Quarter 4 - Module 4

Observing Correct
Grammar in
Making Definitions
Learning Competency
Observe correct
grammar in making
definitions. EN10G-IIa-
29
ACTIVITY 1: ANTICIPATION
GUIDE
Direction: Write O if you agree
on the statement, otherwise,
write X if you disagree.
1. I can define a term easily.
2. Aside from getting the meaning of a term, I can
give a meaning to it by my own background and
experiences.
3. I can easily identify errors in a sentence.
4. I can construct a good and meaningful statement
by extending the meaning of a term.
5. There are different techniques in writing a
definition essay.
Writing Definitions
A formal definition is based
upon a concise, logical pattern
that includes as much
information as it can within a
minimum amount of space. The
primary reason to include
definitions in your writing is to
 A formal definition consists of
three parts:
1. The term (word or phrase) to be
defined
2. The class of object or concept
to which the term belongs
3. The differentiating
characteristics that distinguish it
Examples:
1. Water (term) is a liquid
(class) made up of
molecules of hydrogen and
oxygen
in the ratio of 2 to 1
(differentiating characteristics).
2. Comic books (term) are
sequential and narrative
publications (class)
consisting of illustrations,
captions, dialogue balloons,
and often focus on
super-powered heroes
(differentiating characteristics).
3. Astronomy (term) is a
branch of scientific study
(class) primarily concerned
with celestial objects inside
and outside of the earth’s
atmosphere (differentiating
characteristics).
 Although these examples should
illustrate the manner in which the
three parts work together, they are
not the most realistic cases. Most
readers will already be quite
familiar with the concepts of
water, comic books, and
astronomy. For this reason, it is
important to know when and why
you should include definitions in
WHEN TO USE DEFINITIONS
1. When your writing contains a
term that may be key to audience
understanding and that term
could likely be unfamiliar to them
"Stellar Wobble is a measurable
variation of speed wherein a star's
velocity is shifted by the gravitational
pull of a foreign body."
2. When a commonly used word or phrase
has layers of subjectivity or evaluation in
the way you choose to define it "Throughout
this essay, the term classic gaming will refer
specifically to
playing video games produced for the Atari, the
original Nintendo Entertainment System, and any
systems in-between.“ Note: not everyone may
define "classic gaming" within this same
time span; therefore, it is important to
define your terms.
3. When the etymology (origin and history) of
a common word might prove interesting or
will help expand upon a point "Pagan can be
traced back to Roman military slang for an
incompetent soldier.
In this sense, Christians who consider themselves
soldiers of Christ are using the term not only to suggest
a person's secular status but also their lack of bravery.'
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR WRITING DEFINITIONS
• Avoid defining with "X is when" and "X is where"
statements. These introductory adverb phrases should
be avoided. Define a noun with a noun, a verb with a
verb, and so forth.
• Do not define a word by mere repetition or merely
restating the word. "Rhyming poetry consists of lines
that contain end rhymes."
Better:
"Rhyming poetry is an art form consisting of lines
whose final words consistently contain identical, final
• Define a word in simple
and familiar terms. Your
definition of an unfamiliar
word should not lead your
audience towards looking
up more words in order
to understand your
definition.
• Keep the class portion of your
definition small but adequate. It should
be large enough to include all members
of the term you are defining but no
larger. Avoid adding personal details to
definitions. Although you may think the
story about your Grandfather will
perfectly encapsulate the concept of
stinginess, your audience may fail to
relate. Offering personal definitions may
only increase the likeliness of
HOW TO WRITE A DEFINITION ESSAY
A definition essay can be deceivingly
difficult to write. This type of paper
requires
you to write a personal yet academic
definition of one specific word. The
definition must be thorough and
lengthy. It is essential that you choose a
word that will give you plenty to write
about, and there are a few standard
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind
when writing a definition essay.
Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Right Word
1: Choose an abstract word with a
complex meaning.
▪ A simple word that refers to a
concrete word will not give you much
to write about, but a complex word
that refers to an abstract concept
▪ Typically, nouns that
refer to a person, place, or
thing are too simple for a
definition essay. Nouns
that refer to an idea work
better, however, as do
most adjectives.
