English for Professional and Academic Purposes – Senior High School

Quarter 1 – Module 2: Use knowledge of text structure to glean for information he/she
needs

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of the
Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office
wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such
agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders. Every
effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from their respective
copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them.

Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin

Development Team of the Module

Writer: REASHIELA L. KHAN

Editors: GINA B. PANTINO

SONIA V. PRENSADER
JOSALIE T. TONIO
LORAINE T. CHIONG

Reviewers: GINA B. PANTINO and

Masbate Province Division headed by HELEN TITONG

Illustrator / Layout Artist: JOHN MICHAEL SARTE

 SHS

English for Academic

and Professional
Purposes
Quarter 1 – Module 2
USE KNOWLEDGE OF TEXT STRUCTURE TO
GLEAN FOR INFORMATION
HE / SHE NEEDS
This instructional material was developed based from the Most Essential
Learning Competencies (MELC) in English for Academic and Professional
Purposes in response to the new normal scheme in learning delivery of the
Department of Education. This module was collaboratively reviewed by educators
and program specialists in the Regional Office V. We encourage teachers and
other educational stakeholders to email their feedback, comments, and
recommendations to the Department of Education at ____________________.

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education Republic of the Philippines

1
I. Title of Material.
Use Knowledge of Text Structure to Glean for Information he / she needs

II. Introduction

Welcome to your second module in EPAP! You have just stepped in the second ladder
in your journey towards becoming better writers of academic texts.

You must have now understood that w essays, concept papers, reaction papers,
position papers, reports and research papers seal contract with your future business partners,
please your superiors, convince your peers, and serve your clients well. This lesson shall help
you identify the structure of common academic texts and the information that you can find in
each of them.

III. Objective

Most Essential Learning Competency:

At the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to use knowledge of text structure to
glean the information he/she needs. (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-4)

IV. Vocabulary List

What’s missing? Below are some essential words that you need to understand to fully
appreciate the lesson. Scan the module for these words. Then, spell the word by filling in the
spaces with the missing letters. The given definitions may serve as your clue.

1. _ T R U _ T U _ E 🡪 how the important points, moments or events are

organized and emphasized in a text.
2. _ E _ T 🡪 any meaningful written material
3. A _ A D E _ I _ T _ _ T 🡪 formal written materials that provides information and/or
professional opinion related to specific discipline or
profession.
4. _ L _ M _ _ T S 🡪 the abstract parts that composes a whole.
5. T _ E _ I _ 🡪the most important message that the entire written article
tries to prove.
6. I _ T _ _ D U _ T _ O _ 🡪 technically either the first paragraph or the first heading of
long academic papers that are divided into several parts.
7. _ _ N C _ U S _ O _ 🡪 technically either the last paragraph or the last heading of
long academic papers that are divided into several parts.
8. B _ _ _ 🡪the paragraphs that are in between the introduction and
conclusion.

2
V. Pretest
What do you find easy about academic writing? What is difficult about it? Below are some ways
on how you should use the basic elements of composition to produce good academic papers.
Rank them by shading the pillars of the house with only one color. In your activity notebook, copy
the image below. Then, shade the pillar light if you find the skill very difficult. Make the shade
darker as you go through the easier skills. The easiest skill for you should have the darkest shade.
At the base of the house, briefly answer the given question.
Think of a topic/ subject

Assert the purpose of the

Write with professional

point of view to keep an

matter to develop into a

accepted organization.

Use appropriate jargons

subject matter to specific
audience in my mind.

supporting information.
and words to produce a

Maintain a third person

Develop my ideas with

professional audience.

sufficiently convincing
Sequence my ideas
according to the

objective tone.
formal tone.
formal text.

.format.

What kind of writing tasks do you think you will encounter in this subject?
What do you think will make them easy and difficult?

VI. Learning Concepts

Have you seen a house that doesn’t look like one? Probably not because rarely people would
risk their money to build an odd structure. If things don’t look like they are supposed to be,
then chances are it had something to do with the structure of the thing. Poorly structured
things can confuse you by their appearance alone. Like buildings with commanding stature,
your academic texts must be properly fashioned to be credible and convincing to your
professional readers.

What’s structure? Simply put, it’s how you organize and emphasize all the important points
that you want to say in your composition. It is what allows for the logical flow of ideas in a
cohesive text. Structure is particularly critical in academic texts because the sequencing of
your ideas give them an acceptable and easy to understand shape. Thus, you also guide your
readers to easily navigate through your points.

3
 Academic texts are formal written materials that provides information and/or
professional opinion related to specific discipline or profession. Compare the two paragraphs
below. Copy on your activity notebook the one which you think is academic?

