READING AND WRITING Sensory Detail and Figurative Language
LESSON 1: DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
- A writing pattern of developing paragraph using
detailed observation about the subject.
- Involves the use of adjectives and adverbs that help
create a vivid picture of what you are trying to
express.
SENSORY LANGUAGES
- These are words that we can use to describe your
subject. They describe the subject as to how they
look, sound, feel, smell and taste.
MODIFIERS
- Modifiers are elements that improve or enhance the
meaning of a clause or sentence.
- They can be in word form, phrases, or clauses that
provide detail for an idea to be more engaging and
specific.
TWO TYPES OF DESCRIPTION
OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION
- The type of description where the writer presents
impartial and actual picture of the subject without
biases.
- Excludes personal impression of the subject.
- Example) Giving your description of an experiment
in class.
SUBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION
- The type of description where the writer gives
personal impression of what is observed.
- Often used in making fiction stories.
- Example) Writing about a place you visited during
the summer and giving your personal judgment of
how you experienced the place.
SPATIAL DESCRIPTION
A spatial description explains things with sensory details as
they appear when observed. The focus is on location, based
on physical details and using spatial order to create a logical
flow.
When you want to "bring something to life" in your writing,
or get concretely detailed (to show something with description
rather than just generally tell about that something), you
usually have to be a good observer of sensory detail which has
a lot to do with adjectives (modifies/enhances nouns) and
adverbs (modifies/enhances verbs), though one must always
beware of clichés:
SIGHT
Example) His brown hair hangs down to the middle of his
sloping back
SOUND
Example) The train he sits on clanks metallically beneath.
TASTE
Example) His hair tastes like bad chemicals, sour and tinny
TOUCH
Example) His skin must feel like sandpaper
SMELL
Example) There is something musty and moldy about him
PSYCHIC/INTUITION (ha ha)
Example) He seems sad like a dog laying on a dusty sidewalk
in Mexico. I sense his pain in the tired squint of his eyes
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
- AKA imagery or metaphorical language,
- Often the way to really make something plain or
something abstract feel more concrete via
comparison (you compare the literal thing or idea to
a figurative concrete thing).
Notice that some of my examples above are figurative, though
one must always beware of bad metaphors:
SIMILE
- Has like or as in the sentence
- Example) his hair hangs like broken violin stings
‘METAPHOR
- doesn't have like or as in the sentence
- often more surreal feeling
- may take the form of an adjective or adverb
- Example) his broken violin string hair
his sandpaper skin
PERSONIFICATION (often easy to cliché)
- giving inanimate objects human qualities
- Examples)
Barry Lopez often does this, say, to describe “The
Wind" in Desert Notes)
“his hair moved like fingers around his shoulders”
Path's Metaphors poem
“I’m a melon strolling on two tendrils" (mellons
aren't human, but strolling is a very human descriptor)
ANALOGY
- Comparison of things to make a point-often more
involved, or more narrative
- FALSE ANALOGY is a logical fallacy where the
two things compared are way too different, and thus
can't be accurately compared: but this can create
surprise and humor in more opened-form creative
writing; often the comparisons of different things
- Example) Watching people while riding on the bus
is a lot like traveling to another country: things look
familiar from afar, but up close, you wonder if
you've entered another dimension.
READING AND WRITING
LESSON 2: DEFINITION
DEFINITION
- Definitions provide concise but exact meanings of
unfamiliar words and explain special meanings for
familiar words.
- Example:
 EXAMPLE) Skimming (species) is a reading technique
(class) of allowing the eyes to travel over a page very quickly,
stopping only here and there to gain an idea (differentiae).
EXPANDED / EXTENDED DEFINITION
- The different methods:
1) By stating its characteristics
o Example) San Pablo City is one of the
oldest towns in the Philippines. As one of
THREE TYPES OF DEFINITION the first - class cities in the province of
Laguna. It is also called the City of Seven
INFORMAL DEFINITION Lakes namely: Bunot Lake, Calibato
- Two types: Lake, Mohicap Lake, Palakpakin Lake,
1) Denotation Pandin Lake, Sampaloc Lake, and Yambo
2) Connotation Lake. These seven freshwater lakes are
the crater form of a steam-blast eruption
DENOTATION from Mt. Cristobal.
