1. The
Easy
Way of
Developing
Students’
Writing
Skills
For First
Year IMEE MARIE B. SANCHEZ
High school JAECEL AIRISH J. KAHARIAN

2. A premier university in
CALABARZON, offering academic
programs and related services
designed to respond to the
requirements of the Philippines and
the global economy , particularly,
Asian countries.
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3. The University shall primarily provide
advanced education, professional,
technological and vocational instruction in
agriculture, fisheries, forestry, science,
engineering, industrial technologies, teacher
education, medicine, law, arts and sciences,
information technology and other related
fields. It shall undertake research and
extension services, and provide progressive
leadership in its area of specialization.
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4. In pursuit of the college vision/ mission the
college of education is committed to develop
the full potentials of individuals and equip
them with knowledge, skills, and attitudes in
teacher education allied fields to effectively
respond to the increasing demands,
challenges and opportunities of changing
times for global competitiveness.
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5. Produce graduate who can
demonstrate and practice the professional
and ethical requirement for the Bachelor
of Secondary Education such as:
1. To serve as positive and powerful
role models in the pursuit of the learning
thereby maintaining high regards to
professional growth.
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6. 2. Focus on the significance of
providing wholesome and desirable
learning environment.
Facilitate learning process in diverse
type of learners.
3. Used varied learning approaches
and activities, instructional materials and
learning resources.
4. Used assessment data, plan and
revise teaching – learning plans.
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7. 5. Direct and strengthen the links
between school and community activities.
6. Conduct research and development
in Teacher Education and other related
activities.
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8. This Teacher’s Guide “The Easy Way of Developing
Students’ Writing Skills for First Year High School” is
part of the requirements in Educational Technology 2
under the revised education curriculum based on CHED
Memorandum Order (CMO)-30, Series of 2004.
Educational Technology 2 is a three (3)-unit course
designed to introduce both traditional and innovative
technologies to facilitate and foster meaningful and
effective learning where students are expected to
demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature,
application and production of the various types of
educational technologies.
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9. The students are provided with guidance and
assistance of selected faculty members of the College
through the selection, production and utilization of
appropriate technology tools in developing technology-
based teacher support materials. Through the role and
functions of computers especially the Internet, the
student researchers and the advisers are able to design
and develop various types of alternative delivery
systems. These kinds of activities offer a remarkable
learning experience for the education students as future
mentors especially in the preparation of instructional
materials.
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10. The output of the group’s effort in this enterprise may
serve as a contribution to the existing body of instructional
material that the institution may utilized in order to provide
effective and quality education. The lessons and
evaluations presented in this module may also function as
a supplementary reference for secondary teachers and
students.
IMEE MARIE B. SANCHEZ
Module Developer
JAECEL AIRISH J. KAHARIAN
Module Developer
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11. The authors hereby express their heartfelt
appreciation and sincerest thanks to the entire
wonderful persons who have been an instrument in
the completion of this module.
To all of their classmates, for always being there
in times of needs and troubles;
To all of their friends, especially the
Mafagvhiguys for giving their hands and shoulders
for the authors can lean on;
To Mr. For-Ian V. Sandoval, their module adviser,
for guiding and encouraging them in doing this
module;
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12. To Prof. Ma. Filipina P. Ramos, their module
consultant, for her patience in checking the module
and giving advises for the module to become more
useful;
To Dean Lydia R. Chavez, for her support to the
authors;
To Del for his all-out love, support and care,
To their parents, for being supportive in terms of
financial and emotional matters;
And above all, to the Almighty God, for all the
blessings, courage and love he serves to the authors.
THE AUTHORS
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13. VMGOs
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TABLE 0F CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
CHAPTER 1: Writing Effective
Paragraphs
Lesson 1: Unity in the Paragraph
Through the Topic Sentence
Through the Supporting Details
Through the Clinching Sentence
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14. Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Lesson 2 Coherence in the Paragraph
Logical bridges
Chronological Order
Space Order
Logical Order
Structural devices
Transitional or Signal Words
Pronoun Phrases
Repetition of Key Words
Activity 4
Activity 5
Activity 6
Activity 7
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15. Activity 8
Activity 9
Lesson 3 Emphasis in the Paragraph
Through Position
Through Parallel Grammatical Structure
Through Climactic Order
Activity 10
Activity 11
Activity 12
Chapter 2: Organizing and Developing Paragraphs
Lesson 4 Composing a Paragraph
The Paragraph
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16. Activity 13
Activity 14
Activity 15
Lesson 5 Methods of Paragraph Development
Description
Definition
Classification
Cause and Effect
Analogy
Activity 16
Activity 17
Activity 18
Activity 19
Activity 20
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17. Activity 21
Activity 22
Activity 23
Activity 24
Activity 25
Chapter 3: The Composition
Lesson 6 Title
Lesson 7 Introduction
Lesson 8 Body/ Main Text
Lesson 9 Concluding Paragraph
Activity 26
Activity 27
Activity 28
Activity 29
Activity 30
REFERENCES
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18. If you are to fulfill the aims of Intermediate Communication
Skill as a writing course you must acquire the right attitude to
writing as a communication skill. Although it is true that you
will have to use references- probably you cannot write without
resorting them, you yourself must organize the ideas, facts or
opinions you have gathered. Your individuality, your distinct
personality will therefore make the difference. Several
compositions may be produced by several students on the
same subject matter or topic but yours will be different
because you are a different person from all the others. To be
a good writer you must earnestly, personally, be involved in
your subject, even if the subject may be an impersonal one.
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19. Remember that you submit a composition which you have
written .That composition will be a reflection of four kinds of
abilities on your part. These are: 1. the ability to gather ideas;
2. the ability to examine them critically; 3. the ability to think
creatively; and 4. the ability to organize effectively.
Your written work is therefore a synthesis of your
discoveries. When you weigh these discoveries and draw
conclusions from them, then the uniqueness of your
personality is revealed. Selecting the materials to be used,
deciding how to approach these materials, developing a view
point toward it and choosing the right words in which to
present it- these are truly personal activities, no matter if the
subject is impersonal
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20. …Therefore, good writing is that which has involved a
writer responsible enough to discover his personal context
within the subject context and bad writing is that which has
not. Writing is a responsibility. Remember that good writing
must be awareness by a responsible person of his
uniqueness within subject. By “ person “ is meant one who
stands at the center of his own thoughts and feelings,
concerned to make things happen through the power of the
written word with the sense that they begin in him. Thus,
writing is a form of self-actualization. This is the reason that
it can be very fulfilling. Writing is a creative process but it
does not create something out of nothing, rather it
uncovers, selects, reshuffles, combines, synthesis already
existing facts, ideas, faculties, and skills.