“Relationships and exchange flows between transnational family members

are heavily reliant on digital technology, telecommunications and air travel. Migrants’
capacity to instantaneously communicate with distant family members by text
messaging, mobile phone conversations, skyping and assorted forms of social
___ media have been axiomatic to the initiation, maintenance and expansion of
transnational family exchange.” (Bryceson. 2019)

“My mother came from a small sugarcane plantation city in Victorias, Negros
Occidental, in an obscure road town called Daan Banwa. She now lives in a
___ concrete-paved upscale Canadian suburb with manicured lawns and an SUV in
every driveway.” (Benzidane, 2008)

If you chose the first one, you are correct! Can you name at least two reasons that
make the first one academic? Go on. Write your answers in your activity notebook.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________

Academic texts are written for professional audience or persons specializing in a

specific field. You can sense the formality in their tone because they express thought on a
serious subject matter using complex sentences, and technical and academic language. In
contrast, non-academic texts are written with friends, family, and general readers as target
audience. You can sense the informality in the tone because the content is conversational
and is expressed using simple and compound sentences joined by conjunctions like ‘and’ and
‘but’.

You have six general classifications of academic texts to cover in this subject. Each is
used for different purposes; thus, each has unique content and structure. Essay is generally
the proforma for all analytical compositions. However, not all essays are academic. Only those
that are written for professional audience and exhibit formal tone in subject matter, sentence
structure, and language can be considered academic. Concept paper defines an idea or a
concept and clarifies its ‘whatness’; thus, its most prominent structure is the use of definition.
Reaction paper is generally an informed and insightful perspective on art, popular culture,
and a technical topic. Position paper asserts an argument. Report retells data, incident, or
event. Research are a highly formal kind of reports.

The flow charts below will give you an idea about how texts generally organize their
content. All compositions in paragraph forms basically have the three parts: introduction,
body, and conclusion. However, there may be variations in the terms used, in the
approximate location (i.e. near the beginning, anywhere in the body, or about at the end), and
in the preformatted forms prescribed by agencies. Doctor’s report and police blotter may have
different appearances. The researches that you know may have chapters 1 to 5. Thesis may
be at the second or later paragraphs but definitely before the details are given. Long texts
may also be divided into several subheadings. You must remember that there is no single,
foolproof method of successful writing. What you have in figures 1 and 2 are the general
structure and content for the common academic texts.

4
 Structure Essay Concept Paper Reaction / Response
Paper
•Present the problem •Identify the work or
or case in an •Present the art and its creator, or
interesting way. concept. the practice or
Introduction •Mention the thesis. •Define the others.
•May give an overview concept. •Provide condensed
about what you will do and factual details.
in the body and •Specify your
conclusion. reaction.
•Expand the
•Use several definition by using
paragraphs to prove analogy, •Same as the essay
your case or examine comparison, •Evaluate the merit
the points; each covers examples, semantic of the work.
Body a topic at a time. origin, etymology, •Indicate whether or
•As a suggestion, keep and functions. not you would
the Key Sentence at •Analytic recommend the work
the beginning of the description of the to others, and why.
paragraph. aspects of the •Prove your stance.
concept.

•Round off the essay

appropriately with an •Same as essay.
Conclusion emphatic conclusion. •Same as essay.
•May call for action

Fig. 1. The structure of essays, concept paper, and reaction paper

Let’s chat a little more.

Introductions or the opening paragraph(s) aims to make a good impression on
readers. If you run out of ideas on how to start your paper, you may consider any of the
common strategies used in opening an essay, such as telling a story (anecdote or parable),
quoting a reputable person, using sayings, mentioning startling facts like statistics, citing a law
or the Bible, asking rhetorical questions, or sharing a personal experience and realization.

5
Structure Position paper Report Research Paper
•Describe the
•Contextualize background of the
the report problem.
•Same as the essay situation.
Introduction •State the problem
•Specify your position. •Give facts. •Define technical
terms.
•Delimit the problem

•Same as essay
•Evaluate existing
•Enumerate your literature
argument. •Provide hard
facts and •Explain the
•Provide evidence and concrete data. theoretical
Body explanations. framework
•Decribe the
•You can be persuasive subjects •Detail the
and humorous. involved. methodology
•Recognize and refute •Analyze the data
oppositions

•End with a strong •May end with •Conclude based on

insight or the last event. the findings.
recommendation.
Conclusion •May mention •Recommend
•Call for action. your objective solutions based on
•Use emotional appeal. conclusion. findings

Fig. 2. The structure of position paper, report, and research paper

Whichever strategy will be fine, but you need to process them and connect them to
your most important goal in the introduction – the thesis statement. Your thesis is the one-
sentence gist or summary of your entire paper. All your evidence and discussion in the body
will revolve around your thesis. This comes usually at the end of the first paragraph or in the
second paragraph. Beginning writers can introduce the thesis this way: “Thus, this paper is
written to prove…,” “For this reason, this essay will focus on…,” “In this paper, you will
understand…,” “In order to discuss …, this position paper will analyze…” or etc.

