Prayer

Policeman
Policewoman
POETESS/ POET

Poetes
s
Steward/Stewardess
waitress
waiter
Police Officer Author/Writer

Flight Attendant

Waitron
LANGUAGE USE
►
language affects the
readers intellectually and
emotionally.
There are six main characteristics of
effective language:
►(1) concrete and specific, not vague and abstract;
► (2) concise, not verbose;
►(3) familiar, not obscure;
►(4) precise and clear, not inaccurate or
ambiguous;
►(5) constructive, not destructive; and
►(6) appropriately formal.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2
We asked the secretary We requested that the
to call the professor and secretary contact the
get her permission to professor and obtain her
continue our research. permission to continue
our research.
Formal vs. informal language

INFORMAL LANGUAGE is used in

writing personal texts for family,
friends, and colleagues. On the
other hand, FORMAL LANGUAGE is
used in writing academic, business,
and official texts.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
Dear Ms. Cruz,
Greetings!
This is to report about our
meeting with Mega Corporation in
Singapore. It went as planned. The
company has decided to accept
our offer. The client’s
representative will be meeting you
once she returns from her other
business meeting. I will be sending
a comprehensive report about the
agreements in a separate e-mail.
Respectfully yours,
Maria Santos
Nancy,
It’s a great day here in
Singapore! The meeting with
Mega Corporation has just
ended. It went so well that
they accepted our offer. I
can’t believe it! The
company rep will meet you
when she’s done with her
other meeting. I still have a
lot of things to tell you. Will
be sending a report soon.
Maria
FAMILIAR, DIRECT, SIMPLE LANGUAGE vs.
COMPLICATED LANGUAGE
1. She had fever last night; 1. She contracted pyrexia
that is why she could not go during the nocturnal hours,
to school today. so she was not able to
attend to her academic
obligations today.

2. Submit your papers

tomorrow. 2. Make sure you have your
papers with you the next
time we meet.
BIASED versus UNBIASED LANGUAGE
POINTS TO CONSIDER IN USING UNBIASED
LANGUAGE
1. Use names or labels that individual or groups
choose for themselves. Therefore, you must carefully
assess your audience.
Example: The local school has accepted half-breeds
for years now to increase its population.

Note: Half-breed is an offensive word for a person

whose parents are of different races. A more polite
expression is “a person of mixed race.”
2. Do not mention group membership unnecessarily.
If a person’s affiliation is not relevant to your
writing, do not mention it.
Example: The Asian first-grade English teacher
gave fewer assignments than my second grade
English teacher did.

Note: The use of the qualifier “Asian” is not

necessary in the comparison of the two teachers. It
suggests racial bias.
3. Be aware of words that certain groups of people
find negative or offensive and avoid using them in
writing.
Example: The government has opened a new clinic
for the disabled.

Note: The word “disabled” should be used as an

adjective rather than a noun.
UNBIASED LANGUAGE : The Gender-
Neutral Language

►Equality between genders

The Gender-Neutral Language

► Each intern should record ► Each intern should record

daily what he learns in the daily what he or she
workplace. learns in the workplace.

► More unmarried women ► More unmarried couples

than ever before are than ever before are
having babies. having babies.
The Gender-Neutral Language

►Now, more than ever, ►Now, more than ever,

mankind needs to take people need to take
care of the Earth as it care of the Earth as it
is slowly dying. is slowly dying.
SEXIST LANGUAGE

►is language that excludes either men or women

when discussing a topic that is applicable to both
sexes.
►using the word man to refer to humanity, and
using titles like Congressman and fireman.
►Another common error that shows gender bias is
assuming that the subject of all sentences is
male. 
Example:

►"Each student chose his

own topic for his term
paper,“. 
Men are the
norm and
Women the
"other."
Reasons to Avoid Sexist Language

► Sexist language encourages discrimination and can

discourage people from pursuing their dreams.
► Sexist language also offends people when they find
themselves excluded.
► If you are using language that is offensive to half of your
audience, you will not get your message across.
► People will not be receptive to your arguments if they are
aggrieved by your use of exclusively masculine pronouns.
How to Avoid Sexist Language

