PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

MODULE SIX
Writing for Various Purposes

Rationale:

The cliché the pen is mightier than the sword became famous for a reason. Indeed, we have
seen how the power of words have captured hearts, inspired souls, and conquered nations.
If used correctly, communication can be an effective weapon in order to achieve even those
that seemed impossible.

Communication, in its simplest sense, is the sharing of ideas and emotions between
and among people. But beyond this, it can also serve other purposes. Whether written or
spoken, communication can serve two general aims: to inform and to persuade.

Informative communication involves sharing knowledge. Informative messages

attempt to present an accurate, objective, and unbiased information on different topics.
These topics may center on factual information about people, events, places, processes,
concepts, and ideas. The goal of which is to simply supply information and facts to the
readers or the audience.

Persuasive communication is the type of communication that presents any message

whose main purpose is to get the readers or the listeners to support and change their
thinking in favor of the communicator’s perspective. It tries to alter the attitude and behavior
of others to influence social behavior.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

a. Identify the conventions in writing essays.
b. Explain the stages in the writing process.
c. Demonstrate mastery of following the writing process in composition writing.
d. Determine the different parts of an essay.
e. Compare and contrast the different types of essays.
f. Demonstrate competency in the use of the methods of paragraph development
in writing essays.

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The Essay

An essay is a nonfiction work that deals with one subject, often in a personal way. It
is a longer composition written to communicate a main point to a particular audience for a
specific purpose. It is also known for being a structured piece of writing with a series of well-
connected paragraphs.

A paragraph is a group of sentences that fleshes out a single idea. In order for a
paragraph to be effective, it must begin with a topic sentence, have sentences that support
the main idea, and maintain a consistent flow.

Parts of an Essay

a. Thesis Statement: This is the controlling mechanism or the focused topic that states
the purpose, method of discussion, and the point of discussion.

b. Supporting Paragraphs: This is also known as the body of the essay. It is composed
of supporting paragraphs that explain the thesis statement.

c. Conclusion: This the last paragraph in the essay designed to bring the discussion to a
satisfying close. It can be a restatement of the thesis statement, a thoughtful remark
about the topic, or simply a summary of the supporting paragraphs in the body.

Thesis Statement: There are several negative effects of owning a credit card.

Support1: One has more money to spend.

Support2: One has more opportunity to go into debt.
Support3: One becomes exposed to identity theft.

Conclusion: One should be careful of owning a credit because of its negative

effects like having more money to spend, going into debt, or
becoming exposed to identity theft.

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Types of Essay

An essay is one effective way of expressing and sharing our ideas. As such, essays can
be written in specific ways depending on the purpose of the writer. Here are the general
types of essay:

a. Descriptive Essay: Painting a Picture

In descriptive essays, we use words to paint pictures. In this type of essay, we describe
a person, place, object, event, or idea. Details often come from our own senses—smell,
taste, touch, hearing, and sight. In doing so, we are presenting a clear and vivid picture
in our reader’s minds.

Example:

The door is white, with some scratches at the bottom from my pug scraping it with her
claws. My pug scratches the door when she wants to come into my room. The door
handle is brown and metal. At the complete bottom of the door is a rubber flap, which I
do not know the reason why it is there. The room is about three lengths of my arm span,
including the closet.

(Excerpt from My Room)

b. Narrative Essay: Telling a Story

Narration means to recite the details. This pertains to the unfolding of a series of
events. A narrative essay then gives details of an experience or event in the order in
which they happened.

Example:

A day or two after my birthday, I was on the school basketball court, shooting hoops. My
mother had given me a basketball as a gift, and I was reveling in the fun of this new
sport. But as expected (though I did not think about it at the time), another child started
to bother me. He came up to me, and without a word, took the basketball out of my hands
as I was dribbling. I was so shocked and emotionally tied to that gift that without a
moment’s notice, I punched the kid in the face. I knocked him down and he immediately
ran away crying. I never asked if he was playfully taking the ball from me, but I had had
enough bullying in my day to react strongly to such an action.

(Excerpt from Playground Memory)

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c. Expository Essay: Presenting the Facts
Exposition means to inform, clarify, or explain. The expository essay, being
informative in nature, answers the questions how and why. In this type of essay, we
explain or define a topic using facts, statistics and examples. Writers need to
remember that what matters most in this type of essay is the information presented,
not personal feelings.

Example:

High school teachers are certified to work in high schools, where they develop students’
studies in middle school and gear them towards entering a college or university. As
Teacher.org states, “Usually, high school teachers are responsible for teaching a single
subject, like English or Math. Lessons are typically taught through classroom
discussions, lectures, and other methods. Teachers tend to evaluate student progress
through coursework, projects, and examinations” (“High School Teacher”). In addition,
high school teachers are able to instruct in a way that is memorable and creative.