Remember to avoid writing what Shiach (2007) calls a ‘waffle’ in your opening paragraph.
What is ‘waffle’? It is an empty paragraph. You may commit this when you attempt to hide
your topic by making generalized, empty statements. Look at the example below. It can apply
to a whole range of topics, but which manage to say nothing relevant.

This is a very important issue and there are many different approaches that
can be taken in regard to it. Many experts have considered this matter, but no one
has come up with proven solutions. There are arguments for and against and many
people feel very strongly about it.
(Shiach, 2007)

Academic papers may also mention at the introduction about how your ideas will flow
in the body to fully discuss your thesis. Because there are many great things you need to
mention in your introduction, long texts may need more paragraphs. However, your goal is to

6
make the introduction as much as possible as short as one paragraph, that is about five
sentences.
The body is composed of several paragraphs that cohesively discuss the thesis.
These paragraphs are your means to lead your readers, so they can make sense of your
composition. Have you experienced reading a composition without paragraphing? Its tiring to
read and hard to absorb. Hence, you should order paragraphs in a way that readers can follow
the points you want to stress, as you present them.
As a general rule, one paragraph should deal with only one main topic. The sentence
that has the main topic is called the key or topic sentence. In academic papers, paragraphs
are advised to start with the key sentence. This is because you have professional and busy
readers who need to be guided as to the content of your paragraphs. After presenting
evidence through the point-by-point analysis of hard data, stories, events, and opinions, your
closing sentence should round off the paragraph or dovetail to the next paragraph.

In order to maintain the appearance of “continuous, coherent and integrated whole,”

you may link one paragraph to the next using these transitional expressions: “Another
essential feature of …,” “While it can be argued that …, it is also true that …,”” However, many
critics disagree with this …,” “To counter this argument, …,” “Nevertheless, the evidence is
that …,” “Secondly, …,” “The bulk of the available evidence, then, points to the fact that …,”
“On the contrary, …,” “Having analyzed this aspect, I would now like to …,” “Furthermore, …,”
“In order to emphasize this point, I would like to point to …,” “Moreover, there are other
convincing arguments to back up …,” and “Therefore, …”.

Lastly, you need to bring the writeup to an emphatic conclusion and leave the
impression that the topic has been relevantly and thoroughly dealt with. Some appropriate
words or phrases that you can use to signal this include, “Finally, …,” “As I have argued, …,”
“As I have shown, …,” “Therefore, …,” “The bulk of the evidence, then, points to …,” “However,
as I have shown, …,” and “Based on this evidence, ….”

Summarizing is an important element of conclusion, but you should find a fresh and
concise way of doing this. You should not repeat what you said in the body. The neat final
sentence leaves the reader something to think about. Sometimes, it can be a call for action;
it is something you want them to do after every point you raised in the body.

So, if your readers are looking for specific information, they are somehow guided as
to where to find them. Likewise, if you are looking for an information, you are also guided as
to the part of the text to turn to. In addition to the general contents of academic texts that are
mentioned in the flowcharts, the usual information that are asked for when reading are the
5W’s and 1H (what, who, when, where, why and how) information. The table 1 below lists the
common examples of these questions and the parts you can turn to for the information.

7
 Table 1. The Common Questions of Readers and the Usual Placement of
Their Answers in a Text
Sample Common Questions Part of text
1. What is the entire text about? What Look for the thesis at the end of the
does it want to say? introductory paragraph or in the second
paragraph.
2. Who are the persons involved? Look for addressee at the introductory
paragraph or the details in the body.
3. What is the tone? Is it formal? Analyze the vocabulary used and the way
the sentences are constructed in the
entire text.
4. When are the important dates? Look for the details in the body.

5. Where is the setting of the subject Look for the details in the introductory
matter? paragraphs.

6. What pieces of evidence are Scan the key sentences of the paragraphs
mentioned? in the body.

7. So, what does the writer recommend me Look for it at the conclusion.
to do?
8. How is it done? Scan the key sentences of the paragraphs
in the body.

I hope that after you read the foregoing discussion,

you now have ideas on the structure of academic texts
and how they organize their contents.

VII. Practice Tasks

Do you want to try the concepts above? Now, that you have some idea about the content
and structure of academic texts, let’s try what you have just known in the activities that
follow. Read Text A, Text B, Text C, and Text D. Can you identify their structure? What are
they telling us? While reading, you may start figuring these out.

Ready? Start!

Text A.
Excerpt from: When family time becomes gadget time
By Michele S. Alignay, MA, RP, RGC

“I’m bored!” “It’s so hard!” “I don’t know what to do!” These are some of the most
common complaints we hear from children and teens these days. More often than not, they
have something to do with kids being weaned on gadgets at an early age. When a child
starts throwing a tantrum or begins to move up and about, the first impulse of many parents
is to give him a gadget. And just like magic, his mood changes and peace, albeit temporarily,
reigns, as the young one disconnects from the world around him and focuses on the screen
before him.

