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School I.D 405759

LEARNING MODULE
ENGLISH G11 [Q1]

ENGLISH FOR
ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES

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 Lesson 1- Nature of Academic Texts

What to know

Learning Competency
Differentiates language used in academic texts from various disciplines

Objectives:
a. Define academic writing and distinguish it from other kinds of writing;
b. Identify the purpose, audience, language, and style of academic writing;
c. Analyze sample texts using the standards academic writing; and
d. Situate academic writing in the Philippines context.

What you know

Let’s Answer This!
1. What is the easiest writing assignment you have done so far?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How about the most difficult writing assignment you have done?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think made the writing assignment difficult or easy?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Let’s Move On

Based on your answers, what do you think is academic writing and its differences
from other kinds of writing?

Activity 1
Let’s find out in this activity. Read and evaluate these four texts and answer the
following questions after reading them.
Text A

Why Do They Say That Our English Is Bad?

(An Expert)
Grace M. Saqueton

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(1) English teachers in the Philippines often find themselves in a very frustrating situation-
no matter how hard they try to teach the rules of written English to their students, the
students still commit errors in word order, word choice, subject-verb agreement, tenses,
prepositions, articles, punctuations, and the life. Teachers get frustrated when they hear or
read sentences such as “they decided to get married,” “what did the students watched?” or
“Ana go to the canteen”. It is also alarming because the rules that apply to these sentences
are supposedly simple rules that the students should have learned in grade school. Yet, here
they are in college, still committing those same errors.

(2) Teachers and linguists alike have sought and (probably) are still seeking for ways and
strategies to teach English effectively especially in the light of teaching English as a second
language or as a foreign language. Different research studies have been conducted and
different theories have been used to address the situation. One of the topics that the
researchers have explored is the recurring errors in phonology, morphology, syntax,
semantics, and discourse of second language learners. They believe that studying these
recurring errors is necessary to address the supposed grammar problems of the Filipino
college students.

(3) In a paper titled, “Why does They Say That Our Sentences Is Wrong When We Knows
English? An Analysis of the ‘Common Errors ‘of Freshmen Compositions,” Saqueton (2003)
identified some of the common errors found in the essays of first year college students. She
provided explanations, using error analysis, language acquisition theories, and Fair clough’s
paradigm on the appropriacy of “appropriateness”, as to what caused the “errors”. This is in
the hope of helping English teachers develop teaching materials and devise teaching
strategies that are appropriate for Filipino first year college students of different linguistic
backgrounds.

(4) Saqueton found out that among the students’ essays, errors in the use of verbs are the
most common, followed by errors in the use of prepositions, problems in word choice, nad
problems in subject- verb agreement. There are also errors in the use of articles,
conjunctions, pronouns; spelling problems are also evident.

(5) These “errors” are considered errors because of certain standards that language
teachers what their students to follow. These standards are the ones prescribed by
grammarians. Educators want their students to master Standard English as second language
learners of English. The problem here lies in the definition of “Standard” English. Is there
really a common standard? If there is, who uses it? Whose standard should be followed?

(6) Answering the question would entail a lot of problems. First, there should be a clear
definition of what standard is. What kind of English is Standard English? Dr. Andrew Moody,
when asked during the International Conference on World English’s and Second Language
Teaching in the Philippines, said that it would be dishonest to teach Standard English as if it
exists.

(7) That answer alone could raise a lot of issues. It only shows that the concept of standard
is problematic. According to Fairclough (1995), there is a need for a particular standard in

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 order to rationalize policies on the teaching of Standard English. He further stated that
appropriateness figures within dominant conceptions of language variations (234)
(8) is there an implied claim then that students of English as a second language or as foreign
language speak a substandard kind of English because they do not follow that standards of
General American variety? What if they (Filipinos, for example) have accepted English and
appropriated it to fit their needs and the context of situation in their own places?

(9) Andrew Gonzales (1985), in his paper, “When Does an Error Become a Feature of
Philippine English?” pointed out that until Philippine English is really creolized, English is still
a second language, one must accept a standard. However, he also stressed that no matter
how hard the English teacher tries, a local variety will continue to develop (168).

(10) There will always be different perspectives on this matter, especially that language
issues seem to be a highly emotional matter. Should language education then go for mutual
intelligibility rather that subscribe to a certain standard? Educators and language policy
planners could go back to Fairclough’s model of language learning. They have to decide how
relevant English is to their students, and from there they have to decide what to teach and
how to teach it.

Text B

Dear Prof. Lanuza:

Congratulations for being chosen as one of the recipients of the ASEAN Educational Program
Award. You are invited to the 5th Annual ASEAN English Teacher’s Conference. Our sponsors
value the important work done by English language teachers and they are willing to support
your professional endeavors by giving financial aid in the conference.

The conference organizers and sponsors want to know about your work and how the ASEAN
English Teacher’s Conference will be able to help you. May we ask you to complete the
attached questionnaire to help us provide that information? Also, we would appreciate the
opportunity for members of our Sponsorship Profile team to talk with you about your work and
the challenges and opportunities that you have identified in your study.

If you have questions, just send me an email or check this link to the conference website.
Thank you and we look forward to meeting you.

Best regards,

Prof. Hannah Lee

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 Text C
Republic of the Philippines
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
____ Judicial Region
Branch___, ______ City

EX-PARTE MOTION FOR EXTENSION

TO SUBMIT COMPROMISE AGREEMENT

Defendants, by the undersigned counsel and unto the Honorable Court, respectfully state that:

(1) On 5 January 2015, Honorable Court, in open court, directed that Parties to submit their
Compromise Agreement within ten (10) days therefrom, or on 15 January 2015. Said day being a
Sunday, the parties have until the next working day, 16 January 2015, to submit said Compromise
Agreement.

(2) Defendant Hannah Dy is presently abroad and needs to execute a Special Power of Attorney
authorizing her brother and Co-Defendant Roland Dy to sign the Compromise Agreement on her behalf.
Text A Text B Text C
(3) What Thus,
is the text
the about?
Defendants respectfully pray that the Parties be given additional fifteen (15) days
from(subject/focus)
today, or until 30 January 2015, within which to submit their Compromise Agreement.
What is the writer’s goal in writing
(4) the text?
This(purpose)
Motion is not intended to delay the instant proceedings but filed solely by reason of the
Who is the target reader of the
foregoing. Moreover, the filing of the same will not result in any injustice or prejudice to any of the
text? (audience)
parties herein.
What is the point of view used in
the text? (first person, second
person, third person)
How much does the writer know of
the subject? ( writer’s knowledge)
How did the writer organize the
text? (style)
Did the writer write in a formal or
informal manner? (tone)
How did the writer choose the
words and organize the sentences?
Was the language formal, informal,
or casual?

Activity 2
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW IT?

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 Below is a table that will help you answer this question and fill out this table based
on your evaluation of the texts. Write your answer in your paper.

Activity 3
Based on your answers, define and give features of academic writing.
Academic writing is
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________.
Academic writing requires
___________________________________________________________________________
________________________.
Academic writing is different from a creative essay, a business letter, and a legal document
in terms of
___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________.

Activity 4

PONDER ON THIS:
It was mentioned in Text A “Why Do They Say That Our English Is Bad?” that Filipino
college students encounter problems in grammar when they write papers. It would be
interesting to find out if the scenario applies to you.
Does a quick random survey on how your classmates write their essay? Use the
following questions as your guide:

1. What do you think are some problems that you and/or your classmates encounter when
you write academic papers?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_________

2. What language do they use at home? Is it English or Filipino or any other language
(Chinese, Cebuano, Bikolano, etc.)?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. Do you think they find it difficult to express their ideas in English if they don’t speak the
English language at home? How does this affect their language and style?

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 EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Based on the result of your survey and on your discussion of the features, standards,
and requirements of academic writing, you have to consider the following areas on how to
write academic writing:

Content: clarity of the purpose and the thesis statement, relevance of the supporting points to
the thesis statement, knowledge on the subject matter
Structure: coherence and logical sequence of the ideas
Language and style: word choice, sentence construction
Mechanics: grammar, punctuations, capitalization, formatting, documentation

Academic writing is a process that starts with posing a question, problematizing a concept,
evaluating an opinion, and ends in answering the question or questions posed, clarifying the
problem, and/ or arguing for a stand.

