PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT

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, Unity, Language Use, and Mechanics.
The first line of a paragraph is usually indented. This indentation of a paragraph indicates where the paragraph begins.
Remember that you must capitalize the first word in each sentence and end each sentence with a punctuation mark, most
often a period (.)
Parts of Paragraph
1. Introduction is the first section of a paragraph; it should include the topic sentence and any other sentences at
the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a transition.
2. Body follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments, analysis, examples, or
other information.
3. Conclusion is the final section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body
of the paragraphs and the paragraph's controlling idea.
Types of Sentence in a Paragraph
1. Topic Sentence this states the main topic of the paragraph and the controlling idea When writing the topic
sentence, try to state the main point of the paragraph ad clearly and as accurately as possible. Do not make the
topic sentence too general or too specific.
Too general
Studying overseas was deemed to be very difficult.
Too specific
Studying overseas was deemed to be very difficult for 63% of the people surveyed who cited a range of
difficulties including homesickness, loneliness, difficulty making foreign friends, changes to diet, health
problems, weight gain and difficulties with money and jobs.
Better
Studying overseas was deemed to be very difficult for 63% of the people surveyed due to the impacts of
culture shock, financial concerns and health concerns.

2. Supporting Sentences develop the topic sentence. Supporting details should be drawn from a variety of sources
and based on research, experiences, etc. plus the writer's own analysis. Using a combination of different supports
is the most common and effective way to strengthen the paragraph.

3. Concluding Sentence signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader with important points to remember,
but is often unnecessary.
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 in each of them:
1. Chronological Order - first, second, later, before, next, as soon as, after, then, finally, meanwhile, following,
last, during, in, on, until
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
Note: When ideas are organized well, a text can achieve Coherence, Cohesion, and Unity.
Coherence – occurs when ideas are connected at the conceptual level
Cohesion – connection of ideas at the sentence level
Unity – achieved when a composition contains one focused idea

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 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 every time
we wanted to refer to them, the text would be very tedious to read.
Techniques to improve paragraph cohesion:
1. 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
2. Repetition -In Sentence B, repeat a word from sentence A.
3. Synonymy -If direct repetition is too obvious, use a synonym of the word you wish to repeat. This strategy is
called ‘elegant variation.'
4. Antonym -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.
5. Pro-forms -Use a pronoun, pro-verb, or another pro-form to make explicit reference back to a form mentioned
earlier.
6. Collocation -Use a commonly paired or expected or highly probable word to connect one sentence to another.
7. 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.
8. 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 cohesive

"My favorite color is blue. I'm calm and relaxed. In the summer I lie on the grass and look up."

Cohesive but not coherent

“My favorite color is blue. Blue sports cars go very fast. Driving in 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 cohesive

"My favorite color is blue. I like it because it is calming and it relaxes 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."

UNITY is oneness of ideas all pertaining to the theme or the topic sentence. It is achieved when a composition is
focused on one idea. In a unified text, all supporting ideas are relevant to the main thought. Without unity, text will be
confusing.

LANGUAGE USE is one of the clearest indicators of a well written text. It enables writers to effectively communicate
ideas without confusing the reader.
An effective language is: Specific, Concise, Familiar, Correct, and Appropriate
Levels of in Language Use

1. Informal/Personal - slang, local expressions, text messaging (Hey, Bes, OTW, OOTD)

2. Standard/Academic - widely accepted words and phrases found in books, magazines, andnewspapers
Note to a professor:
I missed last night’s class and will e-mail my paper later.
The problem was on garbage management as it greatly affects the students who are occupying the SJH
Blg.3.

3. Business/Technical - scientific terms, jargons, and special expressions

Psychiatrist’s report: “Dissociative rage order is not indicated by the ER assessment.”