The digital age and the advent of social media have indeed connected the world with
a few clicks and taps…. Yet, the advantages social media and the Digital Age bring are,
ironically enough, the very same aspects that now hamper children’s development, life-skill
building, and parent-child relationships.

8
 Children’s downtime is an opportune time for them to create, read, play, and engage
in countless activities people their age normally do as recent as 10 years ago. Giving the
child a gadget when boredom strikes is an ephemeral way of addressing a whim.

Growing babies are supposed to explore and use their hands and feet in order to
sharpen their senses and develop their motor skills. Eating time ought to be a busy, messy,
and happy affair replete with practical and indirect lessons on interaction with their parents
or nannies.

How can we expect these normal and “traditional” activities to transpire if we shove
a gadget in front of them? Do we realize the implications of what we’re doing? We’re
compromising the fleeting time they have, which should be used instead to help them
develop themselves, as they engage with and explore the world around them with their
hands and senses.

By regulating their access to gadgets, we may sound conventional, outdated, or even

mean parents. That’s okay. When we set rules on gadgets, we should mean it. When we
say to our kids to go ahead and cry, but you can’t have gadget time, we should mean it.
When we say no when our kids are becoming too demanding, we should mean it. Buying
peace by caving in to their demands for a gadget comes with a price. I don’t want my kids
and our home to be peaceful at the expense of compromising significant aspects in their
development, learning, and ability to relate to others in the real world.

But such tough-love measures are necessary if we’re to produce responsible and
well-rounded human beings. Their knowledge and familiarity with the virtual world should be
balanced with activities that would make them enjoy and appreciate real-life opportunities to
play, create, chat, express themselves, and be grateful for what they have, including the
privilege of being granted access to gadgets.

Source: Alignay, M.S. (2016 Sept. 24). When family time becomes gadget time. Manila
Bulletin. Available at: https://mb.com.ph/2016/09/24/when-family-time-becomes-
gadget-time/

Text B.
Facing the New Challenges in the New Normal
By Farida F. Layug

The language of a ‘new normal” is almost being used nowadays associated to

uncertainties brought about by the pandemic – coronavirus. But how can we live in the new
reframing of our lives when everyone was caught unaware? Who could ever think that the
entire world will stop with this microscopic thing and hold everyone to “Stay at Home”?
The ‘new normal’ frame encourages a greater understanding that we need to take so
much courage and nourish our emotions and psychological well-being. We can now also
associate new normal to precautionary measure such as face masks, PPEs, social
distancing, ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, use of digital technology, on line classes, frontliners, flatten
the curve and layoffs.
It is alright to accept that things are now different and not normal. It is okay not to feel
comfortable and be scared. But we need to be thankful for each day that passes because of
God’s given life. Resiliency is what we need to have now. According to Dyer and McGuinness
in 1996, resilience describes a process whereby people bounce back from adversity and go
on with their lives. It is a dynamic process highly influenced by protective factors. Protective
factors are specific competencies that are necessary for the process of resilience to occur.

9
Competencies are those healthy skills and abilities that the individual can access and may
occur within the individual or the interpersonal or family environment.
It is resilient people who survive various adversities, challenges, difficulties and
traumas of life. We need to be resilient now more than ever.
Source: Layug, F.F. (2020 Jul 8). Facing the new challenges in the new normal. Sun.Star
Pampanga, p.10.

Text C
Excerpt from NDRRMC Update:
Situational Report No. 13 Re: Preparedness Measures and Effects of Typhoon
“Quiel” (I.N. Nakri) and Tail-End of a Cold Front (TECF)
Date: 15 Nov 2019
l. SITUATION OVERVIEW
On 05 November 2019, the Tropical Depression West Southwest of Iba, Zambales has
entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was named “Quiel”.

It has intensified into a Tropical Storm on the same day while moving eastward. “Quiel”
and the Tail-End of a Cold Front brought moderate with occasional heavy rains over
Northern Luzon particularly in Ilocos Region, Batanes, Cagayan and Apayao.

On 09 November 2019, 10:00AM, the eye of Typhoon “Quiel” was located based on all
available data at 145km North of Pagaza Island, Palawan (Outside PAR) (12.3°N, 114.0°E).

II. EFFECTS
A. Incidents Monitored
06 November 2019
At around 3:00 AM, a fishing boat named Three Sister with 14 passengers has sunk
in the vicinity of Maria Louise Bank (Recto Bank), Spratly Islands, Palawan due to
inherent weather brought by STS “QUIEL”. At around 1:30 AM 11 November 2019, 1
survivor was recovered at the vicinity of Cabra Island, Occidental Mindoro, while 13
others are still missing. No update to date.

