Conversation 7 (Matatag) - Evaluation

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C & E Publishing, Inc.


2024

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C&E
Publishing, Inc.

C & E Publishing, Inc. was

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established in 1993, and is a
member of ABAP, PBAI, NBDB,
and PEPA.

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CONVERSATIONS [7]
A Worktext on English Language Arts and [Philippine Literature]
in the Digital Age
Published by C & E Publishing, Inc.

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839 EDSA, South Triangle, Quezon City
Tel. No.: (02) 8929-5088
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E-mail: info@cebookshop.com

Copyright © 2024 by C & E Publishing, Inc.,


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Philippe John F. Sipacio, PhD and Jhonathan S. Cadavido, PhD

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,


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stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by


any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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The authors and the publisher gratefully acknowledge the works


reprinted here. Every effort has been made to trace and contact all
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copyright holders. If some sources were not properly acknowledged,


kindly direct all concerns to the publisher.

Editing: Raquel Gocuyo


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Cover Design: Darwin Tolentino


Illustrations: Apolonio Capones
Layout: Mirriam Velasco

ISBN:

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Preface ... vii
Scope and Sequence ... x

Contents
Unit I
Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial,
Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Lesson 1 Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ... 2
Lesson 2 Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ... 28

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Lesson 3 Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Contemporary Times
and Composing and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem ... 52

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End-of-Unit Assessment ... 77

Unit II

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Philippine Prose in Imitation,
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Emergence, and Post-War Periods
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Lesson 4 Evaluating Philippine Prose from the Imitation Period ... 82
Lesson 5 Evaluating Philippine Prose from the Emergence Period. ... 138
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Lesson 6 Evaluating Philippine Prose from the Post-War Period.... 175


End-of-Unit Assessment ... 212
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Unit III
Expository and Informational
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Texts in Contemporary Times

Lesson 7 Evaluating Expository Text ... 222


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Lesson 8 Evaluating Informational Text: Features ... 257


Lesson 9 Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ... 290
End-of-Unit Assessment ... 320

COnversations 7_prelims_matatag series.indd 5 1/8/2024 4:57:38 PM


Unit IV
Academic and Transactional
Texts in the Present Times

Lesson 10 Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ... 326

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Lesson 11 Evaluating and Composing a Transactional Text: Letter of Request ... 359
End-of-Unit Assessment ... 388

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Appendix ... 389
References ... 399
Index ... 410

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Conversations 7: A Worktext on English Language Arts and Philippine Literature in
the Digital Age is part of the Conversations English Textbook Series. It features a variety
of Philippine literature in English, including pieces from precolonial, apprenticeship,
emergence, and contemporary periods.

Preface
The Conversations English Textbook Series is anchored on the socio-cognitive-
transformative model, which aims to produce socially, affectively, cognitively, and
communicatively competent and multiliterate lifelong learners (Barrot, 2015, 2018). It
makes the worktext evidence-based and principles-based as it adopts the most recent

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and established principles in teaching the English language and literature. Among these
principles are:

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• socio-constructivism,
• transformative learning,

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• problem-based learning,
• project-based learning,

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• differentiated instruction,
• reflective learning,
• process orientation,
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• schema theory,
• technology-enhanced learning,
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• task-based learning,
• intertextuality,
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• spiral progression,
• collaborative learning,
• macroskills and microskills integration,
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• and 21st-century learning.


All activities in this worktext are carefully selected to efficiently target the learners’
learning competencies and match their current level of interest. Texts were also taken
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from various fields of interest, such as politics, religion, philosophy, the sciences,
psychology, and education.

COnversations 7_prelims_matatag series.indd 7 1/8/2024 4:57:38 PM


To ensure that quality learning occurs, this series adopted a coherent and pedagogically sound
framework composed of the following elements:
▪ Learning Objectives. This section specifies the target competencies across eight domains
(i.e., reading, listening, viewing, vocabulary, literature, writing and composition, oral
language and fluency, and grammar awareness). These competencies serve as the center of
all teaching and learning activities, content, and assessment.
▪ Let’s Warm Up. This section has a three-pronged function: to diagnose the potential
weaknesses of the learners, to motivate them to learn, and to activate their background

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knowledge.

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▪ What I Know, What I Do. This section allows learners to practice self-assessment of their
baseline skills. The results of this assessment provide learners and teachers with some insights
on where to focus during the teaching-learning activities.

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▪ Things to Ponder. This section contains high-level and essential questions that drive learners’
quest for knowledge and discovery.

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▪ What’s Coming. This section previews the content, skills, and vocabulary that learners will
process all throughout the lesson.
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Ready to Read. This section presents the written texts that learners need to process. Along
with each text are a brief note about the author and the selection, a predicting activity, and
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a vocabulary activity through glossing.
▪ Talk About It. This section presents text-related discussion questions across different levels
of learning. It aims to further enhance learners’ understanding and appreciation of the text.
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▪ Work It Out. This section contains activities that target learning competencies under the
following domains: literature, reading, listening, and viewing.
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▪ Map It Out. This section asks learners to prepare a graphic organizer or multimodal
presentation about the selected texts. Typically, it requires learners to compare and contrast
selections.
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▪ Vocabulary Focus. This section presents the discussion and activities related to vocabulary
development.
▪ Grammar Focus. This section presents the discussion and activities related to grammar
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development.
▪ Cultural Trip. This section contains interesting facts about the culture and context of the
selected themes or texts.
▪ Link It. This section presents any Philippine text (or other relevant texts) related to the main
selections. It is used to realize the principle of intertextuality.
▪ Write It Right. This section presents the discussion and activities related to the development
of learners’ writing skills. It equally emphasizes product and process through process-genre
approach to writing.

COnversations 7_prelims_matatag series.indd 8 1/8/2024 4:57:38 PM


▪ Ready to Listen. This section presents the discussion and activities related to the development
of learners’ listening skills.
▪ Ready to View. This section presents the discussion and activities related to the development
of learners’ viewing skills.
▪ Express Yourself. This section contains discussion and activities related to the development
of learners’ speaking skills. It may be individual, pair work, or group work.
▪ Practice Some More. This section asks learners to perform real-life activities related to most
or all of the specified learning competencies. It is an integrative assessment activity that

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consolidates and synthesizes all learning competencies. It may be an individual, pair, or

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group activity. This part is an additional task that is designed to be performed outside the
class (homework) to foster independent and lifelong learning.

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▪ E-Link. This section provides online activities that learners can explore to further enhance
their skills and use online sources purposefully, responsibly, and efficiently. Having this part
will also enhance the information and communication technology (ICT) skills of learners.
▪ What I Have Learned So Far. This section allows learners to reflect on their misconceptions

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at the beginning of the lessons and how these misconceptions were corrected after each
lesson.
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Have an enjoyable learning experience!
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P. J. F. Sipacio
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J. S. Cadavido
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UNIT I
PHILIPPINE POETRY IN THE

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PRECOLONIAL, COLONIAL, AND

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CONTEMPORARY PERIODS

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Unit I focuses on the rich Philippine poetry during the pre-colonial, colonial, and contemporary
times. In this unit, you will learn to analyze the different distinguishing forms and features of
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poetry. This also shows how poetry evolves in the context of the Philippine society.
As part of the unit, you will compose a poem while showing appreciation of our history,
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culture, and indigenous materials.


The unit is divided into three lessons focusing on specific Philippine poetry periods.
Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period. This lesson focuses on
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the different forms of precolonial poems, such as riddles and proverbs. You will read, analyze,
synthesize, and evaluate different riddles and proverbs from the different parts of the country.
Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period. In this lesson, you will explore
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the different forms of poem during the colonial period. You will read, analyze, synthesize, and
evaluate “Moonlight on Manila Bay” by Fernando M. Maramag and “Silent Trails” by Marcelo
de Gracia Concepcion.
Lesson 3: Evaluating Poetry from Contemporary Times and Composing and Publishing an
Original Multimodal Poem. This lesson focuses on the forms of Philippine poetry during the
contemporary period. You will read, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate “Bonsai” by Edith Tiempo
and “As She Pleases” by Rina Garcia Chua.

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 1 1/8/2024 4:52:46 PM


Lesson 1
Evaluating Philippine Poetry
from Precolonial Period

By the end of the lesson, you


will have been able to:

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• identify the distinguishing
features of proverbs and

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riddles;
• determine appropriate
reading styles (scanning, Photo sources:

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skimming, speed reading, • Manunggul Jar: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neolithic_Pottery_
intensive and extensive Burial_Jar,_Palawan,_890-710_BC_(24777150039).
reading) for one’s • Piloncitos: https://www.bsp.gov.ph/MuseumCarousel/Thumbnails/Ginto/
purpose; Piloncitos2.jpg

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• determine the meaning of
colloquial language and
slang; The Philippine literary history considers the Precolonial Period
• distinguish features of
colloquial language and
slang;
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as its first period. This is also known as the Pre-Spanish Period as
it covers the time before the Spanish colonization of the country.
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• use phrases appropriately This is also the least accounted period considering that most of the
and meaningfully; details of Philippine history began in 1521.
• analyze proverb’s
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applicability to one’s
Though early Filipinos had their own system of writing, most
personal experience; of the literary works during this period were orally transmitted
• recognize the common from one generation to another. This oral transmission helped our
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purposes of writing; literary works in surviving and reaching the colonial period up to
• observe the correct
production of consonant
the present century.
and vowel sounds; This period highlights the day-to-day lives and experiences of
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• use structural analysis to the early Filipinos. These include their experiences with nature, the
determine the meaning of
unfamiliar words from the people, their community, and all other things that they observed
material viewed; from birth to death. The rich traditions and customs of the early
• recognize prosodic Filipinos are shown in our folk songs, folk tales, rituals, poems,
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features that serve as


carriers of meaning; and
riddles, and proverbs. These literary works embodied the emotions,
• analyze literary texts as thoughts, and conditions of our ancestors.
expressions of individual
Riddles and proverbs are two of the most common literary
or communal values
within the precolonial works of this period. Reflecting the experiences of our ancestors,
Filipino heritage. they portray the wit of the early Filipinos based on how they
observed and perceived their environment.

2~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 2 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
Part A. Read the given quotation below. With your groupmates, discuss its meaning and your
interpretations of it.
“Action speaks louder than words.”

Part B. Answer and discuss the questions related to the quotation above.

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1. What does the given quotation mean?
2. Is the meaning of the quotation literal or oblique?

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3. Can the meaning of the statement be easily identified?
4. Does it use slang or colloquial language?

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5. What reading style did you use to get the meaning of the statement above?
6. How did you determine the meaning of the unfamiliar words in the quotation?

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7. Does it teach a lesson?

What I Know, What I Do io


Tick the column that you think best describes your skills, knowledge, and attitude. Answer
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this section as objectively as possible. Bear in mind that there are no incorrect answers. You can
use your performance in Let’s Warm Up as one of the bases in completing this self-audit task.
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Self-Audit Task Checklist


Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
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1. I can identify the distinguishing features of


proverbs.
2. I can identify the distinguishing features of
riddles.
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3. I can determine appropriate reading styles


(scanning, skimming, speed reading, intensive
and extensive reading) for one’s purpose.
4. I can determine the meaning of colloquial
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language and slang.


5. I can distinguish features of colloquial
language and slang.
6. I can use phrases appropriately and
meaningfully.
7. I can analyze proverb’s applicability to one’s
personal experience.

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~3

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 3 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
8. I can recognize the common purposes of
writing.
9. I can observe the correct production of
consonant and vowel sounds.
10. I can use structural analysis to determine
the meaning of unfamiliar words from the
material viewed.
11. I can recognize prosodic features that serve as

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carriers of meaning.
12. I can analyze literary texts as expressions of

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individual or communal values within the
precolonial Filipino heritage.
TOTAL

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Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point

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Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
34–36
31–33
28–30
Advanced
Proficient
Approaching Proficiency
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24 and below
Developing
Beginning
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Things to Ponder
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How do proverbs and riddles express the wit and wisdom of our ancestors?

What life lessons do proverbs and riddles teach or portray?


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How can literature connect us to our significant past as a nation?


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4~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 4 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Explore and Experience
What’s Coming

Vocabulary Preview
 This section further enriches your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:
bend despise harsh mocker prudent shallow stripped

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cackles disposes imitate naked rebuke slacker turmoil
canes guess liable persevere seldom slave wrath

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Grammar Preview

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 In this lesson, you are expected to identify the different types of phrases that are used to
express an idea or concept. These include the following:
• Noun Phrase • Infinitive Phrase

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• Prepositional Phrase • Verb Phrase
• Adjective Phrase
• Adverb Phrase
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Gerund Phrase
Participial Phrase
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Literary Preview
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 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform the corresponding activities.
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• Proverbs
• Riddles
• The Book of Proverbs
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Ready to Read
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Proverbs
Proverbs, also known as salawikain or sawikain, are expressions or sayings that state general
truths, judgments, morals, and advice about life and human nature. They are transmitted from one
generation to another with little or no change at all in form. These are based on one’s experiences
or common sense.

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~5

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 5 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


About the Author
Philippine proverbs have no known Ti agcutac isu ti nagitlog. (Ilokano)
authors. The proverbs featured He who cackles1 laid the egg.
in this lesson are collected from
different ethnolinguistic groups
in the Philippines. Through these Uray isubsubomon mateppayto laeng. (Ilokano)
proverbs, these Filipino groups can Do not consider as certain that which you do not actually hold, for even the
collectively express their wisdom rice you carry to your mouth may still fall.

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on how they dealt with life and
society during their time.
Hanggang maiksi ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot. (Tagalog)

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While the blanket is short, learn how to bend2.
What life lessons can proverbs

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teach? Do they link us to the
Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga. (Tagalog)
rich culture of our past?
If you persevere3, you will reap the fruits of your labor.

No say ilog et maongol atapew. (Pangasinan)

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About the Piece
Philippine proverbs were said Silent water is deep; noisy water is shallow4.
to have been written as early as
the precolonial period. They are
basically intended to teach lessons.
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No walay utang, walay bayaran. (Pangasinan)
There is no debt that was not paid.
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An harani sa gatong nakaosong. (Bikol)
Expanding Vocabulary
He who plays with fire gets burned.
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Encircle the letter that best defines


the word set in boldface based on
how it is used in context. An lansang rinaraot kan sadiri niyang takla. (Bikol)
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1. cackles Nothing destroys iron like its own rust.


a. chuckles
b. cries
Y baruasi nga inikkaw, nu ari atazzi, alawa nikao. (Ibanag)
2. bend He who wears something borrowed, even in the street he will be stripped.
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a. curve
b. bow
Kitu nga nepallo y wug na, awan tu makaga na. (Ibanag)
3. persevere
a. persist Barking dogs seldom5 (do not) bite.
b. insist Mapait ya man ing apalya, maniaman ya naman keng bisa. (Pampanga)
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4. shallow The amplaya, no matter how bitter, is sweet to those who like it.
a. vast
b. depthless
Nung sasali ka qng e mu cailangan, e lumuat pisali nin ing quecang cailangan.
(Pampanga)
If you buy things that you don’t need, you will soon sell those that you need.

6~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 6 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Ang tao nga madasig maglakat, madalum kung matunok. (Hiligaynon).
If a man walks fast and steps on a thorn, it will go in deep, but if he walks Expanding Vocabulary
slowly, it will go in only a little. Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
Ang dula con madupla, dili na mapabalic sa baba. (Hiligaynon)
context.
A word or stone you throw will never come back to you.

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5. seldom
a. rarely
Ang tawong magtuman, madaut ang kapalaran. (Bohol)

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b. always
He who does not seek advice is liable6 to error.
6. liable
a. vulnerable
Ang labing malison apucawon, cadtong taong gamatang daan. (Bohol)

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b. protected
The hardest person to awaken is he who is already awake. 7. imitate
a. play
Si Tomas, si Tomas nagpanday, walang gabas! (Cebuano) b. mimic

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It is the carpenter who has no bolo. 8. disposes
a. rearranges

Ang samad sa kumingking, pagabation sa tibuok lawas. (Cebuano)


The pain of the little finger is felt by the whole body.
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Singura in batang sin pay; ha taud niya nagaanduk. (Tausug)
Imitate7 the rice stalk, the more grains it bears, the lower it bows.
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In manusia magparo-paro, sagua’ intuhan in magbaya. (Tausug)


Man proposes but God disposes8.
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Sources:
Eugenio, D. (2007). Philippine folk literature: An anthology. The University of the Philippines
Press.
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Lumbera, B., & Lumbera, C. N. (1997/2005). Philippine literature: A history and anthology. Anvil
Publishing, Inc.
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Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~7

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 7 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Proverbs are an important cultural treasure that the Philippines has. They teach valuable
lessons that may guide you in your day-to-day life. They include these three basic features.
1. They are stated in metaphorical form that uses rhyming language, expressing the wit and
wisdom of our early Filipinos.
2. They often use rhetorical devices, such as rhymes, parallelism, and repetition, in making
meaning and sense of the thoughts they represent.
3. They portray images that describe how life and experiences are governed by customs and
traditions in a philosophical manner.

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Furthermore, Damiana L. Eugenio, the mother of Philippine folklore, classified proverbs into
six categories.

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1. Proverbs expressing a general attitude towards life and the laws that govern it

Example: Ang tao nga wala sing pilak, daw pispis nga wala sing pakpak. (Hiligaynon)

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A person without money is like a bird without its wings.
2. Proverbs asserting certain values and renouncing certain vices

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Example: Ginsimo an grasya, kahuman nagnginanga. (Waray)
Spend lavishly and you end up with nothing.


3. Proverbs expressing a system of values io
Example: Ang mga tulo singgot sa taong mangguibuhaton paga bayran gayud sa
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guihapon. (Boholano)
Every drop of perspiration of an industrious man will be rewarded
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accordingly.
4. Proverbs expressing general truths and observations about life and human nature
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Example: An katotohanan minaluwas man lano guiraray. (Bikol)
The truth will always come out.
5. Humorous proverbs
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Example: Ang taong mapili, nakakapangasawa ng bungi. (Tagalog).
A choosy person usually gets married to a toothless person.
6. Miscellaneous proverbs
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Example: In kābaw minsan mu biadjuan sutla mui da pa pisak. (Tausug)


Though you dress a water buffalo in silk, he will always return to the mud.

8~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 8 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Riddles
Riddles, or mga bugtóng in Filipino, are known as the shortest poems in the Philippines. It is
usually composed of two short verses and has rhymes, but this could not be the case all the time.
The common themes of riddles are parts of a human body, the environment, and the surroundings.
Early Filipinos used riddles during festive occasions, during pastimes, and/or during a funeral
wake.

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About the Author
No aldao tubong, no rabii dadali. (Ilokano) – icamen Riddles have no distinct authors.

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A bamboo tube by day, by night a sea, (flag, etc.). – mat They are formulated by the
common people in different
Tiyan ni Padre Gomez, puno sin perdigones. (Bikol) – kapayas communities on different
occasions.

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Belly of Father Gomez, full of bullets. – papaya

Appukedt mantutuwedt. (Kalinga) – sagedt


Guess1, it is always upside down. – broom How do riddles express the wit
and wisdom of our ancestors?

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Nab-baruasi sin accab-bingga udde sicuana. (Gaddang) – ufud How do they carry the intended
When a child, she wore a skirt; when grown up she stripped2 naked3 to the meaning embedded in the text?

waist. – banana blossom/bamboo/bamboo shoot io


Kung kailan ko pinatay ay saka nagtagal ang buhay. (Tagalog) – kandila
About the Piece
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Riddles express the wit and
When I killed it, its life became longer. – candle
wisdom of our ancestors. The
use of words helps in hiding
Dalan muco, dalan da ca mipa quinabang cata. (Pampanga) – sapin sa paa
the intended meaning to allow
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or sapatos someone to think beyond the text.


You carry it, it carries you. – shoes
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Inmamot si Piro, manpapaway so ulo to. (Pangasinan) – pasak Expanding Vocabulary


Piro (Isko, etc.) hid, but his head is showing. – nail driven into the floor Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
Guibabaysaye nga daraga, yada poporok hit tasa. (Visayan) – kasoy based on how it is used in
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A young lady (princess, queen), sitting on a cup. – cashew context.


1. guess
Baston ni San Josep, indi maisip. (Hiligaynon) – ulan
a. theorize
Canes4 of Joseph cannot be counted. – rain b. prove
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May ko surogoon bisan ako nga-in nagsisinonod ha akon. (Waray) – lambong 2. stripped
I have a slave5. I always follows me. – shadow a. mantled
b. undressed
Aya ipulalakaw niyan na gialikodian. (Maranaw) – awang 3. naked
It walks on its back. – boat a. bare
b. clothed
Diyara mu, diyara kaw. (Tausug) – tawmpa 4. canes
Carry me, I’ll carry you; let us share alike. – shoes a. candies
b. staffs
Source: Eugenio, D. (2007). Philippine folk literature: An anthology. The University of the 5. slave
Philippines Press.
a. servant
b. soldier

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~9

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 9 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Riddles are important artifacts in Philippine literary history. They may be statements or
questions requiring answers. They are typically used as a game. Almost all ethnolinguistic groups
in the Philippines have their own version of riddles. They have different features which include
the following:
• They are statements, phrases, or questions that express indirect or double meaning.
• T
 hey are stated in puzzle statements that have to be solved. Filipino riddles represent the
things and experiences of the Filipinos’ ancestors.
• T
 hey are written in verse form and use rhetorical devices such as rhyme, personification,
comparison, and animalization, that help in puzzling the reader and making it difficult to

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find the answer.

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Talk About It

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Activity 1.1
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions below about the Philippine
proverbs.

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1. What form did early Filipinos use in stating proverbs?

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2. When do proverbs become helpful to one’s experience?
3. How did proverbs guide the way of life of early Filipinos?
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4. How do proverbs express the wit and wisdom of early Filipinos?
5. If you were to write your own proverb, which Filipino customs, traditions, or values
would you feature? Why?
lu

Activity 1.2
va

 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to these questions about Philippine riddles.
1. How do rhetorical devices help in hiding the meaning of a riddle?
2. How do riddles express the wit and wisdom of early Filipinos?
rE

3. Using riddles as reference, how would you describe the rich literary perspective of the
precolonial Filipinos?
4. Share one riddle to the class that you have heard or learned from your elders.
Fo

10~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 10 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Map It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 1.3 Identify the
distinguishing
 Using the graphic organizer below, identify the different distinguishing features of proverbs.
features of proverbs.

y
nl
O
Proverbs

n
io
at
Activity 1.4
 Using the graphic organizer below, identify the different distinguishing Learning Objective:
lu

features of riddles. Identify the


distinguishing
features of riddles.
va
rE
Fo

Riddles

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~11

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 11 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Text Focus
Reading is one of the most important skills that you should develop. Through reading, you
learn new words and expand your vocabulary. You improve your understanding of various texts,
such as street signs, which is essential in your everyday life. Reading requires focus, and doing so
helps you to be still and quiet for longer periods of time, thus improving your level of concentration.
In understanding a particular text, there are varied reading styles that you can use. These styles
include scanning, skimming, intensive reading, and extensive reading.
• Scanning is a style used in reading a text rapidly in finding specific details or information.

y
Examples: searching for specific names in your contact list

nl
reviewing your activities for the day
• Skimming is a style used in reading a text in finding general idea or information.

O
Examples: reviewing a chapter overview
reviewing résumés
• Intensive reading is a style used in reading for details with particular learning targets.

n
Examples: reading a text, then writing a summary about it
reading a text, then explaining it using a graphic organizer
io
• Extensive reading is a style used to improve one’s general reading skills. It is also used for
entertainment or enjoyment purposes.
at
Examples: reading a novel during free time
reading a short story
lu

Activity 1.5
va

Learning Objective: Identify the appropriate reading style in each situation below. Write your
answers on the lines.
Determine appropriate
reading styles ____________ 1. reading a travelogue
rE

(scanning, skimming,
speed reading, intensive ____________ 2. understanding the main purpose of an essay
and extensive reading)
for one’s purpose. ____________ 3. getting the central information of an article
____________ 4. preparing a critique after reading a research article
Fo

____________ 5. identifying the names of godparents in a wedding


invitation
____________ 6. reading a text to prepare a summary
____________ 7. looking for the price of a product in an advertisement
____________ 8. looking for the specific amount of ingredients in a recipe
____________ 9. organizing the details using a Venn diagram after reading
a text
____________ 10. reading an article about an artist

12~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 12 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


Vocabulary Focus
There are two types of language that you commonly encounter in communicating with others,
be it personal or online, namely, colloquial language and slang.
Features Colloquial language Slang
1. Form of language Informal language Informal language
Social media slang or language
2. Nature Regional variation
coined by different age groups
Ordinary people in their day-to-day Particular groups, such as teenagers,

y
3. Language users
activities who created the vocabulary items

nl
Nonstandard vocabulary that quickly
4. Vocabulary Lasts for a longer period of time
changes over time
• I was not born yesterday. • Unfriend – to remove from list of

O
• trash – to destroy something friends in a social media account

• soda/soft drink • DIY – Do It Yourself


5. Examples
• ain’t/gonna • Hashtag (#)

n
• BFF – Best Friends Forever
• YOLO – You Only Live Once
io
Colloquial language is an informal language used by the majority in communicating and/
at
or dealing with other people. As it is commonly used, the vocabulary lasts for a longer period of
time. Meanwhile, slang is also an informal language that uses nonstandard vocabulary that often
changes over a period of time. It is often used by certain groups of people, such as teenagers,
lu

mobile players, and LGBTQIA+, among others.


va

Activity 1.6
Part A. Choose the colloquial word being referred to in each statement below. Learning Objective:

Write your answers on the line before the number. Determine the
rE

meaning of colloquial
roast nappies slay bail language and slang.

runners cheers trashed rubbish


yonder chillin’ bomb
Fo

_________ 1. It is a feeling of being insulted and offended.


_________ 2. It is a word that means to do something well with confidence.
_________ 3. It is an expression used to describe something excellent or awesome.
_________ 4. It means to break or cancel plans with someone.
_________ 5. It is an expression used when one is dismayed due to action or product that is
wrong or of nonstandard quality.
_________ 6. It refers to the state of being very drunk.

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~13

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 13 1/8/2024 4:52:48 PM


_________ 7. It refers to something at a far distance or over there.
_________ 8. It is a term used to refer to diapers used by babies.
_________ 9. It refers to sneakers or running shoes.
_________ 10. It means spending happy times with friends or someone.

Part B. Identify the meaning of each social media slang word below. Write your answers in the
second column.
Social Media Slang Intended Meaning/s

y
1. LOL

nl
2. BRB
3. BTW
4. G2G

O
5. DM
6. FAQ
7. LDR

n
8. FTW
9. IDK
10. OOTD
io
at
Part C. Explain or distinguish the features of colloquial language and slang
lu

Learning Objective: based on your answers in Part A and B exercises. Use the Venn diagram below.
Distinguish features of
colloquial language and
va

slang.
Colloquial Slang

Both
rE
Fo

14~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 14 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


Grammar Focus
A phrase is a group of words expressing an idea or concept. It may appear as a single unit or
part of a sentence. Its thought is not complete, because it does not have a subject and a predicate.
Some of the common types of phrases include the following:
1. A noun phrase refers to phrase that functions like a noun in a sentence. It is composed of
a head word and other words, such as determiners and modifiers. Modifiers may appear
before (premodifiers) or after (post modifiers) the noun.

Examples: The beautiful young lady visited her friends.

y
The mall in the city offers discounted items.

nl
2. A prepositional phrase is a phrase or group of words composed of preposition, its
object, and any words modifying the object. In the prepositional phrase, the object of the

O
preposition is a noun, pronoun, or verb comes after the preposition. Most of the time, this
phrase modifies a verb or a noun.

Examples: The students submitted their project to their teacher.

n
The owner of that restaurant presents his permit.

io
3. An adjective phrase acts like an adjective in a sentence. It modifies or adds meanings to a
noun or pronoun.
at

Examples: Xhania is the most beautiful public official.
The very expensive flat TV was delivered yesterday.
lu

4. An adverb phrase functions like an adverb in a sentence. It modifies or adds meaning to a


verb or another adverb.

Examples: The committee will convene earlier than usual.
va

Xavia needs to drive much more carefully.


5. An infinitive phrase is composed of an infinitive (to + base form of the verb) and modifiers
rE

or other related words.



Examples: To pass the test is my goal.
The government released funds to help the industry.
Fo

6. A verb phrase is composed of an auxiliary or helping verb and the main verb in a sentence.

Examples: The children are enjoying their party.
Xian has been reading the book since morning.
7. A gerund phrase is composed of a gerund or the “-ing” form of the verb and other related
words attached to it. It functions as a noun in a sentence.

Examples: Jocelyn enjoyed reading Shakespearean works.
Playing with my pets relaxes me.

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~15

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 15 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


8. A participial phrase is a group of words composed of either a present participle (-ing) or a
past participle. It acts as an adjective describing a noun in a sentence.

Examples: The children playing their toys were really happy.
The table made of fine wood seems to be more beautiful.

Activity 1.7
In groups of five, create a meaningful conversation using the phrases inside
Learning Objective:
the box. You may create your own scenario and/or characters.

y
Use phrases
appropriately and

nl
meaningfully.
• by the staff
• to deliver in an open arena
• presenting his or her agenda

O
• protecting our sovereignty
• is enjoying
• made from local materials

n
• very rudely
• enthusiastic leader


three beautiful
of this policy
io
at
lu
va
rE

Link It
Fo

The “Book of Proverbs” is one of the books in the Old Testament. King Solomon, the son of
King David, is credited as the principal author of this book. He is considered to be Israel’s wisest
king. He is known for being God’s servant having prayed to God to seek wisdom.
The book conveys significant messages that are still considered applicable up to this time.
Also, it provides numerous points and/or reminders as to how one can live as an effective and
holy person.

16~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 16 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


The Book of Proverbs
About the Author
(Excerpts)
King Solomon is attributed as the
author of most of the proverbs in
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise1 this “Book of Proverbs.”
wisdom and discipline.” – Proverbs 1:7

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own
What lessons are taught by the
understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5

y
“Book of Proverbs”? Do you
think these proverbs are still
“Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” – Proverbs

nl
relevant in this digital world?
4:23

“Go to the ant, you slacker2! Observe its ways and become wise.” –

O
About the Piece
Proverbs 6:6
The “Book of Proverbs” is
“Don’t rebuke a mocker3, or he will hate you; rebuke4 the wise, and he considered as the library of life
teachings and wisdom. These
will love you.” – Proverbs 9:8

n
proverbs are used to embody the
ways of life of the early Israelites.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of
the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10 io
“When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who Expanding Vocabulary
at
controls his lips is prudent5.” – Proverbs 10:19 Encircle the letter that best defines
the word set in boldface based on
“A wise son responds to his father’s discipline, but a mocker doesn’t how it is used in context.
lu

listen to rebuke.” – Proverbs 13:1 1. despise


a. hate
“The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves b. accept
va

him disciplines him diligently.” – Proverbs 13:24 2. slacker


a. slug
“There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” b. industrious

– Proverbs 14:12 3. mocker


a. mother
rE

b. detractor
“A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh6 word stirs up wrath7.”
– Proverbs 15:1 4. rebuke
a. reprimand
b. praise
“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with turmoil8.”
5. prudent
– Proverbs 15:16
Fo

a. careful
b. tactless
Source: Bible Verses from Proverbs. https://yourmorningword.com/2020/10/01/top- 6. harsh
25-bible-verses-from-the-book-of-proverbs/ a. comfortable
b. cruel
7. wrath
a. anger
b. happiness
8. turmoil
a. peace
b. unrest

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~17

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 17 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


Talk About It
Activity 1.8
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the “Book of Proverbs.”
1. What form was employed in stating the verses from the “Book of Proverbs”?
2. What can you learn from these verses or proverbs?
3. How did these biblical verses or proverbs guide the way of life of the people during the
time of King Solomon and the early Israelites?

y
4. Do you think these proverbs are still applicable to the present time? Explain your

nl
answer.
5. From the sample proverbs, choose one which best represents the current condition of
our country. Explain your answer.

O
Map It Out

n
Learning Objective:
Activity 1.9
Analyze proverb’s
 Choose one biblical verse or proverb from the list in Link It. Then,
applicability to one’s
personal experience. io
complete the graphic organizer below.
at
_________________________________________________
Proverb _____
lu

Literal Figurative
va

Unfamiliar Words Applicability Reflection


Meaning Meaning
Identify the unfamiliar Explain the literal Explain the figurative Provide situations Write a 5-sentence
words from your meaning of your meaning of your when you can apply reflection on your
chosen proverb. chosen proverb. chosen proverb. this proverb. chosen proverb.
rE
Fo

18~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 18 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


Cultural Trip

• Did you know that volumes of precolonial literary works were collected by Damiana
Ligon Eugenio? She was considered the Mother of the Philippine Folklore. This title
was conferred to her in 1986. She compiled, edited, and published several books on
Philippine folklore. Her publications served as valuable references to writers and
researchers studying Philippine literature.

y
nl
Write It Right

O
Purposes of Writing
When you write, it is essential that you understand your purpose. There are four basic purposes
of writing: to narrate (narrative), to describe (descriptive), to explain (expository), or to persuade

n
(persuasive).
• Narrative writing is used in narrating or telling a story. It is usually presented in
io
chronological order presenting clear plot from the beginning, to the middle, until the end.
Examples: novels, short story, biography
at
• Descriptive writing is used to describe a particular topic or subject. It creates a picture-in-
mind using words that may best describe the topic. The writer should be able to describe
lu

it fluently, so that the readers will be able to imagine it using their senses.
Examples: character sketches, captions
va

• Expository writing is used to inform using reliable and verified facts. It often includes a
main idea, supporting pertinent details and explanations, and a conclusion.
Examples: journal articles, essays
rE

• Persuasive writing is used to convince the readers on a particular stand on an issue.


It requires strong and clear foundation of the issue to establish one’s standpoint.
Examples: editorials, position papers
Fo

Learning Objective:

Activity 1.10 Recognize the


common purposes of
Recognize the common purpose of writing used or applied on each item. writing.

______________ 1. opinion paper ______________ 6. critique


______________ 2. research paper ______________ 7. anecdote
______________ 3. photo explainer ______________ 8. manual
______________ 4. movie review ______________ 9. personal narrative
______________ 5. autobiography ______________ 10. news report

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~19

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 19 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


Listening and Viewing Time
Ready to Listen
Every speech has a different effect on you when you listen to it. It is important that you are
guided on how to listen on how to correctly produce different vowel and consonant sounds. In
English, the most common guide in producing sounds is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
Unlike in Filipino where vowels have only five distinct sounds, the sounds of vowels in English
differ as a certain vowel letter may correspond to different sounds, as shown in the matrix below.

y
Tongue Resting Position Front Central Back

nl
Tense i u
High
Lax I Ʊ

O
Tense e o
Mid
ə

n
Lax ε (ɔ)
^

Low Lax io
æ a
at
The production of these vowel sounds also depends on the placement or position of the tongue.
These are as follows:
• Front, Central, Back. These refer to the part of the mouth where the tongue is raised.
lu

•  igh, Mid, Low. These refer to the degree or level at which the tongue is raised with
H
reference to its resting position.
va

In consonants, correct sounds are determined in terms of two aspects: the place of articulation
and the manner of articulation. The place of articulation refers to the different parts of the vocal
system used in producing sounds. These are as follows:
rE

Manner of Place of Articulation


Articulation Bilabial Labiodental Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Oral (Stop) pb td kg ʔ
Fo

(Nasal) Stop m n ŋ
Tap or Flap ɾ
Affricate t∫ dʒ
Fricative f v ɵð sz ∫ ʒ h
Approximant w ɹ j w
Lateral l
Approximant

20~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 20 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


•  ilabial. The sound is produced by narrowing or completely closing the upper and lower
B
lips.
• Labiodental. The sound is produced by upper teeth touching the lower lip.
•  ental. The sound is produced by placing the tip of the tongue between the upper and
D
lower teeth. Sometimes, a sound is also produced when the tip of the tongue is placed at
the back of the upper teeth.
•  lveolar. The sound is produced by using the tip or blade of the tongue and the alveolar
A
ridge.

y
•  ostalveolar. The sound is produced by using the tip of the tongue and the part behind the
P
alveolar ridge.

nl
• Palatal. The sound is produced by using the hard palate and the tip or back of the tongue.
• Velar. The sound is produced using the velum (or the soft palate) and the tip of the tongue.

O
• Glottal. The sound is produced using the two vocal cords in the larynx.

Meanwhile, the manner of articulation refers to the way on how sounds can be produced.

n
These include the following:


io
Stop (Oral). The sound is produced by completely closing the vocal tract.
S top (Nasal). The sound is produced by completely closing the oral cavity with the velum
lowered, allowing the air to pass through the nasal cavity.
at
•  ap. The sound is produced by quickly moving the tip of the tongue to the roof of the
T
mouth, then returning it to the neutral position.
lu

•  lap. The sound is produced by doing the same with the tap. In here, the tongue is curled
F
back and contact the post-alveolar.
va

•  ffricate. The sound is produced by beginning with a full block of air, or plosive, and then
A
merging into a partial block or fricative.
•  ricative. The sound is produced by pushing air through a narrow path made by placing
F
rE

two articulators near each other.


•  pproximant. The sound is produced by placing two articulators together, but not touching
A
each other.
•  ateral Approximant. The sound is produced by releasing air through the sides of the
L
Fo

tongue while blocking in the middle.


To further understand the lesson, watch the video on English pronunciation, which you can
access by clicking the link or scanning the QR code below.

Title: English Pronunciation Training | Improve Your


Accent & Speak Clearly
Link: https://youtu.be/n4NVPg2kHv4

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~21

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 21 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


Talk About It
Activity 1.11
Answer the questions about the YouTube video.
1. Using your dictionary, how do you know how to pronounce an English word based on
the symbols used? Provide an example of a word taken from your dictionary and how
it should be pronounced based on the given guide.
2. What strategies can you employ to improve your pronunciation?

y
3. What are the similarities and difference between the English alphabet and the IPA?

nl
4. How can IPA help you in improving your pronunciation?
5. Based on your own experience, what other strategies do you use or employ to learn
how to pronounce words correctly?

O
Work It Out

n
Learning Objective: Activity 1.12
Observe the correct
production of consonant
and vowel sounds.
P io
 art A. Click on the link or scan the QR code below to watch the featured
interview on YouTube. Observe the correct production of consonant and
vowel sounds.
at
lu

Title: T
 he best chief justice PH never had? Carpio says
‘that’s the way it is’ | ANC
va

Link: https://youtu.be/eJ4I2bgBKL8
rE

Part B. Answer the following questions based on the YouTube video that you watched.
1. Who were the persons involved in the interview?
____________________________________________________________________________
Fo

____________________________________________________________________________
2. How would you explain the ways on how the interviewer asked questions in terms of
correct pronunciation?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

22~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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3. How would you describe the ways on how the interviewee responded to the interviewer in
terms of sound production?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. What other elements have you observed during the interview?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

y
Ready to View

nl
Viewing involves the use of different materials, such as video clips, movies, and even other
print media, such as posters. In some viewing materials, such as videos, subtitles are sometimes

O
provided to guide the viewers on the scenes and dialogues among the characters. In some materials,
such as posters, texts are provided to guide the viewers in examining and understanding their
intended meaning, especially in terms of vocabulary development.
Various strategies may be used in determining the meaning of a word found in any viewing

n
material. One of these strategies is through structural analysis. It is the process of dividing words


io
into units or parts to determine the meaning of the unknown words.
Some words are changed in spelling to signify the change in number.
at
Examples: man = singular men = plural
• Some words are added with an -s or -es to signify a change in number.
lu

Examples: church = singular flower = singular


churches = plural flowers = plural
• Some base words are added with -d or -ed to denote the change in verb tense.
va

Examples: plant = present (or the base form) planted = past form
• Some words have prefix and/or suffix that will help you determine the meaning of a word.
rE

Examples: mis + understand = misunderstand


prefix root fail to understand

understand + able = understandable


root suffix easy to understand
Fo

These are only some of the guidelines on how you can do structural analysis. Do you know
other ways you can apply structural analysis to understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word?
Watch another clip on proverbs, which you can access by scanning the QR code below.

Title: A Proverbs 31 Woman: Bible Story for Kids


(Sharefaith Kids)
Link: https://youtu.be/zbvGRRWOtOo

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~23

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Talk About It
Activity 1.13
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the YouTube video.
1. What is your impression about the woman of faith as shown in the video?
2. What valuable teachings does Proverbs 31 express?
3. How would you relate the woman of faith to your own mother?
4. How important is the role that each woman plays in a family?

y
5. 
If you were to give additional attributes that a woman of faith should possess,

nl
what would those be? Why?

