Republic of the Philippines

COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA

Ayala Campus

For:
Eng 004
TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINE
INCLUDING FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH

LESSON 1:
QUALITIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN PARAGRAPHS

Prepared by:
BRENDA LYNN O. VENTURA
Faculty

LESSON 1
A. Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

01. identify the qualities of effective writing;

02. explain each qualities of writing; and
03. create a well-written paragraph.

B. Lesson Outline:

1. What is a Paragraph?
1.1 Elements of an Effective Paragraph

C. Lesson Content:

What is a paragraph?
Paragraphs are Deta Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five
sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among
sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as “a group of sentences or a single sentence
that forms a unit” (Lunsford and Connors 116). Length and appearance do not determine whether a section in a
paper is a paragraph. For instance, in some styles of writing, particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can be
just one sentence long. Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main idea.
In this handout, we will refer to this as the “controlling idea,” because it controls what happens in the rest of the
paragraph. (https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/)

How do I decide what to put in a paragraph?

Before you can begin to determine what the composition of a particular paragraph will be, you must first decide
on an argument and a working thesis statement for your paper. What is the most important idea that you are
trying to convey to your reader? The information in each paragraph must be related to that idea. In other words,
your paragraphs should remind your reader that there is a recurrent relationship between your thesis and the
information in each paragraph. A working thesis functions like a seed from which your paper, and your ideas,
will grow. The whole process is an organic one—a natural progression from a seed to a full-blown paper where
there are direct, familial relationships between all of the ideas in the paper.

The decision about what to put into your paragraphs begins with the germination of a seed of ideas; this
“germination process” is better known as brainstorming. There are many techniques for brainstorming;
whichever one you choose, this stage of paragraph development cannot be skipped. Building paragraphs can be
like building a skyscraper: there must be a well-planned foundation that supports what you are building. Any
cracks, inconsistencies, or other corruptions of the foundation can cause your whole paper to crumble.

So, let’s suppose that you have done some brainstorming to develop your thesis. What else should you keep in
mind as you begin to create paragraphs? Every paragraph in a paper should be:

Unified: All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a single controlling idea (often expressed
in the topic sentence of the paragraph).
Clearly related to the thesis: The sentences should all refer to the central idea, or thesis, of the paper (Rosen and
Behrens 119).
Coherent: The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan for
development (Rosen and Behrens 119).
Well-developed: Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported through
evidence and details that work together to explain the paragraph’s controlling idea (Rosen and Behrens 119).

How do I organize a paragraph?

There are many different ways to organize a paragraph. The organization you choose will depend on the
controlling idea of the paragraph. Below are a few possibilities for organization, with links to brief examples:

Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence

Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the paragraph’s
development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence. In some
cases, you may need more than one sentence to express a paragraph’s controlling idea. Here is the controlling
idea for our “model paragraph,” expressed in a topic sentence:

Model controlling idea and topic sentence — Slave spirituals often had hidden double meanings.

Step 2. Explain the controlling idea

Paragraph development continues with an expression of the rationale or the explanation that the writer gives for
how the reader should interpret the information presented in the idea statement or topic sentence of the
paragraph. The writer explains his/her thinking about the main topic, idea, or focus of the paragraph. Here’s the
sentence that would follow the controlling idea about slave spirituals:

Model explanation — On one level, spirituals referenced heaven, Jesus, and the soul; but on another level,
the songs spoke about slave resistance.

Step 3. Give an example (or multiple examples)

Paragraph development progresses with the expression of some type of support or evidence for the idea and the
explanation that came before it. The example serves as a sign or representation of the relationship established in
the idea and explanation portions of the paragraph. Here are two examples that we could use to illustrate the
double meanings in slave spirituals:

Model example A — For example, according to Frederick Douglass, the song “O Canaan, Sweet Canaan”
spoke of slaves’ longing for heaven, but it also expressed their desire to escape to the North. Careful listeners
heard this second meaning in the following lyrics: “I don’t expect to stay / Much longer here. / Run to Jesus,
shun the danger. / I don’t expect to stay.”

Model example B — Slaves even used songs like “Steal Away to Jesus (at midnight)” to announce to other
slaves the time and place of secret, forbidden meetings.

Step 4. Explain the example(s)

The next movement in paragraph development is an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic
sentence and rationale that were stated at the beginning of the paragraph. This explanation shows readers why
you chose to use this/or these particular examples as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your
paragraph.

Continue the pattern of giving examples and explaining them until all points/examples that the writer deems
necessary have been made and explained. NONE of your examples should be left unexplained. You might be
able to explain the relationship between the example and the topic sentence in the same sentence which
introduced the example. More often, however, you will need to explain that relationship in a separate sentence.
Look at these explanations for the two examples in the slave spirituals paragraph:

Model explanation for example A — When slaves sang this song, they could have been speaking of their
departure from this life and their arrival in heaven; however, they also could have been describing their plans to
leave the South and run, not to Jesus, but to the North.

Model explanation for example B — [The relationship between example B and the main idea of the paragraph’s
controlling idea is clear enough without adding another sentence to explain it.]

Step 5. Complete the paragraph’s idea or transition into the next paragraph
The final movement in paragraph development involves tying up the loose ends of the paragraph and reminding
the reader of the relevance of the information in this paragraph to the main or controlling idea of the paper. At
this point, you can remind your reader about the relevance of the information that you just discussed in the
paragraph. You might feel more comfortable, however, simply transitioning your reader to the next
development in the next paragraph. Here’s an example of a sentence that completes the slave spirituals
paragraph:

Model sentence for completing a paragraph — What whites heard as merely spiritual songs, slaves discerned as
detailed messages. The hidden meanings in spirituals allowed slaves to sing what they could not say.
Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be repeated as needed.
The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely developed the main idea of the
paragraph.

Here is a look at the completed “model” paragraph:

Slave spirituals often had hidden double meanings. On one level, spirituals referenced heaven, Jesus, and
the soul, but on another level, the songs spoke about slave resistance. For example, according to
Frederick Douglass, the song “O Canaan, Sweet Canaan” spoke of slaves’ longing for heaven, but it also
expressed their desire to escape to the North. Careful listeners heard this second meaning in the following
lyrics: “I don’t expect to stay / Much longer here. / Run to Jesus, shun the danger. / I don’t expect to
stay.” When slaves sang this song, they could have been speaking of their departure from this life and
their arrival in heaven; however, they also could have been describing their plans to leave the South and
run, not to Jesus, but to the North. Slaves even used songs like “Steal Away to Jesus (at midnight)” to
announce to other slaves the time and place of secret, forbidden meetings. What whites heard as merely
spiritual songs, slaves discerned as detailed messages. The hidden meanings in spirituals allowed slaves to
sing what they could not say.

Troubleshooting paragraphs
Problem: the paragraph has no topic sentence

Imagine each paragraph as a sandwich. The real content of the sandwich—the meat or other filling—is in the
middle. It includes all the evidence you need to make the point. But it gets kind of messy to eat a sandwich
without any bread. Your readers don’t know what to do with all the evidence you’ve given them. So, the top
slice of bread (the first sentence of the paragraph) explains the topic (or controlling idea) of the paragraph. And,
the bottom slice (the last sentence of the paragraph) tells the reader how the paragraph relates to the broader
argument. In the original and revised paragraphs below, notice how a topic sentence expressing the controlling
idea tells the reader the point of all the evidence.

Original paragraph

Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans,
piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by
people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.
Revised paragraph:
Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part,
entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When
confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense.
Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they
won’t bite humans.

Once you have mastered the use of topic sentences, you may decide that the topic sentence for a particular
paragraph really shouldn’t be the first sentence of the paragraph. This is fine—the topic sentence can actually
go at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph; what’s important is that it is in there somewhere so that
readers know what the main idea of the paragraph is and how it relates back to the thesis of your paper. Suppose
that we wanted to start the piranha paragraph with a transition sentence—something that reminds the reader of
what happened in the previous paragraph—rather than with the topic sentence. Let’s suppose that the previous
paragraph was about all kinds of animals that people are afraid of, like sharks, snakes, and spiders. Our
paragraph might look like this (the topic sentence is bold):

Like sharks, snakes, and spiders, piranhas are widely feared. Although most people consider piranhas
to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals;
they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not
attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by
piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.
Problem: the paragraph has more than one controlling idea

If a paragraph has more than one main idea, consider eliminating sentences that relate to the second idea, or
split the paragraph into two or more paragraphs, each with only one main idea. Watch our short video on
reverse outlining to learn a quick way to test whether your paragraphs are unified. In the following paragraph,
the final two sentences branch off into a different topic; so, the revised paragraph eliminates them and
concludes with a sentence that reminds the reader of the paragraph’s main idea.

Original paragraph

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless.
Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans,
piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by
people than people are eaten by piranhas. A number of South American groups eat piranhas. They fry or grill
the fish and then serve them with coconut milk or tucupi, a sauce made from fermented manioc juices.
Revised paragraph

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless.
Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans,
piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by
people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Problem: transitions are needed within the paragraph

You are probably familiar with the idea that transitions may be needed between paragraphs or sections in a
paper (see our handout on transitions). Sometimes they are also helpful within the body of a single paragraph.
Within a paragraph, transitions are often single words or short phrases that help to establish relationships
between ideas and to create a logical progression of those ideas in a paragraph. This is especially likely to be
true within paragraphs that discuss multiple examples. Let’s take a look at a version of our piranha paragraph
that uses transitions to orient the reader:

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, except in two main situations,
entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When
confronted with humans, piranhas’ instinct is to flee, not attack. But there are two situations in which a piranha
bite is likely. The first is when a frightened piranha is lifted out of the water—for example, if it has been caught
in a fishing net. The second is when the water level in pools where piranhas are living falls too low. A large
number of fish may be trapped in a single pool, and if they are hungry, they may attack anything that enters the
water.

In this example, you can see how the phrases “the first” and “the second” help the reader follow the
organization of the ideas in the paragraph.

D. Discussion Questions

LEVEL QUESTIONS OBJECTIVES

 1. KNOWLEDGE 1. What are the qualities of a well-written 01. identify the qualities of
paragraph? effective writing;

2. 3 Explain the following quality- Unity, 01. identify the qualities of

COMPREHENSION Coherence and Emphasis.. effective writing;
02. explain each qualities of
writing; and

3. APPLICATION 1. How does a writer achieve Unity, 02. explain each qualities of
Coherence and Emphasis in writing? writing; and

4. ANALYSIS In this sample paragraph, how would you 03. create a well-written
show coherence to achieve logical or orders paragraph.
of idea? Rewrite the paragraph.

January 21, 1976 was an historic day. On that

day, two supersonic Concorde aircraft made
there first flights. One took of from London and
the other from paris. Later that year, the first
Concorde flew to New York. The flight from
London to New York took about three ours.
Other planes took twice the time to make that
flight! The fleet of Concorde's was retierd in
2003. Over the years, the planes had carryed
more then 2.5 million passengers.

5. EVALUATION What functions do you think unity portray in 01. identify the qualities of
a paragraph? effective writing;
02. explain each qualities of
writing; and

6. SYNTHESIS Following the qualities of a well written 03. create a well-written

paragraph, create a one paragraph essay paragraph.
explaining your understanding about Life.

E. Lesson Activities/Tasks
Activities OBE- Source Objectives
1. Class Oral Discussions Competence 101.1 (Creative and 01. identify the qualities of
Critical Thinking) effective writing;
02. explain each qualities of
writing; and

2. Write about an interesting Competence 101.1 (Creative and 01. identify the qualities of
incident that happened to you Critical Thinking) effective writing;
recently. Include Unity, Coherence 02. explain each qualities of
and Emphasis in your writing. Competence 101.2 (Fluency and writing; and
Articulateness) 03. create a well-written
paragraph.

F. References

Dayagbil, et.al (2016). Critical Reading and Writing. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Manalo, J. (1995). Towards Competencies in English Grammar. Communications Upgrade, International, Inc.
 Republic of the Philippines
COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Campus

For:
Eng 004
TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINE
INCLUDING FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH
 LESSON 2:
CLASSIFICATION OF PARAGRAPHS:
DESCRIPTIVE AND EXPOSITORY

Prepared by:
BRENDA LYNN O. VENTURA
Faculty

LESSON 2

A. Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

01. identify the different classification of paragraphs;

02. differentiate between Descriptive and Expository paragraphs; and
03. develop a well-written descriptive and expository paragraphs.

B. Lesson Outline:

1. Classification of Paragraphs
1.1 Based on Purpose
1.1.1 Descriptive Paragraph
1.1.2 Expository Paragraph

C. Lesson Content:

Classification of Paragraphs
The classification of paragraphs depends on the treatment of the writer. Based on purpose or treatment, a
paragraph may be descriptive, expository, or argumentative.

