PROPERTIES OF
A WELL-
WRITTEN TEXT
OBJECTIVE
In this lesson, you are expected to
a. determine the essence of proper
language use in written texts
b. evaluate a written text based on the
appropriateness of language use.
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Before we proceed to the role of language use in well-written
texts, answer the following questions first:
Would it be enough to just consider organization, coherence
and cohesion in writing?
How would improper use of language affect the message of a
written text?
Why is language as significant as organization, coherence and
cohesion in developing a well-written text?
Study the conversation of three students
during the first day of school.
ARNOLD: What’s up
everyone! A newbie
here! Man, cool!
GREG: If you would
want me to be part of
the circle it would be
my honor to take part of
this friendship.
ARNULFO: Excuse
me, yes we can be
friends and it’s a
pleasure for me.
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Writing is a rigorous activity. No matter
how good and substantial the content of a
document is, if it‘s not carefully written as
to how you, as the writer, would like to
present it to your readers, your purpose will
not be served wisely.
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Hence, you have to bear in mind that aside
from considering the organization of your
ideas and the coherence and cohesion of
your sentences and paragraphs, you also
have to regard the style, tone and clarity
of your writing.
LESSON 3:
LANGUAGE USE
On this note, you are responsible to
choose the appropriate language to be
used and to regard the objective of the
writing, the context in which it was
written and the target audience in mind.
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
There are five major issues with
appropriate language that should
be avoided in an effective and
well-written text, as identified by
(Purdue Online Writing Lab 2020):
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
First, the formality of the language
one uses should depend on how
formal the situation is and how the
writer and the reader are related to
one another.
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Second, jargons or specialized
language used by groups of
individuals in the same field,
should only be used if the target
readers belong to the same group.
LESSON 3:
LANGUAGE USE
As a student, it's likely that you hear examples of jargon used all the
time. Teachers use lots of educational jargon. Some examples of this
you might have heard include:
Peer assessment - marking a classmate's work
Point Evidence Explanation (or 'PEE') - a method for structuring
essays effectively
Coursework - work done throughout the year to be assessed,
instead of exams
Critical thinking - approaching a topic analytically and with
logical reasoning
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Third, slangs and idioms should be avoided.
Slangs (salitang balbal) are words, phrases, or expressions
that do not literally mean what they express (like
‘’frenemy’’ to describe someone who is both a friend and an
enemy)
Other examples: chill, Lit, Flex, Dude, Nuts, Pissed, LOL,
LMAO, OMG, gotta, wanna, watcha, kinda
LESSON 3:
LANGUAGE
Idioms
USE
or expressions whose meaning is different from
the meanings of the individual word it contains (like ‘’to kill
two birds at one stone’’, which means to get two things
done with a single action.
Other examples: Apple of my eye, A piece of cake, Break
a leg, tie the knot
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Fourth, euphemisms or words that veil the truth shall also be
avoided.
Examples of which are ‘’virtually challenged’’ for someone
who is short; ‘’passed away’’ instead of died, and other
deceitful language.
Other examples:
Big boned – instead of fat
Unique looking – instead of ugly
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Fifth, avoid using any biased
language including those
associated with any racial,
ethnic, group, or gender.
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Examples:
Manpower – staff or personnel
Secretary – assistant or associate
Chairman - chairperson
Boyfriend/girlfriend – partner
Husband/ wife – spouse
Fireman – firefighter
Salesman - salesperson
LESSON 3: LANGUAGE USE
Hence, an effective language can be characterized as:
Concrete and specific, not vague and abstract
Concise, not verbose
Precise and clear, not obscure
Constructive, not destructive
Appropriately formal, not slang
LESSON 4: MECHANICS
In this lesson, you will utilize your writing
prowess through practice skills in grammar.
You are also expected to learn the mechanics in
writing such as spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and paragraphs in explaining a
position in an essay.
LESSON 4:
MECHANICS
Were you able to identify and correct the errors?
Do you think an employer will feel bad about
receiving such letter from a job applicant or from an
employee?
Is it of utmost importance to adhere to proper
grammar and apply appropriate text formatting?
LESSON 4:
MECHANICS
Generally, mechanics is
essential in all types of writing
because it describes the
technical aspects of writing.
LESSON 4: MECHANICS
It also serves as a road sign to guide
learners like you on how to use words
appropriately in terms of conventions
such as spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and others.
CAPITALIZATION RULES
In English, a capital letter is used for the first word of
a sentence and for all proper nouns (words that
name a specific person, place, organization, or thing).
In some cases, capitalization is also required for the
first word in a quotation and the first word after a
colon.
THE BASIC SIGNS OF
PUNCTUATION
the comma , the apostrophe '
the full stop . quotation marks “ ”
the exclamation mark ! the hyphen -
the question mark ? brackets ( ) or [ ]
the semi-colon ; the slash /
the colon :
THE COMMA (,)
The comma is useful in a sentence when the writer wishes to:
pause before proceeding
add a phrase that does not contain any new subject
separate items on a list
use more than one adjective (a describing word, like beautiful)
For example, in the following sentence the phrase or clause between the commas
gives us more information behind the actions of the boy, the subject of the sentence:
The boy, who knew that his mother was about to
arrive, ran quickly towards the opening door.