Principles in Language Use/ Diction

1. Use clear and concise sentences, usually about 18 words long.
2. Avoid redundancies, clichés wordiness, and highfalutin
3. Although may be used, avoid overusing “There” and “It”, drop it
4. Use precise vocabulary. Be accurate. Condensed.
5. Be consistent in pronoun POV
6. Avoid sexist language.
7. Use appropriate level of formality
MECHANICS focuses on the technicalities of the structure. It determines errors on subject-verb agreement, prepositions,
tenses, the grammar, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations and acronyms, the use of numbers as part of the statement, and
the punctuation marks.
 Spelling “They have everything needed to succeed—
 Capitalization ideas, money, and marketing.”
 Abbreviation and Acronyms
11. SLASH (/) to separate words or to show alternatives
 Numbers
(he/she)
 Punctuation Marks
 Gramma 12. SEMICOLON (;) to join independent clauses when
and, or, yet, but, or so are not present, to separate items
Punctuation Marks
in a series that contains commas
1. PERIOD (.) used after sentences, in abbreviations, and
“The governor will meet with Rey Simon, the
as decimals
mayor of Concepcion; Bert Vesca, the vice
2. EXCLAMATION POINT (!) placed at the emphatic mayor; and Peter Cayabyab.”
or forceful sentences
13. ELLIPSIS (. . . ) to indicate that words have been
3. QUESTION MARK (?) placed at the end of a deleted from quoted material
question and to note questionable items
Original text: The mayor said, “Our city,
4. QUOTATION MARKS (“ ”) to indicate direct which is one of the country’s most progressive,
quotations- for titles of poems, short stories, chapters, deserves a high-tech light-rail system.”
essays, songs, episodes of television shows With Ellipsis: The mayor said, “Our city
. . . deserves a high-tech light-rail system.”
5. APOSTROPHE (’) to show possession (Angel’s bag),
14. COMMA (,) to signal pauses and shifts in
to show missing letters and number (you’re, ’95), to
sentences, used with and, or, so, but, yet to join
show plurals of letters (I got all A’s last semester.)
independent clauses
6.COLON (:) after independent clauses to introduce “Chinatown is a popular tourist attraction, and it
elements. Also used serves as an important cultural center.”
to separate items in numerals, ratios, titles and subtitles, t
ime references, scripture references
“The coach demanded three things from
his players: loyalty, devotion, and teamwork.”
7. PARENTHESES () to set off nonessential details and
explanations, to enclose letters and numbers used when
listing items, first-time use of acronym
8. BRACKETS [ ] to set off clarifications inserted in
quotations
Eric observed, “I think [Rodrigo] Duterte was the
greatest president.”
9.HYPHEN (-) to separate or join words
We saw her on tele-vision last night.
Never pay a higher-than-average price.
10. DASH ( -- ) to show sudden break of thought
“Ted was angry after his car was stolen—who wouldn’t
be?”/ to set off an introduction to a series
General Principles

 Always use standard English

 Avoid Contraction (shouldn't, gonna)
 Avoid exclamation marks unless part of a quotation
 Mention full name in first mention. Thereafter, use abbreviations.
 Numbers zero to ten vs 11 and so on
 Citations are used in academic and formal texts but sparingly used in business texts
CLAIM
A claim is a statement that is not considered accepted by all. It may be unverified or controversial to a certain degree.
It is usually related to one side of the issue. Claim is also called a position. A claim is argumentative and specific.
Types of Claims
1. Claim of Fact (COF) relate to statements that can be easily verified and not dependent on a person’s preference.
It also asserts that a condition has existed, is existing, or will exist and are based on facts or data.

 *Facts that are universally accepted are not considered claim of fact but instead a statement of fact

 Claims of fact are often qualified by such terms as generally, probably, or as a rule. And, to verify
whether these statements are claim of fact or not, ask these questions: Is it debatable? Is it verifiable?
Is it specific? Can it be solve objectively?

