10

ENGLISH
Quarter 4 – Module 4:
Relative Clause in Making
Definitions

Department of Education
1 - MIMAROPA Region

1
 What I Need to Know

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. recognize the patterns of a formal definition;

2. define concepts and terms using patterns of definition correctly; and

3. use a relative clause in making definitions.

What I Know

Directions: Read the paragraph below and identify the components of the
expanded definition. Write them on the space provided.

Modem
The word modem is actually short for Modulator/ Demodulator.
(There’s something you can really impress your friends with). A modem is
a communications device that can be either internal or external to your
computer. It allows one computer to connect another computer and
transfer data over telephone lines. The original dial-up modems are
becoming obsolete because of their slow speeds and are being replaced by
the much faster cable and DSL (digital subscriber line) modems.
Source: Techterms.com

1. the term being defined:

______________________________________________________

2. the class it belongs:

______________________________________________________

3. its distinguishing characteristics:

____________________________________________

2
4. the other parts of the definition:
______________________________________________

5. Write your expanded definition by referring to what you have written in

numbers 1 to 4.

Lesson
1 Using Relative Clause in Making Definitions

One way to improve your vocabulary skills is to learn about writing

definitions of terms and concepts. In some instances, you need to define a
concept, an idea, or any term in a writing task because this will be very helpful
especially to your audience, the listeners, or readers of a paper you are writing.
One way of defining a term is through a formal definition.

Read on and do the activities that follow to find the answers.

What’s In

Directions: Read the conversation/dialogue between the father and his two
sons below. Then, answer the questions that follow in your
notebook.

Dad, I have heard of this word called pandemic. What does that
Patrick:
mean?

A pandemic is an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very

Father:
wide area crossing international boundaries affecting large people.

Thanks, Dad. You said it is an epidemic, what is the difference

Patrick:
between a pandemic and an epidemic?

Well, a disease that affects a large number of people within a

Father:
community, population, or region is called an epidemic. For

3
 example, COVID -19 was limited to Wuhan, China. The

geographical spread makes it a pandemic. From the word itself, it

starts with a “P” which means it has a passport. It is an epidemic

that travels.

Dad, I’ve read from an online article that Malaria is endemic to

certain regions in Africa because mosquitoes in those areas carry

Sean:
dengue fever.

Yes, that’s true. The disease that is constantly present in a certain

location belonging to a particular people or country is called

Father:
endemic.

But I remember, Romblon had a dengue fever outbreak last year?

Patrick:
What does the word outbreak mean?

An endemic can lead to an outbreak because it can happen

everywhere.

For example, a dengue-infected person visited our island and is

bitten by mosquitoes here. The insects then transferred the

Father:
disease to other individuals they bit, which created an outbreak.

In other words, an outbreak is a greater than anticipated increase

in the number of endemic cases in a new area. If it is not quickly

controlled, an outbreak can become an epidemic.

Oh, these terms are very much related to one another. Now I see
Patrick:
why it’s so easy to be confused about these terms.

4
 You see, Patrick? I’m glad our dad is a doctor; he knows all these

things like a scientist. Hope we can share these ideas with our
Sean:
classmates.

Hahaha! You too can learn those things, my sons. Read more

books. They can teach you a lot especially now that you are on

modular learning due to Covid-19. Just a reminder, please do not

Dad:
forget to follow a system of rules that explain the correct conduct

and procedures called protocol to make you safe. Have fun!

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the father and sons talk about?

2. How did the father explain those terms to his children?

3. What was the definition of each term?

4. Why is it very necessary to read books?

5. Which among the crises mentioned in the dialogue did you

experience already? How did you and your family keep
yourselves safe?

5
 What’s New

Definition is common in scientific writing. It explains a term by giving

explanatory examples of its use. It answers the questions:

What is it? What does it mean? What are its special features? The word to
be defined may be an object, a concept, a person, a place, or a phenomenon.
Terms can be defined formally or informally, depending on your purpose,
your audience, and the context. A formal definition is a form of
classification. You define a term by placing it in a category and then
identifying features that distinguish it from other members of the same
group.

Definition takes one of these patterns:

Pattern 1

Term = Class or Genus + differentiae or distinguishing

characteristics

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

is that

A is B of C

is for

A definition by classification contains three parts:

C. Lastly, you need to find the differences of the term from the general
class to communicate the exact meaning of the term.
D. Write the definition following this way:
A phenomenon is a scientific usage that identifies an event.

w
hich is observable.
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
term linking class differentiation
verb(singular)
Other examples:
6
1. Psychology is the study of human behavior.
Pattern 2

Class + differentia or = Term

distinguishing

characteristics

of is called

B that C is called A

who is

A doctor who specializes in diseases is a pathologist.

class differentia term

The science that deals with meaning in language is called semantics.

class differentia term

Examples:

The study of human behavior is called psychology.

class differentiae term

The science that deals with meaning in language is called semantics.

class differentiae term

A doctor who specializes in diseases is a pathologist.