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21. The Easy Way of Developing the Writing Skills workbook
is intended to enhance the capability of a student in the
writing field. This workbook gives ideas or techniques on
how you can improve your writing skill. This is also a
practical hand on book that can test your study and writing
skill.
Many people are intimidated by writing. Even so, there
are times when writing is the best way to communicate, and
oftentimes the only way to get your message across. When
writing, be mindful of the fact that once something is in
written form, it cannot be taken back. Communicating in this
way is more concrete than verbal communications, with less
room for error and even less room for mistakes. This
presents written communicators with new challenges,
including spelling, grammar, punctuation, even writing style
and actual wording.
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22. At the end of this module, the student is expected to:
•grasp the meaning of unity, coherence and emphasis in a
paragraph;
•recognize in simple paragraphs the different ways to
achieve unity, coherence and emphasis;
•observe unity, coherence and emphasis in paragraph
writing;
•identify the characteristic qualities of a paragraph and
apply them in his own writing;
•identify the parts of a composition;
•know the characteristics of the structure of a composition;
and
•write a composition.
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23. Lesson
1 Unity in the Paragraph
Objectives: At the end of this lesson, you should
be able to:
•grasp the meaning of unity;
•appreciate unity in the paragraph; and
•write paragraphs with unity.
Unity in a paragraph means oneness of idea. A good
paragraph possesses unity when all the sentences
develop the topic or central idea. Unity in the paragraph is
achieved by the used of: 1. a topic sentence with its
controlling idea, 2. supporting details, and 3. a clinching
sentence.
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24. 1. Through the topic sentence
The topic sentence states the central idea to be
developed. It may be expressed or implied. If it is expressed, it is
found at the beginning of the paragraph, at the end of paragraph, or
anywhere between the first and the last sentences. When placed at
the end of the paragraph, it serves us the concluding sentence. If
the topic sentence is implied, the central idea is hinted in the
developing sentences.
Another feature of the topic sentence is the controlling idea,
which consists of the keyword/s in the topic sentence. The keyword/s
may be part/parts of the topic sentence or it may be the whole
sentence. The controlling idea limits the scope of the topic and helps the
writer to focus on the topic of the paragraph.
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25. Sample paragraph that shows the topic sentence
at the beginning of the paragraph.
Touch is our most intimate and powerful means of
communication. A doctor makes the mother feel her baby to give her
satisfaction after her birth labor. The mother caresses the new born to
give the baby a feeling of love and security that will be the foundation
of the self. A son holds the hands of his dying father in a final goodbye.
These tactile stimulations oftentimes spell a difference.
Topic Sentence: Touch is our most intimate and powerful means
of communication.
Controlling idea: (words that control or limit the discussion of the
topic” touch”)-intimate of, powerful means of communication.
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26. Sample paragraph that shows the topic sentence in the
middle of the paragraph.
One night, there went out over the stillness of an evening breeze,
out over the chalked hills of Bethlehem, a cry, for the sea was filled
its own voice. There were only two classes who heard the cry that
night: Shepherd and Wise men: Shepherds: those who know they
know nothing. Wise men: those who know they do not know
everything. Shepherds: poor, simple men who knew only how to
tend their flocks. On the other hand, there were the Wise men, not
kings, but teachers of Kings. Both of these heard the cry. The
shepherds and the wise men discovered wisdom. And the shepherd
and wisdom was a Babe in a manger.
•Sheen, in Manalo 69
Topic Sentence: There were only two classes who heard the cry that
night: Shepherds and Wise men.
Controlling idea: Shepherds, Wise men, heard the cry.
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27. Sample paragraph that shows the topic sentence
at the end of the paragraph.
Before the break of dawn, I leave my workaday world and slip it to
a faraway place, away from the terrible traffic, away from the
suffocating dust and smog of the crowded city. I sail into the vast
expanse of sea, sun and sky. Stretching my feet, I feel my tense muscles
loosen and my nerves slacken as I play tug-of-war with the fish that
bite my baits. But the great calm surrounding me induces me to doze-
off. Beaten, I fold it up and decided to spend the rest of the time
savoring an intimate romance with nature and coming face to face with
the great unknown. I get to think of myself and my loved ones – my
wife and my children, and my one love who is always there for me with
these footprints on the sands of my life. Truly, fishing trips relax and
recharge me mentally, physically and spiritually.
Topic Sentence: Truly, fishing trips relax and recharge me mentally,
physically and spiritually.
Controlling idea: relax, recharge mentally, physically, spiritually.
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28. 2. Through the Supporting Details
Supporting details are the sentences that help develop or
expand the main idea in the topic sentence. These details that help
expand the topic sentence maybe in the form of a description, an
example, a comparison or contrast, a classification, etc.
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29. Sample Paragraph 1
Ouch is our most intimate and powerful means of communication. A
doctor makes the mother feel her baby to give her satisfaction after her
birth labor. The mother caresses the new born to give the baby a feeling of
love and security that will be the foundation of the self. A son holds the
hands of his dying father in a final goodbye. These tactile stimulations
oftentimes spell a difference.
Topic Sentence: Touch is our most intimate and powerful means of
communication.
Supporting Details: - A mother feels her baby after her birth labor.
- She touches the baby to give it a sense of love and
security.
- A son holds his father’s hand in a last farewell.
All these sentences support the topic sentence “Touch is our most
intimate and powerful means of communication.
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30. Sample Paragraph 2
One night, there went out over the stillness of an evening breeze, out over
the chalked hills of Bethlehem, a cry, for the sea was filled its own voice.
There were only two classes who heard the cry that night: Shepherd and
Wise men: Shepherds: those who know they know nothing. Wise men:
those who know they do not know everything. Shepherds: poor, simple men
who knew only how to tend their flocks. On the other hand, there were the
Wise men, not kings, but teachers of Kings. Both of these heard the cry. The
shepherds and the wise men discovered wisdom. And the shepherd and
wisdom was a Babe in a manger.
•Sheen, in Manalo 69
Topic Sentence: There were only two classes who heard the cry that night:
Shepherds and Wise men.