08 November 2019
At around 3:00 AM, 13 pump boats for fishing and 2 paddled bancas owned by
local fishermen of Barangay Kemdeng, San Vicente, Palawan were damaged due to
sea swell brought by the inclement weather during the onslaught of TS Quiel.

B. Affected Population
A total of 34,265 families / 138,188 persons (previously reported: 33,792 – families
/ 136,498 persons) were affected in 316 barangays (previously reported: 313
barangays) in Regions |, II, and CAR.

III. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

A. Preemptive Evacuation
A total of 219 families / 819 persons were pre-emptively evacuated from Flora,
Kabugao, Luna, Pudtol, and Santa Marcela in Apayao due to heavy rains. Affected
families were evacuated to the identified evacuation center and to their relatives and
friends. Source: OCDRC CAR

10
 B. NDRRM Operations Center (NDRRMOC)
The NDRRMOC maintains its BLUE alert status and is continuously monitoring the
development of the weather disturbance. Likewise, the NDRRMOC ensures
maximized coordination with concerned agencies and RDRRMCs / OCD Regional
Offices.

C. Facilitated the conduct of the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Meeting on 07

November 2019, 2:00 PM at the 3rd Floor NDRRMC Conference Room, New
NDRRMC Bldg., Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

IV. COST OF ASSISTANCE

A total of P12,323,389.95 (previously reported: P10,137,893.70) worth of assistance
was provided by the DSWD, LGU, and other partners to the affected families.

Source: National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (15 Nov. 2019).
Situational report no. 13. Re: Preparedness measures and effects of typhoon
“Quiel” (I.N. Nakri) and tail-end of a cold front (TECF). NDRRMC, Camp Aguinaldo,
Quezon City, Philippines.

Text D.
Excerpt from: Social Watch Philippines Position Paper on the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)

We believe that the 4Ps is an important relief measure. The usefulness of such a
measure needs to be underscored in light of the fact that many poor Filipinos are desperate
to survive these trying times. Social Watch-Philippines has recently conducted a preliminary
study and survey of 4Ps beneficiaries and has found out that for many beneficiaries, this is
the first time that they have experienced direct support from government on a relatively
sustained basis and are, therefore, grateful for the support. Furthermore, investments in
education and health improve the chances of children for upward social and economic
mobility.

Nevertheless, we are concerned with the current stance of government on the 4Ps
which seems to treat the 4Ps as a magic bullet for poverty reduction. Our concern is based
on the following reasons:

1. The 4Ps does not address all the dimensions of poverty and vulnerability. The 4Ps
program is patently a poverty reduction program designed to address issues on maternal
mortality and child mortality (the latter mostly through the provision of vaccines and
cash), as well as keep children in school for five years. Other vulnerable groups like poor
senior citizens, the chronically sick, people with disabilities, the millions of out-of-
schools, and functionally illiterate or the unemployed poor are not covered by the
program. As such, other anti-poverty programs designed to address the other
dimensions of poverty must likewise be prioritized.

2. The success of the 4Ps, which addresses the demand side, through the provision of
cash grants, requires ensuring the supply side (e.g. availability of health, education and
transport facilities and services). 4P areas are, by program definition, among the
poorest. No amount of conditionalities will work if there is a lack of schools, health clinics,
and means of transport in 4P areas.

11
3. “Thanks for the cash, but we need jobs.” The Social Watch study reveals that most of
the beneficiaries it surveyed expressed gratitude that with the cash grants, the health
and education status of their families were improving. Nevertheless, an overwhelming
majority of beneficiaries said that what would lift them out of poverty was access to
regular employment.

4. What works in other countries may not necessarily work here. Context matters. While
conditional cash transfers (CCTs) around the world share similarities, features vary
across countries, and more importantly, the economic and social policy settings in which
these CCTs are embedded in, also vary.

5. Loans for what? Finally, we question borrowing US$405 M from the World Bank and
US$400 from the ADB for the 4Ps because it not only increases our public indebtedness,
which is cause for concern in itself, but more so because the government is infusing
massive investment on a strategy, as it is currently conceived, that, at best, will have
very limited impact on poverty reduction.

In this light, we call on government to do the following:

Increase public spending in the various pro-poor programs of government with stress
on education, health, agriculture, housing, environment (e.g., see proposals of the
Alternative Budget Initiative);

To come up with a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy, which includes both

economic and social policy, and locate the 4Ps within this framework. Financing for the
government’s anti-poverty reduction strategy should flow from such a framework.

In the immediate, we call for an independent monitoring and review of the 4Ps, and
to include civil society participation. Part of the review is to gauge the capacity of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to handle the further expansion of
the 4Ps.