Typically, formal

Clearly structured introduction.

STRUCTURE OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS Clearly structured body.

Clearly structured conclusion.

Information from credible source which

in turn, properly cited.

Include list of references.

What is an Academic Text?

Academic text is defined as critical, objective, specialized texts written by experts or

professionals in a given field using formal language. This means that academic texts are based
on facts with solid basis. Academic writing, therefore, is generally quite formal, objective
(impersonal) and technical. It is formal by avoiding casual or conversational language, such as

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contractions or informal vocabulary. It is impersonal and objective by avoiding direct reference
to people or feelings, and instead emphasizing objects, facts and ideas. It is technical by using
vocabulary specific to the discipline.
To be a good academic writer, you will need to learn the specific styles and structures for
your discipline, as well as for each individual writing task. Some examples of academic writing
are as follow:
A. Literary Analysis: A literary analysis essay examines, evaluates, and makes an argument
about a literary work. As its name suggests, a literary analysis essay goes beyond mere
summarization. It requires careful close reading of one or multiple texts and often
focuses on a specific characteristic, theme, or motif.

B. Research Paper: A research paper uses outside information to support a thesis or

make an argument. Research papers are written in all disciplines and may be evaluative,
analytical, or critical in nature. Common research sources include data, primary sources
(e.g., historical records), and secondary sources (e.g., peer- reviewed scholarly articles).
Writing a research paper involves synthesizing this external information with your own
ideas.

C. Dissertation: A dissertation (or thesis) is a document submitted at the conclusion of a

Ph.D. program. The dissertation is a book-length summarization of the doctoral
candidate’s research.
Academic papers may be done as a part of a class, in a program of study, or for
publication in an academic journal or scholarly book of articles around a theme, by
different authors.

D. Structure is an important feature of academic writing. A well-structured text enables the

reader to follow the argument and navigate the text. In academic writing a clear
structure and a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive text. These are the two
common structures of academic texts that you need to learn which depends on the type
of assignment you are required: the three-part essay structure and the IMRaD
structure.

Three-Part Essay Structure

I. INTRODUCTION: The introduction (one or more paragraphs) contains the following:

Opening sentences Capture your reader’s attention (use a

“hook”); introduce general topic and then
narrow to subject of paper; provide
background information on topic and/or
materials to be considered (e.g., title/author
of book(s), time period of study, experiment
conducted)

Thesis Answer to the question asked/statement of

point to be proven (usually a single
sentence); focuses essay that follows; offers
insight/premise

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 Forecast A sentence or sentences indicating the
subtopics or subdivisions of support that
will follow, in the order in which they will
appear

II. BODY: Each supporting paragraph of the body should contain the following:

Topic sentence Identifies subject of paragraph and relates it

to thesis and essay; develops thesis

Analysis of topic sentence Aspect of thesis introduced in topic

sentence is developed further

Evidence/interpretation of evidence Evidence that supports thesis and topic

sentence; interpretation/analysis or
commentary of evidence follows
immediately.

Anchor Final sentence of paragraph that connects

evidence and interpretation of evidence to
thesis/topic sentence; refreshes reader’s
mind about purpose/value of paper without
becoming repetitive; allows for clear
connection between anchor and next body
paragraph or conclusion.

III. CONCLUSION: The conclusion (one or more paragraphs) contains the following:

summary/intensified insight Brief restatement of thesis that does not

simply repeat it; brief reminder of points
used to prove thesis; intensified insight
statement that deepens the idea of the
thesis without introducing new topic(s) that
require additional proof and leaving the
reader with “food for thought”

Let’s Practice!

Directions: Read the Article written by SONNY M. ANGARA 2020. Then, extract the
essential statements of the Introduction, Body and Conclusion. Write them in your paper.
Follow the format below.

Education is key for generations of Filipinos to become full-fledged, productive

members of society. This is why we should be looking at how the nation will go
back to school this coming August.

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We are beset by challenges as we come closer to that date. As of the recent hearing
of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, 10 million learners
—or 36 percent of potential enrollees—have signed up for the school year 2020-
2021.

To address quarantine issues, the Department of Education (DepEd) will

implement online learning resources such as the DepEd Commons website, which
already has 8 million users. Concurrent with this, TV and radio-based solutions
will also be launched in areas with limited access to the Internet, through the
implementation of RA 8375, which allots 15 percent of the total daily air time in a
broadcast network to child-friendly content. Teachers will also be trained to use
these new avenues for education starting in July.

However, while we are preparing for a massive shift in education, a big question to
ask is if we actually should continue with the school opening this August. When I
was interviewed on this subject matter recently, I communicated that perhaps, it
would be better to push back the opening of classes to November, or even as far as
January, if need be.

And it all comes down to two major concerns: Internet connectivity, and the issue
of the curriculum and educational materials that have to be adapted for use with a
blended learning environment. Access to educational materials through the Internet
isn’t worth much if the Internet itself is inaccessible due to lack of service or
network infrastructure. Be it through provisions for budget, equipment, and
commercial access to the Internet, much has to be done to improve digital
connectivity throughout the country. It would also be important to fast track the
implementation of RA 10929, the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, which
mandates that public basic education institutions, state universities and colleges
(SUCs), and Tesda technology institutions to have free Wi-fi access.

As for the case of improving how blended learning can be unpacked for our
children, we have to call on and support an integral resource for the family: the
parents. Indeed, parents—and guardians—must be empowered to help the learning
process of the students.

Fortunately, the Unicef has some helpful tips on how parents can help their
children learn. The first is that parents can be the ones to set a routine that
integrates time for studies and education through online and media sources, while

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balancing it with other social and play activities that a child also needs. Next,
parents should keep open lines of communication, particularly if children are
linking what they are learning to what is happening right now in our world. Parents
can help their children process what they are learning. Parents can also be the ones
to train their children to get into the swing of longer and longer educational
sessions, and at the same time, they can monitor their children’s online activity,
and what resources they are accessing. Finally, parents and teachers should
communicate with one another—just as the teacher is now the one who creates the
learning modules that students will use on a local level, so it is that parents should
also be aware of how to maximize learning from these educational packages.

All these issues should be carefully and properly built into the educational system
for the new normal. And while I applaud the determination and dedication of our
education sector, if it cannot be done by August, then the opening of school should
be postponed until such time as all these changes can be implemented. After all,
we will be dealing with the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic for some time. And
just as the adage goes that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so it is
that more time for preparation can prevent larger educational issues from
happening in the future.

STRUCTURE
BETTER DAYS
Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Let’s Answer This!

TRUE OR FALSE
Directions: Write T if the statement is correct and F if it is wrong. Write your answer in your
paper.
1. Formality in academic writing requires precision to make a legitimate piece of writing.

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2. Writing is a form of communication that is shaped by the following factors: topic, role, and
audience.

3. The use of personal pronouns such as I, you, and we are acceptable in academic writing.

4. “How can these problems be solved?” is an example of a critical question.

5. Because is an example of transitional device that expresses cause and effect.

6. An abstract is a summary of a novel.

7. The conclusion is the section that summarizes the main points of the essay.

8. A summary is a condensed form of a text which is usually half of the original material.

9. To introduce a topic in an essay, the writer must be able to explain its details.
10. A research paper contains background of the study, body and recommendations.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
Directions: Complete the paragraph with the necessary words or sentences that best describe
what you have learned from the discussion. Write your paragraph in your paper. Follow the
format below.

I have learned that academic writing____________________________________

.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 2- Reading Texts Critically

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Competency
Uses knowledge of text structure to glean the information he/she needs .
CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-4

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Objectives:
a. Explain what critical reading is;
b. Annotate, outline, summarize, and question the writer’s claim in a text;
c. Define fallacy and identify the kinds of fallacy;
d. Evaluate whether an argument is sound/logical or not;
e. Analyze e text by applying the different ways in reading critically; and
f. Critique a text by pointing out the different logical fallacies

What you know

Ponder on this statement of Gary Goshgarian: “Critical reading is an active process
of discovery.”
 What does it mean to read critically?
 Why did Goshgarian say that critical reading is an active process of discovery?

