Reading and Writing Skills

Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 3 – RW Subject Teacher:

PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

At the end of this module, the student will be able to:

a. Distinguish between and among patterns of development in writing across discipline-
narration, description, definition, cause and effect, comparison and contrast and
problem-solution;
b. determine the appropriate pattern for a particular topic to write; and
c. understand that the most effective compositions are combinations of patterns used
appropriately for certain purposes.

A pattern of development in writing refers to the particular strategy writers use to

develop ideas. In this lesson, we are going to discuss six patterns of development namely:
narration, description, definition, comparison and contrast, cause and effect and problem-
solution.

NARRATION

It is the most basic pattern of development. It is simply telling a story from a point of
view of a person who is describing what, when and where something happened. Narration
can be found in various types of literature such as plays, short stories, novels.

Example:

“It was late spring the last time we saw Ross. He was standing at the edge of a hill,
and he never so much as looked up even though we were sure he knew we were
there. There was a bunch of flowers clutched to his fist, but there really was no
reason for him to be standing there. We knew that Carrie wasn’t coming to see
him. But he stood there anyway, waiting even if the afternoon sunlight deepened
towards the evening”.

A. COMPONENTS THAT BUILD UP A STORY

1. Logical Actions- This pertains to the moments within the plot or the narrative
that drive the characters forward. The character’s actions reflect their mental
reasoning.

Examples:
1. “We saw…”
2. “He was standing…”
3. “We knew…”
4. “He reached for…”
5. “They waved…”

2. Way of narration- This refers to how the writer presents the story.

✓ A story consists of sequence of events, with natural progression of time.

These events occur with natural breaks in between to create a smooth
transition from one sequence to the other.
 Reading and Writing Skills
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 3 – RW Subject Teacher:

✓ Rapidly shifting progression of events or actions without some elaboration

is generally not seen as “good writing”
o Time skips are mostly seen in diary or journal-style stories where one
day goes into the next.

Examples:

“He came and talk to us. Then he left the house and then
Clipped Narration
he drove the car back home”.

“He came and talked to us for a few moments. He

seemed upset, but he managed to get through all the
Paced Narration bad news. Shaking our hand before he left the house,
he seemed to feel better now that he had delivered the
news. Then he drove off and returned home.

3. Terminology – A writer must choose how to address terms that is either

concrete or abstract, and specific or general observations. These terminologies
will help create a visual picture in the minds of the readers.

1. Concrete Terms- These are terms that often have a physical

manifestation in our world.

2. Abstract Terms- Refer to ideas or concepts that are intangible, such as

the concept of love, freedom and feminism.

3. General Terms- Commonly used to denote groups.

4. Specific Terms- Refer to an individual component of that group.

CONCRETE TERMS “He was shivering violently from the cold.”

ABSTRACT TERMS “The joy in the air was palpable.”

GENERAL TERMS "He gave her a piece of jewelry"

SPECIFIC TERMS “Each green stone had fire in its factes.”

DESCRIPTION

Descriptive writing uses sensory writing and includes vivid and rich details. It illustrates
certain events, people or objects in a way that a reader can visualize what the writer is
describing. This is where the readers get to see with their minds’ eye what the writer is trying to
present.
 Reading and Writing Skills
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 3 – RW Subject Teacher:

WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAGH

• Use rich descriptive words that put picture of a person, place or an object in
reader’s mind.
• A descriptive writing should mark a sensory impression to the reader

His hair feels wiry and he has a high-pitched laugh.

The scare on his chin only shows up in a certain light.

The sunset filled the entire sky with the deep color of rubies, setting the
clouds ablaze.

The crashed and danced along the shore, moving up and down in a
graceful and gentle rhythm like they were dancing.

TWO TYPES OF DESCRIPTION:

a. Objective description- It pertains to factual and scientific characteristics of the events,

people or objects being described. It is reportorial and does not contain emotion, opinion
or impression.

b. Subjective description- In subjective description, the author “PAINTS A PICTURE” of how

he sees a certain event, character, or object and how he wants the reader to perceive
them. Usually subjective description illustrates emotion or impressions.

Examples:

SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION SUBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION

Our lives at home converged around the

The kitchen table is rectangular, pleasantly-shaped kitchen table. It was the
seventy-two inches long and thirty magnet that drew our family together quite
inches wide. Made of a two-inch- warmly. Cut from the sturdiest oak, the table
thick piece of oak, its top is covered was tough, smooth, and long enough for my
with a waxy oilcloth patterned in mother, my two sisters, and me to work or
dark red and blue squares against a play on at the same time. Our favorite light
white background. In the right blue ceramic tile, stationed in the right
corner, close to the wall, a square corner, was the table's sole defense against
the ravages of everything from a steaming
blue ceramic tile serves as the
teapot. More often than not, however, the
protective base for a brown
heat would spread quickly beyond the small
earthenware teapot. A single white
tile and onto the checkered oilcloth, which
placemat has been set to the left of
just as quickly exuded a rank and sour odor.
the tile, with a knife and fork on Yet no matter how intensely the four of us
either side of a white dinner plate, competed for elbow room at the table, none
around nine inches in diameter. dared venture near the lone dinner place
arranged securely to the left of the tile.
 Reading and Writing Skills
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 3 – RW Subject Teacher:

DEFINITION

Definition moves beyond a dictionary definition to deeply examine a word or concept

as we actually use and understand it. The writer’s goal is to help the readers understand new
terms or concepts, or to construct new understanding of terms they may be familiar with.

To develop an essay employing the pattern definition, a writer must first identify the term
being defined, provide a basic and general definition, and followed by a clear detail to
support the definition.