▪ For example, the word “house” is
fairly simple and an essay written
around
it may be dull. By switching to
something slightly more abstract
like “home,”
however, you can play around
with the definition more. A
“home” is a concept, and there
are many elements involved in the
2: Make sure that the word is
disputable.(arguable)
▪ Aside from being complex,
the word should also refer to
something that can mean
different things to different
people.
▪ A definition essay is
somewhat subjective by nature
since it requires you to analyze
and define a word from your
own perspective. If the answer
you come up with after
analyzing a word is the same
answer anyone else would
3: Choose a word you have some
familiarity with.
▪ Dictionary definitions can only
tell you so much. Since you
need to elaborate on the word
you choose to define, you will
need to have your own base of
knowledge or experience with
▪ For instance, if you have never
heard the term “pedantic,” your
understanding of the word will be
limited. You can introduce yourself
to the word for your essay, but
without previous understanding of
the concept, you will not know if the
definition you describe is truly fitting .
4: Read the dictionary definition.
▪ While you will not be relying
completely on the dictionary
definition for your essay,
familiarizing yourself with the
official definition will allow you to
compare your own
understanding of the concept
with the simplest, most
▪ As an example, one definition of
“friend” is “a person attached to
another by feelings of affection or
personal regard.” Your own ideas
or beliefs about what a “friend”
really is likely include much more
information, but this basic
definition can present you with a
good starting point in forming
5: Research the word’s
origins.
▪ Look up your chosen
word in the Oxford
English Dictionary or in
another
▪ These sources can tell you
the history behind a word,
which can provide further
insight on a general
definition as well as
information about how a
word came to mean what it
means today.
Part 2 of 3: Potential Elements of
an Effective Definition
1: Write an analysis.
▪ Separate a word into
various parts. Analyze and
define each part in its own
paragraph.
▪ You can separate “return” into
“re-” and “turn.” The word
“friendship” can be separated
into “friend” and “ship.”
▪ In order to analyze each portion
of a word, you will still need to
use
additional defining tactics like
▪ Note that this tactic only
works for words that contain
multiple parts. The word “love,”
for instance, cannot be broken
down any further. If defining
“platonic love,” though, you
could define both “platonic” and
“love” separately within your
2: Classify the term.
▪ Specify what classes and
parts of speech a word
belongs to according to a
standard dictionary definition.
▪ While this information is very
basic and dry, it can provide
helpful context about the way
3: Compare an unfamiliar
term to something familiar.
▪ An unfamiliar or
uncommon concept can be
explained using concepts
that are more accessible to
the average person.
▪ Many people have never heard of
the term “confrere,” for instance.
One basic definition is “a fellow
member of a profession, fraternity,
etc.” As such, you could compare
“confrere” with “colleague,” which is
a similar yet more familiar concept.
4: Provide traditional
details about the term.
▪ Explain any physical
characteristics or
traditional thoughts
used to describe
The term “home” is often visualized
physically as a house or apartment.
In more abstract terms, “home” is
traditionally thought to be a warm,
cozy, and safe environment. You
can include all of these features in
a definition essay on “home.”
5: Use examples to illustrate the
meaning.
▪ People often relate to stories and
vivid images, so using a fitting
story or image that relates to the
term can be used in clarifying an
abstract, formless concept.
▪ In a definition essay about
“kindness,” for example, you could
write about an act of kindness you
recently witnessed. Someone who
mows the lawn of an elderly
neighbor is a valid example, just as
someone who gave you an
encouraging word when you were
6: Use negation to explain
what the term does not mean.
▪ If a term is often misused or
misunderstood, mentioning
what it is not is an effective
way to bring the concept into
focus.
▪ A common example would
be the term “courage.” The
term is often associated with
a lack of fear, but many will
argue that “courage” is more
accurately described as
acting in spite of fear.
7: Provide background
information.
▪ This is when your research
about the etymology of a word
will come in handy. Explain
where the term originated and
how it came to mean what it
currently means.
Part 3 of 3: Definition Essay
Structure
1: Introduce the standard
definition.