O
Work It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 1.14
Use structural analysis

n
to determine the  Using structural analysis, complete the table below by identifying the
meaning of unfamiliar
words from the material meaning of the vocabulary words taken from the video you watched. Then,
viewed.
io
explain the structural analysis procedure that you used in identifying their
meanings.
at
Vocabulary Items Intended Meanings Structural Analyses

1. constantly
lu

2. children
va

3. uses

4. opportunities
rE

5. freely

6. blessings
Fo

7. received

8. respected

9. laziness

10. surpassed

24~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 24 1/8/2024 4:52:49 PM


Express Yourself

Every speech has a different effect on you when you listen to it. One of the reasons is because
of the prosodic features of speech. They appear when sounds are put together to create a speech.
These features include volume, projection, pitch, stress, intonation, juncture, and speech rate.
When combined, these prosodic features serve as carriers of meaning.
Prosodic Features
Descriptions
of Speech

y
1. Volume It refers to the loudness or softness of sounds.
2. Projection It refers to the strength or power of voice in speaking.

nl
3. Pitch It refers to the lowness or highness of tone.
4. Stress It is the emphasis imposed on certain sounds or syllables.

O
5. Intonation It is the melody of the speech. It also refers to how you say things.
6. Juncture It signals pause or pauses in a speech.
7. Speech rate It refers to the speed speech units are produced over time.

n
io
Watch the video on the “Book of Proverbs,” which you can access by scanning the QR code.
Listen attentively and focus on the use of the prosodic features of speech.
at
Title: The Book of Proverbs
Link: https://youtu.be/Gab04dPs_uA
lu
va
rE
Fo

Activity 1.15
Part A. Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the
Learning Objective:
video you watched.
Recognize prosodic
1. What is the meaning of the Hebrew word chokma? features that serve as
carriers of meaning.
2. W
 hy do you think is the “Book of Proverbs” compared to a young brilliant
teacher?
3. What are the significant similarities and differences in the features of Filipino proverbs and the
“Book of Proverbs”?

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~25

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 25 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


4. How is moral law expressed in the“Book of Proverbs”? Describe your answer.
5. How did the speaker present his thoughts in terms of the different prosodic features? Explain
your answer.
Part B. Prepare a five-sentence explanation on how proverbs in general shape the pre-colonial
Filipino society and how they contribute to the lives of the present Philippines. Present it in front
of the class. You will be graded using Rubric 01: Speech Performance in the Appendix.
Part C. Complete the table below by describing the performance of the person assigned to you or
your group. Focus on how prosodic features are employed during the speech performance.

y
Prosodic Features
Description
of Speech

nl
1. Volume
2.   Projection

O
3. Pitch
4. Stress
5. Intonation

n
6. Juncture
7. Speech rate
io
at
Practice Some More
lu

Make It Real
Learning Objective: Activity 1.16
va

Analyze literary texts as


expressions of individual
Part A. In groups of three to five members each, prepare a brochure containing
or communal values at least 10 Filipino proverbs, which may come from different cultural groups
within the precolonial and/or regions in the country. You will be graded using Rubric 02: Brochure in
rE

Filipino heritage.
the Appendix.

Part B. Present your brochure in class. In your 5-minute presentation, observe


the use of correct vowel and consonant sounds. You will be graded using Rubric
Fo

03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

Part C. Listen to the other groups’ presentations. Then, write at least five
sentences about the brochure and presentation of your classmates. Use
appropriate statements in active and passive voices. You will be graded using
Rubric 04: Sentences in the Appendix.

26~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 26 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
•  est Your English Level by Taking a Free English Slang Quiz: This is an online activity to
T
test your knowledge on different slang.
https://learningonline.typeform.com/to/lzpBTE
• S kimming and Scanning: This is a quiz material to test your skills on different reading
strategies.
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5ca786704a89d0001cc59ade/skimming-and-scanning

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•  sing Structural Analysis to Determine the Meaning of Words – Quiz & Worksheet: This
U

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is an online material used to enhance your skills in looking for meanings of words through
structural analysis.

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https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-using-structural-analysis-to-find-
word-meaning.html

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What I Have Learned So Far
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Think about the following questions and write your reflection in your learning journal.
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1. What were your misconceptions about Philippine poetry (riddles and proverbs) during the
precolonial period and the topics before taking up this lesson?
2. What are your new and/or additional learning after taking up this lesson in terms of
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literature, skills, and attitude?


3. What are your responses to the essential questions in Things to Ponder?
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4. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?


5. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?
rE
Fo

Lesson 1: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Precolonial Period ~27

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 27 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


Lesson 2
Evaluating Philippine Poetry
from Colonial Period

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By the end of the lesson, you
will have been able to:

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• identify the distinguishing
features of Philippine
literature during the
Period of Apprenticeship;

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• get information using the
different parts of a book;
• distinguish literal from Plaza Moraga, the gateway to the Binondo area, in the 1920s.
figurative language;

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Photo credit: Anonymous. (1920, March 26). Plaza Moraga Old Manila.
• distinguish independent https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plaza_Moraga_old_Manila.jpg
from dependent clause;
• use clauses appropriately
and meaningfully;
• identify the distinguishing
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The colonial period covers a very long period of the Philippine
history covering the Spanish, the American, and the Japanese
at
features of poems; occupations. The English poetry in the Philippine colonial period
• compose a poem using began and flourished during the Period of Apprenticeship or
appropriate structure; Imitation (1910–1935). This period in Philippine literature covers
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• use listening strategies much of the American colonization of the country. The arrival of the
based on purpose,
familiarity with the topic, Americans paved the way for building a new society and policies.
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and levels of difficulty of They opened different schools. This highlighted the use of English
short texts listened to; as the official medium of instruction. The United States even sent
• note details, sequences, American teachers who introduced the use of English as a language
and relationships of ideas
of education and literature.
rE

and events;
• use verbal and nonverbal The new normal during this period shifted from the use of
cues in conversations,
Spanish to English. This shift led to changes even in the field of
dialogues, and interviews;
and literature. The beginning of this era in Philippine literature focused
• show appreciation of on the initialization for novices in exploring and writing literary
Fo

one’s local history through pieces in English. Writers of this period, which involved college
literary presentation.
students and young professionals, featured the imitation of writing
styles of American and other English writers. Through this, many
American and English writers and their styles had been introduced
to the Filipino writers of the period.
Further, Filipino writers during this period began exploring the
use of English in writing not only inside the classroom but even in
various literary genres. Though it took some time for them to master
the English language, they had successfully used it to express their
wit and knowledge.

28~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 28 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
On January 30, 1911, Mount Taal erupted, leaving more than 1,000 people dead. It was
considered one of the most devastating natural calamities of the era. In a triad, discuss what you
think happened during the 1911 eruption. Was it similar to the 2020 and 2021 phreatic eruptions?
Present your ideas or concepts through a short poem to be presented in class. You may use literal or
figurative language in writing your poem. You may use books or online sources as your references.

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O
n
io
at
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Taal Volcano before and after its eruption in 1911.


Photo credits: Maso, M. S. S.J. (1911, January 30). The eruption of Taal Volcano January 30, 1911.
Manila: Department of the Interior Weather Bureau, 1911. https://archive.org/details/eruptionoftaalvo00philrich/
page/n43/mode/2up
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After your presentation, answer the following questions in your notebook:


1. What did you do to compare the eruptions in 1911, 2020, and 2021? What references did
you use in locating information about these?
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2. What significant information have you found about these eruptions? Note the important
details about these events.
3. In your presentation, what literal and/or figurative language did you use? Explain why you
used literal and/or figurative language.
4. During the presentation, did your classmates use verbal and nonverbal cues? What is the
importance of these cues in presenting ideas?
5. In two to three sentences, summarize the main concepts you presented through a poem.

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~29

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 29 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


What I Know, What I Do
Tick the column that you think best describes your skills, knowledge, and attitude. Answer
this section as objectively as possible. Bear in mind that there are no icorrect answers. You can use
your performance in Let’s Warm Up as one of the bases in completing this self-audit task.
Self-Audit Task Checklist
Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1. I can identify the distinguishing features of
Philippine literature during the Period of

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Apprenticeship.

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2. I can get information using the different parts
of a book.
3. I can distinguish literal from figurative

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language.
4. I can distinguish independent from dependent
clause.

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5. I can use clauses appropriately and
meaningfully.
6. I can identify the distinguishing features of
poems.
7. I can compose a poem using appropriate
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structure.
8. I can use listening strategies based on purpose,
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familiarity with the topic, and levels of


difficulty of short texts listened to.
9. I can note details, sequences, and relationships
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of ideas and events.


10. I can use verbal and nonverbal cues in
conversations, dialogues, and interviews.
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11. I can show appreciation of one’s local history


through literary presentation.
TOTAL
Scoring
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Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point


Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
34–36 Advanced 25–27 Developing
31–33 Proficient 24 and below Beginning
28–30 Approaching Proficiency

30~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Things to Ponder

How do nonverbal cues supplement the intended meaning expressed by verbal cues?

What is the importance of distinguishing literal from figurative language?

What is the importance of taking care of the environment?

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How did our colonial history contribute to the development of the Philippines as a nation?

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Explore and Experience

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What’s Coming

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Vocabulary Preview
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 This section further enriches your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:
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cadenced effulgent lambent presaging
din ethereal murmurs ravines
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Grammar Preview
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 In this lesson, you are expected to identify the different types of clauses that are used to
express an idea or concept. These include the following:
• Independent Clause
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• Dependent Clause

Literary Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
Fo

following selections and perform the corresponding activities.


• “Moonlight on Manila Bay” by Fernando M. Maramag
• “Silent Trails” by Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~31

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Ready to Read
“Moonlight on Manila Bay” was written by Fernando M. Maramag in 1912. It features one
of the significant events in the Philippine colonial history. This is one of the most celebrated poems
during the Period of Imitation (1910–1924) in the Philippine literary history.

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Moonlight on Manila Bay
About the Author by Fernando M. Maramag

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Fernando M. Maramag (1893–
1936) was a Filipino poet and A light, serene, ethereal1 glory rests
journalist with unique writing
Its beams effulgent2 on each crestling wave;

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skills and styles in English.
Read more in https://cutt.ly/ The silver touches of the moonlight lave
FernandoMaramag The deep’s bare bosom that the breeze molests;
While lingering whispers deepen as the wavy crests

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Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave;
How will you describe Manila And floods of lambent3 light appear the sea to pave-
Bay today? What important
event in Philippine history is
being described in the poem?
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All cast a spell that heeds not time‘s behests.
Not always such the scene; the din4 of fight
Has swelled the murmur of the peaceful air;
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Here East and West have oft displayed their might;
About the Piece Dark battle clouds have dimmed this scene so fair;
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“Moonlight on Manila Bay” is Here bold Olympia, one historic night,


a poem that expresses feeling
Presaging5 freedom, claimed a people‘s care.
of historical significance. It
features 14 lines that create
va

images, metaphors, and


symbols in rhythmic structure. Source: Maramag, F.M. (1998). Moonlight on Manila bay. In The Likhaan anthology of
Philippine literature in English from 1900 to the present (p. 33 ). G. Abad (Ed.).
(Originally published in 1912).
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Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best defines the word set in boldface based on how it is used in context.
1. ethereal 3. lambent 5. presaging
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a. of heavenly regions a. radiant a. predicting


b. of regions beyond the earth b. lackluster b. negotiating
2. effulgent 4. din
a. dullness a. relaxing sounds
b. brilliance b. loud continued noise

32~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Poems are literary works that show rhythmic, stanzaic, and metrical elements. They explore
different topics from personal to community to nature. They often use metaphors and other
figurative elements that allow readers to uncover their meanings.
According to Kahayon and Zulueta (2000), most of the poems during the American colonial
period:
were written in free verse;
• were original and spontaneous;
• featured patriotic, reflective, descriptive, love, and religious sense; and

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• incorporated social consciousness.

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Talk About It
Activity 2.1

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 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the poem.
1. Which place is described in the poem?

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2. How would you describe Manila Bay based on the poem?
3. What do East and West represent?
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4. What emotions are evoked by the poem? Identify the words or lines that help you in
visualizing such emotions.
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5. Which significant event in Philippine history was referred to in the poem?
6. How would you describe the significance of this poem to the present time?
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Map It Out
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Learning Objective:
Activity 2.2 Identify the distinguishing
features of Philippine
 Using the table below, identify how “Moonlight on Manila Bay” literature during the
embodies the different distinguishing features of a poem. Period of Apprenticeship.
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Features Manifestations in the Poem

1.
Fo

2.

3.

4.

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~33

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Text Focus

Parts of a Book
The advent of technology has widened everyone’s access to information. Nowadays, getting
information has become easier and readily available. Decades ago, people relied on books and
other print materials to acquire information. In fact, they have familiarized themselves with the
different parts of a book to gather information easier.
These parts include the following:

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The front cover provides initial information on the author (the person who writes the
book), the publisher (the company that prints the book), the illustrator (who draws the

nl
pictures or images in the book), and the editor (the person who edits the book).
• The preface expresses an introduction about the book. In some books, the term introduction

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is used.
• The table of contents presents the lists of chapters or units of lessons with their
corresponding pages.

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• The text or body presents the actual chapters or units of the book where topics or lessons
are presented and elaborated.
• io
The appendix includes additional information about the topics in the book. This may
include, for example, but is not limited to, forms, pictures, samples, and additional
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discussions.
• The glossary provides additional information by listing the key terms mentioned in the
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book and their corresponding meanings or definitions.


• The bibliography or references provides the list of sources that the author used in writing
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the book.
• The index lists the topics or lessons in alphabetical order with their corresponding pages.
Locating information is an essential skill that helps you know what to look for. In libraries,
rE

they offer ways to locate information, either in the form of card catalogs or the Online Public
Access Catalog (OPAC).

Activity 2.3
Fo

Learning Objective: Part A. Using this textbook as your reference, answer the questions below.
Get information using 1. What is the title of the book?
the different parts of a
book. _______________________________________________________________
2. Who are the authors of the book?
_______________________________________________________________
3. Does it have any editor and/or illustrator? If yes, name them.
_______________________________________________________________

34~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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4. Which company published the book?
______________________________________________________________________________
5. What information is presented in the Preface or Introduction?
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Based on the Table of Contents, how many units and lessons are there in this book?
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Are there references used in developing this book? Can you name at least two books and two
online references?

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______________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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8. Does the book include the glossary? What do you think is the importance of glossary?
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
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9. Does the book have a list of appendices? Explain the function of an appendix.
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
10. Does the book have an index? How does the index help readers like you in exploring the
book?
va

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Part B. Get another book available at home. Then, answer the following questions. Write N/A on
each number if not applicable. Be prepared to share your answers in class.
1. What is the title of the book?
Fo

______________________________________________________________________________
2. Who are the authors of the book?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Does it have any editor and/or illustrator? If yes, name them.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Which company published the book?
______________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~35

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5. What topic is presented in Lesson or Chapter 3 of your chosen book?
______________________________________________________________________________
6. What term is defined as the 10th entry in the glossary? State also the term’s definition.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. What is the 15th entry in the list of indices? Cite the specific topic or lesson mentioned.
______________________________________________________________________________

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Vocabulary Focus

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In expressing oneself, a speaker may use either literal or figurative language. Literal language
refers to what is exactly meant by what is written or said. Meanwhile, figurative language uses

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nonliteral or metaphorical language in expressing what it really means.

Literal Language Figurative Language


Examples Meanings Examples Meanings

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1. I t was raining hard It means what it says. 1. I t was raining cats It was raining hard
yesterday. and dogs yesterday. yesterday.
2. Grei runs fast. He is
really a runner.
It means what it says. io
2. Grei is a cheetah
when he runs.
Grei runs really fast.
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3. Gelsey was so It means what it says. 3. Gelsey was so Gelsy was so hungry
hungry. She ate a hungry. She could that she could even eat
lot during dinner. eat a horse. a lot of food.
lu

Activity 2.4
va

Learning Objective: Distinguish each statement as to literal or figurative language. In the


Distinguish literal from
second column, write L if the given statement expresses literal meaning, and
figurative language. F if it shows figurative language. Then, identify their intended meanings in the
rE

last column.

Statements L/F Intended Meanings


1. Francheska is her grandmother’s apple
Fo

of the eye.

2. The night is peaceful and calm.

3. The employees are busy as bees.

4. My mother works hard to send us to


good schools.

5. Francis loves watching movies.

36~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 36 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


=PT
DjwK
UKE
abdu

Statements L/F Intended Meanings

6. You can do it. Break a leg.

7. Gian was barking up the wrong tree.

8. Marco submitted his project before


the deadline.
9. I was told not to borrow money from
loan sharks.

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10. My father started burning woods at
the fireplace.

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Grammar Focus

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A clause is a group of words composed of a subject and a predicate that may function as a part
of a complex or compound sentence. A clause may either be a dependent or an independent clause.

n
Study the example below.

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When the fire volunteers arrived at their village, the residents had already put out the fire.
at
In the given example, the italicized part of the sentence serves as the independent clause. It has
a subject and a predicate and can stand on its own. It means it expresses a complete thought or
meaning.
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On the other hand, the underlined part of the statement is the dependent clause. It has a
subject and a predicate but cannot express its complete thought or meaning.
va

Distinguish an independent from a dependent clause.


• An independent clause is composed of a subject and a predicate. It has a complete meaning.
It is considered to be a complete sentence.
rE

Examples: The overused and overheated television started the fire.


The students always complain.
• A dependent clause contains a subject and a predicate. However, it does not express a
Fo

complete thought or meaning. It needs to be attached to an independent clause to completely


express its intended meaning. Dependent markers are used to signify dependent clauses.
Some of them include the following: whatever, when, whenever, whether, while, after,
although, as, as if, since, though, unless, until, even if, even though, if, in order to because,
and before.
Because Jane left it on, the overused and overheated television started the fire.
Examples: 
   The students always complain whenever their teacher asks them to perform
an individual project.

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~37

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 37 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


Activity 2.5
Learning Objective: In each statement below, underline the independent clause once and the
Distinguish dependent clause twice.
independent from
dependent clause. 1. While their teacher was away, they planned for a surprise birthday party
for him.

2. I decided to be a farmer because my father wants me to manage our


hacienda.

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3. The manager still pursued the project although the board of directors

nl
had already disapproved it.

4. Whether they submit their proposals or not, the administrators will still

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hire additional employees for the newly created department.

5. The management will not approve the proposed wage hike unless the
employees are able to justify their claims.

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Activity 2.6 io
With your partner, write a 3-minute dialogue/conversation on any of
at
Learning Objective:
the topics below. Use dependent and independent clauses in developing the
Use clauses
appropriately and
conversations. Then, underline the independent clause once and the dependent
clause twice. Then, present your prepared dialogue in class. You will be graded
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meaningfully.
using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.
1. Community pantry
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2. Corruption
3. Environmental conservation/Climate change
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4. Poverty
5. Teenage pregnancy
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Link It
“Silent Trails” is a poem written by Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion in 1932. It reflects the
beauty and silence of nature in Benguet. It is one of the known poems from the Period of Imitation.
It expresses deep emotions rooted in the context of silence and nature.

38~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Silent Trails
by Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion
About the Author
Marcelo de Gracia Concepcion
(1900–1954) published
Azucena, the first book of
poetry written by a Filipino
published in the United States
in 1925. His second volume
of poetry, Bamboo Flute, was
published in 1932. He was an

y
editor of the Three Stars in
1931.

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Read more in http://www.
commonwealthcafe.info/poetry

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The Benguet zigzag roads built during the American period. Have you been on silent trails?
How will you describe it?
Photo credit: Worcester, D.C. (1914). The Philippines past and present Volume 1. The

n
Macmillan Company. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12077/12077-h/12077-h.htm

Silent trails
io About the Piece
“Silent Trails” is a poem that
does not only define silence but
at
Silent are the trails of Benguet Hills also highlights it in the context
When the mist veils the sun­— of tranquility and quietness.
Even when the wind stirs the ferns It further reflects one’s deep
emotions.
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And the bamboo brakes sing


Their echoed murmurs1.
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And the laden Benguet women pass; Expanding Vocabulary


Encircle the letter that best
Beating their pakkongs*
defines the word set in boldface
In cadenced2 monotones. based on how it is used in
rE

context.
Even so, 1. murmurs
These trails are lonely... a. loud cry
b. muttered complaint
And deep are the ravines3,
Fo

And higher still the skies. 2. cadenced


a. regular
b. rhythmic
*Benguet’s bamboo percussion instrument played by locals while chanting
3. ravines
Source: Hartendorp, A.V.H., ed. (1931, September). Philippine Magazine, 28(4), 173. a. canyons
b. plateaus

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~39

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Talk About It
Activity 2.7
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the poem.
1. What do the trails of Benguet Hills mean?
2. How would you relate trails to the concept of a journey?
3. W
 hat could possibly one discover while journeying along the trail described in the
poem?

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4. What emotion is evoked by the poem? Point out the line/s that help you in identifying it.

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5. How would you relate the concept of silence to loneliness? Relate the meaning of the
poem to human emotions.

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Map It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 2.8

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Identify the
distinguishing
features of poems.
 Using the table below, identify how “Silent Trails” embody the different
io
distinguishing features of a poem.
at
Features Manifestations in the Poem

1.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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Cultural Trip

• Did you know that the capital of Benguet is La Trinidad, not Baguio City? Baguio is a
highly urbanized city that is independent from the control of the province. It also serves
as the regional center of the Cordillera Administrative Region. As a province, Benguet is
known as the Salad Bowl of the Philippines for producing tons of upland vegetables every
year.

40~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 40 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


Write It Right

The Philippines has a very rich literary history. From oral literature, early Filipinos learned
to write their thoughts leading to the development of our literary text during the colonial up to
the modern times.
In writing your own poem, there are several elements that you need to consider. These include
sound, rhythm and rhyme, format and structure, speaker, literary devices and figures of speech,
and theme.
Sounds

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Sound is an element that helps how words or lines evoke meaning to the readers. Poets often

nl
create the sounds embedded in their poem. Sounds become more relevant and impactful while
listening to a poem. Sounds help in establishing meanings based on two perspectives:

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•  one refers to the attitude that the poet puts into the poem while conveying the meaning
T
and the language to the target audience. This is basically reflected into the use of language
or words to portray the intended emotion or feelings.

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•  ood refers to the environment, the feeling, or the overall atmosphere conveyed to and/or
M
felt by the readers. This also expresses the impression that the poem creates as perceived
by the readers.
Rhythm and Rhyme
io
at
Rhythm plays an important role in developing and expressing the tone. It creates sound flow
based on arrangement of syllable that develop repeating patterns.
lu

Meanwhile, rhyme refers to the repetitive pattern of sounds. This is used to reinforce and
emphasize patterns or rhyme scheme.
va

Format and Structure


Poems may be structured or free-versed. Structured poems follow certain metrical regularity
(same number of lines, stanzas, and rhymes) while free verse does not.
rE

Several structural elements include:


• Line refers to an element that comprises a stanza.
• S tanza is the group of lines in a poem. The number of stanzas may vary depending on the
Fo

structure of the poem.


Speaker
This refers to the point of view used in narrating the poem.
•  he first-person point of view is told on the personal level of the poet. The pronouns I, me,
T
my and we suggest personal point of view.
•  he second person point of view suggests direct communication or connection between
T
the speaker to the reader. It uses the pronoun You to establish direct communication.

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~41

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 41 1/8/2024 4:52:50 PM


•  he third person point of view refers to the perspective of the narrator who expresses the
T
experience, feelings, or ideas about the subject and/or characters. Pronouns he, she, it, they,
and his, hers, theirs are used to express this point of view.
Literary Devices and Figurative Language
These refer to different poetic elements used to suggest different meanings and/or interpretations.
They evoke deeper meanings other than the meanings conveyed at the literal interpretation of the
words.
Common literary devices in poetry include anaphora, alliteration, consonance, assonance,

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metonymy, and synecdoche.
Meanwhile, commonly used figures of speech include simile, metaphor, irony, hyperbole, and

nl
personification.
Theme

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Theme refers to the recurring idea, concept, or thought in a poem. Common themes used in
poems include nature, spirit, mortality and immortality, and love. Theme helps in understanding
the central message that the poet aims to convey.

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Learning Objective:

Compose a poem using


Activity 2.9
io
Part A. Using the above elements of poetry, write a four-line four-stanza poem on
any of the topics below.
at
appropriate structure.

1. Spanish occupation of the Philippines


2. American occupation of the Philippines
lu

3. Japanese occupation of the Philippines


va

4. Filipino revolutionary heroes


5. Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK)
rE

Part B. Complete the table below by analyzing your original poem using the different elements of
poetry.
Elements Analysis
1. Title
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2. Theme
3. Tone
4. Mood
5. Rhyme and Rhythm
6. Form and Structure
7. Speaker
8. L
 iterary Devices and Figures
of Speech Used (if any)

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Listening and Viewing Time

Ready to Listen
Listening for specific details can be a challenging task. However, using these strategies, you can
extract information from the text listened to. There are different considerations that you may use
in extracting information from a text. Here are some of them.
• Predict the title and the content of the listening text.

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• Use key terms or words as key points in finding information.
• Take down notes on important information that you have listened to.

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• Take note of the new or unfamiliar terms.

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•  isten or identify answers to questions. Teachers usually give guide questions to students
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before listening to a text.
•  roup the words according to their nature or importance. Your skills in finding key ideas
G

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and supporting details may help you.
• Establish connections among the words that you have included in your list.
• io
 isten to the same text again, if necessary. This helps you verify or validate the initial
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information that you have gathered.
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•  nswer the preassigned questions. This determines if you have extracted the needed
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information.
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• Summarize the text using the gathered information.


For example, listening to news requires listening to detailed information about its topic or
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subject. How do you extract information from a news listening text? You may focus on the What,
Who, When, Where, Why, and How to gather the information.
As listening is one of the most complex macro skills in studying a language, you often employ
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different strategies to understand a particular listening text. These listening strategies may differ
based on purpose, topic, and difficulty.
Listening Strategies
There are two common listening strategies: top-down and bottom-up.
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The top-down listening strategy allows the listener to use his or her background information
of the topic, the text-type, and the context of the listening text. This strategy also invites the
listener to use his or her prior knowledge in making meaning of the text by associating it to his or
her own experiences. It makes use of the general knowledge of the listener.
Examples: taking down notes
making inferences
drawing conclusions
listening for key ideas

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~43

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Meanwhile, the bottom-up listening strategy allows the listener to make meaning of the text
by carefully comprehending the words, phrases, and sentences. The vocabulary and language
structures help the listener in understanding the intended meaning. This involves less (or no) use
of prior knowledge in comprehending the listening text.
Examples: listening for details
identifying vocabulary meanings
Listen to the news clips below taken from the CNN Philippines. Take note of the important
considerations in extracting information from a listening text. Be guided by the questions in Talk
About It.

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Title: NCR mayors appeal for 4M vaccines, propose
two-week ECQ

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Link: https://youtu.be/mzVQ3BTEIh0

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io
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Talk About It
Activity 2.10
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 Use the information from the clip on previous page in answering the questions below.
Discuss your answers to the class.
1. What is the listening text all about?
2. Who is the news presenter?
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3. From what media company does the news come from?


4. What details were presented in the news clips?
5. What steps did you undertake in extracting information from the listened text?

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Work It Out Learning Objective:

Activity 2.11 Use listening strategies


based on purpose,
Part A. Listen to the listening text below by clicking on the link or scanning familiarity with the topic,
and levels of difficulty of
the QR code with your gadget. short texts listened to.

Title: How did the Philippine education evolve during


the American period?

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Link: https://youtu.be/34SXIg9wppg

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Part B. Answer the questions below about the listening text. Write your answers on the space
provided.
1. How many years were devoted to elementary, secondary, and tertiary education?

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____________________________________________________________________________

Philippines? io
2. According to the listening text, who were considered as the first volunteer teachers in the

____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
3. What were the core skills taught or emphasized by the curriculum during the American
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period?
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
4. Why did the speaker consider the education during the American regime, the golden days
of Philippine education?
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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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Ready to View
Viewing materials are wide in scope as they include video clips, movies, pictures, illustrations,
and even posters. In viewing, it is important to take note of the details presented in a text. These
details are the most important information that a certain viewing material may offer to viewers.
Noting details is an essential comprehension skill. In here, you look for the specific elements
from parts to whole. These are basically the specific pieces that viewers notice during viewing.
They emphasize the characters, events, place, and other related concepts.

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Listed below are some important considerations in enhancing one’s viewing skills.
• Examine the title. This may help you in directing your focus. It gives prior information on
what to expect in a material.
• Watch the material with understanding. Focus on the lines of speakers. Examine the
background pictures.
• Take note of the important details. You will be able to determine the specific details as they
create relationships among each other.
• If guide questions are given prior to the viewing activity, read them first; then, focus your

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attention in finding answers to the questions.
Moreover, the viewer has to evaluate the relationship of ideas and events to determine how

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they are related and connected. These concepts in listening process are essential in analyzing and
understanding the intended meaning of a viewing material or text.

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Furthermore, some viewing materials involve presentation of ideas or events in sequential style.
These sequences have to be analyzed to determine the chronological flow of events. Sequencing
would help in understanding why particular events happen or occur. Sequence may be seen as an

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orderly flow of events in a video. Another viewing material on how sequence may be illustrated
is through a timeline.
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Growth Timeline
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Seeds Seedling Tree Fruit


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Fo

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Photo credit: UP-PGH. (2020, April 14). COVID-19 Testing Process Infographic

Talk About It
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Activity 2.12
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions using the illustration above.
1. What are the steps considered in the COVID-19 testing process?
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2. How are specimens for COVID-19 collected?


3. 
Based on the material, how many hours are needed before the results are finally
reported?
4. What should you do while waiting for the results of your test?
5. If you were found to be positive, what should you do?
6. What advice can you give to your fellow students on how they can avoid COVID-19?

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Work It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 2.13
Note details, sequences,
and relationships of Part A. Watch the viewing material below. Click on the link or scan the
ideas and events. QR code with your gadget.

Title: Why did the US buy the Philippines?

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Link: https://youtu.be/OkwRNgWi_2k

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O
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Photo credit: U.S. Naval Historical Foundation. (n.d.). Fred S. Cozzens’
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Battle of Manila Bay, 1 May 1898. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/d/de/USS_Olympia_NH_NH_85768-KN.jpg
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Part B. Using the information from the video, prepare a timeline of events mentioned.
Use the space below.
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Fo

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Part C. Note specific details and relationship of concepts mentioned in the video material by
answering the questions below. Write your answers on the lines.
1. What did the Treaty of Paris of 1898 tell in terms of Spanish-American War?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
2. What are the core principal foundations of the United States as a nation?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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3. What are the concepts associated with imperialism?

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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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4. According to the video, how did the United States legitimize the colonization of the
Philippines after the Spanish period?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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5. Why did the United States buy the Philippines from Spain?
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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Express Yourself
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Communication is a complex process. Everyone can get lost in translation. It requires the use
of different elements. Commonly, you use verbal cues in communication. These verbal cues are
prompts conveyed in a spoken language transmitted from one person to another. These verbal
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cues may be in a form of nomination, questions, and elaboration. They require response from the
one spoken to.
Meanwhile, nonverbal cues are also important elements in spoken communication. They
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add flavors or meanings to the words spoken during the communication process. They include
body language, facial expressions, gestures, eye contacts, and postures that will help the speaker
in establishing the context of the communication activity. Tone of voice also matters in the
communication process.
• Facial expressions deal with how the speaker expresses oneself. They include the emotions
that the speaker puts into the communication process.
• Body movement and posture refer to how one carries him/herself during a conversation.
These describe how one sits or stands during the communication process.

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~49

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• Gestures refer to the simple actions that one put into during the communication process.
High-five or the OK sign are two of the common gestures. However, meanings of these
common gestures and hand signals vary from culture to culture.
• Eye contact is one of the important nonverbal cues as it describes the speaker’s sincerity.
• Tone of voice, or the voice itself, matters in a communication process. It gives additional
flavor during conversation.

Activity 2.14

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Part A. With a group of five to eight members, prepare a 5- to 10-minute
Learning Objective:
talk show featuring hosts/interviewers and guests/interviewees on any

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Use verbal and
nonverbal cues
of the topics presented below. You will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral
in conversations, Presentation in the Appendix.
dialogues, and

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interviews. • Education in the new normal
• Promoting local tourism
• Local hero

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• Not romanticizing resiliency in times of natural disasters
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Unemployment and poverty
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Part B. Listen to other groups’ presentations. Then, write at least five
sentences about your observations on the use of verbal and nonverbal cues.
You will be graded using Rubric 04: Sentences in the Appendix.
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Practice Some More


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Make It Real
Learning Objective: Activity 2.15
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Show appreciation
of one’s local history
Part A. With your groupmates, write a three-stanza poem on any place or
through literary event of historical significance in your town or locality. Present your poem
presentation.
through a 1-minute video that shows photo or video clips of the place or
event that your group has chosen. You will be graded using the rubric below.
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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The video is well-planned and organized.
2. The details presented are well-established and factual.
3. The contents show clarity.
4. The output uses appropriate visuals for clarity.
5. The output displays creativity.
6. The work is collaborative.
7. The video content is well-researched.

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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
8. The purpose of the presentation is clear.
9. The message is delivered clearly.
10. The supporting information reinforces the message.
11. The speaker/s observe the appropriate use of different elements of
poetry.

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

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Part B. Watch other groups’ presentations. Then, write at least five sentences about the video
presentation of your classmates. Use meaningful and appropriate clauses and/or sentences. You

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will be graded using Rubric 04: Sentences in the Appendix.

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E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
• Figurative versus Literal Language: This activity provides you with an opportunity to

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enhance your skills in distinguishing the two.
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https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5c7d651625e73f001b75fb38/figurative-vs-literal-
language
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• Verbal & Nonverbal Communication | Definition, Skills & Examples: This link helps in
further understanding the concepts on verbal and nonverbal cues.
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https://study.com/learn/lesson/verbal-nonverbal-messages-communication-types-skills-
examples.html
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What I Have Learned So Far


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Think about the following questions and write your reflection in your learning journal.
1. What were your misconceptions about Philippine literature during the colonial period and
the topics in general before taking up this lesson?
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2. What new or additional learning have you had after taking up this lesson in terms of
literature, skills, and attitude?
3. What are your responses to the essential questions in Things to Ponder?
4. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?
5. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?

Lesson 2: Evaluating Philippine Poetry from Colonial Period ~51

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Lesson 3
Evaluating Philippine Poetry
from Contemporary Times and
Composing and Publishing an Original
Multimodal Poem

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By the end of the lesson, you will
have been able to:

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• discover literature as a tool to
assert one’s unique identity
and to better understand other
people;

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• use an electronic search engine
to locate specific sources;
• identify figures of speech that
show comparison and contrast
(such as simile, metaphor,
io
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personification, irony, oxymoron,
and paradox);
• demonstrate understanding of
figures of speech through own
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poems;
• distinguish independent from
dependent clauses in different
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sentence types;
• analyze literary texts as
expressions of individual or
communal contexts;
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• distinguish between oral and Filipino writers in English have continued to grow after the
written language; American period. Poets such as Edith Tiempo, Carlos Angeles,
• express one’s advocacy through
Manuel Viray, Conrado Pedroche, and Ophelia Alcantara
alternative medium;
• determine the truthfulness and Dimalanta, among others produced literary works that have
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accuracy of the material viewed; influenced the succeeding generation of writers.


• follow directions using maps;
There is much influence from the styles and themes of
• use the correct pitch, juncture,
stress, volume and projection, American poets on Filipino poems, especially when English
and rate or speed of speech in became the language of the elite. But, during the resurgence
conversations and dialogues; of nationalism from 1960 to the present, the course has
• observe and use correct juncture
changed. Political themes prevailed and were much reflected
or phrasing and rate of speech
when reading sample passages in Filipino literary works. For many writers, literature became
(prose or poetry); and an articulation of social reality, suffering for freedom, and
• recognize local heroes through challenging conditions because of radical societal changes.
literary text.

52~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
Part A. Watch and analyze the video below on the 1734 Murillo-Velarde map, which you can
access by going to the link or scanning the QR code below.

Title: 1734 Murillo-Velarde map shows Scarborough


Shoal, Spratlys

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Link: https://youtu.be/zjWfHFtfoDs

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The digitized copy of the 1734 Murillo Velarde map in the Library of Congress
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Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carta_Hydrographica_y_Chorographica_


de_las_Yslas_Filipinas_Dedicada_al_Rey_Nuestro_Señor_por_el_Mariscal_d._Campo_D._Fernando_
Valdes_Tamon_Cavallº_del_Orden_de_Santiago_de_Govor._Y_Capn.jpg
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Part B. Discuss your answers to the questions about the Murillo-Velarde map with your groupmates.
1. What map is featured in the video?
2. How does a map help in moving from one place to another?
3. Why is the 1734 Murillo Velarde Map considered the mother of all Philippine maps?
4. How can one assure truthfulness and accuracy in important documents such as maps?
5. Does the news presenter report the details with pride and conviction? Describe the way the
news was presented in terms of juncture or phrasing and rate of speech.

Lesson 3: Evaluating Poetry from Contemporary Times and Composing ~53


and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

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What I Know, What I Do
Tick the column that best describes your knowledge, skills, and attitude. Answer this section
as objectively as possible. Bear in mind that there are no incorrect answers. You can use your
performance in Let’s Warm Up as one of the bases in completing this self-audit task.
Self-Audit Task Checklist
Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1. I can discover literature as a tool to assert
one’s unique identity and to better understand

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other people.

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2. I can use an electronic search engine to locate
specific sources.
3. I can identify figures of speech that show

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comparison and contrast (such as simile,
metaphor, personification, irony, oxymoron,
and paradox).
4. I can demonstrate understanding of figures of

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speech through own poems.
5. I can distinguish independent from dependent
clauses in different sentence types.
6. I can analyze literary texts as expressions of
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individual or communal contexts.
7. I can distinguish between oral and written
language.
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8. I can express one’s advocacy through


alternative medium.
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9. I can determine the truthfulness and accuracy


of the material viewed.
10. I can follow directions using maps.
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11. I can use the correct pitch, juncture, stress,


volume and projection, and rate or speed of
speech in conversations and dialogues.
12. I can observe and use correct juncture or
phrasing and rate of speech when reading
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sample passages (prose or poetry).


13. I can recognize local heroes through literary
text.
TOTAL
Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point
Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
37–39 Advanced 28–30 Developing
34–36 Proficient 27 and below Beginning
31–33 Approaching Proficiency

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Things to Ponder

How important is it to determine the truthfulness and accuracy


of a piece of material or information?

How does map help you in reaching your destinations?

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Explore and Experience

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What’s Coming

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Vocabulary Preview
 This section further enriches your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the

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meaning of the following words:
bonsai
dank
dilute
gaudy
io gut
repent
roto
slit
stare
sublimation
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Grammar Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to identify the different sentence structures. These include
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the following:
• Simple Sentence
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• Compound Sentence
• Complex Sentence
• Compound-Complex Sentence
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Literary Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform the corresponding activities.
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• “Bonsai” by Edith Tiempo


• “As She Pleases” by Rina Garcia Chua

Lesson 3: Evaluating Poetry from Contemporary Times and Composing ~55


and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 55 1/8/2024 4:52:56 PM


Ready to Read
“Bonsai” is one of the most anthologized poems of Edith L. Tiempo. The National Commission
for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) describes it as “intricate verbal transfigurations of significant
experiences,” which can refer to the creativity of Tiempo in using words and descriptions to
describe her journey of transformation in viewing things differently based on what happened to
her forming images. “Bonsai” is a poem rich in sensory images that appeal to the senses of sight,
taste, smell, touch, and sound.

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About the Author
Bonsai1

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Edith L. Tiempo (1919–2011)
is the Philippine National Artist by Edith L. Tiempo
for Literature. She was a poet,
fictionist, literary critic, and a

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All that I love
teacher, and acknowledged
as the mother of Philippine
I fold over once
literature. And once again
Read more in https://ncca.gov. And keep in a box

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ph/about-culture-and-arts/ Or a slit2 in a hollow post
culture-profile/national-artists- Or in my shoe.
of-the-philippines/edith-l-
tiempo/ io All that I love?
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Take a quick look at the title and
Why, yes, but for the moment-
illustration. What knowledge
do you already have about And for all time, both.
the title? What content do you Something that folds and keeps easy,
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expect to read in the text? Son’s note or Dad’s one gaudy3 tie,
A roto4 picture of a young queen,
A blue Indian shawl, even
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About the Piece


A money bill .
“Bonsai” is known as the
signature poem of Edith L.
Tiempo. It evokes her expression It’s utter sublimation5,
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of deepest feelings and A feat, this heart’s control


profoundest thoughts about love. Moment to moment
To scale all love down
To a cupped hand’s size,
Expanding Vocabulary
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Encircle the letter that best defines the word set in boldface
Till seashells are broken pieces
based on how it is used in context.
From God’s own bright teeth,
1. bonsai 4. roto
And life and love are real
a. a dwarfed potted plant a. moving
b. a marcotted vegetable b. still Things you can run and
plant Breathless hand over
5. sublimation
2. slit a. an act
To the merest child.
a. a narrow opening b. an energy
b. a wide opening
3. gaudy Source: https://readalittlepoetry.com/2010/03/31/bonsai-by-
a. enough number
edith-tiempo/
b. overly bright

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. Talk About It
Activity 3.1
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the poem.
1. What did the speaker of the poem want to tell the readers?
2. Do you think everyone thinks or considers the way the speaker compares or sees love?
3. What words or phrases justify or support the speaker’s point of view about love?
4. Do you agree with the speaker’s point of view about love? Expound.

