Properties of a

Well – Written Text

 Organization
Whether it is a journalistic form of writing, a feature article, a letter, a
speech or an academic essay, a good written discourse gets most of its
strength with good organization.
A. Introduction
B. Body
C. Conclusion
Ways to Introduce
Your Topic
 anecdote
This is a short, sometimes humorous
story that nicely illustrates your
subject.
 quote
A famous quote that encapsulates, defines or
describes your subject would be a good start for your
essay or written discourse.

A quote from a famous person would help set the tone

for your essay.
 definition
You can define the topic you are writing about,
using either the objective, scientific definition,
or the more literary subjective definition.
 dialog
A conversation between two people
captures your reader’s attention. This
would also make your essay look
dynamic and more intimate.

A conversation between two people

captures your reader’s attention. This
would also make your essay look
dynamic and more intimate.
 historical background
Interesting tidbits about your subjects origins, or an
event from the past that that has an impact to how
things are now would help provide your readers a
deeper insight about your topic.
 startling statement
Do you know that Philippines is
the texting capital of the
world, surpassing even the
United States of America?

Statements that startle or

If Facebook was a country, it surprise will help pique the
would be the third largest in readers’ interest, encouraging
the whole world with over 500 them to ready your paper
million citizens. further.
Ways to Organize
Your Topic
 thematic
Organize your subject by theme.

Thematic reviews of literature are organized around a topic or an

issue rather than the progression of time.

For instance, an article about the benefits of exercise would have

one section dedicated to the benefits of cardio exercise and
another section would be dedicated to the benefits of strength
training.
 chronological
This works for historical essays, or essays that require a brief
insight into history.

The writer discusses events in chronological order –

depending on the order of how they happened in history.
 reverse chronological
This has the order of the most recent information to the
earliest.

This works best with nostalgia articles.

This can also be used when the writer wants to make an

observation of how things are done now compared to
how they were done in the past.
 sequential
This works best when it comes to
instructional pieces or written works since
they rely on sequential organization to relay
information.

Sequential refers to a series of steps which

should be done in a precise order.

Recipes and processes are examples that

make use of this organizational pattern.
 inductive
In this organizational pattern, data is organized from specific
to general.

This is where the writer discusses specific cases, data and

figures and then, a general picture or an overall view.

This is effective in persuasive essays; the writer comes up with

compelling data before presenting a general observation that
requires specific action.
 deductive
This is the reverse of inductive.

The writer makes a generalization and then comes up with

specific statements and examples.
 spatial
Use of space is one way of organizing
your ideas.

Some writers tend to allocate more

space to more important ideas and
dedicate a few paragraphs to less
important ones.
Strategies in Writing the
Closing of Your Topic
 definition
You can paraphrase the definition of the subject you are
discussing to drive home a point.

Intro: Objective definition of your topic cited from different

sources.
Body: Examples related to your topic
Conclusion: Your own subjective definition of the topic to
encapsulate the contents of your paper.
 summarize
A good summary of the important points during the discussion
of the body would help keep the readers in track, especially
when the paper is more than 10 pages long.

Summarizing helps us identify the most important ideas,

ignore the irrelevant information and how to integrate or use
the central ideas in a meaningful way.
 rhetorical questions
A rhetorical question is a device to place the audience in a
more active role.

Ending with a thought – provoking question leads your readers

to think critically and consider your position or argument.

Key Question: Does the rhetorical question fit the content?

 PURPOSE:

example: To strengthen the argument

To provoke a response

Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North
and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all
mankind?

Will you join in that historic effort? EFFECT:

Readers believe that they, like

everyone else, are obligated to
participate.
 call to action
You can end by encouraging your readers to do something or
taking a more proactive stance on the issue.

This works best with persuasive essays.

The conclusion which contains the call to action is used to

layout and highlight the different actions that are available to
the audience or reader.
 HOMEWORK SHOULD BE BANNED
Most little kids get far too much homework. Our class believes homework should be
banned in primary school.

Firstly, it is well known that kids are not as fit as they should be, Sitting around for hours
doing homework is dreadfully unhealthy. Secondly, kids work hard at school all day so they
need time to relax and refresh their brains. Worrying about homework causes stress for kids
and frustration for parents. Thirdly, homework is hideously difficult to complete for many
kids. Therefore, they need help from the teacher and lots of resources which they cannot get
at home.