Supporting Details: the sea, the earth, the great men of earth, the Kings of
the earth.
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31. Sample Paragraph 3
Before the break of dawn, I leave my workaday world and slip it to a
faraway place, away from the terrible traffic, away from the suffocating dust
and smog of the crowded city. I sail into the vast expanse of sea, sun and sky.
Stretching my feet, I feel my tense muscles loosen and my nerves slacken as I
play tug-of-war with the fish that bite my baits. But the great calm surrounding
me induces me to doze-off. Beaten, I fold it up and decided to spend the rest of
the time savoring an intimate romance with nature and coming face to face
with the great unknown. I get to think of myself and my loved ones – my wife
and my children, and my one love who is always there for me with these
footprints on the sands of my life. Truly, fishing trips relax and recharge me
mentally, physically and spiritually.
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32. Topic Sentence: Truly, fishing trips relax and recharge me mentally, physically
and spiritually.
Supporting Details: Mentally- enjoy wanton freedom from never- ending job
deadlines, hustle and bustle of office rushes drifts away.
Physically- stretch my feet; feel intense muscles loosen,
great calm dozes me to sleep,
Spiritually- savor a romance with nature, come face to
face with the Great unknown, and get to know myself my family and God.
3. Through the Clinching Sentences
A clinching sentence may be a restatement of the topic sentence, a
summary, or a conclusion based on the supporting details. Hence, like the
topic sentence and the supporting details, it helps achieve unity. At times, the
clinching sentence is also the topic sentence.
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33. Sample Paragraph 1
Touch is our most intimate and powerful means of communication. A
doctor makes the mother feel her baby to give her satisfaction after her birth
labor. The mother caresses the new born to give the baby a feeling of love and
security that will be the foundation of the self. A son holds the hands of his
dying father in a final goodbye. These tactile stimulations oftentimes spell a
difference.
Topic Sentence: Touch is our most intimate and powerful means of
communication.
Clinching Sentences: These tactile stimulations spell a difference. {The
clinching sentence restates the topic sentence.}
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34. Sample Paragraph 2
One night, there went out over the stillness of an evening breeze, out
over the chalked hills of Bethlehem, a cry, for the sea was filled its own voice.
There were only two classes who heard the cry that night: Shepherd and Wise
men: Shepherds: those who know they know nothing. Wise men: those who
know they do not know everything. Shepherds: poor, simple men who knew
only how to tend their flocks. On the other hand, there were the Wise men, not
kings, but teachers of Kings. Both of these heard the cry. The shepherds and the
wise men discovered wisdom. And the shepherd and wisdom was a Babe in a
manger.
Sheen, in Manalo 69
Topic Sentence: There were only two classes who heard the cry that night:
Shepherds and Wise men.
Clinching Sentences: The Shepherd and Wisdom was a Babe in a crib
(Conclusion based on the supporting details).
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35. Sample Paragraph 3
Before the break of dawn, I leave my workaday world and slip it to a
faraway place, away from the terrible traffic, away from the suffocating dust
and smog of the crowded city. I sail into the vast expanse of sea, sun and
sky. Stretching my feet, I feel my tense muscles loosen and my nerves
slacken as I play tug-of-war with the fish that bite my baits. But the great
calm surrounding me induces me to doze-off. Beaten, I fold it up and
decided to spend the rest of the time savoring an intimate romance with
nature and coming face to face with the great unknown. I get to think of
myself and my loved ones – my wife and my children, and my one love who
is always there for me with these footprints on the sands of my life. Truly,
fishing trips relax and recharge me mentally, physically and spiritually.
Topic Sentence: Truly, fishing trips relax and recharge me mentally,
physically and spiritually.
Clinching Sentences: Truly, fishing trips relax and recharge me mentally,
physically and spiritually. (Summary of the supporting details).
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36. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 1
Unity in the Paragraph
Instruction: Choose the most logical answer and write it on the blank space.
1. Supply the topic sentence.
__________________________________________. Even the sky line of the squatter communities and of
the more advanced rural barangays is littered with TV antennas. A teleholic society has emerged from the
passive influence of the boob tube. The lives of many have been reduced to passivity as their mental energies
are refocused away from the harsh realities of existence. The television has inflicted more than that – it has
refashioned family relations, stifled intellectual life and transformed leisure into idleness.
•TV viewing is a very popular past time activity.
•TV has changed the Filipino way of life.
•TV viewing has its advantages and disadvantages.
2. Supply the supporting details.
Three wishes I have nurtured until now.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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37. 3. Supply the clinching sentence.
The television advertisements capitalize on three dominant Filipino
consumer traits, namely, cultural schizophrenia, celebrative nature,
and belief in miracles. As a people, we were heavily influenced by
our colonizers. Spanish and American legacies mixed with our
Filipino identity; hence, the cultural schizophrenia. For example, the
jeepney emerged from surplus US war vehicles, but it evolved into a
rowdy Filipino art. A second Filipino trait is our celebrative nature.
We have a penchant for fiestas and despite our trials, we find
occasions to celebrate. Hence, advertisements are replete with
songs and dances simulating a festive atmosphere. Also, because of
this fiesta mood, colorful and fast-paced commercials click. A third
trait is our belief in miracles. We go for rags-to-riches stories. We
value luck, and hope that it could change our fate; hence the
proliferation of contest games in our TV
programs.______________________________________________
______
1. TV advertisements are effective means of promoting products.
2. Filipinos are fond of TV advertisements.
3. TV advertisements mirror Filipino values. BACK NEXT

38. Underline the TOPIC SENTENCE and circle the controlling
idea. Number the supporting details. Write down the clinching
sentences. Tell whether it is a restatement, summary or conclusion.
4. In the beginning, man’s life was dictated by two factors
that were beyond his control: night and day, darkness and light.
Night brought about an environment in which action had to cease,
so man repaired to his cave, wrapped himself with his furs and went
to sleep. Or he climbed a tree and made himself as comfortable as
he could while awaiting the coming of dawn. Day brought an
environment in which action was possible, so he set forth once
more to replenish his store, forage or hunt for his food. Night
brought passivity, quiescence, and a general slowing down of
metabolic and glandular activity. Day brought with it the possibility
of action, an increase in metabolic rate and a greater glandular
secretion, thus providing him with both energy and incentive. Night
and day were the keys to man’s activities.