▪ You need to clearly state what
your word is along with its
traditional or dictionary
definition in your introductory
▪ By opening with the dictionary
definition of your term, you create
context
and a basic level of knowledge
about the word. This will allow you
to introduce and elaborate on your
own definition.
▪ This is especially
significant when the
traditional definition of
your term varies from
your own definition in
notable ways.
2: Define the term in
your own words in your
thesis.
▪ Your actual thesis
statement should define
the term in your own
▪ Keep the definition in
your thesis brief and basic.
You will elaborate on it
more in the body of your
paper.
▪ Avoid using passive phrases
involving the word “is” when
defining your term.
The phrases “is where” and “is
when” are especially clunky.
▪ Do not repeat part of the
defined term in your definition.
3: Separate different parts of
the definition into separate
paragraphs.
▪ Each tactic or method used
to define your term should be
explored in a separate
▪Note that you do not need to use all the
possible methods of defining a term in
your essay. You should use a variety of
different methods in order to create a full,
well –rounded picture of the term, but
some tactics will work great with some
terms but not with others.
4: Conclude with a
summary of your main
points.
▪ Briefly summarize your
main points around the
start of your concluding
▪ This summary does not need to be
elaborate. Usually, looking at the
topic
sentence of each body paragraph is a
good way to form a simple list of your
main points.
▪ You can also draw the essay to a
close by referring to phrases or
5: Mention how the
definition has affected you,
if desired.
▪ If the term you define plays
a part in your own life and
experiences, your final
concluding remarks are a
good place to briefly mention
▪ Relate your experience with
the term to the definition you
created for it in your thesis.
Avoid sharing experiences
that relate to the term but
contradict everything you
wrote in your essay.
The Subject and the Predicate
A sentence consists of two parts: a
subject and a predicate.
A subject tells whom or what the
sentence is about. The predicate tells
something about the subject. A
complete subject or a complete
predicate may be only one
word or more than one word.
Usually, the subject comes
before the predicate.
Sometimes, however, the
subject may appear elsewhere
in the sentence. To find the
subject of a sentence, ask Who?
or What? before the predicate.
The Sentence Base
Because a subject and a
verb are the essential parts
of a sentence, they are called
the sentence base. All the
other words in a sentence
are attached to the sentence
launched.
The additional words
give informative
details, but they
would be meaningless
without the sentence
base.
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY 1: Legit
Check
Direction: Tell whether the statement
below is either a subject or a predicate.
Write S for subject and P for predicate.
Use a separate sheet of paper for your
answer .
1. Cholera
2. is an intestinal infection that can be
described according to its cause,
symptoms and treatment.
3. Contaminated food, water, or feces
4. can result in the rapid spread of this
disease.
5. Patients who have been exposed to
the disease
6. may exhibit mild to extreme symptoms.
7. The primary signs
8. are watery diarrhea and loss of water and
salts.
9. Other symptoms
10. include clammy skin, wrinkled hands
and feet, sunken eyes and dry mouth.
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY 2: Vocabulary
Check
Direction: For each of the passages below,
select the letter of the one item that most
accurately defines the word in BOLD.
Write the letter of your answer in a
separate sheet of paper.
