LESSON 12 :

Understanding text
Organization
 CONTENTS

Organization
Coherence and cohesion
Language use
Mechanics
 TEXT
ORGANIZATION
 Text Organization
Text organization is the way a text is
organized that helps to guide the reader
logically through it. This property makes
a text readable and its message clear.
Organization can be achieved through
the following techniques:
These are the following
techniques:

* Physical format
* Signal words
* Structure
 Physical Format

The format is an aspect of the

organization that is immediately
apparent to the reader. It is seen
in how the text physically
appears like headings and
subheadings, bullet points or font
emphasis. However, use this
technique with discretion as
improper or superfluous
formatting can be confusing.
 Example:
Marxist ideology has three main
theories. Historical
materialism purports that all the
features of society can historically
be traced back to economic activity.
 Social class in capitalist societies
is what produces unjust structures
of power that exist today.
Socialism would be the next
rational step for the development
of human society.
Explanation:
The words in bold are the three most
important Marxist theories that the first
sentence is referring to. By emphasizing
these words, the reader can identify the
correct term for the concepts along with
their definitions; this would also aid in
remembering the theories since they stick
out from the rest of the text.
 Signal Words
Signal words are textual cues that readers
can use to follow a text. They can signal
the transition from one point to another,
the ordering of events and concepts, or
the writers chosen text type (e.g., linear
narration, question and answer).
Example:
Chuck Palahniuks novel Fight Club greatly
influenced me as a fictional writer. First, his
use of the unreliable narrator fascinated
me, and I have written similar characters in
my works. Second, the theme of patriarchal
oppression can also be found in the stories
I write.
Third, the novels stunning twist is
something that I have been trying to
recreate. Thus, I am extremely
grateful to have encountered
Palahniuks genius early in my writing
career.
Explanation:
By using sequential signal words (first,
second and third) before the beginning of
every sentence, the reader can follow what
seems to be the writers list of three reasons
why the novel influenced him. The word
thus also signals the conclusion and the
end of the list.
Structure
The structure provides the
framework upon which the text is
organized. It consists of the following:
Beginning: introduction, thesis statement,
hook
Middle: supporting details
End: conclusion, summary, final message
Example:
Ancient philosophies believe that a
person has an aura, this appears as
a rainbow of light around the body
that can be seen by individuals with
clairvoyant abilities.
The colors change depending on ones
mood, health, and thoughts. Some
scientists believe that the existence of
the aura has something to do with the
electromagnetic fields produced by
cells and tissues in the human body.
Whether auras are real or not,
the fact remains that there are
forces everywhere that are real
even though we cannot see
them.
Explanation:
Organization in this paragraph is not readily
noticeable as it does not use cues like
formatting or signal words. However, the text is
organized in this way:
Beginning: Introduce topic of aura
Middle: Definition and evidence of existence of
auras
End: Ending message about forces in the world
COHERENCE AND
COHESION
while coherence is the relationship of
ideas between sentences. Both
should be present in your text
because having one without the other
will still create confusion for readers.
 Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence and cohesion make your