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39. Clinching sentence:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Type of clinching sentence:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5. Why are some parts of the world rich while other parts are poor? It isn’t brains. No place is dumber than Hollywood, yet
its residents are wading in gravy. Meanwhile in Russia, where chess is a spectator sport, the people are boiling stone for
soup. Natural resources aren’t the secret either. Impoverished Africa has gold, uranium and oil. Affluent Holland has none of
those, and half of her place is even under water. Actually, we know the answer – and if people would just open their eyes to
it, the whole world could be rich. All this would be possible because of a simple lesson in history: free markets work.
Clinching sentences:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Type of clinching sentence:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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40. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 1
Unity in the Paragraph
Instruction: In each pair of sentences, you will find a topic sentence with supporting details.
Example: Scientists are expert observers. They make careful notes about their observations.
Answer: Scientists are expert observers.
For centuries, scientists have spent much of their working lives designing and making instruments to help
them pick up messages. One of these instruments is the telescope, which was invented by Galileo Galilei.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________
These areas are called the brain stem with its limbic systems, the cerebellum, and the cerebrum. Even
though the various parts of the brain work as a team, some areas also specialize in certain functions.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________
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41. One of the best new inventions was a special helmet for divers. Man began to invent new ways for
people to stay underwater.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Noise is a continuous threat to the quality of our environment, health, and daily life. It causes permanent
damage to the hearing system, so that some people become partly deaf.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
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42. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 3
Unity in the Paragraph
Instruction: Write an appropriate topic sentence for each paragraph.
•In both types of community there is division of labor. In insect societies, certain insects are
responsible for production; the workers collect food, while the soldiers defend the colony. In the
same way, human group such as farmers and shopkeepers have specialized functions in producing
goods and providing services to the community.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
•However, there are at least four things we can do to prevent own mineral cupboard from
becoming bare. One is to use more abundant minerals in place of those in short supply. Another is
to explore deep in the earth’s crust and under the seas for new sources of minerals. A third, which
is related to the second, is to find cheaper methods of mining those deep-lying minerals and of
producing ores low in minerals. A forth is to recycle scrap and waste materials.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
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43. •Machines are used to plant and pick crops. Some machines are like small, moving factories, on many dairy farms;
cows are fed and watered by machines. On some chicken farms, machines give the hens’ food, light and warmth.
Other machines collect the eggs, test them and package them. With machines, farmers can produce more food with
fewer workers. Large numbers of men and women are no longer needed to work on farms. Many people who once
worked on farms now have jobs in factories or other places.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________
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44. Lesson 2
Coherence in the Paragraph
Objectives: At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
•grasp the meaning of coherence;
•appreciate the use of coherence in a paragraph; and
•write coherent paragraphs.
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45. The word “coherence”, derived from “cohere”, literally means “to hold
together”. If the sentences in the paragraph should relate to the topic
sentence to effect a unified whole, these sentences should further be
arranged in an orderly sequence and linked to one another to ensure a
smooth progression of ideas from one sentences to another.
In a coherent paragraph, the reader easily grasps the meaning of
what he reads because he sees the orderly sequence of ideas and their
relationship to one another. There are no gaps in thought. But sometimes, the
ideas are expressed in a jumbled fashion or are not clearly linked so that the
reader fails to follow the flow of thought in the paragraph. Such a paragraph
needs coherence.
Coherence is achieved by following 1. Orderly Movement/ Logical
Bridges, and 2. Verbal Bridges / Structural Devices.
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46. 1.Orderly Movement/ Logical Bridges
The proper sequencing of ideas in a paragraph maybe of
several types
a. Chronological order, b. Space order, and c. Logical order.
A. Chronological Order
Events are arranged on the basis of time, from the past to
the present, from the earliest to the latest; from the first stage to
the last stage, etc. Narration, process exposition, and historical
accounts make use of the time order.
Observe the sequencing of the events in the paragraph
below.
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47. The top sizzler of the Las Vegas strip is its casino. As you enter the
casino hallway, you notice the eerie, smoky, shadowy taverns and lobbies.
The ringing slot machines, chinking of coins and howls and rowdy revelers
emanating from the rooms indicate that you are on the threshold of all sorts
of gaming machines and card game tables. Watching players for a while win
or lose; you observe that the name of the game is chance. Warming up, you
dare try your luck. One slot machine, displaying a platter of coins, appears
easy to tackle. Just a little jar, you surmise, would push the coins to tumble
from the platter edge. Imagining you as a sure winner, you drop a quarter
coins, and then lower the machine handle. However, the coins simply fall
before the platter. Again, you drop coins, pounding of the glass top to
agitate them, yet not a single piece of silver cares to budge. You try another
slot machine for good luck’s sake, and still another. The game of chance
fever has gotten you. Give up? No way!
How are the events in the paragraph arranged? Can you name them?
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48. B. Space Order
The main points are presented in the order of space, such
as from the nearest to the furthest (and vice versa); from the inside
to the outside, from left to right, from top to bottom, and each of
these conversely.
Description adopts the space order. The writer chooses a
focal point and from it proceeds with the details of his description.
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49. We made a tour of Rizal’s Manila. We walked around Binondo Street
armed with a copy of the Noli Me Tangere and an 1872 map of Manila. We
started from the State Investment House on Juan Luna Street (formerly Calle
Anloague) where the house of Kapitan Tiago once stood. From there we
crossed a creek to the site of the Fonda De Lala Ari where Ibarra spent the
night at the beginning of the novel. We walked down Sacristia Street on the
side of Binondo church. The sights, smells and sounds of the areas in the
1880’s seemed to be there still. The physical looks might have changed, but
the physical outline of the City – its streets, rivers, esteros, and other
landmarks – hardly did.
In the paragraph, the writer’s focal point is Binondo. How does the
writer proceeds with the descriptive details of Rizal’s Manila?
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50. C. Logical Order
This arrangement of ideas is widely used in exposition. It
includes any progression of thought in a paragraph which the writer
judges as appropriate for expanding a particular topic, with the
exception of the time order and the space order.
Hence, the paragraph may begin with a general statement
(topic sentence), followed by the specific details (supporting details).
This is the deductive order.
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51. The first Cry of Pugad Lawin is a turning point in Philippine history.