THE COMMA (,)
Commas are also used to separate items in a list.
For example:
The shopping trolley was loaded high with bottles of
beer, fruit, vegetables, toilet rolls, cereals and cartons
of milk.
Commas are used to separate adjectives.
For example:
The boy was happy, eager and full of anticipation at
the start of his summer holiday.
FULL STOP (.)
A full stop should always be used to end a sentence. The full stop indicates that a point has
been made and that you are about to move on to further explanations or a related point.
Less frequently, a series of three full stops (an ellipsis) can be used to indicate where a section of a
quotation has been omitted when it is not relevant to the text, for example:
“The boy was happy… at the start of his summer holiday.”
A single full stop may also be used to indicate the abbreviation of commonly used words as in the
following examples:
•Telephone Number = Tel. No.
•September = Sept.
•Pages = pp.
EXCLAMATION MARK (!)
An exclamation mark indicates strong feeling within a sentence, such as fear, anger or
love. It is also used to accentuate feeling within the written spoken word.
For example:
Help!
I love you!
In this way, it can also be used to indicate a sharp instruction
“Stop! Police!”
The exclamation mark at the end of a sentence means that you do not need a full stop.
QUESTION MARK (?)
The question mark simply indicates that a sentence is
asking a question. It always comes at the end of a
sentence:
For example:
Are we at the end?
Note that the question mark also serves as a full stop.
SEMI-COLON (;)
The semi-colon is perhaps the most
difficult sign of punctuation to use
accurately. If in doubt, avoid using it and
convert the added material into a new
sentence.
As a general rule, the semi-colon is used in the
following ways:
SEMI-COLON (;)
When joining two connected sentences.
For example:
We set out at dawn; the weather looked promising.
Or
Assertive behavior concerns being able to express feelings, wants and desires
appropriately; passive behavior means complying with the wishes of others.
The semi-colon can also be used to assemble detailed lists.
For example:
The conference was attended by delegates from Paris, France; Paris, Texas;
London, UK; Stockholm, Sweden; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Mumbai, India.
COLON (:)
The colon within a sentence makes a very pointed pause between two
phrases. There are two main uses of the colon:
It is most commonly used when listing.
For example:
She placed the following items into the trolley: beer, fruit,
vegetables, toilet rolls, cereals and cartons of milk.
Or it can be used within a heading, or descriptive title.
For example:
Human Resource Management: Guidelines for Telephone
Advisers
APOSTROPHE (’)
The apostrophe, sometimes called an inverted comma has two
main uses. The apostrophe indicates possession or ownership.
For example:
The girl's hat was green, (girl is in the singular).
This shows the reader that the hat belongs to the girl.
The girls' hats were green, (girls in this instance are
plural, i.e. more than one girl, more than one hat).
This indicates that the hats belong to the girls.
APOSTROPHE (’)
Another use of the apostrophe is to indicate where a letter is omitted:
For example:
We're going to do this course.
(We are going to do this course.)
Isn’t this a fine example of punctuation?
(Is not this a fine example of punctuation?)
The time is now 7 o’ clock.
(The time is now 7 of the clock)
APOSTROPHE (’)
Note that a common mistake is to confuse its with it’s.
It’s indicates to the reader that a letter has been omitted.
For example:
It’s a lovely day is an abbreviated way of
saying: It is a lovely day.
Note that in most formal writing, the practice of using abbreviated
words is inappropriate.
FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES
1. Declarative
A declarative sentence makes a declaration or a statement. It can also
express an opinion. This sentence ends in a period. Here's a list of
examples:
The article contains at least 1,000 words.
Vanilla is the best ice cream flavor.
My smartphone allows me to take pictures and record audio
messages.
FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES
2. Interrogative
An interrogative sentence asks a question. This sentence might begin with
words, such as who, what, where, when or why. It ends with a question mark.
Examples include:
What website do you use to edit your photographs?
When are you going to apply for the job?
Why do you like pineapples on your pizza?
FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES
3. Imperative
An imperative sentence issues a command or a request to the reader
directly. This sentence can end in a period or an exclamation point.
Here's a list of examples:
Lock the door when you leave the house.
Schedule an appointment with the dentist this week.
Don't walk around with scissors in your hand!
FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES
4. Exclamatory
An exclamatory sentence illustrates great emotion, such as surprise,
excitement and anger. It ends with an exclamation point. Examples
include:
I received a job offer that doubles my salary!
My strawberry lemonade spilled on my beige carpet!
We didn't know you were planning this party for us!
LESSON 4:
MECHANICS
LESSON 4: MECHANICS
LESSON 4:
MECHANICS
Read the letter below. Identify all errors
by placing the correct capitalization and
punctuations, correcting misspelled
words, and writing the sentences in
paragraph form.