text easier for your readers to follow
and understand. Cohesion is the
connection of ideas to the central
concept of a text
Cohesion without Coherence
A text with cohesion has a central concept
or glue that holds all the different ideas
together. Although without coherence,
there is no apparent logic to the way these
ideas are presented. The writer appears to
move on to another related idea without a
proper transition from the previous idea.
Example:
Cubism is an avant-garde art movement
that started in the early 20th century in
Europe. A famous Filipino cubist painter
is Vicente Manansala. He is a National
Artist of the Philippines in Visual Arts.
Did you know that visual arts have
different forms including architecture,
video, and textile?
Explanation:
Every sentence is related to the next
sentence in some way. The
paragraph stays on the topic of art,
which is the glue that holds the text
together and allows it to exhibit
cohesion.
However, the way it was developed
does not make sense. It began with the
origins of Cubism and through the
artist Manansala was able to end with
a seemingly unprovoked question
about visual art forms.
Coherence without Cohesion
A text with coherence has ideas that
are logically sequenced in a way that
is easy to follow for the reader.
Although without cohesion, no central
concept links all these ideas together.
The main point of the text remains
unclear for readers.
Example:
My favorite painting is The Weeping
Woman by Pablo Picasso, which is an
intriguing painting that symbolizes
suffering. As a result, I love bright
primary colors, so I wear a lot of
shocking yellows, blues, and reds.
Also, as an outgoing person, I enjoy
performing for large crowds. In the end,
people should not judge an artists
talent based on one standard.
Explanation:
Connecting words in the text suggest a
sequence of ideas that the writer wants to
convey. As a result implies an effect of the
previous statement while in the end
indicates the conclusion. However, the
writer jumps from one topic to another
resulting in a lack of cohesion.
For instance, the writer talks about his or
her favorite colors as a result of Picassos
painting even though they are not
connected in any way. It can be inferred
that the choice of favorite colors was
inspired by the colors of the painting, but
the writer does not make this clear.
Cohesion and Coherence
A text with both cohesion and
coherence has a central concept
linking all the ideas in the text, and
these ideas are presented in a logical
manner. The main point is clear, and
the text is easy to follow and
understand.
Example:
International Womens Day is
celebrated on the 8th of March of
every year. It began as a Socialist
political event in several Western
countries.
Then, other countries also started
celebrating the holiday just as a way to
express their love for women. Currently,
the United Nations observes the holiday
as a way to bring to light womens issues
around the world.
Explanation:
The main topic of the text is International
Womens Day, which was stated in the
first sentence. The paragraph proceeds
to outline the history of the holiday
starting from some Western countries
and its spread to other nations.
 It ends with the current way that the
whole world celebrates the day. The
writer can present different ideas
about the holiday in a logical manner
and without veering away from the
topic.
PROPER LANGUAGE
USE
Proper Language Use
Proper language use allows you to
capture the message that you want to
convey to your readers. It is all about
choosing the right words that
accurately capture your ideas.
However, writers sometimes
encounter problems with the
following:
*Misused Words
*Words with Unwanted Connotations
*Technical or Highfalutin Words
Misused Words
A writer might sometimes use a word
incorrectly, and this occurs when the
word does not mean what he or she
thinks it does. So, it is important to be
certain of the definition of a word before
using it; this often happens with words
that sound or look alike.
Example:
There are many behaviors that
past societies considered legal but
are now deemed amoral including
slavery, sexism, and racism.
Explanation:
The writer confused the word amoral with
immoral. The former means neither moral
nor immoral (without moral quality) while
the latter means not moral. Sometimes, it
is easy to guess the correct meaning of a
word just by
looking at how it is spelled. The prefix a-
signals that something is without such as
in anarachy (without a government) or
atypical (without typical features). On the
other hand, the prefix im- simply means
not such as in imperfect (not perfect) or
impossible (not possible).
Words with Unwanted Connotations
There are words that take on a meaning
specific to a context. Some writers
might not be aware of these
connotations, so they end up using
language that is unintentionally
confusing, comical or even offensive to
readers.
Example:
The coast guard salvaged Priscilla
and her sister after their fishing boat
was damaged in the storm.
Explanation:
The word salvage means to save usually
from the wreckage of a marine vessel.
However, the Philippine media and police
often use the term to mean a violent
killing, which is opposite from its
traditional English meaning.
It comes from the Spanish word salvaje
that has a meaning similar to savage.
Thus, if the writer produced this text for
a Filipino audience, the meaning that he
or she intended would be lost. Using the
word saved or rescued would remedy
the issue.
EXPLICIT AND
IMPLICIT
INFORMATION
Two Kinds of Information:
Explicit Information is the information is
stated in the text. Readers can see the
piece of information stated in the given
passage.
Implicit information is the information
not directly presented in the text. As
readers, we need to read between the
lines to understand the details that the
writer is trying to tell us.
Sometimes, we read because we
need to perform a particular task after
reading. The different kinds of
information we have gathered through
reading may be used as a basis for
our next task.
We can sufficiently discuss our
opinion depending on the evidence
that we have collected from the texts
we have read. Proofs, or claims can
be used based on the type of
presentation or argumentation that
you wish to do.
 Three Kinds of Claims:
Claims of Fact
Claims of fact are pieces of
information which are grounded on
reliable authority such as science or
history.
Example:
The devastation experienced by the
Philippines during Typhoon Yolanda
shows the readiness of disaster relief
protocols established by the
government.
Explanation:
This claim can be defended or
refuted using events as proof, and
the existence or non-existence of the
protocols may be discussed using
specific incidences as evidence.
Claims of Value
Claims of value are pieces of
information that are focused on
relative judgment such as goodness
or badness, and these are usually
addressed based on standards.
Example:
Stem cell research is wrong.
Explanation:
This claim attempts to prove the
badness of one idea based on a
moral judgment as specified by
various standards (may be religious
or even political).
Claims of policy are specific
statements on procedures or laws
that need to be modified based on
certain issues or conditions. Most of
the time, claims of policy ask for
plans of action to solve current
problems.
Example:
Censorship in the Philippines
must be strengthened.
Explanation:
This claim demands that additional
amendments on a specific policy be
adopted because present
circumstances are no longer
sufficient.
Reporter's
• Anthony Encabo
• Cherry Mae Jabagat
• Jemar Fuentes
• James Elladora
• Judy Ann Nahine
• Ritchelle Marayan
• Rose Ann Orlandez
• Lorenz Fraga