► Rework sentences in the plural to avoid gendered

pronouns and possessive adjectives. This will create
smoother and more grammatically correct prose than
using a plural pronoun with a singular subject.
(Sexist: Each student makes up his own schedule.
Grammatically incorrect: Each student makes up their
own schedule. Gender-neutral and grammatically
correct: Students make up their own schedules.)
Avoid using sexist language such as:
AVOID USE INSTEAD…
ACTRESS ACTOR
ANCHORMAN ANCHOR
ALL FORMS OF ALUMNUS/A ALUM/GRAD
ALUMNI/ AE ALUMS/GRADS
BUSINESSMAN BUSINESSPERSON
COED STUDENT
FOREFATHERS ANCESTORS
FOREMAN SUPERVISOR
MAILMAN MAIL CARRIER/LIASON
MALE NURSE NURSE
MAN PERSON, PEOPLE
MANAGERS AND THEIR WIVES MANAGERS AND THEIR SPOUSES
MANKIND HUMANITY
POETESS POET
ORGANIZATION
►The organization of a
text is essential to the
meaning it conveys.
 I. The Main and Supporting Ideas in
a Paragraph
►The main idea of a paragraph is stated
in the topic sentence, which can be
found in the beginning, middle, or end
of the paragraph. Then the supporting
ideas are explained by the other
sentences in the paragraph.
 The Keys to Physical Fitness
Many people are unrealistic about what it takes to become
physically fit. They try fad diets, infomercial exercise programs
and miracle fat burning supplements without success while
ignoring the real steps to fitness. The first step is strength
training. Strength training builds muscle which helps increase
energy levels and improve posture. In addition to building
muscle strength through strength training, regular
cardiovascular exercise such as running, walking or cycling is
essential. Cardiovascular training burns fat and strengthens the
heart. But regular exercise will only be effective if people pay
attention to diet and nutrition. A diet that avoids sugars, junk
foods, and high fat meals and is high in fruits, grains and low
fat meats will provide the body with the energy it needs
without weight gain. As much as we might wish it, the “secret”
of physical fitness can’t be found in a bottle. It’s a matter of
regular exercise and good eating habits .
Which of the following
sentences is the topic
sentence?

How about the supporting

details?
The Keys to Physical Fitness
Many people are unrealistic about what it takes to become
physically fit. They try fad diets, infomercial exercise programs
and miracle fat burning supplements without success while
ignoring the real steps to fitness. The first step is strength
training. Strength training builds muscle which helps increase
energy levels and improve posture. In addition to building muscle
strength through strength training, regular cardiovascular exercise
such as running, walking or cycling is essential. Cardiovascular
training burns fat and strengthens the heart. But regular exercise
will only be effective if people pay attention to diet and nutrition.
A diet that avoids sugars, junk foods, and high fat meals and is
high in fruits, grains and low fat meats will provide the body with
the energy it needs without weight gain. As much as we might
wish it, the “secret” of physical fitness can’t be found in a bottle.
It’s a matter of regular exercise and good eating habits.
Time to Get Tough with Drunk Drivers
It’s time for the courts to pay more attention to drunk
drivers. Often even repeat offenders get small fines when
caught driving with alcohol levels above the legal limit. But,
drunk driving is a serious crime and should be treated as
such. Drunk drivers cause most serious accidents, but all
situations involving drunk drivers have the potential for
serious consequences. Drunk drivers threaten the safety of
everyone on the road; cars are weapons, and drunk driving is
a form of assault. People should be responsible for their
actions, and if they choose to drink and drive then they
should pay the price. Often the victims of accidents caused
by drunk drivers suffer long after these drivers have “paid
their debt to society.” The law should be changed so that all
cases of drinking and driving would result in jail time and
vehicles would be confiscated. Then perhaps more people
would think twice about drinking and driving.
Which of the following
sentences is the topic
sentence?