(Excerpt from The Different Types of Teachers)

d. Persuasive Essay: Convincing the Reader

A persuasive essay also presents facts but its goal is to convince the readers to accept
the writer’s point of view or recommendation. In doing so, the writer also presents
facts, sound reasoning, and logic in building the case.

Example:

Having a great career is one thing, but having lasting friendships is another benefit of
girls playing sports. With such an intense competition to be popular in school,
friendships are valuable. According to Reachout.com, “With girls, participation in sport
also broadens the social convoy to which young girls have access and strengthens
relationships within groups. This increased sense of social connectedness is especially
beneficial as it leads to social identification with a prosocial entity” (“The Role of Friends
in Sports Participation”). These social activities dig many teenage girls out of depression
and a lack of self-identity. Participating in sports allows girls to find their group, and to
do collective activities together that are positive.

(Excerpt from Girls in Sports)

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Paragraph Development

The paragraph is a group of sentences that fleshes out a single idea. For it to be
effective, it must have a topic sentence, sentences that support the main idea, and a
consistent flow.

In writing paragraphs, or the essay as a whole, we must remember two important

elements: unity and coherence.

Unity in writing means that each paragraph is focused solely on a single idea, point,
or argument that is being discussed. With this said, all sentences in the paragraph are all
telling the reader one topic. Look at the example below and determine which sentences
should not be included in the paragraph.

Manny Pacquiao is a terrific Filipino boxer. He has a good

family. He has fought against several world famous boxers from
different countries so strongly that he becomes the best loved
boxer in the world today. He is married, and he is a good
provider to his family. He devotes much of his time preparing
for his fights and defending his boxing title from different
contenders. He loves to travel, and from his journeys, he gained
much experience in life.

Coherence is more commonly referred to as the flow of your writing. It is important

that sentences in the paragraph follow one another in a natural sequence. This can be
achieved by arranging the sentences to show a clear sequence of ideas and using structural
or transitional devices to show the logical connections between sentences. Examples of these
connectors are:

for example, for instance, namely, first, second, third… next, then, finally
specifically
accordingly, consequently, hence, therefore finally, in a word, in brief, in conclusion
additionally, again, also, besides, in but, however, on the other hand,
addition nonetheless

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Methods of Paragraph Development

Development means to delve deeper into an idea. In writing an effective paragraph,

there are certain methods that we can employ in order to present our ideas in a better way.

a. Definition
When writing a definition paragraph, we take a thing or an idea and explain what it
is. In this type of paragraph development, the topic sentence identifies a term and
suggests the overall context in which it is used.

Family therapy is a method of helping troubled families work out their problems
and conflicts. Therapy involves discussion sessions directed by a trained therapist. All
members of the family are encouraged to come to the sessions. The goal of each session
is to work out possible solutions to a particular problem.

b. Sequence
In a sequence paragraph, we are writing to describe a series of events or a process in
sort of order. Usually, this order is based on time. In this pattern, the details are
presented in the order in which they happened.

He was recently elected senator. Previously, he worked as a lawyer in Makati

City. He won the party leadership last year. Afterwards, he won the election. When he
won the party leadership, he was still working as a lawyer. After winning a seat in the
House of Representatives, he made sure he had a majority of seats.

c. Comparison and Contrast

The comparison-contrast pattern is used when similarities and differences of two or
more actions, ideas, or events are being discussed. A paragraph may discuss only
similarities, only differences, or both similarity and difference.

Divina thought over whether to buy a sling bag or a back pack. The sling bag
costs only P150.00, compared to the P250.00 price tag on the back pack. However, the
back pack is more useful than the sling bag. On the other hand, the sling bag could carry
her things. Divina preferred to put all her books and notebooks in a back pack.

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d. Cause and Effect
Cause and effect shows the relationship between two things when one thing makes
the other thing happen. Usually, the expressions “if…then” are used in this type of
paragraphs. The cause and effect development is also called an explanation paragraph
because it explains how or why something happens.

Filipinos move continuously to the United States because they want to have
better living conditions there. The large influx of people in the U.S. was due to economic
pressures in the Philippines. Living conditions were terrible. Consequently, many
Filipinos move to the United States.

e. Process
A process is a series of steps that lead to a desired result. It explains how to do, create,
or understand something. In writing such, we must know the procedures down to the
smallest detail. In summary, a process paragraph gives direction by telling someone
how to do something or gives information about how some process was or is to be
completed.

Buying a good car is easy if you know these steps. First, you must decide on a new
or used one. You must also figure out your budget and how much you want to spend.
Then, if you decide to buy a used car, check the values from the newspaper. For example,
you can research new cars in consumer magazines and the Internet for price, safety, and
value. These steps can help you select the right car for many years of reliable
transportation.