TWO TYPES OF DEFINTION

a. Scientific Definition- A writer should be as objective as possible.

b. Subjective Definition- A writer defines a term based on his/her personal

experiences

SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION

“Hugot” lines pertains to sentimental
“Hugot” means to unleash your true expressions ‘pulled’ from our deep
feelings or emotions. Its genealogy reservoir of emotions that use everyday
can be trace back from bugtong and experiences as metaphors of one’s ill-
kundiman. fated romance.

- Gideon Lasco

COMMON METHODS OF DEFINITION

1. By characteristics or features- Pertains to physical and behavioral features of the

concept being defined.
2. By function- How something works, or what id does can be an important part of
definition.
3. By negation - Ironically, we can get a pretty good sense of what something is like,
by learning what it is not, or what it is lacking.
4. By synonym - Comparison and analogy help us understand things that are
unfamiliar to us.
5. By example- Giving examples illustrating what the term means can be highly
effective.
6. By its origin- Providing a history of what a term has meant can help us understand
its current meaning.
7. By its effect- Discusses the effect of the term and how it is useful in a certain
situation.

COMPARISON and CONTRAST

It identifies what makes one thing different and similar to another. The focus of
comparison and contrast is to compare a thing, it may be what makes the rest uncommon to
one another. Its goal in academic essays is generally to show that one item is different and
similar based on set evaluations and standards.
 Reading and Writing Skills
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 3 – RW Subject Teacher:

Example:

CONTRAST

Even though Arizona and Rhode Island are both states of the U.S., they are strikingly
different in many ways. For example, the physical size of each state if different. Arizona
is large, having an area of 114, 000 square miles, whereas Rhode Island is only about a
tenth the size, having an area of only 1,214 square miles. Another difference is in the
size of the population of each state. Arizona has about four million people living in it,
but Rhode Island has less than one million.

COMPARISON

My hometown and my college town have several things in common. First, both are
rural communities. My hometown, Gridlock, has a population of only about 10,000
people. Similarly, my college town, Subnormal, consists of about 11, 000 local residents.
A second way in which these two towns are similar is that they are both located in rural
area. In the same way, Subnormal lies in the center of farmland which is used to hogs
and cattle.

TWO WAYS IN WRITING A COMPARISON AND CONTRAST PARAGRAGH

1. Point to point paragraph- It is where an author writes back and forth between two
subjects. First, the writer discusses about topic A, then shifts to topic B, then goes back
to topic A, and so on.

2. Blocked Paragraph- It only discusses one topic then finishes the paragraph with the
other subject that is to be compared or contrasted with the first.

CAUSE and EFFECT

Details why something happens, what causes it, what are the effects and how it is
related to something else. In a cause and effect paragraph, the writer needs to know which
factor to emphasize: causes or effects, and why it is important to discuss a cause or effect
relationship.

Paragraph Emphasizing Cause EXAMPLE

A paragraph emphasizing the “Because she had hurled the urn

causes of something typically down the mountain, it is impossible
begins with an effect; the to recover it now. She had thrown it
purpose of the paragraph is to with all her strength, not even
explore how the effect came to watching it sail into the air before it
be- to show what caused it. disappeared.”
 Reading and Writing Skills
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 3 – RW Subject Teacher:

Paragraph Emphasizing Effect EXAMPLE

In a paragraph emphasizing the “One more delayed payment for the
effects of something, a writer house rent and it would soon be
begins with a particular cause, gone. They would be left homeless.
then explores the consequences The children will have to stop going
or effects of this cause. to school, and she would have
nowhere to go.”

PROBLEM SOLUTION

It is a method for analyzing and writing about a topic by identifying a problem and
proposing solutions. This type of academic writing has two important tasks: (1) identify the
problem and (2) provide a logical, practical solution for the problem. It is a pattern commonly
used in identifying problems and in contemplating what might be done to remedy the
situation.

Also, a problem-solution essay is a type of argument. Kemper et al. (2016) suggests that
problem-solution involves argumentation where the writer seeks to convince the reader to
take a particular course of action. In explaining the problem, it may also need to persuade the
reader concerning specific causes of the problem.

Organizing a Problem Solution Essay

1. INTRODUCTION

• Identify the problem.

• Explain why it is considered a problem and who would be concerned about it.

2. PROBLEM PARAGRAPH(S)

• Explain the problem clearly and accurately.

• Demonstrate that the problem is not just a personal complaint, but a genuine
problem that affects people.

3. SOLUTION PARAGRAPH(S)

• Offer a concrete solution to the problem, and explain why this is the best one
available.
• You may point out why other options are inferior to yours. If your solution calls for
a series of steps or actions to be followed, present these steps in logical order.

4. CONCLUSION

• Reemphasize the importance of the problem and the value of your solution.
 Reading and Writing Skills
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 3 – RW Subject Teacher:

Menoy, J. & Constantino, G. (2016). Reading and Writing Skills. Mandaluyong City. Books atbp.
Publishing Corp.

Sandagan, L. (2016). Reading and Writing Skills. Pasay City. JFS Publishing Services

Cidro, M., Gasulas, A., Lusica, F., Mallari, A., Mendoza, L., Miranda, A. & Yabut, D. Reading and
Writing Skills Senior High School. Quezon Avenue. Pheonix Publishing House Inc.

Santa Rosa Junior College. (2007). Patterns of Development. Retrieved from

http://srjcstaff.santarosa.edu/~jroyal/paragraphs/patternsdev/patterns.html

Jemino, J. (2016). Patterns of Development in Writing. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/31585690/I_Patterns_of_Development_in_Writing_A_Narratio
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