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5. How else do you see love?

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Map It Out

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Activity 3.2
 art A. You were tasked to discuss the poem “Bonsai” to elementary
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students. Form a group of 10 members and assign a stanza to each member. Learning Objective:

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Consider this flow in your individual discussion: (1) read aloud the stanza, Discover literature as
a tool to assert one’s
(2) state the literal meaning, (3) reinforce the message by stating the sensory unique identity and to
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images, and (4) illustrate the message using a personal example. Record
your discussion and consolidate it into a one video file. Your group video
file must not exceed 5 minutes. You will be graded using Rubric 05: Visual
better understand other
people.
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Presentation in the Appendix.

Part B. Write a paragraph in response to these questions: Based on your learning experiences,
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what important lessons have you learned about “Bonsai” and other literary pieces? How will
you use these lessons to assert your identity and better understand other people? You will be
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graded using Rubric 06: Paragraph Writing/Narrative Paragraph in the Appendix.


________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

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and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

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Text Focus

Online Search Engines


The Internet offers a wider range of information that may be accessed using different search
engines. It carries tons of information, from specific to general. Online search engines are software
systems used in web searching in a very systematic way by locating information using key words
or phrases in the web search box.
There are three types of search engines that may be used to locate information. These include
(a) general search engines, (b) metasearch engines, and (c) specific search engines.

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Types of Search Engines Definitions Sample Engines

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1. General search engine an Internet portal that can be • Google

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accessed in searching topic- • Yahoo
related information from
• Ask
various sources
• MSN

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• Alta Vista
• Bing

2. Metasearch engine
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an online retrieval tool that works
by using other search engines in
• Blingo
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• Dogpile
locating information
• Polymeta
• SearchSalad
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• Metacrawler
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3. Specific search engine an engine or program used to • JSTOR


locate desired information using • LexisNexis
specific sites on the Internet
• Academic Search
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Activity 3.3
Learning Objective:
Part A. Do the activity by following the instructions below.
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Use an electronic search


engine to locate specific
sources.
1. In the address bar, type www.google.com.
2. In the search bar, encode “COVID-19 response in the Philippines.”
3. Open the third entry that presents the needed information.
4. Read the information.

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Part B. Complete the web below by describing your experience in gathering information using
electronic search engines.

My experience in
using electronic

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search engine

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Vocabulary Focus
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Figures of speech refer to word or words that possess meanings other than its literal forms.
They are used to hide the meanings intended by the texts. Some figures of speech are used to
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compare and even contrast things or elements.
Figures of Speech Definition Examples
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1. Simile It is used to compare two different • The guest sings like a bird.
persons and things. It often uses like • The road is as slippery as an eel.
and as to show similarities.
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2. Metaphor It is used to show comparisons or • My father is a tiger when he gets mad.


suggests likeness of two different • Her tongue is a sharpened knife
persons or things. whenever she speaks.
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3. Personification It is the attribution of human • The flowers are dancing to the music of
qualities to nonhuman beings. the wind.
• The sky cries and expresses its anger.
4. Irony It expresses a meaning that actually • A mountaineer has a fear of heights.
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signifies the opposite. It may be • Telling your students in a messy


situational, verbal, or dramatic. classroom that they have a nice
classroom
5. Oxymoron It refers to the use or combination of • Silent scream
two words with opposite meanings. • Living history
• Student-teacher
6. Paradox It is a statement that appears to • The end of this journey is just a
contradict itself but creates deeper beginning.
meaning. • You can save money by spending it in
investments.

Lesson 3: Evaluating Poetry from Contemporary Times and Composing ~59


and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 59 1/8/2024 4:52:57 PM


Activity 3.4
Learning Objective:
On the space provided before each number, identify the figure of speech
Identify figures of used in each item. Write S if it is simile, M if it is metaphor, Pn if it is
speech that show
comparison and personification, I if it is irony, O if its oxymoron, or Px if it is paradox.
contrast (such as
simile, metaphor, ______ 1. The bamboos nod in response to my statements.
personification, irony,
oxymoron, and paradox). ______ 2. This glass is half full.
______ 3. I am quite blind like a bat whenever I drive during daytime.
______ 4. 
Deep down, the idea that the proponent presented was

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really shallow.

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______ 5. My mother is an angel who always guides and protects me.
______ 6. Presenting the good news by telling “the bad news is…”

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______ 7. The strong wind brought by the storm howled.
______ 8. His general is his loyal opponent.
______ 9. Her workmate is going through a rollercoaster of emotions.

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______ 10. Telling a rude client to “have an enjoyable day”

Activity 3.5
io
at
Learning Objective:
Write a two-stanza poem about your dreams in the first column.
Demonstrate
understanding of figures
Incorporate figures of speech in writing your output. Once done, exchange
lu

of speech through own output with a classmate, then have him or her identify the lines with figures
poems.
of speech and their type in the second column.
va

My Poem Figures of Speech and Their Types


rE
Fo

60~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 60 1/8/2024 4:52:57 PM


Grammar Focus
There are four types of sentence structures. These include (a) simple, (b) compound, (c)
complex, and (d) compound-complex.
Simple Sentence. A simple sentence is composed of a subject and a predicate. It is formed
1. 
by one independent clause that expresses a complete thought.
Example:
Subject Predicate
This hotel room is very small for our family.

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independent clause

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2. Compound Sentence. A compound sentence is formed by two or more independent clauses
or simple sentences. These independent clauses are usually combined through a comma,

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semi-colon, and/or coordinating conjunctions, such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.
Example:

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Conjunction
Subject Predicate S Predicate

independent clause
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This hotel room is very small for our family , and it is very expensive, too.
independent clause
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3. Complex Sentence. It is a sentence formed by a main (independent) clause and a dependent/
subordinating clause. They are connected by subordinating conjunctions, such as because,
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before, after, although, if, unless, when, whenever, while, etc.


Example:
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subordinating conjunction

My father cancelled the room reservation because it was very small for our family.
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independent clause dependent or subordinating clause

Complex Sentence. A compound complex sentence is formed by one or more dependent


4. 
clauses and two or more independent clauses.
Fo

Example:
subordinating conjunction

Before we left our house, my family cancelled the original room reservation
dependent/subordinating clause independent clause

and we booked a bigger and cheaper room.


independent cause

Lesson 3: Evaluating Poetry from Contemporary Times and Composing ~61


and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 61 1/8/2024 4:52:57 PM


Learning Objective: Activity 3.6
Distinguish independent Analyze each sentence as to simple, compound, complex, or compound
from dependent clauses
in different sentence complex. Then, in each sentence, underline the independent clause once and
types. the dependent clause twice.

__________ 1. The fans were very delighted because their favorite group performed their
chart-topping songs.

y
__________ 2. The mayor was initially hesitant to approve the proposal, but he eventually

nl
called our team confirming his support for it.
__________ 3. Before the officials arrived for the celebration, most of the delegates already
left the hall and they already had their dinner.

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__________ 4. Dry season in the Philippines is very hot, but summer in the Middle East is
a lot hotter.

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__________ 5. Carlo loves to cook Filipino and other Asian cuisines.
__________ 6. The competition started on time, and it was almost over when the accident

__________
happened. io
7. After visiting my grandmother, my relatives cooked tikoy and suman.
at
__________ 8. The army will not stop their operations unless the rebels release their
hostages.
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__________ 9. Bagnet is one of my most favorite Ilocano dishes.


__________ 10. The teachers checked our outputs, and they recorded our scores in their
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gradebooks.

Link It
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Some legends deal with heroic deeds of some historical figures. The definition of heroism
has changed over the years. In the Philippine context, the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are
considered modern heroes as they financially help the country through their remittances that add
up to the gross national product (GNP).
Fo

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses, doctors, and other medical practitioners
are rebranded as heroes without capes. They act as frontliners in saving and curing COVID-19
patients. They have fully dedicated their expertise, time, and energy to ensure that everyone is
given enough and appropriate medical support.
Further, the pandemic has paved the way to honor other frontliners who have performed
unique actions in ensuring balance, peace, and order in the communities.

62~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 62 1/8/2024 4:52:58 PM


As she pleases
after Tropical Storm Ondoy, 2009 About the Author
by Rina Garcia Chua Rina Garcia Chua is the editor
of Sustaining the Archipelago:
An Anthology of Philippine
If only words dilute1 sediments at the bottom of my gut2; if only a tongue Ecopoetry which was published
can let this pain hydroplane into a song. in 2018 by the University of
Santo Tomas Publishing House.
If only I did not get up from the soft eggshell mattress of my old bed; if only Read more about her in https://

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I played the lazy student card and stayed behind. www.worldliteraturetoday.org/
author/rina-garcia-chua

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If only they warned us; if only I/they listened.

If only those raindrops were not as fat as freshly fed eels; if only I camped What do you think is the main

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out in school and waited for hot bread. message of the poem? How
do you think it is related to the
If only I did not swim in dark floodwaters; if only I did not stare3 at the Tropical Storm Ondoy which hit
flashing blue traffic lights that screamed end of the world. the country in 2009?

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If only they did not shout, “repent4, repent, repent!” while navigating atop

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broken concrete barriers; if only I/we did not shout back, “yes!”

If only I did not open my mouth; if only I did not close my mouth and stopped
About the Piece
As She Pleases is one of
the three poems written by
at
breathing instead. Rina Garcia Chua which was
published in the Summer 2019
If only I came home earlier; if only I came home later. issue of World Literature Today.
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If only no one died; if only everyone died.

We/you were never the same after the flood; somehow you came out of that Expanding Vocabulary
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dirty dark floodwater with your tummy swelling with survival and your heart Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
still paddling its tiny arms to safety.
based on how it its used in
Maybe you like staying there; maybe you like that dank5 bile. context.
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1. dilute
Maybe there’s never been a way out of the flood; maybe you do not see a a. water down
way out of the flood. b. concentrate
2. gut
Maybe this is where you want to be; if this is where I want to stay. a. audacity
Fo

b. abdomen
3. stare
Source: Chua, R. (2019, Summer). Three poems from the Philippines. World Literature Today.
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2019/summer/ three-poems-philippines-rina-garcia- a. reflect
chua b. gaze
4. repent
a. feel sorry
b. feel surprise
5. dank
a. dry
b. moist

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and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 63 1/8/2024 4:52:58 PM


Talk About It
Activity 3.7
With your partner, share with the class your answers to the questions about the poem.
1. 
What do you think is the main idea of the poem? What lines in the poem support the
main idea?
2. Based on the oral presentations of your classmates, what are your inferences about the
poem?

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3. What sources of information can you use to help you prove your point?

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4. How well did your classmates give information or make explanations about their
work?

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Map It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 3.8
Analyze literary texts as

n
expressions of individual  art A. Form a group with three members. Read silently “As She Pleases”
P
or communal contexts. by Rina Garcia Chua and “Bonsai” by Edith L. Tiempo. Then, compare
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the two poems by completing the table below.
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Elements As She Pleases Bonsai
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1. Theme
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2. Structure (number
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of stanzas and lines)


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3. Message

64~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Part B. Sketch an image that can be drawn out of the poems. You can use a separate sheet of paper
for your sketch.

“As She Pleases” “Bonsai”

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nl
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Part C. Share your work in class, talking about the image you sketched.

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Cultural Trip
io
at
• Did you know that the longest annual creative writing workshop was founded by Edith
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L. Tiempo and her husband, Edilberto K. Tiempo, a novelist? In 1962, the Tiempo
husband and wife tandem founded and established The Silliman University National
Writers Workshop. This has been considered the oldest and the most prestigious
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creative writing workshop that has produced prominent names in Philippine literature
and continues to provide grants and fellowships to prominent writers up to the
present. The national creative writing workshops played an important part during the
resurgence of nationalism from the 1960s onwards, especially during the Martial Law
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years, bringing together Filipino literary luminaries and aspirants.

Write It Right
Fo

Oral and Written Language


Language is an important aspect of human existence. It helps you communicate to share
your knowledge, emotions, desires, and empathy, among others. As an essential societal feature,
language can be described in two forms: oral and written.
As a basic premise, humans learn first how to speak (oral) before learning how to write. The
written language is the printed version of what one thinks or has in mind, while the oral language
is the nonprint or spoken version.

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and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

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In relation to the different features of a poem as discussed in Lesson 2, below are the most
common general differences between oral and written language use that may also be applicable in
writing or reading a poem.
Oral Language Written Language
1. It is unplanned. It is planned.
2. It is less structured. It is organized.
3. It is interactive. It is transactional.
4.  It does not much focus on the accuracy or Accuracy or preciseness of grammar matters.
preciseness of grammar.

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5.  It uses different prosodic features of speech, It uses written symbols, such as letters,

nl
e.g., pitch, volume, stress, and rate or speed. numbers, and punctuation.
6.  It allows the speaker to provide immediate Errors in written texts found in the first printed
corrections when errors are committed. or published editions may take a while to be

O
corrected.
7. It allows the use of informal language, especially Generally, it promotes the use of formal
in social-related contexts, e.g., slang. language.

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8. It uses fewer vocabulary items. It allows the writer to explore and use a number
of vocabulary items.
9. It is immediate. io It gives the writer more time to read, review,
and revise the material.
at
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Learning Objective: Activity 3.9


Distinguish between oral
and written language. Provide sample situations when to use oral and written language.
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Oral Language Written Language


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Fo

66~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 66 1/8/2024 4:52:58 PM


Activity 3.10
Part A. With your groupmates, select a place in your locality that you believe Learning Objective:
needs to be rehabilitated. Prepare a poster with a three-stanza poem on a Express one’s advocacy
community advocacy (e.g., tree planting and clean-up drive) that you will through alternative
medium.
perform. You will be graded using Rubric 07: Advocacy Material in the
Appendix.
Part B. Present your poster and poem in class. You will be graded using Rubric
03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.
Part C. Listen to other groups’ presentations. Then, write at least five sentences about the advocacy

y
material and presentation of your classmates. Use meaningful and appropriate sentences. You will

nl
be graded using Rubric 04: Sentences in the Appendix.

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Listening and Viewing Time
Ready to Listen

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Verifying Factual Information
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The advent of technology has provided its users with vast resources of information, allowing
them to listen to it anytime and anywhere, if they have an Internet connection. With the overflowing
at
information, it is important that you learn to filter them by evaluating which details are truthful
and accurate and which are not.
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Below are some guidelines to verify if information that you are listening to is factual or not.
1. Check the sources. Always ensure that the sources of information are credible such as
academic resources. Then, do not settle for one source only. Double-check it with other
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credible sources. Be cautious when a website contains suspicious advertisements. Remember


that not everything you see or read, especially online, is factual and accurate. Some are
made and published to mislead the readers.
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2. Understand the difference between fact and opinion. It is important that you know how to
distinguish fact from opinion. Facts are verifiable information while opinions are merely
assumptions and subjective. For instance, online blogs contain opinions. Hence, you
still need to verify the information in a blog before you believe it. Accurate and truthful
Fo

materials are free from biases and prejudices.


The University of Washington (2021) suggested two methods on how a person can determine
if a certain material is credible or reliable. These are the 5W Questions (5Ws) and the SMART
Check.
In using the 5Ws, you must be guided by the questions below.
• Who is the author? (Authority)
• What is the purpose of the content? (Accuracy)

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and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 67 1/8/2024 4:52:58 PM


• Where is the content from? (Publisher)
• Why does the source exist? (Purpose and objectivity)
• How does this source compare to others? (Determining what’s what)
Meanwhile, the SMART Check focuses on five key criteria. These are as follows:
• Source: Who or what is the source?
• Motive: Why do they say what they do?
• Authority: Who wrote the story?

y
• Review: Is there anything included that jumps out as potentially untrue?
•  wo-Source Test: How does it fare compared to another source when it comes to validity
T

nl
and reliability of data?
Watch the video material below. This is a report about the Philippine preparation for the

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implementation of education in the new normal.

n
Title: State of PH Education Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
io
Link: https://youtu.be/vS2-iR32goY
at
Talk About It
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Activity 3.11
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Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the video.
1. What is the focus or subject matter of the video clip?
2. What does it mean by distance or remote learning?
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3. Describe the reactions of learners and parents regarding education in the new normal.
4. How did the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education
respond to the needs of learners in the new normal?
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5. Why is it important that education should not be halted amidst pandemic?


6. Is the source of information reliable or credible? Explain your answer.
7. Is it important that sources of information are verified? Why? Why not?

68~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 68 1/8/2024 4:52:58 PM


Work It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 3.12
Determine the
Part A. Analyze the video on the state of Philippine education amid the truthfulness and
accuracy of the
COVID-19 pandemic using the 5Ws template. Do this on a separate sheet material viewed.
of paper.

1. Who is the author?

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2. What is the purpose of the content?

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3. Where is the content from?

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4. Why does the source exist?

5. How does this source fare compared to


others when it comes to reliability of data?

n
io
Part B. In groups of three, evaluate the same video on p. 68 using the SMART Check grid.
Do this on a separate sheet of paper.
at
1. Title of the Material

2. Source
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3. Motive
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4. Authority

5. Review
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6. Two-Source Test

Ready to View
Fo

Map Reading
Following directions using maps is an essential skill that you must develop, especially if you
want to go from one place to another. Traditional maps are basically printed. They have been
helpful in exploring an unfamiliar place or community. With the help of online maps and other
applications, moving from one point to another has become easier and more convenient.
Study the MRT-LRT map on the next page.

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and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 69 1/8/2024 4:52:58 PM


y
nl
O
n
io
at
lu
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Map source: https://www.urbanrail.net/as/manila/manila.htm

Using the LRT-MRT Map in Metro Manila, help Georgina find her way home going to
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Antipolo Station in LRT 2. She is currently in United Nations Station.


Which of the following is the shortest route that Georgina may take going to her destination?
1. From United Nations Avenue Station in LRT 1, take the route going to Baclaran Station.
Then, take the connecting line at EDSA/Pasay Station in MRT 3 going to North Avenue
Fo

Station. Drop off at Araneta Center–Cubao Station, then transfer to LRT 2 Araneta
Center–Cubao Station going to Antipolo Station.
2. From United Nations Avenue Station in LRT 1, take the route going to North Avenue
Station. Transfer at MRT 3 North Station going to EDSA/Pasay Station via Ortigas Station.
Drop off at Cubao Station, then transfer to LRT 2 Araneta Center–Cubao Station going to
Antipolo Station.
3. From United Nations Avenue Station in LRT 1, take the route going to North Avenue
Station via Monumento Station. Drop off at Doroteo Jose Station, then take the connecting
line at LRT 2 Doroteo Jose Station going to Antipolo Station via Gilmore Station.

70~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 70 1/8/2024 4:52:58 PM


4. From United Nations Avenue Station in LRT 1, take the route going to North Station via
Monumento Station. Drop off at Tayuman Station, then go back to Doroteo Jose Station.
Drop off at Doroteo Jose Station, then take the connecting line at LRT 2 Doroteo Jose
Station going to Antipolo Station via Gilmore Station.
In the given scenario, the correct answer is number 3. Though number 3 is not the only option
that Georgina may take, it is considered the shortest route. She can save money and time if she
uses this route.
Maps are visual materials that guide you to a particular place or destination. They make your
journey easier. They help you budget your time, which leads to saving your money.

y
nl
Talk About It
Activity 3.13

O
 Using the LRT–MRT map on the previous page, explain to your friend the shortest route
to take in going to the given destinations. Use a separate sheet of paper for the answers.
Point of Origin Destination Route

n
1. Magallanes Carriedo

2. Katipunan

3. Monumento
Boni

Anonas
io
at
4. Baclaran Ortigas
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5. Betty Go-Belmonte Abad Santos

Work It Out
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Learning Objective:
Activity 3.14
Follow directions using
Do the following tasks using the map below. maps.
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1. Put a yellow star on the intersection of Ilang-Ilang Parkway and Daisy Boulevard.
2. Draw a red X on the intersection of Orchids Street and Lirio Street.
3. Put a blue dot on the intersection of Rose Drive and Sampaguita Avenue.
Fo

4. Put two purple dots on the intersection of Orchids Street and Daisy Boulevard.
5. Draw a green line on the street between Lirio Street and Daisy Boulevard.
6. Draw a green triangle on the intersection of Orchids Street and Rose Drive.
7. Put an orange rectangle on the intersection of Ilang-Ilang Parkway and Lirio Street.
8. Draw two small squares on the intersection of Rose Drive and Ilang-Ilang Parkway.

Lesson 3: Evaluating Poetry from Contemporary Times and Composing ~71


and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

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Ilang-Ilang Parkway

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Orchids Street

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n
Sampaguita Avenue

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Daisy Boulevard
Lirio Street
Rose Drive

at
lu
va

Express Yourself

In speaking, it is important to consider different elements of speech. These elements help in


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expressing one’s point, purpose, and ideas. In expressing yourself, it is important to take note of
the correct pitch, juncture, stress, volume and projection, and rate or speed.
• Pitch refers to the highness or lowness of sounds.
• Juncture refers to the stops or pauses in speech. These indicate the groups of words or
Fo

units of language bearing meanings in themselves.


• Stress refers to the level of emphasis in a sound unit or syllable.
• Volume refers to the loudness of sounds as perceived by the ears, while projection deals
with the diction and intention of the speaker as to how the sounds will be heard or
perceived by the listeners.
• Rate or speed refers to the tempo, fastness, or rhythm created during the delivery of a
speech.

72~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Guidelines on Delivering a Speech
Delivering a speech requires knowledge of the topic and skill in presenting it in front of others.
Be guided by the following guidelines on delivering a speech employing different speech elements.
1. Understand your topic. Make sure that you have broad knowledge about your topic.
2. Know your speech environment. This includes the venue, the audience, the participants,
and other technical and technological features.
3. Highlight key points. Stop or pause on key points to emphasize key ideas or concepts that
you would like to highlight. Cut words based on ideas or relationships of words. Do not

y
cut it whenever or wherever you want to.
4. Be familiarized with each word. Determine where to put stress in each word or syllable.

nl
You may use the dictionary as your guide. Meanwhile, online dictionaries may also be used
as they provide actual ways on how words are pronounced.

O
5. Adjust your distance to your target audience. If there is no microphone in the venue, your
speech delivery requires different levels of volume and projection depending on the given
distance. If there is a microphone, the natural way of speaking may be employed. Levels of

n
volume and projection may also differ depending on which points or concepts you would
like to emphasize.
io
6. Maintain appropriate speech speed. Know the level, background, and characteristics of
your audience. You also must consider the time when a speech will be delivered. Doing so
at
prevents listeners from being bored with your speech.
lu

Activity 3.15
In groups of five, present a 5-minute skit using any of the situations below.
Learning Objective:
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Use the correct speech elements. You will be graded using Rubric 08: Correct
Pitch, Juncture, Stress, Volume and Projection, and Rate or Speed of Speech in Use the correct pitch,
juncture, stress, volume
the Appendix. and projection, and
rate or speed of speech
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1. Riding a jeepney going to the province for a vacation in conversations and


dialogues.
2. Buying products from a department store
3. Meeting your friends after 10 years
4. Class discussion
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5. Picnic at a beach

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and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

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Practice Some More

Learning Objective:
Make It Real
Observe and use correct Activity 3.16
juncture or phrasing
and rate of speech In groups of five, present through choral reading the material below.
when reading sample
passages (prose or You will be graded using Rubric 08: Correct Pitch, Juncture, Stress, Volume
poetry). and Projection, and Rate/Speed of Speech in the Appendix.

y
Light and Darkness: Two Essays

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from Liwanag at Dilim by Emilio Jacinto
Translated by Romulo P. Baquiran Jr.

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Shiny Light and Bright Light
Shiny light dazzles and ruins eyesight.

n
The eyes need the bright light to perceive and comprehend the whole truth about things.
The crystal fragment shines when the burning rays of the sun strikes it, but wounds the hand of
him who is tempted to touch it.
Shiny light is deceptive.
io
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Let us settle for bright light; do not be charmed by shiny light. The sign of ignoble character; thus
a shiny carriage passes before us, drawn by a fast horse. We salute and believe the passenger is an
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honorable person. But it could be that he is a thief, maybe beneath the display of gentility and despite
his riches, he has the heart of a traitor.
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Then a pauper comes before us, encumbered by a heavy load. We smile and think: Where did he
steal it? Yet we can see clearly, in the sweat on his brow and his tired body, that he makes a living
through his industriousness and pure labor.
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Oh! The worship of shiny light and the aversion to bright light have indeed taken a strong sway
over our disposition.
This is indeed another reason why our folks and towns live in pain and misery.
This is the reason why parties driven by brutal excesses and by greed will find all means to appear
Fo

shiny. More so the masters and the Chief, who have the duty to improve the lot of their followers, yet
have no other desire but to hold on to their positions of power, even if it leads to the suffocation and
death of the Country that endowed them with this power.
We tend to put our faith on the shiny; thus it should not come as a surprise that those who want to
live off the blood in our veins wear shiny disguises.
Oh! But when it is to brightness and good will and sincerity that we give our utmost respect,
nobody can make anyone appear shiny since we will not revere him and all our thoughts and mind can
not be distracted from the bright and sacred path of reason.

74~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Treachery and deceit seek the shiny so as not to be revealed in the eyes of those who can expose their
ugliness; but beneficence and pure love are naked, modest and show themselves brightly to anyone’s
gaze.
The past order of things exalted by the Tagalog more than discloses this truth.
Joyous is the day of brightness!
Will the Son of the Country, my brother, learn lessons and find strength from the past woes and
endured oppression?

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Source: Lumbera, B. & Lumbera C. N. (2005). Emilio Jacinto’s liwanag at dilim (R. Baquiran, Trans.). Anvil Publishing Inc.

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Activity 3.17

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Part A. The Philippines has a number of unsung heroes. Do community research Learning Objective:
by looking for a local hero who is worth recognizing in your locality. Use figures Recognize local heroes
through literary text.
of speech in describing your chosen local hero. Write a three-stanza poem about

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the local hero. You will be graded using the rubric below.

The poem is carefully thought.


Criteria
io 5 4 3 2 1
at
The details presented are relatable.
The contents show clarity.
The output displays creativity.
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The work is collaborative.


The poem expresses comparison using appropriate figures of
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speech.
Total

Part B. Present your final output in class. Observe the different prosodic features of speech. You
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will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

E-Link
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Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
• F
 igures of Speech Quiz: This activity tests your skills in identifying figures of speech.
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=figures-speech-quiz
• Determine the Relevance and Truthfulness of the Material: This is an online resource that
assesses your knowledge in determining the accuracy and truthfulness of a material.
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/6076815719c77f001be973da/determine-the-relevance-
and-truthfulness-of-the-material

Lesson 3: Evaluating Poetry from Contemporary Times and Composing ~75


and Publishing an Original Multimodal Poem

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 75 1/8/2024 4:52:59 PM


What I Have Learned So Far

Think about the following questions and write your reflection in your learning journal.
1. What were your misconceptions about speech delivery, following maps and directions, and
the topics in general prior to taking up this lesson?
2. What new or additional learnings have you had after taking up this lesson in terms of
literature, skills, and attitude?
3. What are your responses to the essential questions in Things to Ponder?

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4. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?

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5. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?

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76~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Unit I
End-of-Unit Assessment
I. Group Work
Part A. Your class is invited by your Municipal/City Education Council to serve as the technical
working group for the World Poetry Day celebration. You are tasked to prepare: (a) a three-
fold brochure and (b) poster made of local indigenous and/or recyclable materials highlighting

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style, form, and features of Philippine poetry. Do the following steps or tasks:

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1. Form a group of five to eight members.
2. For the brochure:

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 hoose one lyric, narrative, and dramatic Filipino poems. You may use the English-
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translated versions of your chosen poem.
• Analyze your chosen poems in terms of style, form, and features. Evaluate them also as
to the clarity of meaning, purpose, and target audience. Include in your brochure your

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analysis and evaluation of these poems.

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• Include maps showing the places of origin of your chosen lyric, narrative, and dramatic
poems. You may also include pictures and descriptions of these places.
3. For the poster:
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• ompose a four-stanza poem portraying symbols, practices, and traditions that reflect
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your local and national identity as Filipinos and as a nation.
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• Analyze your composed poem in terms of meaning, purpose, and target audience.
• To support your own poem, read print and nonprint materials intensively. You may
apply different reading styles based on your purpose.
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4. Brainstorm with your groupmates as to how you will prepare your brochure and your
poster. Think of the available local indigenous and/or recyclable materials that you can use
for your output.
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You will be rated using the rubric below.


Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The brochure or poster is well-planned and organized.
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2. The details presented are accurate.


3. The contents show clarity.
4. The output displays creativity.
5. The work is collaborative.
6. The output uses map, pictures and descriptions of key places of
origin of the poems.
7. The output uses available local indigenous and/or recyclable
materials.
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Unit I: End-of-Unit Assessment ~77

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Part B. In 5–8 minutes, present your poster as if you were promoting a product. Begin by
reading your originally composed poem. Express appreciation of the sensory images in your
output. Use correct prosodic features of speech and production of vowel and consonant sounds
in presenting your work. Employ idiomatic expressions in your presentation
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The purpose of the presentation is clear.
2. The message is delivered clearly.
3. The ideas flow smoothly.

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4. Delivery of meaning and purpose of the poem to the target
audience is evident.

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5. The speakers use correct prosodic features of speech, such as
pitch, stress, volume and projection, and rate or speed.
6. The speakers show appreciation of sensory images in presenting

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their poem and their analysis.
7. The speakers use courteous language.
8. The speakers maintain eye contact.

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9. The time limit is met.

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5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
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II. Individual Work
 reate a portfolio of your best work. Then, write a three- to five-paragraph essay highlighting
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your personal reflection using the given questions below. Use simple, compound, complex and
compound-complex sentences. Use figures of speech in writing your reflection.
Guide Questions
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1. What are the elements that you considered in choosing your works or outputs that you
featured in your portfolio?
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2. What do you think are the strengths of your chosen works or outputs?
3. What steps or process did you take in completing this portfolio?
4. 
What are the problems that you encountered in completing your outputs and your
portfolio?
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5. How do you feel about your work? Are you satisfied with them? What are the things that
you should have done to make your chosen works or outputs better?
6. H
 ow does this portfolio demonstrate or reflect your learning and personal journey as a
student?

78~ Unit I Philippine Poetry in the Precolonial, Colonial, and Contemporary Periods

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Your portfolio will be rated using the rubric below.
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The portfolio reflects your personal experiences related to
learning objectives and outcomes.
2. The portfolio entries reflect in-depth learning.
3. Learning is evident in terms of mastery of knowledge and skills
through real-life application.
4. The reflection highlights learning and demonstrates personal
connection.

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5. The portfolio entries are complete.

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6. The portfolio is well-presented and of high quality.

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

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Your reflection will be rated using the rubric below.
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1

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1. The paragraph conveys its purpose.

complex, and compound-complex sentences.io


2. The sentences employ correct use of simple, compound,

3. Figures of speech are used to describe or retell their experience.


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4. Word choice is appropriate.
5. The sentences are appropriate and meaningful.
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6. The required number of paragraphs is met.

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)


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Fo

Unit I: End-of-Unit Assessment ~79

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 79 1/8/2024 4:52:59 PM


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Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 80 1/8/2024 4:52:59 PM


UNIT II
PHILIPPINE PROSE IN IMITATION,

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EMERGENCE, AND POST-WAR

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O
PERIODS

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The purpose of Unit II is to help you understand Philippine Prose in English from different
historical periods. During this unit, you will learn how to analyze selected Philippine Prose,
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particularly short stories in English, and evaluate them for clarity of meaning, purpose, and target
audience. This will help you develop a critical perspective on the literary works you encounter.
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As part of the unit, you will create a short story called flash fiction that reflects the local and
national identity of the Philippines.
The unit is divided into three lessons focusing on specific Philippine Prose periods in English.
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Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prose from the Imitation Period. This lesson examines the
prose written during the period when Philippine writers were imitating the works of American
writers. You will read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez
Benitez” and “Nipa Hut” by Lydia C. Villanueva.
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Lesson 5: Evaluating Philippine Prose from the Emergence Period. This lesson explores the
emergence of Philippine Prose in English. You will read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and
evaluate “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” by Manuel E. Arguilla and “The Mats”
by Francisco Arcellana.
Lesson 6: Evaluating Philippine Prose from the Post-War Period. This lesson focuses on
the current period of Philippine Prose in English and the contemporary issues addressed in the
literature. You will learn how to evaluate the prose from this period based on its relevance to
society and its impact on readers. They will read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate
“Wedding Dance” by Amador T. Daguio” and “The Happiest Boy in the World” by N. V. M.
Gonzalez.

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 81 1/8/2024 4:52:59 PM


Lesson 4
Evaluating Philippine Prose
from the Imitation Period

By the end of the lesson, you will

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have been able to:
• sequence events that happen in

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the short story;
• analyze the short story elements
to determine its underlying theme;

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• analyze the short story’s cultural,
historical, and environmental
contexts; The calesa and the tranvia ply Calle Sebastian (now Hidalgo Street)
• analyze the different elements in the 1920s.

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present in the short story; Photo credit: Wikimedia. (1920, January 7). Calle Sebastian Calle Hidalgo Manila.
• use analogy to describe a point; Philippine Press History. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calle_
• use the passive and active voice
meaningfully in varied contexts;
• compare the conflicts presented
io Sebastian_Calle_Hidalgo_Manila.jpg
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in literary selections and propose During the Period of Apprenticeship or Imitation, Filipino
solutions; writers began writing in English instead of their native
• identify basic features and kinds language. This period is significant as it marks the peak of
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of paragraph;
literature written in English in the Philippines. The writers
• determine the meaning and
purpose of selecting the type of experimented with English, leading to new literary techniques
literary text for composition; and perspectives. Their works were refined regarding literary
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• use different listening strategies approach, content, elements, and context.


based on simple informative and
short narrative texts’ purpose, Many short stories, including “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez
topic, and difficulty levels; Benitez, were written during this time. Anthropologist
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• determine the key message


conveyed in the material viewed;
Leopoldo Y. Yabes collected the most notable stories during
• use correct and appropriate this time and observed that they were mainly love stories,
prosodic features of speech perhaps because of the writers’ age and nature.
when giving information and
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instructions, making explanations, Quindoza-Santiago’s article “Philippine Literature during


and narrating events in personal the American Period” marked the imitation of American
and factual recount; and
writing styles for short stories. The American presence in
• create a pub mat for the
community project ; and
the Philippine educational and political systems allowed the
• use correct and appropriate country to adopt American writing models. English in writing
prosodic features of speech began in early American classrooms, leading to the vibrant
when giving information and Philippine literature during this period.
instructions, making explanations,
and narrating events in personal
and factual recount.

82~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
Form a group with five members. Read the passage below. Then, as a group, discuss your
answers to the following questions. Prepare to share your answers in class.
• What is the passage about?
• Who is mentioned in the passage?
• When do you think this passage was written?

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• What is the central message of the passage?

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During the Period of Apprenticeship or Imitation, Philippine literature

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shifted from using vernaculars and Spanish to using English. This period is
considered the golden age of Philippine literature written in English. Filipino
writers explored new literary features and perspectives, resulting in works

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that were sophisticated in terms of literary approach, elements, contents, and
contexts.
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Many short stories were written during this time, with Paz Marquez
Benitez’s “Dead Stars” being one of the most notable Filipino literary works in
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English. Scholar and anthropologist Leopoldo Y. Yabes collected most of these
literary works and noted that the majority of them were love stories. Yabes
attributed this factor to the nature and age of the writers during this period.
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According to Quindoza-Santiago (n.d.) in her article “Philippine Literature


during the American Period,” the Period of Apprenticeship marked the
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imitation of styles of short stories written by famous American writers. With


the American presence in Philippine educational and political systems, the
country had no choice but to adopt American writing models. Thus, the use of
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English in writing, which began in early American classrooms in the country,


resulted in the vibrancy of Philippine literature during this period.
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What I Know, What I Do


After completing the Let’s Warm-Up, tick the column that you think best describes your ability
to adhere to the principles of effective writing. Answer this section as objectively as possible. Bear
in mind that there are no wrong answers. You can use your performance in Let’s Warm-Up as one
of the bases for completing this self-audit task.

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~83

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Self-Audit Task Checklist
Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1. I sequence events that happen in the short
story.
2. I analyze the short story elements to determine
its underlying theme.
3. I analyze the short story’s cultural, historical,
and environmental contexts.
4. I analyze the different elements present in the

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short story.
5. I use analogy to describe a point.

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6. I use the passive and active voice meaningfully
in varied contexts.

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7. I compare the conflicts presented in literary
selections and propose solutions.
8. I identify basic features and kinds of

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paragraph.
9. I determine the meaning and purpose
of selecting the type of literary text for
composition.
10. I use different listening strategies based on
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simple informative and short narrative texts’
purpose, topic, and difficulty levels.
11. I determine the key message conveyed in the
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material viewed.
12. I use correct and appropriate prosodic
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features of speech when giving information


and instructions, making explanations, and
narrating events in personal and factual
recount.
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13. I create a pub mat for the community project.

14. I use correct and appropriate prosodic


features of speech when giving information
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and instructions, making explanations, and


narrating events in personal and factual
recount.
TOTAL

Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point
Score Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
34–36 Advanced 21–24 Developing
30–33 Proficient 20 and below Beginning
25–29 Approaching Proficiency

84~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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Things to Ponder

How do you analyze a short story, considering its literary elements


and cultural/historical context?

How can a short story’s elements be used to identify its underlying theme?

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Explore and Experience

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What’s Coming

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Vocabulary Preview
 In this le sson, you will develop your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the

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meaning of the following words:
boisterous
fastidious
io melancholy
miscellaneous
prosaicalness
simultaneously
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finicky mortgaging skirmishing
frantic perfervid spurt
grotesque pestilence tantalizing
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hammock piquant tranquil


imperiously placidity tumultuous
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insipid poignantly twilight

Grammar Preview
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 In this lesson, you are expected to use the passive and active voice meaningfully in varied
contexts.

Literary Preview
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 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform related activities:
• “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez
• “Nipa Hut” by Lydia C. Villanueva

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~85

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Ready to Read
During the Period of Imitation, short stories in English began to flourish. Years later,
naturalness and spontaneity were gradually observed in their literary works. Some short stories
took inspirations from real-life experiences emphasizing local colors. Paz Marquez Benitez’s “Dead
Stars” (1925) is considered the turning point of writing short stories in English during this period.

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Dead Stars
About the Author by Paz Marquez Benitez

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Paz Marquez Benitez (1894–
1983) was born to prominent
Marquez family in Tayabas THROUGH the open window the air-steeped outdoors passed into his room,
quietly enveloping him, stealing into his very thought. Esperanza, Julia, the

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Province (now Quezon). She was
a writer, educator, and editor. sorry mess he had made of life, the years to come even now beginning
Read more about her in
to weigh down, to crush—they lost concreteness, diffused into formless
http://rizal.lib.admu.edu.ph/
aliww/english_pmbenitez.html melancholy1. The tranquil2 murmur of conversation issued from the brick-

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tiled azotea where Don Julian and Carmen were busy puttering away among
the rose pots.
Take a look at the title. Do you
believe that stars die? What
happen to stars after they die?
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“Papa, and when will the ‘long table’ be set?”
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“I don’t know yet. Alfredo is not very specific, but I understand Esperanza
wants it to be next month.”

Carmen sighed impatiently. “Why is he not a bit more decided, I wonder. He


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Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best is over thirty, is he not? And still a bachelor! Esperanza must be tired waiting.”
defines the word set in
“She does not seem to be in much of a hurry either,” Don Julian nasally
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boldface based on how it is


used in context. commented, while his rose scissors busily snipped away.
1. melancholy
“How can a woman be in a hurry when the man does not hurry her?” Carmen
a. happy disposition
returned, pinching off a worm with a careful, somewhat absent air. “Papa, do
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b. pensive mood
2. tranquil you remember how much in love he was?”
a. peaceful
b. unquiet
“In love? With whom?”

“With Esperanza, of course. He has not had another love affair that I know of,”
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she said with good-natured contempt. “What I mean is that at the beginning
he was enthusiastic—flowers, serenades, notes, and things like that—”

Alfredo remembered that period with a wonder not unmixed with shame.
That was less than four years ago. He could not understand those months
of a great hunger that was not of the body nor yet of the mind, a craving
that had seized on him one quiet night when the moon was abroad and
under the dappled shadow of the trees in the plaza, man wooed maid. Was
he being cheated by life? Love—he seemed to have missed it. Or was the

86~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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About the Piece
“Dead Stars” is a one of the
most highly celebrated Filipino
short stories in English. It was
written in 1925. It depicts the
different circumstances that
human life experiences in
terms of love. It circles around
the idea of weighing values by

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choosing between what one
love that others told about a mere fabrication of perfervid3 imagination, an wants and what is right.