Activity 1

You can map out your answers by writing words/phrases that you associate with
critical reading, active, and process of discovery. Write as many as you can.

CRITICAL READING

ACTIVE

Page 13 of 40
 PROCESS OF
DISCOVERY

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW IT

What is Critical Reading?
Imagine that you are a magazine and you see the following statements:

 Girls most likely do well in academics during high school years but boys get ahead of
them in college.
 Female teenagers are more concerned with their physical appearance that male
teenagers.
Do you believe and agree with the statements after reading them? Would you question
their veracity? How would you react after reading the statements?
If you question the validity of the statements by asking the person to give the basis
for his/her assertions, then you are one step closer to becoming a critical reader.

Critical reading is an active process of discovery because when you read critically, you are not
just receiving information but also making an interaction with the writer. The interaction
happens when you question the writer’s claims and assertions and when you comment on the
writer’s idea.

Reading Activity
1. Read the story, “Love Is a Fallacy”, and pay close attention to its development as well as

Page 14 of 40
 to the contradictions and ironic twist that you may find.

2. Apply the four ways of reading critically.

a. Annotate what you read- You can underline, circle, or highlight words,
phrases, or sentences that contain important details.
b. Outline the text- You need to identify the main points of the writer and list
them down so you can identify the ideas that the writer has raised to support
his/her stand.
Example:
If we outline the essay, “Why Do They Say That Our English Is Bad?” we can
come up with something like this:

Thesis statement: the concept of Standard English is problematic because there is

no clear definition of what standard is.

Point 1: the author gives a scenario in the Philippine classrooms in which English
teachers get frustrated because of students’ grammatical errors.

Point 2: the author mentioned that research studies are being conducted in order
to improve teaching English as a second language but failed to mention what
those specific studies are.

Point 3: the common errors that Filipino college students commit in their writings
are mentioned.

c. Summarize the text- Get the main points of the text you are reading and
write its gist in your own words.
d. Evaluate the text- You question the author’s purpose and intentions, as well
as his/ her assumptions in the claims.

3. Annotate as you read then write a summary after reading.

Max Shulman: Love is a Fallacy

Cool was I and logical. Keen, calculating, perspicacious, acute and astute—I was all of these.
My brain was as powerful as a dynamo, precise as a chemist’s scales, as penetrating as a
scalpel. And—think of it!I only eighteen. It is not often that one so young has such a giant
intellect. Take, for example, Petey Bellows, my roommate at the university. Same age, same
background, but dumb as an ox. A nice enough fellow, you understand, but nothing upstairs.
Emotional type. Unstable. Impressionable. Worst of all, a faddist. Fads, I submit, are the very
negation of reason. To be swept up in every new craze that comes along, to surrender
oneself to idiocy just because everybody else is doing it—this, to me, is the acme of
mindlessness. Not, however, to Petey.
One afternoon I found Petey lying on his bed with an expression of such distress on his face
that I immediately diagnosed appendicitis. “Don’t move,” I said, “Don’t take a laxative. I’ll
get a doctor.”
“Raccoon,” he mumbled thickly.
“Raccoon?” I said, pausing in my flight.

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“I want a raccoon coat,” he wailed.
I perceived that his trouble was not physical, but mental. “Why do you want a raccoon
coat?”
“I should have known it,” he cried, pounding his temples. “I should have known they’d come
back when the Charleston came back. Like a fool I spent all my money for textbooks, and
now I can’t get a raccoon coat.”
“Can you mean,” I said incredulously, “that people are actually wearing raccoon coats
again?”
“All the Big Men on Campus are wearing them. Where’ve you been?”
“In the library,” I said, naming a place not frequented by Big Men on Campus.
He leaped from the bed and paced the room. “I’ve got to have a raccoon coat,” he said
passionately. “I’ve got to!”
“Petey, why? Look at it rationally. Raccoon coats are unsanitary. They shed. They smell bad.
They weigh too much. They’re unsightly. They—”
“You don’t understand,” he interrupted impatiently. “It’s the thing to do. Don’t you want to
be in the swim?”
“No,” I said truthfully.
“Well, I do,” he declared. “I’d give anything for a raccoon coat. Anything!”
My brain, that precision instrument, slipped into high gear. “Anything?” I asked, looking at
him narrowly.
“Anything,” he affirmed in ringing tones.
I stroked my chin thoughtfully. It so happened that I knew where to get my hands on a
raccoon coat. My father had had one in his undergraduate days; it lay now in a trunk in the
attic back home. It also happened that Petey had something I wanted. He didn’t have it
exactly, but at least he had first rights on it. I refer to his girl, Polly Espy.
I had long coveted Polly Espy. Let me emphasize that my desire for this young woman was
not emotional in nature. She was, to be sure, a girl who excited the emotions, but I was not
one to let my heart rule my head. I wanted Polly for a shrewdly calculated, entirely cerebral
reason. I was a freshman in law school. In a few years I would be out in practice. I was well
aware of the importance of the right kind of wife in furthering a lawyer’s career. The
successful lawyers I had observed were, almost without exception, married to beautiful,
gracious, intelligent women. With one omission, Polly fitted these specifications perfectly.
Beautiful she was. She was not yet of pin-up proportions, but I felt that time would supply
the
lack. She already had the makings. Gracious she was. By gracious I mean full of graces. She
had an erectness of carriage, an ease of bearing, a poise that clearly indicated the best of
breeding. At table her manners were exquisite. I had seen her at the Kozy Kampus Korner
eating the specialty of the house—a sandwich that contained scraps of pot roast, gravy,
chopped nuts, and a dipper of sauerkraut— without even getting her fingers moist.
Intelligent she was not. In fact, she veered in the opposite direction. But I believed that
under my guidance she would smarten up. At any rate, it was worth a try. It is, after all,
easier to make a beautiful dumb girl smart than to make an ugly smart girl beautiful.
“Petey,” I said, “are you in love with Polly Espy?”
“I think she’s a keen kid,” he replied, “but I don’t know if you’d call it love. Why?”
“Do you,” I asked, “have any kind of formal arrangement with her? I mean are you going
steady or anything like that?”
“No. We see each other quite a bit, but we both have other dates. Why?”

Page 16 of 40
“Is there,” I asked, “any other man for whom she has a particular fondness?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
I nodded with satisfaction. “In other words, if you were out of the picture, the field would be
open. Is that right?”
“I guess so. What are you getting at?”
“Nothing , nothing,” I said innocently, and took my suitcase out the closet.
“Where are you going?” asked Petey.
“Home for weekend.” I threw a few things into the bag.
“Listen,” he said, clutching my arm eagerly, “while you’re home, you couldn’t get some
money from your old man, could you, and lend it to me so I can buy a raccoon coat?”
“I may do better than that,” I said with a mysterious wink and closed my bag and left.
“Look,” I said to Petey when I got back Monday morning. I threw open the suitcase and
revealed the huge, hairy, gamy object that my father had worn in his Stutz Bearcat in 1925.
“Holy Toledo!” said Petey reverently. He plunged his hands into the raccoon coat and then
his face. “Holy Toledo!” he repeated fifteen or twenty times.
“Would you like it?” I asked.
“Oh yes!” he cried, clutching the greasy pelt to him. Then a canny look came into his eyes.
“What do you want for it?”
“Your girl.” I said, mincing no words.
“Polly?” he said in a horrified whisper. “You want Polly?”
“That’s right.”
He flung the coat from him. “Never,” he said stoutly.
I shrugged. “Okay. If you don’t want to be in the swim, I guess it’s your business.”
I sat down in a chair and pretended to read a book, but out of the corner of my eye I kept
watching Petey. He was a torn man. First he looked at the coat with the expression of a waif
at a bakery window. Then he turned away and set his jaw resolutely. Then he looked back at
the coat, with even more longing in his face. Then he turned away, but with not so much
resolution this time. Back and forth his head swiveled, desire waxing, resolution waning.
Finally he didn’t turn away at all; he just stood and stared with mad lust at the coat.
“It isn’t as though I was in love with Polly,” he said thickly. “Or going steady or anything like
that.”
“That’s right,” I murmured.
“What’s Polly to me, or me to Polly?”
“Not a thing,” said I.
“It’s just been a casual kick—just a few laughs, that’s all.”
“Try on the coat,” said I.
He complied. The coat bunched high over his ears and dropped all the way down to his shoe
tops. He looked like a mound of dead raccoons. “Fits fine,” he said happily.
I rose from my chair. “Is it a deal?” I asked, extending my hand.
He swallowed. “It’s a deal,” he said and shook my hand.
I had my first date with Polly the following evening. This was in the nature of a survey; I
wanted to find out just how much work I had to do to get her mind up to the standard I
required. I took her first to dinner. “Gee, that was a delish dinner,” she said as we left the
restaurant. Then I took her to a movie. “Gee, that was a marvy movie,” she said as we left
the theatre. And then I took her home. “Gee, I had a sensaysh time,” she said as she bade
me good night. I went back to my room with a heavy heart. I had gravely underestimated
the size of my task. This girl’s lack of information was terrifying. Nor would it be enough