- Denotation is the dictionary meaning of the word.
- Example: Rose is a family of prickly shrubs with 2) By function
pinnate leaves and showy flowers. o Example) In this time of global crisis,
everyone is responsible for their actions,
CONNOTATION such as following the precautionary
- Connotation is the secondary meaning of a word measures given by the health experts to
and not necessarily included in the dictionary. avoid the spread of virus.
- Example: A dozen of pink roses is usually given to 3) By what it is not
their beloved ones. o Example) Far from the normal situations
that we had before, the pandemic makes
each one of us skip buying unnecessary
INFORMAL DEFINITION items.
- Theree principal parts:
1) WORD (Species) 4) By what it is similar to
2) CLASS (Genus) o Example) Jollibee and McDonalds both
3) DIFFERENTIAE after savory chicken and delicious pasta
that children love.
WORD
- WORD is the name of the object, process, or
5) By examples
concept defined. This is usually followed by “is” o Example) The opening of the classes for
and “are” School Year 2020 -2021 amidst the
pandemic is a great challenge to the
CLASS Department of Education. They continue
- general group to which the objects belong researching different alternative ways of
teaching and learning to be implemented
DIFFERENTIAE in schools such as online learning,
- Differentiae, also known as differentials, are the modular learning, and lastly learning from
characteristics or qualities that distinguish one from TV shows and radio programs.
another.
6) By origin of word or etymology
o Example) Writers around the world
define literature in different ways. The
origin of the word literature is derived
from the Latin word Litera which means
letter.
7) By its effect
o Example) Due to the global pandemic,
specifically COVID-19, the world
embraces the new normal. People have
become more conscious about sanitation
and hygiene. They now learn physical
distancing in public places. And, most of
the people stay at home either working or
developing new hobbies and exploring
new things.
READING AND WRITING
LESSON 3: CLASSIFICATION &
EXEMPLIFICATION
TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSIONS
- Connect one idea to another between or within
sentences and alert readers to the connections
between paragraphs or blocks of the text.
- Three types:
1) Transitions between sections
2) Transitions between paragraphs
3) Transitions within paragraphs
CLASSIFICATION
- Division or category in a system which divides
things into groups or types.
- Used when a writer needs to sort out or arrange
subjects to groups or categories based on their
common and shared characteristics.
- Some transitional expressions in writing effective
classification paragraphs: classified as, one kind, the
last group, another kind, another, final type, the first
category, are categorized as, the next part.
- EXAMPLE:
 o Exemplification is used in every kind of writing o By seeing the differences and similarities, the reader
situation to explain and clarify, to add interest, and better understands each of the subjects by using the
to persuade. other subject as a frame of reference.
o Effective examples will enhance any type of essay
because the reader will be able to relate a common To make effective comparisons, there must be some grounds
experience to the topic. for comparison or a point of comparison.
o Argumentative and exemplification essays, feature
articles, reviews, reports, and case studies often use
examples to prove a point When comparing and contrasting, we use transition words to
o Transitional expressions used are: signal the reader that we are citing similarities and differences
o for/an example between our subjects.
o Such as
o For instance
o A case in point
o Illustrations of this
o Namely
o To specify
o To clarify
o To illustrate

TYPES OF EXAMPLES
PLANNING THE ESSAY o Examples that illustrate
Once you have chosen your topic, you will need to consider o Examples that explain
the purpose: o Examples that tell a story
- Why are you breaking the issue down? o Examples that describe
- What impact do you hope it will have upon your
audience? Compare-and-contrast essays follow our own recommended
LENGTH OF EXAMPLE essay structure:
Next, you will need to create distinctly different categories by
o Brief 1) Introduction: where you explain your thesis or
making sure that features of each do not overlap.
o Extended what your essay will discuss
DRAFTING THE ESSAY o Hypothetical 2) Body: where you actually list the similarities and
o Introduction: Interest your audience while differences of your subjects; the largest section
developing your purpose for writing. READING AND WRITING 3) Conclusion: where you wrap up and summarize
o Body: The body paragraphs will each be devoted to LESSON 4: COMPARISON & CONTRAST your points
a different category or topic, but the order in which
COMPARISON THREE METHODS IN WRITING COMPARISON &
you discuss each should be consistent throughout
o Tells how two things are similar CONTRAST PARAGRAPHS
the body of the essay. In addition, you will need to
decide how the body paragraphs should be ordered.