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exaggeration of the commonplace, a glorification of insipid4 monotonies
such as made up his love life? Was love a combination of circumstances,
or sheer native capacity of soul? In those days love was, for him, still the

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Expanding Vocabulary
eternal puzzle; for love, as he knew it, was a stranger to love as he divined it Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in
might be.
boldface based on how it is
Sitting quietly in his room now, he could almost revive the restlessness of used in context.

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those days, the feeling of tumultuous5 haste, such as he knew so well in his 3. perfervid

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boyhood when something beautiful was going on somewhere and he was
trying to get there in time to see. “Hurry, hurry, or you will miss it,” someone
had seemed to urge in his ears. So he had avidly seized on the shadow of
a. passionate
b. impassive
4. insipid
at
a. nonstimulating
Love and deluded himself for a long while in the way of humanity from time
b. flavorful
immemorial. In the meantime, he became very much engaged to Esperanza.
5. tumultuous
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Why would men so mismanage their lives? Greed, he thought, was what a. restrained
b. loud
ruined so many. Greed—the desire to crowd into a moment all the enjoyment
it will hold, to squeeze from the hour all the emotion it will yield. Men 6. mortgaging
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a. hiding
commit themselves when but half-meaning to do so, sacrificing possible b. offering
future fullness of ecstasy to the craving for immediate excitement. Greed—
7. placidity
mortgaging6 the future—forcing the hand of Time, or of Fate. a. disturbance
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b. calmnesst
“What do you think happened?” asked Carmen, pursuing her thought.

“I supposed long-engaged people are like that; warm now, cool tomorrow. I
think they are oftener cool than warm. The very fact that an engagement has
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been allowed to prolong itself argues a certain placidity7 of temperament—or


of affection—on the part of either, or both.” Don Julian loved to philosophize.
He was talking now with an evident relish in words, his resonant, very nasal
voice toned down to monologue pitch. “That phase you were speaking of is
natural enough for a beginning. Besides, that, as I see it, was Alfredo’s last
race with escaping youth–”

Carmen laughed aloud at the thought of her brother’s perfect physical


repose—almost indolence—disturbed in the role suggested by her father’s
figurative language.

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~87

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“A last spurt8 of hot blood,” finished the old man.

Few certainly would credit Alfredo Salazar with hot blood. Even his friends
had amusedly diagnosed his blood as cool and thin, citing incontrovertible
Expanding Vocabulary
evidence. Tall and slender, he moved with an indolent ease that verged on
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in
grace. Under straight recalcitrant hair, a thin face with a satisfying breadth
boldface based on how it is of forehead, slow, dreamer’s eyes, and astonishing freshness of lips–indeed
used in context. Alfredo Salazar’s appearance betokened little of exuberant masculinity;
8. spurt
rather a poet with wayward humor, a fastidious9 artist with keen, clear brain.

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a. brief burst
He rose and quietly went out of the house. He lingered a moment on the
b. continuous flow
stone steps; then went down the path shaded by immature acacias, through

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9. fastidious
a. impractical
the little tarred gate which he left swinging back and forth, now opening, now
b. careful closing, on the gravel road bordered along the farther side by madre cacao

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hedge in tardy lavender bloom.

The gravel road narrowed as it slanted up to the house on the hill, whose
wide, open porches he could glimpse through the heat-shrivelled tamarinds

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in the Martinez yard.

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Six weeks ago that house meant nothing to him save that it was the Martinez
house, rented and occupied by Judge del Valle and his family. Six weeks ago
Julia Salas meant nothing to him; he did not even know her name; but now–
at
One evening he had gone “neighboring” with Don Julian; a rare enough
occurrence, since he made it a point to avoid all appearance of currying favor
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with the Judge. This particular evening however, he had allowed himself to
be persuaded. “A little mental relaxation now and then is beneficial,” the
old man had said. “Besides, a judge’s good will, you know;” the rest of the
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thought— “is worth a rising young lawyer’s trouble”—Don Julian conveyed


through a shrug and a smile that derided his own worldly wisdom.

A young woman had met them at the door. It was evident from the excitement
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of the Judge’s children that she was a recent and very welcome arrival. In the
characteristic Filipino way formal introductions had been omitted–the judge
limiting himself to a casual “Ah, ya se conocen?”—with the consequence that
Alfredo called her Miss del Valle throughout the evening.
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He was puzzled that she should smile with evident delight every time he
addressed her thus. Later Don Julian informed him that she was not the
Judge’s sister, as he had supposed, but his sister-in-law, and that her
name was Julia Salas. A very dignified rather austere name, he thought.
Still, the young lady should have corrected him. As it was, he was greatly
embarrassed, and felt that he should explain.

To his apology, she replied, “That is nothing. Each time I was about to correct
you, but I remembered a similar experience I had once before.”

88~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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“Oh,” he drawled out, vastly relieved.

“A man named Manalang–I kept calling him Manalo. After the tenth time or
so, the young man rose from his seat and said suddenly, ‘Pardon me, but my
name is Manalang, Manalang.’ You know, I never forgave him!”

He laughed with her.

“The best thing to do under the circumstances, I have found out,” she
pursued, “is to pretend not to hear, and to let the other person find out his

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mistake without help.”

“As you did this time. Still, you looked amused every time I–”

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“I was thinking of Mr. Manalang.”

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Don Julian and his uncommunicative friend, the Judge, were absorbed in a
game of chess. The young man had tired of playing appreciative spectator
and desultory conversationalist, so he and Julia Salas had gone off to chat
in the vine-covered porch. The lone piano in the neighborhood alternately

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tinkled and banged away as the player’s moods altered. He listened, and

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wondered irrelevantly if Miss Salas could sing; she had such a charming
speaking voice.
at
He was mildly surprised to note from her appearance that she was
unmistakably a sister of the Judge’s wife, although Doña Adela was of a
different type altogether. She was small and plump, with wide brown eyes,
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clearly defined eyebrows, and delicately modeled hips–a pretty woman with
the complexion of a baby and the expression of a likable cow. Julia was
taller, not so obviously pretty. She had the same eyebrows and lips, but she
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was much darker, of a smooth rich brown with underlying tones of crimson
which heightened the impression she gave of abounding vitality.

On Sunday mornings after mass, father and son would go crunching up


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the gravel road to the house on the hill. The Judge’s wife invariably offered Expanding Vocabulary
them beer, which Don Julian enjoyed and Alfredo did not. After a half hour Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
or so, the chessboard would be brought out; then Alfredo and Julia Salas
based on how it is used in
would go out to the porch to chat. She sat in the low hammock10 and he context.
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in a rocking chair and the hours—warm, quiet March hours—sped by. He 10. hammock
enjoyed talking with her and it was evident that she liked his company; yet a. large bed
what feeling there was between them was so undisturbed that it seemed a b. swinging couch
matter of course. Only when Esperanza chanced to ask him indirectly about
those visits did some uneasiness creep into his thoughts of the girl next
door.
Esperanza had wanted to know if he went straight home after mass.
Alfredo suddenly realized that for several Sundays now he had not waited

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~89

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 89 1/8/2024 4:53:00 PM


for Esperanza to come out of the church as he had been wont to do. He had
been eager to go “neighboring.”
He answered that he went home to work. And, because he was not habitually
untruthful, added, “Sometimes I go with Papa to Judge del Valle’s.”
She dropped the topic. Esperanza was not prone to indulge in unprovoked
jealousies. She was a believer in the regenerative virtue of institutions, in their
power to regulate feeling as well as conduct. If a man were married, why,
of course, he loved his wife; if he were engaged, he could not possibly love

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another woman.
That half-lie told him what he had not admitted openly to himself, that he

nl
Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best was giving Julia Salas something which he was not free to give. He realized
defines the word set in that; yet something that would not be denied beckoned imperiously11, and he

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boldface based on how it is
followed on.
used in context.
It was so easy to forget up there, away from the prying eyes of the world, so
11. imperiously
a. humbly easy and so poignantly12 sweet. The beloved woman, he standing close to

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b. arrogantly her, the shadows around, enfolding.
12. poignantly “Up here I find—something—”
a. emotionally
b. unimpressively
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He and Julia Salas stood looking out into the quiet night. Sensing unwanted
intensity, laughed, woman-like, asking, “Amusement?”
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“No; youth—its spirit—”
“Are you so old?”
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“And heart’s desire.”


Was he becoming a poet, or is there a poet lurking in the heart of every man?
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“Down there,” he had continued, his voice somewhat indistinct, “the road is
too broad, too trodden by feet, too barren of mystery.”
“Down there” beyond the ancient tamarinds lay the road, upturned to the
rE

stars. In the darkness the fireflies glimmered, while an errant breeze strayed
in from somewhere, bringing elusive, faraway sounds as of voices in a dream.
“Mystery—” she answered lightly, “that is so brief—”
Fo

“Not in some,” quickly. “Not in you.”


“You have known me a few weeks; so the mystery.”
“I could study you all my life and still not find it.”
“So long?”
“I should like to.”
Those six weeks were now so swift—seeming in the memory, yet had they
been so deep in the living, so charged with compelling power and sweetness.
Because neither the past nor the future had relevance or meaning, he lived

90~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 90 1/8/2024 4:53:00 PM


only the present, day by day, lived it intensely, with such a willful shutting out
of fact as astounded him in his calmer moments.
Just before Holy Week, Don Julian invited the judge and his family to spend
Sunday afternoon at Tanda where he had a coconut plantation and a house
on the beach. Carmen also came with her four energetic children. She and
Doña Adela spent most of the time indoors directing the preparation of the
merienda and discussing the likeable absurdities of their husbands—how
Carmen’s Vicente was so absorbed in his farms that he would not even
take time off to accompany her on this visit to her father; how Doña Adela’s

y
Dionisio was the most absentminded of men, sometimes going out without

nl
his collar, or with unmatched socks.
After the merienda, Don Julian sauntered off with the Judge to show him

O
what a thriving young coconut looked like—“plenty of leaves, close set,
rich green”–while the children, convoyed by Julia Salas, found unending
entertainment in the rippling sand left by the ebbing tide. They were far
down, walking at the edge of the water, indistinctly outlined against the gray

n
of the out-curving beach.

io
Alfredo left his perch on the bamboo ladder of the house and followed. Here
were her footsteps, narrow, arched. He laughed at himself for his black
canvas footwear which he removed forthwith and tossed high up on dry
at
sand.
When he came up, she flushed, then smiled with frank pleasure.
lu

“I hope you are enjoying this,” he said with a questioning inflection.


“Very much. It looks like home to me, except that we do not have such a
va

lovely beach.”
There was a breeze from the water. It blew the hair away from her forehead,
and whipped the tucked-up skirt around her straight, slender figure. In the Expanding Vocabulary
rE

picture was something of eager freedom as of wings poised in flight. The Encircle the letter that best
girl had grace, distinction. Her face was not notably pretty; yet she had a defines the word set in boldface
tantalizing13 charm, all the more compelling because it was an inner quality, based on how it is used in
context.
an achievement of the spirit. The lure was there, of naturalness, of an alert
13. tantalizing
vitality of mind and body, of a thoughtful, sunny temper, and of a piquant14
Fo

a. stimulating
perverseness which is sauce to charm. b. uninteresting
14. piquant
“The afternoon has seemed very short, hasn’t it?” Then, “This, I think, is the
a. tasteless
last time—we can visit.” b. savory

“The last? Why?”

“Oh, you will be too busy perhaps.”

He noted an evasive quality in the answer.

“Do I seem especially industrious to you?”

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~91

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 91 1/8/2024 4:53:00 PM


“If you are, you never look it.”

“Not perspiring or breathless, as a busy man ought to be.”

“But—”

“Always unhurried, too unhurried, and calm.” She smiled to herself.

“I wish that were true,” he said after a meditative pause.

She waited.

y
“A man is happier if he is, as you say, calm and placid.”

nl
“Like a carabao in a mud pool,” she retorted perversely

“Who? I?”

O
“Oh, no!”

“You said I am calm and placid.”

n
“That is what I think.”

io
“I used to think so too. Shows how little we know ourselves.”

It was strange to him that he could be wooing thus: with tone and look and covert phrase.
at
“I should like to see your home town.”

“There is nothing to see—little crooked streets, yunut roofs with ferns growing on them, and sometimes
lu

squashes.”

That was the background. It made her seem less detached, less unrelated, yet withal more distant, as if
va

that background claimed her and excluded him.

“Nothing? There is you.”

“Oh, me? But I am here.”


rE

“I will not go, of course, until you are there.”

“Will you come? You will find it dull. There isn’t even one American there!”
Fo

“Well—Americans are rather essential to my entertainment.”

She laughed.

“We live on Calle Luz, a little street with trees.”

“Could I find that?”

“If you don’t ask for Miss del Valle,” she smiled teasingly.

“I’ll inquire about—”

“What?”

92~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 92 1/8/2024 4:53:00 PM


“The house of the prettiest girl in the town.”

“There is where you will lose your way.” Then she turned serious. “Now, that is not quite sincere.”

“It is,” he averred slowly, but emphatically.

“I thought you, at least, would not say such things.”

“Pretty—pretty–a foolish word! But there is none other more handy I did not mean that quite–”

“Are you withdrawing the compliment?”

y
“Re-enforcing it, maybe. Something is pretty when it pleases the eye–it is more than that when—”

nl
“If it saddens?” she interrupted hastily.

“Exactly.”

O
“It must be ugly.”

“Always?”

n
Toward the west, the sunlight lay on the dimming waters in a broad, glinting streamer of crimsoned gold.

“No, of course you are right.”


io
“Why did you say this is the last time?” he asked quietly as they turned back.
at
“I am going home.”

The end of an impossible dream!


lu

“When?” after a long silence.

“Tomorrow. I received a letter from Father and Mother yesterday. They want me to spend Holy Week at
va

home.”

She seemed to be waiting for him to speak. “That is why I said this is the last time.”
rE

“Can’t I come to say good-bye?”

“Oh, you don’t need to!”

“No, but I want to.”


Fo

“There is no time.”

The golden streamer was withdrawing, shortening, until it looked no more than a pool far away at the rim
of the world. Stillness, a vibrant quiet that affects the senses as does solemn harmony; a peace that is not
contentment but a cessation of tumult when all violence of feeling tones down to the wistful serenity of
regret. She turned and looked into his face, in her dark eyes a ghost of sunset sadness.

“Home seems so far from here. This is almost like another life.”

“I know. This is Elsewhere, and yet strange enough, I cannot get rid of the old things.”

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~93

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 93 1/8/2024 4:53:00 PM


“Old things?”

“Oh, old things, mistakes, encumbrances, old baggage.” He said it lightly, unwilling to mar the hour. He
walked close, his hand sometimes touching hers for one whirling second.

Don Julian’s nasal summons came to them on the wind.

Alfredo gripped the soft hand so near his own. At his touch, the girl turned her face away, but he heard her
voice say very low, “Good-bye.”

II

y
ALFREDO Salazar turned to the right where, farther on, the road broadened and entered the heart of the

nl
town–heart of Chinese stores sheltered under low-hung roofs, of indolent drug stores and tailor shops, of
dingy shoe-repairing establishments, and a cluttered goldsmith’s cubbyhole where a consumptive bent
over a magnifying lens; heart of old brick-roofed houses with quaint hand-and-ball knockers on the door;

O
heart of grass-grown plaza reposeful with trees, of ancient church and convento, now circled by swallows
gliding in flight as smooth and soft as the afternoon itself. Into the quickly deepening twilight, the voice
of the biggest of the church bells kept ringing its insistent summons. Flocking came the devout with their

n
long wax candles, young women in vivid apparel (for this was Holy Thursday and the Lord was still alive),
older women in sober black skirts. Came too the young men in droves, elbowing each other under the

io
talisay tree near the church door. The gaily decked rice-paper lanterns were again on display while from
the windows of the older houses hung colored glass globes, heirlooms from a day when grasspith wicks
floating in coconut oil were the chief lighting device.
at
Soon a double row of lights emerged from the church and uncoiled down the length of the street like a
huge jewelled band studded with glittering clusters where the saints’ platforms were. Above the measured
lu

music rose the untutored voices of the choir, steeped in incense and the acrid fumes of burning wax.

The sight of Esperanza and her mother sedately pacing behind Our Lady of Sorrows suddenly destroyed
va

the illusion of continuity and broke up those lines of light into component individuals. Esperanza stiffened
self-consciously, tried to look unaware, and could not.

The line moved on.


rE

Suddenly, Alfredo’s slow blood began to beat violently, irregularly. A girl was coming down the line–a girl
that was striking, and vividly alive, the woman that could cause violent commotion in his heart, yet had no
place in the completed ordering of his life.
Fo

Her glance of abstracted devotion fell on him and came to a brief stop.

The line kept moving on, wending its circuitous route away from the church and then back again, where,
according to the old proverb, all processions end.

At last Our Lady of Sorrows entered the church, and with her the priest and the choir, whose voices now
echoed from the arched ceiling. The bells rang the close of the procession.

A round orange moon, “huge as a winnowing basket,” rose lazily into a clear sky, whitening the iron roofs
and dimming the lanterns at the windows. Along the still densely shadowed streets the young women with
their rear guard of males loitered and, maybe, took the longest way home.

94~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 94 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


Toward the end of the row of Chinese stores, he caught up with Julia Salas. The crowd had dispersed into
the side streets, leaving Calle Real to those who lived farther out. It was past eight, and Esperanza would
be expecting him in a little while: yet the thought did not hurry him as he said “Good evening” and fell into
step with the girl.

“I had been thinking all this time that you had gone,” he said in a voice that was both excited and troubled.

“No, my sister asked me to stay until they are ready to go.”

“Oh, is the Judge going?”

y
“Yes.”

nl
The provincial docket had been cleared, and Judge del Valle had been assigned elsewhere. As lawyer—and
as lover—Alfredo had found that out long before.

O
“Mr. Salazar,” she broke into his silence, “I wish to congratulate you.”

Her tone told him that she had learned, at last. That was inevitable.

“For what?”

n
“For your approaching wedding.”

io
Some explanation was due her, surely. Yet what could he say that would not offend?

“I should have offered congratulations long before, but you know mere visitors are slow about getting the
at
news,” she continued.

He listened not so much to what she said as to the nuances in her voice. He heard nothing to enlighten
lu

him, except that she had reverted to the formal tones of early acquaintance. No revelation there; simply the
old voice—cool, almost detached from personality, flexible and vibrant, suggesting potentialities of song.
va

“Are weddings interesting to you?” he finally brought out quietly

“When they are of friends, yes.”


rE

“Would you come if I asked you?”

“When is it going to be?”

“May,” he replied briefly, after a long pause.


Fo

“May is the month of happiness they say,” she said, with what seemed to him a shade of irony.

“They say,” slowly, indifferently. “Would you come?”

“Why not?”

“No reason. I am just asking. Then you will?”

“If you will ask me,” she said with disdain.

“Then I ask you.”

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~95

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 95 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


“Then I will be there.”

The gravel road lay before them; at the road’s end the lighted windows of the house on the hill. There swept
over the spirit of Alfredo Salazar a longing so keen that it was pain, a wish that, that house were his, that
all the bewilderments of the present were not, and that this woman by his side were his long wedded wife,
returning with him to the peace of home.

“Julita,” he said in his slow, thoughtful manner, “did you ever have to choose between something you
wanted to do and something you had to do?”

“No!”

y
“I thought maybe you had had that experience; then you could understand a man who was in such a

nl
situation.”

“You are fortunate,” he pursued when she did not answer.

O
“Is—is this man sure of what he should do?”

“I don’t know, Julita. Perhaps not. But there is a point where a thing escapes us and rushes downward of

n
its own weight, dragging us along. Then it is foolish to ask whether one will or will not, because it no longer
depends on him.”

io
“But then why—why—” her muffled voice came. “Oh, what do I know? That is his problem after all.”

“Doesn’t it—interest you?”


at
“Why must it? I—I have to say good-bye, Mr. Salazar; we are at the house.”

Without lifting her eyes she quickly turned and walked away.
lu

Had the final word been said? He wondered. It had. Yet a feeble flutter of hope trembled in his mind though
set against that hope were three years of engagement, a very near wedding, perfect understanding between
va

the parents, his own conscience, and Esperanza herself—Esperanza waiting, Esperanza no longer young,
Esperanza the efficient, the literal-minded, the intensely acquisitive.

He looked attentively at her where she sat on the sofa, appraisingly, and with a kind of aversion which he
rE

tried to control.

She was one of those fortunate women who have the gift of uniformly acceptable appearance. She never
surprised one with unexpected homeliness nor with startling reserves of beauty. At home, in church, on the
Fo

street, she was always herself, a woman past first bloom, light and clear of complexion, spare of arms and
of breast, with a slight convexity to thin throat; a woman dressed with self-conscious care, even elegance;
a woman distinctly not average.

She was pursuing an indignant relation about something or other, something about Calixta, their note-
carrier, Alfredo perceived, so he merely half-listened, understanding imperfectly. At a pause he drawled out
to fill in the gap: “Well, what of it?” The remark sounded ruder than he had intended.

“She is not married to him,” Esperanza insisted in her thin, nervously pitched voice. “Besides, she should
have thought of us. Nanay practically brought her up. We never thought she would turn out bad.”

96~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 96 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


What had Calixta done? Homely, middle-aged Calixta?

“You are very positive about her badness,” he commented dryly. Esperanza was always positive.

“But do you approve?”

“Of what?”

“What she did.”

“No,” indifferently.

y
“Well?”

nl
He was suddenly impelled by a desire to disturb the unvexed orthodoxy of her mind. “All I say is that it is
not necessarily wicked.”

“Why shouldn’t it be? You talked like an–immoral man. I did not know that your ideas were like that.”

O
“My ideas?” he retorted, goaded by a deep, accumulated exasperation. “The only test I wish to apply to
conduct is the test of fairness. Am I injuring anybody? No? Then I am justified in my conscience. I am right.
Living with a man to whom she is not married—is that it? It may be wrong, and again it may not.”

n
“She has injured us. She was ungrateful.” Her voice was tight with resentment.
io
“The trouble with you, Esperanza, is that you are—” he stopped, appalled by the passion in his voice.

“Why do you get angry? I do not understand you at all! I think I know why you have been indifferent to me
at
lately. I am not blind, or deaf; I see and hear what perhaps some are trying to keep from me.” The blood
surged into his very eyes and his hearing sharpened to points of acute pain. What would she say next?
lu

“Why don’t you speak out frankly before it is too late? You need not think of me and of what people will
say.” Her voice trembled.
va

Alfredo was suffering as he could not remember ever having suffered before. What people will say—
what will they not say? What don’t they say when long engagements are broken almost on the eve of the
wedding?
rE

“Yes,” he said hesitatingly, diffidently, as if merely thinking aloud, “one tries to be fair–according to his
lights—but it is hard. One would like to be fair to one’s self first. But that is too easy, one does not dare–”

“What do you mean?” she asked with repressed violence. “Whatever my shortcomings, and no doubt they
are many in your eyes, I have never gone out of my way, of my place, to find a man.”
Fo

Did she mean by this irrelevant remark that he it was who had sought her; or was that a covert attack on
Julia Salas?

“Esperanza—” a desperate plea lay in his stumbling words. “If you—suppose I—” Yet how could a mere
man word such a plea?

“If you mean you want to take back your word, if you are tired of—why don’t you tell me you are tired of
me?” she burst out in a storm of weeping that left him completely shamed and unnerved.

The last word had been said.

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~97

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 97 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


III

As Alfredo Salazar leaned against the boat rail to watch the evening settling
over the lake, he wondered if Esperanza would attribute any significance to
this trip of his. He was supposed to be in Sta. Cruz whither the case of the
People of the Philippine Islands vs. Belina et al. had kept him, and there he
Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
would have been if Brigida Samuy had not been so important to the defense.
defines the word set in He had to find that elusive old woman. That the search was leading him to
boldface based on how it is that particular lake town which was Julia Salas’ home should not disturb
used in context. him unduly. Yet he was disturbed to a degree utterly out of proportion to the

y
15. prosaicalness prosaicalness15 of his errand. That inner tumult was no surprise to him; in the
a. commonness last eight years he had become used to such occasional storms. He had long

nl
b. strangeness
realized that he could not forget Julia Salas. Still, he had tried to be content
and not to remember too much. The climber of mountains who has known

O
the back-break, the lonesomeness, and the chill, finds a certain restfulness
in level paths made easy to his feet. He looks up sometimes from the valley
where settles the dusk of evening, but he knows he must not heed the radiant
beckoning. Maybe, in time, he would cease even to look up.

n
He was not unhappy in his marriage. He felt no rebellion: only the calm of

io
capitulation to what he recognized as irresistible forces of circumstance and
of character. His life had simply ordered itself; no more struggles, no more
stirring up of emotions that got a man nowhere. From his capacity of complete
at
detachment he derived a strange solace. The essential himself, the himself
that had its being in the core of his thought, would, he reflected, always be
free and alone. When claims encroached too insistently, as sometimes they
lu

did, he retreated into the inner fastness, and from that vantage he saw things
and people around him as remote and alien, as incidents that did not matter.
va

At such times did Esperanza feel baffled and helpless; he was gentle, even
tender, but immeasurably far away, beyond her reach.

Lights were springing into life on the shore. That was the town, a little up-tilted
town nestling in the dark greenness of the groves. A snubcrested belfry stood
rE

beside the ancient church. On the outskirts the evening smudges glowed red
through the sinuous mists of smoke that rose and lost themselves in the
purple shadows of the hills. There was a young moon which grew slowly
luminous as the coral tints in the sky yielded to the darker blues of evening.
Fo

The vessel approached the landing quietly, trailing a wake of long golden
ripples on the dark water. Peculiar hill inflections came to his ears from the
crowd assembled to meet the boat—slow, singing cadences, characteristic of
the Laguna lake-shore speech. From where he stood he could not distinguish
faces, so he had no way of knowing whether the presidente was there to
meet him or not. Just then a voice shouted.

“Is the abogado there? Abogado!”

98~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 98 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


“What abogado?” someone irately asked.

That must be the presidente, he thought, and went down to the landing.

It was a policeman, a tall pock-marked individual. The presidente had left with Brigida Samuy–Tandang
“Binday”—that noon for Santa Cruz. Señor Salazar’s second letter had arrived late, but the wife had read it
and said, “Go and meet the abogado and invite him to our house.”

Alfredo Salazar courteously declined the invitation. He would sleep on board since the boat would leave at
four the next morning anyway. So the presidente had received his first letter? Alfredo did not know because
that official had not sent an answer. “Yes,” the policeman replied, “but he could not write because we heard

y
that Tandang Binday was in San Antonio so we went there to find her.”

nl
San Antonio was up in the hills! Good man, the presidente! He, Alfredo, must do something for him. It was
not every day that one met with such willingness to help.

O
Eight o’clock, lugubriously tolled from the bell tower, found the boat settled into a somnolent quiet. A cot
had been brought out and spread for him, but it was too bare to be inviting at that hour. It was too early to
sleep: he would walk around the town. His heart beat faster as he picked his way to shore over the rafts

n
made fast to sundry piles driven into the water.

How peaceful the town was! Here and there a little tienda was still open, its dim light issuing forlornly
io
through the single window which served as counter. An occasional couple sauntered by, the women’s
chinelas making scraping sounds. From a distance came the shrill voices of children playing games on the
at
street—tubigan perhaps, or “hawk-and-chicken.” The thought of Julia Salas in that quiet place filled him
with a pitying sadness.
lu

How would life seem now if he had married Julia Salas? Had he meant anything to her? That unforgettable
red-and-gold afternoon in early April haunted him with a sense of incompleteness as restless as other
unlaid ghosts. She had not married—why? Faithfulness, he reflected, was not a conscious effort at regretful
va

memory. It was something unvolitional, maybe a recurrent awareness of irreplaceability. Irrelevant trifles–a
cool wind on his forehead, far-away sounds as of voices in a dream—at times moved him to an oddly
irresistible impulse to listen as to an insistent, unfinished prayer.
rE

A few inquiries led him to a certain little tree-ceilinged street where the young moon wove indistinct filigrees
of fight and shadow. In the gardens the cotton tree threw its angular shadow athwart the low stone wall;
and in the cool, stilly midnight the cock’s first call rose in tall, soaring jets of sound. Calle Luz.

Somehow or other, he had known that he would find her house because she would surely be sitting at the
Fo

window. Where else, before bedtime on a moonlit night? The house was low and the light in the sala behind
her threw her head into unmistakable relief. He sensed rather than saw her start of vivid surprise.

“Good evening,” he said, raising his hat.

“Good evening. Oh! Are you in town?”


“On some little business,” he answered with a feeling of painful constraint.
“Won’t you come up?”

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~99

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 99 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


He considered. His vague plans had not included this. But Julia Salas had left the window, calling to her
mother as she did so. After a while, someone came downstairs with a lighted candle to open the door. At
last–he was shaking her hand.
She had not changed much—a little less slender, not so eagerly alive, yet something had gone. He missed
it, sitting opposite her, looking thoughtfully into her fine dark eyes. She asked him about the home town,
about this and that, in a sober, somewhat meditative tone. He conversed with increasing ease, though with
a growing wonder that he should be there at all. He could not take his eyes from her face. What had she
lost? Or was the loss his? He felt an impersonal curiosity creeping into his gaze. The girl must have noticed,
for her cheek darkened in a blush.

y
Gently—was it experimentally?—he pressed her hand at parting; but his own felt undisturbed and

nl
emotionless. Did she still care? The answer to the question hardly interested him.
The young moon had set, and from the uninviting cot he could see one half of a star-studded sky.

O
So that was all over.
Why had he obstinately clung to that dream?
So all these years—since when?—he had been seeing the light of dead stars, long extinguished, yet

n
seemingly still in their appointed places in the heavens.
An immense sadness as of loss invaded his spirit, a vast homesickness for some immutable refuge of the
io
heart far away where faded gardens bloom again, and where live on in unchanging freshness, the dear,
dead loves of vanished youth.
at
Source: Benitez, P. M. (1998). Dead stars. In G. Abad (Ed.), The likhaan anthology of Philippine literature in English from 1900 to the
present. (pp. 152–164). The UP Creative Writing Center and the University of the Phiilippines. (Originally published in 1925).
lu
va

Talk About It
Activity 4.1
rE

Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the story.
1. Who were the characters in the story? Describe each of them.
2. What local manners were highlighted in the story?
3. Why do you think Paz Marquez Benitez titled this story as “Dead Stars”?
Fo

4. If you were to give a new title for this story, what would it be? Explain your answer.
5. How would you associate the name Esperanza with “Dead Stars”?
6. Knowing that Alfredo was already engaged, do you think Julia made the right decision
of letting him go?

100~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 100 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


Map It Out
Activity 4.2
 To complete this task, begin by finding a partner. Then, read the short
story “Dead Stars” again. Afterward, you should retell the sequence of events Learning Objective:
by drawing or re-writing what happened in the story’s beginning, middle, Sequence events that
happen in the short
and ending. If you choose to rewrite the story’s events, it is recommended story.
to use two to three sentences. Finally, present your work in class.

y
Sequence of Events: Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez

nl
First Next

O
n
io
at
lu
va

Then Finally
rE
Fo

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~101

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 101 1/8/2024 4:53:01 PM


Text Focus

Prose and Its Purpose in Writing


 Prose refers to written or spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech. It is the
most used writing style in fiction and non-fiction. The term “prose” originates from the Latin
phrase prosa oratio, which translates to “straightforward speech.” The basic purpose of prose
in writing is to tell a story following the literary elements like the plot, setting, characters, and
dialogues.
Common Types of Prose

y
 There are distinct types of prose writers, each with its own style and purpose. In this

nl
lesson, you will learn two common types of prose.
1. Fictional prose is the most popular type of literary prose used in novels and short

O
stories. It typically features characters, plot, setting, and dialogue. One example is the
short story, Dead Stars.
2. Nonfictional prose involves factual accounts of events or information, such as

n
textbooks, newspaper articles, and instruction manuals.
Difference between Poetry and Prose Writing
io
 Using everyday language and following a natural speech pattern when writing prose is
important. This means continuing sentences and thoughts across lines and using standard
at
sentence and paragraph structures.
 On the other hand, poetry often includes deliberate patterns such as rhythm and rhyme.
lu

Poems may have a formal metrical structure with repeated beats and often use more figurative
language to convey meaning.
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Short Story Elements


 “Dead Stars” exemplifies elements of a short story. These are plot, setting, characters,
point of view, conflict, and theme.
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 Plot. A plot refers to the series of events in a story, typically consisting of exposition, rising
action, a turning point or climax, falling action, and resolution or denouement. The structure
of a short story typically follows a basic plot structure, as outlined in Figure 1, which includes
the various elements of the plot.
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Climax

Falling Action
Rising Action

Resolution
Exposition

Fig. 1: Short Story Plot Structure

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 In a story, the exposition is where the characters and setting are introduced. The rising
action follows the exposition, highlighting significant events or conflicts that lead to the
turning point. The turning point, the climax, showcases the character’s actions towards the
conflicts. After the climax comes the falling action, where the events start to fall into place and
lead towards the resolution. The resolution is the story’s end, revealing the events’ outcome.
 Setting. The setting of a story refers to its time and location, encompassing factors such as
weather (sunny, rainy, or cloudy) and social and economic conditions (middle class, under the
poverty line, rural, or urban) that provide context for when and where the story takes place.
 Character. In a story, a character can be a person, animal, plant, or thing that performs

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actions, speaks dialogue, or contributes to the plot. They may be the main character, also

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known as the protagonist, or the enemy of the protagonist, known as the antagonist.
 Point of view. The point of view refers to how the speaker narrates the story. There are three
types of perspectives: first-person, second-person, and third-person. First-person perspective

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is when the protagonist uses first-person pronouns like I, me, and we to tell the story. The
second-person perspective is when the narrator uses second-person pronouns like you, your,
and yours. The third-person perspective is when the story is told with third-person pronouns

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such as he, she, it, they, his, and her.

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Conflict. Conflict in a story can arise from the central event, the problem between the
protagonist and antagonist, or the characters’ struggles. There are various types of conflict:
• Characters versus self refers to a conflict within the character.
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• Character versus character refers to the conflict between the characters.
• C
 haracter versus nature refers to the conflict between the character, the physical world,
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and everything, such as plants, animals, mountains, seas, etc.


• C
 haracter versus society refers to the conflict between the character and the culture,
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practices, beliefs, or traditions in society.


 Theme. The theme of a story is its central message, often conveying the author’s intended
moral or idea. To grasp the theme of a short story, one must consider its plot, setting, characters,
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point of view, and conflict. These elements help to shape or contribute to the story’s overall
theme.
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Analyzing a Short Story
Here are questions to guide your analysis of a short story using its elements.
Short Story Elements Guide Questions
1. Plot • Does the story's plot follow exposition, rising action, climax,
falling action, and resolution structure? If the answer is no, how is
the plot structured, or how the events are sequenced?
• Does the plot seem believable to you?
2. Setting • Where does the story take place?

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Does the story occur in the past, the present, or the future?
• What words support when the story takes place?

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• How was the setting in the story established?
• When was the story written? What happened during that period?

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3. Character • Who are the characters in the story?
• What role does each play in the story?
• How are the characters described in the story based on their

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dialogue?
• Do you find characters believable?
4. Point of view • io
Can you tell if the story is written in first-person perspective,
where the narrator is one of the characters and refers to
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themselves as “I,” or in third-person perspective, where the
narrator is not a character and does not participate in the events?
• Does the story maintain a consistent point of view throughout?
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5. Conflict • How would you describe the conflict in the story?


3 Is it characters versus self?
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3 Is it character versus character?


3 Is it character versus nature?
3 Is it character versus society?
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Activity 4.3
Form a group with three members, and reread “Dead Stars.” Then, analyze
the plot, setting, character, point of view, and conflict of “Dead Stars” using a
Learning Objective:
Short Story Analysis Worksheet. The worksheet has two parts. Part A involves
Analyze the short story
creating analysis statements using the Guide Questions for Analyzing Short elements to determine
Story Elements. Part B involves synthesizing your analysis statements to its underlying theme.

showcase your overall idea regarding the story based on your analysis. Aim to
write complete sentences when providing your answers.

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Members’ Names _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________________

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Date _______________________________________________________________________
Class Section _______________________________________________________________________
Teacher’s Name _______________________________________________________________________

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Short Story Title: __________________________________________________________________
Author:
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__________________________________________________________________
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Short Story Analysis Worksheet
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Part A. Analysis Statements


Elements Your Analysis Statements
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1. Plot Setting
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2. Character Conflict
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Part B. Synthesis
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Guidelines for Identifying a Theme of a Short Story
By analyzing the plot structure and other elements, one can determine the theme of a short
story.
1. Use active reading strategies like previewing it by looking at the title, illustrations, and
author’s background, scanning, skimming, and marking any new or confusing words or
ideas, text types, and structures. Pay attention to the title as it can reveal the story’s main
theme.
2. Complete the plot structure diagram using relevant information from the story, following
the proper sequence.

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3. Take some time to consider the information you have written, particularly regarding

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the conflict, resolution, and turning point. Ask yourself questions such as: What was the
conflict? How did the main character work to resolve the conflict? Did the main character
resolve the conflict, and if so, what were the outcomes? Finally, what lessons can be learned

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from the main character’s actions in addressing the conflict?
Rephrase your lesson statement to make it easier to understand when necessary.

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Activity 4.4
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Reread the short story “Dead Stars” and complete the three-part activities
with a group of three members.
Learning Objective:

Analyze the short


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story’s cultural,
Part A. Analyze the short story elements in “Dead Stars” using the diagram historical, and
on this page to identify its theme. Feel free to refer to your answers from the environmental contexts.

previous activity and use a separate sheet of paper if necessary.


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Plot Structure Diagram


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Turning Point 5

Rising Action Falling Action


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4 6

Characters 1

Protagonist and Main


Character(s) Title
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Author

Antagonist
Genre
2

Setting Conflict 3 7 Resolution


Time

Theme
Place

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Part B. Produce an infographic or non-digital work showcasing the story’s theme. Templates can
be found online. You will be graded for your infographic using the rubric in the Appendix.
Part C. Present to the class the output you created in Part B. During your oral presentation,
explain how the plot, setting, characters, and conflict contributed to the theme of the short story.
Please keep in mind that your presentation should not exceed 3 minutes. You will be graded for
your oral presentation using Rubric 03 in the Appendix.

Literature on Society and Culture

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Have you ever considered how literature reflects the world we live in? It’s fascinating how
various factors such as culture, history, environment, politics, and economics influence it. These

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elements shape how writers create their literary pieces, making them a true reflection of the times
they were written in.

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Culture plays a significant role in literature. It includes the customs, traditions, practices,
beliefs, and values of a particular group in a specific era. Writers use literature to preserve and
display culture creatively. Even fiction literature represents a piece of history that educates the

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present generation about the way of life of people during different periods. Reading literature
produced during or even after the Spanish, American, and Japanese colonization periods allow
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you to travel back in time and learn about the Filipinos’ way of life.
Elements such as the environment, politics, and economics also influence literary texts. When
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reading a book, have you ever felt transported to the place described in it? That is how authors
incorporate the environment as a story setting and use vivid descriptions of living and nonliving
things found in that place. Others use power, politics, and governance as a conflict in the plot.
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Literature is an artifact or tool crafted from culture and history. Through literature, you
can learn about the culture, history, environment, politics, economics, and other related factors
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of people in the past and their living conditions. It’s incredible how literature can transport us
through time and space while educating us about our world.
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Activity 4.5
Learning Objective: Short stories are fictional literary works that deal with imaginary events and
Analyze the different characters. Early Filipino short stories in English during the Commonwealth
elements present in the
period imitated the styles of Western fictionists. Some of these literary works
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short story.
were marked as unnatural and nonspontaneous, considering that approaches
and presentations were just modeled from the existing pieces.

Part A. Form a team of three individuals and delve into the history behind “Dead Stars.” Analyze
the cultural, historical, and environmental factors that shaped the narrative. You can interview
your Social Studies or History teacher for information. Utilize your research and the story’s themes
to provide context while acknowledging the author. Answer the guide questions (column 1) with
two to three sentences (column 2) that cite your sources. Do this on a separate sheet of paper.

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Background Check of ‘Dead Stars’
(Originally Published in 1925)

Culture
What were the Filipino customs,
traditions, practices, beliefs, and values
observed during the story's publication?

History
What significant events happened in 1925

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in your community, country, or the world?

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Environment

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Which short story element utilized the
environment? How was it depicted?

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Part B. Present your output in class. During your oral presentation, explain how the factors above
influenced the story. Your presentation should be no longer than 3 minutes You will be graded for
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your oral presentation using Rubric 03 in the Appendix.
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Vocabulary Focus

What is Analogy
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An analogy is a form of comparison between two ideas or subjects. An analogy can take
many forms, including synonyms, antonyms, functions, cause and effect, part to whole, and
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characteristics.
In this lesson, you will explore how analogy differs from simile and metaphor. While these
three forms of comparison are used to compare things, persons, characteristics, and more, they are
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still three distinct ways of comparing.