Based on Purpose or Treatment

A. Descriptive Paragraph: If you want to immerse a reader in an essay or story, there’s no better way to do it
than with a crisp, vivid descriptive paragraph. These paragraphs are best when you let your creativity take
control, experimenting with structure and content and using unusual, striking phrases to hook your reader’s
attention. Whether you’re describing a person, place, or thing, your paragraph should make your reader feel like
they’re right there with you or your characters, experiencing the moment firsthand (Taylor 2019). A good
descriptive paragraph is like a window into another world. Through the use of careful examples or details, an
author can conjure a scene that vividly describes a person, place, or thing. The best descriptive writing appeals
to multiple senses at once―smell, sight, taste, touch, and hearing―and is found in both fiction and nonfiction
(Nordquist 2019).
Example 2: Gregory
by Barbara Carter
Example 1: A Friendly Clown
Gregory is my beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and grace, performing a dance of
On one corner of my dresser sits a smiling toy clown on a tiny unicycle―a gift I received last
disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each paw with the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride, however, does
Christmas from a close friend. The clown's short yellow hair, made of yarn, covers its ears but is parted above
not extend to his appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching television and growing fat. He
the eyes. The blue eyes are outlined in black with thin, dark lashes flowing from the brows. It has cherry-red
enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix and 9 Lives. His familiarity with cat food
cheeks, nose, and lips, and its broad grin disappears into the wide, white ruffle around its neck. The clown
commercials has led him to reject generic brands of cat food in favor of only the most expensive brands.
wears a fluffy, two-tone nylon costume. The left side of the outfit is light blue, and the right side is red. The
Gregory is as finicky about visitors as he is about what he eats, befriending some and repelling others. He
two colors merge in a dark line that runs down the center of the small outfit. Surrounding its ankles and
may snuggle up against your ankle, begging to be petted, or he may imitate a and stain your favorite
disguising its long black shoes are big pink bows. The white spokes on the wheels of the unicycle gather in
trousers. Gregory does not do this to establish his territory, as many cat experts think, but to humiliate me
the center and expand to the black tire so that the wheel somewhat resembles the inner half of a grapefruit.
because he is jealous of my friends. After my guests have fled, I look at the old fleabag snoozing and smiling
The clown and unicycle together stand about a foot high. As a cherished gift from my good friend Tran, this
to himself in front of the television set, and I have to forgive him for his obnoxious, but endearing, habits.
colorful figure greets me with a smile every time I enter my room.

Observe how the writer moves clearly from a description of the head of the clown to the body to the unicycle
underneath. There aren't just sensory details for the eyes but also touch, in the description that the hair is made
of yarn and the suit of nylon. Certain colors are specific, as in cherry-red cheeks and light blue, and descriptions
help to visualize the object: the parted hair, the color line on the suit, and the grapefruit analogy. Dimensions
overall help to provide the reader with the item's scale, and the descriptions of the size of the ruffle and bows on
the shoes in comparison to what's nearby provide telling detail. The concluding sentence helps to tie the
paragraph together by emphasizing the personal value of this gift.

The writer here focuses less on the physical appearance of her pet than on the cat's habits and actions. Notice
how many different descriptors go into just the sentence about how the cat walks: emotions of pride and disdain
and the extended metaphor of the dancer, including the phrases the "dance of disdain," "grace," and "ballet
dancer." When you want to portray something through the use of a metaphor, make sure you are consistent, that
Example 1:
all the descriptors make sense with that one metaphor. Don't use two different metaphors to describe the same
Goingthat
thing, because to college
makes thecan image
be expensive. First,tocollege
you're trying portraytuition and and
awkward roomconvoluted.
and board The
can consistency
cost anywhere
adds
from 5,000pesos to more than 10,000
emphasis and depth to the description. pesos per semester. Other expenses make going to college even more
expensive. For example, books typically cost between P100 and P500 each term. Second, materials are also
very expensive.
Personification Paper,
is an notebooks,
effective literary writing utensils,
device for giving and other
lifelike supplies
detail to an required
inanimateoften
objectcost more
or an at the
animal, and
college bookstore than at any local discount department store. For instance, a package of notepaper
Carter uses it to great effect. Look at how much time she spends on the discussions of what the cat takes pride costing
P20.00 at a discount store might cost P50.00 at a college bookstore. Finally, there are all kinds of special
in (or doesn't) and how it comes across in his attitude, with being finicky and jealous, acting to humiliate by
fees added onto the bill at registration time. A college student might have to pay a P350 insurance fee, a
spraying, and just overall behaving obnoxiously. Still, she conveys her clear affection for the cat, something to
P200 activity fee, a P150 fee to the student government association and anywhere from P500 to P600 for
which many readers can relate.
parking. There is another fee if a student decides to add or drop classes after registration. The fees required
to attend college never seem to end.
B. Expository Paragraph: When you read a textbook, the news, magazine articles, or any other types of
publications, you are reading expository writing. When you write answers for an essay test, you use the
expository form. In an expository paragraph, you give information. You explain a subject, give directions, or
show how something happens. In expository writing, linking words like first, second, then, and finally are
usually used to help readers follow the ideas. This paragraph, like any other, organizes itself around three parts.
A topic sentence allows the reader to understand what you are writing about. The middle part of the paragraph
contains supporting sentences that follow one another in a logical sequence of steps. The concluding sentence
closes your subject with an emphasis on the final product or process desired by the topic. Remember that all
paragraphs should contain a topic sentence. It may be even more important in the expository paragraph because
this is where the main idea of the paragraph is expressed. This topic sentence lets the reader know what the rest
of the paragraph will discuss. (https://www.time4writing.com/)

There are many advantages to purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables as an alternative to popular
processed food items at your local grocer store. While potato chips and donuts are tasty and frozen food is
convenient, a habit of eating food prepared in a factory leads to overall poor nutrition and can cause bad
health. These ill effects result in increased visits to the dentist or the family physician. A bag of apples
might cost more than a bag of Cheetos, but savings in health costs far outweigh the immediate savings at the
cash register. Besides, pound for pound, fresh food often turns out to be cheaper than packaged food. Many
people forget that when they buy something that is packaged or frozen, they are also buying the packaging
which lures shoppers into buying the product. Commercials on television successfully convince consumers
The topic sentence in the example lets the reader know that the paragraph will talk about the expenses of going
that the decisions to buy packaged food is logical, but facts about nutrition and value prove otherwise.
to college. Immediately following the topic sentence is the first supporting sentence (underlined) and two
detail/example sentences. Each support sentence and its two detail/example sentences are shown in different
colors so you can see where one ends and the next begins. Finally, the closing sentence neatly ties back to the
topic sentence by rephrasing it.

Notice the use of transitional words to help the reader follow the ideas. Also, notice the use of third person point
of view in this paragraph. The third person point of view (he, she, one) is most commonly used for expository
writing, technical writing, and any other sort of writing that has a business-minded or persuasive intention or
purpose. For our purposes in this class, you will always use third person point of view when writing expository
paragraphs, unless otherwise directed. This means there should be no “I” or “you” words anywhere in the
paragraph.

Exercise:
Paragraph Sample 1
Paragraph Sample 2

D. Discussion Questions:

2. What is an Expository Paragraph?

3. How do you distinguish descriptive paragraph from expository paragraph?
4. In example paragraph 1 of the exercise, identify what is the topic sentence.
5. What is the paragraph all about?
6. Analyze the pattern of paragraph development in the example.
7. In example paragraph 2 of the exercise, identify what is the topic sentence.
8. What is the paragraph all about?
9. Analyze the pattern of paragraph development in the example.

E. Lesson Activities/Tasks
Activities OBE- Source Objectives
1. Class Oral Discussions Competence 101.1 (Creative and 01. identify the different
Critical Thinking) classification of paragraphs;
02. differentiate between
Descriptive and Expository
paragraphs; and
03. develop a well-written
descriptive and expository
paragraphs.

English is the language spoken throughout

Competence most
101.1 of Canada,
(Creative and but in Quebec, the most populated
2.province, and inofareas
Pick a strip papernear
fromQuebec, FrenchThinking)
the Critical is the first language. Because of this, Canadians recognize
first box. The paper will reveal
French and English as official languages that are used in business and government. Many people are
whether you easily
bilingual and are gotofrom
write a toCompetence
French English and101.2 (Fluency
vice versa whenand
speaking with tourists. The farther west
descriptive paragraph or expository Articulateness)
you go, the more English you'll hear, but it is common to meet people throughout the country who are
paragraph. Next,
familiar with both pick a strip of
languages.
paper on the second box wherein it
contains a word or a statement.
From the word or statement that
you picked, create one paragraph
(minimum of 7 sentences and
 maximum of 10 sentences). The
type of paragraph is determined the
moment you picked the strip of
paper on the first box.

3. Evaluation. Competence 101.1 (Creative and

A. Choose any kind of food (e.g., Critical Thinking)
green mango with bagoong, fish
ball dipped in sweet and hot sauce). Competence 101.2 (Fluency and
Let your five senses work- describe Articulateness)
the aroma of the food, how it looks,
how it sounds (as you bite into it or
break it into morsels and taste it).
B. What does it mean to be a man,
woman, gay or lesbian for others?
Give examples to illustrate your
point.

Direction: Compose one paragraph

for each classification. One
paragraph must have a minimum of
6 sentences and maximum of 10
sentences.

F. REFERENCES

Dayagbil, et.al (2016). Critical Reading and Writing. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Manalo, J. (1995). Towards Competencies in English Grammar. Communications Upgrade, International, Inc.
 Republic of the Philippines
COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Campus

For:
Eng 004
TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINE
INCLUDING FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH

LESSON 3:
CLASSIFICATION OF PARAGRAPHS:
NARRATIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE
 LESSON 3

A. Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. identify the different classification of paragraphs;

2. differentiate between Narrative and Argumentative paragraphs; and
3. develop a well-written narrative and argumentative paragraph.

B. Lesson Outline:

1. Classification of Paragraphs
1.1 Based on Purpose
1.1.1 Narrative Paragraph
1.1.2 Argumentative Paragraph

C. Lesson Content:

Narrative Paragraph
Example Paragraph
A narrative 1
paragraph tells a story. Something happens first, second, third, etc. Of course, narrative
paragraphs are used in fiction as a writer describes the unfolding of events, but they are also found when
Yesterday evening I got home from work at 6 o'clock. My wife had painstakingly prepared a
describing
deliciousany actual
dinner sequence
which we ateofimmediately.
activity. Because
After narrative paragraphs
I had cleaned up the resemble
kitchen, wefiction (an untrue
watched TV show story),
whichyou
have
hada been
little recommended
more freedom by to write the story
my friend. Then,in we
the got
styledolled
you prefer.
up for This is known
a night as artistic
on the town. Our freedom or artistic
friends arrived at
license.
about You can use
9 o'clock andthewe
first personfornarrative
chatted a while.style andwe
Later, include words
decided that aclearly
to visit referclub
local jazz to you
and(I,listen
me, my, mine,
to some
etc.), or you
bebop for acan try The
while. to tell
mad themusicians
story from a purely
really blew objective point
their horns. We of view
really that isourselves
enjoyed not personal, but gives
and stayed late a
straight-forward, factual
only leaving after account
the band hadofplayed
what their
happened
final (https://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/).
audacious set.

Narrative paragraphs are often used to describe what a person does over a period of time. Read this
example narrative paragraph, notice how words like 'later' are used to connect what happens.
Example Paragraph 2
I remember when I first arrived in the United States. Even before the plane landed, the little
windows in the airplane revealed snow and ice-covered houses and buildings. As I walked off the plane,
cold air crept though the corrugated ramp that led to the airport terminal. Some people inside the airport
were wearing big coats and hats, which I had seen on television, but never up close. I felt a little dizzy and
needed to sit down, and then my cell phone rang. It was my Aunt Sophia. She was waiting for me outside in
the passenger pick-up area, so I walked quickly to the exit, forgetting all about my luggage. When the
sliding glass door opened to the outside, there was my aunt--a woman I hadn't seen in over ten years--
wearing a parka and waving her arms frantically in my direction.
 Example Paragraph 3
The topicThose of usinwho
sentence this found out early
paragraph is thethat
firstour teacher Iwould
sentence, be Mr.
remember FineI shuddered
when to in
first arrived think
the of having
United to
States.
spend an entire year in his classroom, trapped and subjected to months of unending
The supporting sentences that follow should be about this experience and how it is still remembered. The terror. We'd heard
stories. Wesentence
concluding knew. Then
in thisa month
kind ofbefore schoolwould
a paragraph was tolead
begin, a list
to the mysteriously
action in the nextsurfaced showing
paragraph--if the is
there names
one.
of all the sixth grade students at Fairmont Elementary, their teachers, and their classrooms. Normally such
informationlook
Meanwhile, wasn't
at known
exampleuntil the first
3. The week of
sequence of classes,
activity but
canJohn Patrick'sormother
be implied was a secretary
reassembled at the as
by the reader
school, and somehow this
demonstrated in this paragraph: list appeared. It didn't matter how it was found, or who exactly leaked the
information. It was that cold list of names that would cause a couple dozen eleven-year olds to panic. But as
it turns out, we were all wrong about Mr. Fine.

Example Paragraph 4
Theo's day began with a shock. As soon as he arrived at the office that morning, he learned that his
best friend was dead. Wasn't it just twelve hours ago that they were eating chicken wings and tipping back
beer in front of a baseball game at the Cooper's Bar and Grill? After a long day of crunching numbers at the
office, they stopped at a bar for a Thursday afternoon happy hour. They saw a few coworkers there, and
before they knew it, it was closing time. Bill got in a car with someone he met just that evening and that was
Orthethelast
activity can be
time Theo sawclearly
him. sequenced so that there's no mistake about what happens first, second, third, and
so on:

When you do the prewriting for a narrative paragraph, list the sequence of activity. When you are ready
to write, you can use this information in plotting out the events. It is not necessary to always go directly in
order. An event that happens last can appear first in the paragraph. In fact, this is a good way to arouse interest
in the reader. As long as the paragraph seems fairly logical, you have a lot of creative freedom in writing this
kind of a paragraph. You could also just start writing the paragraph in a stream-of-consciousness sort of way
and let the ideas and action flow freely from your mind as you remember them.

Source: (https://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/).

