PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT

ORGANIZATION

• This is achieved when ideas are logically and accurately arranged

• It develops ideas into logical and sensible patterns.

FOR EXAMPLE:

1. IBC Format (Introduction, Body, Conclusion)

TOPIC SUBORDINATION

• It is commonly applied to paragraphs

• It focuses on explicit highlighting of the topic sentence and the supporting details.

FOR EXAMPLE:

1. Essay Topic: vlog

A vlog is a form of blog for which the medium is a video, and is a form of web television, as defined by New England Film (2006). The word itself is the condensation of two separate terms, “video” and “blog” (or “log,” depending on what you wish to believe).

GENERALIZATION TO SPECIFICATION

• It expands the text by giving examples

FOR EXAMPLES:

A vlog is a form of blog for which the medium is a video, and is a form of web television, as defined by New England Film (2006). The word itself is the condensation of two separate terms, “video” and “blog” (or “log,” depending on what you wish to believe). There are many kinds of vlogs, such as DIY videos, item unboxings, and make-up tutorials, and novelty vlogs such as pranks and jokes. The most famous platforms where you can share vlogs are YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion, where the views that your vlogs get are monetized at certain rates.

COHESION

• If there is cohesion within a society, organization, or group, the various members fit together well and form a united whole.

• It is the fluid connection of ideas between sentences and paragraphs (Halliday and Hasan, 1975)

• It sticks the ideas in sentences together to become grammatically and logically correct.

• It uses transitional/cohesive devices.

• It focuses on the grammatical aspect of writing; a subset of coherence.

FOR EXAMPLE:

1. Summary

   1. in brief…

   2. in conclusion…

   3. in summary, … 

2. Contrast

   1. nevertheless…

   2. yet…

   3. though…

3. Attitude

   1. plainly…

   2. noticeably….

   3. alas…

4. Chronology

   1. later…

   2. afterwards…

   3. meanwhile…

5. Similarity

   1. equally…

   2. in the same way…

   3. in like manner…

6. Addition

   1. furthermore…

   2. what is more…

   3. as well…

7. Causality

   1. therefore…

   2. accordingly…

   3. thus…

8. Exemplification

   1. for instance…

   2. in particular…

   3. for example….

COHERENCE

• It refers to the situation when the parts of something fit together in a natural or reasonable way. If something has coherence, its parts are well-connected, all heading in the same direction.

• The text must be able to make a connection with the reader.

• It consists of logically linked ideas.

FOR EXAMPLE:

1. Connect old and new information

• what was said then, and what is proven now

• informative and argumentative essays

2. Contextualization of content

• tailor-fit content to the readers’ interest

3. Meaning-making

• readers must be able to make sense of the content

MECHANICS

• It is the surface-level conventions that give a well-thought, professional look to a certain text (Cenizal-Raymundo, 2016).

• It consists of spelling, capitalization, punctuations, and subject-verb agreement/grammar.

FOR EXAMPLE:

1. Abbreviations

• shortened forms of words, especially titles and other proper nouns, may be used as these become necessary and appropriate in communicative context

• Dr. (titles)

• Mr. (honorifics)

2. Acronyms

• formed when combining the first letters of a long name

• WHO (World Health Organization)

• GB (gigabyte)

• Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

3. Colon (:)

• used when starting a list

• used when emphasizing the next sentence/independent clause/word.

4. Semi-Colon (;)

• quick replacement for conjunctions under FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

• when connecting two related, equal independent clauses.

5. Comma (,)

• a series of list

• coordinate adjectives

• separate long clauses joined by conjunctions

• after introductory clauses, phrases, or words after the main clause

LANGUAGE USE

• It is the level of language employed in a text that technically depends on the audience

• It registers or language used depending on the context and the people we talk with.

FOR EXAMPLE:

1. Informal or personal

• used for friends, family, or other familiars

2. Academic or standard

• uses widely accepted words and phrases found in books, magazines, and the like.

TONE

• It can be constructive or destructive

• We must be very constructive in the thoughts we share through our written works and avoid having a destructive tone.

MOOD

• It is presented on the kind of text you are required to write and how you present your argument.

• It features different types of essays:

  • Expository

  • Descriptive

  • Narrative

  • Argumentative

BREVITY & CONCISENESS

• Brevity is when you can present a certain thought or feeling with as few words as possible.

• Conciseness is when you use the right words to present a certain thought.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Original: As a matter of fact, staying at home is the next option.

Revised: Staying at home is the best option.

PRECISION & CLARITY

• The words we use in writing must reflect our intended meaning.

• Choose the accurate word.

FOR EXAMPLE:
Original: After reading several things in the area of business-type subjects, I decided to put myself in a situation where I might change my major.

Revised: After reading several business books, I decided to change my major.