HUMSS Strand Advance Study Reviewer (With Explanations)
ENGLISH & WRITING SUBJECTS
1. Mastering Grammar Grammar is the system of rules that allows us to structure and understand
language correctly. Mastering it means: - Subject-verb agreement: Make sure your subject and verb match
in number (e.g., She walks, not She walk). - Avoiding run-on sentences and fragments: Learn to break long
sentences into clear ideas and avoid sentence parts that feel incomplete. - Punctuation: Commas separate
ideas, semicolons join related thoughts. Misusing them changes the meaning. - Verb tenses: Stay
consistent—if you start in past tense, stick to it unless there’s a reason to shift.
2. Expect Heavy Writing Work You’ll write different types of essays: - Think-piece: You express your
opinion about something big—like society, politics, or personal values. - Reaction paper: You respond to
something you read, watched, or discussed—sharing how it made you feel and think. - Formal essays:
These follow clear structure (introduction, body, conclusion) and aim to argue or analyze something
seriously.
3. English Basics Refresher Before anything advanced, you must know: - Types of sentences: Simple (one
idea), Compound (two ideas joined), Complex (one main and one dependent), Compound-complex (mix of
both). - Common mistakes: Misplaced modifiers (wrongly placed descriptions) or apostrophe misuse (e.g.,
its vs. it’s).
4. College-Level Sentences You’re expected to go deeper than simple statements. Instead of “Ana is
beautiful,” try: - “Ana’s graceful presence commands attention in every room she enters.” Use strong adjectives,
vivid verbs, and more precise imagery.
5. Academic Writing (EAPP) In English for Academic and Professional Purposes, you’ll learn: - Formal tone:
No slang or jokes. Be respectful and objective. - Citing sources: Use APA or MLA style to avoid plagiarism. -
Thesis statements: One strong sentence that tells readers what your paper is all about.
6. Reading and Writing Topics - Kinds of Sentences (Structure): Simple, compound, complex, and
compound-complex - Kinds of Sentences (Function): Declarative (statement), Interrogative (question),
Imperative (command), Exclamatory (emotion) - Kinds of Claims: - Fact: Can be proven (e.g., “Climate
change is real.”) - Value: Opinion-based (e.g., “Education is more important than fame.”) - Policy: Suggests
action (e.g., “The school should ban plastic use.”)
7. Figures of Speech These make writing creative and interesting. Learn beyond simile and metaphor: -
Metonymy: Replacing a word with something closely related (e.g., “The crown” = royalty) - Synecdoche:
Part representing the whole (e.g., “All hands on deck” = sailors) - Alliteration: Repeated sounds (e.g., “Peter
Piper picked…”) - Personification: Giving human traits to non-humans
8. Irony, Sarcasm, Satire - Irony: Something unexpected or opposite happens (e.g., A fire station burns
down) - Sarcasm: Saying the opposite of what you mean, often to hurt (e.g., “Nice job, genius.”) - Satire:
Using humor or exaggeration to expose flaws in society, politics, or behavior
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9. Fallacies Fallacies are mistakes in reasoning. Examples: - Ad hominem: Attacking the person, not the
argument - Strawman: Twisting someone’s idea to make it easier to attack - Bandwagon: Believing
something is right because many people agree
COMMUNICATION SUBJECTS
1. Public Speaking is Key HUMSS students are expected to speak up in class. Confidence can be built by
practicing: - Voice projection - Proper pacing - Eye contact and posture
2. Oral Communication Topics - Models of Communication: - Linear: One-way (TV broadcast) -
Interactive: Two-way but not instant (email) - Transactional: Simultaneous (face-to-face talk)
• Elements of Communication (8):
• Sender – who gives the message
• Message – the idea or content
• Channel – how it’s sent (verbal, text, etc.)
• Receiver – who gets the message
• Feedback – the response
• Noise – anything that disrupts (literal or mental)
• Context – situation or environment
• Environment – physical/psychological setting
• Dimensions of Communication:
• Intrapersonal: Talking to yourself (e.g., thinking)
• Interpersonal: Between two people
• Public: Speaking to an audience
• Mass: Communication to a large group via media
• Non-verbal Communication: Includes gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, appearance,
posture, silence, and movement
• Speech Styles:
• Intimate: Between close people
• Casual: Informal conversations
• Consultative: Teacher-student type
• Formal: Prepared speeches
• Frozen: Fixed expressions (e.g., prayers, oaths)
MATH SUBJECTS
Yes, HUMSS Has Math! Don’t worry—these are useful in everyday life and social research.
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1. Review the Basics: - Percentile: Position of a value in a dataset - Mean, Median, Mode: Averages used
in data analysis - Interest: Calculating borrowed or invested money (simple or compound) - Functions: An
input-output rule (e.g., f(x) = x + 3) - Domain and Range: Possible inputs and outputs of a function
2. General Math Topics: - Exponential Functions: Growth and decay (e.g., population growth) -
Logarithms: Opposite of exponentials, used to solve for time or growth - Functions: Learn how to plot and
interpret graphs
3. Statistics and Probability: - Percentile Rank: Tells how a score compares to others - Normal
Distribution: Bell-shaped curve showing data spread - Z-score: Measures how far a score is from the
average
SOCIAL SCIENCE SUBJECTS
1. 9 Disciplines of Social Science These are the main fields that study society: - Anthropology: Human
cultures - Sociology: Social groups and norms - Psychology: Human behavior and mental processes -
Economics: Money, trade, and choices - Political Science: Governments and power - Geography: Human-
environment interaction - History: Past events - Linguistics: Language - Demography: Population studies
2. Philippine Constitution Topics - 3 Branches: - Executive (President) - Legislative (Senate & Congress) -
Judiciary (Courts) - Article III (Bill of Rights): Right to free speech, fair trial, privacy - Article VI & VII:
Functions of Legislative & Executive
3. Past Presidents Study their: - Contributions (What they did well) - Issues (Scandals or failures) - Impact on
the Philippines
4. Theories & Concepts - Rational Choice Theory: People make decisions to benefit themselves - Public
Administration: How government policies are implemented
5. Big Thinkers: - Karl Marx: Believed in class struggle and revolution - Herbert Mead: Explained how we
develop identity through social interaction - Sigmund Freud: Founder of psychoanalysis; studied the
unconscious mind
CULTURE, RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY
1. World Religion & Belief Systems - Hinduism: Believes in karma, many gods, and reaching moksha
(liberation) - Buddhism: Focuses on ending suffering, meditation, reaching nirvana
Similarities: Both believe in reincarnation and karma. Differences: Buddhism is less focused on gods;
Hinduism is more ritualistic.
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TECHNOLOGY SUBJECT
Empowerment Technologies (E-Tech) - Learn computer and internet basics - Create digital outputs
(slideshows, documents) - Practice safe and ethical internet behavior
FILIPINO SUBJECTS
1. Komunikasyon: Ano ang Wika? Wika is not just a tool for speaking—it's how we share identity, beliefs,
and values. It evolves with culture.
2. Learning Theories in Language - Behaviorist: Learn by copying and getting rewarded - Nativist: Born
with ability to learn language - Interactionist: Learn through social interaction
3. Doctrina Christiana - First book printed in PH - By Fray Juan de Plasencia - Taught Catholic teachings in
Spanish and Tagalog
4. Filipino vs. Pilipino vs. Pilipinas - Filipino: Modern national language - Pilipino: Older version (used
1970s) - Pilipinas: The country's name in Filipino
End of Reviewer – Balikan mo ito kapag naguguluhan ka sa lessons mo. You got this!