Argumentative Paragraph

An argument paragraph presents a point of view and provides evidence for the point of view taken. An
argument is an opinion supported by facts. Writers refer to opinions as claims and facts as evidence. The claim
clearly states a stance on a topic or issue. Evidence to prove this claim can include reasons, personal experience,
statistics, confirmed facts, and expert research For the claim to be persuasive, an argument writer must support
it with the most effective evidence that comes from a variety of credible sources. Credible sources are websites,
Example
reports, andParagraph 1
articles developed by experts and journalists. There are so many examples available on the net.
Here are‘UVsome:
intensity is the most important factor in skin cancer fatalities.’ Do you agree? UV intensity is
not the most important factor in skin cancer fatalities. While residents of Colorado (mean elevation of 2.1
km) have always been subjected to the highest UV intensities in the United States, Colorado has one of the
lowest skin cancer fatality rates of all the states. In contrast, New England, which has much lower UV
intensities has a death rate from skin cancer 25% higher than it is in Colorado. In addition, although
equatorial regions have higher UV intensities, the lowest reported skin cancer death rates in the world come
from Mauritius (0.2 per 100,000) and Nicaragua (0.2 per 100,000). On the other hand, Ireland (2.64 per
100,000) has the world’s third-highest rate. The evidence is strong that UV intensity is not the principal
factor in determining the skin cancer death rate. Genetic factors, skin pigmentation, behavioral
characteristics, medical facilities, broad straw hats, and sunscreen lotion all have some influence on skin
cancer fatalities.

Example Paragraph 2
Do epidemiological studies have limitations? Epidemiological studies have severe limitations.
Firstly, such studies can seldom be made in adherence to all the requirements of experimental science since
the ‘objects’ being studied are people and they come with a variety of behaviors and appetites. Secondly,
the study can take place only in the conditions that have occurred, and not in a laboratory re-creation of
them where certain factors can be varied systematically to determine their influence and effect. Most
seriously, epidemiological studies can take decades to be completed, so that by the time a positive result
becomes evident, large numbers of workers may have been damaged or injured irreversibly. Hence, the
identification of occupational disease cannot be allowed to rest on epidemiology alone — in effect, to a
policy of ‘counting the victims’. It must be backed by experimentation and other methods of predicting the
likely health impact on workers of new chemicals, processes or technologies.
Tips for Writing an Argumentative Paragraph:
An argumentative paragraph is used when you are arguing for or against a CLAIM or when you are trying to
persuade someone to agree with you. If you are asked to write a paragraph that Argues, Evaluates, Proposes or
Persuades, you will be writing a persuading paragraph.

Organizing Your Argumentative Paragraph

 The organization of an argumentative paragraph is similar to an expository paragraph, but a persuasive

paragraph includes a COUNTERARGUMENT.

CLAIM EVIDENCE LINK

 This is what you are  This is a quote or  This is where you

arguing about the topic.   It example from the text explain what the quote
is the answer to the that supports your MEANS and why it
writing prompt or guiding CLAIM. MATTERS to your
question.  Remember to cite your claim. 
 Your CLAIM   should EVIDENCE using the  Your LINK
consider the opposing title of the text or the demonstrates your
argument and provide a author's name. understanding of the
REASON why you believe  Example:  Moreover, EVIDENCE and how it
your CLAIM. “Scientists  have connects to your
 Example:  Although  I developed  methods  to CLAIM.
disagree  with  much  that test  cosmetics  and  Example:  In  other
those  who  oppose other  personal words,  there  are  better
animal  testing  say,  I products  that  are alternatives  to  animal
fully endorse  their  final faster,  cheaper,  and testing  and  the  FDA
conclusion  that  there  are more  accurate  than agrees.  If  we  don’t
many  better  alternatives traditional  animal need  to  use  animals,
to  animal  testing. testing.” (Title of Text) why  should  we?    

D. Discussion Questions:

LEVEL QUESTIONS OBJECTIVES

1. KNOWLEDGE 1. What is an Article? 01. Define what an Article is;
2. What are the two types of 02. Identify the two types of
Articles? Articles;

2. COMPREHENSION 1. Explain the use of definite 03. Explain the use of articles in
articles. writing;
2. Explain the use of indefinite
articles.

3. APPLICATION 1. When do you use “A” in 02. Identify the two types of
writing? Articles;
2. When do you use “An” in 03. Explain the use of articles in
writing?
writing;
3. How do we use articles in
 pronoun?
4. ANALYSIS 1. When do we capitalized the 03. Explain the use of articles in
article “The” in writing? writing;

5. EVALUATION 1. Base from the exercise (2) 03. Explain the use of articles in
above, which sentences do you writing;
think should be inserted the 04. Select the correct articles in the
articles “a”, “an” and “the”?
activities; and
2. What instances do you think
that an article is not applicable in
writing?
6. SYNTHESIS 1. Write a short poem about 05. Compose a poem and a letter
Articles. that utilize the proper use of
articles in every sentences.

1. What is a Narrative Paragraph?

2. What is an Argumentative Paragraph?
3. How do you distinguish narrative paragraph from argumentative paragraph?
4. What is a Claim? Explain its importance in any argumentative essay.
5. In an argumentative paragraph, what does evidence do in the process?
6. What considerations should be observed in writing a narrative paragraph?

E. Lesson Activities/Tasks
Activities OBE- Source Objectives
1. Class Oral Discussions Competence 101.1 (Creative and
Critical Thinking)
Competence 101.1 (Creative and
2. Pick a strip of paper from the Critical Thinking)
first box. The paper will reveal
whether you are to write a narrative Competence 101.2 (Fluency and
paragraph or argumentative Articulateness)
paragraph. Next, pick a strip of
paper on the second box wherein it
contains a word or a statement.
From the word or statement that
you picked, create one paragraph
(minimum of 7 sentences and
maximum of 10 sentences). The
type of paragraph is determined the
moment you picked the strip of
paper on the first box.

3. Evaluation. Competence 101.1 (Creative and

A. Recall one person who has Critical Thinking)
influenced you most. Narrate one
incident involving this special Competence 101.2 (Fluency and
person that shows his or her Articulateness)
character.

Direction: Compose one paragraph

for each classification. One
paragraph must have a minimum of
6 sentences and maximum of 10
sentences.
F. REFERENCES

Dayagbil, et.al (2016). Critical Reading and Writing. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Manalo, J. (1995). Towards Competencies in English Grammar. Communications Upgrade, International, Inc.

Republic of the Philippines

COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Campus
 For:
Eng 004
TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINE
INCLUDING FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH

LESSON 4:
USING SIGNAL WORDS AND PHRASES

Prepared by:
BRENDA LYNN O. VENTURA
Faculty

LESSON 4
A. Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. recognize signal words and phrases;
2. incorporate signal words and phrases in their writing; and
3. consider structural relationships in their writing more carefully.

B. Lesson Outline:

1. Using Signal Words and Phrases

C. Lesson Content:

In writing, a transition is a word, phrase or sentence that connects one section to another. A transition
can be as simple as a single word. In fiction, you might see the word 'meanwhile' used as a transition. Here's an
example: Marla summoned all her training in order to vanquish the kraken. Meanwhile, her brother was at
home, eating chips.
What happens if you take out that 'meanwhile?' Those two sentences seem disjointed and awkward. The
transition word helps move us from one place to another. 'Meanwhile' moves us around in location.
Other transitions move us around in time: 'then,' 'soon,' 'later,' 'next,' 'finally.' We could use these words to
describe how we found that huge cow. I found exit 72. Then, I got lost again. Later, I saw a sign for the cow
again. Finally, I found it! Ok, that's not a compelling story, but note how the transition words move us along in
time.

Transition words and phrases are used to relate ideas. Writers may use transitions within paragraphs or between
paragraphs so that ideas flow smoothly between sentences and between paragraphs. The following table
provides some common transitions and how they are used.

Use Transition Word or Phrase

To add and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too,
next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

To compare whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by
comparison, where, compared to, although, conversely, meanwhile, in contrast,
although this may be true

To prove because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover,
besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

To show time or immediately, thereafter, soon, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second,
sequence etc.), next, and then

To give an for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this
example situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration

To summarize or in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I
conclude have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently, on the whole

To emphasize definitely, obviously, in fact, indeed, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly,

always, forever, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably

To repeat in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

When you write an argumentative essay, it is likely that you will want to present two sides of an argument.

Take a look at this paragraph from an essay (which was recently posted as a model essay on this site) which is
in answer to this question:

University education should be free to everyone, regardless of income. 

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The person is presenting the side of the argument about why education should not be free:

Firstly, students should be charged because education is becoming more expensive to fund as universities grow
in size. Consequently, making students pay may maintain standards and ensure the quality of the teaching.  In
addition, students benefit from university in terms of higher paid jobs, so it is fair that they pay for at least some
of the cost, especially given that the majority of students attending university are from the middle classes.  Last
but not least, in many countries, there is a shortage of people to do manual jobs such as plumbing and
carpentry, so making university more expensive may encourage people to take up these jobs.

The paragraph is fine but it does look like the opinions being presented are the writers own views.

What if you want to make it clear that they are not your opinions, but those of someone else because you intend
to disagree with it in your next paragraph or because you don't want to make it clear which side of the argument
you agree with until the end?

The paragraph has now got some transitional phrases for essays in red  / bold that make it clear that they are not
your arguments, but another person's:

One argument put forward in favour of charging students is that education is becoming more expensive to
fund as universities grow in size. Consequently, making students pay may maintain standards and ensure the
quality of the teaching.  In addition, it is argued that most students benefit from university in terms of higher
paid jobs, so it is fair that they pay for at least some of the cost, especially given that the majority of students
attending university are from the middle classes.  Last but not least, in many countries, there is a shortage of
people to do manual jobs such as plumbing and carpentry, so making university more expensive may encourage
people to take up these jobs.

The last point “Last but not least, in many countries…” has not been changed, but this would be overdoing it. It
is clear by this point that all the arguments the writer is presenting are other people’s.

In your next paragraph, you may then want to present your arguments. So you may begin your paragraph with
something like:

However, I do not believe these arguments stand up to scrutiny. Firstly,...

Alternatively, you may want to present another paragraph with other people's ideas, that shows the opposite side
of the argument. So your second paragraph may begin:

However, some people oppose these views. Firstly, they claim that...

And then you would let the reader know in your conclusion your position on the matter.

Here are some examples of transitional phrases for essays that can be used:

It has been argued that…

Some people claim / argue / believe / think that…

An argument commonly put forward is that…

Those that support (topic) argue / believe / claim that…

Proponents of (topic) argue / believe / claim that…

These arguments have been critisized for several reasons...

Source: https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/transitional-phrases-for-essays.html

Instructions: In the following paragraph, transitions have been removed. A list of possible transitions
appears above this box. Write an appropriate transition from the list in each of the blanks in the paragraph.
Be sure to capitalize the first word if it begins a sentence. You don’t have to use all of the transitions listed,
and you may use some of the transitions more than once, but try to use a variety of them. Two have been
done for you. (Hint: Look for clues below the blanks.)
D. Discussion Questions
Exercise
List of transitions: Major ideas: first, second , for one thing, for another thing, finally,
Examples: for example, for instance, Additional examples: in addition, also,
additionally, moreover
Conclusions: all in all, on the whole, as one can see,

Sources for College Writing Students can draw on a variety of sources to help them with writing
assignments. _____________________, they can draw on personal experiences. __________________, for an
assignment about communication skills, a writer might think about the way he or she communicates through
conversations with others while at work or at home. _________________, a writer might look at ways he or she
communicates with others electronically via email or texting or Facebook. Students might _________________
find examples of written communication skills by looking at skills they’ve learned for previous writing
assignments. _________________________, student writers can look for ideas from other people’s
experiences. _______________________, writers can interview other students or even family members.
______________________, a writer may have heard others talk about this topic, maybe in class.
___Another______ source would be television shows on the topic of communication. __________________,
college writers may find that they need to do some research to complete an assignment. __________________,
lots of experts have written articles or books on the topic of communication skills. ______________________,
a search of “communication skills” on the internet might provide useful information; ____moreover___,
reference librarians can help students find research materials in special collections or databases.
______________, college writers need to be able to draw on a combination of personal experience,
observations of others, and research materials to develop their written assignments.
Transition Exercise #2

The following paragraph contrasts the writer’s two cousins. Three major differences are identified, and each of
these is illustrated with several specific examples.
1. Read the paragraph and circle any transitions.
2. Then write the transitions in the appropriate blanks below.

Opposites My cousins Joanne and Mary couldn’t be more different. First, Joanne is a total
nonconformist. For one thing, Joanne’s appearance is bizarre. For example, her hair is partially shaved and dyed
pink, and she’s covered in tattoos. In addition, her favorite clothes are ripped and have pictures on them of
things like skulls. Furthermore, Joanne has a wild personality. For instance, she’ll do outrageous things, like the
time she got her nose pierced. Another time, she hitchhiked to San Francisco at 2:00 a.m. Finally, when it
comes to interests, Joanne is really into music. She plays the guitar in a punk rock band, and she loves to go to
clubs and concerts to check out other bands. In contrast, Mary is the total opposite of Joanne. For one thing,
Mary’s appearance is very conservative. For instance, her naturally blond hair is usually in a ponytail, and her
favorite clothes are sweats or a soccer uniform. Unlike Joanne, Mary is the type of person who likes to follow
the rules. For example, she’s never missed a day of school, and she can be relied on to be the designated driver
any time she goes out to a party. Finally, Mary is a jock. She plays almost every sport, but soccer is her favorite.
When she’s not playing sports, she’s watching them on television or in person. Truly, if I didn’t already know
that Joanne and Mary are cousins, I would never guess that they’re related to each other because they’re
complete opposites.