BLOCK METHOD (SUBJECT-BY-SUBJECT)
For example, when classifying bad drivers, you may CONTRAST
o You discuss one subject in full and then move on to
move from least to most offensive. o Tells how two things are different
o Conclusion: should be interesting, and it should the next subject.
effectively draw the essay to a close while COMPARISON AND CONTRAST
simultaneously reiterating your purpose o Comparing and contrasting is an important skill in
academic writing. It involves taking two or more
EXEMPLIFICATION subjects and analyzing the differences and
o One of the most common and effective ways to similarities between them.
show or explain an idea or point (e.g., observation,
opinion, belief). o It points out the similarities and differences between
o In this pattern of development, the main idea is two or more subjects. It’s ideal for showing what
explained by giving an extended example or a series separates and unites related things or concepts.
of detailed examples.

ALTERNATING METHOD (POINT-BY-POINT)
o You discuss one subject’s take on a certain aspect
and then another subject’s take immediately
afterward, followed by a new aspect.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
o You discuss all the similarities between your
subjects and then all the differences, or vice versa
(differences first and then similarities).
READING AND WRITING
LESSON 5: CAUSE & EFFECT
CAUSE
o Something or someone that produces an effect,
result, or condition
o Something or someone that makes something
happen or exist
o The cause is the reason that things happen in the
text - without a cause, there is no effect.
o This means that without a cause, the text would be
stagnant and nothing more would happen.
EFFECT
o A change which is a result or consequence of an
action or other cause.
o The result of a particular influence
o Something that happens because of something else:
a condition, occurrence, or result generated by one
or more causes. Effects are outcomes.
CAUSE AND EFFECT
o Cause and effect is an intrinsic relationship between
events and processes, where one causes the other.
o For example, I overslept (cause) so I
missed my bus (effect).
o A cause-effect relationship is one in which a certain
event (the cause) makes another event happen (the
effect).
o A single cause can have multiple effects.
o Cause and effect may also be called causality.
o Cause and effect is extremely important when it
comes to moving a story along. It allows the
characters, and the reader, to move from plot point
to plot point.
o When we're writing a story, it's also
important to think about cause and effect.
Everything that we make the characters
do (the cause) will have an effect on the
rest of the story.
IMPORTANCE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
o Cause and effect gives us a logical explanation for
why something has happened.
o Causality allows us to logically explain events. This
helps up to solve problems and provide reasoning
for why something happened. It means we can
(somewhat) explain what's happening all around us.
IDENTIFYING CAUSE AND EFFECT
o Whether you're reading informational text or a
fictional story, cause-and-effect relationships can be
found in a variety of situations.
o As readers, we may need to find out what caused a
disaster to occur or why a character feels a certain
way; identifying the cause and the effect help us to
do that.
o It is important to recognize these relationships
because they can help readers draw conclusions and
make inferences.
o Clue Words - when you're looking for a specific
cause-and-effect relationship within a text, there are
certain words that authors often use to give readers
clues.
HOW ARE CAUSE AND EFFECTS STATEMENTS
WRITTEN
o There may be multiple causes and multiple
effects. In writing such statement, we may start
with the cause ending with the effect or start
with effect then end with a cause.
o There would be only one transitional device in
cause-effect sentences which can usually be
found in the middle, transitioning the statement
to tell an effect or a cause.
o For example, we ate too much food
and did not exercise as well, hence
we gained weight. Eating food
without exercising is the “cause;”
weight gain is the “effect.” Hence
would be our transitional device.
READING AND WRITING
LESSON 6: PROBLEM & SOLUTION
PROBLEM – SOLUTION
o A method for analyzing and writing about a topic by
identifying a problem and proposing one or more
solutions.
o Problem-solution essay presents a problem, usually
discussing several aspects of the problem, then
concludes by discussing solutions to the problem.
o The solutions may be presented in various ways and
you have to think about which way would be the
most appropriate for the particular problem you are
discussing.
