READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3RD QUARTER

Koronadal National Comprehensive High School-Senior High School Department Teacher: Clint B. Guillero
PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT
 Organization (Structure)
 Coherence
 Language use
 Mechanics (Spelling, Punctuation Marks, Capitalization)

I. Organization
-It is the structural framework for writing.
-It is a logical progression and completeness of ideas in a text.

Important Features of an Organized Text

A. Focus
I was glad when the COVID restrictions
ended and the shopping mall was open. Then we
all shopped and bought lots of new outfits and
the most fashionable color of the year is pink.
When I got home, I immediately went on
Facebook to show off my clothes haul to my
social media followers.

Recast
I was glad when the COVID restrictions
ended and the shopping mall was open. At last, I
could meet with my friends and hang out at the
food court. I immediately called them and they
agreed to go out with me. Then we all shopped
and bought lots of new outfits. When I got home,
I immediately went on Facebook to show off my
clothes haul to my social media followers.

B. Development
-Each paragraph should support the center idea of the main paper. (use main idea and
supporting idea)
Sample Paragraph
Touch is our most intimate and powerful means of communication. A doctor makes the
mother feel her baby to give satisfaction after her birth labor. The mother caresses the newborn
and gives the baby a feeling of love and security that will be the foundation of the self. A father
taps the shoulder of his son to boost the sagging morale of the latter. A son holds his father’s
hand in a final goodbye. A friend embraces another friend to drive away the latter’s loneliness.
These are tactile stimulations oftentimes spell a difference.
C. Unity
-Oneness of ideas.
-A unified paper shows a clear relationship between the thesis statement and topic sentences,
and between the topic sentences and supporting sentences in the paragraph.
-An entire paper focused on supporting a central point is a unified paper.
Remember
 Topic sentence is the central idea to be developed. It may be expressed or implied.
 Controlling ideas are the key words in the topic sentence. They delimit the scope of the
topic and help the writer to focus on the topic of the paragraph.
Sample Paragraph
Touch is our most intimate and powerful means of communication. A doctor makes the
mother feel her baby to give satisfaction after her birth labor. The mother caresses the newborn
and gives the baby a feeling of love and security that will be the foundation of the self. A father
taps the shoulder of his son to boost the sagging morale of the latter. A son holds his father’s
hand in a final goodbye. A friend embraces another friend to drive away the latter’s loneliness.
These are tactile stimulations oftentimes spell a difference.
READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3RD QUARTER
Koronadal National Comprehensive High School-Senior High School Department Teacher: Clint B. Guillero
1. Three divisions
a. Introduction
– serves as a road map for the reader. It should offer the reader the direction and general
ideas contained in your paper, and set up the necessary background for the paper. The
introduction should lay out your central argument in a clear thesis statement.
b. Body – contains the supporting details that are anchored to the thesis statement.
c. Conclusion – it should restate/recap your thesis and major points, showing how you
have proven your position.

2. Writing Paragraphs
-A paragraph is a series of sentences concerning ONE point or main idea.
-A paragraph should consist of — at the very least — FIVE sentences,
for what can a writer truly prove or illustrate adequately in less than a few sentences.

Construction
a. A paragraph should begin with a TOPIC SENTENCE, which states the main idea of the
paragraph.

Definition:
A TOPIC SENTENCE states the main idea of the paragraph. It controls the focus and
organization of its paragraph.

Analysis:
- a topic sentence is to a paragraph as
-a thesis statement is to an essay
-That is, just as the thesis statement guides the entire essay, so too does the topic
sentence guide the entire paragraph.

Formula:
Topic + Main Idea
Topic:
- About what are you writing? What is your subject matter, concern, focus?
Main Idea:
-What are you saying about that topic? What is your point, message, position,
meaning, purpose, goal?

b. The remainder of the paragraph is devoted to SUPPORTING (proving or illustrating) that

main idea.

Note:
PROVE YOUR POINT or SUPPORT YOUR MAIN IDEA with any of the following
evidence:
 anecdotes (short narratives)
 examples
 reasons
 details
 description

DO ELABORATION!
-This means to add more details, so your reader can get a clear picture of what you
mean!

Here are Nine Ways to Elaborate!

1. Use Highly Descriptive Words: vivid adj.’s & adv.’s,
precise V’s & N’s.
2. Give a detailed Definition of the subject or detail.
3. Provide an Example that shows your point.
READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3RD QUARTER
Koronadal National Comprehensive High School-Senior High School Department Teacher: Clint B. Guillero
4. Use Comparison: Similes and/or Metaphors.
5. Use Contrast to show how your idea is different from something else.
6. Include a Fact to support your main idea.
7. Use a Statistic (a fact in numerical form) to support your main idea.
8. Use Sensory Details that appeals to one or more of the 5 senses.
9. Use Cause & Effect to explain how 1 thing causes another.