1. What three transitions introduce Joanne’s character traits: nonconformist, wild personality, interests?
_____________________ ___________________ ______________________
2. List two transitions used in describing Mary that show contrast: ______________________
_______________________
3. List two transitions used to introduce examples: ______________________ _______________________ 4.
List two transitions used to add another example: ______________________ _______________________
5. What transition is used to signal the conclusion? ________________________________ The following
paragraph contrasts the writer’s two cousins. Three major differences are identified, and each of these is
illustrated with several specific examples. 1. Read the paragraph and circle any transitions. 2. Then write the
transitions in the appropriate.

LEVEL QUESTIONS OBJECTIVES

1. KNOWLEDGE 1. What is an Article? 01. Define what an Article is;
2. What are the two types of 02. Identify the two types of
Articles? Articles;

2. COMPREHENSION 1. Explain the use of definite 03. Explain the use of articles in
articles. writing;
2. Explain the use of indefinite
articles.

3. APPLICATION 1. When do you use “A” in 02. Identify the two types of
writing? Articles;
2. When do you use “An” in 03. Explain the use of articles in
writing?
writing;
3. How do we use articles in
pronoun?
4. ANALYSIS 1. When do we capitalized the 03. Explain the use of articles in
article “The” in writing? writing;

5. EVALUATION 1. Base from the exercise (2) 03. Explain the use of articles in
above, which sentences do you writing;
think should be inserted the 04. Select the correct articles in the
articles “a”, “an” and “the”?
activities; and
2. What instances do you think
that an article is not applicable in
writing?
6. SYNTHESIS 1. Write a short poem about 05. Compose a poem and a letter
Articles. that utilize the proper use of
articles in every sentences.

E. Lesson Activities/Tasks
Activities OBE- Source Objectives
1. Class Oral Discussions Competence 101.1 (Creative
and Critical Thinking)
Competence 101.1 (Creative
2. Watch the video clip that your teacher and Critical Thinking)
provided for you to watch. From what you ‘ve
watched, write an essay. incorporate in your Competence 101.2 (Fluency
writing transitional devices. and Articulateness)

3. Evaluation. Competence 101.1 (Creative

and Critical Thinking)
Insert the best alternative
Competence 101.2 (Fluency
1. Polls show that Tony Blair is the most and Articulateness)
popular Prime Minister this century.
________________ , there are even members
of his own party who are uneasy with his
approach.

a-In particular
b-However
c-For instance
2. There are some slight variations in
temperature. ________________ , 26 to 27ºC
should be expected.

a-consequently
b-otherwise
c- however
3. The two main Channel Islands;
_______________ _, Jersey, and Guernsey are
much closer to France than to England.

a-for example
b-namely
c-in particular
4. It was announced that nurses’ working hours
would be increased by 25%. ______________ ,
even fewer trainee nurses are expected to join
the profession.

a- As a result
b-So that
c- Likewise
5. Sales of CDs have experienced a small but
steady fall over the past 12 months.
_____________ , vinyl records have seen an
increase in their share of the market, up to
1.7%.

a- Above all
b-Similarly
c-In contrast
6. The Vice Chancellor explained that in light
of the current financial climate and because of
unexpected bad debts, it would be necessary to
peg salary levels at their current level for all
grades of staff. ______________ , no-one was
getting a pay rise.

a- Nevertheless
b-In other words
c-Similarly
7. It is clear that the situation in Brazil will
improve only slowly. ______________ , the
economic problems being experienced in Japan,
the outlook is slightly more optimistic.

a-Furthermore
b-In comparison
c-nonetheless
8. In order to try to reduce car use in the inner
cities, the government has announced new
restrictions on company parking spaces and
______________ a new tax on individual car
 use.

a- as well as
b- in addition
c- in the same way
9. Essays must be handed in by the deadline.
______________ ,they will not be marked.

a- obviously
b-otherwise
c-as a result
10. ______________ it has been shown that
fractures can occur at even relatively low
pressures, the use of the material should not be
completely discounted.

a- Nevertheless
b-Because
c-Even though

F. REFERENCES

Dayagbil, et.al (2016). Critical Reading and Writing. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Manalo, J. (1995). Towards Competencies in English Grammar. Communications Upgrade, International, Inc.

Republic of the Philippines

COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Campus

For:
Eng 004
TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINE
INCLUDING FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH

LESSON 5:
WRITING AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
 Prepared by:
BRENDA LYNN O. VENTURA
Faculty

LESSON 5
A. Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. learn about the process of writing;
2. write effectively and with detail about their personal history (family, friends, neighborhood), growth, and
goals over time;
3. read and critique published autobiographies to help understand effective writing techniques used; and
4. compose their own autobiography.

B. Lesson Outline:

1. Writing an Autobiography

C. Lesson Content:

Your life story, or autobiography, should contain the basic framework that any essay should have, with
four basic elements. Begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement, followed by a body containing
at least several paragraphs, if not several chapters. To complete the autobiography, you'll need a strong
conclusion, all the while crafting an interesting narrative with a theme. When writing your autobiography, find
out what makes your family or your experience unique and build a narrative around that. Doing some research
and taking detailed notes can help you discover the essence of what your narrative should be and craft a story
that others will want to read. (https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-your-autobiography-1857256)

Jotting down all the things that happened in your life is not realistic or possible, considering the fact that
so many things transpire in our lives that we cannot remember, due to limitations of our memory. Therefore,
when you plan your autobiography, make sure you concentrate on events that had significant impact on your
life and completely ignore the tidbits. Concentrate on your accomplishments and challenges and how you
overcame them. Also, the autobiography should be written in first person. You are the narrator and therefore
you should refer to yourself in the first person. Include all your details, from real name, date of birth, number of
siblings, where you grew up, parents etc. as your introduction. Then, the body should include the crucial events
in your life in a successive manner. Lastly, you may close with personal remarks as your conclusion, for
instance, your hopes for the future or what you learned from the challenges you faced.
 My Autobiography Essay Example
My name is Amanda L. Winter. I was born on 17 March, 1983 in Lexington, Kentucky, where I lived until the
time I went to college in another state. I’m the fourth child and the only girl in a family of five. My father, Mr.
Paul Winter is a retired physician and he currently runs a drug store within the city.

My mother, Mrs. Beverly Winter was a registered nurse working for various medical institutions across the
state, until she decided to retire in 2010. Nowadays, she helps dad run the drug store. I went to school in Dixie
School and Paul Laurence, where I completed my elementary and high school education respectively. Then, I
went to Kansas University, where I did my under graduate degree in Journalism.

Growing up around four brothers was not easy, considering the fact that I am a girl. With all the masculinity in
the house, there was a lot of competition and rivalry. I had to be tough as my brothers or I would have been
toppled by their naturally aggressive nature. Not that we were a dysfunctional family, it was just normal sibling
rivalry and it turned to be of benefit to me.

Since I was the youngest and a girl, I was bound to be at the bottom of the totem pole in everything. So, I had to
be equally tough to fight for whatever was rightfully mine. As a result, I turned out to be a tomboy and also
built a reputation as a no nonsense girl. Furthermore, I had older brothers to protect me in case of a dispute.

I believe I adopted both my parents’ brilliant brains, because I was always the best students academically.
However, my abilities were not limited to the classroom alone. I also excelled in sports. In high school, I was
arguably the best female sportsperson in outdoor games, especially in athletics and volleyball.

I have many accolades to my name, however the one that stands out was in my second year in high school.
Representing our school in short races, I went to the state competition where I emerged third overall. I was not
fortunate enough to win it, but it was an eye opener for me to strive for greatness in life. Fortunate for me, I won
the best sportsperson award that year at our school’s award giving ceremony.

While I was forging a name for myself in the academic and sports circles, my social life was in a really bad
state. My tomboy look was making it hard for me to coexist well with either of the sexes. The girls were scared
of my tough persona, while the boys felt intimidated by my confidence and competitive nature.

My wardrobe was full of my brothers’ clothes that they had outgrown. All the girlish clothes my mother bought
for me, I had them piled in the closet and completely forgot about them. When we went to the stores to buy
clothes, I would be with my brothers at the boys’ section. This disheartened my mother and she tried to advise
me out of it, but I was just too adamant. Eventually, she accepted the way I was.

However, something happened in my life that sent me reeling back to the foundations of my femininity. It
happened during my senior year in high school. It was the prom week and everyone was geared towards the
most important night of their high school life. Love was in the air. Young men were gathering courage to
approach girls they liked, while girls were torn apart whether to accept or reject their proposals.

All the girls had prom dates, except me. No one approached me or even mastered the courage to look my way.
It was one of the worst days of my life. I spent the night with my mother watching my favorite movie to raise
my spirits up. As a result, I decided to embrace my feminine side. I got rid of all the male clothes, started
wearing dresses and released my hair. My mum really came to my aid at this point in my life and although it
was hard at first, I got used to the idea of wearing dresses ad heels.

So, I began my college studies with a new form of rejuvenation in life. I decided to pursue my college education
far away from my hometown, because of the misconceptions that I had been associated with for so long. I
wanted to pursue journalism as a career, because I understood the challenges and opportunities it would expose
me to and I love challenges.
I have always wanted to travel the world and I knew a career in journalism would offer me that. With a 3.5
GPA, I secured a spot at Kansas University. During the first year of study, I met the love of my life Ken
Rodgers (not the singer, although he has the same deep baritone voice) and everything as they say is history.

After graduation in 2006, I interned with the Kansas City Star for six months. I then worked as a correspondent
journalist with the Kansas City Globe Newspaper for a year. We moved to Atlanta with my husband, after I
secured a writing job with the Daily Report for a year. At the time, he had a fitness vlog, where he gave daily
workout routines and healthy recipes to his clients. Therefore, moving from state to state did not interfere with
his line of work.

All he needed was a camera and an internet connection. My biggest break came when I was hired by the LA
Times. The pay was good, I travelled around the world and each day was exciting in its own unique way and
offered new opportunities. Unfortunately, the job was too demanding and more times than not I was away from
my husband. I quite in 2011, after two years with the newspaper giants.

I had not quite decided what I wanted to do with my life, so I worked as a freelance journalist for a Canadian
media firm. My job was basically to capture hot showbiz news in Hollywood. It was an exciting job checking
into the fabulous lives of celebrities. I had no alternative, but to quit this job also when my first pregnancy was
due. It marked the last job of my professional career.

I decided to be a fulltime mum to my three lovely kids, Mathew, Sally and Luke. To put my writing abilities
into use, I became a permanent freelancer for various blogs and websites. I have always thought of writing a
book and I believe this is the right time. The kids spend all the day at school and I have all the day by myself. I
have not decided which way to go with the book, however I’m thinking in the lines of romance and a bit of
suspense and action.

Research Your Background

Just like the biography of a famous person, your autobiography should include things like the time and
place of your birth, an overview of your personality, your likes and dislikes, and the special events that
shaped your life. Your first step is to gather background detail. Some things to consider:

 What is interesting about the region where you were born?

 How does your family history relate to the history of that region?
 Did your family come to that region for a reason?

It might be tempting to start your story with "I was born in Dayton, Ohio...," but that is not really where
your story begins. It's better to start with an experience. You may wish to start with something like why
you were born where you were and how your family's experience led to your birth. If your narrative
centers more around a pivotal moment in your life, give the reader a glimpse into that moment. Think
about how your favorite movie or novel begins, and look for inspiration from other stories when
thinking about how to start your own.
Think About Your Childhood
You may not have had the most interesting childhood in the world, but everyone has had a few
memorable experiences. Highlight the best parts when you can. If you live in a big city, for instance,
you should realize that many people who grew up in the country have never ridden a subway, walked
to school, ridden in a taxi, or walked to a store a few blocks away.

On the other hand, if you grew up in the country you should consider that many people who grew
up in the suburbs or inner city have never eaten food straight from a garden, camped in their backyards,
fed chickens on a working farm, watched their parents canning food, or been to a county fair or a
small-town festival.

Something about your childhood will always seem unique to others. You just have to step outside your
life for a moment and address the readers as if they knew nothing about your region and culture. Pick
moments that will best illustrate the goal of your narrative, and symbolism within your life.
Consider Your Culture
Your culture is your overall way of life, including the customs that come from your family's values and
beliefs. Culture includes the holidays you observe, the customs you practice, the foods you eat, the
clothes you wear, the games you play, the special phrases you use, the language you speak, and the
rituals you practice.

As you write your autobiography, think about the ways that your family celebrated or observed certain
days, events, and months, and tell your audience about special moments. Consider these questions:

 What was the most special gift you ever received? What was the event or occasion surrounding
that gift?
 Is there a certain food that you identify with a certain day of the year?
 Is there an outfit that you wear only during a special event?

Think honestly about your experiences, too. Don't just focus on the best parts of your memories; think
about the details within those times. While Christmas morning may be a magical memory, you might
also consider the scene around you. Include details like your mother making breakfast, your father
spilling his coffee, someone upset over relatives coming into town, and other small details like that.
Understanding the full experience of positives and negatives helps you paint a better picture for the
reader and lead to a stronger and more interesting narrative. Learn to tie together all the interesting
elements of your life story and craft them into an engaging essay.

Establish the Theme

Once you have taken a look at your own life from an outsider’s point of view, you will be able to select
the most interesting elements from your notes to establish a theme. What was the most interesting thing
you came up with in your research? Was it the history of your family and your region? Here is an
example of how you can turn that into a theme:

"Today, the plains and low hills of southeastern Ohio make the perfect setting for large cracker box-shaped farmhouses
surrounded by miles of corn rows. Many of the farming families in this region descended from the Irish settlers who came
rolling in on covered wagons in the 1830s to find work building canals and railways. My ancestors were among those
settlers."