We know that the causes of poverty are complex and interlocking and based on the
evidence of other country experiences, so effectively combating it will require a combination
of economic and social development policies that require sustained economic growth,
productive employment, asset reform and comprehensive social policies which includes
universal social protection measures.

For as long as the Aquino government does not have a strategy that provides a
holistic perspective and addresses the structural constraints to poverty reduction, its anti-
poverty efforts will remain short-term palliatives.

Source: Social Watch Philippines. (2012 Jan 14). Social Watch Philippines Position Paper
on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). University of the Philippines,
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

12
 A. Practice Task 1: Trial Stage
Whew! That was a long reading you just did! You can breathe now. Once you’ve rested your eyes,
come back here to answer the following.
Identify thru Color. What kind of academic texts are Text A, Text B, Text C, and Text D? Copy
the figures below in your activity notebook. Then, color the box red if the text is an essay, green
if a concept paper, yellow if a position paper, blue if a reaction paper, gray if a report, and violet if
a research paper.
Text A: “When family Text B: “Facing the
time becomes gadget New Challenges in the
time”
B. Practice Task 2: Rehearsal Stage New Normal”
Color Me here! Color Me here.

Text C: “Situational
Report No. 13 Re: Text D: “Social Watch
Preparedness Measures Philippines Position
and Effects of Typhoon Color Me here. Paper on the 4Ps Color Me here.
"Quiel"”

A Closer Look: Look closely at the flowcharts (figures 1 and 2) of the six common academic
texts. At which part of the texts will you find the details in Column A? Explain your answer. Do this
in your activity notebook.

The content of Please choose Please briefly explain your answer below.
academic text among these:
introduction, body,
and conclusion.
1. The concise
message of the
writer in an essay.

2. The expanded
definition in a
concept paper
3. The detailed reason
why the artwork is
recommended or not
4. What the writer
wants others to do in
a position paper

5. The rationale or
background of the
report

6. The problems being

answered in a
research

13
7. The topics that
future researchers
may pursue

8. The list of arguments

in a position paper

Practice Task 3. Challenger Stage

Very well done! Finally, how do you distinguish academic texts from each other based on their
structure and content? To help you answer this question, go to the table below. In your activity
notebook, copy this table. Then, fill it out with brief answers based on your evaluation of Text A,
Text B, Text C, and Text D. You can always go back to the texts to double check your answers.
Below each question, identify the part of the text where you found the answer. You may write at
the introduction, body, or conclusion, in all/any part(s), or if implied, in none among the parts of
the text.

Guide Questions Text A Text B Text C Text D

1. What is the text

about?

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

__Part of Text__

2. What is the
writer’s purpose
or message?

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

__Part of Text__

3. Who is the
target reader of
the text?

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

__Part of Text__

4. What is the
point of view of
the text?

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

__Part of Text__

5. How much
does the writer
know of the
subject? Briefly
explain your
answer.

14
 __Part of Text__ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

6. Did the writer

organize the
content well?
Which part(s)
does not follow
the standard?
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
__Part of Text__

7. What words did

the writer use
that show a
formal language
or technical
concept? Give
three examples
for each.
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
__Part of Text__

VIII. Post-Test
Timed Test. Congratulations for making it to this stage! You are close to completing this
module. To know how much you have the ability to use the structure of texts to draw information,
answer the graded test below within 10 minutes. Write your answers on the space provided.
Excerpt from Positive discipline: The new way of parenting
By Marichu Belarmino
1
So, what is with positive discipline?
2
Positive Discipline is “an approach that teaches children and guides their behaviors
while respecting their rights.”
3
Dr. Joan Durrant, a Canadian family therapist who introduced this concept, cites the
major characteristics of positive discipline, namely:

● Non-violent and respectful of the child as a learner

● About finding long-term solutions that develop children’s own self-discipline
● Involves clear communication of parents’ expectations, rules and limits,
● Builds a mutually respectful relationship between parent and child,
● Teaches children life-long skills,
● Increases children's competence and confidence to handle challenging
situations, and
● Teaches courtesy, non-violence, empathy, self-respect, human rights and
respect for others.

4
PD reminds us adults, parents and guardians that discipline is not the same as
punishment. Various societies have their distinct ways of teaching children.

15
 5
A cross-cultural study on the use of corporal punishment in child-rearing conducted
in 2010, where the Philippines was included as one of the nine countries studied, presented
observations on harsh and non-harsh physical forms of discipline.
6
Harsh physical and power‐assertive discipline is associated with negative child
outcome - externalizing problems, aggression, antisocial or delinquent behavior & poor
psychological adjustment - associated with parental rejection and hostility.
7
Non‐harsh and inductive discipline (i.e. use of reasoning) is associated with positive
child outcomes - higher self‐regulation, more competent behaviors, positive social
relationships.
8
Corporal punishment is “deeply entrenched in our culture and associated with
deeply held values” suggesting that we parents, have the power and control over our
children.
9
Let's face it, we defend this form of disciplining our children simply because this is
the norm.
10
But the truth is, PD re-defined parenting and reiterated that children are humans.
11
They deserve respect. 12They may have done wrong things but they do not deserve such
punishment, however light or harsh it can be.

