words improperly,
readers are left confused as to what you
are trying to say. So, always choose words
according to their correct definition and
connotation. Also, keep your language as
simple enough to make your text easier for
readers to understand.
 PROPERTIES OF A
WELL-WRITTEN
TEXT

4. 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.
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 of spell
checker.
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.
 I love to paint portraits I would paint
one everyday if I had the time.

 I love to paint portraits. I would paint

one everyday 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.
EXPLANATION
 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
 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.
 Proper Nouns = Alex, Manila
 Proper adjective = Canadian
 Days of the week = Sunday, Monday
 Months of the year = January
 Specific course titles = General Mathematics,
English 101
 Kinship names used in place of personal
names and are followed by personal names =
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Paz, Uncle Alvin
 Adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns, and
pronouns in a title and the first and last
word in a title
= Through the Looking-Glass, and What
Alice Found There (literature)

 Historical periods, events, documents

= Great Depression, The Renaissance,
The Constitution
Mechanics (The following should be observed in
academic and more formal texts.
 Always use standard English
 Avoid contractions (e.g. shouldn’t)
 Avoid exclamation marks unless they are part of a
direct quotation.
 Mention the full name of the institution or
organization with the abbreviation in parenthesis,
in first mention. Thereafter, use the abbreviation.
 Numbers from zero to ten should be spelled out
while numbers higher than ten should be written
in figures.
 Generally, citations are used in academic and
formal texts. However, they are sparingly used in
business texts.
KEY POINTS
 Informal language is used in writing for oneself
and to family, friends, and colleagues, while
formal language is used in writing academic,
business, and official texts.
 Using simple, direct, and familiar language rather
that choosing complicated words would make text
easier to understand.
 Using unbiased language could prevent offending
any individual or any particular group of people.
 Mechanics are conventions that have to be
considered in writing. Some of these conventions
are punctuation, capitalization and spelling.