A little bit of research can make your own personal story come to life as a part of history, and historical
details can help a reader better understand your unique situation. In the body of your narrative, you can
explain how your family’s favorite meals, holiday celebrations, and work habits relate to Ohio history.

One Day as a Theme

You also can take an ordinary day in your life and turn it into a theme. Think about the routines you
followed as a child and as an adult. Even a mundane activity like household chores can be a source of
inspiration.

For example, if you grew up on a farm, you know the difference between the smell of hay and wheat,
and certainly that of pig manure and cow manure—because you had to shovel one or all of these at
some point. City people probably don’t even know there is a difference. Describing the subtle
differences of each and comparing the scents to other scents can help the reader imagine the situation
more clearly.

If you grew up in the city, you how the personality of the city changes from day to night because you
probably had to walk to most places. You know the electricity-charged atmosphere of the
daylight hours when the streets bustle with people and the mystery of the night when the shops are
closed and the streets are quiet.

Think about the smells and sounds you experienced as you went through an ordinary day and explain
how that day relates to your life experience in your county or your city:
"Most people don’t think of spiders when they bite into a tomato, but I do. Growing up in southern Ohio, I spent many
summer afternoons picking baskets of tomatoes that would be canned or frozen and preserved for cold winter’s dinners. I
loved the results of my labors, but I’ll never forget the sight of the enormous, black and white, scary-looking spiders that
lived in the plants and created zigzag designs on their webs. In fact, those spiders, with their artistic web creations,
inspired my interest in bugs and shaped my career in science."

One Event as a Theme

Perhaps one event or one day of your life made such a big impact that it could be used as a theme. The
end or beginning of the life of another can affect our thoughts and actions for a long time:

"I was 12 years old when my mother passed away. By the time I was 15, I had become an expert in dodging bill
collectors, recycling hand-me-down jeans, and stretching a single meal’s worth of ground beef into two family dinners.
Although I was a child when I lost my mother, I was never able to mourn or to let myself become too absorbed in
thoughts of personal loss. The fortitude I developed at a young age was the driving force that would see me through many
other challenges."

Writing the Essay

Whether you determine that your life story is best summed up by a single event, a single characteristic,
or a single day, you can use that one element as a theme. You will define this theme in
your introductory paragraph.
Create an outline with several events or activities that relate back to your central theme and turn those
into subtopics (body paragraphs) of your story. Finally, tie up all your experiences in a summary that
restates and explains the overriding theme of your life. 

D. Discussion Questions

1. What is an Autobiography?
2. What are the characteristics of this type of writing?
3. How does this type of writing differ from other types of writing?
4. What are things to consider when writing an autobiography?
5. What is the purpose of writing an autobiography?

LEVEL QUESTIONS OBJECTIVES

1. KNOWLEDGE 1. What is an Article? 01. Define what an Article is;
2. What are the two types of 02. Identify the two types of
Articles? Articles;

2. COMPREHENSION 1. Explain the use of definite 03. Explain the use of articles in
articles. writing;
2. Explain the use of indefinite
articles.

3. APPLICATION 1. When do you use “A” in 02. Identify the two types of
writing? Articles;
2. When do you use “An” in 03. Explain the use of articles in
writing?
writing;
3. How do we use articles in
pronoun?
4. ANALYSIS 1. When do we capitalized the 03. Explain the use of articles in
article “The” in writing? writing;

5. EVALUATION 1. Base from the exercise (2) 03. Explain the use of articles in
above, which sentences do you writing;
think should be inserted the 04. Select the correct articles in the
articles “a”, “an” and “the”?
activities; and
2. What instances do you think
that an article is not applicable in
writing?
 6. SYNTHESIS 1. Write a short poem about 05. Compose a poem and a letter
Articles. that utilize the proper use of
articles in every sentences.

E. Lesson Activities/Tasks
Activities OBE- Source Objectives
1. Class Oral Discussions Competence 101.1 (Creative and
Critical Thinking)
2. Competence 101.1 (Creative and
A. Tell students they will be writing Critical Thinking)
about their personal family history
and important events in their lives Competence 101.2 (Fluency and
that have shaped who they are Articulateness)
today. Discuss that a family is
composed of people living together
and functioning as a unit.
B. Hand out copies of the Birth
Certificate Worksheet and the My
Family Writing Prompt. Ask
students to complete them to the
best of their knowledge. They can
take the worksheets home to ask
family members for help
completing any missing
information.
C. Discuss with students that family
is important to shaping character,
but individuals can also be
influenced by people who aren't
related to them. Ask students to
complete A Friend Writing Prompt
and The Folks in My Neighborhood
Worksheet.

D. Using their responses to the

writing prompts and worksheets
completed so far, students will write
and describe their neighborhoods
and significant relationships with
family, friends, teachers, or
community members as a way to
write about and define how these
people have impacted and
influenced who they are today

3. Evaluation Competence 101.1 (Creative and

Critical Thinking)
Ask students to find a partner to
read and respectfully critique their Competence 101.2 (Fluency and
writing using the following criteria: Articulateness)

Is this story in good order? Are the

events in sequence?
How are the paragraphs? Are all the
ideas about one subject or event
grouped together?
Does this story have a good
 beginning, middle, and end? Which
parts, if any, need more
information?
Are there any parts of this story that
could be left out? Why?
Does this story have well-structured
sentences? Which need more work?
Are there grammar mistakes?
Are there spelling mistakes?
Does this writing make you feel any
particular way? Why?
What parts of this story are you able
to visualize?
What did you like best about this
story?

F. REFERENCES

Dayagbil, et.al (2016). Critical Reading and Writing. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Manalo, J. (1995). Towards Competencies in English Grammar. Communications Upgrade, International, Inc.

Republic of the Philippines

COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Campus

For:
Eng 004
 TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINE
INCLUDING FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH

LESSON 6:
ARTICLES

Prepared by:
BRENDA LYNN O. VENTURA
Faculty

LESSON 6
A. Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

01. Define what an Article is;
02. Identify the two types of Articles;
03. Explain the use of articles in writing;
04. Select the correct articles in the activities; and
05. Compose a poem and a letter that utilize the proper use of articles in every sentence.

B. Lesson Outline:

1. Articles
1.1 Definite Article
 1.2 Indefinite Article

C. Lesson Content:

What Are Articles?

(Source: https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/articles.htm)

Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific. Consider the following examples:

After the long day, the cup of tea tasted particularly good.

By using the article the, we’ve shown that it was one specific day that was long and one specific cup of tea that
tasted good.
After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good.
By using the article a, we’ve created a general statement, implying that any cup of tea would taste good after
any long day.
English has two types of articles: definite and indefinite

The Definite Article

The definite article is the word the. It limits the meaning of a noun to one particular thing. For example, your

friend might ask, “Are you going to the party this weekend?” The definite article tells you that your friend is

referring to a specific party that both of you know about. The definite article can be used with singular, plural,

or uncountable nouns. Below are some examples of the definite article the used in context:

Please give me the hammer.

Please give me the red hammer; the blue one is too small.

Please give me the nail.

Please give me the large nail; it’s the only one strong enough to hold this painting.

Please give me the hammer and the nail.

The Indefinite Article

The indefinite article takes two forms. It’s the word a when it precedes a word that begins with a consonant. It’s

the word an when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel. The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers

to a general idea rather than a particular thing. For example, you might ask your friend, “Should I bring a gift to

the party?” Your friend will understand that you are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific item. “I

am going to bring an apple pie,” your friend tells you. Again, the indefinite article indicates that she is not

talking about a specific apple pie. Your friend probably doesn’t even have any pie yet. The indefinite article

only appears with singular nouns. Consider the following examples of indefinite articles used in context:

Please hand me a book; any book will do.

Please hand me an autobiography; any autobiography will do.

Indefinite Articles Are Used with Singular Nouns
The indefinite article (a, an) is only for singular nouns. It is not used for plural nouns.

As the indefinite article specifies one thing (e.g., a cup means one cup), it is not used with non-countable
nouns (e.g., water, air, integrity). For example:
 I need an air. 
 Play me a music. 
 Give me a heat. 
Most commonly, the indefinite determiner some is used instead.

Exceptions: Choosing A or An

There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before words that start with consonants and an before

words that begin with vowels. The first letter of the word honor, for example, is a consonant, but it’s

unpronounced. In spite of its spelling, the word honor begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use an.

Consider the example sentence below for an illustration of this concept.

My mother is a honest woman.

My mother is an honest woman.

Similarly, when the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a consonant sound, use a, as in the

sample sentence below:

She is an United States senator.

She is a United States senator.

Examples of the Definite and Indefinite Articles

Here are some more examples of the articles in use:
• I fell over the chair again.
(The chair is specific. It is known to the audience.)
• Can you pass me a chair?
(This means an unspecific chair, i.e., any chair.)
• I loved the apple pie after the meal.
(In this example, the audience knows which apple pie is being praised, e.g., the one at last night's dinner.)
• I love an apple pie after dinner.
(The audience understands that the speaker likes to eat an apple pie after dinner (any apple pie will do).)

Article Before an Adjective

Sometimes an article modifies a noun that is also modified by an adjective. The usual word order is article +

adjective + noun. If the article is indefinite, choose a or an based on the word that immediately follows it.

Consider the following examples for reference:

Correct: Eliza will bring a small gift to Sophie’s party.

 Correct: I heard an interesting story yesterday.

Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are nouns that are either difficult or impossible to count. Uncountable nouns include

intangible things (e.g., information, air), liquids (e.g., milk, wine), and things that are too large or numerous to

count (e.g., equipment, sand, wood). Because these things can’t be counted, you should never use a or an with

them—remember, the indefinite article is only for singular nouns. Uncountable nouns can be modified by words

like some, however. Consider the examples below for reference: (Source:

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/articles/)

Incorrect: Please give me a water.

Water is an uncountable noun and should not be used with the indefinite article.

Correct: Please give me some water.

However, if you describe the water in terms of countable units (like bottles), you can use the indefinite article.

Correct: Please give me a bottle of water.

Incorrect: Please give me an ice.

Correct: Please give me an ice cube.

Correct: Please give me some ice .

Note that depending on the context, some nouns can be countable or uncountable (e.g., hair, noise, time):

Correct: We need a light in this room.

Correct: We need some light in this room.

Using Articles with Pronouns

Possessive pronouns can help identify whether you’re talking about specific or nonspecific items. As we’ve

seen, articles also indicate specificity. But if you use both a possessive pronoun and an article at the same time,

readers will become confused. Possessive pronouns are words like his, my, our, its, her, and their. Articles

should not be used with pronouns. Consider the examples below.

Incorrect: Why are you reading the my book?

The and my should not be used together since they are both meant to modify the same noun. Instead, you should

use one or the other, depending on the intended meaning:

Correct: Why are you reading the book?

 Correct: Why are you reading my book?

Omission of Articles

Occasionally, articles are omitted altogether before certain nouns. In these cases, the article is implied but not

actually present. This implied article is sometimes called a “zero article.” Often, the article is omitted before

nouns that refer to abstract ideas. Look at the following examples:

Incorrect: Let’s go out for a dinner tonight.

Correct: Let’s go out for dinner tonight.

Incorrect: The creativity is a valuable quality in children.

Correct: Creativity is a valuable quality in children.

Many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article. Consider the example below:

Incorrect: I studied the French in high school for four years.

Correct: I studied French in high school for four years.

Sports and academic subjects do not require articles. See the sentences below for reference:

Incorrect: I like to play the baseball.

Correct: I like to play baseball.

Incorrect: My sister was always good at the math.

Correct: My sister was always good at math.

Exercise 1:

Maria emailed her friend Ana about her homestay experience. Read the email and circle the correct articles; a,
an, the, or – (for no article)

Dear Ana,

I came to (1) the/- England two weeks ago to stay with (2) a/the homestay family, and it’s (3) a/- great
experience. The home is (4) -/a small with two bedrooms, but my homestay mother and father are wonderful.
They take me with them when they go to (5) a/the post office, (6) a/ the supermarket, and (7) -/the other places.

I go to (8) -/a school nearby and (9) a/ the students are friendly. We often go to (10) a/ the restaurant or to (11)
a/ the film together. Sometimes we play (12) -/ the games. There is (13) a/ an student from Korea and (14) a/
the student from (15) -/ the Japan. When we are together, we speak only English.

I hope that you are enjoying living with (18) a/ an homestay family too. It is (19) a/ an excellent way to
improve your English and make (20) -/ the new friends.

Sincerely,

Maria
Source: https://www.teach-this.com

Exercise 2:

Directions: Write the following paragraphs, inserting a, an, and the where needed.

1. I have horse of my own. I call her Pretty Girl. She is intelligent animal, but she is not thoroughbred horse. I
could never enter her in race, even if I wanted to. But I do not want to. She is companion, for my own pleasure.
I took her swimming day or two ago.

2. Horse knows when he is going to race. How does he know? His breakfast was scanty. (He is angry about
that.) He does not have saddle on his back. He is being led, not ridden, to grandstand. He is led under
grandstand into unusual, special stall. Horse is nervous. Sometimes he does not know what to do when starting
gate flies open and track is before him. If he does not begin to run instantly, other horses are already ahead of
him. During race, when he sees another horse just ahead of him, he will try to pass him. Sometimes jockey
holds him back to save his energy for last stretch. Eventually horse gets to run as fast as he can. Exercise boy,
watching owner's favorite jockey riding horse he has exercised day after day, says nothing. Secretly, he is
planning for day when he will be jockey himself, and his horse will be first to cross finish line.