In conclusion, we believe that homework (which is really just more schoolwork) should be
done at school or banned entirely.
 Coherence
Coherence is the quality of being logical and consistent in forming a unified
whole.

A text is coherent when the text is readily understandable because there is

a logical flow of ideas.

Coherence can be achieved through a systematic or logical organization of

ideas.
An incoherent essay changes position
halfway through.

It could be written or said by a person

who has a very limited grasp of the
language in which he or she is
speaking.
 Cohesion
Cohesion focuses on the flow of sentences and paragraphs from one
another.

It involves the tying together of old information to the new information.

It is the connectedness of the sentences and it happens when there is a

smooth flow of ideas from one to the next.
 how can we achieve cohesive writing?
1. Repeating key words. Your reader will know at a glance what
the topic is about because of the way you repeat the words.
2. Observing PARALLELISM.
3. Use of consistent Point of View (POV).
A. First Person (I, me, we, etc.)
B. Second Person (You, your)
C. Third Person (he/she, their/them)

4. Use of TRANSITIONAL DEVICES.

Transitional devices are word cues that help
lead the readers on what to expect next.
“and”/”furthermore”/”in addition to” (signals additional information)
“but”/”however” (signals contradicting ideas)
“here”/”there” (signifies location)
“next”/”then” (signals steps in a process)
“today”/”now”/”next month” (signifies time)
“because”/”due to the fact that” (signifies causal connections)
 Language
Language refers to lexical or word choice in a text.

When talking about word choice, we also deal with language register.

Language register is the tone or type of language used in a text.

 levels of language registers
FORMAL:
This is used for academic writing, business correspondences and letters in the
corporate environment.
INFORMAL:
This is best used when writing or communicating with loved ones. Slangs and
colloquialisms are acceptable as are contractions.
Commonly used in pop blogs, entertainment articles or personal letters.
NEUTRAL:
The neutral register is used in journalistic writing and technical writing.
 formal
The stress of trying to prove their worth in just three hours can put quite
a strain on some students. Everyone has heard of at least one student who,
despite their hard work and intellect has become overwhelmed by the
stressful nature of the exam and they failed to write anything. Teenagers
are undergoing major mental development at this stage on their lives and
any stress they feel can cause a lasting problem. This stress can manifest
itself in other areas of students’ lives and cause problems outside the
school. Some students can handle stress better despite not being as able.
This means that exams do not have the intended effect of testing student
knowledge but rather, the students’ ability to handle stress.
 informal
I kick my mother and cause her great pain. But she forgives my
tantrum this one time only. She is all alone in the house, I am
nowhere to be seen yet. My mother’s name is Christina and she is
a trained nurse. She knows what to do when the labor pains
begin. She boils the water and prepares herself, her mat made of
rush. Beside her as she lies down are some scissors, some strips
of clean cloth and a bowl full of water. There is no doctor.
Doctors are for white people. They are a rare luxury.
 neutral
A Misencounter or a Massacre by Jennefer L. Edrozo

Justice! Truth! Filipinos crave and shout for the 44 elite policemen who
were killed in a clash with Moro rebels in Mamasapano. The Filipino
masses, including the family of the fallen heroes and the comrades of
these 44 SAF members mourn as each has been laid to death. For that,
private and government sectors conducted investigations and made
different views and conclusions about the said nefarious incident but
both of them are aiming of unveiling the truth, for the Filipinos inquisitive
minds be answered. Thousands of questions have been thrown to the
authorities that are said to be responsible for the killing in order to get
leads to solving the cases.
 Mechanics

Mechanics involve proper

spelling, capitalization,
punctuation and margins.
• Spell out entire words when writing business letters or
official papers. Avoid contractions (say “cannot” instead of
“can’t”).
• Single digits are often spelled out ( nine instead of 9), while
double-plus digits take on the numerical form ( 20, not
twenty).
• Figurative language and idioms are best for literary, stylistic
writing. Use plain, matter-of-fact words when writing
technical papers.
• Use proper, not stylized spelling in technical papers and official
correspondences, or when making an analytical treatise or
reports.
• Use proper capitalization at all times.
• Make sure that correct spelling of names, addresses, and other
proper nouns is observed.
• Use jargon only when you think that the audience understands
what you are trying to say. Otherwise, stick to plain, neutral
language.