Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas, aking lupang sinilangan

tahanan ng aking lahi; kinukupkop ako at tinutulungang

maging malakas, masipag at marangal.
Dahil mahal ko ang Pilipinas, diringgin ko ang payo
ng aking mga magulang, susundin ko ang tuntunin ng paaralan,
tutuparin ko ang tungkulin ng mamamayang makabayan;
naglilingkod, nag-aaral, at nananalangin
nang buong katapatan.
Iaalay ko ang aking buhay, pangarap, pagsisikap sa bansang
Pilipinas.
Quarter 4 – Module 5
Roles of Grammar in
Making Definitions
Learning Competency: Give the expanded
definitions of words.

After going through this module, you are

expected to:
•Identify proper ways of writing formal
definitions.
•Make correct definitions of different
terminologies.
What is formal sentence
definition?

It is a form of definition that follows a

specific order or formulation of ideas that
will provide informative details about the
unknown word.
What is formal sentence
definition?
Unlike any other types of definitions,
formal definitions adhere to its basic
components to create a well- formulated
information, details and meanings of the
term. This type of definition follows
specific rules prescribed in formal
writings.
Parts of A Formal Definition
•Species – this pertains to the term being defined.
•Verb – this pertains to the verb used along the
definition.
•Genus - pertains to the class, category or set where
the term belongs.
•Differentia – pertains to the details that will
provide the characteristics, quality, types, and its
distinction from any other words.
Remember this construction formula in
writing down your formal definitions.

species + verb + genus + differentia= formal

definition
 Species Verb Genus Differentia
repeating beginning letter sound in quick
Alliteration is a literary device succession.

Personification that attaches human traits and

is a figure of
characteristics to an inanimate object.
speech
that uses contradictory and contrasting
Oxymoron is a literary device concepts placed together in a manner
ends up making sense.
that contradicts itself yet holds
significant value on several levels.
Paradox is a literary device
that establishes a relationship based on
Analogy is a literary device similarities between two concepts.
 Guidelines for Writing Formal Definitions
Guidelines Examples
• A modem is a thing that… [vague]
• A modem is a device that…[specific]
Be specific about the class. • A modem is an electronic device that…
[more specific ]

• Face mask is used over…[incorrect]

Use the same part of speech (noun) (passive verb)
for • Face mask is a protective covering used
the class as the word that is over the face.
being defined. [correct]
(noun) (noun)
Whenever possible, don't • Face mask is a protective
repeat mask….[incorrect]
the term in the class or
• Face mask is a protective covering
distinguishing
used over the face. …[correct]
characteristics section.

Make sure there is • A modem is a device that is used with

sufficient information in a computer and a telephone.
the adjective clause to [insufficient]
distinguish the term from • A modem is a device that makes
other members of the possible the transmission of data to or
class. from a computer via telephone.
[sufficient]
Avoid long words and long • The Internet, which is commonly confused with the
sentences in technical World Wide Web, is a global system of network
writing. If computers that allows user-to-user communication
necessary, break the formal and transfer of data files from one machine to
definition into two another. The World Wide Web is the concept for
sentences, presenting and linking information on a network.[too
rather than producing a very long]
long
sentence. • The Internet is a global system of network computers
that allows user-to-user communication and transfer
of data files. It is commonly confused with the World
Wide Web, a concept for presenting and linking
information on a network. [improved]
The Grammar of Definitions

Formal definitions commonly use

indefinite articles for the term and class,
forms of the verb be and an adjective
clause or reduced adjective clause to
express its distinguished characteristics.
Indefinite Articles
•Is the word “a” or “an”.
•It comes right before a noun to define it as
something general.
•Articles are classified as determiners.
•Use “an” before a word that starts with a vowel
sound.
•Use “a” before a consonant sound.
Examples:

•An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

•An hour late, she found herself staring
at the guy.
•It was a stupendous surprise.
Reduced Adjective Clauses in
Definitions

Technical writers should avoid wordiness.

One way to eliminate unnecessary words
is to reduce adjective clauses. There are
several important rules when doing this.
Rules for Reducing Adjective Clauses
Guidelines Examples
• [adjective clause with an adjective]
Example
An electronic book is a document that is lengthy enough to be considered a
book. adjective clause with an adjective

 An electronic book is a document lengthy enough to be considered a book.