3. Most working people have fewer hours to give to time-consuming activities of clubs than they used to have,
but most people in small town belong to club or two. One of clubs is likely to be social and benevolent
organization, such as Rotary or Elks. Business people are likely to belong, also to either Kiwanis Club or Lions.
Such business people's organizations may meet as often as once a week in one of private dining rooms of town's
leading hotel for lunch. They have good lunch, hear good program, and continue their fundraising program for
worthy organization, such as local hospital.

D. Discussion Questions:

LEVEL QUESTIONS OBJECTIVES

1. KNOWLEDGE 1. What is an Article? 01. Define what an Article is;
2. What are the two types of 02. Identify the two types of
Articles? Articles;

2. COMPREHENSION 1. Explain the use of definite 03. Explain the use of articles in
articles. writing;
2. Explain the use of indefinite
articles.

3. APPLICATION 1. When do you use “A” in 02. Identify the two types of
writing? Articles;
2. When do you use “An” in 03. Explain the use of articles in
writing?
writing;
3. How do we use articles in
pronoun?
4. ANALYSIS 1. When do we capitalized the 03. Explain the use of articles in
article “The” in writing? writing;

5. EVALUATION 1. Base from the exercise (2) 03. Explain the use of articles in
above, which sentences do you writing;
think should be inserted the 04. Select the correct articles in the
articles “a”, “an” and “the”?
activities; and
2. What instances do you think
that an article is not applicable in
writing?
 6. SYNTHESIS 1. Write a short poem about 05. Compose a poem and a letter
Articles. that utilize the proper use of
articles in every sentences.

E. Lesson Activities/Tasks
Activities OBE- Source Objectives
1. Class Oral Discussions Competence 101.1 (Creative and 01. Define what an Article is;
Critical Thinking) 02. Identify the two types of
Articles;
03. Explain the use of articles
in writing;

2. Activities Competence 101.1 (Creative and 05. Compose a poem and a

Critical Thinking) letter that utilize the proper use
Do you have a friend that is far of articles in every sentences.
away from where you are living Competence 101.2 (Fluency and
now? Think of a recent event in Articulateness)
your life which you think is worth
sharing for. Write a letter to that
friend of yours and share with her
the latest event in your life that
you had experienced. In writing
your letter, observe the correct use
of articles in your sentences.

3. Evaluation Competence 101.1 (Creative and 01. Define what an Article is;
Critical Thinking) 02. Identify the two types of
Answer the following: Articles;
1. Explain the use of articles in Competence 101.2 (Fluency and
03. Explain the use of articles
writing. Articulateness)
2. Compare and contrast the two in writing;
types of articles. 04. Select the correct articles in
3. Directions: Fill in the blank with the activities; and
the appropriate article, a, an, or
the, or leave the space blank if no
article is needed.
1. I want ____ apple from that
basket.

2. ____ church on the corner is

progressive.

3. Miss Lin speaks ____ Chinese.

4. I borrowed ____ pencil from

your pile of pencils and pens.

5. One of the students said, "____

professor is late today."

6 Eli likes to play ____ volleyball.

7. I bought ____ umbrella to go

out in the rain.

8. My daughter is learning to play

____ violin at her school.

9. Please give me ____ cake that is

 on the counter.

10. I lived on ____ Main Street

when I first came to town.

11. Albany is the capital of ____

New York State.

12. My husband's family speaks

____ Polish.

13. ____ apple a day keeps the

doctor away.

14. ____ ink in my pen is red.

15. Our neighbors have ____ cat

and ____ dog.

F. References:

https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/articles.htm

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/articles/

Correct answers are in bold.

1. I have a horse of my own. I call her Pretty Girl. She is an intelligent animal, but she is
not a thoroughbred horse. I could never enter her in a race, even if I wanted to. But I do not want to.
She is a companion, for my own pleasure. I took her swimming a day or two ago.
2. A horse knows when he is going to race. How does he know? His breakfast was scanty. (He is
angry about that.) He does not have a saddle on his back. He is being led, not ridden,
to the grandstand. He is led under the grandstand into an unusual, special stall. The horse is
nervous. Sometimes he does not know what to do when the starting gate flies open and the track is
before him. If he does not begin to run instantly, other horses are already ahead of him.
During the race, when he sees another horse just ahead of him, he will try to pass him.
Sometimes the jockey holds him back to save his energy for the last stretch. Eventually the horse
gets to run as fast as he can. The exercise boy, watching the owner's favorite jockey riding the horse
he has exercised day after day, says nothing. Secretly, he is planning for the day when he will
be a jockey himself, and his horse will be the first to cross the finish line.
3. Most working people have fewer hours to give to time-consuming activities of clubs than they used
to have, but most people in a small town belong to a club or two. One of the clubs is likely to
be a social and benevolent organization, such as the Rotary or Elks. Business people are likely to
belong, also to either the Kiwanis Club or the Lions. Such business people's organizations may meet
as often as once a week in one of the private dining rooms of the town's leading hotel for lunch. They
have a good lunch, hear a good program, and continue their fundraising program for a worthy
organization, such as a local hospital.
 Republic of the Philippines
COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA
Ayala Campus

For:
Eng 004
TECHNICAL WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINE
INCLUDING FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH

LESSON 7:
VERB TENSES
 Prepared by:
BRENDA LYNN O. VENTURA
Faculty

LESSON 7
A. Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

01. Define what are verb tenses;
02. Explain each rules of the verb tenses;
03. Identify the type of verb tense in a sentence;
04. Compose sentences using the correct form of verb tense; and
05. Conduct an interview using the various verb tenses.

B. Lesson Outline:

1. Verb Tenses
1.1 Present Tense
1.2 Past Tense
1.3 Future Tense

C. Lesson Content:

What Are Verb Tenses? (https://www.lexico.com/grammar/verb-tenses)

The tense of a verb tells you when a person did something or when something existed or happened. In English,
there are three main tenses: the present, the past, and the future.

The present
The present tense (e.g. I am, she works, we swim, they believe) is also called the present simple or simple
present. It's mainly used in the following ways:

 to describe things that are currently happening or that are currently or always the case (I love chocolate
ice cream; my parents are in New York this week; he has fair hair and blue eyes; some birds eat worms
and insects).
 to talk about something that exists or happens regularly (she goes out every Saturday night; it always
rains here in winter; I start work at 7.30 a.m.).
 to refer to a future situation in certain cases and in some subordinate clauses (the bus arrives in London
at 6 p.m.; I’ll make us some coffee when we get home).

Present tense formation

In the present simple tense, the basic form of a regular verb only changes in the 3rd person singular, as follows:

 Most verbs just add -s to the basic form (e.g. take/takes, seem/seems, look/looks).
 Verbs that end with a vowel other than e add -es (e.g. go/goes, veto/vetoes, do/does).
 Verbs that end with -s, -z, -ch, -sh, and -x add -es (e.g. kiss/kisses, fizz/fizzes, punch/punches,
wash/washes, mix/mixes).
 If the verb ends in a consonant plus -y, change the y to an i before adding -es (e.g. hurry/hurries,
clarify/clarifies). But if the verb ends in a vowel plus -y, just add -s (e.g. play/plays, enjoy/enjoys).

What Is the Present Continuous Tense? (https://7esl.com/present-continuous-tense/)

The present continuous tense is one which is commonly used within the English language and often uses
the -ing form of a verb, for example ‘she is running.’ We can see that the sentence is happening continuously in
the present moment.

The present continuous verb tense, also known as the present progressive, is used to describe an action
that is currently happening or may happen in the future. The present continuous tense is typically used for the
following four general cases:

 To describe events that are happening at the current time

 To discuss an event that is temporary in nature, will continue into the future, but end at a particular time
 To list future plans
 To describe a new pattern or a habit

This verb tense is formed with a variant of the verb to be + the present participle (verb form ending in -ing).
These verbs can also take adverb modifiers to talk about an activity that is continuing into some future time
(e.g. in one hour’, this Fall’). Additionally, present continuous verb forms are most commonly going to be
found in the wild using dynamic verbs’ that describe:

 an activity (e.g. learn, listen, read)

 a process (e.g. change, grow, shrink)
 a bodily sensation (e.g. ache, feel, hurt)
 a transitional event (e.g. arrive, leave)
 a momentary occurrence (e.g. hit, jump, kick).

Present Continuous Tense Structure

The present continuous (also the present progressive) is one of the present tenses used in modern English.

Basically, the Present progressive tense is formed by adding -ing to the base verb.

The structure of the Present Continuous Tense is:

S + am/is/are (not) + V-ing +….

Examples:

He is playing.
She isn’t cooking.
Am/is/are + S + V-ing +…?

Example:

Am I annoying you? (which is to ask whether I am annoying you.)

 Examples of the Present Continuous Tense
1. My daughter’s class is currently attending a lecture on the solar system at the planetarium.
2. The driver is stopping at the gas station for a moment to fill up the tank and then will proceed to the next
town for lunch.
3. You need to prepare an agenda before your next class because you are keeping the students two minutes
late every time lately.
4. My company is holding face to face meetings a lot less than they used to in favor of video calls.
5. When my vacation starts, my family and I are flying to Hawaii to relax on the beach.
6. The movie is starting in the next thirty minutes so we have to leave very shortly.
7. Whenever the cat is playing with a ribbon, she starts jumping back and forth like her hunter forbears.
8. I am going to fly back and forth between Detroit and Atlanta twice a month from now on as part of my
promotion.
9. I hate to say it, but my kids are giving me the worst migraine right now with all their screaming!
10. The fog is slowly lifting which will make my drive to work much less dangerous

How to Use the Present Continuous

The present progressive is used:

1. To describe something which is happening at the exact moment of speech.

Example: Jim is watching television at the moment.
2. To describe an action that is taking place now but not at the exact moment of speech.
Example: John is working in London.
3. To describe an event planned in the future.
Example: I’m taking my French class on Tuesday.
4. To describe a temporary situation.
Example: I’m staying with a friend for a few days.
5. To emphasize the frequency of an action.
Example: That child is always crying for no good reason.
6. To describe changing situations.
Example: Her health is improving by leaps and bounds.

What Is the Present Perfect Tense?

The present perfect tense is something which might seem complicated at first glance, but once you
understand the basic rules, it becomes much more simple. This tense is used to talk about an action which began
in the past but has continued into the present moment and is something that we see often when using the English
language.

The present perfect tense is used to describe:

 an action or situation that began sometime in the past and continues into the present time.
 an action performed during a period that has not yet completed.
 a repeated activity in an unspecified time period between the past and the current time period.
 an action that finished in the very recent past, expressed by ‘just’.
 an action when the time is not important.

It is formed with a variant of the verb to have + the present participle (verb form ending in -ed).

The part that may confuse some readers is whether to use this present perfect verb tense (e.g. have walked) or to
use the simple past (e.g. walked).

Simple Past
  Used with adverbs that describe a time already past (e.g. I studied for the test on Sunday).
 Used with an adverb that marks a specific point in time (e.g. I have studied today).

Present Perfect

 Used with adverbs describing a time that started in the past and continues right up to the present time
(e.g. I have studied every day this week).
 Used with an adverb that marks a specific point in time (e.g. I have studied today).
 Used when speaking about an event that happened in the recent past (e.g. I have studied night after night
for this test).

Present Perfect Tense Structure

In English grammar, the present perfect is a combination of the present tense and perfect aspect that is used to
express a past event that has present consequences.

The structure of the Present Perfect (formula):

Affirmative Sentence
Subject + have/has + past participle

Example:

I have tried sushi before.

Negative Sentence
Subject + have not (haven’t)/has not (hasn’t) + past participle

Example:

I have not tried sushi before.

Interrogative Sentence
Have/Has + subject + past participle?

Example:

Have you tried sushi before?

Examples of the Present Perfect Tense

1. My daughter has completed her math and reading homework assignments.
2. The gardener has planted all the seeds he is going to for the tomato season.
3. We have finished watching Star Wars and now we can start watching The Empire Strikes Back.
4. My company has banned remote work-from-home and now we all have to drive into the office every
day.
5. For the last two weeks, I have read a book a day and reviewed it for my website.
6. I have traveled back and forth to Japan once a month for the last year.
7. The cat has played with the ribbon for too long and now she just looks silly!
8. I have listened to all the PMP podcasts, and now I am ready to take the exam.
9. The trick-or-treaters have visited my house three times tonight and I’m not sure I can stay hidden any
longer.
10. My son has performed the same piano exercises for the last hour and I can’t get the sounds out of my
head!

How to Use the Present Perfect Tense?

The Present Perfect Tense Usage

The Present Perfect is used:

1. To express things you have done in your life

Examples: I’ve been to England.
She has never studied Japanese.

2. To express the number of times you have done something

Examples: I’ve been to Paris three times.
How many times have you tried to call her?

3. To describe recently completed actions which are important now

Examples: I have some bad news. I’ve lost my job.
I can’t play football tonight – I’ve hurt my leg.

4. To express situations that started in the past and are still true
Examples: I’ve known James for 4 or 5 years.
She’s been the director of that company since 2007.

5. To describe unfinished actions or situations

Examples: I’ve known Julie for ten years. (I met her ten years ago and I still know her)
We have lived here since 2004.

6. To express the present result

Examples: I’ve lost my keys.
John has missed the bus, so he’ll be late.

What Is the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The present perfect continuous verb tense, also known as the present perfect progressive, is used to
describe an action that first started in the past and is still happening in the present, or is still relevant to other
events happening in the present.

The present perfect continuous tense is typically used for the following two general cases:

 Starting in the past and occurring until now with an adverb modifier that indicates the approximate
duration
 An action occurring until lately’ or recently’ with some relevant effect continuing into the present.