Claim of Fact Statement of Fact

 Earth is warming rapidly.  Typhoon Carina intensifies its speed and rain
volume.
 Probably, other international Courts will  The first Philippine Mindanaoan President is
side the Philippines too. Duterte.
 Generally, obesity causes health  Death is inevitable.
problems.
 Probably, aliens exist.  Neil Armstrong was the first man to step foot
on the moon.
 Probably, Santa Claus is real.
2. Claim of Value (COV) involves judgments and evaluations. It judges whether something is good/bad,
right/wrong, just/unjust, ethical/non-ethical, etc. We judge the worth of something. It attempts to prove that
some things are more or less desirable than others. Some claims of value are simply expressions of taste,
preferences, and prejudices. The most important in proving claim of value is by establishing standards
of evaluation.

Claim of Value
 It is wrong to make noise when someone is speaking.
 Gay marriage is immoral.
 It is better to be feared than loved.
 Cheating is not good.
 No ID rule is a good idea.
 Buying a house is a lot better than building it.
3. Claim of Policy (COP)
Advocates a specific course of action. It asserts that specific policies should be instituted as solutions to
problems.

 Claims of policy argue that certain conditions should exist. Almost always "should" or "ought to" or
"must" are included in this claim.
Claim of Policy
 The mayor should suspend the classes today.
 I should vote for Duterte.
 You must send your children to private schools.
 The government should legalize medicinal marijuana.
 The Boy Scouts should not have to include gay scout leaders.
 Local Malls should provide more parking spaces.

Check this out!

Claim of Fact Claim of Value Claim of Policy

Generally, Facebook received Facebook is better than Twitter Facebook must be doing well
most visits than Twitter and and Instagram. considering the number of
Instagram. visitors it has everyday.

debatable, verifiable, specific, Requires a “standard” to verify Suggests a solution or a policy

objective

Learning check up!

Read and identify the types of claims used in each statement.

1. The use of civil disobedience during the Civil Rights struggle was reasonable, moral, and necessary.
2. The private ownership of automatic and semi-automatic weapons in the United States should be banned.
3. The possibility of an asteroid or meteor hitting Earth is great enough that the Federal government should be
finding plans to prevent it.
4. The death penalty as used in the United States is ineffective and impractical.
5. The death penalty as applied in the United States is immoral.
6. Recovered memory should be disallowed as evidence in American courts.
7. Opera is not as entertaining as musical comedy.
8. Generally, public secondary schools in America are not adequately preparing students for college.
9. Fetal tissue research should not be funded by the United States government.
10. Fetal tissue research is wrong.
CONTEXT OF TEXT DEVELOPMENT: INTERTEXT & HYPERTEXT

INTERTEXT refers to the shaping of the text meaning byreferencing or calling to mind other texts as it aims
to addmeaning to the current text.
 In intertextuality, the readers get to understand the piecethrough parallel plot, characters, premise, etc
with the wealth of the prior knowledge, experience, and research.

Types of Intertextuality

1. Quotation - it is the actual insertion of a text within another

2. Travesty - is a practice of imitation an original text
a) Pastiche - rewriting of some ‘noble’ text as a new text that retains the fundamental content but
presents it in another style in order to ‘debase’ it.
b) Parody - retaining the stylistic properties of the original text while diverting its subject
3. Copy - it is a performance that aims at being closest possible imitation of a pre-existent, usually
recorded performance
4. Covering - it is a rendering a previously recorded song that displays the usual stylistic configurations of the
covering artist.
5. Translation - it is a creation of new text from a text of different language
6. Reply - an answer to the original text
7. Instrumental Cover - Instrumental/allosonic rendering of a previously recorded song where the main vocal
line has been replaced by an instrumental melodic line.
8. Instrumental remix: a remix of the original song from which the leading voice has simply been removed.
HYPERTEXT is characterized by external links embedded in text by the writer as it enables the reader to arrive
at the intended interpretation of the author.
 In online medium, hypertexts are the embedded links; while in print media, these are the commentaries
or footnotes in the margin.

Prepared by: Mrs. Amstrada P. Tinte

SHS Teacher II