It’s time to change. 14There is now a demand to learn new skills in parenting and
13

change our violent and harsh ways in relating and dealing with our children and young
people.

Source: Belarmino, M. (2015 May 19). Positive discipline: The new way of parenting.
Rappler.com. Available at: https://rappler.com/voices/ispeak/positive-discipline-
new-way-parenting.

____1. What kind of academic text is the selection above?

a. an essay c. a position paper
b. a concept paper d. a reaction paper
____2. In which part of the selection is positive discipline defined?
a. sentences 1 to 3 c. sentences 10-12
b. sentence 3 d. sentence 2
____3. In which part of the composition is positive discipline and corporeal punishment
compared?
a. sentences 4 to 14 c. sentences 6 and 7
b. sentences 4 to 12 d. all of these
____4. The comparison of positive discipline with corporeal punishment is part of the _____.
a. introduction c. body
b. thesis d. conclusion
____5. In which part of the text would you look to find how the writer clarified the culture that she
was trying to change?
a. introductory paragraphs c. body
b. concluding paragraphs d. none of these
____6. What does Belarmino want parents to do?
a. Go back to school.
b. Attend trainings to acquire skills in parenting.
c. Defend their power-assertive styles of parenting.
d. Develop the habit of positive approach to parental discipline.

16
____7. At which part of the text did you find the answer to item number 8?
a. introductory paragraphs c. body
b. concluding paragraphs d. none of these

IX. Assignments/ Additional Activities

Compilation. And one more thing. To make the structure of academic texts tangible to you,
you need to get a sample hard copy of each. You need not get the very long samples. The
samples you will choose will demonstrate your understanding of structures and contents of
academic texts. (15 points)
Intructions:
1. Print, cut out, or photocopy a sample of each of the six academic
texts.
Samples of Academic Texts 2. Compile them in a long white folder.
3. Your first page will be your title page. Make sure to follow the
Compiled by:
format for the title page using font type Arial, size 14.
Name 4. Include Table of Contents (TOC) page complete with the
headings and their page numbers.
5. Include an introductory paragraph typed using Arial, size 11.
6. Arrange the samples as specified in the TOC. Make sure to write
the page numbers at the top right corner of each page.

Your compilation will be graded using the scoring rubric below:

Criteria 3 2 1
Timeliness Submitted on time Submitted five school Submitted ten school
days after the days after the
deadline deadline
Labels, Table The compilation There is evidence of There is evidence of
of Contents, followed the required effort to follow the significant neglect to
and format format, with title page, required format, with observe the required
Table of Contents, title page, Table of format, with title page,
cover letter, and Contents, cover letter, Table of Contents,
labels with negligible and labels with some cover letter, and
misses and errors. misses and errors. labels with some
misses and errors.
Correctness Submitted samples At least four of the At most two of the
are correctly labeled submitted samples submitted samples
and classified. are correctly labeled are correctly labeled
and classified. and classified.
Completeness Submitted a sample Submitted a sample Submitted a sample
for each kind for at least four kinds for at least two kinds
academic paper. of academic papers. of academic papers.
Comprehension There is evidence of There is evidence of There is evidence of
understanding the need to review parts need to review the
content and structure of the module. whole module.
of academic papers.

Reflection. As you are to leave this module, would you care share some insights you got from
the topic, the reading selections, and the activities? I would really be glad to hear something from
you.

17
Key Takeaways:
1. Structure tells the standard for a specific text.
2. The six general classifications of academic texts have subgenres you may learn in
the next modules.
3. Essays are the proforma of all written compositions. Many strategies used in essay
writing may be used in other academic texts.
4. Compositions generally have three parts – the introduction, body and conclusion.
5. The three parts of a composition may vary in different texts in terms of terminology,
length, approximate placement in texts, and forms prescribed by organizations but
never in sequence.
6. Thesis statement comes usually at the end of the first paragraph or in the second
paragraph.
7. Long texts may be divided into more headings and subheadings.
8. There is no single, foolproof method of successful writing. This module talks about
the general structure for the common academic texts.
9. Avoid ‘waffling’ in your opening paragraph.
10. End with a memorable statement.
The End!
Thank you!

