PROPERTIES OF WELL-WRITTEN

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:
 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 excessive 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.
 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 writer’s chosen text type (e.g., linear
narration, question and answer).
Example:
Chuck Palahniuk’s 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 novel’s stunning
twist is something that I have been trying to
recreate. Thus, I am extremely grateful to have
encountered Palahniuk’s genius early in my writing
career.
 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 one’s 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.
 Coherence and Cohesion
By coherence we mean that every part of a
composition must contribute to one main
unifying thought, which means that the
various parts of a text must follow one
another in an order which makes their
relationship clear. On the other hand,
cohesion means that the overall text has
meaning.
 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 artist’s talent based on one standard.
•
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 Women’s 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 women’s issues around the
world.
 Remember the following when trying to
evaluate if your text has cohesion and
coherence:
• A text with cohesion but no coherence is
difficult to follow.
• A text with coherence but no cohesion has
no definite point.
• A text with both cohesion and coherence is
logically sequenced and stays on topic.
 Proper Language
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.
Avoid:
 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.
 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.
 Technical or Highfalutin Words
Writers want to sound smart by using words
that are very technical or have deep meanings.
Though some writing genres require the use of
such words, writers should still be
careful about using them since they make
readers work harder to understand texts.
Example:
There is an ongoing discourse about the
antidisestablishment assemblage and the
administrative political body.
 Mechanics
This refers to a set of conventions on how to
spell, abbreviate, punctuate and capitalize.
Mechanics are conventions that have to be
considered in writing. Some of these
conventions are spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization. It is important to know
and observe these conventions in writing to
avoid confusion.
•
 Spelling
When you write, always make sure that
you are consistently using one standard with
regard to the spelling of your words.
Remember that there are slight differences in
American English spelling and British English
spelling.
• meter CELIA
• Metre
• Theater
• Theatre
 Punctuation
Punctuation is the act of using a
system of symbols such as the comma,
period, quotation marks, question marks,
etc. that are used to give structure to and
organize a text. The use of punctuation
guides the reader regarding how the text
should be read.
Examples:
 I love to paint portraits I would paint one
every day if I had the time
 I love to paint portraits. I would paint one
every day if I had the time.
 This book is dedicated to my parents, Noel
and Corazon.
 This book is dedicated to my parents,
Noel, and Corazon.
 Capitalization
Capitalization is the act of writing the
first letter of a word in uppercase while the
rest of the letters are in lowercase. There
are rules in capitalization that one has to
remember. Below are a few examples of
words that require capitalization:
 proper nouns
• Alex, Manila
 proper adjectives
•Canadian
 days of the week
•Sunday
 months of the year
•January
 specific course titles
•Theater 101
 kinship names used in place of personal names
and are followed by personal names
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Paz, Uncle Alvin
 adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns, and pronouns
in a title and the first and last word in a title
 Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice
Found There (literature)
 historical periods, events, documents
• Great Depression, the Renaissance, the
Constitution