Study the examples below.
1. Life is like a wheel.
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2. Life is a wheel.
3. Life is a like wheel—sometimes you are on top, sometimes, at the bottom.
Sentence 1 is an example of simile. It is a direct comparison between life and wheel using like
as comparison marker. Meanwhile, Sentence 2 is a metaphor. It compares the characteristics of life
and wheel. On the other hand, Sentence 3 is an analogy. It compares the characteristics of life and
wheel focusing on how they are alike, especially in terms of movement.

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Analogy is a rhetorical device used to explain, describe, or justify connections or comparisons
of two different items. It is more complex as it provides further descriptions as to how the two
items are related or connected. Also, it may be established by concretizing shared abstraction
between two items. Study the example below.

What the sun gives to the world, our parents give to us.

The example above is an analogy between the sun and our parents. The sun gives the world its
light and heat for all living creatures to live. On the other hand, parents give light by guiding and

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helping their children in making decisions. They also give heat through warm love and affection
Using Analogy

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When you use an analogy, you compare two different things or concepts to explain a complex
or abstract idea in a more relatable way. If you want to explain a complex idea, using an analogy

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can be a great way to simplify it and make it more accessible to your audience. Here are some
steps to follow when using analogy to describe a point:
1. Identify the point you want to explain. You must clearly understand the concept or point

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you want to convey before choosing an analogy.

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2. Select an analogy. Choose an analogy with similarities once you understand the concept.
This analogy should help simplify the complex idea and make it easier for your audience
to understand.
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3. Ensure relevance. Ensure your chosen analogy is relevant to your audience’s knowledge
and experiences. Consider their background and familiarity with the subject matter for a
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meaningful comparison.
4. Introduce the analogy. When introducing the analogy, make it clear that you are drawing
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a comparison. Use phrases like “It’s like...” or “Imagine if...” to signal the beginning of the
analogy.

Activity 4.6
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Learning Objective: Part A. With a partner, complete the following statements. Then share your
Use analogy to describe
ideas with the class.
a point.
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1. I love going to school. It’s like _____________________.


2. Learning about saving and investing money is important for a student. Imagine if __________
______________________.
3. Life is a continuous process of exploration and growth. That’s why life is like a
______________________.
4. Like a ____________________, the river flows continuously. It can’t be stopped. That’s why
___________ is important.
5. Like “Dead Stars,” I feel ___________________________________________.

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Part B. Recall the central message of the story “Dead Stars.” Now, imagine that you have been
assigned to explain this message to a group of Kindergarten pupils. Discuss with your partner an
analogy that you could use to effectively communicate this message to your target audience. Once
you have chosen an analogy, follow the steps to properly use it in your explanation. Be prepared
to share your analogy with the class.

Grammar Focus

Voices of the Verb

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In a sentence, the voice of the verb indicates when a subject is a performer or receiver of the
action. There are two voices of the verb—active and passive.

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Active Voice
You say that the sentence is in active voice when the subject performs the verb’s action. Look

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at the examples below.
• The dog plays the ball.
• My friend eats the cake.

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• I cooked my family’s breakfast today.
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All these examples show active voice construction. In the first example, the dog as the subject
of the sentence performs the action verb play. The second sentence shows that my friend performs
the action eats. The third one tells that I as the subject perform the action cooked.
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Passive Voice
You say that the sentence is in the passive voice when the subject receives the action or is being
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acted upon by the verb. Look at the examples below.


• The ball is played by the dog.
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• The cake was eaten by my friend.


• My family’s breakfast today was cooked by me.
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The table below shows the pair of sentences—one with a verb in active voice and the other in
passive voice. What do you see as the differences?
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. The dog plays the ball. The ball is played by the dog.
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2. My friend eats the cake. The cake was eaten by my friend.


3. I cooked my family's breakfast today. My family’s breakfast today was cooked by me.

Both active and passive have the same components, such as the subject, verb, and complete.
They are different when it comes to structuring.

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Structure of Active and Passive Voice
Sentences in active voice use the following structure:

Subject (s) + action verb (av) + complement (c)

• The dog + plays + the ball.


s av c

• My friend + eats + the cake.


s av c

• I + cooked + my family’s breakfast today.

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s av c

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Sentences in passive voice use the following structure:

Subject (s) + auxiliary verb (am, is, are, was, were) (av) + past participle of the

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main verb (pp) + preposition by (pb) + object (o)

• The ball + is + played + by + the dog.

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s av pp pb o

• The cake + was + eaten + by + my friend.


s av pp pb

My family’s breakfast today + was + cooked + by + me.


s av
o
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pp pb o
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Using Active and Passive Voice
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Active voice is often used to create clearer and more direct sentences and shows a stronger
tone. But you can use passive voice if you want to make what is being acted upon by the verb a
subject, emphasize a more objective tone, highlight more important information, and essentially
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put variety in your writing style. Look at the examples below.


Examples:
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• Active voice: I used a process writing approach in completing my essay.


• Passive voice: The process writing approach was used in completing my essay.
Either of the examples can be used, depending on the context of the writing. If you want
a personal tone, use option 1, which is in active voice. Usually, a personal tone applies in the
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narrative essay, where the first-person point of view is observed.


In an academic context where the tone is objective and formal, option 2, where the sentence
is in passive voice, is more acceptable. You also notice in this example that the “process writing
approach” is more emphasized, highlighting a strategy for completing an essay.
Both active and passive can be acceptable and appropriate in writing, whether literary or
nonliterary. However, it is important to consider the type of information in the sentence you want
to emphasize. So, there are times that you need to convert your active sentence into a passive
sentence, and vice versa.

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Guidelines on Changing Active to Passive Voice
1. Check who or what performs the action.
2. Make the performer the object of the preposition by.
3. Make what is being acted upon by the verb a subject.
4. Use an appropriate auxiliary verb form followed by a past participle of the main verb.
5. C
 heck the sentence structure: Subject+ auxiliary verb (am, is, are, was, were) + past
participle of the main verb + preposition by + object.
Guidelines on Changing Passive to Active Voice

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1. Check who or what receives the action or the object of the preposition by.

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2. Make the receiver of the action the subject.
3. Delete the auxiliary verb.

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4. Use the main verb in its correct form (past or present).
5. Check the sentence structure: Subject+ action verb + complement.

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Learning Objective:
Activity 4.7
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Part A. With a partner, write a narration, description, or dialogue related to the
following pictures. Then, underline the sentence in passive voice, and box the
Use the passive
and active voice
meaningfully in varied
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contexts.
sentence in active voice. Use the lines for your work.
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Photo credit: PNP Cordillera Facebook page. (2021, June 22). At your service. https://www.facebook.com/
photo/?fbid=1711554982349725&set=pcb.1711555229016367
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Link It
As you grow older, you are always reminded to listen to and value the wisdom of the elders.
They say you can always learn from their experiences. Their stories are golden treasures that you
can use in living your way, leading to success and prosperity. “Nipa Hut” is a very relevant story
that allows a person to rethink and redirect himself or herself to respect the views of the elderly
and demonstrate humility when dealing with them. Also, it reminds a person to listen and learn
from the experiences of parents and/or elders.

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Nipa Hut
by Lydia C. Villanueva

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About the Author
Lydia C. Villanueva (1914– Papong Mundo was rocking gently in one of two large rocker chairs near the
1969) was a Filipino short story
window. His wife, Impong Elia, was sitting opposite him in the other, pounding
writer and painter. She was
buyo in a little mortar on her lap. Perfectly the old couple fitted into gathering

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the wife of Manuel Arguilla, an
Ilocano writer and martyr. They stillness and shadow of twilight1.
authored the book, Philippine
Tales and Fables. She also
pioneered Modern Art and
established the Philippine Art
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A step sounded in the outer room. Simultaneously2 they turned to see a
strange girl in the doorway. She had not, like a well-mannered person, called
out, tao po, from below to announce her presence, so that the occupants of
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Gallery.
Read more in https://pvao.gov. the house, if in, might ask her up. She had entered unbidden as if the house
ph/pvao-gad-updates/lydia- belonged to her. Now she dropped her maleta, came forward swiftly and
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villanueva-arguilla/ kissed their hands. The placidity3 in the room was shattered. The old couple
stared at the girl perplexed and silent.
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Do you believe in the wisdom of “I see you don’t remember me!” laughed the stranger.
the elders? Are their learnings
still applicable in today’s age? “It can’t be–” faltered Papong Mundo.
How?
“It is–it’s Nena!” finished Impong Elia.
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Without another word Papong Mundo rose, picked up the girl’s maleta and
About the Piece
disappeared with it into the silid, a little side room where trunks, pillows, mats,
“Nipa Hut” is one of the Filipino
and miscellaneous4 clutter were kept out of sight. Papong Mundo returned
short stories in English that
to the main room and sat down on a long bench at the other window. Nena
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emphasizes the concept


of humility and respect for had settled in the vacated rocker, removed her shoes, and begun rolling
customs and traditions. It her stockings off. Impong Elia chewing her buyo, now and then wiping the
highlights the youths’ impulsive
decision-making in life without
corners of her mouth with her palm, was plying the girl with questions. Why
thinking of its consequences. had she come alone? How was her mother, the two girls, and her brother,
It further reminds the person Nesto, especially, the only boy?
the importance of valuing the
elders and respectfully settling Nena was their grand-daughter, the eldest child of their son, Nesto, now
differences. dead. His widow, Aling Chedeng, kept a store in the city. The store tied her

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down. For four years she had not visited her husband’s parents. Impong Elia

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thought she might have come last Christmas day at least, but Nena said
that her mother was busiest during Christmas.
Expanding Vocabulary

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Papong Mundo said nothing. Occasionally from his bench he emitted
Encircle the letter that best
contented little grunts, while scratching his close-cropped head defines the word set in boldface
meaninglessly. He was glad to have his own grand-daughter in his house. based on how it is used in
At first he sat primly, both feet on the floor, then he raised one foot to the context.

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bench. Later he put it down to bring up the other. By and by he got up hastily. 1. twilight
a. dusk
To him entertaining a guest meant feeding him. He was going off now to
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prepare something to eat. But Nena would have nothing of food. She was
not hungry. Soon it would be dark and they would eat supper anyway. All she
b. daybreak
2. simultaneously
a. separately
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needed at present was a bath. b. at the same time

“A bath!” Impong Elia was horrified. “Not at this time, surely. Tomorrow 3. placidity
a. calmnes
morning, yes. Besides you are tired. You have just removed your shoes and
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b. loudness
your feet are warm. You will get rheumatism.”
4. miscellaneous
a. single
The girl, cheerful, unargumentative, had her way. In the city she bathed any
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b. varied
hour of the day. The road had been dusty that afternoon, and she had sat
toward the outside in the auto-bus and caught more than her share of dirt.

If Nena was used to it, Impong Elia supposed she could go ahead. If she got
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ill, she would have only herself to blame.

At supper that night, on a low table before which the three of them squatted
on the cool bamboo floor, Nena’s unexpected visit was explained. She had
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quarreled with her mother. The old couple easily took sides with the girl.
Grand-parents are notorious that way with their grand-children. Impong Elia
said that if her own mother did not want Nena, she could stay with them. As
classes were over she might as well spend her vacation right there, Papong
Mundo grumbled assent. Nena finding such sympathizers felt very much
abused indeed.

The girl insisted on clearing the table after supper and washing the dishes.
Impong Elia spread a mat in the main room, changed a pillow-case and

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brought out a fresh blanket for Nena. Papong Mundo spread a mat for
himself in the outer room. Then he took a seat on the long bench, looking out
the window and humming an old song to a tune all his own.

When Nena came in she would have read a little, but the kerosene lamp
was too dim for reading. There was nothing more to do but retire. Papong
Mundo began lowering the window shutters when Nena interrupted him.
Sleeping with windows closed was most unhygienic. In the city Nena was
used to sleeping right beside an open window.

Impong Elia weakly protested against the probable harmful effects of night

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air. Papong Mundo raised the flap back, grumbling good-naturedly something
about having for more than sixty years now slept behind closed windows.

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The next day Nena made a plot for a garden in front of the house. All other
tasks in the household accordingly suffered a standstill. Impong Elia went

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the round of the neighborhood for seeds and small plants. Papong Mundo
cut and sharpened bamboo stakes for a fence. Nena dug, planted, and
watered, using up a whole gasoline-canful of water. Towards noon Impong

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Elia oscillated between kitchen and window to see how far the work had
progressed. At last Nena, dirty, hot, and sweating came up, again wanting a

Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
batch before lunch. io
Impong Elia was frantic5. A bath at noon! The girl would end an anemic, a
at
defines the word set in paralytic, a tubercular, heaven forbid! Oh, yes, she might not feel the effects
boldface based on how it is now. But she was still young; when she was old the reckoning would come.
used in context.
Nena took her bath nevertheless. Later Papong Mundo groaned his dismay
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5. frantic
to find that in less than a day already a week’s supply of water had been used
a. distressed
b. calm up. Papong Mundo was his own water-carrier.
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That afternoon Nena lay on her stomach on the bare floor peeping between
the bamboo strips of the flooring at the hen’s nests under the house, saying
that the hens on discovering somebody watching them blushed in shame.
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Then she rolled over and lay on her back looking at the soot-and-age-
blackened nipa ceiling with its new-looking patches of repair. Innumerable
white tiny holes of light showed through the ceiling, smaller than stars.

At sunset she watered her garden. She was getting listless. There was so
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little to do. At first the absence of plumbing had been a novelty. But now it
was a pure inconvenience. Water here was used frugally, she noticed, the well
being some distance from the house. Bathing could be an everyday affair
only with difficulty. And there was no privacy.

All sorts of washing, bathing included, was done in the batalan, a semi-
inclosed platform, where the large jars and cans of water were stored. One
came up on it from the steps or rather ladder, and if one were barefoot like
Papong Mundo, one dipped a coconut shell into a large, earthen jar and
washed one’s feet. The water fell through the floor of whole round bamboo,

118~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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to the ground below which was paved with shells and stones to prevent the
formation of a puddle under the house. Then one wiped the feet on a rag at
the threshold before stepping into the outer room which was both dining-
room and kitchen, lately also bedroom for Papong Mundo.

This room was almost bare. A drinking jar stood on a stool in the corner to
one’s left; opposite, in the other corner, was the stove-place. Somewhere
against the wall leaned the squat dulang or table. There was a built-in shelf
with doors, for a cup-board; below and under it, two small compartments,
the one nearer the stove-place for firewood and the other a place for Papong
Mundo’s fighting cock. Lastly bamboo trellis, a meter square, hung overhead

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center from the ceiling on which a bowl or plate of food was kept safe from

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ants till next mealtime.

There was even less furniture in the inner rooms which one entered through

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another door to the right. There were the two rockers, the long bench; an old,
low dresser, serving as altar at the same time by virtue of a saint’s framed
picture above it. A narrow door to the left of the dresser opened into the silid.
The hut itself was shaped like a stout L with the batalan for a base and the

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two rooms for the stem. All this at first was quaint—even exciting, but such
as the hut and the little piece of land on which it stood could offer, had been
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yielded at once. Nothing was left for Nena to discover.

After an empty day it was evening again. Papong Mundo remembered not
at
to close the windows, Impong Elia blew the lamp out, and Nena crouched
under the blanket. For a long time she tried to sleep. She was homesick
now and she cried a little. Finally just as her wakefulness was falling off the
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sliding bamboo door creaked.

In the dark she could just make out a stealthy figure tip-toeing across the
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room to the window opposite the door. Carefully the figure raised the prop,
lifting the window flap as he did so, and then slowly bringing it down. By
a simple, ingenious contrivance the prop was slid through and across the
shutter to serve for a bolt, so that the window could be opened from the
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outside. Papong Mundo repeated the same cautious procedure with the
other window in the adjacent wall and then softly slipped out, leaving the
door open behind him.
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At first Nena had the half impulse to arrest him with a deep, “Hoy!” while
he was at the windows. How frightened he would have been! But she let Expanding Vocabulary
him alone because she was cold. The bamboo floor admitted enough chill Encircle the letter that best
air without the assistance of the two large windows. A bamboo hut is the defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
coolest, airiest house imaginable. context.

Nena’s nap was short. Towards daylight, Papong Mundo stole into the 6. grotesque
room through the still open door. Quietly he opened the windows. His profile a. monstrous
b. normal
thrown strongly against the lightening sky was grotesque6. Nena smothered
a laugh.

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Soon again it was daylight and Nena wished more intensely to be home.
The healthy old couple nagged at what to them seemed her finicky7 appetite.
Expanding Vocabulary Perhaps there was something she especially liked to eat. Their simple fare
Encircle the letter that best was probably not the kind she was used to. Impong Elia wanted to know.
defines the word set in Nena laughed her off. She was eating more here than she usually did at
boldface based on how it is
used in context.
home, no joking.

7. finicky Indifferently she watered her garden plot and later went to the small window
a. easy in the outer room where she could look down on Papong Mundo’s new
b. choosy mongo patch. A big, red hen was scratching industriously right in the patch.
Her chicks crowded round eagerly and each time the hen looked up from

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8. pestilence
a. disease her scratching they swooped toward the loosened soil gobbling up what she
b. health

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had unearthed. The mother looked comically proud of the achievement, as if
she and not a dear, clumsy old man were responsible for the presence of the
grains. Nena had not the heart to shoo her off.

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Some hours later Papong Mundo on his way to feed the pigs passed that
way. Suddenly he burst into curses. Impong Elia and Nena hurried to the back
window and see what had happened. He had discovered the damage to his

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mongos and he called down lightning and pestilence8 upon every cursed
chicken. Nena laughingly explained who the culprit was, recounting her own
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amusement at the time.

“You say,” Papong Mundo stared up at her incredulously, “you say you watched
at
it all up there without—without—” and he fell into incoherent mumblings.

Nena, easily hurt, turned away, fighting back her tears. Impong Elia pretended
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not to notice, but a little later she began scolding the old man below.

It was a silent supper they sat to that evening. Impong Elia after attempting
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several times to start a conversation gave up trying. Soon after the ritual of
preparation for a night’s rest, their heads once more touched the pillows.

From afar came the sound of approaching voices and the tentative strum of
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a guitar.

“Must be some young men out to serenade a girl,” observed Impong Elia
under her blanket.
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Nearer and nearer drew the voices, once or twice lowering as in consultation.
Now they seemed right under the window. A guitar sounded the usual
preliminary. They were serenading Nena!

Impong Elia rose. Nena did the same. In the darkness of the room they
cleared the floor of mat, blanket, and pillow. The old woman lighted the lamp
and began sketchily putting things in order. Papong Mundo put his close-
cropped, baldish head in at the door.

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“I thought I heard some cows,” he whispered, grinning to show his two
remaining front teeth.

Impong Elia laughed, and chided him. Nena was unsmiling. She had
changed her dress, run a comb through her hair, and passed a powder Expanding Vocabulary
puff over her face. Now she asked the young men up. They did not need a Encircle the letter that best
second bidding. Gay and noisy but not boisterous9, they came up, seven or defines the word set in boldface
eight in all. Most of them were studying in Manila and were lacking in rustic based on how it is used in
context.
shyness. Papong Mundo quietly slipped out of the house.
9. boisterous
It turned out that only one boy could “sing.” And for this he was taxed dearly.

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a. quiet
He began every song and the others yelled in at the chorus. Laughter comes b. noisy
easily to the young. Nobody saw Papong Mundo return, his arms filled with

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10. skirmishing
bundles. After some skirmishing10 by himself in the unlighted room outside a. fighting
he came to the door and beckoned mysteriously to his wife. Impong Elia b. abandoning

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went out. A moment later she returned beaming, and began distributing
uncorked soft-drink bottles with the unembarrassed explanation that there
were not enough glasses in the house for everyone. Papong Mundo followed
her, bearing two plates of biscuits and small cakes which he deposited one

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on each window sill for lack of a table.

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When the boys had left and the three of them had once more prepared for
sleep, Papong Mundo, catching Nena’s glance, knew by the smile she gave
at
him that he was forgiven.

Nena went home the next day. Her mother came for her in the afternoon,
puff-eyed from crying. For the last days she had searched everywhere and
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thought she would go mad with anxiety. Nena allowed her mother to do a
little coaxing first before consenting to come with her, which she meant to
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anyway.

Papong Mundo toward evening, sat down contentedly once more in his
rocker. He sighed.
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“Thank heaven she’s off. Let those serenading calves return tonight and
I’ll give them a bath out of turn. I dare say it is done in the city,” referring
wickedly to Nena’s favorite argument.
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Impong Elia laughed indulgently, scooping out the pounded buyo from the
little mortar on her lap.

“What silly things this old man talks of.”

Little night-noises outside were rising to meet the darkness as it fell. To


Papong Mundo and his wife the blessed peace of twilight had returned.
Source: Villanueva, L. (1933, November). Nipa hut. The Philippine Magazine 30(6), pp. 231-
232, 254. https://ia801609.us.archive.org/6/items/acd5869.0030.006.umich.edu/acd5869.
0030.006.umich.edu.pdf

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Talk About It
Activity 4.8
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the story.
1. Who are the characters in the story? Describe each of them.
2. What is a nipa hut? What is its relevance to the title of the story?
3. If you were Nena, would you humbly settle differences with your parent/s? Explain.
4. Knowing your personal experience and struggles, would you leave your parents when

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things go wrong? Explain.

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5. How is the concept of pasma inexplicitly mentioned in the story? Do you believe in
such concept? Why? Why not?

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6. What lesson can youth like you learn from the story?

Map It Out

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Learning Objective:
Activity 4.9
Compare the conflicts
presented in literary
selections and propose
solutions.
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 Read again the short stories in this lesson. Then, discover and
identify the conflicts in the said short stories. Then, propose nonviolent
solutions in resolving the identified conflicts.
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Dead Stars Analysis Nipa Hut
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1. Conflict
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2. Description of the
Conflict
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3. Proposed Solutions

122~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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Cultural Trip

• Did you know that the baro’t saya is a traditional dress worn by Filipino women?
The term baro’t saya is derived from the Tagalog words “baro,” which means blouse,
and “saya” which means skirt. The dress is a combination of Filipino and Spanish
clothing styles and is made up of a pineapple cloth blouse and skirt. During the Spanish

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colonization, it was the everyday attire of most Filipino women, with the blouse being
more decorative than the skirt.

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• Did you know that the barong Tagalog is a traditional shirt worn by Filipino men? It
is commonly called “barong” or baro, which means outfit. Barong Tagalog combines
native and Spanish styles, using sheer fabrics like piña or abacá, and is worn untucked

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with belted trousers and dress shoes as formal or semi-formal attire.

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Write It Right

What is a Paragraph
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at
A paragraph is composed of organized and related sentences to the topic. It has two central
features—a controlling idea and supporting sentences.
Essential Features of a Paragraph
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The main idea of a paragraph is called a topic sentence. The topic sentence controls what
supporting ideas you should provide and tells your readers what the paragraph’s topic is about. It
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is usually placed at the beginning, but it can also be in the middle or end.
The remaining sentences in the paragraph are called the supporting details or information.
These supporting details or information can be examples, descriptions of a place, person, or events,
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narration of experiences, points of comparison, or explanation of causes or effects. Regardless of


the detail or information, the supporting sentences must be related or coherent to the main idea
or the topic sentence.
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Here is what a paragraph outline looks like.


A. Topic sentence: _____________________________________________________________
1. Supporting detail 1: ______________________________________________________
2. Supporting detail 2: ______________________________________________________
3. Supporting detail 3: ______________________________________________________

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~123

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Look at the sample paragraph below from the text “I Am a Filipino,” which illustrates the
basic features of the topic sentence and supporting ideas or information. The underlined topic
sentence is placed at the beginning that tells the reader what the paragraph is about.
I am a Filipino, child of the marriage of the
East and the West. The East, with its languor
and mysticism, its passivity and endurance,
was my mother, and my sire12 was the West
that came thundering across the seas with
the Cross and Sword and the Machine. I am

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of the East, an eager participant in its spirit,
and in its struggles for liberation from the

nl
imperialist yoke. But I also know that the East
must awake from its centuried sleep, shake

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off the lethargy that has bound his limbs, and
start moving where destiny awaits.
Kinds of Paragraphs

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Paragraphs can be narrative, descriptive, expository, or persuasive.

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Narrative paragraphs tell the readers about an event or series of events usually presented
chronologically. News writers often use narrative paragraphs to explain what happened, who is
involved, when, why, and how.
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Descriptive paragraphs show ideas by using vivid words or expressions that refer to a person,
place, or object. Fiction writers often use descriptive paragraphs to provide the readers with a
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mental picture of what they are describing using vivid, descriptive language that appeals to sight,
hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Unlike a narrative paragraph whose purpose is to tell, a descriptive
paragraph aims to show by describing in detail what happened, who is involved, and when, why,
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and how it happened.


Expository paragraphs explain ideas by providing definitions, examples, comparisons, or
stating the causes and effects. Academic writers often use expository paragraphs to support their
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thesis or the central idea of their essay with sufficient and solid support by defining concepts,
illustrating experiences, comparing ideas, and explaining the causes and effects of a subject.
Persuasive paragraphs provide an opinion that can convince the readers to agree and take
action. Editorial writers and columnists often use persuasive paragraphs to state their ideas and
Fo

influence others to side with them.


The paragraph type you will choose for your writing will depend on your purpose. If your
purpose is to inform, then expository paragraphs are more suitable. If it is to entertain, then
narrative and descriptive paragraphs can be used, and if your purpose is to influence, then a
persuasive paragraph is more applicable.

124~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 124 1/8/2024 4:53:07 PM


Writing a Paragraph
The process writing approach can be used in writing an effective paragraph. Here is how you
write a paragraph using a process writing approach.
• Identify your purpose—to inform, entertain, influence, or persuade.
•  ead a model paragraph where the purpose is the same as what you are planning to write.
R
This strategy is called modeling, which can effectively guide you in the process.
• Plan through brainstorming, discussing, or graphic organizing your ideas.
•  repare an outline of your ideas. Outlining helps organize information and look into the
P

y
coherence or relatedness of thoughts.
• Write your initial draft based on your outline.

nl
• Solicit peer and teacher feedback.

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•  evise your draft based on the feedback. You can also check on the coherence and transition
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of your ideas.
•  dit your paragraph by checking on the misspelling, incorrect
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capitalization, wrong placement of punctuation marks, and lapses in

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grammar. Learning Objective:

• Prepare a final draft. io Identify basic features


and kinds of paragraph.
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Activity 4.10
Work with a partner and practice identifying the basic features of the given paragraphs.
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Underline the topic sentence in each paragraph and write in the space below what kind it is.
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Paragraph 1

A borderless world presents a bigger opportunity, one that is not so much abandonment but an
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extension of identity. Even as we take, we give back. We are the 40,000 skilled nurses who support
the UK’s National Health Service. We are the quarter-of-a-million seafarers manning most of the
world's commercial ships. We are your software engineers in Ireland, your construction workers
in the Middle East, your doctors and caregivers in North America, and, your musical artists in
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London’s West End.

– “Blonde and Blue Eyes” by Patricia Evangelista

Kind of paragraph: __________________________________________________________________

Lesson 4: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Imitation Period ~125

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Paragraph 2

The seed I bear within me is an immortal seed. It is the mark of my manhood, the symbol of
dignity as a human being. Like the seeds that were once buried in the tomb of Tutankhamen many
thousand years ago, it shall grow and flower and bear fruit again. It is the insignia of my race, and
my generation is but a stage in the unending search of my people for freedom and happiness.

– “I Am a Filipino” by Carlos P. Romulo

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Kind of paragraph: __________________________________________________________________

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Paragraph 3

Our farmers need to be appreciated more. They deserve more. And if I would be more specific

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with my suggestions, our government should be paying our farmers a regular salary. That’s what
they deserve. Anything less than that is an insult to their indispensable contribution to society.
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Source: Cachepero, O. (2021, May 21). A tribute to farmers. Inquirer.net.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/140462/a-tribute-to-farmers
at
Kind of paragraph: __________________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 4

My youngest daughter Danie, who is a physician, also had initial reservations about me getting
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the vaccine because of my allergy to a lot of medicines (certain antibiotics, painkillers and even
second-generation antihistamines), plus a history of a scary anaphylactic shock from a severe
allergy attack. She thought that since I hardly go out of the house anyway (pandemic or not), and
almost everyone in our household had been vaccinated already, I did not have to get it. She was
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also worried that I might get the infection at the vaccination site if there were too many people and
I had to wait long.

Source: Mendiola, D. (2021, May 21). How I got my first vaccine dose. Inquirer.net.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/140433/how-i-got-my-first-vaccine-dose

Kind of paragraph: __________________________________________________________________

126~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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Paragraph 5

Some apps have client-to-server encryption, like TikTok, which means an unencrypted copy of
our messages can be seen by the servers of Chinese company ByteDance. Chat apps, like WhatsApp
and Viber, support client-to-client encryption but back-up copies of conversations can be stored
elsewhere. Social messaging apps, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, clearly have content
visible to themselves as platforms. Shopping apps, like Grab, Lazada, Zalora, and Shopee, have
copies of transactional information and our product browsing history.

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Source: Yu, W. (2021, May 18). What social media apps know about us Inquirer.net.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/140335/what-social-media-apps-know-about-us

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O
Kind of paragraph: __________________________________________________________________

Activity 4.11

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In this lesson, you were introduced to a type of Philippine prose in English called fictional
io
prose. A fictional prose is a piece of literary writing used in short stories, novels, and plays that
includes a plot, setting, and dialogue. The basic purpose of prose in writing is to tell a story with
literary elements. You read about, “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez, and “Nipa Hut” by
at
Lydia C. Villanueva. Work with a partner and perform the task below.
Part A. You have been assigned to write a piece of fictional prose, which is
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a short story. Collaborate with your partner to determine the meaning and Learning Objective:

purpose behind writing a short story for composition. Utilize the provided Determine the
meaning and
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brainstorming sheet to generate ideas. Then, show this activity page when purpose of selecting
scheduling a conference with your teacher to clarify your initial ideas for your the type of literary
text for composition.
short story composition.
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Brainstorming Sheet
1. What ideas or information do we have about a short story?
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2. What topics, ideas, or information are we interested in for our short story?

3. What is the purpose of writing a short story?

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Listening and Viewing Time

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Ready to Listen
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Listening is essential in effective interpersonal skills. It is different from hearing because there
at
is a conscious effort and intention to understand the speaker’s messages in listening.
Every day, you listen to the lectures and discussions of your teachers to learn, relearn, and
unlearn ideas, concepts, information, and anything that can benefit you academically and
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personally. Hence, you must be an active listener. Here are some strategies that you can use in
active listening.
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Active Listening Strategies


Active listening involves three significant strategies: before, during, and after. Below is a
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specific strategy under each one.

Before-Listening Strategy
1. Determining the purpose. Listening can have a variety of purposes. These are to make more
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sense or strengthen what you already know, learn new ideas, evaluate or judge, appreciate,
show sympathy and empathy or care, develop a stronger relationship, sustain the conversation,
and many more. All these purposes can mean one thing—listen with an intent to understand,
so you can reply more effectively.
2. Activating schema. Just like in reading, you also activate your schema or previous knowledge
and experiences related to the topic when listening to make connections, predictions, and
inferences. You can easily link what you already know to what new information you will gain
by activating your schema.

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 128 1/8/2024 4:53:07 PM


You can activate your schema by doing the following:
• Ask yourself what you already know about the topic by checking on the title or subject
and the information related to the speaker.
• Predict the contents after checking on the title and the author and browsing.
• Use the “what, who, when, where, why, and how” questions about the listening material.

During-Listening Strategy
Taking notes. While listening, write down ideas and information related to what you already

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know and what you have just learned or new ideas and information that you gain during listening.
This strategy can best help you in remembering and connecting information.

nl
When taking notes, you can do the following:
• Use charts, tables, or any graphic organizer to show connections between what you already

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know and what you have just learned.
• Answer the questions you raise in the before-listening strategy.
• Use abbreviations, acronyms, or symbols to help you keep pace with the delivery speed of

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the speaker.
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• Write down confusing ideas, new words, or anything that interests or you want to explore
further.
at
• Pay attention to nonverbal cues, such as tone, pitch, rate, and voice speed, as these can
affect the message conveyed by the speakers.
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• Determine the level of difficulty of the material—easy or difficult to understand. This can
help you reflect and extend information after listening.
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After-Listening Strategy
1. Synthesizing ideas. After listening, write a two-to-three-sentence summary based on your
notes. Then, ask yourself whether you agree or disagree about the information you gained and
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the parts that interest you and are still confusing. Your response to these statements will be
added to your summary to form your synthesis.
2. Reflecting. Reflect on the information you listened to. Reflect on what lessons you have
learned, how you will use these lessons to succeed, and what you have experienced or felt
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while listening. These reflective questions can help you process information and help you write
your synthesis.
3. Extending. This strategy can explore other sources such as print, television, radio, and social
media that provide related ideas to the topic you listened to. This is to make the gained ideas
meaningful and concrete. You can also use this strategy to share what you have achieved with
others through writing and public speaking.

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Scan the QR code below with your smartphone to watch and listen to a talk with Atty. Nadaine
Tongco and public-school teacher Sabrina Ongkiko sharing why they think young women today
are more intelligent.

Title: Young Women Achievers Talk about the


Empowerment of Young Women Today:
The Bottomline
Link: https://youtu.be/2i-ybHrmjCs

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Talk About It

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Activity 4.12
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the video clip.
1. Can you summarize the main concepts discussed in the conversations?

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2. What was the goal of the discussions?

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3. How were the female characters depicted in the dialogue?
4. Compare and contrast the portrayal of women in the video with the short stories
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“Dead Stars” and “Nipa Hut.” What similarities and differences do you observe?
5. Which statements made by the speaker do you support or oppose, and why?
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6. What steps would you take to encourage others to achieve success?


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Work It Out
Learning Objective: Activity 4.13
Use different listening
 art A. Listen intently as you watch again “Young Women Achievers Talk
P
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strategies based on
simple informative and about the Empowerment of Young Women Today.” Use different active
short narrative texts'
purpose, topic, and
listening strategies to complete the table below with relevant information.
difficulty levels. Be sure to incorporate in your synthesis the purpose of the conversation,
the topic discussed, and the level of difficulty (easy or difficult) of the
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material in your notes. With a partner, consolidate your notes.

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Young Women Achievers Talk about the Empowerment
Title
of Young Women Today

1. Your purpose
of listening

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2. What you
already know

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n
3. Your notes
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during
listening
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4. Your synthesis

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Part B. Write a five-sentence paragraph that provides answers to the following questions.
Use extra sheets if necessary.
1. What active listening strategies did you use?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

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2. H
 ow did you use these strategies in writing your notes and synthesis about “Young Women

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Achievers Talk about the Empowerment of Young Women Today.”
________________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

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Ready to View
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Determining Key Messages
Viewing materials provide key messages. Identifying the key messages conveyed by the speakers
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and the people behind the video production makes your viewing experience more meaningful and
enjoyable.
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Here are the general ways to determine the key messages conveyed in the material viewed.
1. Determine the purpose of the material. The purpose can be informative, educational,
entertainment, or persuasive.
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2. Determine the type of viewing material. There are various viewing materials, such as
movie clips, full-length movies, musicals, documentaries, television shows, talk shows, and
others. The purpose depends on the type of viewing materials, and in some cases, a type of
viewing material can encompass multiple purposes. For example, a documentary can be
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informative, educational, and entertaining. A musical can have a purpose to persuade and
entertain simultaneously.
3. Formulate inferences while viewing. When you make inferences, you pay attention to the
lines or statements of the speakers as well as their nonverbal cues and conclude out of
them.
4. Reflect on your viewing experience. Ask yourself some reflective questions such as what
lessons you learned, what new ideas you gained, how you will connect these lessons and
new ideas to your personal life, what confusing ideas did you have while viewing, how you
will address these confusing ideas.

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5. Formulate messages based on the purpose, the type of viewing material, your inferences,
and reflections.
Watch a musical play from PETA Theater Online to help you put into practice the skill that
you gained from the discussion.

Title: [FULL SHOW] Rated: PG | ARTS Zone TV


Link: https://youtu.be/mG0OptDrchE

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Talk About It

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Activity 4.14
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the online play.

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1. What is the moral of the musical play?

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2. Which characters do you relate the most to?
3. What conclusions can you draw from the musical?
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4. Which of the ideas in the musical do you agree with the most? Explain your answer.
5. How else can you promote positive discipline?
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Work It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 4.15
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Determine the key


 Determine the key messages of the material viewed by completing message conveyed
in the material
the table below with relevant information. Consolidate your work with a viewed.
partner.
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1. Purpose
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 ype of
2. T
material

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3. Inferences

4. Reflections

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5. Key messages

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Express Yourself

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Tips to Improve Your Prosodic Features io
In Lesson 1, you learned about the different ways people use their prosodic features to
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communicate effectively. These include the tone, speed, volume, and pitch of your voice. These
things can really help you get your message across when speaking to others.
Here are some tips to help you use your voice effectively:
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1. Record yourself speaking and watch it back to see how you are doing.
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2. See if you are speaking in a way that is interesting to listen to. If not, try to change the way
you speak to make it more engaging. You can use a prosodic feature checklist to help you.
Strategies Yes/No
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1. Are the prosodic features of my speech appropriate in terms of...


• Purpose (informative, persuasive)
• Context (formal, informal)
• Target audience
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2. Do I not sound monotonous?


3. Is my pitch correct for a particular word or phrase?
4. Is my intonation correct for a particular word or phrase?
5. Did I stress the syllable of a word correctly?
6. Is my volume loud enough to be heard by my target audience?
7. Do I not sound like I am in a hurry or I make people feel bored in my
delivery?
3. Keep practicing so that you can get better at using your voice to communicate effectively.

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Activity 4.16
Learning Objectives:
Use correct and appropriate prosodic speech features in performing your Use different
speech activity below. Consider the following points when you prepare for this listening strategies
based on simple
activity. You will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix. informative and
short narrative texts’
1. Recall the central message in the short stories you read in this lesson: purpose, topic, and
“Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez, and “Nipa Hut” by Lydia C. difficulty levels.
Villanueva Use correct and
appropriate prosodic
2. Deliver in class a 3-minute speech explaining one lesson you learned features of speech
from the stories you read. when giving

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information and
3. Write your ideas using a speech outline. instructions, making

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explanations, and
4. Practice your speech. Then, video-record it. Watch your recorded speech narrating events in
personal and factual
video. Using the prosodic features checklist, evaluate your speech. recount.

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5. Perform in class.

Speech Outline

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Purpose: _________________________________________________________________________________

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Context: _________________________________________________________________________________
Target audience: __________________________________________________________________________
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The lesson I learned from “Dead Stars” and “Nipa Hut”
1. Describe your overall experience in reading “Dead Stars” and “Nipa Hut”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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1.1 State the purpose of your speech (Complete the sentence frame)


1.1  The purpose of my speech is to share one lesson I learned from “Dead Stars” and “Nipa
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Hut”, and that is ________________________________________________________________.


2. Explain why the lesson is important to you (Complete the sentence frame)
That lesson is important to me because I learned that ______________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
2.1 Share how you feel (Complete the sentence frame)
  After learning the lesson, I feel that ________________________________________________
  _______________________________________________________________________________
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3. State again your purpose of the speech


_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Practice Some More
Make It Real

Learning Objectives: Activity 4.17


Create a pub mat for the Part A. Your school will conduct an Early Literacy Program for lower grade
community project.
levels. As a group with four to five members, you are tasked to create a
Use correct and
appropriate prosodic
pubmat (publication material) for that project that will be available on all
features of speech when social media platforms. As you prepare for your pubmat read articles, watch
giving information and
videos related to early literacy and how it should be conducted. Identify key

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instructions, making
explanations, and messages that you can use for the contents of your pubmat. Use your creativity

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narrating events in
personal and factual
in incorporating available resources. You will be graded using Rubric 09:
recount. Publication Material in the Appendix.

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Part B. Present your pubmat in the class. In your 2-minute oral presentation, incorporate lines
and figures of speech from the literary selections to reinforce your message and use correct and
appropriate prosodic speech features. Your oral presentation will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral

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Presentation in the Appendix.

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Part C. Listen to other group’s presentations. Then, write at least five sentences about the group
presentation’s purpose, topic, and key messages. Mind your use of passive and active voice. Use
the space below, or you use another sheet.
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Fo

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

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E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
• Figures of Speech Quiz: This activity tests your skills in identifying figures of speech.
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=figures-speech-quiz
• Effective Listening Strategies: This tests your listening skill.
https://study.com/academy/exam/topic/effective-listening-strategies.html
• Passive and Active Voice Tests: These beginning to complex tests help improve your

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knowledge of the passive and active voices.

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https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/complex_tests/passive1/index.php

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What I Have Learned So Far

Think about the following questions and write your reflection on a separate sheet of paper.