How about the supporting

details?
 Time to Get Tough with Drunk Drivers
It’s time for the courts to pay more attention to drunk
drivers. Often even repeat offenders get small fines when
caught driving with alcohol levels above the legal limit. But,
drunk driving is a serious crime and should be treated as
such. Drunk drivers cause most serious accidents, but all
situations involving drunk drivers have the potential for
serious The law should be changed so that all cases of
drinking and consequences. Drunk drivers threaten the
safety of everyone on the road; cars are weapons, and drunk
driving is a form of assault. People should be responsible for
their actions, and if they choose to drink and drive then they
should pay the price. Often the victims of accidents caused
by drunk drivers suffer long after these drivers have “paid
their debt to society.” driving would result in jail time and
vehicles would be confiscated. Then perhaps more people
would think twice about drinking and driving.
II. Cohesion in a Paragraph

►Cohesion refers to the unity of ideas in a

paragraph. Every supporting detail in a
paragraph supports the main idea (the topic
sentence)
III. Coherence in a Paragraph

►Coherence is the quality of being

logical and well organized. The details
of a coherent paragraph follow a
certain logical order; the connections
between the ideas are reinforced by
transitional devices.
Below are some logical orders used to
achieve coherence:
► Chronological order – This gives a sequence of events. In
this order, the writer tells what happened first, second,
third, and so on.
► Spatial order – In this order, the details are arranged
according to how things fit together in physical space—
that is, where one thing exists in relation to another. This
order works well when a writer wishes to create a mental
picture of something which has various parts distinguished
by physical location.
► Order of importance – In this order, the details are
arranged from the least important idea to the most
important one, or vice versa
Below are some logical orders used to
achieve coherence:
► Compare and contrast – In this order, the details are
arranged according to how two or more things are similar
to and different from one another. It is an effective
pattern to use when the reader can better understand a
subject when it is described in relation to another.
► Topical order – This is the most commonly used format. It
will typically work when the other patterns do not. In this
order, the details are arranged according to different
subtopics within a larger topic, or the “types” of things
that fall within a larger category. Using this pattern, each
“type” represents a main section of information.
 My First Apartment
My first apartment was a third floor walk-up on a busy street in
downtown Vancouver. The building was a faded brown characterless
box. My apartment was down a dimly-lit narrow hallway covered in
worn fifties style dark green carpeting. When I say apartment, I really
mean room, because there was just one small square room with a
tiny bathroom. The air was humid and musty. One small window
provided a perfect view of the brown stucco wall of the building next
door. A small “avocado” colored stove and fridge highlighted the
kitchen which consisted of a few shabby painted wood cupboards that
projected into the room. Along one wall was an older pale blue sofa,
which was also my bed. A small red card table with two chairs served
as my kitchen and dining room table. A few feet away, several large
cardboard moving boxes contained all of my clothes and personal
possessions. The one bright spot was a large poster of a winter
mountain scene which I had hung on the dull gray wall. It helped me
survive the eight months I called this dump home.
How does it become coherent?
►The paragraph above uses the spatial
order. The narrator’s first apartment,
the physical space, is described in
terms of its location and parts.
 My New Career
The morning of my big job interview started like any
other. I awoke with a good night’s sleep under my belt
determined and confident in getting a new job as an
assistant for Williams Moving and Storage. The night before
the interview, I practiced moving the furniture from one end
of the house to the other. My roommates thought I was
crazy. Arising from bed, I felt stronger, like a rodeo bull
waiting to get out of his cage. Sitting at the kitchen table
eating, I started looking at the furniture around me in a new
light. The hide-a-bed in the living room was a 300 pound
finger-eating monster opening and closing snapping at me.
Looking out onto the covered patio, the wicker furniture was
floating, almost drifting by itself to the front door. Then and
there I knew that moving furniture was my calling. Walking
to the front door, I gave the hide-a-bed a good stiff kick.
►The paragraph above uses the
chronological order. It gives a
sequence of events that revolve
around the narrator’s big job
interview.
IV. The Structure of a Text

►Together, cohesion and coherence in paragraphs

make a well-written text. With such qualities,
the structure of an entire text becomes clear.
The typical structure of a text is
composed of :
Introduction
This part prepares the readers for the
information that they are about to read from
the text. It provides the necessary context or
background about the topic of the text.
This part usually contains the thesis
statement, a sentence that states the main
idea or focus of the entire text.
This part arouses the reader’s interest and
sets the tone of the writer.
 Body
This part develops the thesis statement.
It gives examples, details, facts, or
reasons to support the statement.