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merely to supply her with information. First she had to be taught to think. This loomed as a
project of no small dimensions, and at first I was tempted to give her back to Petey. But
then I got to thinking about her abundant physical charms and about the way she entered a
room and the way she handled a knife and fork, and I decided to make an effort. I went
about it, as in all things, systematically. I gave her a course in logic. It happened that I, as a
law student, was taking a course in logic myself, so I had all the facts at my fingertips.
“Poll’,” I said to her when I picked her up on our next date, “tonight we are going over to the
Knoll and talk.”
“Oo, terrif,” she replied. One thing I will say for this girl: you would go far to find another so
agreeable. We went to the Knoll, the campus trysting place, and we sat down under an old
oak, and she looked at me expectantly. “What are we going to talk about?” she asked.
“Logic.” She thought this over for a minute and decided she liked it. “Magnif,” she said.
“Logic,” I said, clearing my throat, “is the science of thinking. Before we can think correctly,
we must first learn to recognize the common fallacies of logic. These we will take up
tonight.”
“Wow-dow!” she cried, clapping her hands delightedly.
I winced, but went bravely on. “First let us examine the fallacy called Dicto Simpliciter.”
“By all means,” she urged, batting her lashes eagerly.
“Dicto Simpliciter means an argument based on an unqualified generalization. For example:
Exercise is good. Therefore everybody should exercise.”
“I agree,” said Polly earnestly. “I mean exercise is wonderful. I mean it builds the body and
everything.”
“Polly,” I said gently, “the argument is a fallacy. Exercise is good is an unqualified
generalization. For instance, if you have heart disease, exercise is bad, not good. Many
people are ordered by their doctors not to exercise. You must qualify the generalization.
You must say exercise is usually good, or exercise is good for most people. Otherwise you
have committed a Dicto Simpliciter. Do you see?”
“No,” she confessed. “But this is marvy. Do more! Do more!”
“It will be better if you stop tugging at my sleeve,” I told her, and when she desisted, I
continued. “Next we take up a fallacy called Hasty Generalization. Listen carefully: You can’t
speak French. Petey Bellows can’t speak French. I must therefore conclude that nobody at
the
University of Minnesota can speak French.”
“Really?” said Polly, amazed. “Nobody?”
I hid my exasperation. “Polly, it’s a fallacy. The generalization is reached too hastily. There
are too few instances to support such a conclusion.”
“Know any more fallacies?” she asked breathlessly. “This is more fun than dancing even.”
I fought off a wave of despair. I was getting nowhere with this girl, absolutely nowhere. Still,
I am nothing if not persistent. I continued. “Next comes Post Hoc. Listen to this: Let’s not
take Bill on our picnic. Every time we take him out with us, it rains.”
“I know somebody just like that,” she exclaimed. “A girl back home—Eula Becker, her name
is. It never fails. Every single time we take her on a picnic—”
“Polly,” I said sharply, “it’s a fallacy. Eula Becker doesn’t cause the rain. She has no
connection with the rain. You are guilty of Post Hoc if you blame Eula Becker.”
“I’ll never do it again,” she promised contritely. “Are you mad at me?”
I sighed. “No, Polly, I’m not mad.”
“Then tell me some more fallacies.”

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“All right. Let’s try Contradictory Premises.”
“Yes, let’s,” she chirped, blinking her eyes happily.
I frowned, but plunged ahead. “Here’s an example of Contradictory Premises: If God can do
anything, can He make a stone so heavy that He won’t be able to lift it?”
“Of course,” she replied promptly.
“But if He can do anything, He can lift the stone,” I pointed out.
“Yeah,” she said thoughtfully. “Well, then I guess He can’t make the stone.”
“But He can do anything,” I reminded her.
She scratched her pretty, empty head. “I’m all confused,” she admitted.
“Of course you are. Because when the premises of an argument contradict each other, there
can be no argument. If there is an irresistible force, there can be no immovable object. If
there is an immovable object, there can be no irresistible force. Get it?”
“Tell me more of this keen stuff,” she said eagerly.
I consulted my watch. “I think we’d better call it a night. I’ll take you home now, and you go
over all the things you’ve learned. We’ll have another session tomorrow night.”
I deposited her at the girls’ dormitory, where she assured me that she had had a perfectly
terrify evening, and I went glumly home to my room. Petey lay snoring in his bed, the
raccoon coat huddled like a great hairy beast at his feet. For a moment I considered waking
him and telling him that he could have his girl back. It seemed clear that my project was
doomed to failure.
The girl simply had a logic-proof head.
But then I reconsidered. I had wasted one evening; I might as well waste another. Who
knew?
Maybe somewhere in the extinct crater of her mind a few members still smoldered. Maybe
somehow I could fan them into flame. Admittedly it was not a prospect fraught with hope,
but I decided to give it one more try.
Seated under the oak the next evening I said, “Our first fallacy tonight is called Ad
Misericordiam.”
She quivered with delight.
“Listen closely,” I said. “A man applies for a job. When the boss asks him what his
qualifications are, he replies that he has a wife and six children at home, the wife is a
helpless
cripple, the children have nothing to eat, no clothes to wear, no shoes on their feet, there
are no beds in the house, no coal in the cellar, and winter is coming.”
A tear rolled down each of Polly’s pink cheeks. “Oh, this is awful, awful,” she sobbed.
“Yes, it’s awful,” I agreed, “but it’s no argument. The man never answered the boss’s
question about his qualifications. Instead he appealed to the boss’s sympathy. He
committed the fallacy of Ad Misericordiam. Do you understand?”
“Have you got a handkerchief?” she blubbered.
I handed her a handkerchief and tried to keep from screaming while she wiped her eyes.
“Next,” I said in a carefully controlled tone, “we will discuss False Analogy. Here is an
example: Students should be allowed to look at their textbooks during examinations. After
all, surgeons have X-rays to guide them during an operation, lawyers have briefs to guide
them during a trial, and carpenters have blueprints to guide them when they are building a
house. Why, then, shouldn’t students be allowed to look at their textbooks during an
examination?”
“There now,” she said enthusiastically, “is the most marvy idea I’ve heard in years.”