18
X. Answer Key
Vocabulary Check: 1. Structure 5. Thesis
2. Text 6. Introduction
3. Academic Texts 7. Conclusion
4. Elements 8. Body

Practice Task 1 1. Text A = color red 3. Text C = color gray

2. Text B = color green 4. Text D = color yellow

Practice Task 2 1. Introduction 5. Introduction

2. Body 6. Introduction
3. Body 7. Conclusion
4. Conclusion 8. Body

Practice Task 3
Guide Text A Text B Text C Text D
Questions

1. What is the about using about how to about the about the
text about? gadgets during face the ‘new report of weaknesses of
family time normal’ NDRRMC 4Ps program and
about a the Social Watch
calamity Philippines
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ recommendations
Part of Text Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction
2. What is the Regulate We need to be Provide the Inform the
writer’s children’s access resilient. leaders government of
purpose or to gadgets. information on their stance and
message? the typhoon worries about
and NDRRM 4Ps.
response
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
____________
Part of Text Body / Conclusion none Introduction and
Conclusion Conclusion

3. Who is the Parents and Everyone / all Government The Aquino

target reader children of us leaders/ Government
of the text? administrators
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
____________
body all/any part none Conclusion
Part of Text
4. What is the 1st person point 3rd person 3rd person 1st person point
point of view of view point of view point of view of view
of the text?
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
____________
Body & all/any part all/any part all/any part
Part of Text
Conclusion
5. How much Very well. Very well. Very well. Very well.
does the (answers may (answers may (answers may (answers may
writer know of vary) vary) vary) vary)

19
 the subject?
Briefly explain
your answer
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
____________
Body Body Body Body
Part of Text
6. Did the
writer
organize the (answers may (answers may (answers may (answers may
content well? vary) vary) vary) vary)
Which part(s)
does not
follow the ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
standard? (answers may (answers may (answers may (answers may
vary) vary) vary) vary)
____________
Part of Text
7. What words (answers may (answers may (answers may (answers may
did the writer vary) vary) vary) vary)
use that show Examples: Examples: Examples:
a formal Examples:
language? or ● Communication ● New normal ● Situation
● poverty
review
technical ● Connection ● PPE reduction
concept? ● Disaster
● Convenient ● GCQ ● anti-poverty
Give three preparedness
programs
examples for
● Conditional
each. ● conditional cash
cash transfer
transfers
____________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________
Part of Text all/any part or
all/any part or all/any part or all/any part or
specific part
specific part specific part specific part

Post Test. 1. b
2. d
3. b
4. c
5. c
6. d
7. b

20
XI. References:
Sawyer, E. (2016). College essay essentials. A step-by-step guide to writing a successful
college admissions essay. Sourcebooks: Naperville, Illinois.
Shiach, D. (2007). How to write essays: A step-by-step guide for all levels, with sample essays.
Oxford, UK: How to Content.
Sample Paragraphs:
Benzidane, H. (2008 Dec. 28). Transnational families. ABS-CBN News: Global Filipino.
Retrieved July 28, 2020 from <https://news.abs-cbn.com/pinoy-
migration/12/28/08/transnational-families>
Bryceson, D.B. (2019). Transnational families negotiating migration and care life cycles across
nation-state borders. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 45:16, 3042-3064, DOI:
10.1080/1369183X.2018.1547017.
Reading Texts:
Alignay, M.S. (2016 Sept. 24). When family time becomes gadget time. Manila Bulletin.
Available at: https://mb.com.ph/2016/09/24/when-family-time-becomes-gadget-time/
Belarmino, M. (2015 May 19). Positive discipline: The new way of parenting. Rappler.com.
Available at: https://rappler.com/voices/ispeak/positive-discipline-new-way-parenting.
Layug, F.F. (2020 Jul 8). Facing the new challenges in the new normal. Sun.Star Pampanga,
p.10.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (15 Nov. 2019). Situational report
no. 13. Re: Preparedness measures and effects of typhoon “Quiel” (I.N. Nakri) and tail-
end of a cold front (TECF). NDRRMC, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines.
Social Watch Philippines. (2012 Jan 14). Social Watch Philippines Position Paper on the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). University of the Philippines, Diliman,
Quezon City, Philippines.
Images:
Call Out Clipart, Transparent PNG Clipart Images Free Download. Accessed from <
https://images.app.goo.gl/wLgLi1FZsuezEX4t5>
Confused Smiley Face Clip Art Clipart - Question Mark Smiley Face. Accessed from
https://www.clipartmax.com/middle/m2K9A0m2Z5m2A0b1_confused-smiley-face-clip-
art-clipart-question-mark-smiley-face/
No Politics Cliparts #2628091. Accessed from < http://clipart-library.com/clipart/1918311.htm>
Purple Clipart Wand - Adobe Illustrator Reflect Tool. Accessed from <
https://www.clipartmax.com/max/m2i8K9i8H7K9i8K9/>
Silhouette with Greek temple Parthenon. Accessed from <https://depositphotos.com/vector-
images/temple.html>
Teen Cliparts #285074. Accessed from <http://clipart-library.com/clipart/345799.htm>

21