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1. Write your answers to each question in Things to Ponder.
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2. Write at least three ideas that you learned from this lesson.
3. Write what other ideas you want to learn about the prose and how to evaluate it.
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Fo

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Lesson 5
Evaluating Philippine Prose
from the Emergence Period

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By the end of the lesson, you
will have been able to:

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• illustrate a scene from a
story;
• analyze the author’s tone

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and purpose;
• analyze the general mood
of the story;
• determine collocations in

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the story;
• use the past and past The period between 1935 and 1945 in the Philippines, known as
perfect tenses correctly in
varied contexts;
• draw similarities and
differences of the texts
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the Emergent Period, was when national literature was being created.
This period followed the Philippine Commonwealth era, which
ended with independence from the Americans. As the Americans left
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using a Venn diagram; the English language as a legacy, English became a powerful tool for
• write a narrative Filipino writers to express themselves and their culture.
paragraph;
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• use active listening Many prominent Filipino writers, such as Manuel Arguilla
strategies to recognize and Carlos P. Romulo, rose to fame during this period. Arguilla’s
the main and supporting
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points; collection of stories, How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife


• use reflection prompts to and Other Stories, won the first Commonwealth Literary Awards
express one’s beliefs or for short stories given by President Manuel Luis Quezon. Romulo
convictions based on a
became the editor and publisher of The Philippines Herald, where
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material viewed;
• employ a variety
many of the anthologies by Filipino writers were printed.
of strategies for Although the writers used English, their themes and literary
effective interpersonal
communication; and techniques were dedicated to preserving Filipino identity and values.
For instance, Manuel Arguilla’s stories portrayed rural barrio life
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• produce a 3-minute video


about a profile of an in his hometown in La Union, emphasizing Filipino family ties
inspiring or empowering
person within the
and using local color to highlight scenes, traditions, language, and
community. culture-specific to his birthplace. Other writers like Arturo Rotor,
Juan Laya, Francisco Arcellana, Alfredo Litiatco, Ligaya Victoria
Reyes, and Estrella Alfon, among others, published their works in
local papers such as The Philippine Herald, Graphic, Philippine
Magazine, Literary Magazine, and the Philippine Free Press.

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
A. Form a group with five members. Study the picture below. Then, as a group, discuss your
answers to the following questions. Prepare to share your answers in class.
• What do you see in the picture?
• What do you think is happening?
• What do you wonder about?

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Photo credit: https://live.staticflickr.com/4908/32932136768_a92044bc9b_z.jpg
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B. Listen to the shared ideas of the other groups. Then, ask questions after their presentation.
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What I Know, What I Do


After completing the Let’s Warm Up, tick the column that you think best describes your ability
to adhere to the principles of effective writing. Answer this section as objectively as possible. Bear
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in mind that there are no wrong answers. You can use your performance in Let’s Warm Up as one
of the bases for completing this self-audit task.
Self-Audit Task Checklist
Fo

Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never


1. I illustrate a scene from a story.
2. I analyze the author’s tone and purpose.
3. I analyze the general mood of the story.
4. I determine collocations in the story.
5. I use the past and past perfect tenses correctly
in varied contexts.
6. I draw similarities and differences of the texts
using a Venn diagram.

Lesson 5: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Emergence Period ~139

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Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
7. I write a narrative paragraph.
8. I use active listening strategies to recognize
the main and supporting points.
9. I use reflection prompts to express one’s
beliefs or convictions based on a material
viewed.
10. I employ a variety of strategies for effective
interpersonal communication.

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11. I produce a 3-minute video about a profile of
an inspiring or empowering person within the

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community.
TOTAL

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Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point

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Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
30–33 Advanced 21–22 Developing
26–29 Proficient 20 and below Beginning
23–25 Approaching Proficiency
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Things to Ponder
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How do you analyze a short story, considering the mood the author’s tone, and purpose?
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How do active listening strategies and reflection prompts help in determining


main and supporting ideas?
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Explore and Experience


What’s Coming
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Vocabulary Preview
 In this lesson, you will develop your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:
Aesculapius exploding labored ponderous swift
austere flared up long-bewildered punctuated tremble
bewilderingly forelock marvelous rattled trunk
clumsy fragrant mildest tempered rattling twig

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constriction gigantic nuptial reminiscent vanish
cud gorge pebbly sheen vindictive
daintily grace peltered out shrill Waig
dashed hitched periodic spectacle yoke
emptiness jolting pondered surmised yonder

Grammar Preview

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In this lesson, you are expected to use the past tense of the verb correctly in varied contexts.

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Literary Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the

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following selections and perform related activities:
• “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” by Manuel E. Arguilla
• “The Mats” by Francisco Arcellana

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Ready to Read
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“How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” was set in Nagrebcan, Bauang, La Union, the
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home province of Manuel E. Arguilla. This short story is well-known because of its compelling
portrayal of Filipino rural or provincial life using local color or setting, characters, customs,
language, and other elements particular to a region in literature.
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How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife


by Manuel E. Arguilla About the Author
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Manuel E. Arguilla (1911–1945)


She stepped down from the carretela of Ca Celin with a quick, delicate is the pride of La Union, not
only because of his writings but
grace1. She was lovely. She was tall. She looked up to my brother with a
also his heroic deeds during the
smile, and her forehead was on a level with his mouth. Japanese occupation.
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Read more in http://bauangtgis.


”You are Baldo,” she said and placed her hand lightly on my shoulder. Her gov.ph/about-us/manuel-
nails were long, but they were not painted. She was fragrant2 like a morning arguilla/
when papayas are in bloom. And a small dimple appeared momently high
on her right cheek.

“And this is Labang of whom I have heard so much.” She held the wrist of Take a quick look at the title and
illustration. What knowledge
one hand with the other and looked at Labang, and Labang never stopped do you already have about
chewing his cud3. He swallowed and brought up to his mouth more cud and the title? What content do you
the sound of his insides was like a drum. expect to read in the text?

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About the Piece
“How My Brother Leon
Brought Home a Wife” is one
of the many short stories
compiled in the book of
the same title by Manuel E.
Arguilla and first published
by Literary Apprentice in

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1934. In 1940, the book
was among the winners of

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the first Commonwealth
Literary Contest in short story
category.

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Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
I laid a hand on Labang’s massive neck and said to her: “You may scratch his

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defines the word set in forehead now.”
boldface based on how it is
used in context.
1. grace
a. elegance
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She hesitated and I saw that her eyes were on the long, curving horns. But
she came and touched Labang’s forehead with her long fingers, and Labang
never stopped chewing his cud except that his big eyes half closed. And by
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b. movement and by she was scratching his forehead very daintily4.
2. fragrant
a. pleasant smell My brother Leon put down the two trunks on the grassy side of the road. He
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b. unpleasant smell paid Ca Celin twice the usual fare from the station to the edge of Nagrebcan.
3. cud Then he was standing beside us, and she turned to him eagerly. I watched Ca
a. food chewed by Celin, where he stood in front of his horse, and he ran his fingers through its
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carabao forelock5 and could not keep his eyes away from her.
b. food spit out by
cattles “Maria—” my brother Leon said.
4. daintily
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a. delicately He did not say Maring. He did not say Mayang. I knew then that he had always
b. roughly called her Maria and that to us all she would be Maria; and in my mind I said,
5. forelock “Mari,” and it was a beautiful name.
a. hair over animal’s
forehead “Yes, Noel.”
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b. tail of the animal


Now where did she get that name? I pondered6 the matter quietly to myself,
6. pondered
a. decided quickly thinking Father might not like it. But it was only the name of my brother Leon
b. thought carefully said backward and it sounded much better that way.

“There is Nagrebcan, Maria,” my brother Leon said, gesturing widely toward


the west.

She moved close to him and slipped her arm through his. And after a while
she said quietly.

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“You love Nagrebcan, don’t you, Noel?”

Ca Celin drove away hi-yi-ing to his horse loudly. At the bend of the camino
real where the big duhat tree grew, he rattled7 the handle of his braided
rattan whip against the spokes of the wheel. Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
We stood alone on the roadside. defines the word set in
boldface based on how it is
The sun was in our eyes, for it was dipping into the bright sea. The sky was used in context.
wide and deep and very blue above us: but along the saw-tooth rim of the 7. rattled

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Katayaghan hills to the southwest flamed huge masses of clouds. Before us a. moved
b. stopped
the fields swam in a golden haze through which floated big purple and red

nl
8. tremble
and yellow bubbles when I looked at the sinking sun. Labang’s white coat, a. still
which I had washed and brushed that morning with coconut husk, glistened b. shake
like beaten cotton under the lamp-light and his horns appeared tipped with

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9. yoke
fire. He faced the sun and from his mouth came a call so loud and vibrant a. a wooden bar
that the earth seemed to tremble8 underfoot. And far away in the middle of b. a metal piece

the field a cow lowed softly in answer.

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“Hitch him to the cart, Baldo,” my brother Leon said, laughing, and she

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laughed with him a big uncertainly, and I saw that he had put his arm around
her shoulders.
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“Why does he make that sound?” she asked. “I have never heard the like of
it.”

“There is not another like it,” my brother Leon said. “I have yet to hear another
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bull call like Labang. In all the world there is no other bull like him.”

She was smiling at him, and I stopped in the act of tying the sinta across
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Labang’s neck to the opposite end of the yoke9, because her teeth were very
white, her eyes were so full of laughter, and there was the small dimple high
up on her right cheek.
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“If you continue to talk about him like that, either I shall fall in love with him
or become greatly jealous.”

My brother Leon laughed and she laughed and they looked at each other
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and it seemed to me there was a world of laughter between them and in


them.

I climbed into the cart over the wheel and Labang would have bolted, for he
was always like that, but I kept a firm hold on his rope. He was restless and
would not stand still, so that my brother Leon had to say “Labang” several
times. When he was quiet again, my brother Leon lifted the trunks into the
cart, placing the smaller on top.

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She looked down once at her high-heeled shoes, then she gave her left hand
to my brother Leon, placed a foot on the hub of the wheel, and in one breath
she had swung up into the cart. Oh, the fragrance of her. But Labang was
fairly dancing with impatience and it was all I could do to keep him from
running away.

“Give me the rope, Baldo,” my brother Leon said. “Maria, sit down on the hay
and hold on to anything.” Then he put a foot on the left shaft and that instant
Labang leaped forward. My brother Leon laughed as he drew himself up to

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the top of the side of the cart and made the slack of the rope hiss above the
back of Labang. The wind whistled against my cheeks and the rattling10 of

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the wheels on the pebbly11 road echoed in my ears.

She sat up straight on the bottom of the cart, legs bent together to one side,

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her skirts spread over them so that only the toes and heels of her shoes were
visible. Her eyes were on my brother Leon’s back; I saw the wind on her hair.
Expanding Vocabulary
When Labang slowed down, my brother Leon handed to me the rope. I knelt
Encircle the letter that best

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defines the word set in on the straw inside the cart and pulled on the rope until Labang was merely
boldface based on how it is shuffling along, then I made him turn around.
used in context.
10. rattling
a. noises
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“What is it you have forgotten now, Baldo?” my brother Leon said.
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I did not say anything but tickled with my fingers the rump of Labang; and
b. distractions
away we went—back to where I had unhitched and waited for them. The sun
11. pebbly
a. rough had sunk, and down from the wooded sides of the Katayaghan hills shadows
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b. cemented were stealing into the fields. High up overhead the sky burned with many
12. Waig slow fires.
a. highway
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b. stream When I sent Labang down the deep cut that would take us to the dry bed of
the Waig, which could be used as a path to our place during the dry season,
my brother Leon laid a hand on my shoulder and said sternly:
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“Who told you to drive through the fields tonight?”

His hand was heavy on my shoulder, but I did not look at him or utter a word
until we were on the rocky bottom of the Waig12.
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“Baldo, you fool, answer me before I lay the rope of Labang on you. Why do
you follow the Waig instead of the camino real?”

His fingers bit into my shoulder.

“Father—he told me to follow the Waig tonight, Manong.”

Swiftly, his hand fell away from my shoulder and he reached for the rope of
Labang. Then my brother Leon laughed, and he sat back, and laughing still,
he said: “And I suppose Father also told you to hitch Labang to the cart and
meet us with him instead of with Castaño and the calesa.”

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Without waiting for me to answer, he turned to her and said, “Maria, why do
you think Father should do that, now?” He laughed and added, “Have you
ever seen so many stars before?”

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Expanding Vocabulary
I looked back and they were sitting side by side, leaning against the trunks,
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hands clasped across knees. Seemingly but a man’s height above the tops
of the steep banks of the Waig, hung the stars. But in the deep gorge13
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
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the shadows had fallen heavily, and even the white of Labang’s coat was context.

merely a dim, grayish blur. Crickets chirped from their homes in the cracks 13. gorge
in the banks. The thick, unpleasant smell of dangla bushes and cooling sun- a. shed
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b. passage
heated earth mingled with the clean, sharp scent of arrais roots exposed to
14. yonder
the night air and of the hay inside the cart.
a. over there
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b. behind
“Look, Noel, yonder14 is our star!” Deep surprise and gladness were in her
voice. Very low in the west, almost touching the ragged edge of the bank,
was the star, the biggest and brightest in the sky.
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“I have been looking at it,” my brother Leon said. “Do you remember
how I would tell you that when you want to see stars you must come to
Nagrebcan?”

“Yes, Noel,” she said. “Look at it,” she murmured, half to herself. “It is so
Fo

many times bigger and brighter than it was at Ermita beach.”

“The air here is clean, free of dust and smoke.”

“So it is, Noel,” she said, drawing a long breath.

“Making fun of me, Maria?”

She laughed then and they laughed together and she took my brother Leon’s
hand and put it against her face.

Lesson 5: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Emergence Period ~145

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I stopped Labang, climbed down, and lighted the lantern that hung from the
cart between the wheels.

“Good boy, Baldo,” my brother Leon said as I climbed back into the cart, and
my heart sank.

Now the shadows took fright and did not crowd so near. Clumps of andadasi
and arrais flashed into view and quickly disappeared as we passed by.
Ahead, the elongated shadow of Labang bobbled up and down and swayed
drunkenly from side to side, for the lantern rocked jerkily with the cart.

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“Have we far to go yet, Noel?” she asked.

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“Ask Baldo,” my brother Leon said, “we have been neglecting him.”

“I am asking you, Baldo,” she said.

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Without looking back, I answered, picking my words slowly:

“Soon we will get out of the Waig and pass into the fields. After the fields is

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home, Manang.”

“So near already.”


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I did not say anything more because I did not know what to make of the tone
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of her voice as she said her last words. All the laughter seemed to have gone
out of her. I waited for my brother Leon to say something, but he was not
saying anything. Suddenly he broke out into song and the song was “Sky
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Expanding Vocabulary Sown with Stars”—the same that he and Father sang when we cut hay in
Encircle the letter that best the fields at night before he went away to study. He must have taught her
defines the word set in
the song because she joined him, and her voice flowed into his like a gentle
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boldface based on how it is


used in context. stream meeting a stronger one. And each time the wheels encountered a big
rock, her voice would catch in her throat, but my brother Leon would sing on,
15. jolting
a. shocks until, laughing softly, she would join him again.
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b. pauses
Then we were climbing out into the fields, and through the spokes of the
wheels the light of the lantern mocked the shadows. Labang quickened his
steps. The jolting15 became more frequent and painful as we crossed the low
dikes.
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“But it is so very wide here,” she said. The light of the stars broke and scattered
the darkness so that one could see far on every side though indistinctly.

“You miss the houses, and the cars, and the people and the noise, don’t you?”
My brother Leon stopped singing.

“Yes, but in a different way. I am glad they are not here.”

146~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

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With difficulty I turned Labang to the left, for he wanted to go straight on.
He was breathing hard, but I knew he was more thirsty than tired. In a little
while, we drove up the grassy side onto the camino real.

“—you see,” my brother Leon was explaining, “the camino real curves around
the foot of the Katayaghan hills and passes by our house. We drove through Expanding Vocabulary
the fields, because—but I’ll be asking Father as soon as we get home.” Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
“Noel,” she said. based on how it is used in
context.

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“Yes, Maria.”
16. mildest tempered
“I am afraid. He may not like me.”

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a. calm
b. nervous
“Does that worry you still, Maria?” my brother Leon said. “From the way you 17. surmised
talk, he might be an ogre, for all the world. Except when his leg that was

O
a. confirm
wounded in the Revolution is troubling him, Father is the mildest tempered16, b. assume
gentlest man I know.” 18. dashed
a. ran
We came to the house of Lacay Juan and I spoke to Labang loudly, but

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b. walked
Moning did not come to the window, so I surmised17 she must be eating

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with the rest of her family. And I thought of the food being made ready at
home and my mouth watered. We met the twins, Urong and Celin, and I said
“Hoy,” calling them by name. And they shouted back and asked if my brother
at
Leon and his wife were with me. And my brother Leon shouted to them and
then told me to make Labang run; their answers were lost in the noise of the
wheels.
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I stopped Labang on the road before our house and would have gotten
down but my brother Leon took the rope and told me to stay in the cart. He
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turned Labang into the open gate and we dashed18 into our yard. I thought
we would crash into the bole of the camachile tree, but my brother Leon
reined in Labang in time. There was light downstairs in the kitchen, and
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Mother stood in the doorway, and I could see her smiling shyly. My brother
Leon was helping Maria over the wheel.

The first words that fell from his lips after he had kissed Mother’s hand were:
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“Father—where is he?”

“He is in his room upstairs,” Mother said, her face becoming serious. “His
leg is bothering him again.”

I did not hear anything more because I had to go back to the cart to unhitch
Labang. But I hardly tied him under the barn when I heard Father calling me.
I met my brother Leon going to bring up the trunks. As I passed through the
kitchen, there were Mother and my sister Aurelia and Maria, and it seemed
to me they were crying, all of them.

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There was no light in Father’s room. There was no movement. He sat in the
big armchair by the western window, and a star shone directly through it. He
Expanding Vocabulary
was smoking, but he removed the roll of tobacco from his mouth when he
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in
saw me. He laid it carefully on the window-sill before speaking.
boldface based on how it is
“Did you meet anybody on the way?” he asked.
used in context.

19. hitched
“No, Father,” I said. “Nobody passes through the Waig at night.”
a. pulled
He reached for his roll of tobacco and hitched19 himself up in the chair.
b. pushed
20. vanish
“She is very beautiful, Father.”

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a. remember
b. disappear
“Was she afraid of Labang?” My father had not raised his voice, but the room

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seemed to resound with it. And again I saw her eyes on the long curving
horns and the arm of my brother Leon around her shoulders.

O
“No, Father, she was not afraid.”

“On the way—”

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“She looked at the stars, Father. And Manong Leon sang.”

“What did he sing?”


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”’Sky Sown with Star’. She sang with him.”
at
He was silent again. I could hear the low voices of Mother and my sister Aurelia
downstairs. There was also the voice of my brother Leon, and I thought that
Father’s voice must have been like it when Father was young. He had laid
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the roll of tobacco on the window sill once more. I watched the smoke waver
faintly upward from the lighted end and vanish20 slowly into the night outside.
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The door opened and my brother Leon and Maria came in.

“Have you watered Labang?” Father spoke to me.

I told him that Labang was resting yet under the barn.
rE

“It is time you water him, my son,” my father said.

I looked at Maria and she was lovely. She was tall. Beside my brother Leon, she
was tall and very still. Then I went out, and in the darkened hall the fragrance
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of her was like a morning when papayas are in bloom.

Source: Casper, L., ed. (1962). Modern Philippine short stories. The University of New Mexico
Press.

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Talk About It
Activity 5.1
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the short story.
1. What is the main idea of the story “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife”?
2. In the story, how was Nagrebcan described?
3. What are the similarities of Nagrebcan in your area?
4. Why do you think Badong’s father asked him to take a different route home?

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5. Do you agree with the father’s intention? Why? Why not?

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6. Would you consider using the same approach if you were the father? Why? Why not?
7. How would you have dealt with the situation if you were in Leon’s position?

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8. Put yourself in Maria’s shoes. What thoughts would be going through your mind if
you were in her situation?

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Map It Out
Activity 5.2
io
 The short story’s illustration portrays a specific scene. Create a team
at
of three individuals and pick a scene from the story you want to draw or Learning Objective:
sketch. Take time to reread the story and choose which part to illustrate. Illustrate a scene from
Do this on any drawing material available to you and submit it when a story.
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finished. During your presentation, be ready to share your illustration


with the group and utilize the provided prompts to begin your presentation.
va
rE
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• As a group, we decided to pick the part where…


• As you can see in our illustration…
• One lesson that can be learned from the short story is…

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Author’s Tone and Purpose
Literature takes a person on a journey for a significant human experience. To make this journey
more pleasurable, a person needs to determine the tone and purpose of the author and use it to
understand the message of the texts.
The tone is the author’s attitude towards the subject and the story’s central idea. It influences
the mood of the story. You can explore the tone through the choice of words of the author. The
tone can be positive or negative, good or bad, or biased or unbiased in general, depending on the
words used.
The purpose indicates the author’s intention for writing. The purpose can be to inform,

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entertain, and persuade. You can explore the purpose by asking why the author wrote this and

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what the author wanted to achieve. The table below provides specific details for each purpose.
Author’s Purpose Descriptions Examples

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1. To inform Authors provide facts and any Text or reference books, news
related information to educate or stories, brochures, feature articles
add knowledge to the readers.

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2. To entertain Authors provide stories that can Poems, short stories, novels,
make their readers feel amused or comics
entertained.
3. To persuade io
Authors provide information that
can influence the readers and
Editorials, opinions, manuscripts,
or speeches of the political
at
convince them to take sides, think, candidates, salesperson
and act.
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The tone and purpose are related. The purpose of the author reflects the tone of the text. If the
purpose is to entertain, the tone can be less serious, informal, funny, personal, or conversational.
When the purpose is to persuade or influence, the tone can be serious, formal, objective, or
va

academic. The table below shows some specific tones that you can identify from the texts.
angry determined sarcastic hopeful
concerned romantic sentimental humorous
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confident sad happy lonely

Determining both the author’s purpose and tone is not done separately. You can do both at the
same time. Here are some tips to determine the author’s purpose and tone.
Fo

1. Before reading, use your previous knowledge about the author and the given title and
illustrations. Ask yourself: What do I know about the author’s intentions for writing?
What was their purpose in their other texts? What could be the purpose of the author
based on the title?
2. Preview the text also before reading. Scan the choice of words. Ask yourself: Are the
terms formal or informal, technical, layman’s, or specific? Do the words convey feelings?
What feelings do the words mean? Are they profound, funny, positive, negative, objective,
subjective, formal, informal, and the like?

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3. During reading, underline the ideas, statements, phrases, or words that can justify, verify,
support, or change your predictions on the author’s purpose and tone.
4. After reading, finalize your thoughts through writing a reflection on the author’s purpose:
to inform, educate, explain, inspire, amuse, entertain, persuade, compare, and the like, as
well as the tone.

Activity 5.3
Learning Objective:
Reread “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife.” Then, analyze Analyze the author’s

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the author’s tone and purpose by completing the table below with relevant tone and purpose.
information. Share your responses with a partner and consolidate them.

nl
Before Reading: During Reading: After Reading:
My predictions about the Lines and quotes from the texts My reflections about the

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author’s purpose and tone author’s purpose and tone
We thought that the author’s Based on this text evidence, we Now, we realize that…
purpose was… feel that…

n
io
at
lu
va
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Fo

Mood and Technique


Aside from evaluating the tone and purpose of the author, you also need to determine the
mood and the author’s technique.
While the tone refers to the author’s attitude toward the subject or topic, the mood relates to
the story’s atmosphere and the feelings drawn out by or evoked in the readers. Any feelings that
you have while reading a story can be the mood, such as romantic, hopeful, tense, lonely, angry,
and happy, among others.

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Many ways make up a mood. You can determine the mood through setting, characters,
imagery, and tone.
1. The location and characters are often introduced first in the short story and novel. Hence,
they can be used as a basis to describe the story’s mood. Below is the opening of “How My
Brother Leon Brought Home My Wife.” Try reading it and identify the mood.
 “She stepped down from the carretela of Ca Celin with quick, delicate grace. She
was lovely. She was tall. She looked up to my brother with a smile, and her forehead
was on a level with his mouth…”
After reading, what did you feel while reading the passage? There are phrases such as

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“quick, delicate grace,” “She was lovely,” and “looked up to my brother with a smile” that

nl
all create a mood of calmness, romance, and happiness.
2. Imagery. In literary texts such as poetry and prose, imagery creates a mental picture

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through vivid and descriptive words and expressions. When you read a poem or short
story that allows you to imagine or picture a person, place, event, or thing, what feelings
do you have? These emotions help you to form images in your mind to understand the text
better.

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3. Tone. Tone refers to the author’s attitude, while mood relates to the feelings evoked in the
io
readers. But the tone can be the basis for determining the mood of the story. For example,
when the story’s tone is mysterious, what feelings do you have? You must have feelings of
excitement, nervousness, horror, or any emotion you elicit during reading.
at
Literary Devices in Prose
The author’s techniques are also referred to as literary devices. In Lesson 4, you were introduced
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to some techniques that writers use to add color and life to their work, making it more interesting,
pleasurable, and meaningful to read. These are allegory, allusion, anaphora, imagery, metaphor,
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mood, simile, and tone. Here are some more techniques that add to the list.
1. Hyperbole refers to the use of exaggeration. In one of the lines of “Like the Molave” by R.
Zulueta da Costa, he used lines, such as:
rE

 “There are a thousand waters to be spanned; There are a thousand mountains to be


crossed; There are a thousand crosses to be borne.”
Notice how he used hyperbolic expressions such as “a thousand” to emphasize there is
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more work to achieve freedom.


2. Metonymy refers to a word or name in the place of something. You must have heard of
Pearl of the Orient Seas as a phrase used to refer to the Philippines. In “Like the Molave,”
the name of Jose Rizal may have been used. But it could also be interpreted to mean the
Filipinos. So, Rizal could be used as metonymy for Filipinos.
3. Personification refers to an idea, thing, or animal that characterizes human qualities or
actions. Below are the lines from the “Bird of Paradise” by the award-winning Filipina
poet Marjorie Evasco. The underlined phrase is an example of personification.

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“Only their hands speak of the task,
gathering the day’s burden of beauty:”
4. Symbolism refers to a word, object, character, or action that stands for something beyond
its literal meaning. The molave in the poem “Like the Molave” was connotative to describe
the Filipino spirit. Like the molave, the Filipinos are “firm, resilient, staunch.”
Guidelines on Identifying Literary Techniques
1. Determine the author’s background and purpose, target audience, and the period when the
text was printed.

y
2. Read the text closely by underlining or highlighting lines, statements, expressions, and
phrases about which you are confused, curious, intrigued, interested, or emotional. You

nl
can also take notes, bookmark, or annotate the text by writing on the page margin.
3. Refer to the list of literary techniques and associate your underlined lines, statements,

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expressions, and phrases to any of the devices .

Activity 5.4

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Part A. Evaluate the mood of “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife.” Learning Objective:

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Copy at least three lines from the story that show vivid and descriptive words
and expressions. Next, determine the tone of each line. Then, write on the line
the general mood of the story based on the imagery and tone. Finally, answer
Analyze the general
mood of the story.
at
the questions that follow. Use the table below for your answers.
Lines from the Story Tone
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va
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General mood of the “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife.”

What is the overall mood of the story trying to convey? Are there any specific emotions or feelings that
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the author wants to express through the story?

Part B. Illustrate the general mood of “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” through a
collage. Choose pictures from an old magazine or online related to the mood to make a collage.
Then, arrange the photos creatively on any paper. You can add text, color, and patterns to enhance
the message of your collage that is the short story’s mood. You will be graded for your collage
using Rubric 10 in the Appendix.

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Vocabulary Focus

Collocations
English texts contain many collocations. Collocations are pairs of words that naturally go
and sound together. Consider the two groups of expressions below. Which group sounds natural?
Which group sounds strange?
A B
big voice loud voice

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huge mouth big mouth
joyfully married happily married

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listen to me out hear me out
look at the movie watch a movie

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speed food fast food
use money spend money
watch attention pay attention

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Group A does not seem idiomatic or natural and appears to be unfamiliar, unlike in Group
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B, which you often hear as expressions in conversations and read in texts. In the examples above,
you say, “we watch a movie,” not “we look at the movie,” because it does not sound natural.
at
“Hear me out” sounds better than “listen to me out.”
Identifying collocations can help you understand the texts more clearly and effectively, write
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better, and speak more naturally and smoothly. Here are some predictable collocation combinations
and collocation families.
1. noun + noun
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Examples:
• arrival time My arrival time for my flight is 2 p.m.
rE

• building permit I will get a building permit at the city hall.


• debit card, credit card For payment, will you use your debit or credit card?
• d
 eparture gate Before boarding the plane, gather at the departure gate for the screening
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procedure.
• piece of advice I appreciate your piece of advice.
• round of applause Let us give a round of applause to our contestants.
2. adjective + noun

Examples:
• big deal Your concern is not a big deal.
• big problem Please help me solve my big problem.
• brief talk Can we have a brief talk?

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• invaluable service Thank you frontliners for your invaluable service during the
pandemic.
• keen interest I have a keen interest in this subject.
• strong possibility There is a strong possibility that I will graduate with honors.
3. adverb + adjective
Examples:
• directly proportional In the equation, X is directly proportional to Y.
• extremely useful Your piece of advice is extremely useful.

y
• fully aware I am fully aware of the situation.

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• happily married My parents are happily married.
• incredibly intelligent I know someone who is incredibly intelligent.

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• totally satisfied Thank you for your work. I am totally satisfied with it.
4. verb + noun

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Examples:
• g ive priority Please give priority to senior citizens, pregnant women, and people with
disabilities. io
• make an appointment Please make an appointment with the doctor.
at
• make an effort Do you want to achieve your goals effectively? Make an effort!
• make an excuse Do not make an excuse during the most significant event of your life.
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• raise a question I want to raise a question.


• throw a party Come to my house tonight! I will throw a party.
va

5. have or take
Examples:
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• have a break or take a break Everyone, let us take a 5-minute break.


• have a cup of coffee Take a seat. Have a cup of coffee.
• have a nice day Thanks for coming! Have a nice day!
Fo

• have a seat or take a seat Welcome. Please have a seat.


• have breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack Let us have breakfast in the fast food nearby.
• have fun Have fun with your friends!
6. make, keep, save, come
Examples:
• come on time: Our class starts at 8 a.m. Please come on time.
• come prepared: For your presentation, always come prepared.
• keep a secret: I have something personal to share with you. Please keep it a secret.

Lesson 5: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Emergence Period ~155

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• make a difference: Create a program for your community that can make a difference.
• make progress: I want to check if you make a progress in your English project.
• save energy: Unplug unused electronic units to save energy.
Explore more collocation examples by checking on the lists in the E-Link section. Here are
some tips to identify collocations used.
• Recognize their combinations: noun + noun, adjective + noun, adverb + adjective, verb +
noun.
• Recognize some common collocation families: have, take, make, keep, save, come + their

y
respective appropriate word pair.

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• Read aloud the words and pay attention to their natural sound when you read them.
• Use the list provided above or check the lists in the E-Link and the dictionary.

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Activity 5.5
Learning Objective:
Identify at least 10 collocations used in the “How My Brother Leon

n
Determine collocations Brought Home a Wife” with a partner. Write them in column 1. Write their
in the story.
corresponding combinations or families in column 2.
Collocations
io Combination or Families
at
lu
va
rE
Fo

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Grammar Focus

Past and Past Perfect Verb Tenses


Verbs in past tense are used to talk about the action or something that happened in the past.
The past perfect tense of a verb is used to indicate an action was completed before something else
happened or occurred.
Simple Past
You use the simple past tense of the verb when you are talking about something that already
happened, completed, or finished. Here is how you form the simple past tense of the verb.

y
1. To form a regular verb, add “ed” to the base form of the verb or “d” to the verb that ends

nl
with an “e.”
Examples:

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walk + ed = walked climb + ed = climbed cook + ed = cooked
love + d = loved recite + d = recited determine + d = determined
2. To form the irregular and be verbs, identify their types first. Irregular verbs can have

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similar base form and past simple or different base form and past simple.

Examples:
• Same base form and past simple
io
at
Base Form Past Simple Base Form Past Simple
cost cost let let
cut cut put put
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hurt hurt spread spread


• Different base form and past simple
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Base Form Past Simple Base Form Past Simple


bring brought read read (pronounced as red)
rE

catch caught sell sold


feel felt teach taught
fly flew was were
have had win won
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leave left

Past Perfect
You use the past perfect tense of the verb when event A already happened, completed, or
finished before event B took in the past. Look at the examples below.
Event A Event B
We had just eaten when they arrived.
I was already on the bus when you called.
The teacher had started giving out the test papers when you came.

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Here is how you form past perfect.
1. To emphasize the first completed or finished event, use had + past participle of the verb.
2. To form the regular verbs into past perfect, follow this pattern:
had + past simple of the verb (add “ed” to the base form of the verb or “d” to the verb that
ends with an “e”).
Examples:
had + walk+ ed = had walked
had + love + d = had loved

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3. To form the irregular and be verbs, also follow the had + past simple of the verb pattern.

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Be mindful that there are irregular verbs that have the following types.
• Similar base form, past simple, and past participle

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Examples:
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle

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cost cost had cost
put put had put

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• Different base form, past simple, and past participle
Examples:
at
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle
be was, were had been
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go went had gone


• Similar past simple and past participle, but different base form
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Examples:
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle
rE

say said had said


think thought had thought
• Different base form and past participle, but different past simple
Fo

Examples:
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle
come came had come
run ran had run

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Guidelines on Using the Past and Past Perfect Tense Correctly
1. Use past tense when you talk about an event or something that happened, completed, or
occurred in the past. You can use signal words such as yesterday, a week ago, last week, this
morning, previously, or any time expression to highlight past action.
2. Use past perfect when one action or something was already done before another one. You can
use just and already in a finished action before another one occurs. But use just if you mean
the action was done shortly before a new one, for example, I had just left when you arrived.
3. Pay attention to the past form and past participle of the regular and irregular verbs. When in
doubt, consult the dictionary or the list in the E-Link .

y
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Activity 5.6 Learning Objective:

Use the past and past


With a partner, use the past and past perfect tenses correctly of the given

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perfect tenses correctly
base form of the verb in completing the sentences below. You can add time in varied contexts.
expression in your answers. Use the space provided.
1. Before I (finish) __________________ reading, I (receive) ______________________ a call

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from my parents.

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2. I (see) ______________ a great Tagalog movie yesterday.
3. When we (have) __________ our vacation last summer, we (stay) ___________________ at
at
our relative’s house.
4. I (do) _____________________ painting when I (be) _____________________ a child.
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5. I (think) _____________________ about swimming.


6. Thankfully, my friend (come) ______________ and (bring) ___________________ me my
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favorite food.
7. I (notice) _____________ my father preparing for our lunch.
8. She (do) ________ great on the project because she (put) ____________ many efforts in it.
rE

9. I (spend) _____________________ two hours completing the test.


10. We (sleep) _____________________ when my mother (complete) _____________________
the chores.
Fo

Link It
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) researched identifying Filipino
values. The findings revealed common and shared values. These are family-centered, faith- and
virtue-based, sympathetic for others, education-oriented, good governance, love for country,
honesty and integrity, the value of self, life and purpose, resilience, and happiness (NCCA, 2020).
In this story, the importance of being family-centered is highlighted.

Lesson 5: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Emergence Period ~159

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About the Author The Mats
Francisco Arcellana (1916– by Francisco Arcellana
2002) is a National Artist for
Literature. He is one of the For the Angeles family, Mr. Angeles’ homecoming from his periodic1 inspection
Filipino writers before and during trips was always an occasion for celebration. But his homecoming—from a
the Commonwealth period who
originated Philippine short story
trip to the South—was fated to be more memorable than any of the others.
in English.
He had written from Mariveles: “I have just met a marvelous2 mat weaver—a

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Read more in https://ncca.gov.
ph/about-culture-and-arts/ real artist—and I shall have a surprise for you. I asked him to weave a

nl
culture-profile/national-artists- sleeping-mat for every one of the family. He is using many different colors
of-the-philippines/francisco- and for each mat the dominant color is that of our respective birthstones. I
arcellana/
am sure that the children will be very pleased. I know you will be. I can hardly

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wait to show them to you.”
Take a quick look at the title and
illustration. What knowledge do

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you already have about the title?
What content do you expect to
read in the text?
io
at
About the Piece
“The Mats” was first printed in
Philippine Magazine in 1938.
The setting was before the
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World War II, when Filipino


preferred sleeping on mats
rather than in beds.
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Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
rE

defines the word set in boldface


based on how it is used in
context.
1. periodic
Fo

a. regular
b. irregular
2. marvelous
a. usual
b. amazing

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Nana Emilia read the letter that morning, and again and again every time
she had a chance to leave the kitchen. In the evening when all the children
were home from school she asked her oldest son, José, to read the letter at
Expanding Vocabulary
dinner table. The children became very much excited about the mats, and
Encircle the letter that best
talked about them until late into the night. This she wrote her husband when defines the word set in boldface
she labored3 over a reply to him. For days after that, mats continued to be based on how it is used in
the chief topic of conversation among the children. context.

3. labored
Finally, from Lopez, Mr. Angeles wrote again: “I am taking the Bicol Express

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a. worked
tomorrow. I have the mats with me, and they are beautiful. God willing, I b. walked

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shall be home to join you at dinner.” 4. flared up
a. burst into
The letter was read aloud during the noon meal. Talk about the mats flared
b. spread out

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up4 again like wildfire. 5. gigantic
a. colorful
“I like the feel of mats,” Antonio, the third child, said. “I like the smell of new b. huge
mats.”
6. trunk

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a. storage
“Oh, but these mats are different,” interposed Susana, the fifth child.
b. field
“They have our names woven into them, and in our ascribed colors, too.”
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The children knew what they were talking about: they knew just what
a decorative mat was like; it was not anything new or strange in their
at
experience. That was why they were so excited about the matter. They had
such a mat in the house, one they seldom used, a mat older than any one
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of them.

This mat had been given to Nana Emilia by her mother when she and Mr.
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Angeles were married, and it had been with them ever since. It had served
on the wedding night, and had not since been used except on special
occasions.
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It was a very beautiful mat, not really meant to be ordinarily used. It had
green leaf borders, and a lot of gigantic5 red roses woven into it. In the
middle, running the whole length of the mat, was the lettering: Emilia y
Jaime Recuerdo.
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The letters were in gold.

Nana Emilia always kept that mat in her trunk6. When any one of the family
was taken ill, the mat was brought out and the patient slept on it, had it all to
himself. Every one of the children had some time in their lives slept on it; not
a few had slept on it more than once.

Most of the time the mat was kept in Nana Emilia’s trunk, and when it
was taken out and spread on the floor the children were always around to

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watch. At first there had been only Nana Emilia to see the mat spread. Then a
child—a girl—watched with them. The number of watchers increased as more
children came.
Expanding Vocabulary
The mat did not seem to age. It seemed to Nana Emilia always as new as
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
when it had been laid on the nuptial7 bed. To the children it seemed as new
based on how it is used in as the first time it was spread before them. The folds and creases always
context. new and fresh. The smell was always the smell of a new mat. Watching the
7. nuptial
intricate design was an endless joy. The children’s pleasure at the golden
letters even before they could work out the meaning was boundless.

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a. relating to marriage
b. relating to siblings Somehow they were always pleasantly shocked by the sight of the mat: so

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8. petered out
delicate and so consummate the artistry of its weave.
a. continued
b. ended Now, taking out that mat to spread had become a kind of ritual. The process

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9. ponderous had become associated with illness in the family. Illness, even serious illness,
a. wide
had not been infrequent. There had been deaths...
b. heavy
10. clumsy In the evening Mr. Angeles was with his family. He had brought the usual

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a. relaxed things home with him. There was a lot of fruits, as always (his itinerary carried
b. awkward
him through the fruit-growing provinces): pineapples, lanzones, chicos, atis,
io
santol, sandia, guyabano, avocado, according to the season. He had also
brought home a jar of preserved sweets from Lopez.
at
Putting away the fruit, sampling them, was as usual accomplished with
animation and lively talk. Dinner was a long affair. Mr. Angeles was full of
stories about his trip but would interrupt his tales with: “I could not sleep
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nights thinking of the young ones. They should never be allowed to play in the
streets. And you older ones should not stay out too late at night.”
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The stories petered out8 and dinner was over. Putting away the dishes and
wiping the dishes and wiping the table clean did not at all seem tedious. Yet
Nana and the children, although they did not show it, were all on edge about
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the mats.

Finally, after a long time over his cigar, Mr. Angeles rose from his seat at the
head of the table and crossed the room to the corner where his luggage had
been piled. From the heap he disengaged a ponderous9 bundle.
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Taking it under one arm, he walked to the middle of the room where the
light was brightest. He dropped the bundle and, bending over and balancing
himself on his toes, he strained at the cord that bound it. It was strong, it
would not break, it would not give way. He tried working at the knots. His
fingers were clumsy10, they had begun shaking.