• [adjective clause with a prepositional phrase]

Example An electronic book is a document that is on diskette or hard drive.

adjective clasue with aprepositional phrase
Drop the relative pronoun and  An electronic book is a document on diskette or hard drive.
the verb be if the adjective • [adjective clause with a passive verb]
clause contains a prepositional Example
phrase, an adjective, or a A campus wide information system is an online service that is used as a
passive verb. central source of information at a college or university.
Reduced Form
 A campus wide information system is an online service used as a central
source of information at a college or university.
Reduce the adjective clause by changing the word or word form in these two
situations:

1. The adjective clause • Face mask is a protective covering that has filter to
contains the verb have. keep the face and the nose safe.

[Drop the relative Face mask is a protective covering having filter to

pronoun keep the face and the nose safe.
and change have to
having.] or Face mask is a protective covering with filter to keep
[Drop the relative the face and the nose safe.
pronoun and have.
Replace using with.]
2. The verb is in an
active state and the
relative pronoun is
the subject.
[Drop the relative Links are highlighted text that point to
pronoun additional information.
and change the => Links are highlighted text pointing to
verb to the additional information.
-ing form.]
3. None of these
rules apply to
modal auxiliary • [original]
verbs, e.g., should, This information, which must be accessed via
may, can, or must, the Internet, is useful.
since the meaning [reduced with different meaning]
•

of the modal is lost This information, accessed via the Internet, is

in the useful.
reduction.
Quarter 4 – Module 6
Grammar as a Tool for
Making Meaning
Learning Competency: Give the expanded
definition of words

After going through this module, you are

expected to:
•Use correct grammatical structure in making
meaning
•Define unfamiliar words by following the
guidelines
Basic Guidelines to follow when
writing a Definition
1. Just the (dictionary) facts- a definition
should contain the information about the
word and what the word refers to, do not
include usage notes and get to the point.
Clarity, brevity, and conciseness are better
when writing definitions.
Examples:
• CORRECT: A directory is a kind of book that
gives lists of facts arranged in alphabetical
order.
•INCORRECT: A directory is a kind of book that
gives lists of facts for example people's names,
addresses and telephone numbers or the names
and addresses of business companies usually
arranged not in an alphabetical order.
Basic Guidelines to follow when
writing a Definition
2. Avoid complicated terms- avoid terms
that are more complicated or more
technical than the term being defined
because the purpose of this is to clarify
meaning.
Examples:

• CORRECT: Homeless means having no

permanent place of residence.
•INCORRECT: Homeless means
involuntarily domiciled.
Basic Guidelines to follow when
writing a Definition
3. Avoid specific terms- use conventional English
words in explanations whenever possible, the
more widespread a term is, the more users will
benefit. Stay away from jargon in which highly
technical terms will most likely require a user to
look up many terms in the definition just to
understand what it says although there are cases
that involve the use of a technical term in a
specialized field that it should be minimal.
Examples:

• CORRECT: Acidity is the state of

having acid excessively.
•INCORRECT: Acidity is the state of
having extreme vitriolic base.
Basic Guidelines to follow when
writing a Definition
4. Avoid circularity- it is not good to define a
word with that same word in the definition
instead use different terms. Avoid defining a
term solely using etymologically or
morphologically related terms. Adverbs are
especially prone to being defined by the
adjective from which they derive.
Examples:

•CORRECT: Putrid is being in a state of

rotten.
•INCORRECT: Putrid is being in a state
of rotten, decayed, foul and being putrid
all throughout.
Basic Guidelines to follow when
writing a Definition
5. Make it simple- write with simple
grammatical structures rather than
complex ones and place key terms and
short explanations near the start of the
definition.
Examples:
•CORRECT: A storification is a process of
adding narrative to a certain topic.
•INCORRECT: A storification is a process of
adding narrative to a certain topic;
transforming some facts into a story that
helps the reader comprehend the passage
that needs to be synthesized later on.
A simple sentence contains a subject and a
verb and may also have an object and
modifiers. However, it contains only one
independent clause.
Subject Predicate

verb Direct Indirect Object Subject

object object complement complement

1. The girl left the door open.

2. He is a good
singer.
3. She ate a hotdog.

4. Anna gave an apple to her

mother.
•Every sentence requires a subject and a
predicate. In the grammar world, this is
called subject- verb agreement. Subjects and
verbs must agree with one another (singular
or plural). Thus, if the subject is singular,
its verb must also be singular; if the subject
is plural, its verb must also be plural.
•So as with writing basic definitions
observing correct grammatical structure, it
requires skills and practice.