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“Polly,” I said testily, “the argument is all wrong. Doctors, lawyers, and carpenters aren’t
taking a test to see how much they have learned, but students are. The situations are
altogether different, and you can’t make an analogy between them.”
“I still think it’s a good idea,” said Polly.
“Nuts,” I muttered. Doggedly I pressed on. “Next we’ll try Hypothesis Contrary to Fact.”
“Sounds yummy,” was Polly’s reaction.
“Listen: If Madame Curie had not happened to leave a photographic plate in a drawer with a
chunk of pitchblende, the world today would not know about radium.”
“True, true,” said Polly, nodding her head “Did you see the movie? Oh, it just knocked me
date. Maybe somebody else would have discovered it. Maybe any number of things would
have happened. You can’t start with a hypothesis that is not true and then draw any
supportable conclusions from it.”
“They ought to put Walter Pidgeon in more pictures,” said Polly, “I hardly ever see him
anymore.”
One more chance, I decided. But just one more. There is a limit to what flesh and blood can
bear. “The next fallacy is called Poisoning the Well.”
“How cute!” she gurgled.
“Two men are having a debate. The first one gets up and says, ‘My opponent is a notorious
liar. You can’t believe a word that he is going to say.’ … Now, Polly, think. Think hard.
What’s wrong?”
I watched her closely as she knit her creamy brow in concentration. Suddenly a glimmer of
intelligence—the first I had seen—came into her eyes. “It’s not fair,” she said with
indignation. “It’s not a bit fair. What chance has the second man got if the first man calls
him a liar before he even begins talking?”
“Right!” I cried exultantly. “One hundred per cent right. It’s not fair. The first man has
poisoned the well before anybody could drink from it. He has hamstrung his opponent
before he could even start … Polly, I’m proud of you.”
“Pshaws,” she murmured, blushing with pleasure.
“You see, my dear, these things aren’t so hard. All you have to do is concentrate. Think—
examine—evaluate. Come now, let’s review everything we have learned.”
“Fire away,” she said with an airy wave of her hand.
Heartened by the knowledge that Polly was not altogether a cretin, I began a long, patient
review of all I had told her. Over and over and over again I cited instances, pointed out
flaws, kept hammering away without letup. It was like digging a tunnel. At first, everything
was work, sweat, and darkness. I had no idea when I would reach the light, or even if I
would. But
I persisted. I pounded and clawed and scraped, and finally I was rewarded. I saw a chink of
light. And then the chink got bigger and the sun came pouring in and all was bright.
Five grueling nights with this took, but it was worth it. I had made a logician out of Polly; I
had taught her to think. My job was done. She was worthy of me, at last. She was a fit wife
for me, a proper hostess for my many mansions, a suitable mother for my well-heeled
children.
It must not be thought that I was without love for this girl. Quite the contrary. Just as
Pygmalion loved the perfect woman he had fashioned, so I loved mine. I decided to acquaint
her with my feelings at our very next meeting. The time had come to change our
relationship from academic to romantic.
“Polly,” I said when next we sat beneath our oak, “tonight we will not discuss fallacies.”

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“Aw, gee,” she said, disappointed.
“My dear,” I said, favoring her with a smile, “we have now spent five evenings together. We
have gotten along splendidly. It is clear that we are well matched.”
“Hasty Generalization,” said Polly brightly.
“I beg your pardon,” said I.
“Hasty Generalization,” she repeated. “How can you say that we are well matched on the
basis of only five dates?”
I chuckled with amusement. The dear child had learned her lessons well. “My dear,” I said,
patting her hand in a tolerant manner, “five dates is plenty. After all, you don’t have to eat a
whole cake to know that it’s good.”
“False Analogy,” said Polly promptly. “I’m not a cake. I’m a girl.”
I chuckled with somewhat less amusement. The dear child had learned her lessons perhaps
too well. I decided to change tactics. Obviously the best approach was a simple, strong,
direct declaration of love. I paused for a moment while my massive brain chose the proper
word.
Then I began:
“Polly, I love you. You are the whole world to me, the moon and the stars and the
constellations of outer space. Please, my darling, say that you will go steady with me, for if
you will not, life will be meaningless. I will languish. I will refuse my meals. I will wander the
face of the earth, a shambling, hollow-eyed hulk.”
There, I thought, folding my arms that ought to do it.
“Ad Misericordiam,” said Polly.
I ground my teeth. I was not Pygmalion; I was Frankenstein, and my monster had me by the
throat. Frantically I fought back the tide of panic surging through me; at all costs I had to
keep cool.
“Well, Polly,” I said, forcing a smile, “you certainly have learned your fallacies.”
“You’re darn right,” she said with a vigorous nod.
“And who taught them to you, Polly?”
“You did.”
“That’s right. So you do owe me something, don’t you, my dear? If I hadn’t come along you
never would have learned about fallacies.”
“Hypothesis Contrary to Fact,” she said instantly.
I dashed perspiration from my brow. “Polly,” I croaked, “you mustn’t take all these things so
literally. I mean this is just classroom stuff. You know that the things you learn in school
don’t have anything to do with life.”
“Dicto Simpliciter,” she said, wagging her finger at me playfully.
That did it. I leaped to my feet, bellowing like a bull. “Will you or will you not go steady with
me?”
“I will not,” she replied.
“Why not?” I demanded.
“Because this afternoon I promised Petey Bellows that I would go steady with him.”
I reeled back, overcome with the infamy of it. After he promised, after he made a deal, after
he shook my hand! “The rat!” I shrieked, kicking up great chunks of turf. “You can’t go with
him, Polly. He’s a liar. He’s a cheat. He’s a rat.”
“Poisoning the Well,” said Polly, “and stop shouting. I think shouting must be a fallacy too.”
With an immense effort of will, I modulated my voice. “All right,” I said. “You’re a logician.
Let’s look at this thing logically. How could you choose Petey Bellows over me? Look at

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Me—a brilliant student, a tremendous intellectual, a man with an assured future. Look at
Petey—a knot head, a jitterbug, a guy who’ll never know where his next meal is coming
from.
Can you give me one logical reason why you should go steady with Petey Bellows?”
“I certainly can,” declared Polly. “He’s got a raccoon coat.”

SUMMARIZE THE TEXT (LOVE IS A FALLACY) Write your answer in a one whole sheet of
paper.

HOW CAN YOU EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE?

Knowing the different flaws in logic and being able to apply them in evaluating texts, in a way,
give you power to evaluate the things that you hear or read and not make unqualified
statements as well

Activity 3
Before going to the next lesson, take this quiz to gauge how much you have learned.
Directions: Answer each of the following in one paragraph. Each paragraph is worth ten
points. WRITE IN YOUR PAPER
1. What does it mean and take to be a critical reader?

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 2. Why is critical reading considered an active process of discovery?
3. Why is critical reading important? In what way is critical reading
related to critical writing?
4. What are the different ways to become a critical reader? Do you agree with them?
Why or why not?
5. What is a logical fallacy?
6. Give at least five logical fallacies and give an example for each.

Lesson 3- Writing Academic Texts

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Competency:
Uses various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts.
CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-la-c-4
Objectives:
a. Illustrate that writing is a process and that re-writing is part of that process
b. Distinguish between paraphrasing and summarizing and use them appropriately in
the paper;
c. Write an academic paper following the writing process.

Activity 1

The Pre-Writing Process

Prewriting is the process of planning and outlining information so that you can write
effectively regarding your topic. This worksheet includes prewriting strategies such as
clustering/mind mapping, brainstorming, freewriting, and questioning.
Select the prewriting strategy of your choice and complete only that section of the
worksheet. Once you complete the section, based on the strategy you selected, submit your
worksheet.
Prewriting Strategies:
Clustering/Mind Map
Instructions: Select one of the prompts below. Use the clustering strategy to get started.
Remember, clustering is often referred to as mind mapping. This process allows you to
explore how ideas fit together. Write the topic in the center circle and finish completing the
outer circles with ideas that relate to the subject.
Prompt 1: What type or types of technology would you like to see in the college classroom?
How would you like to see this technology used?

Page 23 of 40
Prompt 2: If you could create a mobile application for an iPhone or iPad, what would it be?

Prompt 3: What is your favorite technological device? (Example: computer, phone, iPod
etc.)

Mind Map

Brainstorm
Instructions: Use the prompt below to begin brainstorming. Remember, begin with a topic
and write down as many ideas as possible. Write in a one whole sheet of paper.
Prompt 1: What type or types of technology would you like to see in the college classroom?
How would you like to see this technology used?
Prompt 2: If you could create a mobile application for an iPhone or iPad, what would it be?
Prompt 3: What is your favorite technological device? (Example: computer, phone, iPod
etc.)
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Free writing
Instructions: Use the prompt below and write down whatever comes to your mind. In
freewriting you do not need to worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation. The purpose
is to write out as many ideas as you can about the topic. Set a time limit, five or ten minutes,
and free write your thoughts and ideas.
Prompt 1: What type or types of technology would you like to see in the college classroom?
How would you like to see this technology used?
Prompt 2: If you could create a mobile application for an iPhone or iPad, what would it be?
Prompt 3: What is your favorite technological device? (Example: computer, phone, iPod
etc.)