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 f. Analogy
An analogy is an expression of similarity between two unlike things. This type of
paragraph development is used to explain something unknown in terms of something
known. A good analogy can help readers understand a complicated subject or view a
common experience in a new way.

Pupils are more like oysters than sausages. The job of teaching is not to stuff
them and then seal them up, but to help them open and reveal the riches within. There
are pearls in each of us, if only we knew how to cultivate them with ardor and
persistence.
(Sydney J. Harris, "What True Education Should Do," 1964)

The Writing Process

In writing, we need to write for the ‘educated idiot’—meaning, the reader knows
nothing about the topic but does understand grammar and structure.

Although writers follow their own processes, writing involves at least four distinct
steps.

a. Prewriting
Prewriting is anything that is done before even writing the draft of the document. It
includes thinking, taking notes, talking to others, brainstorming, outlining, and
gathering information. Although the first step that we engage in, generating ideas is
an activity that occurs throughout the writing process. Prewriting includes:

 Finding Your Idea: Ideas are all around us. We can draw inspiration from a
routine, an everyday situation, or a childhood memory among others.
 Building on Your Idea: There are some ways on how we can build and expand
on our ideas. The most common methods are free writing and brainstorming.
 Planning and Structuring: This is the step wherein we piece the puzzle
together. It is the time for us to sort through our ideas and choose the ones we
can use.

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b. Drafting
Drafting occurs when we put our ideas into sentences and paragraphs. It is in this
stage where we concentrate on explaining and supporting our ideas fully. We also
begin to connect these ideas with each other. At this stage, we don’t usually pay
attention to the rules of grammar.

c. Revising
Revision is the key to effective documents. In this stage, we think more deeply about
our readers’ needs and expectations. It is also in this stage wherein we refine our
prose, making each sentence as concise and accurate as possible. We may follow these
steps:

 Add: Give your readers all the information they need.

 Rearrange: Consider the flow, pacing, and sequencing of the manuscript.
 Remove: Eliminate information that doesn’t quite fit in the composition.
 Replace: If something is not working, replace it.

d. Editing
This is the stage to fine tune the document line by line. Check for repetition, clarity,
grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Change words that are not used correctly. Make
sure your using the correct format for the composition.

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Comprehension Check
Write at least five (5) key takeaways from the lesson.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Learning Tasks

A. Rewrite each paragraph, correcting errors in terms of unity, coherence, and

composition.

1. I will always consider my Palawan trip as my most memorable trip ever. I went
there last July 2018 with 5 of my friends. The trip was a treat from one of my
buddies and it was an excellent bonding for us. Other places we have visited
included Bohol, Boracay, and Cebu. The beauty of Palawan is really amazing which
is why I will never forget this trip ever. But, the beauty of Palawan is not the only
thing I will remember about it because I also had a bad ear infection when I came
home. I got the infection after snorkeling in Honda Bay. So, really how can I ever
forget a trip like that?

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2. Manny Pacquiao is a terrific boxer. He has a good family. He has fought against
several world famous boxers from different countries so strongly that he became
the best loved boxer in the world today. He is married, and he is a good provider
to his family. He devotes much of his time preparing for his fights and defending
his boxing title from different contenders. He loves to travel, and from his
journeys, he gained much experience in life.

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3. Dash is in bad shape. He was bloodied and beaten. He was too weak to carry his
poor, broken little body inside the house. By the time I saw him, his battered
body had already lost too much blood. Ow, blood—I hate blood. I am scared of
blood ever since I was a child. Dash the chicken, died a few minutes later.

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 4. Dogs are wonderful pets to have. They know how to do tricks. But some of my
classmates prefer cats as pets. They love to run and play. Dogs are furry and cute.
They love to lick their owners. One time, I went home and did not see my dog. I
became very sad. They are fun to be with.

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B. Complete the following paragraphs. Be as creative as you can by providing the

details or descriptions needed for each paragraph.

1. When I was __________________ (age), I learned that ___________________________________________ is

important.
First Event: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Details: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Second Event: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Details: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Third Event: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Details: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
From that time on, I _____________________________________________________________________________.

2. Today’s college students have many ___________________________________________ (challenges,

stresses, roles, etc.).
First Example: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Details ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Second Example: ________________________________________________________________________________
Details ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Third Example: __________________________________________________________________________________
Details ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Going to college is not easy, (and/but/so)_____________________________________________________.

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3. Learning how to _____________________________________________ (something you are good at) is not
hard if you ____________________________________________________.
First Step: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Second Step: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Third Step: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Explanation: _________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________ takes some time and concentration, but anyone can do it.

4. Education is _________________________________________________________________________________________.
First Example: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Details: ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Second Example: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Details: ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Third Example: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Details: ______________________________________________________________________________________________
The word education may different things to different people, but to me it means ___________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________.