He raised his head, breathing heavily, to ask for the scissors. Alfonso, his
youngest boy, was to one side of him with the scissors ready.

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Nana Emilia and her eldest girl who had long returned from the kitchen were
watching the proceedings quietly.

One swift11 movement with the scissors, snip! and the bundle was loose.
Expanding Vocabulary
Turning to Nana Emilia, Mr. Angeles joyfully cried: “These are the mats, Encircle the letter that best
Miling.” Mr. Angeles picked up the topmost mat in the bundle. defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
“This, I believe, is yours, Miling.” context.

Nana Emilia stepped forward to the light, wiping her still moist hands 11. swift

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a. slow
against the folds of her skirt, and with a strange young shyness received
b. quick
the mat. The children watched the spectacle12 silently and then broke into

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12. spectacle
delighted, though a little self-conscious, laughter. Nana Emilia unfolded the
a. show
mat without a word. It was a beautiful mat: to her mind, even more beautiful b. movement

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than the one she received from her mother on her wedding. There was a 13. twig
name in the very center of it: EMILIA. The letters were large, done in green. a. branch
Flowers—cadena-de-amor—were woven in and out among the letters. The b. root

border was a long winding twig13 of cadena-de-amor. 14. punctuated

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a. emphasized
The children stood about the spreading mat. The air was punctuated14 by b. interrupted
their breathless exclamations of delight. io
“It is beautiful, Jaime; it is beautiful!” Nana Emilia’s voice broke, and she
15.


austere
a. plain
b. colorful
at
16. Aesculapius
could not say any more.
a. symbol of healing
b. symbol of faith
“And this, I know, is my own,” said Mr. Angeles of the next mat in the bundle.
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The mat was rather simply decorated, the design almost austere15, and the
only colors used were purple and gold. The letters of the name Jaime were
in purple.
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“And this, for you, Marcelina.”

Marcelina was the oldest child. She had always thought her name too long;
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it had been one of her worries with regard to the mat. “How on earth are they
going to weave all of the letters of my name into my mat?” she had asked of
almost everyone in the family. Now it delighted her to see her whole name
spelled out on the mat, even if the letters were a little small. Besides, there
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was a device above her name which pleased Marcelina very much. It was
in the form of a lyre, finely done in three colors. Marcelina was a student of
music and was quite a proficient pianist.

“And this is for you, José.”


José was the second child. He was a medical student already in the third
year of medical school. Over his name the symbol of Aesculapius16 was
woven into the mat.

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“You are not to use this mat until the year of your internship,” Mr. Angeles
was saying.
“This is yours, Antonia.”
“And this is yours, Juan.”
“And this is yours, Jesus.”
Mat after mat was unfolded. On each of the children’s mats there was
somehow an appropriate device.

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At least all the children had been shown their individual mats. The air was
filled with their excited talk, and through it all Mr. Angeles was saying over

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and over again in his deep voice:
“You are not to use these mats until you go to the University.”

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Expanding Vocabulary
Then Nana Emilia noticed bewilderingly17 that there were some more mats
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface remaining to be unfolded.
based on how it is used in
“But Jaime,” Nana Emilia said, wondering, with evident trepidation, “there are

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context.
some more mats.”
17. bewilderingly
Only Mr. Angeles seemed to have heard Nana Emilia’s words. He suddenly
a. confusingly
b. clearly
18. reminiscent
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stopped talking, as if he had been jerked away from a pleasant fantasy. A
puzzled, reminiscent18 look came into his eyes, superseding the deep and
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a. memorable quiet delight that had been briefly there, and when he spoke his voice was
b. suggestive
different.
19. constriction
“Yes, Emilia,” said Mr. Angeles, “There are three more mats to unfold. The
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a. tightening
b. expanding others who aren’t here...”
20. emptiness
Nana Emilia caught her breath; there was a swift constriction19 in her throat;
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a. overspilled
b. nothingness her face paled and she could not say anything.

The self-centered talk of the children also died. There was a silence as Mr.
Angeles picked up the first of the remaining mats and began slowly unfolding
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it.

The mat was almost as austere in design as Mr. Angeles’ own, and it had a
name. There was no symbol or device above the name; only a blank space,
emptiness20.
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The children knew the name. But somehow the name, the letters spelling the
name, seemed strange to them.

Then Nana Emilia found her voice.

“You know, Jaime, you didn’t have to,” Nana Emilia said, her voice hurt and
surely frightened.

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Mr. Angeles held his tears back; there was something swift and savage in
the movement.

“Do you think I’d forgotten? Do you think I had forgotten them? Do you think
I could forget them?

“This is for you, Josefina!

“And this is for you, Victoria!

“And this is for you, Concepcion.”

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Mr. Angeles called the names rather than uttered them.

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“Don’t, Jaime, please don’t,” was all that Nana Emilia managed to say.

“Is it fair to forget them? Would it be just to disregard them?” Mr. Angeles

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demanded rather than asked. Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
His voice had risen shrill21, almost hysterical; it was also stern and sad, defines the word set in boldface
and somehow vindictive22. Mr. Angeles had spoken almost as if he were a based on how it is used in

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stranger. context.

Also, he had spoken as if from a deep, grudgingly-silent, long-bewildered23 21. shrill


sorrow. io
The children heard the words exploding24 in the silence. They wanted to
a. high-pitched
b. slow-paced
22. vindictive
at
turn away and not see the face of their father. But they could neither move a. harmful
nor look away; his eyes held them, his voice held them where they were. b. cautious
They seemed rooted to the spot. 23. long-bewildered
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a. wondering
Nana Emilia shivered once or twice, bowed her head, gripped her clasped b. confusing
hands between her thighs.
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24. exploding
There was a terrible hush. The remaining mats were unfolded in silence. a. bursting
The names which were with infinite slowness revealed, seemed strange b. hurting

and stranger still; the colors not bright but deathly dull; the separate letters, 25. sheen
a. shade
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spelling out the names of the dead among them, did not seem to glow or b. brightness
shine with a festive sheen25 as did the other living names.

Source:
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Arcellana, F. (1998). The mats. In G. Abad (Ed.), The likhaan anthology of Philippine literature
in English from 1900 to the present. Likhaan: The UP Creative Writing Center and the
University of the Philippines. (Originally published in 1938).

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Talk About It
Activity 5.7
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the short story
1. What lesson/s did you learn from the story?
2. What are the most valuable things you give to and receive from your family?
3. What did the mats imply or represent in the short story?
4. Why are the mats essential to Mr. Angeles and Nana Emilia?

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5. How would you remember the memories of the people you love?

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Map It Out

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Learning Objective: Activity 5.8
Draw similarities and  art A. Form a group with four to five members. Then, compare “How
P
differences of the My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” and “The Mats” using a Venn

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texts using a Venn
diagram. diagram to show the similarities and differences of the two short stories

io
based on the text types, author’s purpose, and theme or message.
at
How My Brother Leon The Mats
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Brought Home a Wife


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Fo

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Cultural Trip

• A ubiquitous feature in Filipinos’ traditional sleeping quarters were the mats. Different
groups and provinces are known and distinguished by the designs they incorporate into
their woven mats. Mats are even subjects in Filipino riddles, which go, “Bongbong kung
liwanag, kung gabi ay dagat (Tagalog).” or “Appuked labi kedt choplas padtcha kedt
lungug (Kalinga).

y
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Write It Right

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Narrative Texts
In your reading experience, you must have identified texts that narrate a series of events or

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tell a story about personal experiences or observations, whether true or based on the writer’s
imagination. These texts are known as narrative texts, which can be fiction such as folk tales,
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myths, legends, poems, short stories, novels, and nonfiction such as news, magazine articles, and
biographies.
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Purpose of a Narrative Text
Different writers use narrative texts for a variety of purposes.
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1. To entertain. This is the narrative texts’ general purpose, mainly when they are used in
fiction.
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2. To grab and sustain interest. This purpose is to attract the readers’ attention and hold their
interest until they finish reading. You can find this usually in novels and biographies.
3. To persuade. This purpose is usually in the scripts of advertisers and politicians who use
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their and other people’s stories to influence them to accept or reject their ideas.
Structure of a Narrative Text
Narrative texts follow the short story plot structure where the key elements are present, such
as the characters, setting, conflict, point of view, and theme. Below is a general outline that shows
Fo

the structure of a narrative text in paragraph form.


1.0 This is where you introduce the topic of your narrative.
1.1 This is where you start narrating the story by introducing the characters and setting.
1.2 This is where you state and describe the conflict.
1.3 This is where you state the actions to resolve the conflict.
1.4 This is where you state the resolution or a statement on whether the conflict was
resolved or not.
1.5 This is where you state the theme, moral, or key message as closing.

Lesson 5: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Emergence Period ~167

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Guidelines for Writing a Narrative Paragraph
1. Identify your purpose—to entertain, grab and sustain interest, or persuade.
2. Read a model narrative paragraph whose purpose is the same as what you are planning to
write. This strategy is called modeling, which can effectively guide you in the process.
3. Plan through brainstorming, discussing, or graphic organizing ideas with your classmates.
4. Prepare an outline of your ideas. Outlining helps organize information and look into the
coherence or relatedness of thoughts.
5. Write your initial draft based on your outline.

y
6. Solicit peer and teacher feedback.

nl
7. Revise your draft based on the feedback. You can also check on the coherence and transition
of your ideas.

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8. Edit your paragraph by checking on the misspelling, incorrect capitalization, wrong placement
of punctuation marks, and lapses in grammar.
9. Prepare a final draft.

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Activity 5.9 io
In Lesson 4, you were tasked to generate ideas for your short story through
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Learning Objective: a brainstorming sheet. Go back to your completed brainstorming sheet and
Write a narrative determine an idea or topic for your short story. Write a narrative text about
paragraph.
that topic following the guidelines for writing a narrative paragraph. Use
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extra sheet of paper for your writing.


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Listening and Viewing Time


Ready to View and Listen
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Main Points and Supporting Ideas


The contents of listening and viewing materials have main points and supporting points. The
main point is the central idea or key message being expressed. The details support and critically
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interpret the main point by telling what, when, where, how many, or how much.
Using Active Listening Strategies
Recognizing the main point and supporting ideas, and identifying their relationships make you
an active listener and enable you to draw conclusions, evaluate, and interpret critically the topic
and information expressed in the material.

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Here are some tips to help you recognize and articulate the main points and supporting ideas
in the text using active listening strategies.
1. Before listening, formulate predictions and ask yourself—what the material is about. To
predict, use the titles, images, and illustrations, including the speaker’s background. Another
is using your own experiences, prior knowledge, or schema to expect what message you
will gain.
2. During listening, keep asking yourself what the material is about until the answer becomes
clear. Be mindful of the lines and expressions and the tone of the speaker’s voice, as these
can contribute to recognizing the main points. Pay attention to some of the phrases used

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that signal the main point of the material. Some of these expressions are presented below.

nl
• My speech is about…
• The purpose of this talk is…

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• I am going to tell you about…
• There are lessons that I want to share with you…
For the supporting ideas, observe the usage of transitional words such as first, second,

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third, next, then, finally, as they are commonly used to signal a detail for the topic, subject,
and the main point of the text.
io
3. After listening, reflect on answers on what the material is about and the accuracy of your
predictions. Formulate in your own words the main points and supporting ideas. You can
at
use these phrases for your inferences.
• The text is about…. The details are…
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• The text said…. which made me realize…


• When I listened to…. it made me feel that…
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• I can tell that the speaker…. tells us to….


• What the text tells me is that….
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Scan the QR code below with your smartphone to watch and listen to stories of the teacher
fellows from Teach for the Philippines. This nonstock, nonprofit organization aims for an inclusive,
relevant, excellent education accessible for all Filipino children.
Fo

Title: The Story of the Filipino: Teach for the Philippines


Link: https://youtu.be/4SppdQHZ-4A

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Talk About It
Activity 5.10
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the video.
1. What is the main point of the video?
2. What examples of inspiring Filipino stories can you identify?
3. What conclusions can you draw from the video?
4. Do you agree that every student aims to have a personal connection with the teacher?

y
Explain your answer.

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5. How would you show your appreciation for your teachers and other Filipinos who
have inspired you?

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Work It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 5.11

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Use active listening
strategies to recognize  Listen intently as you watch “The Story of the Filipino: Teach for
the main and
supporting points. io
the Philippines.” Recognize the main points and supporting ideas using
active listening strategies with a partner. Prepare a graphic organizer that
shows the main points and supporting arguments
at
Ready to View
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Expressing Beliefs or Convictions


Once you recognize the main points and supporting ideas of the material, it would be easy
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to express your beliefs or convictions. Make a reaction to the material viewed. Ask yourself the
following questions:
• Do I agree with the author’s opinions? Why? Why not?
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• Do I consider the author’s message acceptable? Why? Why not?


• What is my position: Am I positive or negative about the message of the text?
• Which part of the author’s ideas do I disagree with? What is my support?
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Your beliefs or convictions are your truths. These may be similar to or different from the
opinions of others. The key messages can influence your beliefs to change or improve in some
cases. It is essential to incorporate the lessons you gained from viewing into your beliefs for your
continuous improvements. In expressing your beliefs, you can use reflection prompts as a strategy.
Using Reflection Prompts
Reflection prompts are meaningful questions that allow you to express yourself beyond simple
descriptions of your experience with the text. They provide clarity of thought in consideration of
your biases, preconceptions, and assumptions about the subject and challenge you to define new

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thinking. Here are some tips for expressing beliefs or convictions based on material viewed using
reflection prompts.
1. Recognize the main point and supporting ideas. Ask: What is the main point? What are the
supporting ideas? Are these factual?
2. Reflect on learnings. Ask: What have I learned? What new ideas or knowledge did I gain?
Is the message new?
3. Make connections of the main point to your belief. Ask: What do I feel about the central
issue or message of the text? Am I optimistic about this? Do I agree? Do I support the idea?

y
4. Emphasize the main point and your beliefs. Ask: How do I incorporate the main topic to
my belief?

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Activity 5.12

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Learning Objective:
Watch again The Story of the Filipino: Teach for the Philippines. With
Use reflection prompts
a partner, express your beliefs or convictions based on the video using the to express one’s beliefs
reflection prompts as your guide. Consolidate your work. Then, complete the or convictions based on

n
a material viewed.
table below. Use extra sheets when necessary.
1. Recognize the main point and
supporting ideas.
 hat is the main point? What are the
W
io The main point is…
at
supporting ideas? Are these factual?

The supporting ideas are…


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2. Reflect on learnings. I have learned that…


 hat have I learned? What new ideas
W
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or knowledge did I gain? Is the message


new?
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3. Make connections of the main point to I can say that…


your belief.
 hat do I feel about the main point or
W
message of the text? Am I positive about
this? Do I agree? Do I support the idea?

Lesson 5: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Emergence Period ~171

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4. Emphasize the main point and your My insights before watching were…
beliefs.
 ow do I incorporate the main point
H
into my belief?

Now, I learn that…

y
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Express Yourself

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Effective Interpersonal Skills
On a regular basis, you engage in a face-to-face or virtual communication to exchange, interact,

n
discuss, transact, or negotiate ideas or information with your parents, classmates, teachers, or
anyone. In this engagement, you utilize your interpersonal skills to meet your purpose and be
io
successful in transferring your messages to others. Effective interpersonal communication plays a
crucial role in personal and professional success.
at
As a key life skill, there are a lot of benefits that you can gain from being an effective
communicator. One is that you can express yourself well, so others can understand you fully
and make your voice on a matter heard. In this sense, you can influence others and make a
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difference, not only in their lives, but also in the community as well. Another is that you can
establish a productive relationship and network. Every relationship—family or work—is built on
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open communication, which consequently results in a support system.


Interpersonal Skills Strategies
To achieve effective interpersonal communication skills, you can practice by employing some
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of the strategies, such as interviews, dialogue, and conversation. Consider the following tips when
using these strategies:
• Display positive and natural body language, facial expression, and other nonverbal cues.
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• Exhibit interest by being present, focusing only on the situation, the person you are talking
to, and not being distracted.
• Listen attentively with an intent to understand, not to react.
• Be polite with your words and actions.
• Agree to disagree, avoiding being pushy with your opinions.
• Show empathy by not equating or comparing your situations.
• Give others equal opportunity and time to speak.

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Activity 5.13
Learning Objective:
Form a group with three members. Then, choose a scene from “How My
Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” and reenact it. Employ a dialogue for Employ a variety
of strategies for
this activity using available resources to be used as props and costumes. Your effective interpersonal
reenactment should not exceed 5 minutes. You will be graded using Rubric 11: communication.

Dialogue in the Appendix.

Practice Some More

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Make It Real

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Activity 5.14

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Part A. Your teacher asked you to produce a 3-minute video about the profile
Learning Objective:
of anyone (e.g., teacher, teaching or nonteaching personnel, student leader)
in your school whose story can inspire, educate, or empower. Prepare a one- Produce a 3-minute
video about a profile
paragraph script. Use an anecdote for your story. Be sure to use collocations,

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of an inspiring or
appropriate tone, techniques, and purpose. Prepare to submit the draft for empowering person
within the community.

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feedback. You will be graded using Rubric 12: Publication Material in the
Appendix.
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Part B. Your teacher will organize a film-showing event featuring all your videos. Your group will
be assigned to one video. After showing it, each of you will raise a question about the video during
the open forum. You will be graded using Rubric 13: Forum in the Appendix.
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Part C. Watch another group’s video presentation. Then, write a narrative paragraph about
recognizing the main points and supporting ideas, and expressing your beliefs or convictions
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about the material viewed. Be sure to words or expressions with varied meanings, appropriate
tone, techniques, and purpose. You will be graded using Rubric 06: Paragraph Writing/Narrative
Paragraph.
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E-Link
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Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
• Recognizing Author’s Tone: This will test your skill in determining the author’s tone in the
given texts.
https://sites.austincc.edu/tsiprep/reading-review/recognizing-the-authors-tone
• How to Learn Regular and Irregular Verbs: This link provides you with more information
about regular and irregular verbs and self-tests.
https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/blog/regular-and-irregular-english-verbs/

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• Past Simple: This provides more information about the past tense and tests your skill.
https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/advanced-level-past-simple
• Past Perfect: These test your knowledge in applying the past perfect tense of the verb.
https://agendaweb.org/verbs/past_perfect-exercises.html
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past-perfect.htm\
• Questions to Provoke Critical Thinking: This adds to your knowledge on forming critical
questions and tests your skill about it. https://www.brown.edu/sheridan/teaching-learning-
resources/teaching-resources/classroom-practices/learning-contexts/discussions/questions-

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critical-thinking

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What I Have Learned So Far

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Think about the following questions and write your reflection in the space below, which serves
as your learning journal.

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1. Write your answers to each question in Things to Ponder.

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2. Write at least three ideas that you learned from this lesson.
3. Write what other ideas you want to learn about the prose and how to evaluate it.
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Lesson 6
Evaluating Philippine Prose
from the Post-War Period

By the end of the lesson, you

y
will have been able to:
• visualize a short story’s

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central message;
• express appreciation for
the sensory images;

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• use literature as a means
of self-expression and to
understand others better;
• identify words or

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expressions with part-
whole (partitive) relations;
• connect sentences
using appropriate
logical connectors
for sequencing and
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at
summarizing ideas;
• conduct an online
search on the significant
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happenings in the Philippine literature has been growing since the end of World
Philippines during the War II, and continues to do so today. During Martial Law, which
post-war period;
lasted from 1972 until 1981, censorship was a big issue. But since
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• create a poster or video


presentation about then, many new books have been published, and there have been
significant events in the workshops and awards for writers. Filipino writers have written many
post-war period; things, such as poems, short stories, novels, plays, and essays. They’ve
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• organize ideas into an


outline;
written in many different Philippine languages, such as Hiligaynon,
• write an outline; Cebuano, Kiniray-a, and Iluko, to name a few. These works cover
• analyze speakers’ various topics, including personal experiences, social issues, ethnicity,
intentions by focusing politics, culture, and more.
Fo

on verbal and nonverbal


cues; Professional Filipino writers and academic institutions have
• share personal beliefs or organized workshops and literary contests, which has helped create
convictions responding to more literary works. The Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for
a material viewed;
• use proper language,
Literature is the most prestigious of these awards. With the rise of
posture, and behavior digital technologies, more Philippine literature is being published in
when giving instructions different languages and forms.
or narrating events; an
• plan a short story that Today, Philippine literature is valued and supported by the
reflects local or national government. It is included in the primary education and K to 12
identity, customs, or
curriculum and is a critical college course.
culture.

Lesson 6: Evaluating Philippine Prose from the Post-War Period ~175

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 175 1/8/2024 4:53:12 PM


Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
Read the passage below. With a partner, illustrate your understanding of what the passage is
about. Use a separate sheet of paper for your illustration. Present your work in class.

Philippine literature has continued to flourish in the post-war and


contemporary times (1946 to present), but censorship was apparent during the

y
Martial Law years (1972–1981). Thereafter, there have been new publications

nl
and multiple national creative writing workshops and literary awards conducted
and created (Godinez-Ortega, n.d.). More anthologies and books of poems
and collections of short stories, novels, plays, and essays by Filipino writers in

O
different Philippine languages, such as Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Kiniray-a, and
Iluko, to name a few, have been published. The themes vary—personal, societal,
ethnical, political, and cultural struggles during the war years, nobility, love,

n
and endurance in times of crisis, and criticisms of colonialism, among others.

io
The published creative outputs and literary works are due to the national
workshops organized by groups of professional Filipino writers and academic
institutions and various literary awards, of which the longest and most
at
prestigious is the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. With
the proliferation of digital technologies, more Philippine literature in any form
or language appears, which heightens the interest of many in exploring new
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contents.
va

What I Know, What I Do


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After completing the Let’s Warm Up, tick the column that you think best describes your ability
to adhere to the principles of effective writing. Answer this section as objectively as possible. Bear
in mind that there are no wrong answers. You can use your performance in Let’s Warm Up as one
of the bases for completing this self-audit task.
Fo

Self-Audit Task Checklist


Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1. I visualize a short story’s central message.
2. I express appreciation for the sensory images.
3. I use literature as a means of self-expression
and to understand others better.

176~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 176 1/8/2024 4:53:12 PM


Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
4. I identify words or expressions with part-
whole (partitive) relations.
5. I connect sentences using appropriate logical
connectors for sequencing and summarizing
ideas.
6. I conduct an online search on the significant
happenings in the Philippines during the post-
war period.

y
7. I create a poster or video presentation about
significant events in the post-war period.

nl
8. I organize ideas into an outline.
9. I write an outline.

O
10. I analyze speakers’ intentions by focusing on
verbal and nonverbal cues.
11. I share personal beliefs or convictions
responding to a material viewed.

n
12. I use proper language, posture, and behavior
when giving instructions or narrating events.
13. I plan a short story that reflects local or
national identity, customs, or culture.
io
at
TOTAL

Scoring
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Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point


Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
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33–36 Advanced 21–24 Developing


30–32 Proficient 20 and below Beginning
25–29 Approaching Proficiency
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Things to Ponder
Fo

How can you visualize the short story’s central message?

How do you analyze speakers' intentions using verbal and nonverbal cues?

Lesson 6: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Post-War Period ~177

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Explore and Experience
What’s Coming

Vocabulary Preview
 In this lesson, you will develop your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:
agony communings gangsa pounding saddle threshold

y
appease ceaselessly huddled puny sonorous tugged

nl
assailed dank Kabunyan quivered stirred unconsciously
assured desire mocked relieved sullen weakly
buttresses flung muffled relent taut worldly

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clamor fumbled pitied rivulet tenderly possessions

Grammar Preview

n
 In this lesson, you are expected to connect sentences using appropriate logical connectors
for sequencing and summarizing.

Literary Preview
io
at
 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform related activities:
lu

• “Wedding Dance” by Amador T. Daguio


• “The Happiest Boy in the World” by N. V. M. Gonzalez
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Ready to Read
“Wedding Dance” explores the conflict between marriage customs and personal feelings. It
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offers insights into the culture and beautiful surroundings of the Cordillera Region in the north
of the Philippines.
Fo

178~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 178 1/8/2024 4:53:13 PM


Wedding Dance by Amador T. Daguio About the Author
Amador T. Daguio, a renowned
Awiyao reached for the upper horizontal log which served as the edge of the poet and short story writer,
high-head threshold1. Clinging to the log, he lifted himself with one bound was born in 1912 in the Ilocos
province. He turned to writing
that carried him across to the narrow door. He slid back the cover, stepped poetry due to loneliness while
inside, then push the cover back in place. After some moments during which studying in Manila under the
he seemed to wait, he talked to the listening darkness. care of his uncle. His works were
later published in national and
“I’m sorry this had to be done. I am really sorry. But neither of us can help it.” international publications, and

y
he was awarded with Republic
The sound of the gangsas2 beat through the walls of the dark house, like Cultural Award in 1973.

nl
muffled3 roars of the falling waters. The woman who had moved with a Read more about him in
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-
start when the sliding door opened had been hearing the gangsas for she
culture-and-arts/in-focus/
did not know how long. The sudden rush of the rich sounds when the door

O
amador-t-daguio-a-turning-
was opened was like a gush of fire in her. She gave no sign that she heard point-in-filipino-poetry-from-
Awiyao, but continued to sit unmoving in the darkness. english/.

But Awiyao knew that she had heard him and his heart pitied4 her. He

n
crawled on all fours to the middle of the room; he knew exactly where the Take a quick look at the title.

io
stove was. With his bare fingers he stirred the covered smouldering embers,
and blew into them. When the coals began to glow, Awiyao put of pine in
them, then full round logs as big as his arms. The room brightened.
What knowledge do you already
have about the title? What
content do you expect to see in
the text?
at
“Why don’t you go out,” he said, “and join the dancing women?” He felt a
pang inside him, because what he said was really not the right thing to say
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About the Piece


and because the woman did not stir.
“Wedding Dance” was published
“You should join the dancers,” he said, “as if—as if nothing has happened.” in 1953 by Stanford University.
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It is a poignant story set in the


He looked at the woman huddled5 in a corner of the room, leaning against
almost forgotten culture of the
the wall. The stove fire played with strange moving shadows and lights tribal people in northern Luzon,
upon her face. She was partly sullen,6 but her sullenness was not because Philippines.
of anger or hate.
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“Go out—go out and dance. If you really don’t hate me for this separation, Expanding Vocabulary
go out and dance. One of the men will see you dance well; he will like your Choose the letter that best
dancing; he will marry you. Who knows but that, with him, you will be luckier defines that word based on how
Fo

than you were with me?” they are used in context.


1. threshold
“I don’t want any man,” she said sharply. “I don’t want any other man.” a. doorway
b. highway
He felt relieved7 that at last she talked. “You know very well that I don’t want
2. gangsas
any woman, either. You know that, don’t you? Lumnay, you know that, don’t
a. musical instruments
you?” b. wedding ornaments

She did not answer him. 3. muffled


a. louder
“You know it, Lumnay, don’t you?” he repeated. b. unclear

Lesson 6: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Post-War Period ~179

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“Yes, I know,” she said weakly.8

“It is not my fault,” he said, feeling relieved. “You cannot blame me; I have
been a good husband to you.”
Expanding Vocabulary
Choose the letter that best “Neither can you blame me,” she said. She seemed about to cry.
defines that word based on
how they are used in context. “No, you have been very good to me. You have been a good wife. I have
4. pitied nothing to say against you.” He set some of the burning wood in place. “It’s
a. felt sorry only that a man must have a child. Seven harvest is just too long to wait. Yes,
b. felt bad

y
we have waited too long. We should have another chance before it is too late
5. huddled
for both of us.”

nl
a. curled up
b. walked up
This time the woman stirred, stretched her right leg out and bent her left leg
6. sullen in, she wound the blanket more snugly around herself.

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a. unpleasant
b. inconsiderate “You know that I have done my best,” she said “I have prayed for to Kabunyan9
7. relieved much. I have sacrificed many chickens in my prayers.”
a. saddened

n
b. pleased “You remember how angry you were once when you came home from
8. weakly your work on the terrace because I butchered one of our pigs without your
a. lacks strength
b. feels annoyed
9. Kabunyan
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permission. I did it to appease10 Kabunyan, because, like you, I wanted to
have a child. But what could I do?”
at
a. home of the Kalinga “Kabunyan does not see fit for us to have a child,” he said. He stirred11 the
people fire. The sparks rose through the cracklets of the flames. The smoke and
b. god of the Kalinga
soot went up to the ceiling.
lu

people
10. appease Lumnay looked down and unconciously12 started to pull at the rattan that
a. to offer kept the split bamboo flooring in place. She tugged at the rattan flooring.
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b. to satisfy
Each time she did this the split bamboo went up and came down with a slight
11. stirred rattle. The gongs of the dancers clamorously called in her ears through the
a. mixed
b. stopped
walls.
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12. unconsciously Awiyao went to the corner where Lumnay sat, paused before her, looked at
a. unaware
her bronze and sturdy face, then turned to where the jars of water stood piled
b. unusual
one over the other. Awiyao took a coconut cup and dipped it in the top jar and
drank. Lumnay had filled the jars from the mountain creek early that evening.
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“I came home,” he said, “because I did not find you among the dancers. Of
course, I am not forcing you to come, if you don’t want to join my wedding
ceremony. I come to tell that Madulimay, although I am marrying her, can
never become as good as you are. She is not as strong in planting beans, not
as fast in cleaning water jars, not as good in keeping a house clean. You are
one of the best wives in the whole village.”

“That has not done me any good, has it?” she said. She looked at him lovingly.
She almost seemed to smile.

180~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 180 1/8/2024 4:53:13 PM


He put the coconut cup aside on the floor and came closer to her. He held
her face between his hands, and looked longingly at her beauty. But her
eyes looked away. Never again would he hold her face. The next day she Expanding Vocabulary
would not be his anymore. She would go back to her parents. He let go of Choose the letter that best defines that
word based on how they are used in
her face, and she bent to the floor again and looked at her fingers as they
context.
tugged13 softly at the split bamboo floor.
13. tugged
“This house is yours,” he said. “I built it for you. Make it your own, live in it as a. pushed
b. pulled
long as you wish. I will build another house for Madulimay.”

y
14. pounding
“I have no need for a house,” she said slowly. “I’ll go to my own house. a. striking hard
b. moving fast

nl
My parents are old. They will need help in the planting of the beans, in the
pounding14 of the rice.” 15. tenderly
a. gentle way

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“I will give you the field that I dug out of the mountain during the first year b. tough way
of our marriage,” he said. “You know I did it for you. You helped me to make 16. mocked
it for two of us.” a. respected
b. teased

n
“I have no use for any field,” she said. 17. buttresses
a. wall
He looked at her, then turned away, and became silent. They were silent for
a long time. io
“Go back to the dance,” she said finally. “It is not right for you to be here.
b. support
at
They will wonder where you are, and Madulimay will not feel good. Go back
to the dance.”
lu

“I would feel better if you would come and dance—for the last time. The
gangsas are playing.”
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“You know that I cannot.”

“Lumnay,” he said tenderly15. “Lumnay. If I did this it is because of my need


for a child. You know that life is not worth living without a child. The men
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have mocked16 me behind my back. You know that.”

“I know it,” she said. “I will pray that Kabunyan will bless you and Madulimay.”

She bit her lips now, then shook her head wildly, and sobbed.
Fo

She thought of the seven harvests that had passed, the high hopes they had
at the beginning of their new life, the day he took her away from her parents
across the roaring river, on the other side of the mountain, the trip up the
trail which they had to cross—the waters boiled in her mind in foams of
white and jade and roaring silver, the waters rolled and growled, resounded
in thunderous echoes through the walls of the stiff cliffs; they were far away
now but loud still and receding; the waters violently smashed down from
somewhere on the top:,of the other ranges, and they had looked carefully at
the buttresses17 of rocks they had to step on a slip would have meant death.

Lesson 6: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Post-War Period ~181

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They both drank of the water, then rested on the other bank before they made
the final climb to the other side of the mountain.

She looked at his face with the fire playing upon his features—hard and
strong, and kind. He had a sense of lightness in his way of saying things,
which often made her and the village people laugh. How proud she had been
Expanding Vocabulary
Choose the letter that best
of his humor. The muscles were taut18 and firm, bronze and compact in their
defines that word based on hold upon his skulll—how frank his bright eyes were. She looked at this boy
how they are used in context. that had carved out of the mountain five fields for her; his wide and supple

y
18. taut torso heaved as if a slab of shining lumber were heaving; his arms and legs
a. hard flowed down in fluent muscles—he was strong and for that she had lost him.

nl
b. soft
19. flung She flung19 herself upon his knees and clung to them. “Awiyao, Awiyao, my
a. moved down husband,” she cried. “I did everything to have a child,” she said passionately

O
b. moved up in a hoarse whisper. She took away the blanket that covered her. “Look at
20. quivered me,” she cried. “Look at my body. Then it was full of promise. It could dance;
a. relaxed
it could work fast in the fields; it could climb the mountains fast. Even now,
b. trembled

n
it is firm, full. But Awiyao, Kabunyan never blessed me, Awiyao, Kabunyan is
21. sonorous
a. loud
cruel to me. Awiyao, I am useless. I must die.”
b. quiet
io
“It will not be right to die,” he said gathering her in his arms. Her whole warm
naked breast quivered20 against his own; she clung now to his neck, and
at
her head lay upon his right shoulder; her hair flowed down in cascades of
gleaming darkness.
lu

“I don’t care about the fields,” she said. “I don’t care about the house. I don’t
care for anything but you. I’ll have no other man.”

“Then you'll always be fruitless.”


va

“I’ll go back to my father. I’ll die.”

“Then you hate me,” he said. “If you die it means you hate me. You do not
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want me to have a child. You do not want my name to live on our tribe.”

She was silent.

“If I do not try a second time,” he explained, “it means I’ll die. Nobody will get
Fo

the fields I have carved out of the mountains; nobody will come after me.”

“If you fail—if you fail in this second time—,“ she said thoughtfully. Then her
voice was a shudder. “No—no, I don’t want you to fail.”

“If I fail,” he said, “I’ll come back to you. Then both of us will die together. Both
of us will vanish from the life of our tribe.”

The gongs thundered through the walls of their house, sonorous21 and far
away.

182~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 182 1/8/2024 4:53:13 PM


“I’ll keep my beads,” she said. “Awiyao, let me keep my beads,” she half-
whispered.

“You will keep the beads. They come from far-off times. My grandmother
said they came from way up North, from the slant-eyed people across the
sea. You keep them, Lumnay. They are worth twenty fields.”"

“I’ll keep them because they stand for the love you have for me,” she said. “I
love you. I love you and have nothing to give.”

y
She took herself away from him, for a voice was calling to him from the
outside. “Awiyao! Awiyao! O Awiyao! They are looking for you at the dance.”

nl
“I am not in a hurry.”

O
“The elders will scold you. You had better go.”

“Not until you tell me that it is alright with you.”

“It is all right with me.”

n
He clasped her hands. “I do this for the sake of the tribe,” he said.

“I know,” she said.

He went to the door.


io
at
“Awiyao!” Expanding Vocabulary
Choose the letter that best defines that
lu

He stopped as if already hit by a spear. In pain he turned to her. Her face was word based on how they are used in
agony22. It pained him to leave. She had been wonderful to him. What was it context.
that made man for a child? What was it in life, in the work in the fields, in the 22. agony
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planting and harvest, in the silence of the night, in the communings23 with a. peace
husband and wife, in whole life of the tribe itself that made man wish for the b. pain

laughter and speech of a child? Suppose he changed his mind? Why did the 23. communings
a. communicating spiritually
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unwritten law demand, anyway, that a man, to be a man, must have a child
b. communicating nonverbally
to come after him? And if he was fruitless—but he loved Lumnay. It was like
24. worldly possessions
taking away half of his life to have her like this. a. physical belongings
b. borrowed materials
“Awiyao,” she said, and her eyes seemed to smile in the light. “The beads!”
Fo

He turned back and walked to the farthest corner of their room, to the trunk
where they kept their worldly possessions24—his battle-axe and his spear
points, her betelnut box and her beads. He dug out from the darkness the
beads which had been given to him by his grandmother to give to Lumnay
on the day of his marriage. He went to her, lifted her head, put the beads
on, and tied them in place. The white and jade and deep orange obsidians
shone in the firelight. She suddenly clung to him, clung to his neck, as if she
would never let him go.

Lesson 6: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Post-War Period ~183

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“Awiyao, Awiyao, it is hard.” She gasped and she closed her eyes and buried
her face in his neck.

The call for him from the outside repeated; her grip loosened, and he hurried
out into the night.

Lumnay sat for some time in the darkness. Then she went to the door and
opened it. The moonlight struck her face; the moonlight spilled itself upon
the whole village.

y
She could hear the throbbing of the gangsas coming to her through the
caverns of the other houses. She knew that all the other houses were empty;

nl
that the whole tribe was at the dance. Only she was absent. And yet, was she
not the best dancer of the village? Did she not have the most lightness and
grace? Could she not, alone among all women, dance like a bird tripping for

O
grains on the ground, beautifully timed to the beat of the gangsas? Did not
the men praise her supple body, and the women envy the way she stretched
her hands like the wings of the mountain eagle now and then as she danced?

n
How long ago did she dance at her own wedding? Tonight, all women who
counted, who once danced in her honor, were dancing now in honor of another
io
whose only claim was that perhaps she could give her husband a child.

“It is not right. It is not right!” she cried. “How does she know? How can
at
anybody know? It is not right,” she said.

Suddenly she found courage. She would go to the dance. She would go to
lu

Expanding Vocabulary the chief of the village, to the elders, to tell them it was not right. Awiyao
Choose the letter that best was hers; nobody could take him away from her. Let her be the first woman
defines that word based on to complain, to denounce the unwritten rule that a man may take another
va

how they are used in context.


woman. She could break the dancing of men and women. She would tell
25. relent Awiyao to come back to her. He surely would relent25. Was not their love as
a. pay forward
b. give in
strong as the river?
rE

She made for the other side of the village where the dancing was. There was a
flaming glow over the whole place; a great bonfire was burning. The gangsas
clamored loudly now, and it seemed they were calling to her. She was near
at last. She could see the dancers clearly now. The men leaped lithely with
Fo

their gangsas as they circled the dancing women decked in feast garments
and beads, tripping on the ground like graceful birds, following their men.
Her heart warmed to the flaming call of the dance; strange heat in her blood
welled up, and she started to run.

But the flaming brightness of the bonfire commanded her to stop. Did
anybody see her approach? She stopped. What if somebody had seen her
coming? The flames of the bonfire leaped in countless sparks which spread

184~ Unit II Philippine Prose in Imitation, Emergence, and Post-War Periods

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 184 1/8/2024 4:53:13 PM


and rose like yellow points and died out in the night. The blaze reached out
to her like a spreading radiance. She did not have the courage to break into
the wedding feast.

Lumnay walked away from the dancing ground, away from the village. She
thought of new clearing of beans which Awiyao and she had started only to
make only four moons before. She followed the trail above the village.

When she came to the mountain stream she crossed it carefully. Nobody
held her hands, and the stream water was very cold. The trail went up again,

y
and she was in the moonlight shadows among the trees and shrubs. Slowly
she climbed the mountain.

nl
When Lumnay reached the clearing, she could see from where she stood
the blazing bonfire at the edge of the village, where the dancing was. She

O
Expanding Vocabulary
could hear the far-off clamor26 of the gongs, still rich in their sonorousness,
Choose the letter that best defines that
echoing from mountain to mountain. The sound did not mock her; they
word based on how they are used in
seemed to call far to her; speak to her in the language of unspeaking love. context.

n
She felt the pull of their clamor, almost the feeling that they were telling her 26. clamor
their gratitude for her sacrifice. Her heartbeat begun to sound to her like a. loud noise
many gangsas. io
Lumnay thought of Awiyao as the Awiyao she had known long ago—a strong,
b. quiet sound
27. desire
a. strong feeling of wanting
at
muscular boy carrying his heavy load of fuel logs down the mountains to his b. strong feeling giving up
home. She had met him one day as she was on her way to fill her clay jars
with water. He had stopped at the spring to drink and rest; and she made
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him drink the cool mountain water from her coconut shell. After that, it did
not take him long to decide to throw his spear on the stairs of her father’s
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house in token of his desire27 to marry her.

The mountain clearing was cold in freezing moonlight. The wind begun to
sough and stir the leaves of the bean plants. Lumnay looked for a big rock
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on which to sit down. The bean plants now surrounded her; and she was
lost among them.

A few more weeks, a few more months, a few more harvest—what did it
matter? She would be holding the bean flowers, soft in the texture, silken
Fo

almost, but moist where the dew got into them, silver to look at, silver on the
light blue, blooming whiteness, when the morning comes. The stretching
of the bean pods full length from the hearts of the wilting petals would go.

Lumnay’s fingers moved a long, long time among the growing bean pods.