class differentiae term

IMPORTANT RULES IN WRITING DEFINITIONS

Defining vs. Non-Defining Relative Clauses
When relative pronouns are used to add descriptive information, that
information is either defining or non-defining. A defining clause- also known
as restrictive clause – gives essential information about the noun in question.
It is so important that it cannot be omitted out of the sentence and
still convey the intended meaning. We use defining relative clauses to give
essential information about someone or something- information that we
need in order to understand what or7 who is being referred to. A defining
relative clause usually comes immediately after the noun it describes.
2. Relative pronoun ‘that’ is used to describe an object or other non-
human being.
Term : Ventilator
Class : a machine
Differentiae: that moves breathable air into and out of the lungs of
a patient who is unable to breath
Here’s how to write the definition:
A ventilator is a machine that moves breathable air into and out of
the lungs of a patient who is unable to breath.
In this example, the relative pronoun ‘that’ is used to introduce
a clause to refer a thing – machine is an object telling what
ventilator is.
3. Relative pronoun ‘which’ is used to introduce a non-defining clause or
a clause that adds information but isn’t essential to the sentence ‘s over-
all meaning. This clause could be deleted and the sentence would
convey basically the same information. Let us try to write a definition
based on the information below:
Term: Botany
Class: a science
Differentiae: which deals with the study of plants
Botany is a science, which deals with the study of plants.
In this example, the relative pronoun ‘which’ is used to introduce
a non-defining clause. “Botany is a science” is a sentence itself so
even if you will omit the clause - which deals with the study of plants,
the sentence’s thought can still be understood.
Knowing how relative pronouns work in a sentence will help you add
important descriptive information in the form of relative clauses. Once
you understand how they work; you’ll be able to decide whether your
information is defining or non-defining. Choose the appropriate relative
pronouns and punctuation to lead your readers to a deeper
understanding of your meaning.

8
 What Is It

Directions: Read the statements below and identify which pattern is used.
Write Pattern 1 or Pattern 2 on the blank for your answer.

_________1. A pandemic is an epidemic that occurs worldwide, or over

a wide area crossing international boundaries affecting
large people.

_________2. A disease that affects a large number of people within a

community, population, or region is called an epidemic.

_________3. The disease that is constantly present in a certain location

belonging to a particular people or country is called an
endemic.

_________4. An outbreak is a greater-than anticipated increase in the

number of endemic cases.

_________5. A system of rules that explain the correct conduct and

procedures to be followed in formal situations is called the
protocol.

What’s More
Directions: Write a definition of the underlined word/words in each item
by using the other two (2) keywords given. You may follow
one of the patterns below.
Examples:
Paleontology – science − life forms in geological periods
Pattern 1 - Paleontology is the science that studies life
forms in geological periods.
or Paleontology is the science of life forms in
geological periods.
Pattern 2 - The science that studies life forms in
geological periods is called paleontology.
or The science of life forms in geological
periods is known as paleontology.
1. novelist – a person − who writes fictional novels

2. sonnet – lyric poem − that has 14 lines

9
 3. thesis statement − sentence – that states the main idea

4. botany – a science – deals with the study of plants

5. an acapella – choral music − sung without musical accompaniment

What I Have Learned

Definition is important because it clarifies the meaning of a word or a

concept and it also limits the scope of that particular word or concept to
avoid misinterpretations and vague notions.
There are different techniques for defining. The most common is the
formal definition that consists of three parts: a term to be defined, the class,
where the word/term belongs (the genus), and the characteristics that
distinguished the term from other terms, known as the differentia.
There are two patterns in writing a formal definition.
Pattern 1: Term = Class or Genus + differentia or distinguishing
characteristics
Pattern 2: Class = differentia or distinguishing characteristic + term

Note: In defining words, one must observe subject-verb agreement rules.

What I Can Do

Directions: Read the definitions of concepts in the following sentences, then

complete the table that follows. The first one is done for you.
1. Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships between
side lengths and angles of triangles.
2. The set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and
words in a natural language is called grammar.

10
3. A pluviophile is a person who loves the sound of rain or feels joy and peace
on rainy days.
4. An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to
showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events.
5. Marble is a hard, crystalline metamorphic form of limestone, typically white
that ranges from granular to compact texture used in architecture and
sculpture.
6. An editorial is a journalistic piece of writing which is designed to inform,
entertain, and influence the readers.

Term Class Differentiation

1. Trigonometry branch of that studies relationships between
mathematics side lengths and angles of triangles
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What I Can Do On My Own

Directions: In Column A are the terms and classes. In Column B are

the different distinguishing characteristics. Match A with
B using letters only. Write your answers in your quiz
notebook.

A B
1. Aeronautics is the science a. that uses solo voices with
an instrumental
accompaniment.

2. Bibliography is a list of books b. that involves the use of

or documents someone else’s ideas, words or
thoughts as your own without
giving credit to the original
author.

11
3. A cantata is a choral work c. who provides primary vision
care.

4. Energy is the capacity d. that facilitates the sharing of

ideas, thoughts
and information through
virtual networks and
communities.

5. Geometry is the branch of e. for sustained physical and

mathematics mental activity.

6. Linguist is a person f. relevant for a particular subject

or author used when writing
a scholarly article or paper.

7. An optometrist is a health g. concerned with the properties

care professional and relations of points, lines,
surfaces, solids, and higher
dimensional analogs.

8. Plagiarism is a type h. that take place over the

of cheating internet using integrated
chat tools, audio and video
and application sharing.

9. Social media is a i. who studies linguistics

computer-based technology

10. Virtual meeting is real j. of travel through the air.

time interactions
k. which introduces
the concert.

12
 What I Can Do More

Directions: Do a simple research about the following list of things and concepts
and complete the table that follows. After completing the table
with pertinent information, on the space provided, write the formal
definition of each of the items in the list.

Term Class Differentiation

1. recycling

2. plastic materials

3. biodegradable
substances

4. hibernation

5. an ecologist

Write your definitions here:

1. recycling process
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. plastic materials
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
3. biodegradable substances
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
4. hibernation
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
5. an ecologist
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

13