On account of the Spaniards’ premature discovery of the secret society,
K.K.K., Andres Bonifacio gathered his men for a meeting at Kangkong on
August 21, 1896. Suspecting that the Spanish authority might have
intercepted one of the invitation letters to the Katipuneros sent out by Emilio
Jacinto, Bonifacio changed the venue the next day to Pugad Lawin in sitio
Bahay Toro, a jurisdiction of Balintawak. More and more people joined the
Katipuneros. Here, the momentous period in Philippine history, the first “Cry
of Pugad Lawin,” which historians referred to as “Cry of Balintawak,” took
place. Bonifacio asked his men to tear their cedulas to signify their
determination to fight to the end. This they did. The event marked the start of
the armed struggle against the Spaniards and the end of Rizal’s Propaganda
Movement. Soon, men from various places like Manila, Caloocan and
Novaliches, joined the ranks of the Katipuneros. Not long, the rebels received
their “baptism of fire” in a clash against a group of civil guards, leaving one
Spanish soldier and two Katipuneros dead. However, the Spanish guards,
outnumbered, while the rebels, ill- equipped, the two groups retreated.
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52. The paragraph uses the deductive order. What is the general
statement (topic sentence)? What events lead to the rebels’ “baptism of
fire” (supporting details)?
Read the paragraph below. Observe how the ideas are arranged.
Experiments show that friendly people like bright colors while quiet people
like blue and other cool colors. Athletic people like red and self-centered ones
like yellow. A man says he “sees red” when he is angry; a girl is often “green
with envy” when she has a new dress only “once in a blue moon.” Blue has
been associated in our minds with a sort of supersteel; so fine objects are given
a bluish tint in order to sell well. Labels and packages colored green do not
appeal to farmers who see so much green on the farms. Hospital rooms, on the
other hand, are painted green and bright colors because colorful walls make
the surrounding more pleasant. In fact, housewives bring plants and flowers
into the house in order to make the rooms look like gardens. Color affects
people in many ways.
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53. Another type of logical order is the inductive order, the reverse of the
deductive order: the paragraph proceeds with the specific details and ends with
the general statement, the topic sentence.
In the paragraph, the general statement, the topic sentence, is located at
the end of the paragraph. The specific details or the sentences that come before
it indicate how color affects people in various ways. The paragraph makes use of
the inductive order.
The logical order, furthermore, embraces many other ways of
presenting the topic: from cause to effect, the vice versa; from the most
important to the least important; from the most elaborate to the least
elaborate; from the most familiar to the least familiar; from the serious to the
humorous; the alternating or opposing pattern of arranging ideas to show
similarities or contrasts, etc.
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54. 2. Structural Devices/ Verbal Bridges
When the order of sentences in the paragraph has been determined, the
writer decides on the verbal bridges to be used. These devices help the
reader move easily from one sentence to the next.
There are three verbal bridges that are used to achieve coherence.
A. Transitional or signal words and phrases;
B. Clear pronoun reference;
C. Repetition of keywords or their synonyms.
A. Transitional or Signal Words and Phrases
Transitional words and phrases, known as signal words/phrases,
steer the readers’ attention in the right direction. These built-in signals show
the relationships between words in a sentence, between sentences in a
paragraph, and between paragraphs in a composition.
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55. Some signal words, phrases, and their relationships they show:
1. To add ideas, use and, moreover, further, furthermore, also, likewise,
similarly, too, in like manner, again, besides.
2. To introduce statements opposing the preceding statements, use
but, nevertheless, otherwise, on the other hand, conversely, on the
contrary, however, still, yet.
3. To show time sequence, use then, now, after that, later,
eventually, at the same time, meanwhile, in a few minutes, within an hour.
4. To indicate order, use next, in the second place, to begin with,
first, second, finally, in conclusion.
5. To show space relation, use to the right, in the distance, straight
ahead, up, above.
6. To indicate a consequence or a conclusion, use hence, consequently,
thus, so, for this reason, therefore, as a result.
7. To indicate a repetition of one idea, use briefly, that is to say, in fact,
indeed, in other words.
8. To compare, use so, similarly, likewise, in the same way.
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56. B. Pronoun Reference
Pronoun reference, another type of verbal bridge, means the use of
pronoun in relation to their antecedent. The pronouns may be personal
(I, he, she, it, they); demonstrative (this, that, these, those); and relative
(who, whose, whom, which that). Pronoun reference should be
unmistakable.
Examples:
1. There are some people who simply never give up. They stick it out
through thick and thin. They never seem to get discouraged.
Keeping the faith, they never lose hope; and eventually, they are
rewarded.
2. In summer, Father had his usual two or three weeks of vacation.
These were usually spent at cabin in the mountain. These were very
memorable moments indeed.
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57. C. Repetition of Keywords
To achieve coherence, the writer repeats the keywords or phrases or
their synonyms to clarify the important ideas in the reader’s mind. In a well
focused paragraph, the same central term, as well as its synonyms, may come
up several times. Such recurrent terms form a network of words closely related
in meaning.
Examples:
1. I have always looked at life as an exciting adventure. Ever since I was a
boy, life has held a great excitement for me. I have been full of dreams.
Dreams of leaving my country to go abroad, to the mysterious East.
Dreams of achieving anything that is meaningful and worthwhile.
2. The first requirement of education for privacy id to learn how to think -
not out loud, but privately. To think does not mean to spend hours in
idle daydreaming or in vagrant imaginings. What is meant is systematic
reflection, the constant purpose of which the human being is
immersed.
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58. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 4
Unity in the Paragraph
Instruction: Read the related paragraph below.
Mother Nature, in a punishing mood, delivers a devastating blow in the face of environmental abuse
through deforestation; this time, her hard hit victims are the Infanta dwellers as well as their neighbor towns
of Quezon province. Illegal loggers, consumed by greed, are blamed for committing against their compatriots
the crime of overwater, and to prevent the rapid soil erosion. Trees, equipped with numerous minute cells,
have tremendous power to contain water and hold back soil. Is it, therefore, surprising when strong rains
rampage down the heavy denuded mountainsides, causing landslides and flooding? These killer calamities
exact a heavy toll on lives and property. Many persons are drowned in the deadly floods, or buried alive in
landslides debris. Rescuers find difficulty reaching stranded survivors, sick and starved, because of block
roads, broken bridges and damaged communications facilities, not to mention the inclement weather
conditions that usually interfere with rescue operation. We shudder in the wake of the massive disaster as
we come face to face with another “Ormoc” tragedy.