1. "Dad's shop was a messy disaster area, a labyrinth of lathes. Its
walls were hung with the mounted antlers of deers he'd bagged,
forming a makeshift museum of death. The available flat surfaces
were buried under a million scraps of paper on which he sketched his
mechanical inventions in blue ball-point pen." -Sarah Vowell,
"Shooting Dad"
A. a place where goods are manufactured or repaired
B. a dirty or extremely untidy place
C. a maze, a place where it's hard to find your way around
D. a deserted or abandoned place
2. "For the most part we are an intemperate people: we eat too much
when we can, drink too much, indulge our senses too much. Even in
our so-called virtues we are intemperate: a teetotaler is not content not
to drink — he must stop all the drinking in the world; a vegetarian
among us would outlaw the eating of meat." –John Steinbeck, "Paradox
and Dream"
A. bossy, domineering
B. lazy, indolent
C. very annoying, making others impatient or angry
D. immoderate, showing a lack of self-control
3. "Like a feather caught in a vortex, Williams ran around the
square of bases at the center of our beseeching screaming. He
ran as he always ran out home runs — hurriedly, unsmiling,
head down, as if our praise were a storm of rain to get out
of." -John Updike, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu"
A. a mass of whirling air, a whirlwind or cyclone
B. a leafy branch of a tree
C. a clogged drainage pipe, a stopped-up sewer
D. a nest
4. "My father, a fat, funny man with beautiful eyes and a subversive
wit, is trying to decide which of his eight children he will take with
him to the county fair." -Alice Walker, "Beauty: When the Other
Dancer Is the Self"
A. extremely amusing, hilarious
B. tending to upset or overthrow the established order
C. highly predictable, happening in a way you would expect
D. impossible to understand, impenetrable
5. "Roger was thankful for the clothes he
had chosen to wear today, because if there
was ever a time he needed sartorial armor,
it was right now." -Tom Wolfe, "A Man in
Full"
A. related to clothing or style of dress
B. extremely heavy
C. made of metal or leather
D. related to a battle or a competition
Assessment 1: Adding Words
Direction: Read and understand the
paragraph carefully and add other
words to the sentence base located
in the first column to complete the
information about what happened
next. Use a separate sheet for your
answer.
 How would you send an urgent message to someone? Today, you might use
different gadgets such as cellphone, laptops, tablets or a computer. The first
handheld mobile phone was demonstrated by John F. Mitchell and Martin
Cooper of Motorola in 1973,
using a handset weighing c.2 kilograms or 4.4 lbs. A mobile phone, cellular
phone, cellphone, or hand phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell
or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a
radio frequency link while the user is moving within a telephone service area.
In your coming birthday, you wish for a new mobile phone. And so, as a gift,
your mother ordered a mobile phone in an online shop without you knowing.
Assessment 2: Define a Term
Direction: In this activity, follow
the instruction below to help
you define a term. Follow the
essay format for your answer.
Use a separate sheet of paper for
your output.
1. Think of an abstract
noun.
2. Look for its dictionary
meaning.
3. Research the word's
origin.
5. Provide traditional details about
the term.
6. Tell an example to illustrate the
meaning.
7. Define the term in your own
words.
8. Mention how the definition has
affected you.
Gauge
Direction: Read and understand
each question carefully and write
the letter of your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which among the choices is the primary reason to
include definition in your writing?
A. Writing definition helps the reader
understand the subject the writer tries to tell.
B. To avoid misunderstanding with the readers’
audience.
C. Definitions can include information helpful to
the reader.
D. All of the given choices.
2. Which among the choices below best explains to define a
word with simplicity and familiarity?
A. If the term is unfamiliar, it could lead your audience
towards looking up more words in order to understand the
definition.
B. Adding personal information to the term might lead the
reader understand more the term.
C. Simplicity and familiarity leads the reader to simple
grasp the idea of the writer.
D. Simple and familiar terms is boring to the reader.
3. Why is it important to look for the
word’s origin?
A. It can tell you the history behind the
word.
B. It can provide further insight on a
general definition.
C. It can give information about how a
word can do to mean what it means
today.
4. When defining a term, one can use example to
illustrate meaning. What is its purpose?12
A. People often relate to stories and vivid images.
B. Using a fitting story or image that relates to the
term can be used in clarifying an abstract,
formless concept
C. Both A and B.
D. None of the given choices.
5. How could one introduce a standard
definition?
A. State the word with traditional or
dictionary definition
B. A dictionary definition of the term can
create context and a basic level of
knowledge
C. If dictionary definition is present, the
writer can also introduce and elaborate his
or her own definition about the term.
6. Which should be eliminated from
the choices?
A. Use negative to explain what the
term does not mean.
B. Introduce the standard
definition.
C. Provide traditional details about
the term.
D. Use examples to illustrate
7. What should be included in the
definition essay?
A. Define the term in your own
words in your thesis.
B. Provide background
information.
C. Classify the term.
D. Write an analysis.
8. For number 8 to 10.
Look for the dictionary
meaning of the term,
“love”.
9. Research about its
etymology.
10. Define it in your own