A.Y.

2022-2023 | 2ND TERM

SCRWRIT: READING AND WRITING
COURSE MATERIAL

LESSON 1:
Text as Connected Discourse

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, YOU are expected to:
1. describe a written text as connected discourse;
2. determine the purposes and factors that influence discourse; and
3. distinguish the different types of discourse and its application in real life scenarios.

DISCUSSION

I. Definition and Purposes of a Discourse

A discourse is a formal and often lengthy discussion of a topic, where concepts and insights are
arranged in an organized and logical manner. Also, it refers to the way how language is used to convey
meanings or to propel action or provoke a specific response. It is often associated with speech, but it may
also be written. It usually serves as a writer’s or a scholar’s analysis of a concept or theory proposed by
another writer.

Purposes of a Discourse
1. To inform – A discourse that aims to inform provides a descriptive and comprehensive
discussion on the topic. It points out what one should know about a topic or subject.
2. To persuade – A discourse that aims to persuade tries to convince the readers that the
proposed claim or solution is better than any other proposal.
3. To entertain – A discourse that aims to amuse provides a source of entertainment for
its readers.

Factors that Influence Discourse

Analyzing a discourse is usually contextual. The reader tries to consider several factors that
may have influenced the writer to make certain claims. Those factors explain the author’s biases,
philosophy, and educational and professional backgrounds, among others. Below are three of
those factors.
1. Culture – The beliefs, customs, attitudes, language, and other things that define culture
may influence the author’s perspective on several issues. Knowing about the culture
the author belongs to, the reader may understand his or her biases.
2. Social environment – The author’s physical surroundings and social relationships, as
well as the culture of the time may have influenced his or her writing. For instance,
during the early decades of the 20th century, most writers produced works that were
classified as “modern” because of its distinct feature: stream of consciousness.
3. Experiences – Personal accounts or first-hand experience of events, though
subjective, establish credibility and reliability of information presented in any discourse.

II. Types of Discourse

1. Argumentation – In this type of discourse, the writer aims to persuade the audience or readers.
He or she presents valid claims or counterclaims, each supported by evidence, to prove a point.
In proving claims, the writer presents studies, experts’ opinions, and statistical data, among
others. Moreover, an argumentative discourse should appeal to logic or reason instead of
emotion.
 Example: A recent study confirmed that playing video games may cause children to become
violent. However, this is only true for some children. Dr. Charlotte Cooper and Dr. Markey Vitasa
of ABC University explained that children who manifest a combination of three personality
traits―high neuroticism, disagreeableness, and low levels of conscientiousness―are more
likely to be aggressive toward others after playing video games.

Explanation: In order to convince the readers, the author of the passage mentioned a study to
support his or her claim about video games. The author did not simply state that video games
may cause children to become violent; he or she proved it by citing two experts.

2. Description – This type of discourse is based on the main impression of the author about the
topic or subject. His or her impression is influenced by prior knowledge, culture, environment,
and experiences, among others. As the writer describes his or her observations, it triggers
sensory images among readers.

Example: When I first saw my childhood friend Margarette, she was about my younger sister
Viv’s height. Her hair was curly and dark, and her skin was pale. But what really struck me when
I first saw her was her big round blue eyes.

Explanation: Through the author’s description, the reader can infer what the person Margarette
looks like.

3. Exposition – This aims to inform, clarify, and explain a phenomenon. It defines what
something is and provides an in-depth discussion about topics that are usually less explored.
Moreover, it gives reader instructions on how something is done.

Example: How to set up an email account 1. Choose the web host. 2. Look for the sign up
button. Click it. 3. Provide the required information. 4. Think of a unique username and a
password. (Tip: For the password, type in uppercase or add characters.) 5. Start using the
newly setup email account.

Explanation: The passage gives instructions on how to set up an email account. Some
examples of an exposition may be found in some magazine articles or editorials, which usually
include life hacks.

4. Narration – This type of discourse is like storytelling. It recalls events chronologically. It is told
in the first, second, or third person point of view. Moreover, its structure may be linear or
nonlinear. A linear structure follows a typical format: beginning, middle, end; while a nonlinear
structure may start from the end or in the middle.

Example: I remember the time when I learned how to swim. I was only eight years old and
afraid to bathe in a pool. I envied the kids who played with inflatable balls and animals.
Whenever my family would visit the clubhouse, I would sit beside the pool and never really jump
in to join them. A summer camp opened in our neighborhood, and my mom thought of enrolling
my brother and me in a swimming class. Two days before the class started, my mom gave me a
pep talk; that made me realize that I did not want to miss out the fun just because I was afraid.

Explanation: The passage conveys a person’s experience about learning how to swim. The
events are told chronologically, and the story is told in the first person point of view.
Literary Discourse
A literary discourse is generally focused on creative works, including nonfiction. Also, it includes
texts that are used strictly for business communication.