WAYS TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS
EFFECTS ONLY
o Describe the problem only in terms of its effects.
o Use examples
 Step 6: Execute the Action Plan o USE OF APPEALS
CAUSE AND EFFECT Step 7: Evaluate the Results o Emotional
o Outline the causes of the problem. Step 8: Continuously Improve o Personal
o Discuss solutions in terms of preventive measures. o Logical
WHAT MAKES A GOOD PROBLEM SOLVER? o Stylistic
EXTENDED EXAMPLE o A problem solver is an individual who makes o MINOR CHARACTERISTICS
o After a topic sentence, illustrate the problem by decisions and resolves issues using critical thinking o Language appropriate to the audience
and analytical skills. Typically, they consider all
using an extended example (through a story or an o Direct address of reader
factors in a situation and decide based on the best
anecdote from your introduction
solution.
DEVELOPING A PERSUASIVE TEXT
WAYS TO PRESENT SOLUTIONS WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN 1. State the issue
PROBLEM-SOLVING? 2. Followed by a clear, strong and specific argument.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES 3. Support with well-researched evidences.
o Understanding your process is THE MOST
o Ways to prevent the problem from occurring in the 4. Explain counter-arguments
IMPORTANT part of systematic problem-solving.
first place 5. Conclude and restate main argument
It's your lifeline throughout the entire project.
o For example: How to prevent Covid – 19
GUIDE QUESTIONS IN CONSTRUCTING
A SERIES OF STEPS PERSUASIVE TEXT
o Suggest the easiest and most obvious solution first, 1. What is the issue?
but if that doesn’t work, try something else, etc. 2. What is your position or opinion?
o Example) if you have a neighbor who does not wear READING AND WRITING 3. What is the opposing position/opinion?
mask nor practice social distancing, you might first 4. What are some reasons for your position/opinion?
LESSON 8: PERSUASIVE
talk to him/her; if that doesn’t work, arrange for a 5. What are some cases or examples that support this?
mediator; etc. (a last resort might be to call the
police). PERSUASIVE TEXT READING AND WRITING
o It is a form of writing used to convince or persuade
the reader that the opinion or assertion of the writer
LESSON 9: NARRATION
ADVICE
o Give some advice and helpful hints. is correct or valid.
o FUNCTION: It is a form of writing used to NARRATION
convince or persuade the reader that the opinion or o A written text as a connected discourse is formed
A CHOICE OF SOLUTIONS
o Include solutions that have already been tried, have assertion of the writer is correct or valid. from spontaneous discreteness that predetermined
o FORMS: its connectedness
been unsuccessful, and new solutions which you are
o Argument o Writing a paragraph involves a deep understanding
proposing.
o Discussion of how one can achieve a well-focused and unified
o Exposition ideas in a composition
TRANSITIONAL DEVICES FOR PROBLEM- o Review o It is important to use strategies of developing ideas
SOLUTION o Advertisement using a particular pattern. One of these is through
narration. A narrative text contains the plot which
gives direction in making a story
FEATURES & CHARACTERISTICS
In developing narration, SEQUENTIAL PRESENTATION
o FOCUS: Reader
OF EVENTS plays an important role. Signal words help to
o PURPOSE: Convince
create a unified thought and to show the transition of events to
o LANGUAGE: Subjective language the next. This leads us to focus on the use of the action words
8-STEP PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS o STYLE: Formal, Informal, Colloquial in the story. It also helps to move the story and makes the
o POVs: First-person, Second-person, Third-person story interesting.
Step 1: Define the Problem. What is the problem? pronouns
Step 2: Clarify the Problem o MAIN CHARACTERISTICS: The CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERING OF EVENTS helps
Step 3: Define the Goals o Persuasive claim to show the reader how the story moves. Most of the common
Step 4: Identify the Root Cause of the Problem o Support points transitional words are first, next, then, after and suddenly.
Step 5: Develop an Action Plan o General warrant
Moreover, it is also important to give specific details in
pointing out the direction of the story.