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59. •Express the topic sentence.
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•What do the supporting details include?
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Do you notice the cause-effect chain of events in the paragraph?
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60. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 5
Coherence in the Paragraph
Instruction: Rearrange the sentences in the following paragraphs according to the paragraph order most
appropriate for them. Indicate the sequencing by numbers. State the paragraph order to use.
A. (1) It provides us with an indispensable insight into what we were, are, and how we can build a better future. (2)
The past is a vital part of our lives and our identity. (3) In our eagerness to accelerate and fast-track our present
into future, we tend to downgrade and abandon the past, regardless of its relevance and merits. (4) This legacy
consists of precious threads woven into the intricate fabric of our history and our culture.
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___
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61. B. (1) People who live alone tend to acquire pets so that they have “something to come home”: a
warm, loving presence to greet them when they open the door to an otherwise empty house or apartment. (2) The
presence of an affectionate animal can alleviate the sadness inherent in isolation. (3) In China, there is a thriving
business in animal pets to supply the expanding elderly retired population. (4) Retired people, who may have been
too busy and preoccupied with their careers to bother with pets in midlife, get animals to share their homes when
they no longer go to an office.
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62. C. (1) The rapid pace of urban life subjects juveniles to many demands outside the home. (2) When this
happens, the structure of the interpersonal relationships outside the family plays an integral role in shaping the character
and lifestyle of the youth. (3) Most of them spend more time with their peers and “barkada” than with their family
members. (4) When his peers engage in drugs, sex, alcohol, or petty crimes, it is most likely that the juvenile would also
become influenced by these vices.
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D. (1) Wash the gravel thoroughly and smooth across the bed of the tank. (2) Assemble the filter plate and
airlift the tube inside your glass aquarium after choosing the right tank that will suit your need. (3) Let the filter run for a
couple of hours before you add the plants. (4) Select a range of rocks and wood and carefully arrange them before adding
water directly from the top. (5) Introduce your fishes by floating the bag of fishes in the tank for a few minutes. (6) Tilt
the net gently and allow the fishes to swim away from the net in their own time. (7) Open the bag and gently ease the
fishes out with a net trying to avoid pouring too much water from the bag.
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63. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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E (1) Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the
elements and to store his few possessions. (2) The worst had happened; everything was lost. (3) The only survivor of a
shipwreck was washed up on a small uninhabited island. (4) He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and everyday he
scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed fourth coming. (5) “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man
of his rescuers (6) “God, how could you do this to me.” he cried. (7) But, then one day, after scavenging for food, he
arrived home to find his little hut in flames with a smoke rolling up to the sky. (8) “we saw the smoke signal,” he replied.
(9) Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. (10) It had come
to rescue him.
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64. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 6
Transitional Words
Instruction: Fill in the blanks by picking out from the list below the correct signal words.
naturally in addition
Nevertheless yet
hence therefore
Everyone knows that newspapers are very important; 1_________ the business of putting up a newspaper
has become a very important affair. A daily newspaper has several important functions; 2__________ great
care is taken to ensure these functions. It has to gather a lot of news; 3_________ it has to utilize a wide
selection of news to be published. It has to determine which news more space and 5_________ utilize the
utmost economy in using this space. The editor must comment editorially important news; 6___________ the
editor does not speak out in his name but reflects the opinion of the majority.
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65. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 7
Transitional Words
for example but therefore further
Instruction: Choose a signal word to fill up the blank.
Doctors have found that the way a drug is given can be important. The commonly prescribed
antibiotic tetracycline is one example. It is completely absorbed when injected in a vein or
muscle and fairly well absorbed in pill form on a empty stomach 1_________ because the
presence of food in the stomach interferes with absorption, patients are advised to take
tetracycline before meals. 2__________ drugs are not absorbed equally after injection into
different muscles. 3__________ doctors now pay more attention to the site at which drugs are
injected. 4___________ in the case of a drug called lidocaine, which is used in the treatment of
heart rhythm abnormalities, studies have shown that it was absorbed faster following its
injection into the deltoid muscle in the arm than into a muscle in the leg.
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66. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 8
Pronoun Reference
Instruction: Fill the blank with the appropriate pronoun.
Someone once wrote: “The adventure is in getting there.” Once one has “arrived”
so to speak, then boredom sets in. 1_________ is why successful people can never seem to stop.
2_________ can never seem to have enough success. It is as if 3_______ are addicted to
4________ and need to drive on in search for more. Long after 5________ have “made
6________,” 7________ continue to push. When asked why, 8________ tell you that 9________
isn’t the money. And 10________ isn’t. What pushes 11________ on and on are the challenges
12_______ meet and the joy of overcoming 13________.
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67. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 9
Repetition of Keywords
Instruction: In the following paragraph, pick out the words and phrases that echo the idea of
gymnasium and write them down in the space provided.
To the Greeks, who get the credit for inventing it, gymnastics was the naked sport (the word “gymnos”
means “nude”) and the phrase “naked sport” manages to be both evocative and correct. There is something pure
about gymnastics, something so elemental that the sport seems beyond either corruption or adornment. The
athletes do not work against an opponent or against some arithmetical measure of time, distance, or weight. The
gymnast works instead against the body’s natural limits, with little protective clothing or equipment to help when
courage or talent fails. The apparatuses of gymnastics are basic and symbolic, nothing more than artificial tree
limbs, level tumbling lawns, and imitation saddles. When the sport advances, it is (for the most part) because a
single athlete is able to make his or her body do something that no one has ever done before.
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68. Lesson 3
Emphasis in the Paragraph
Objectives: At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
•grasp the meaning of emphasis;
•appreciate the use of emphasis in paragraph writing; and
•write paragraphs with emphasis.
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69. Unity, coherence, and emphasis are the qualities that make a
paragraph effective. Unity is concerned with what ideas to include;
coherence, with how ideas should be arranged and linked; and
emphasis, with how important ideas can be made prominent.
Ideas in the paragraph can be made emphatic through: (1)
position in the paragraph, (2) proportion (in the discussion), (3) the
use of parallel grammatical structures, (4) the repetition of key ideas,
and (5) the arrangement of ideas in a climatic order. Repetition of
keywords has been taken up in connection with coherence; emphasis
through proportion is best shown in compositions; hence, the
discussion here focuses on the three devices only, namely, emphasis
through position, use of parallel grammatical structures, and
arrangement of ideas in a climatic order.