c. A paragraph should conclude with a CLINCHER SENTENCE, a statement that reiterates

the main idea of the paragraph.
Definition
o It is the last sentence in a paragraph.
o It is a concluding statement that reiterates the main idea of the paragraph.
Remember
o Do not simply end your paragraph once you have supported your point.
o Bring your essay full circle.
o Repeat your main idea.
o Repeat your topic sentence – not word for word, but the gist of it like a conclusion for
your paragraph.
o Do not end a paragraph with some else’s words or ideas especially true in
researched essays.
o No direct quotes or paraphrases.
o your essay = your words
Note:
 In an essay, it looks forward to the next point in the following paragraph; that is, it
works as a transition from one paragraph to the next.
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PARAGRAPHS in ESSAYS
The GOLDEN RULE of PARAGRAPHS
*only 1 idea per paragraph*
 That is, discuss ONLY ONE point in each paragraph.
 You mentioned three points in your thesis statement, so discuss each point in its
own paragraph.
 Thus, you will discuss ONLY ONE attribute, reason, type, role, similarity, difference,
or characteristic per paragraph.
 Exceptions:
 In a Process-Analysis essay, you may group related steps into phases and discuss
such connected steps within a single paragraph.
 Do the same in a Narrative essay.
The SILVER RULE of PARAGRAPHS
*no fewer than 5 sentences per paragraph*
PARAGRAPH OVERVIEW:
*Follow the same level of deduction (GS) you did in your Introduction.
1) Name (in a Topic Sentence)
2) Explain (briefly)
3) Illustrate (with specific examples)
4) Conclude (with a Clincher Sentence)
*no fewer than 5 sentences per paragraph*

(1) TOPIC SENTENCE

 Definition
o states the main idea of the paragraph.
o controls the focus and organization of its paragraph.
READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3RD QUARTER
Koronadal National Comprehensive High School-Senior High School Department Teacher: Clint B. Guillero
 Analogy
o a topic sentence is to a paragraph as
o a thesis statement is to an essay
o That is, just as the thesis statement guides the entire essay, so too does the topic
sentence guide the entire paragraph.
 To write a topic sentence, answer:
o What is the focus of this particular paragraph?
o What attribute, reason, type, role, similarity, difference, or characteristic will I discuss
and illustrate in this paragraph?
o How is this idea related to my thesis?
o What transitional expression works best with the organization of my essay?
 Refer to your thesis statement.
o In your topic sentence, you will repeat 2/3 of your thesis statement.
o In other words, repeat the topic and the main idea.
o Add to that the singular point you will discuss in that paragraph:
o For an Example essay (Illustration or Argument) on steroids:

Thesis:
Steroids (topic) should be banned from professional sports (main idea)
because of adverse health risks to athletes (support 1), illegitimate claims to
records (support 2), and irreversible damage to the essence of sports
(support 3).

Topic Sentence #1:

One reason to ban steroids from sports involves adverse health risks to athletes.
Topic Sentence #2:
In addition to the negative health risks, another reason steroids should be banned
concerns illegitimate claims to legitimately achieved records.
Topic Sentence #3:
While dangerous health risks and cheating are strong arguments, the most
important reason steroids should be banned from sports is because they cause
irreversible damage to the very essence of sports and sportsmanship.
(2) EXPLANATION

After you have written your topic sentence, you should next briefly explain your
point.
Remember: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
o You do not want to spend more time explaining your point at the expense of
illustrating it.
 “In other words”
 “That is to say”
 “What this means is”
(3) SUPPORT
 You have talked the talk, now you must walk the walk.
o Put up or shut up.
o You have made a claim and have explained it, now you must prove it.
 Otherwise, all you have is opinion.

 Support your point with

o specific, relevant, unambiguous examples
o specific people and instances
o details
o descriptions
 READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3RD QUARTER
Koronadal National Comprehensive High School-Senior High School Department Teacher: Clint B. Guillero
o anecdotes
o statistics
(4) CLINCHER
o Finally, wrap up the paragraph with a clincher sentence.
o Similar to the clincher sentence in your Conclusion.
o Bring it full circle.
 Repeat your point:
“Thus, Lyle Alzado’s case proves that steroids can detrimentally affect
an athlete’s health.”

 Segue to your next point:

“Thus, steroids can detrimentally affect an athlete’s health; they can also
negatively affect the record books.”
SUMMATION
*Paragraph Structure*
(1) Name your point.
(2) Explain briefly your point.
(3) Illustrate your point with specific and relevant examples.
(4) Repeat your point and segue to your next point.

Structure
Introduction
o outline of essay
Main section
o Main point A
• details, evidence
o Main point B
Conclusion
o summary of main points
o personal conclusions

Topic Sentence
Paragraph structure
Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in
Supporting Sentences
class. In fact, studies have shown that students who enjoy a recess of more than 45
minutes consistently score better on tests immediately following the recess period.
Clinical analysis further suggests that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to
focus on academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow
Concluding Sentence students the best possible chances of success in their studies. Clearly, physical
exercise is just one of the necessary ingredients for improving student scores on
standardized tests.
Transitional Sentence
Paragraph recipe
1. Introduce
2. Expand/justify
3. Conclude
4. Transition Sentences

Paragraph Malfunction
1. Too long (no structure)
2. No clear idea or too many ideas
3. Poor flow (linking words)
Avoid these with outlines.

STTC
(Formula of an organized text)
READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3RD QUARTER
Koronadal National Comprehensive High School-Senior High School Department Teacher: Clint B. Guillero
 S ingle idea
 T opic sentence
 T (appropriate technique)
 C onnectives