Page 24 of 40
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Questioning
Instructions: Use the questioning prewriting strategy by answering the questions below
about the following prompt. Follow the format below.
Prompt 1: What type or types of technology would you like to see in the college classroom?
How would you like to see this technology used?
Prompt 2: If you could create a mobile application for an iPhone or iPad, what would it be?
Prompt 3: What is your favorite technological device? (Example: computer, phone, iPod
etc.)

Who?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
How?

Activity 2

PARAPHRASING AND SUMARIZING

What is Paraphrasing?
 Paraphrasing is restating text giving the meaning in another form.
What are the steps to paraphrase?
1. Repeatedly read the passage to be paraphrased until you have completely
understood what it says.
2. Do not look at the passage while you are writing your paraphrase.
What is summary?

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  A summary is a shortened passage, which retains the essential information of the
original. It is a fairly brief restatement—in your own words- of the contents of a
passage.

Note: you simply report back what the writer has said, without making value
judgments.
To plagiarize (verb):

▶ to use the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own words or ideas

▶ to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: use (another's
production) without crediting the source

▶ to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an
existing source

HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

SUMMARIZE

▶ You must reference the original source

▶ Your summary should be shorter than the text you are summarizing

▶ You must use your own words, usually with a very limited use of quotations

PARAPHRASING

▶ You must reference the original source

▶ The text you produce may be shorter or longer than the original text

▶ You must use your own words

QOUTE

▶ You must reference the original source

▶ The text produced is the exact length of the original text quoted (unless ellipses are used)
▶ You must use the original author’s exact words and you must put quotation marks around
them
▶ You must include the page number of the source from which you borrowed the author’s
original language
▶ You can introduce quotes with phrases like According to Bob Jones, “xxx” or Bob Jones
stated, “xxx”

Exercise 1
Directions: Read this paragraph by Miller (2014) and decide which of these paraphrases of smaller
sections are acceptable

Original paragraph

Many researchers have proved that chocolate improves language learning because it contains sugar
and stimulates serotonin levels in the brain, making learners happier. Leche and Melk (2001), for
example, assessed 300 students and established that those learning a language often needed to

Page 26 of 40
increase their sugar levels. The majority of students in their study (80%) indicated that chocolate was
their main source of sugar when they were studying. They benefitted more from dark chocolate than
from milk chocolate, and each student required on average 50g of chocolate per thirty minutes of
study time. A later study (Leite, 2008) involved 500 university students of Japanese, each of whom
was given 100g of milk chocolate every fifteen minutes for three hours. This study was unsuccessful,
however, as although these students derived much pleasure from the study few of them actually
proceeded to submit their essays, as they were too full of chocolate to complete their assignments.
A more recent study of English language students (Amargo, 2013), financed by a chocolate maker,
found varying results. Those students who had eaten 100g of dark chocolate daily during the week
long study responded to the questionnaire at the end of the study period, but those who had eaten
1kg of white chocolate daily failed to respond, and it was assumed that they were feeling too sick to
continue the research. Since dark chocolate is linked to increased serotonin levels those students
who ate dark chocolate in the study may have become happier and more motivated. From all these
studies it can therefore be assumed that moderate amounts of dark chocolate may be beneficial to
study, but that larger amounts of chocolate, particularly milk or white chocolate, may be harmful to
general health.

Write the correct answer your paper:

Paraphrase 1
Many researchers have proved that chocolate is good for language learning because it
boosts serotonin levels in the brain and makes learners more cheerful. Leche and Melk
(2001), for instance, researched 300 students and found that those learning a language
often needed more sugar.
a. Yes
b. No
Paraphrase 2
Five hundred students learning Japanese at university ate 100g of milk chocolate four times an
hour for three hours.
a. Yes
b. No

Paraphrase 3

The above research indicates that too much white or milk chocolate may be unhealthy, but
that small quantities of dark chocolate may lead to more productive work.

a. Yes
b. No

Exercise 2
Directions: Paraphrase the following sentences. Write your answer in your paper.
1. The student requested that the professor excuses her absence, but the professor
refused.
2. There will be a music concert next to Vienna coffee shop. Would you like to go?

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 3. International Center is hosting English Conversation classes. They help non-native
speakers of English practice their English speaking skills.
4. The office of International Students and Scholars at Purdue University is located in
Schleman Hall.
5. The car that was pulled over by the police officer yesterday just had an accident. That
driver is not careful.
Exercise 3
Directions: Write a summary of the text in English, including the most important points,
using your own words whenever possible (maximum 50 words,).

As today's bride and groom celebrate their wedding, they have every excuse for being
nervous. They exchange promises of lifelong fidelity and mutual support. However, all
around them, they can see that many people do not and cannot keep these promises. Their
own marriage has a one in three chance of divorce, if present tendencies continue.

Traditional marriage is facing a crisis, at least in Britain. Not only are there more and more
divorces, but the number of marriages is falling. Living together is more popular than before.
The family is now no longer one man, one woman and their children. Instead, there are
more and more families which include parents, half sisters and brothers, or even only one
parent on her / his own.

Although Britain is still conservative in its attitudes to marriage compared with other
countries such as the USA, Sweden and Denmark, the future will probably see many more
people living together before marriage - and more divorce. Interestingly, it is women rather
than men who apply for divorce. Seven out of ten divorces are given to the wife. Also, one of
the main reasons for divorce, chosen by ten times more women than men, is unreasonable
or cruel behavior. Perhaps this means that women will tolerate less than they used to.

Activity 3

The Writing Process

Certainly, you are now ready to write. You have learned how to gather and cite sources to
avoid plagiarism. You have also learned to paraphrase and quote directly from an original text. With
that, you can start working on the next step in the process, which is the writing of an essay.

The ability to express yourself clearly and accurately is important in academic writing. Here you will
find information to help you improve your academic writing and grammar.

Academic writing is:

Clear and concise - only includes what is relevant and necessary in as few words as possible

Academic writing does not:

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 Use first person (e.g. "I", "we", "me", "us", "my", etc.)

Use contractions (e.g. isn't, doesn't, it'll, can't)

Use slang (e.g. stuff)

Use qualifiers ("really", "very", "surely", "often", "basically", "hopefully", etc.)

It is vital that all essays, whether for an assignment of in an exam, are structured clearly
and logically for the reader.
All essays should include:

Photo credit:

https://www.adelaide.edu.au/english-for-uni/essay-writing/essays-in-different-academic-cultures

Page 29 of 40
 Exercise 1: INTRODUCTION
Directions:  Change the following sentences into the correct order. Write in a
one whole sheet of paper

a. Another method takes a cognitive linguistics approach, in which prepositions

are studied in relation to spatial relationships. 
b.  Such language differences make teaching of this area very difficult. 
c.  Using prepositions correctly in English is very difficult if English is not a
person's first language. 
d.  Prepositions are small connecting words that do not necessarily exist in other
languages, or may not have exactly the same meanings. 
e.  One popular teaching method relies on students learning combinations of
nouns and prepositions. 
f.  The essay which follows gives a brief history of prepositional theory and
compares the traditional and cognitive linguistics approaches, arguing that a
cognitive linguistics approach helps students to understand the concepts
underlying prepositions and so is more effective in helping students to use
prepositions correctly. 

Exercise 2: Conclusion

a. By studying spatial relationships in the cognitive linguistic approach, students

appear to remember prepositions more accurately than they do using the
traditional memorisation method. 
b. This essay has argued that a cognitive linguistics perspective is more
effective than simple memorisation in helping students to remember noun and
preposition combinations. 
c. Spatial relationships, however, may differ from one language to another, and
so this method is not completely effective. 
d. Nevertheless, the cognitive linguistic approach appears to be useful for many
students and it is recommended that researchers study this approach further
to see whether it is applicable for students with different language
backgrounds and at different levels of language study. 