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70. 1. Emphasis through Position
Important ideas can be given prominence by placing them at the beginning
or at the end of the paragraph. The beginning of a paragraph calls attention
to itself just by being first; the end of the paragraph assumes importance
because it is usually the concluding statement and gives the final word about
the paragraph.
Paragraphs following the logical order (inductive and deductive) make use
of emphasis through position since the topic sentence is placed either at the
beginning or at the end of the paragraph. Sample paragraphs 1 and 2 (Unity
in the Paragraph) show this device – emphasis through position.
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71. Example 1
A paragraph adapted from “What’s Wrong with Global Warming?”
illustrates emphasis through position. The topic sentence at the
beginning of the paragraph is made prominent by its position.
The world had experienced much warming and we loved it.
Between AD 900 and 1300, the earth warmed by about one-and-a-
half degrees according to the Oregon Institute of Science and
Medicine, and the most favorable climates in human history. Food
production surged because winters were milder and growing seasons
longer. Key agricultural regions experienced fewer floods and
droughts. There was more rainfall, but it evaporated faster. Death rate
declined in many places partly because of the decrease in hunger, and
party because people spent less time huddled together in damped
smoke-filled hovels that helped spread tuberculosis and other
infectious diseases.
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72. Example 2
Below is the last paragraph of the reading selection, “The Divine
Romance.” The emphasis through position is achieved by putting
the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph.
Then why a life of suffering and why an existence that led to the
hard bed of the cross? Why the shedding of the last drop of blood?
For something like the same reason that there are more birds than
necessary for the needed song of man, more grains of sand than are
necessary for seashore. Love that is real loves even to the point of
sacrifice, in fact loves even to the end, which is the giving of one’s
own life. Christ loves to that extent, for “greater love than this no
man hath that he lay down his life for his friend.”
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73. 2. Emphasis through Parallel Grammatical Structures
Grammar structure refers to a unit of thought such as a word, a phrase, a clause, or a
sentence. Parallel structure refers to the use of similar grammar structures to express
ideas in a series. This device is effective in achieving emphasis because the repetition of
similar grammatical structures calls attention to the idea, thus, giving it prominence.
1. Parallel word structures
• Pride, greed and mistrust are the acids that corrode human relations
• Attitude, more than education or intelligence, determines success.
2. Parallel phrase structures
• Happiness is found
in the simplicity and modesty of life,
in the piety of the Angelus,
in the sincerity of our devotion to our God and our country.
• Amidst the din
of the roaring flames,
of the thundering guns,
of the maddening crowd,
he seemed to hear the anguished call of his brother soldier
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74. 3. Parallel clause structures
Each of us likes to belong to some groups of tightly knit people
Where we are known and accepted,
Where we are committed to each other,
Where we are loyal and honest to one another.
4. Parallel sentence structures
•Give me land.
Land to own.
Land unbeholden to any tyrant.
Land that will be free.
•Give me land for I am starving.
•Give me land that my children may not die.
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75. 3. Emphasis through Climactic Order
To achieve emphasis through climatic order, the series of ideas are
arranged in an ascending degree of importance or interest.
Examples
One night there went out over the stillness of an evening breeze, out over
the white chalked hills of Bethlehem, a cry, a gentle cry. The sea did not hear
the cry, for the sea was filled with its own voice. The earth did not hear the
cry, for they could not understand how a child could be greater than a man.
The kings of the earth did not hear the cry, for they could not fathom how a
King could be born in a stable.
Note the ascending order of importance:
The Kings of the earth
The great men of the earth
The earth
The sea
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76. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 10
Emphasis in the Paragraph
Instruction: Read the paragraphs and find out how the important ideas are emphasized. Underline
the part that is emphasized, and on the blank, write which device for emphasis is used.
through position,
through parallel structure, or
through the arrangement of ideas in climatic order
1.Suddenly there came a loud “pop”, then another, and still another. Then screams and noise of
scampering feet and shouts of panic ensued. Everybody seemed to be running anywhere or nowhere.
Shrieks and cries of fear rent the air. Pandemonium broke out.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
1.All of us know the story of the triumph of light over darkness, of life over death, and of heaven over
hell. It was the vindication of a seemingly unreasonable faith. It was the glorious resurrection of a
Leader. Today, on the commemoration of that Resurrection, we can humbly declare our faith and
hope in our own resurrection, in our own inevitable victory.
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77. Device / s _________________________________________________________
1.The slaves who built the pyramids were kept at work with a whip. They had no choice about what work
they did, how they did it, how long they did it. Similarly, how much choice is there for the people who
work in the offices and factories? Often they take what they get and do what they are told. Governments
pass laws to control how long they can be made to work, but everybody knows these can be circumvented
with overtime and contract work.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
Paragraph 4, 5, 6 and 7 are adopted from Howard Dee’s “Preparing for the Coming of God’s
Kingdom.”
1.Christmas is a time to reflect, to pause, and to listen in the silence of our hearts to what Jesus wants to
tell us by His coming. We have begun the third millennium of our Savior’s birth. We have reached the
fullness of time in a Second Advent that has been foretold for ages. We have sensed the immediacy of the
moment, but blinded by material goals, we have been oblivious of the signs of the times heralding the
coming of God’s Kingdom.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
As we scan the world’s landscape, we can readily see that we are living in a grave moment of human
history with perilous threats upon our civilization. We see long-honored social norms and institutions
breaking down. We see the family, the basic cell of society, gravely threatened by social cancer. We see
moral and ethical values collapsing
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78. 1. In a raging storm of immorality and criminality. We see politics and public service devoid of
high principles, losing their noble purpose and mission. We see materialism and secularism
becoming the common denominators of social behavior and goals. We see liberal capitalism and
its unbridled market forces ruling the world economy, undermining authentic human
development, and causing irreversible damage to ecological bio-systems that support life on
earth. We see sex, violence, and drugs wantonly exploited with dire consequences to society and
human behavior. These are signs of faith in retreat.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
1.Genocide and ethnic cleansing threaten the demise of entire populations while abortion kills 60
million lives in a year. Even fully viable infants in their mother’s wombs are no longer safe from
abortion that the American Cardinals call virtual infanticide. In addition, unclear warheads and
missile systems proliferate among warring nations. A Nobel laureate describes the nuclear
standoff as a “complete balance of terror.” Never in human history has man’s survival been so
threatened as now, twenty centuries after the Savior’s birth.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
1.By denying God’s rightful place in every human activity in arts and sciences, in politics, in
business, in the home, in the workplace, and even in the human thought, man strips himself of
the grace of God’s protection. He renders himself defenseless against the evil forces of the
Netherland. He threatens his own self-destruction. He causes the eternal loss of his soul.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
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79. 1.No other feast reflects the Filipino character better than Lent. In its stark and somber ambience, in its pathos and
celebratory air, in its extremes of season and emotion, Lent presents powerfully the Filipino case: people that seem
to relish in the martyrdom of history, but nevertheless prevail against the vicissitudes of fate.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
1.In times of tragedy or accidents, compassionate people quietly leave offerings of flowers left by total strangers
are an uplifting sight. While flowers are offered to the sick, to the dying or to the dead, they nevertheless signify
vibrance, exuberance, upliftment and, ultimately, hope. They convey a message that all is not lost, that there is a
reason to celebrate or to be alive, that hope abounds, that there are fellow human beings who care.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
1.While obviously not as exuberant as flowers, candles don’t necessarily indicate grief. While often associated with
morbidity, candles can also mean hope that something or someone may pull through an impending sad fate, that
victory against a mishap, a disease or evil will somehow prevail. As the now trite saying goes: “Why curse the
darkness when you can light a candle?” The lightning of a candle is a statement, a stand, a resolve, and a vigil.