Types of Literary Discourse

1. Poetic
This type of discourse is commonly found in creative works like poems, novels, short
stories, and plays. It focuses on how language is used to form themes and convey ideologies.
Some meanings in creative works are explicit, while some are implied, especially in poems.
Ordinary words, especially those used in a poem, are made appealing through sound patterns.

Example:
The Road Not Taken (An Excerpt) By Robert Frost
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Explanation: In the text, the author used the roads as a metaphor for making life decisions.
Also, notice that the last words in the poem rhyme: sigh, I, and by; hence and difference.

2. Expressive
This type of discourse is commonly found in academic journals, letters, diaries, and blogs.
It is a personal narrative and is typically written in the first person point of view. In the process,
the writer reveals something about his or her identity. In literary terms, expressive discourses
are referred to as creative nonfiction.

Example: The Diary of a Young Girl (An Excerpt) By Anne Frank Sunday, 21 June 1942.
Everyone at school is waiting to hear what happens next. Who will move up a class, and who
will stay down? We’re all trying to guess! I think my girlfriends and I will be OK, though we’ll
have to wait patiently to find out. Most of my teachers like me, but old Mr. Keesing gets angry
with me because I often talk too much! He made me do some extra homework and write about
‘Someone Who Talks Too Much.’

Explanation: Based on the passage, the writer is describing what she felt while waiting for the
big announcement in school. She describes what she is like in school —talkative—and how
sociable she is as most of her teachers like her.

3. Transactional
This type of discourse is commonly found in instructional materials, advertisements, and
editorial articles, among others. It is directive in nature as it provides detailed information on
how something is done or achieved. Moreover, it encourages the reader to do something or to
take action.

Example:
How to Cook Chicken Tinola
Ingredients:
1/2 kg chicken wings
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small ginger, peeled and julienned
1 small green papaya, peeled and cut into wedges
1-2 stalks of malunggay 1 teaspoon of salt
 1 teaspoon of pepper
3-4 cups of water

Procedure:
1. Prepare all the ingredients.
2. Heat the pan in a medium flame. Add 2–3 tablespoons of oil.
3. Sauté garlic, onion, and ginger. Add chicken wings and sauté for 3–4 minutes.
4. Pour 3–4 cups of water. Let it simmer.
5. Add the papaya. Simmer until the chicken becomes tender.
6. Add the malunggay leaves.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve and enjoy.

Explanation: The recipe above shows the instructions in cooking chicken tinola. It is a list that
shows the step-by-step detail in cooking the dish.

Academic Discourse
An academic discourse is expository or argumentative in nature. Sometimes, it presents an
individual’s insights regarding a concept or method in a scholarly way.
Unlike other discourses, an academic discourse uses formal language and the third person point of
view; it maintains an objective tone. It avoids using figures of speech and idiomatic expressions, including
biased or stereotyped and sexist language.

Its examples include essays, journals, book reviews, synthesis, literature review, and research,
among others.

Example: Medea is portrayed as an empowered woman in the Euripides’ play. It is a far cry
from how women were viewed and represented in the Ancient Greece. Women then were
mainly portrayed as in charge of producing children, taking care of them, and being a mistress
of the household. Medea’s character defies and challenges conformities. Her deeds, though
evil in nature, stem from the strength of her mind… Medea, although elicits pity from the
audience during the first part of the play as an abandoned wife and mother, in the end, is feared
and abhorred as she proves to be aware of how wicked her deeds are and yet would not have
it the other way around: “I understand what evil I am about to do but my wrath is stronger even
than my thoughts…” (Euripides 27).

Explanation: The text is a review of Euripides’ famous play Medea. The critic, although stating
his or her insights of the play, writes in an objective tone, using the third person point of view.
Moreover, the review does not use a figure of speech or idiomatic expression to describe,
elaborate, or prove a point.

III. Text as Connected Discourse

Written Text
A written text is also known as “composition”, is made of signs and symbols systematized by
grammar and organized in logical language to properly present the intended message. These are units
primarily concerned with structuring and conveying complex information. A text is usually written.
However, text can be anything that is documented. To further understand the effectiveness of a particular
text, you must first know the components of a text or composition.

A text can either be a paragraph or an essay. A paragraph is a group of interrelated sentences

that talk about one main idea while an essay is a group of paragraphs that talk about one central idea.
 Paragraph Essay

Organized around a topic sentence Organized around a thesis statement

Contains an introductory sentence Contains an introductory paragraph

Uses sentences to explain major points Uses paragraphs to explain major points

May use a concluding sentence Always uses a concluding paragraph

Organizing a Paragraph
A paragraph is composed of three major parts: the topic sentence, the body which consists of the
supporting details, and the closing sentence.