This verb tense is formed with a passive variant of the verb to have + the present participle (verb form ending in
-ing). These verbs can also take adverb modifiers to talk about the activity when in the past this activity started
(e.g. two hours ago’, last Fall’). Additionally, present perfect continuous verb forms are most commonly going
to be found in the wild using dynamic verbs’ that describe:

 an activity (e.g. learn, listen, read)

 a process (e.g. change, grow, shrink)
 a bodily sensation (e.g. ache, feel, hurt)
  a transitional event (e.g. arrive, leave)
 a momentary occurrence (e.g. hit, jump, kick).

The other type of verb, which is not generally seen with present perfect continuous verb forms, is known as
stative, and the reason it is not used here is that stative verbs describe actions that are done and over with and do
not continue into the future at all (e.g. astonish, see, smell).

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Structure

The structure of the Present Perfect Progressive tense is:

have/has + been + V-ing (present participle)

Examples:
They have been learning English.
I have been waiting for one hour.
Present Perfect Progressive Contractions:

The subject and the first auxiliary are often contracted when using the Present Perfect Continuous tense in
speaking and in informal writing.

Have = ‘ve
Has = ‘s

Examples:

I‘ve been writing.

The car‘s been giving trouble.

Examples of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1. My daughter has been watching cartoons for the last two hours since arriving home from school.
2. The driver has been stopping to stretch his legs every forty-five minutes during this ten-hour drive from
Detroit to Washington D.C.
3. You have been sleeping too long and missing breakfast.
4. My company has been monitoring my Internet usage.
5. For the last two weeks, I have been reading The Lord of the Rings books from dawn until dusk.
6. I have been picking strawberries from my garden and eating them right away!
7. Whenever the dog has been chasing the cat, I can always find tufts of fur on the floor.
8. I can always tell when my son has been playing too many video games because his right eye droops with
exhaustion.
9. My flight has been circling the airport for thirty minutes because the weather is too dangerous for a
landing to take place.
10. Recently, my daughter has been practicing her dance routine instead of her piano exercises.

How to Use the Present Perfect Progressive Tense?

The Present Perfect Progressive tense is used to:

1. Express long actions that started in the past and continue until now
Examples:
I‘ve been living in Ireland for almost 4 years.
I‘ve been studying all day and I’m absolutely exhausted now.

2. Express recent actions that have clear evidence or results now

Examples:
You’ve lost a lot of weight. Have you been going to the gym?
Her eyes are red because she‘s been crying all evening.

3. Typically used for shorter, more temporary situations

Example:
Have they been learning English this week?

4. Note: Always use the present perfect simple (not continuous) with the verbs believe, know, understand,
like/dislike, belong, own:
Examples:
We‘ve known each other since we were kids.
I‘ve never understood math very well.
He‘s always liked sports.
The past
The past tense (e.g. I was, he talked, we had, they worked) is also called the past simple or simple past. As its
description implies, it’s used to talk about things or situations which happened in the past, that is, before the
present time of speaking. Its main uses are as follows:

 to refer to an event or situation which happened once and is now finished (I met Lisa yesterday; we ate a
huge breakfast this morning; they walked ten miles that day; you told me that before).
 to describe a situation that lasted for a longer time in the past but is now finished (he went to college for
four years; my family lived in Oxford in the 1980s; I loved her for ages but never told her).
 to talk about an event that happened regularly or repeatedly but is now over (she called for help over and
over again; we ate out every night last week; I phoned him three times today).
Past tense formation
Forming the past simple tense of regular verbs is mostly straightforward, and you use the same form for the
first, second, and third persons, singular and plural:

 If the basic form of the verb ends in a consonant or a vowel other than e, add the letters -ed to the end
(e.g. seem/seemed, laugh/laughed, look/looked).
 For verbs that end in -e, add -d (e.g. love/loved, recede/receded, hope/hoped).
 If the verb ends in a consonant plus -y, change the y to an i before adding -ed (e.g. hurry/hurried,
clarify/clarified). But if the verb ends in a vowel plus -y, just add -ed (e.g. play/played, enjoy/enjoyed).

What is the Past Simple Tense?

The simple past tense shows that an action started and completed in the past and has no relevance to the
present time at all. It can also be used to describe how someone felt, what their emotional condition was, at a
point in the past. There are no forms of the verb to be’ or to have’ with this tense as there are with others (e.g.
walked). The simple past can be used with adverbs to describe a time already in the past (e.g. I walked to the
market last Saturday) or discussing a specific point in time (e.g. I studied today).

Simple Past Tense Structure

a. Simple Past Tense with “TO BE” (was/were)

Note:

I/She/He/It + was
We/You/They + were
Was not = Wasn’t
Were not = Weren’t

Positive Sentence: S + was/were + …

Example:
They were friends.

Negative Sentence: S + was not/were not + …

Example:
 They weren’t friends.

Question form: Was/Were + S + …?

Example:
Were they friends?

b. Simple Past Tense with Regular Verbs

Regular English verbs form the simple past in –ed; however, there are a few hundred irregular verbs with
different forms.

Positive Sentence: S + verb-ed + …

Example:
She worked yesterday.

Negative Sentence: S + did not/didn’t + verb (in base form) + …

Example:
She didn’t work yesterday.

Question form: Did + S + verb (in base form)?

Example:
Did she work yesterday?

c. Past Simple Tense with Irregular Verbs

There are a few hundred irregular verbs with different forms.

Positive Sentence: S + irregular verb + …

Example:
They went to Spain for their holidays.

Negative Sentence: S + did not/didn’t + verb (in base form) + …

Example:
They didn’t go to Spain for their holidays?

Question Form: Did + S + (verb in base form)?

Example:
Did they go to Spain for their holidays?

Examples of the Past Simple Tense

1. My teacher taught me about the planets, moon, and stars in the third grade.
2. Our local high school held a car wash to raise money for the band.
3. I felt scared when the power went out during the thunderstorm last night.
4. My boss called me into the office to help with an outage on Sunday night.
5. I really appreciate when you gave me half your lunch yesterday.
6. While I was sleeping, the cat yowled very loudly all night long.
7. My team had a potluck’ last week but forgot to send out the invitations!
8. My mom picked me up after school all week long when I had to stay for an extra practice session.
9. Dad took me to the movies and out for pizza for my birthday.
10. I was so proud the day my oldest child graduated from college with honors.

How to Use the Simple Past Tense

The Simple Past Tense Usage
The Simple Past is used:
 1. To express completed action in the past
Example: I saw a ghost last Friday.
2. To describe a series of completed actions in the past
Example: I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

3. To express habits in the past

Example: When I was young, I watched lots of television every day after school.

4. Time Expressions with Past Simple Tense

Yesterday
Ago
Last month
Last week
Last year
In 2003
In 2007
…

What is the Past Continuous Tense?

The past continuous tense is one which is used very frequently in the English language and is made up
of an -ing verb preceded by the past tense of the verb ‘to be.’ For example ‘the animals were running gracefully
through the field.’ This is an easy concept to understand and once you have mastered it, you will be able to
speak much more freely about the past.

The past continuous, or past progressive, tense describes an action or situation that began in the past and
is still going on in the present time. The past continuous is easily formed by pairing up the verb to be’ with a
verb ending in -ed’ instead of -ing’ (e.g. was talking).

Past Continuous Tense Structure

The Past Continuous is used to describe actions that began in the past and often continued for a short period of
time after the action started.

The structure of the Past Continuous Tense is:

Was/were + V-ing (Present Participle)

Example: At three o’clock yesterday, I was working in the garden.

Examples of the Past Continuous Tense

1. My kids were playing basketball together for hours yesterday.
2. My daughter was planning to join the school band but chose the choir instead.
3. I was talking to my neighbor when she told me about the fire that started across the street.
4. Our school was holding a pep rally when the fire alarm went off.
5. I was not giving to charity last year, but then I received a raise and started contributing to the local
animal shelter.
6. While I was getting ready for bed, I turned on the news to see what had happened during the day.
7. My team was holding an offsite lunch n learn but discontinued it when people stopped showing up.
8. My brother was dropping me off at school every morning so I didn’t have to wait in the cold for the bus.
9. I was hanging more and more elaborate Christmas lights every year until I realized I couldn’t do
anything bigger this year so I stopped.
10. My friend was sleeping over every Friday for three months during the Summer but then we had to stop
when school started.

How to Use the Past Continuous Tense

The Past Continuous Tense Usage

The past continuous is used:

1. To describe parallel actions

The past progressive is often used to denote an action that was interrupted by an event, or for two actions taking
place in parallel.
Examples:
While I was washing the dishes, I heard a loud noise.
While you were washing the dishes, Sue was walking the dog.

2. To express specific Time as an Interruption

3. To describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time
Example:
I was working in the garden all day yesterday.

That could also be expressed using the simple past, as I worked…, which implies that the action is viewed as a
unitary event (although the effective meaning is not very different).

4. To express interrupted action in the past

Often the past progressive is mixed with the past simple to show what was happening when something
happened.
Examples:
I was driving to work when I crashed my car.
I watched a movie while I was flying to Dubai.

5. To describe repetition and irritation

Example:
He was always complaining in class.
Note: For stative verbs that do not use the progressive aspect, the simple past is used instead.
Example:
At three o’clock yesterday we were in the garden.

6. Time Expressions Used with the Past Progressive Tense

When
While
Always
Constantly
At that time
In those days
All day
All evening
For hours…

What is the Past Continuous Tense?

The past continuous tense is one which is used very frequently in the English language and is made up
of an -ing verb preceded by the past tense of the verb ‘to be.’ For example ‘the animals were running gracefully
through the field.’ This is an easy concept to understand and once you have mastered it, you will be able to
speak much more freely about the past.
 The past continuous, or past progressive, tense describes an action or situation that began in the past
and is still going on in the present time. The past continuous is easily formed by pairing up the verb to be’ with
a verb ending in -ed’ instead of -ing’ (e.g. was talking).

Past Continuous Tense Structure

The Past Continuous is used to describe actions that began in the past and often continued for a short period of
time after the action started.

The structure of the Past Continuous Tense is:

Was/were + V-ing (Present Participle)

Example: At three o’clock yesterday, I was working in the garden.

Examples of the Past Continuous Tense

1. My kids were playing basketball together for hours yesterday.
2. My daughter was planning to join the school band but chose the choir instead.
3. I was talking to my neighbor when she told me about the fire that started across the street.
4. Our school was holding a pep rally when the fire alarm went off.
5. I was not giving to charity last year, but then I received a raise and started contributing to the local
animal shelter.
6. While I was getting ready for bed, I turned on the news to see what had happened during the day.
7. My team was holding an offsite lunch n learn but discontinued it when people stopped showing up.
8. My brother was dropping me off at school every morning so I didn’t have to wait in the cold for the bus.
9. I was hanging more and more elaborate Christmas lights every year until I realized I couldn’t do
anything bigger this year so I stopped.
10. My friend was sleeping over every Friday for three months during the Summer but then we had to stop
when school started.

How to Use the Past Continuous Tense

The Past Continuous Tense Usage

The past continuous is used:

1. To describe parallel actions

The past progressive is often used to denote an action that was interrupted by an event, or for two actions taking
place in parallel.
Examples:
While I was washing the dishes, I heard a loud noise.
While you were washing the dishes, Sue was walking the dog.

2. To express specific Time as an Interruption

3. To describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time
Example: I was working in the garden all day yesterday.

That could also be expressed using the simple past, as I worked…, which implies that the action is viewed as a
unitary event (although the effective meaning is not very different).

4. To express interrupted action in the past

Often the past progressive is mixed with the past simple to show what was happening when something
happened.
Examples:
I was driving to work when I crashed my car.
I watched a movie while I was flying to Dubai.
 5. To describe repetition and irritation
Example:
He was always complaining in class.
6. Time Expressions Used with the Past Progressive Tense
When
While
Always
Constantly
At that time
In those days
All day
All evening
For hours…

What is the Past Perfect Tense?

The past perfect tense keeps the past “in the past” as they say. The verbs that are placed in this tense
have to happen AND complete BEFORE a related action can occur. This past participle tense takes the past
form of the verb to have’ as a modifier (e.g. had talked).

The past perfect form has a couple of different functions that it can perform:

 It can describe an action that occurred in the past that is related to another action that occurred in the
past after the first action (e.g. I had driven to Pittsburgh before driving on to Detroit).
 It can describe two non-continuous actions that occurred in sequence (e.g. I had driven to Florida and
then boarded a cruise two days later.)
 These two functions are very similar but the nuances between them are a bit different in terms of what
information is conveyed to the listener/reader.

Past Perfect Tense Structure

The Past Perfect is used to talk about actions that were completed before some point in the past.

The Past Perfect is formed by combining had with the past participle of the main verb.

Positive Sentence: S + had + past participle + …

Example: She had finished the test.

Negative Sentence: S + had not/hadn’t + past participle + …

Example: She hadn’t finished the test.

Question form: Had + S + past participle + …?

Example: Had she finished the test?

Examples of the Past Perfect Tense

1. My kids were really exhausted and ready for sleep because they had both played soccer for hours that
afternoon.
2. My daughter had won the two previous spelling bees which made her feel very disappointed when she
lost this year to another student.
3. I had just arrived at the airport gate when I saw the attendant closing the gate.
4. My teacher thought she had sent out letters to all the parents about the upcoming field trip until she
found all the papers sitting in the copy tray.
5. I had paid my son an allowance last year but asked him to get a job this year instead.
6. My son had volunteered to help me in the garden all summer until he realized how much work it
actually was.
7. Had you concentrated harder on learning your ABCs in elementary school, these reports would not be as
difficult for you to write now that you have an office job.
8. Can you tell me how much money you had saved up before your student loan became due?
9. I had played a trick on my neighbors this past Halloween, but then they called the police and reported
me.
10. My friend had slept over at my house for the last two weeks and then I spent the next two weekends at
his place.