Exercise 3
PLAGIARISM

Are the situations below acceptable?

Write the letter of the correct answer in your paper

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1. You quote from a source without using quote marks, but you give a reference.
a. yes
b. no
2. You agree with a source, so that makes it your own idea and you don't need to give a reference.
a. yes
b. no
3. You have an idea which happens to be the same as an idea in a book, but you haven't read the
book.
c. yes
d. no
4. You read about an idea, but can't remember where you read it so you don't give a reference.
a. yes
b. no
5. You work with friends in a laboratory session and share the material to make your own notes.
a. yes
b. no
6. Your friend is sick and you let them copy your assignment.
a. yes
b. no
7. Your friend cannot find any references, so you help them to use the library website.
a. yes
b. no
8. You work with two people in a practical session and all hand up the same report under individual
names.
a. yes
b. no
9. You paraphrase a sentence by changing some words and include a reference. e.g. 'The Aztecs
introduced cocoa to the Spaniards, who took it back to Europe in the 16th century' (Kraft Foods
Australia Pty Ltd, 2011, n.p.) → The Aztecs showed cocoa to the Spanish, who introduced it to
Europe in the 16th century (Kraft Foods Australia Pty Ltd, 2011). (NB The abbreviation n.p. means 'no
page'. This quotation was from a website, so there were no page numbers. You do not need to
include page numbers for paraphrases in APA referencing style, so the paraphrased version does not
say n.p.
a. yes
b. no
10. You refer to someone's ideas throughout a paragraph and give a reference to the source at the
end of the paragraph and in the reference list.
a. yes
b. no

LESSON 4- THESIS STATEMENT OF AN ACADEMIC TEXT

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Competency:
States thesis statement of an academic text. CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-la-c-6

Page 31 of 40
Objectives:
a. define thesis statement;
b. identify the various techniques in locating thesis statement; and,
c. formulate thesis statement of the texts.

 Thesis Statements

The most important building block of the argumentative academic paper is the thesis
statement, or the “main idea.” This statement is usually placed toward the end of your
introduction paragraph and tells your reader the focus of your paper.

How to Write a Thesis Statement?

 Complex and compound sentence that gives meaning of complete research

 Mostly based on one or two sentences
 Explicitly outlining the purpose of the paper Thesis Statement

Know the Purpose

• Point in the direction of the expansion or progress of argument

• Develop interest of the reader/audience in the argument and make them except it
• It provides structure for your paper

Where to Put it?

• It mostly comes at the end of the introductory paragraph

• Simply make a proper heading for creating a distinctive view
• Avoid writing it without supporting lines or introduction

Important Elements of to be included

• Revolve around a chosen arguable point

• Assert the arguing point by all means
• Determine what ever is required by the topic but not usually said

What should it determine?

• Control the entire argument

• Determine what remains behind the pictures
• Support the thesis by all means
• Help in scrutinize the research by simply determining unnecessary elements of the
research

Other Attributes to be included?

• Take side of the topic instead of simply proclaiming the topic

• Make the supporting points sufficient and necessary instead of making them arbitrary
• Discuss and focus on a single topic or argument

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Examples of thesis statements:

Here is an exercise to help create a thesis statement in 3 simple steps:

Step #1 – Think of a broad subject and then narrow that subject into a more
specific topic. Example –  I want to write about the subject of what skills a college
student learns in college, and I want to focus on the skill of writi ng (topic).

Step #2 – Once the topic has been established, create a specific questi on that
relates to the topic: Why is it important that college students learn how to write
well?

Step #3 – Now, create an answer to the questi on above:  Because writi ng is a skill
that is required in most classes, college students need to learn how to write well in
order to succeed academically. This answer becomes a potenti al working thesis
statement for an essay. 
This exercise can be used to help create a thesis statement for any type of essay
with any topic. 

Example #1: 

"In order to succeed in the classroom, college students need to uti lize the
resources available to them throughout their academic careers." Noti ce how this
thesis statement includes a specifi c audience (college students), a specifi c
purpose (success in the classroom) and the specifi c way this can be accomplished
(uti lizing available resources).

Example #2: 

"The United States government needs to implement a nati onalized healthcare

system to lower the cost of healthcare and improve the overall health of all
citi zens." Notice how, much like the above example, this thesis statement also has
a specifi c purpose (lowering the cost of healthcare and improving health) and a
specific way to do so (implementing nati onal healthcare). What this thesis does
not address, because of the nature of the essay and topic, is a specifi c audience. A
thesis statement for an argument essay does not always address a specific
audience since it is written to broader audience with the attempt to persuade
others to a specifi c viewpoint.

Just as the contents of the essay may change during the writi ng process, so, too,
may the thesis statement. It is important to create a thesis statement before
writi ng the paper, but this type of thesis is generally referred to as a working
thesis and may change along with the contents of the essay. It is important that a
writer uses the thesis to direct the creati on of the essay, but it is also important
that the writer is open to changing the thesis as necessary.  

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 A reader should be able to easily identi fy the thesis in any
LESSON 5- OUTLINING
essay. If someone reads your essay and cannot identify
where the thesis statement is located, take this as a sign that
the thesis is not clear and/or is not as specifi c or strong as it
can be. Make sure that the thesis stands out and can be easily interpreted.

LET’S ANSWER THIS!

Directions: Read the following statements very carefully. Select only one more effective
thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay. Keep in mind that an effective
thesis statement should be sharply focused and specific, not just a general statement of
fact. Write your answer in your paper.

1. A. The iPad has revolutionized the mobile-computing landscape and created a

huge profit stream for Apple.
B. The iPad, with its relatively large high-definition screen, has helped to
revitalize the comic book industry.

2. A. There is no question that cell phones have changed our lives in a very big
way.
B. While cell phones provide freedom and mobility, they can also become a
leash, compelling users to answer them anywhere and at any time.

3. A. Finding a job is never easy, but it can be especially hard when the economy is
still feeling the effects of a recession and employers are reluctant to hire new
workers.
B. College students looking for part-time work should begin their search by taking
advantage of job-finding resources on campus.

4. A. For the past three decades, coconut oil has been unjustly criticized as an
artery-clogging saturated fat.
B. Cooking oil is plant, animal, or synthetic fat that is used in frying, baking, and
other types of cooking.

5. A. Like other addictive behaviors, Internet addiction may have serious negative
consequences, including academic failure, job loss, and a breakdown in personal
relationships.
B. Drug and alcohol addiction is a major problem in the world today, and many
people suffer from it.

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Competency: Outlines Reading Texts in Various Disciplines. CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-la-c-8

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Objectives:
a. define outlining;
b. identify the various techniques in outlining; and
c. make an outline of the various academic texts.

WHAT IS IT

What is an outline?
An outline is a plan for your writing. It will include the main ideas and show how they are
organized and the overall structure. It is often used for essays, in which case it will include
elements of the introduction such as the thesis statement, an overview of each paragraph
including the topic sentences and supporting ideas, and elements of the conclusion, for
instance the summary. It can also be used for other types of writing such as reports.
What does an outline look like?
An outline can take many forms. The simplest form, recommended for exam essay writing
when time is limited, comprises simply adding numbers and/or letters to ideas generated
during brainstorming so that you can put them in a logical order before writing. Most outlines,
however, are written out in a linear way, using a format similar to linear notes for reading or
listening.
The following is an example outline for the section Why outline? above.
The most common type of outline is an alphanumeric outline, or an outline that uses letters and
numbers in the following order:
I.     Roman Numerals
A.    I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, etc.
B.    Represent main ideas to be covered in the paper in the order they will be presented
II.    Uppercase Letters
A.   A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, etc.
B.    Represent subtopics within each main idea
III.      Arabic Numbers
    A.    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.
   B.    Represent details or subdivisions within subtopics
IV.    Lowercase Letters
   A.    a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, l, m, etc.
   B.    Represent details within subdivisions

Outline with main ideas, subtopics, subdivisions and details:

Thesis: Drugs should be legalized.
 