Device / s _________________________________________________________
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80. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 11
Emphasis in the Paragraph
Instruction: Here is a paragraph written almost entirely in simple sentences. Read the paragraph carefully and determine the
relationships that exist between the ideas expressed. Then, rewrite the paragraph, making it coherent and effective by using the
devices you have just learned.
The Negritos have one main amusement. It is the dance. It is understandable. The Negritos world is dominated by
spirits. They must be pacified with sacrifices. The Shaman or Babaylan is the local medium. He sees to it that mens are
interpreted properly. He is the main performer of the tribes’ dances. They are often done in a trance. The Negritos have dances
for all occasions. There is the courtship dance. The male circles a female. The female dances meekly and submissively. There is
a male-female dance, it is called Acubac. It is danced to a monotonous song. It is called Inalug. It is sung by village women.
There is the Baduc. The dancer wields a Kampilan. There are the Potato dance, Bee dance, Torture dance and war dance. Most
of the dances are not only for entertainment. They are for thanksgiving and celebration.
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81. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 12
Emphasis in the Paragraph
Instruction: Make your own interesting and effective paragraph one about one of the cultural minorities in the Philippines.
Be sure to apply the principle of emphasis that you just have taken up.
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82. Lesson 4
Composing a Paragraph
Objectives: At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
•grasp the meaning of paragraph;
•identify the parts and kinds of a paragraph; and
•write paragraphs.
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83. THE PARAGRAPH
A paragraph may be a sentence or a group of related sentences about a
single topic. It may stand alone or be a part of a larger composition. Its length
is dependent on is purpose which may be any of the following:
Kinds of Paragraph Purposes
Introductory paragraph to announce or lay down the topic
Transitional paragraph to announce or present a shift or
transition from
one thought to another
Developmental paragraph to amplify and develop an aspect of
the topic
Paragraph of dialogue to present lines of characters and
the narrator in
a storytelling discourse
Concluding paragraph to end a composition
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84. PARTS OF THE PARAGRAPH
A paragraph is built in this manner:
The main idea which is the author’s point of view about the
topic is expressed in a topic sentence which is usually found at
the beginning, in the middle or in the end of the paragraph. It
contains the topic and the comment of the writer about the topic.
Sometimes, the main idea is implied and the reader has to infer it
from the whole paragraph.
All other elements of the paragraph are called supporting
details which amplify the main idea by providing explanations,
examples and details that help clarify the main idea. These are
the major supporting details that discus the key points of the topic
sentence, or minor supporting details that give more specific
details to amplify the key points.
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85. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 13
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Instruction: Read the paragraph below and analyze.
What I have found with autistic individuals and especially my niece whom I have observed from the age of six
months, is that it takes very little to overstimulate them. Their environment should be very orderly, calm and
monochromatic. Mary, a previous post, had mentioned blue and green as being good colors and she is correct.
These colors calm, relax and nurture. But more than these colors, you need to have a LOT of negative (blank)
space in these rooms with light neutral colors as Mary suggested. Use bright colors as accent colors in the form
of pictures and/ or seasonal display but be careful even with that, don’t use very much. Surfaces with strong
value contrast, especially flooring, can cause problems; the autistic person sometimes does not see a black and
white tiled floor as black and white, but the white tile as the floor and the black as a hole and will be afraid to walk
on it. The flooring should be close in value and hue to the walls. It has been very enlightening working so closely
with my niece and observing her progress. As a side line she has had sound therapy and it is a miracle what that
has done for her.
Questions:
1.What is the paragraph all about?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
1.What is the author saying about the topic?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
1.Give two supporting details that explain the topic sentence?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
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86. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 14
Parts of a Paragraph
Instruction: Identify the following parts of a paragraph found in the selection.
Why is marking up a book indispensable to reading? First, it keeps you awake. (And I don’t mean
merely conscious; I mean wide awake). In the second place, reading, if it is active, is training, and thinking
tends to express itself in words, spoken or written. The marked book is usually thought-through book.
Finally, writing helps you remember the thoughts you had, or the thoughts the author expressed….
a. topic ___________________________________
___________________________________
b. topic sentence ___________________________________
___________________________________
c. major supporting details ___________________________________
___________________________________
d. minor supporting details ___________________________________
___________________________________
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87. Date: ______________________________
Name:______________________________
Teacher: ___________________________
Year Level/ Section: __________________
Score: _____________________________
Activity 15
Topic VS. Topic Sentence
Instruction: Put a check mark (/) before the line if it is a topic sentence and a cross (×) if it is only
a topic.
____ 1. Interviewing a dynamic personality
____ 2. Interviewing is a dynamic and interactive process
____ 3. When the dawn breaks into morning
____ 4. The dawn breaks into morning
____ 5. Computers speeds up the processing of information
____ 6. The latest computer model in town
____ 7. Writing a paragraph is like building a house
____ 8. Building a house with a strong foundation
____ 9. Listen before you write the key points
____ 10. Note-taking is an important tool in learning
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