My first day of college was a disaster. First, I went to the wrong classroom for Mathematics.
I was sitting in the class, surrounded by people taking notes and paying attention to how to do
equations, which would have been okay if I was supposed to be in an algebra class. In reality, I
was supposed to be in geometry, and when I discovered my error, I had already missed the first
twenty minutes of a one-hour class. When I got to the correct class, all twenty-five students
turned and looked at me as the teacher said, "You're late." That would have been bad enough,
but in my next class my history teacher spoke so fast I could not follow most of what they said.
The only thing I did hear was that we were having a quiz tomorrow over today’s lecture. My day
seemed to be going better during botany class, that is, until we visited the lab. I had a sneezing
fit because of one of the plants in the lab and had to leave the room. When I finally finished my
classes for the day, I discovered I had locked my keys in the car and had to wait for my brother
to bring another set. My first day of school was so bad that I know the rest will have to be better.

Topic Sentence – contains the main idea of the paragraph; it may present a stand, a question or a
statement
Supporting Sentences – provide additional information or details that prove or explain the main idea
Closing Sentence – concludes the information or arguments presented in the text

Characteristics of Connected Discourse

Written text is also described as written discourse, especially when a simple analysis of it reveals
that it is connected discourse, e.g. It uses cohesive devices, connectives, conjunctions, and repetitions.
Written text acquires the characteristics of connected discourse when:
1. Its ideas are linked logically.
2. There is logical organization and development of the theme.
3. There is use of repetition, reference, conjunctions, connectives and other transitional devices.

Example:
There are three reasons I don’t have a credit card. The first reason is that using a piece of
plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy things I can’t afford. For instance, last
week I saw a 4,000.00 php pair of pink sandals in my favorite shoe store. Of course, I don’t need
pink sandals, nor I can afford them. With a credit card, however, I would now own those sandals
and be worrying about how to pay for them. The second reason I don’t have a credit card is that I
would end up in debt like my friend Sara, the shopaholic. Sara got a credit last year, and she
already owes 30,000.00 php. She buy things that she doesn’t really need such as jewelry and
designer sunglasses. She will be in debt for years. The third reason I don’t have a credit card is
the difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card contract. If I don’t read the fine print,
I can be surprised. For example, some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make
payment even one day late. To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but
for me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.
 Explanation: The author directly state the central theme of the paragraph in the first sentence
which is further develop by the following sentences. Also, the author use transitional devices to
logically linked liked the ideas in the paragraph: “first”, “second”, “third”, and “To sum up”.
Furthermore, the author use repetition to keep the readers to the theme: “The first reason…”,
“The second reason…”, and “The third reason…”

Organizing an Essay
An essay is a group of paragraphs that talk about one central idea.

The Three-Part Essay

1. Introduction (Opening paragraph)
An introduction gives a short background on the theme for the reader, so you could catch
what it is that is waiting for you further. In this part, the writer states the significance of the topic
and the issues that need to be addressed. Also, the writer mentions the objectives of the discourse
and how it may be beneficial or detrimental. It has two goals:
1. Gains the reader’s attention; and
2. Identifies the focus, or thesis, that is developed in the main part (body) of the text.

Ways on how to draw reader’s attention:

● Open with a series of questions about the topic.
● Present startling or unusual facts or figures.
● Define an important subject related term.
● Quote a well-known person or literary work.

2. Body (Body paragraphs)

The body is the main part of the essay. Body is the part of your essay, which has to be the
most informative among the other two.
Features of Body Paragraphs:
● They must clearly and logically support the thesis/focus of the text.
● They must be arranged in the best possible way.
● The paragraphs should flow smoothly from one to the next.
● Minor supporting ideas are linked together within the paragraphs in a smooth
manner.

3. Conclusion (Closing paragraph)

It is the summary of the text and it must tie together all of the important points in the text by
way of a summary and draw a final conclusion for the reader. Moreover, in this part, the writer
reiterates the claims and asserts his or her stand. He or she may include insights and
recommendations for further studies.

Cohesive Devices for Concluding and Summarizing

accordingly consequently in brief inevitably in a nutshell

all in all due to in conclusion on the whole therefore
as a result finally in short since thus
as I have said in any event in summary in essence to sum up
 REFERENCES

● Hadley, G. S. (2016). Written Discourse Analysis: Investigation and Implications.

http://www.nuis.ac.jp/~hadley/publication/nuwritnanlysis/writtenanalysis.html
● Nordquist, R. (2016). Expressive Discourse (Composition).
http://grammar.about.com/od/e/g/Expressive-Discourse.html
● Perez, R.E. (2014). Exit essay: Save the Filipino language.
http://rjaperez.tumblr.com/post/95149266012/exit-essay-save-the-filipino-language
● Text as Connected Discourse. (2016). Quipper Limited.
https://school.quipper.com/en-PH/courses/reading-and-writing-skills-1/text-asconnected-d
iscourse.html