I. Legalization of drugs would reduce crime rates

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 A. Prohibition  
1. Before Prohibition, crime rate related to alcohol were low-to-medium  
2. During Prohibition, crime rates related to alcohol were high
a. Arrests for drunkenness and disorderly conduct increase 41%  
b. Federal prison population increased 366%  
3. After Prohibition, crime rates related to alcohol were very low 
B. Amsterdam/Netherlands 
1. Before Amsterdam had legalized marijuana, drug-related crime rates were high
2. After Amsterdam had legalized marijuana, drug-related crime rates dropped
II. Legalization of drugs would benefit the economy
A. Taxes
1. Local taxes 
2. State taxes 
3. Federal taxes
B. Business Owners
1. Drug production  
2. Drug quality testing  
3. Drug sales
III. Legalization of drugs would benefit public health
A. Quality of drugs would increase
1. Fake/dangerous drugs eliminated
2. Fake/placebo drugs eliminated
3. Amount of active ingredient standardized and stabilized
B. Drug users with addiction issues would get more help
1. Hospitals
2. Clinics
3. Public health clinics
C. Your people would be less likely to start drugs

Full-sentence outline:

 Each roman numeral (I, II, III, IV…) indicates the start of a new paragraph. So I. is the first
sentence of the introduction, II. is the first sentence of the first paragraph of the body, III. is
the first sentence of the second paragraph of the body, and so on.

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   Each capital letter (A, B, C, D…) indicates a main point within the structure of the paragraph.
So in our introduction, A. is the attention getter, B. is another attention getter, C. describes a
point that makes the topic personal, and D. is the thesis statement.
 Each Arabic numeral (1, 2, 3, 4…) indicates a sentence or piece of supporting evidence for
each main point. So in the first body paragraph (II.), point A. is a general statement that
needs some additional support, so 1. provides a supporting statement of fact and the
citation of where that information came from. 2. provides another sentence with supporting
evidence, as does 3.

Example of a full-sentence outline:

Warming Our World and Chilling Our Future
Thesis Statement: Today I want to share what I have learned about global warming and its causes.
I. Global warming is alive and well and thriving in Antarctica.
      A. In winter 1995, an iceberg the size of Rhode Island broke off.
      B. In October 1998, an iceberg the size of Delaware broke off.
      C. All of us have a lot at stake.
            1. Now, I am what you call a “country mouse.”
            2. I love the outdoors.
            3. You can be a “city mouse,” and like clean air, good water, and not having to worry about
sun.
      D. Today I want to share what I have learned about global warming and its causes.
II. Global warming is a gradual warming of the Earth from human activities (citation).
      A. It is characterized by a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
            1. Each year five tons of CO2 are pumped into the atmosphere (citation).
            2. The carbon dioxide traps heat.
            3. 1998 set temperature records (citation).
      B. Carbon pollutants also eat a hole in the ozone layer (citation).
            1. In 1998 this hole set a size record.
            2. This allows more ultraviolet radiation to reach Earth.
      C. If this problem is not corrected; we may see disastrous results (citation).
            1. There could be dramatic climate changes.
                  a. There could be drought in the middle of continent
   b. There could be many severe storms.
                  c. There could be rising sea levels that would destroy coastal areas.
            2. There could be serious health problems.
                  a. There could be an increase in skin cancer.
                  b. There could be an increase in cataracts.

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                  c. There could be damaged immune systems.
      D. Now that you understand what global warming is and why it is important, let’s examine its
major causes.
III. The loss of woodlands adds to global warming (citation).
            …..
IV. Industrial emissions accelerate global warming (citation).
            …..
V. Personal energy consumption magnifies global warming (citation).
            …..
VI. In conclusion, if you want to know why we have global warming, listen for the falling trees, watch
the industrial smokestacks darkening the sky, and smell the exhaust fumes we are pumping into the
air.
        A. Gore told a story on how global warming can sneak up on us.
        B. Addressing the National Academy of Sciences, the vice president said, “If dropped into a pot
of boiling water….”
        C. The more we know about global warming, the more likely we are to jump and the less likely
we are to be cooked.

DIRECTIONS: Read each paragraph. Then fill in the blanks in the outlines that follow.

1. 1 What makes an effective leader? 2 To be sure, no one characteristic or trait defines an

effective leader. 3 It is true, however, that effective leaders get the most out of employees
or group members by holding them to very high standards or expectations. 4 Setting high
standards increases productivity because people tend to live up to the expectations set for
them by superiors. 5 This is an example of the Pygmalion effect, which works in a subtle,
often unconscious way. 6 When a managerial leader believes that a group member will
succeed, the manager communicates this belief without realizing that he or she is doing so.
7 Conversely, when a leader expects a group member to fail, that person will not usually
disappoint the manager. 8 The manager’s expectation of success or failure becomes a self
fulfilling prophecy. 9 Thus it pays for a manager to expect the best from employees.

Main Idea: Effective leaders encourage a high level of performance by expecting the best
from their employees.

Support: 1. People are likely to live up to a manager's or superior's expectations.

2. Called the “Pygmalion effect” i.e. expect the best and you'll get it.

3. ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

--leader who expects the best gets high achievement

--leader who doesn't expect much gets low achievement

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 -- _______________________________________________

--pays for leaders to expect the best

2. 1 Despite its rapid spread, Islam is not a religion for those who are casual about
regulations. 2 On the contrary, adhering to the rules of Islam takes effort and
discipline. 3 One must rise before dawn to observe the first of five prayers required
daily, none of which can take place without first cleansing oneself according to an
established ritual or ceremony. 4 Sleep, work, and recreational activities take second
place to prayer. 5 Fasting for the month of Ramadan,† undertaking the pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once in a lifetime, paying tax for relief of the Muslim poor, and
accepting Islam’s creed require a serious and an energetic commitment. 6 On the
whole, the vast majority of Muslims worldwide do observe those tenets.* (Adapted
from Jan Goodwin, Price of Honor, Plume Books, 2002 p. 29.)

Main Idea: Practitioners of Islam need to be willing to make a lot of effort to follow the rules of
their faith.

Support: 1. Get up before dawn, perform ritualized cleansing and say the first of five daily
prayers.

2. ______________________________________________________________

3. Fasting for the month of Ramadan.

4. Accepting Islamic beliefs.

†Ramadan: Muslim holy month, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
* tenets: rules, principles, or beliefs held to be true by a person or an organization.

--Most of those who call themselves Muslim observe Islam's rules.

3. 1 Those cuddly stuffed animals called teddy bears seem to have been around
forever. 2 But actually the first teddy bears came into being when President
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt showed himself too much of a sportsman to shoot a
staked bear cub. 3 In 1902, Roosevelt visited Mississippi to settle a border dispute. 4
In Roosevelt’s honor, his hosts organized a hunting expedition. 5 To make sure that
the president would bag a trophy, they staked a bear cub to the ground so that
Roosevelt’s shot couldn’t miss. 6 To his credit, Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear.
7 When the incident was publicized, largely through political cartoons, a Russian
candy store owner named Morris Michtom made a toy bear out of soft, fuzzy cloth
and placed it in his shop window with a sign reading “Teddy’s Bear.” 8 The bear was
a hit with passersby, and teddy-bear mania spread rapidly throughout the country. 9
Soon, Teddy's bear was the country's most popular toy, the teddy bear.

Main Idea: ___________________________________________________________________

Support: 1. In 1902, Roosevelt went to Mississippi and was the guest of honor at a hunting
expedition.

2. ___________________________________________________________________

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 3. After story got publicity via political cartoons, candy store owner created Teddy's
bear.

4. The bear was a hit and everyone wanted one.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

I have learned the following important points in this lesson:

1. Outlining is a tool we use in the writing process to help organize our ideas, and
visualize our paper's potential structure.
2. I can be an effective reader of any academic texts if I correctly follow the techniques in
outlining.
3. Outlining can be written in different styles.
4. I can effectively write an essay if I can successfully assign the main ideas, supporting
details, and minor points in my outline.
.

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