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LESSON TEST
Essay Writing
Write about a topic that you like. You may choose from the writing prompts that your
instructor will provide to your class.

Using any prewriting techniques, write down everything you can think of about your
topic.

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Now that you have chosen a topic, accomplish the outline below:

Topic
Type of Essay
(Narrative,
Persuasive…)

Thesis Statement

Supporting Detail 1

Supporting Detail 2

Supporting Detail 3

Concluding
Statement

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 RUBRIC IN RATING ESSAY

2
5 4 3 1
Needs Score
Category Excellent Very Good Average Unacceptable
Improvement
The paper
has no clear
sense of
This essay is
purpose or
clear and
The student is central
focused. It
This essay is beginning to theme. To
holds the Topic is not
mostly define the extract
instructor's well-defined
Ideas focused and topic, even meaning
attention. and/or there
has some though from the text,
Relevant are too many
good details development is the instructor
details and topics.
and quotes. still basic or must make
quotes enrich
general. inferences
the central
based on
theme.
sketchy or
missing
details.
The writing
The
lacks a clear
organization
sense of
enhances and The
direction.
showcases the Paper (and organizational
Sentences Ideas, details,
central idea paragraphs) structure is
within or events
or theme. The are mostly strong enough
paragraphs seem strung
order, organized, to move the
Organization make sense, together in a
structure of in order, reader through
but the order of loose or
information is and makes the text
paragraphs random
compelling sense to the without too
does not fashion; there
and moves reader. much
is no
the instructor confusion.
identifiable
through the
internal
text.
structure.
The writing The text hums The reader
has an easy The writing along with a has to
flow, rhythm, mostly steady beat, The text seems practice quite
Sentence and cadence. flows, and but tends to be choppy and is a bit to give
Fluency Sentences are usually more not easy to this paper a
well built, invites oral businesslike read orally. fair
with strong reading. than musical, interpretive
and varied more reading.

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 structure that mechanical
invites than fluid.
expressive
oral reading.
The student The student
The student
understands shows
demonstrates
good reasonable The writer Errors in
a good grasp
writing control over a seems to have spelling,
of standard
conventions limited range made little punctuation,
writing
and usually of standard effort to use capitalization,
conventions
uses them writing conventions: usage, and
(e.g., spelling,
correctly. conventions. spelling, grammar
punctuation,
Essay is Conventions punctuation, and/or
Conventions capitalization,
easily read, are sometimes capitalization, paragraphing
grammar,
and errors handled well usage, repeatedly
usage,
are rare; and enhance grammar distract the
paragraphing)
minor readability; at and/or reader and
and uses
touch-ups other times, paragraphing make the text
conventions
would get errors are have multiple difficult to
effectively to
this piece distracting and errors. read.
enhance
ready to impair
readability.
publish. readability.
The form and
The reader
presentation The format
receives a
of the text only has a
The writer's garbled
enhances the few
message is only message due
ability for the mistakes The writer's
understandable to problems
reader to and is message is
Presentation occasionally, relating to
understand generally understandable
and paper is the
and connect easy to read in this format.
messily presentation
with the and
written. of the text,
message. It is pleasing to
and is not
pleasing to the eye.
typed.
the eye.

TOTAL

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RESOURCES:

Bullock, R. (2009). The Norton field guide to writing [EBook]. Retrieved from http://english28-
payte.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/2/9/38294063/nortonfieldguide2.pdf

Developing your paragraph [PDF File]. (2009). Retrieved from

https://www.macmillanlearning.com/catalog/uploadedFiles/Content/BSM/
Product/TOC/RealSkillsch8.pdf

Girls in sports. (2018). Retrieved from

https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/persuasive/girls-in- sports.html

KU Writing Center. (2018). The writing process. Retrieved from

http://writing.ku.edu/writing-process

Monmouth University. (n.d.). Paragraphs [PDF File]. Retrieved from

https://www.monmouth.edu/resources-for-writers/documents/paragraphs.pdf/
MTD Training & Ventus Pusblishing ApS. (2010).

My room : Descriptive essay samples. (2017). Retrieved from

https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/descriptive/my-room-
descriptive-essay.html

Playground memory : Narrative essay samples. (2018). Retrieved from

https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/narrative/playground-
memory.html

Purdue Online Writing Lab (n.d.). General Writing FAQs. Retrieved

from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/general_writing_faqs.html

Manzano, B., Arador, M., & Ladia, M. (2018). Purposive communication for college freshmen.
Bulacan, Philippines: St. Andrew Publishing House

Reader's Digest. (n.d.). The five-step writing process: From brainstorming to publishing.
Retrieved from https://www.liferichpublishing.com/AuthorResources/General/5- Step-
Writing-Process.aspx

Time4Writing. (n.d.). Understanding the types of essays. Retrieved from

https://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/types-of-essays/

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