How to Use the Past Perfect Tense?

Learn how and when to use the Past Perfect Tense in English with helpful grammar rules, example sentences
and ESL printable worksheets.

The Past Perfect Tense Usage

The Past Perfect Tense is used:

1. To describe an action finished before another past action

Example: Richard had gone out when his wife arrived in the office.

2. To describe an action that happened before a specific time in the past

Example: Christine had never been to an opera before last night.

3. To describe cause and effect (combine with Past Simple)

Example: I got stuck in traffic because there had been an accident.

4. To emphasize the result of activity in the past

Example: I had been to London twice by the time I got a job in New York.

5. Time Expressions Used with the Past Perfect Tense

Already
Yet
For
Since
Just
After
Before
Until
The moment that

What is a Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

You might hear this tense being referred to as the past perfect progressive tense but this is not as
complicated as it might first appear. The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about an event which
began in the past and continued in the past. This is a similar concept to the present perfect continuous tense.

The Past Perfect Continuous tense combines perfect progressive aspect with past tense. It is formed by
combining had (the past tense of auxiliary have), been (the past participle of be), and the present participle of
the main verb.
Positive Sentence: S + had + been + V-ing (present participle) +…
Example: They had been playing tennis.

Negative Sentence: S + had not/ hadn’t + been +V-ing (present participle) +…

Example: They hadn’t been playing tennis.

Question Form: Had + S + been + V-ing (present participle)?

Example: Had they been playing tennis?
How to Use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The Past Perfect Progressive is used:

1. To describe a past action, already started and continued up to another action or time in the past
Example:
The boys had been playing soccer for about an hour when it started to rain.

2. To express the duration before something in the past

Example:
Richard needed a holiday because he had been working hard for six months.

3. To describe the cause of something in the past

Example:
He was tired because he had been jogging.

4. Adverbs of Time
When
Before
By the time
For
Since…

The future
The future tense (e.g. I shall [or will] go; he will talk; we shall [or will] have; they will work) is used to refer to
things that haven’t yet happened at the present time of speaking, but which are due, expected, or likely to occur
in the future. Here are the main situations in which the future is used:

 to give or ask for information about the future (you will be in California tomorrow; how long will the
journey take?; OK, I’ll write that report on Thursday).
 to talk about things that we think are likely or possible to happen in the future, but which aren’t
completely certain (I think she’ll retire soon; he won’t [will not] stay married to her for long; you’ll
never lose weight, you like food too much).
 to refer to conditional situations, namely things that will or may happen if something else occurs (if it’s
hot I’ll go swimming later; you’ll get stressed out if you work all the time).
 to make promises or threats, or to state decisions at the time of speaking (Fine, I’ll call you soon; Are
you going into town? We’ll give you a lift; I’ll never speak to you again).

The future tense is formed with will (or shall) and the infinitive of the verb without ‘to’.

 The traditional rule is that shall is used with first person pronouns (i.e. I and we) to form the future
tense, while will is used with second and third person forms (i.e. you, he, she, it, they). For example:

I shall be late.

They will not have enough food.

 However, when it comes to expressing a strong determination to do something, the roles are reversed:
will is used with the first person, and shall with the second and third. For example:

I will not tolerate such behaviour.

You shall go to the ball!

In practice, though, the two words are used more or less interchangeably, and this is now an acceptable part of
standard British and American English; however, the word shall is now seldom used in any normal context in
American English.

Simple Future Tense

If you wish to speak about an event that will happen in the future then you will need to use the simple
future tense. This is a great way of adding knowledge of the English language which will enable you to talk in
much more detail about things such as your future plans or things that you know are coming up.

The simple future tense indicates that an action is in the future relative to the speaker or writer. There are no
inflected forms for the future in English (nothing like those –ed or -s endings in the other tenses).

The formula for the future simple is will + V(Base form).

Positive Sentence: S + will + V(Base form) + object…

Example: I will go to Thailand.

Negative Sentence: S + will not/won’t + V(Base form) + object…

Example: I will not go to Thailand.

Question form: Will + S + V(Base form) +…?

Example: Will you go to Thailand?

How to Use the Simple Future Tense

The future simple tense is used:

1. For Actions Decided at the moment of Speech

Example: I have a toothache. I‘ll take a medicine.

2. For Unplanned Future Actions

Example: Winter will come soon.

3. For Offering, Asking for a Request Promising, Ordering, Threatening

Example: I’m afraid we will get wet.

4. For Unpreventable Actions in Future

Example: Summer will come soon.

5. With Conditional, Time and Purpose Clauses

Example: When I arrive at home, I will call you.

6. For Thoughts, Predictions, Assumptions, Sureness, Fears about Future

Example: I promise I won’t tell this anyone.

Future Continuous Tense

To use the future continuous tense you will need to use the phrase ‘will be’ along with the present
participle of the verb (the -ing version.) Using this tense will show that an action is going to take place in future
and will continue for a certain period of time rather than in one moment like the simple future tense.

The Future Continuous tense is a verb tense that indicates that something will occur in the future and continue
for an expected length of time. It is formed using the construction
 will + be + V-ing (present participle).

Positive Sentence: S + will + be + V-ing (present participle)

Example: I will be singing in the concert tomorrow.

Negative Sentence: S + will + not + be + V-ing (present participle)

Example: I will not be singing in the concert tomorrow.

Question Form: Will + S + be + V-ing? (present participle)

Example: Will you be singing in the concert tomorrow?

How to Use the Future Continuous Tense

The Future Progressive Tense is used:

1. To describe interrupted actions in the future

Example: When you come tomorrow, they will be playing tennis.

2. To express actions in progress at a specific time in the future

Example: At 12 o’clock tomorrow, we will be having lunch at school.

3. To refer to actions that are happening now and expected to continue some time in the future
Note: combined with “still”
Example: Unfortunately, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.

4. To ask a question politely about the future

Example: Will you be bringing your friend to the party tonight?

5. To emphasize future plans and intentions

Example: He‘ll be coming to visit us next week.

6. To describe atmosphere in the future

Example: When I arrive at the party everybody will be celebrating, some will be dancing, other will be talking.

7. To express parallel actions or series of parallel actions in the future

Example: She will be watching TV, and he will be cooking dinner.

8. Time Expressions with The Future Progressive

In the future
Next week
Next time
Next year
At this moment next year
At this time tomorrow
At 5 p.m tomorrow…

Future Perfect Tense

When you want to talk about an action that will happen before a certain point in the future, you will
need to use the future perfect tense. There are certain rules surrounding the use of the future perfect tense and it
is important that you follow these rules in order to create a grammatically correct sentence.

The future perfect is a verb form or construction used to describe an event that is expected or planned to
happen before a time of reference in the future.

In English, the future perfect construction consists of the auxiliary verb “will” (shall) to mark the future, the
auxiliary verb “have” to mark the perfect, and the past participle of the main verb.
Positive Sentence: S + will + have + past participle + …
Example:I will have finished my report by the end of this month.

Negative Sentence: S + will + not + have + past participle + …

Example: He will not have done it by this evening.

Question form: Will + S + have + past participle + …

Example: Will you have written me a letter?

How to Use the Future Perfect Tense

The Future Perfect is used:

1. To talk about an action that will finish before a certain time in the future
Example: By eight o’clock tomorrow, I will have taken off for Japan.

2. To talk about an action that will be completed before another event takes place
Example: She will have learnt Chinese before she moves to China.

3. To express conviction that something happened in the near past

Example: The guests will have arrived at the hotel by now. (I’m sure the guests have arrived at the hotel.)

4. Time Expressions Used with Future Perfect Tense

By + …
By the time
Before
Until/till
By then
By the end of + …
By tomorrow

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

When we are talking about an action that will happen and continue in the future, we must employ the
use of the future perfect continuous tense. Whilst the name of this tense might seem long and complicated, its
use and rules are quite easy to understand.

The Future Perfect Continuous is a verb form or construction used to describe actions that will continue
up until a point in the future.

In English, the Future Perfect Progressive is formed by combining the modal “will“, the auxiliary verb “have“,
“been“, and the present participle of the main verb (with an -ing ending).

Positive Sentence: S + will + have + been + V-ing (present participle) +…

Example: We will have been living in this house for 10 years by next month.

Negative Sentence: S + will + not + have + been + V-ing (present participle) +…

Example: I won’t have been travelling to New York for 2 years by the end of October.

Question form: Will + S + have + been + V-ing (present participle) +… ?

Example: Will you have been eating vegetables for three months?

How to Use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Progressive Tense is used:

1. To show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future
Example: James will have been teaching at the university for more than a year by the time he leaves for Asia.
2. To talk about something that finishes just before another time or action (in this case, in the future)
Example: I will be tired when I get home because I will have been walking for over an hour.

3. Time Expressions Used with Future Perfect Progressive

By + this year/ month/ week
Next year/ month/ week
For + an hour, for 5 years
By then
Since morning, since 1995
By tomorrow

D. Discussion Questions:

LEVEL QUESTIONS OBJECTIVES

1. KNOWLEDGE 1. What is a verb? 01. Define what are verb tenses;
2. What are verb tenses?
2. COMPREHENSION 1. How would you explain the 02. Explain each rules of the verb
rules in Present Tense? tenses;
2. How would you explain the
rules in Past Tense?
3. How would you explain the
rules in Future Tense?
3. APPLICATION 1. Write the correct form of the 03. Identify the type of verb tense
verb "To be" in present tense. in a sentence;

Example: I (be) am happy. 1) I

(be) _____ tired. 2) I (be) _____
hungry. 3) I (be) _____ late!
Example: You / We / They (be)
are happy. 7) You (be) _____ nice.
8) We (be) _____ sleepy. 9) They
(be) _____ funny. Example: He /
She / It (be) is happy. 4) He (be)
_____ cool. 5) She (be) _____
pretty. 6) It (be) _____ fast.
4. ANALYSIS With some verbs, the last letter of 03. Identify the type of verb tense
the verb must be doubled in past in a sentence;
progressive tense before
adding –ing. The rule for doubling
is: when a one-syllable verb ends
with consonant-vowel- consonant,
the final consonant is doubled. If
the verb is longer than one
syllable, the final consonant
is doubled only if the stress falls
on the last syllable. Analyze the
correct form of the verb in past
progressive tense.

1) I [was swiming / was

swimming] a lot during the
summer.
2) We [were siting / were sitting]
on the rocks by the river.
3) They [were runing / were
running] faster than anyone else in
that race.
4) He [was stoping / was stopping]
often to tie his shoe.
5) It [was fiting / was fitting] until
she gained weight.
 5. EVALUATION 1.Narrate in a piece of paper the 03. Identify the type of verb tense
kind of struggle or difficulty that in a sentence;
you encountered these past few
days. Have your seatmate evaluate
your writing. Meanwhile, as you
are evaluating the work of your
seatmate, identify the type of verb
tense used by your seatmate.
6. SYNTHESIS 1. After reading the work of your 04. Compose sentences using the
seatmate, ask two to three correct form of verb tense.
questions regarding what he/she
wrote. Come up with a resolution
on how to cope such struggle in
the future.

E. Lesson Activities/Tasks
Activities OBE- Source Objectives
1. Class Oral Discussions Competence 101.1 (Creative 01. Define what are verb
and Critical Thinking) tenses;
02. Explain each rules of the
verb tenses;
03. Identify the type of verb
tense in a sentence;

2. Activities Competence 101.1 (Creative 05. Conduct an interview

and Critical Thinking) using the various verb tenses.
By Pair:
Have students interview each other using the Competence 101.2 (Fluency
various verb tenses. Provide the interview and Articulateness)
questions or have students brainstorm them.

3. Evaluation 03. Identify the type of verb

tense in a sentence;
Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the
verb in parentheses in simple past
tense or past progressive tense.

Example: Jing (talk) was talking (past

progressive tense) to her little sister when her
cell phone (lose) lost (simple past tense) its
signal.
Example: Ashley and Manny (stroll) were
strolling (past progressive tense) through the
zoo when, suddenly, they (see) saw (simple
past tense) a lion attack its
trainer.
1) We (walk) _______ _______ by the
bakery when the smell of fresh cinnamon
rolls (reach) ____________ our noses.
2) Dr. Lee (treat) _______ ________ her
patient when she (get) ________ a
signal from her pager.
3) Annie and Lilly (climb) _______ _______
trees when Annie (fall)
____________ and (break) ________ her
arm.
4) While Christopher (dig) _______ _______
a hole in the sand, a
crab (crawl) ____________ out.
5) They (sit) _______ _______ on the park
 bench when the fountain suddenly (light)
____________ up.

Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the

verb in parentheses.

1) How many miles _______ Bruce (drive)

_______ _______ ________ when he
reaches Columbia?
2) _______ the cake (bake) _______
_______ ________ long enough by two
o’clock?
3) _______ you (sleep) _______ _______
________ long enough if I wake you at 6:00
a.m.?
4) How long _______ we (shop) _______
_______ ________ by the time we leave the
mall?
5) How many years _______ Mrs. Grant
(work) _______ _______
_________ for this company when she starts
her new job?

F. References

https://www.lexico.com/grammar/verb-tenses
https://7esl.com/verb-tenses/#Verb_Tenses_Chart_%E2%80%93_All_Tenses_in_a_Table