Source: Yabes, L. (Ed) (2009). Philippine short stories, 1941-1955: Part II (1950-1955).
pp. 505-512, UP Press.

Lesson 6: Evaluating Philippine Prosefrom the Post-War Period ~185

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 185 1/8/2024 4:53:13 PM


Talk About It
Activity 6.1
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the short story.
1. 
Where does the story take place? Have you ever been to a place like this? If not, would
you like to visit a place like this? Why or why not?
2. What is the main idea of the story?
3. Do you agree with everything any of the characters do? What would you have done

y
differently?

nl
4. How did the story end?
5. Can you think of another way this story might have ended?

O
Map It Out
Activity 6.2

n
Learning Objective:

Visualize a short story’s


 Imagine you were assigned to create a movie poster for “Wedding
central message.
io
Dance.” Form a group of three members and sketch your vision for
the movie poster. Use a separate sheet for your poster. Then, prepare to
present your work in class. During your presentation, use the following
at
starters:
• Our sketch for our movie poster shows…
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• As you can see in our illustration…


• One lesson that can be learned from the short story is…
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Text Focus

Sensory Images
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Sensory imagery is a literary device used by writers in engaging readers to the texts. It allows
the readers to understand deeply the text by combining their schema and the images created by the
texts using the five human senses: visual (sight), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (touch),
Fo

and auditory (hearing).


• Visual imagery. It creates vivid images on how scenes are created in a story. The reader
carefully sees the events as they unfold.
• Olfactory imagery. It refers to the creation of images stimulating the sense of smell of the
reader. If the text tells something about the smell of a food in a kitchen, the reader creates
images in his or her mind and even imagines that he or she can actually smell it.
• Gustatory imagery. It stimulates the sense of taste of the readers. The texts provide clear
descriptions on the taste of a certain item that helps the reader to be in the character’s
shoes.

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• Tactile imagery. It helps the readers create an image of the physical characteristics of a
particular item or thing as the character touches it. This refers to the skills of the writer in
providing descriptions of a certain item, such as roughness, and the like.
• Auditory imagery. It is a sensory image that helps the reader to make sense of the
descriptions of a certain item relative to the sense of smell. This also helps the readers to
visualize what the characters are smelling in the scenario.
Through sensory images, readers are able to enhance their imaginative skills by analyzing the
texts and creating clear images about a particular character, place, thing, or event. Readers are
able to appreciate these images as they are able to draw these images in their mind.

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Guidelines on Expressing Appreciation for Sensory Images

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Here are some guidelines on how to express appreciation for sensory images.
1. Act it out. One of the common ways in expressing appreciation for sensory images is

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by acting it out. You can perform the significant events in the literary text to show your
appreciation of your favorite scene.
2. Express your appreciation through graphics or illustrations. To show that you understand

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the sensory images portrayed in a literary text, you can transform such sensory descriptions
into vivid and clear illustrations.
io
3. Sing it out. You can write a song that narrates significant concepts portrayed in a literary
text.
at
4. Write your feelings. Through this activity, you can significantly express how and what you
feel about the descriptions provided in a literary text .
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Activity 6.3
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With the same group in the previous activity, express appreciation for the Learning Objective:
sensory images by drawing or taking a photo that illustrates your favorite part Express appreciation for
or scene from the short story, “Wedding Dance”. You will be graded using the sensory images.
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Rubric 14: Illustration in the Appendix.

Realization and Literature


Do you form realizations about the world, yourself, and others when you read literature?
Fo

Literary writers use literature as a reflection of society. Through their writings, you see the
good and the bad. You reflect on how you can emulate and apply the good things that you see and
feel to your life and correct and avoid the wrong things from happening. You learn, unlearn, and
relearn life’s lessons through the words, actions, and resolutions that make up a writer’s theme or
central message.
Literature is a tool to assert national identity. It defines and validates a sense of nationalism
through understanding history and culture. It brings an individual to a time when riddles, proverbs,
and folktales were immensely popular, then came the lyrical songs and poems as influenced by
the Spaniards. It also allows a person to experience the oppression, slavery, corruption, chaos,

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and abuses of power caused by colonizers. That explains the consciousness and sensitivity to the
current ills in society. People fear that history repeats itself, and they do not want that to happen.
It also helps to step back to see a panoramic view of the revolutionary changes, heroic deeds, and
freedom made and fought by the ancestors and fellowmen.
Literature provides the people also an avenue to empathize and better understand other
people and their conditions. They engage deeply with the exploits and actions characterized and
personified in the stories or formed vivid mental images projected in the poetry. They explore the
causes of people’s deeds that justify their decisions. They question, and in the pursuit of answers,
meaning and value are found in the experiences and behaviors played by the characters and in the

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speaker’s points of view and messages.
The realizations above are carried out through the process of reflection. Reflecting is

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profoundly thinking about experiences and consciously looking into actions and feelings toward
anything, then evaluating and learning from them. The value of reflection helps to master oneself

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and connect effectively with others. To discover more about literature as a tool to assert or state
your unique identity positively and confidently and better understand other people, you can use
reflection. Here are some of the guidelines.
1. Reflect on the lessons you learned from the text. Ask yourself the following reflective

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questions:

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a. What did I learn about the following after reading the text?
• Myself
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• Other people
• Society
b. How will I use what I learned about myself, other people, and society to be better?
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2. Write an assertion or a positive declaration based on your response to the reflective


questions. You can use the following starters:
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a. I believe that…
b. I feel that…
c. I learned that…
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Activity 6.4
Learning Objective:
Part A. Discover “The Wedding Dance” as a tool to assert your unique
Use literature as identity and better understand other people using the reflection prompts.
Fo

a means of self-
expression and to Individually, write in column B your responses. Then, work with a partner
understand others and consolidate your work.
better.

Reflection Prompts Responses


After reading “Wedding Dance,” what lessons What I learned about myself is…
did you learn about the following? What I learned about other people is…
1. Myself What I learned about society is…
2. Other people
3. Society

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Reflection Prompts Responses
How will you use what you learned about To make myself better, I will use these lessons by…
yourself, other people, and society to be better?

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Part B. Summarize your responses in Part A and write your assertion. Use any starters such as I

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believe that…, I feel that…, and I learned that… .
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Fo

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

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Vocabulary Focus

Part-Whole Relations
To establish meaning in reading and writing, you must understand how words are related
to other words. Spending time and evaluating word relationships help improve critical thinking
skills. One of the word relationships you need to learn is part-whole relations.
From a macro-perspective, everything is part of a whole. You are part of a barangay. The
barangay you belong to is part of a city, which is part of a region, and the list goes on. When the
sentences are combined, you form a paragraph, which eventually makes up an essay. In other

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words, understanding a word or idea as part of a larger whole that will help you see the role of

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each one in making up the whole.
Partitives

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Partitives are also called partitive noun phrase. These are used to indicate a part or quantity of
a thing from a whole. Here are some of the examples:
• some of •   piece of •   pair of

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• an amount of •   a lot of •   a slice of

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Partitives appear before counting and noncount nouns, or mass nouns, or nouns with no
plural forms. Here are some common partitives used in count nouns and noncount nouns.
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Count Nouns Noncount Nouns
some of the students a piece of information
a pair of students a piece of evidence
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groups of teachers a pair of scissors


a lot of things a gallon of water
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a collection of stories slices of pizza


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Activity 6.5
Learning Objective:

Identify words or Scan the article below to identify words or expressions with partitive
expressions with relations. Then, underline partitive noun phrases that you specified.
part-whole (partitive)
relations. Consolidate your work with a partner.
Fo

Waking up at 7 a.m.
by Edward Joseph H. Maguindayao
I always tell my friends that no matter how late I sleep the night before, most of the time
I would wake up at 7 in the morning the day after. Back in college, since I had 7 a.m. classes,
I trained my body to get up one or two hours before that time so I would have ample time
to prepare. On days that did not require me to get up early, I would still wake up before

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or exactly at 7 a.m. even if I did not set my phone alarm. After waking, I would always be
in a rush, like clockwork. I prepared my cup of coffee, listened to or watched the morning
newscasts, checked my social media feeds and emails, then proceeded to do whatever task of
the day I needed to accomplish. I was proud of this routine because I was able to maintain it
even when I had the occasional vacation or travel, and even on weekends.
But the prolonged lockdown became a game-changer. Returning home from Metro Manila
because of the lockdown felt like a normal two-day weekend for me, until it lasted for a month
and more, bringing me to my longest stay at home since going to college. During the first
months of the lockdown, I maintained the habit of waking up before 7 a.m. Only this time,

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the routine involved more household chores, which would then propel me to do my academic

nl
tasks, hobbies such as reading and writing, and passion projects.
Months passed and, day in and day out, there was only more of the same, the only

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difference being the date and day that changed, the additional coronavirus cases, and twisted
pronouncements from the government. The days turned bland, such that I didn’t recognize
anymore the difference between Monday and Friday, between October and December.

n
Although I keep myself preoccupied these days, reading the books I bought from online
sale events, watching another episode of a series on Netflix, or doing my academic backlog,
io
motivation has been getting thinner and thinner. When you expect more of the same, the
moment you open your eyes in the morning and the next, it gets harder and harder to kick off
another day.
at
In a bygone era before the lockdown when masks were not mandatory and travel was
not restricted, the thrill of going to new places, attending live events, meeting new people,
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and venturing into the unknown made the dull days more exciting. The coronavirus and
the sloppy response to it have not only taken our liberties away, but have also taken lives,
va

rendered people jobless, and changed our way of life from the most mundane to the level of
global economies.
There are days when waking up is easy but getting out of bed seems more of a toil than
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ever. There are days when all I can do is pretend to rest while anxiously worrying about the
piling tasks I need to do. It takes an ample amount of courage to face the day that will turn
out the same as the previous ones, while also thinking that the next is no different. It takes
slow acceptance to finally embrace the lost opportunities, the lost moments, those could-have-
Fo

beens gone into the imagination. More importantly, it takes a great deal of patience for us to
bear the kind of response the government is making, even as we’ve gone almost a year into the
community quarantine. And it takes humility for us to realize that, at any given moment, we
can all be wiped out from the face of the Earth—just as plagues like this have attempted to do
had it not been for improvements in science from the time of the Greek philosophers.
Lately, I have not been waking up at 7 a.m. Instead, I would wake up at 7:30 or 8 a.m.,
even as late as 10 a.m., only to rush through my morning habits and feel regretful after. The
days go by, and they are more of the same. But I do not bemoan now. I take things slow, even
when I am hesitant at times. There are still days when getting up feels so much heavier that

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the only choice left is to remain in bed and pretend to take a rest. There are good and bad
days—and some are neither. And it is okay.
The next days are not bound to be easy as I scramble to write my research proposal. I still
hope I can go back to the university to give myself a sense of normalcy. There will be hard
days. There will be tough days. There will be days that I feel I am losing my motivation and
passion for the things I do and yearn for. Still, I will continue to be in search of better days.
They are not usually the sunny ones when the sun is shining brightly.
A ray of hope that things will get better should be enough. By then, I would surely be

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waking up before 7 a.m. again to see it.
May we always find the passion to get up, liberate ourselves from what holds us back, and

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slowly find that better days are coming.
Source: Maguindayao, E. (2021, February 2). Waking up at 7 a.m. Inquirer.Net.

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https://opinion.inquirer.net/137430/waking-up-at-7-a-m

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Grammar Focus

Logical Connectors io
When you combine two or more sentences, you need connectors to join and show the
at
relationship of ideas. These relationships are chronological and logical sequence and summation.
Here are some types of logical connectors and their descriptions and everyday examples.
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Types of Logical
Descriptions Examples
Connectors
1. Conjunctions These link words, phrases, and clauses and FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but,
va

allow you to form a complex sentence. A or, yet, so)


conjunction is a part of speech.
2. Conjunctive These are used to join two sentences or Also, however, similarly,
adverbs independent clauses and form a unified indeed, furthermore,
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sentence. It is called a conjunctive adverb. therefore, finally,


It functions as a conjunction by linking two nevertheless, thus
sentences and describes the first sentence or
clause like an adverb.
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Guidelines on Linking Sentences


Here are some guidelines for linking sentences using any type of logical connector.
1. Using conjunctions
a. Determine the relationship of sentences you plan to combine—similar or contrast.
b. C
 onnect sentences according to the function of each conjunction. Below is the table
describing the function of each conjunction with sentence examples. Place a comma
before the conjunction when connecting two sentences.

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Conjunctions Function Sentence Examples
1. for Explain the reason for another • I want to go to the beach this
sentence weekend. I want to relax.
• I want to go to the beach this
weekend, for I want to relax.
2. and Combine similar ideas • I want to travel around the world. I
want to do it with my family.
• I want to travel around the world,
and I want to do it with my family.

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3. nor Combine two similar ideas with • My mother does not like eating
negative items (not and not) fruits. She does not like cake.

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• My mother does not like eating
fruits, nor eating cake.

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4. but Combine contrasting ideas • I can tell that your score in one quiz
was high. You missed many quizzes.
• I can tell that your score in one quiz
was high, but you missed many

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quizzes.
5. or Combine sentences that offer • I can watch my favorite TV drama
alternatives or options. io after doing my household chores. I
can go out with my friends.
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• I can watch my favorite TV drama
after doing my household chores, or
I can go out with my friends
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6. yet Combine contrasting ideas and • I was late for the test because of a
to emphasize the action despite road accident. I still finished and
something. passed the test.
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• I was late for the test because of a


road accident, yet I still finished and
passed the test
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7. so Show the consequence of action stated • I was tired today. I slept early.
in the other sentence. • I was tired today, so I slept early.

2. Using conjunctive adverbs


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a. Determine the relationship of sentences you plan to combine—similar or contrast.


b. C
 onnect sentences according to the function of each conjunctive adverbs. The table
below shows their functions to show chronological order, emphasis, contrast, and
summation. Note that when connecting two sentences using conjunctive adverbs, place
a semi-colon before the conjunctive adverb and a comma afterward.

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Conjunctive Adverbs Function Sentence Examples
1. first, second, third Sequence events • 
Let us have a conversation; first, let me
next, then, after, prepare a drink for you.
finally • 
I am done with my project; finally, I can
binge-watch a TV series all day long.
2. 
indeed, of course, Emphasize a point • 
You aim for personal and professional
again, certainly success; indeed, you must focus and learn
the process.
• 
We were the champion in the basketball

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game; indeed, hard work paid off.
however, instead,
3.  Contrast ideas • 
I want to earn my college degree abroad;

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nevertheless, still however, I need a scholarship to fund my
education.
• 
I enjoyed watching your performance;

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nevertheless, there is room for improvement.
4. 
overall, in Provide a summary • 
We had so much fun because I met some of
conclusion, to my relatives; overall, it was a memorable

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summarize, as a summer vacation.
summary • 
Like humans, animals have rights, too; in
io conclusion, we need to uphold rights for all.
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Activity 6.6
Learning Objective: Practice linking sentences through logical connectors in this activity. With
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Connect sentences a partner, link the given sentences in each number with appropriate logical
using appropriate
logical connectors connectors to signal chronological and logical sequence and summation. Be
for sequencing and sure to use proper punctuation marks. Write your refined sentence in the
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summarizing ideas.
space provided.

1. It was in 1924 when the Philippines first participated in the Olympics. It was held in Paris.
The Philippine team did not win any medals.
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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
2. The Philippine teams earned medals in four sports in the Olympics. Boxing, athletics,
swimming, and weightlifting are the Philippine team’s sports that earned awards.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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3. In 1928, the Philippines won its first medal in the Olympics, courtesy of swimmer Teófilo
Yldefonso. He won bronze in the men’s 200m backstrokes. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz is
the country’s latest Olympic medalist. She won gold. She earned the medal in the 2020
Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________
4. For most of the candidates in the beauty pageants, the goal is to win. You do not win the

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crown. There is life. You can do so much. You can make a difference.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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5. As a Miss Universe candidate, I want the crown back in the Philippines. There are
things I need to do. I need to stay physically and mentally ready. I need to improve my
communication skills. I need to polish my walk.
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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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Link It
What makes a person happy depends on what matters to him or her the most, how he or
she makes choices, and how he or she reciprocates the happiness he or she receives. The sources
of happiness may differ, but the reason for achieving it is the same—to make life worth living.
This contemporary short story by the Philippine National Artist for Literature, N.V.M. Gonzalez,
provides readers with a different outlook on happiness.

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The Happiest Boy in the World
by N.V.M. Gonzalez
About the Author
Nestor Vicente Madali (N.V.M.) Julio, who had come from Tablas to settle in Barok, was writing a letter to, of
Gonzalez (1915–1999) was
conferred in 1997 as National
all people, Ka Ponso, his landlord, one warm June night. It was about his son,
Artist for Literature. He was a Jose, who wanted to go to school in Mansalay that year. Jose was in fifth
fictionist, essayist, poet, and grade when Julio and his family had left Tablas the year before and migrated
teacher. He received several

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awards and recognitions for his to Mindoro; because the father had some difficulty in getting some land of
literary works. his own to farm, the boy had to stop schooling for a year. As it was, Julio

nl
Read more in https://ncca.gov.
thought himself lucky enough to have Ka Ponso take him on as tenant. Later,
ph/about-culture-and-arts/
culture-profile/national-artists- when Julio’s wife Fidela gave birth to a baby, Ka Ponso, which happened to

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of-the-philippines/nvm- be visiting his property then, offered to become its godfather. After that they
gonzalez/
began to call each other compadre.

“Dear Compadre,” Julio started to write in Tagalog, bending earnestly over a

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Take a quick look at the title.
piece of paper which he had torn out of Jose’s school notebook. It was many
What knowledge do you already
months ago, when, just as now, he had sat down with a writing implement
have about the title? What
content do you expect to see in
the text?
io
in his hand. That was when he had gone to the municipio in Mansalay to file
a homestead1 application, and he had used a pen, and to his great surprise,
at
filled in the blank forms neatly. Nothing came of the application, although Ka
About the Piece Ponso had assured2 him he had looked into the matter and talked with the
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“The Happiest Boy in the World” officials concerned. Now, with a pencil instead of a pen to write with, Julio
was part of N.V.M. Gonzalez’s was sure that he could make his letter legible enough for Ka Ponso.
distinguished collection of short
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stories with a title, Mindoro “It’s about my boy, Jose,” he wrote on. “I want him to study this June in
and Beyond which was also
considered as his personal and Mansalay. He’s in the sixth grade now, and since he’s quite a poor hand at
literary biography. The book was looking after your carabaos, I thought it would be best that he go to school
first printed in 1979 and reprinted
in the town.”
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in 2008 along with his other short


stories by the UP Press.
He sat back and leaned against a wall. He had been writing on a low wooden
form, the sole piece of furniture in the one-room house. There he sat in one
corner. A little way across stood the stove; to his right, Fidela and the baby
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girl Felipa, lay under the hempen mosquito net. Jose, who had been out all
afternoon looking for one of Ka Ponso’s carabaos that had strayed3 away to
the newly planted rice clearings along the other side of the Barok river, was
here too, sprawling beside a sack of palay by the doorway. He snored lightly,
like a tired youth; but he was only twelve.

The kerosene lamp’s yellow flame flickered ceaselessly4. The dank5 smell of
food, fish broth, particularly, that had been spilled from many a bowl and had

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dried on the form, now seemed to rise from the very texture of the wood
itself. The stark truth about their poverty, if Julio’s nature had been sensitive
to it, might have struck him then with a hard and sudden blow; but, as it was, Expanding Vocabulary
he just looked about the room, even as the smell assailed6 his nostrils, and Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
stared now at the mosquito net, now at Jose as he lay there by the door.
based on how it is used in
Then he continued with his letter. context.
1. homestead
“This boy, Jose, compadre,” he went on, “is quite an industrious lad. If you

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a. land
can only let him stay in your big house, compadre, you can make him do b. city

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anything you wish—any work. He can cook rice, and I’m sure he’ll do well 2. assured
washing dishes.” a. confident to happen
b. uncertain to happen

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Julio recalled his last visit to Ka Ponso’s about three months ago, during 3. strayed
the fiesta. He had seen that it was a big house; the floor was so polished a. move
b. stay
you could almost see your own image as you walked; and always there
4. ceaselessly
was a servant who followed you about with a piece of rag to wipe away the

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a. continuously
smudges of dirt which your feet had left on the floor. b. questionably

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“I hope you will not think of this as a great bother,” Julio continued, trying
his best to phrase his thoughts. He had a vague fear that Ka Ponso might
5. dank
a. unpleasant
b. pleasant
at
not favorably regard his letter. But he wrote on, slowly and steadily, stopping 6. assailed
only to read what he had put down. “We shall repay you for whatever you a. attacked
b. entered
can do for us, compadre. It’s true we already owe you for many things, but
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your comadre and I will do all we can indeed to repay you.”

Reading the last sentence and realizing that he had made mention of his
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wife, Julio recalled that during the very first month after their arrival from
Tablas, they had received five cavanes of rice from Ka Ponso and that later
he had been told that at harvest time he should pay back twice the number
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of cavanes. This was usurious but was strictly after the custom in those
parts, and Julio was not the sort who would complain. Besides he had never
thought of Ka Ponso as anything else than his compadre espiritual, as they
call it, a true friend.
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Suddenly he began wondering how Jose would move about in Ka Ponso’s


household, being unaccustomed to so many things there. The boy might
even stumble over a chair and break some dishes...He feared for the boy.

“And I wish you would treat Jose as you would your own son, compadre.
You may beat him if he should commit some wrong, and indeed I want him
to look up to you as a second father.”

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Julio felt he had nothing more to say, and that he had written the longest
Expanding Vocabulary
letter in all his life. For a moment his fingers felt numb; and this was a funny
Encircle the letter that best thing, he thought, because he had scarcely filled the page. He sat back again,
defines the word set in and smiled to himself.
boldface based on how it is
used in context. He had completed the letter. He had feared he would never be able to write
7. puny it. But now it was done; and, it seemed, the letter would read well. The next
a. small

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day he must send Jose off.
b. strong
About six o’clock the following morning, a boy of twelve was riding a carabao

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8. rivulet
a. stream
along the riverbed road to town. He was very puny7 load on the carabao’s
b. river
broad back.

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9. fumbled
a. searched uncertainly
Walking close behind the carabao, the father accompanied him up to the
b. searched easily
bend of the river. When the beast hesitated in crossing the small rivulet8 that
cut the road as it passed a clump of bamboo, the man picked up a stick and

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prodded the animal. Then he handed the stick to the boy, as one might give
a precious gift.
io
The father did not cross the stream but only stood there by the bank. “Mind
at
to look after the letter,” he called out from where he was, “do you have it
there, in your pocket?”
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The boy fumbled9 for it. When he had found it, he said, “No, Tatay, I won’t
lose it.”
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“And take good care of the carabao,” Julio added. “I’ll go to town myself in
a day or two, to get that carabao back. I just want to be done first with the
planting.”
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Then Julio started to walk back to his house, thinking of the work that
awaited him in his clearing that day. But he thought of something more to
tell his son, and so he stopped and called out to him again.
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“And that letter,” he shouted. “Give it to Ka Ponso as soon as you reach town.
Then be good, and do everything he asks you to do. Remember: everything.”

From atop the carabao, Jose yelled, “Yes, Tatay, yes,” and rode away. A stand
of abaca plants, their green leaves glimmering in the morning sun, soon
concealed him from view.

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Fastened to his saddle10 was his bundle of clothes and a little package of
rice, food to last him all through his first week in town. It was customary
Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
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for school boys from the barrio or farm to provide themselves in this simple defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
manner; in Jose’s case, although he was going to live at Ka Ponso’s, it could context.
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not be said that his father had forgotten about this little matter concerning 10. saddle
food. a. a leather seat
b. a blanket
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Thinking of his father, Jose grew suddenly curious about the letter he
carried in his shirt pocket. He stopped his carabao under a shady tree by the
roadside.
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A bird sang in a bush hard by. Jose could hear it even as he read the letter,
jumping from word to word, for to him the dialect was quite difficult. But
as the meaning of each sentence became clear to him, he experienced a
curious exultation. It was as though he were the happiest boy in the world
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and that the bird was singing for him. He heard the rumbling of the stream
faraway. There he and his father had parted. The world seemed full of bird
song and music from the stream.
Source: Gonzalez, N.V.M. (1989). Mindoro and beyond. New Day Publishers.

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Talk About It
Activity 6.7
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the short story.
1. What is the message of the short story?
2. When was the last time you felt the happiest? What happened?
3. What Filipino values were highlighted in the short story?
4. How would you react to the boy’s feelings when he learned about the letter’s contents?

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5. How would you have handled the situation if you were the boy?

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Map It Out

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Learning Objective:
Activity 6.8
Conduct an online
search on the significant  Amador T. Daguio’s “Wedding Dance” was first published in 1953,
happenings in the while N.V.M. Gonzales’ “The Happiest Boy in the World” was printed

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Philippines during the
post-war period. in 1979. Form a group with four to five members. Then, perform the
following tasks.

P
1979. Write your findings in the space below.
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 art A. Conduct an online search on the significant happenings in the Philippines in 1953 and
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1953 1979
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Part B. Create a poster or video presentation about these significant events.


Learning Objective:
Highlight your presentation with an important lesson that can be learned
Create a poster or video
presentation about from these events as a Filipino youth. You will be graded using Rubric 15:
significant events in the Video Presentation in the Appendix.
post-war period.

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Cultural Trip

• Did you know that cockfighting or locally known as sabong, has been part of Filipino
culture for more than 6,000 years as a form of entertainment? Cockfighting is legal in
the Philippines under Presidential Decree No. 449, issued in 1974. The law states that
cockfighting is a vehicle for preserving Filipino culture, enhancing the national identity.

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Write It Right

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Outlining
An outline is a tool or plan that can help you organize information, see the relationships and
functions of ideas in the text and your writing, and present the related information logically. There

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are two standard formats of the outlines—alphanumeric and decimal.
Forms of Outline
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Alphanumeric Outline. The following shows the format of the alphanumeric outline. The
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ideas in Roman numerals (I, II, III) are the headings, while in the capitalized letters (A, B) are the
subheadings. Observe indentation for the subheadings.
I. Attention-getter (anecdote, question, quotation, statistics)
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A. Description of the topic


B. Thesis statement
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II. Topic sentence 1


A. Supporting information 1
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B. Supporting information 2
III. Topic sentence 2
A. Supporting information 1
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B. Supporting information 2
IV. Topic sentence 3
A. Supporting information 1
B. Supporting information 2
V. Restatement of the thesis statement or summary
A. Closing (anecdote, question, quotation, statistics)

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Decimal Outline. The following shows the format of the decimal outline. This outline observes
decimal notation where the ideas in 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and the like are the headings, while below are
the subheadings. Observe indentation for the subheadings.
1.0 Attention-getter (anecdote, question, quotation, statistics)
1.1 Description of the topic
1.2 Thesis statement
2.0 Topic sentence 1
2.1 Supporting information 1
2.2 Supporting information 2

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3.0 Topic sentence 2

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3.1 Supporting information 1
3.2 Supporting information 2

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4.0 Topic sentence 3
4.1 Supporting information 1
4.2 Supporting information 2

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5.0 Restatement of the thesis statement or summary
5.1 Closing (anecdote, question, quotation, statistics)
Components of the Outline io
 There are four components of an outline. These are division, coordination, subordination,
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and parallelism.
1. Division. Each main heading has subheadings.
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Example:
1.0 Attention-getter – main heading
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1.1 Description of the topic – subheading


1.2 Thesis statement – subheading
2.0 Topic sentence 1 – main heading
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2.1 Supporting information 1 – subheading


2.2 Supporting information 2 – subheading
Coordination. All headings should have the same level of importance. The same is
2. 
applied to all subheadings. The ideas in 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 headings should be equally
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significant in the example below. They are your subheadings that are aligned with your
thesis statement. The ideas in the subheadings are all supporting sentences.
Example:
2.0 Topic sentence 1 – main heading
2.1 Supporting information 1 – subheading
2.2 Supporting information 2 – subheading
3.0 Topic sentence 2 – main heading
3.1 Supporting information 1 – subheading
3.2 Supporting information 2 – subheading

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4.0 Topic sentence 3 – heading
4.1 Supporting information 1 – subheading
4.2 Supporting information 2 – subheading
3. Subordination. The ideas in the heading should be general, while the subheading should
be specific. As shown below, the subheadings are specific examples of the general idea
in the heading.
Example:
2.0 My parents provide the support that I need. – heading

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2.1 First is moral – subheading
2.2 Second is emotional – subheading

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2.3 Third is economic – subheading
Parallelism. All headings should follow a parallel structure. This means if the first
4. 

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heading uses a sentence, all headings should also be in the sentence. The example below
shows a parallel structure outline using phrases.
Example:

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1.0 Eight low reading comprehension level among Grade 7 Filipino students


2.0
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1.1 Causes of low readings comprehension skills
1.2 Strategies to improve readings comprehension level
Strategy 1
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2.1 Supporting information 1
2.2 Supporting information 2
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3.0 Strategy 2
3.1 Supporting information 1
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3.2 Supporting information 2


4.0 Strategy 3
4.1 Supporting information 1
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4.2 Supporting informatio n 2


5.0 Improving the reading comprehension level of Grade 7 students
5.1 Calls for cooperation
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Tips for Writing an Outline


1. Be flexible. Your outline is a guide and step towards writing your first draft.
2. Consider which form of an outline you want to use and stick to it.
3. Make sure all components of an outline are present.
4. Begin with a topic then write supporting ideas related to it.
5. Review your outline.

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Activity 6.9

Learning Objective: Organize the following sentences into an outline. Identify which one can
Organize ideas into an
be a topic sentence and supporting sentences.
outline.

Doors
• It is advised that doors should not face each other.
• The people in the north associate this with the easy passage
of a coffin through two doors that directly face each other.

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• Most regions in the country also avoid positioning the main

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gate of the lot opposite the main entrance of the house itself.
• In Sta. Maria and San Miguel, Bulacan, however, wide doors
facing each other are considered lucky, especially if they lead

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to the terrace or garden.
• One’s door also should not directly face one’s neighbor’s to
avoid future conflicts with the said households and to avoid

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wrestling with each other for the possession of the luck that

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passes in front of both your houses.
Source: Zarate, E.R. (n.d.). Filipino building beliefs. https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/
subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/architecture-and-allied-arts-2/filipino-
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building-beliefs/

1.0 Topic Sentence: _______________________________________________


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1.1. Supporting Sentence 1: ____________________________________


1.2 Supporting Sentence 2: ____________________________________
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1.3 Supporting Sentence 3: ____________________________________


1.4 Supporting Sentence 4: ____________________________________
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Activity 6.10
Learning Objective: Brainstorm short story ideas with a partner and create an outline to
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Write an outline. organize your thoughts. Choose a specific format and include all necessary
elements. Use the guide provided to create your outline.
1.0 Topic: _______________________________________________________
1.1 What happens first: ______________________________________
1.2 What happens next: ______________________________________
1.3 What happens then: ______________________________________
1.4 What happens at the end: _________________________________

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Listening and Viewing Time

Ready to Listen

Speaker’s Intentions
As you interact or communicate with other people in writing or speaking face-to-face or
online, it is essential to be aware of the possible intentions of the person you are talking to. This
is to avoid communication failure. To determine the speaker’s intention, you can focus on verbal

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and nonverbal cues.
Verbal cues are signal words or phrases that a writer or speaker uses to express an idea or

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convey a message. Study the different intentions of speakers and the verbal cues that may be used
to convey their message.

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Speaker’s Possible Intentions Verbal Cues
1. To begin or start • To start with
• As a starter

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• Let me start with
• First

2. To emphasize a point or to explain


io • For the first time
• Let me be clear
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• Let me explain
• You need to know or understand
• My point is
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3. To enumerate a point • First, second, third


• First, next, then, last
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4. To agree • I agree


• Agreed
• I support you
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5. To oppose • I disagree


• I do not think so
• I object
6. To compare • The difference between
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• If we compare,
7. To conclude • In conclusion,
• As a summary,
• To sum up,
• To review,
• In a nutshell,
8. To appreciate • Thank you.
• I am grateful for
• I acknowledge
• I am indebted to

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Nonverbal cues are the body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and tone and volume
of the voice that a speaker uses to accent, complement, contradict, repeat, or substitute a verbal
message. It is essential to note that every culture has its acceptable nonverbal cues. For example,
most Filipinos accept shake hands and beso (kissing the cheeks) to mean greetings, appreciation,
or gratitude but not to other cultures or races.
Study some of the possible intentions of nonverbal cues and their descriptions.
Speaker’s Possible
Descriptions Examples
Intentions
1. To accent To emphasize a verbal • Making an increasing volume of

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message voice or modulating it

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• Using open-palm gestures
2. To complement To add or complement a • Smiling
verbal message • Using open-palm gestures

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3. To contradict To contradict the verbal • Sweating
message • Trembling

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• Shaking
4. To repeat To strengthen verbal message • Making an increasing volume of
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voice or modulating it
Using open-palm gestures
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5. To substitute To replace verbal message • Smiling
• Keeping quiet
• Shrugging shoulders
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• Pouting lips
• Raising eyebrows
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Listen carefully to the vlog, Exploring Tawi-Tawi Philippines (Is It Safe?) by the digital video
channel FEATR. A vlog is a blend of video and blog. A blog is a personal diary or journal that
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is posted online. When you produce a vlog, you create a video of yourself or others according to
your purpose—entertainment, informative, or educational.
While listening, apply a note-taking strategy in identifying the speaker’s verbal and nonverbal
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cues as you prepare for the succeeding activities.

Title: Exploring Tawi-Tawi Philippines (Is It Safe?)


Link: https://youtu.be/j61aD3H2Mns

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Talk About It
Activity 6.11
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the vlog.
1. Which part of the Philippine archipelago is Tawi-Tawi?
2. Why did the speaker consider Tawi-Tawi as a “breathtakingly natural paradise”?
3. W
 hat local places have you visited so far that you can feel like a “breathtakingly natural
paradise”?

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4. What is the purpose of the video content creator?

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5. What can you do to promote local tourism?

Work It Out

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Activity 6.12 Learning Objective:

1. Work with a partner in doing the two tasks in this activity. Use your Analyze speakers'

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intentions by focusing
notes in determining the intentions of the speaker in the featured vlog. on verbal and nonverbal
Focus on his verbal and nonverbal cues. Then, complete the matrices cues.

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below by identifying three each of his verbal and nonverbal cues.
Speaker’s Possible Intentions Verbal Cues
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Speaker’s Possible Intentions Nonverbal Cues


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2. Prepare a 2-minute oral presentation of the verbal and nonverbal cues of the speaker in the
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vlog and their possible intentions that you determined. Highlight your presentation using
the answers to the following questions:
a. How do these cues help you determine the purpose and clarity of the message conveyed
by the speaker?
b. How do these cues help you become an effective listener, reader, writer, speaker, and
viewer?

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Ready to View

Expressing Beliefs and Convictions


Every day, you will get an opportunity to express your ideas or beliefs on any matter to
anyone. Aside from the reflection prompts you learned in this unit, here are some more tips that
can help you communicate your thoughts.
1. Listen with an intent to understand, not just to react. Maintain interest in what you view,
listen, and read.
2. Be clear in stating your message.

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3. Focus on the main point and be brief in expressing your ideas.

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4. Show clear connections between ideas by using appropriate transitional devices. The
common connectors are FANBOYS—for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. When you enumerate

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ideas, you can use first, second, third, or first, next, last.
5. Support your ideas with evidence and examples.
6. Be courteous. Avoid being too pushy of your opinions and remember to agree to disagree.

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Learning Objective:
Activity 6.13
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Express your beliefs or convictions through a 1-minute video as a
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response to Exploring Tawi-Tawi Philippines (Is It Safe?) by the digital
Share personal beliefs or
convictions responding
video channel FEATR. Your purpose is to appreciate or compliment the team
to a material viewed. behind the vlog. You can use your answers in Activity 6.12 to reinforce your
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message. Imagine this video will be uploaded to any social media platform
and might get the FEATR team’s and others’ attention. Incorporate the tips
on the appropriate verbal and nonverbal cues and ways to express your ideas
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and explore your creativity by applying multimedia resources to make your


video engaging. You will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the
Appendix.
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Express Yourself
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Using Appropriate Oral Language, Stance, and Behavior


In developing your interpersonal communication skills effectively, you will be exposed to
various speaking exercises such as giving information and instruction, making explanations,
narrating events in factual and personal recounts, stating an opinion, among others. To perform
these speaking tasks well and achieve your purpose to be an effective speaker, you need to use
appropriate oral language, stance, and behavior.
Your oral language is your speech and language skills you constantly develop through time.
This can include your awareness of word sounds, understanding of words, including their meanings
and usage in a sentence, and knowledge of grammar rules.

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To effectively use appropriate oral language, consider the following tips:
• Be clear in the delivery of the purpose and message of your speech. State your purpose at
the beginning of your speech.
• Be clear in pronouncing and enunciating your words by practicing them constantly before
your performance.
• Use concise words and expressions.
• Lead your audience smoothly by using transitional words.
• Use related examples to reinforce your message.

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• Provide complete information.

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• Observe grammatical correctness.
• Be courteous with your language. Avoid stereotypes and any words, ideas, and expressions

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that can offend your audience.
Your stance and behavior can refer to your body language. This includes your eye contact,
posture, and gestures. Having a good stance and behavior will give you a stage presence that can

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pull your audience’s attention and engage them in your performance. To effectively use appropriate
stance and behavior, consider the following tips:


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Master your speech so that you can focus on your message and audience.
Maintain eye contact with your audience to get and sustain their attention.
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• Stand comfortably balancing your weight.
• Show positive behavior through gestures and facial expressions.
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• Be conscious of your mannerisms.


• Create a mental picture of you successfully delivering your speech.
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Constant proper practice is the key to your successful presentation. During the rehearsal,
video record yourself. Then, watch your recorded performance and pay attention to your oral
language, stance, and behavior.
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Start practicing your skill by performing the next activity.

Activity 6.14
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Use appropriate oral language, stance, and behavior in performing one Learning Objective:
of the following situations. Choose only one, then prepare a 2-minute speech Use proper language,
about it. Use your personal experiences to support your message. You will be posture, and behavior
when giving instructions
graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix. or narrating events.
1. Give two information about the Philippines.
2. Provide instructions on how to be a good student.
3. Explain why others must be proud as Filipinos.
4. Narrate your memorable local travel experience

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Practice Some More

Make It Real
Learning Objective: Activity 6.15
Plan a short story that
reflects local or national
Part A. Your teacher tasked you to write a short story reflecting local or
identity, customs, or national identity, customs, or traditions as an entry to a literary contest in
culture.
your district. Form a group with three members, and prepare a storyboard to
help you plan what happens in your story’s beginning, middle, and ending.

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Sketch inside the box to show the scene. Use arrows or notes to write the
details in each scene. You will be graded using Rubric 16: Storyboard in the

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Appendix.

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____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________


____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
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____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________


____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

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Part B. Present your storyboard in class. You have 10 minutes for your presentation. You will be
graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

Part C. Watch another group’s video presentation. Then, write a paragraph about the central
message of the proposed story of the group assigned to you. Make sure to observe paragraph
structure and use logical connectors. You will be graded using Rubric 06: Paragraph Writing in
the Appendix.

E-Link

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Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.

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• Improving Interpersonal Skills: This is a 24-item self-assessment exercise on evaluating
your interpersonal communication skill with tips on becoming an effective communicator.

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https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.mtpha.com/resource/resmgr/2016_Conference_PP_
Documents_/C1-Building_Effective_Interp.pdf
• Effective Vocal Delivery: These are notes and drills on achieving effective delivery using

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prosodic speech features.

https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/10-3-vocal-delivery/
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Philippine English Expressions: This is a collection of some of common Philippine English
expressions for reference.
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https://medium.com/postcard-pretty/amusing-philippine-english-expressions-filipinos-
say-d518bf37dc50
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• English Idioms: This provides common English idioms, their meaning and usage.
https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-idioms/
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• Paragraph Writing Worksheets: This provides worksheets to guide you in paragraph


writing.
https://www.englishworksheetsland.com/paragraphwriting.html
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What I Have Learned So Far


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Think about the following questions and write your reflection in the space below, which serves
as your learning journal.
1. Write your answers to each question in Things to Ponder.
2. Write at least three ideas that you learned from this lesson.
3. Write what other ideas you want to learn about the prose and how to evaluate it.

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Unit II
End-of-Unit Assessment
I. Composing and Publishing an Original Multimodal Literary Text (Flash Fiction)
What is flash fiction?
Flash fiction is a very short genre of fiction. There is no set word count, but it can be as brief

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as a five-sentence paragraph with a plot, setting, characters, and theme or central message. It
is also called sudden fiction or micro-stories.

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When writing flash fiction, it is essential to follow specific guidelines to achieve the desired
effect. These guidelines will help you create a concise, impactful, and engaging story.

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1. Focus on creating strong imagery with each word you use so your readers can visualize
your story as vividly as possible.
2. Stick to a single moment and avoid cramming too much into a piece of fiction.

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3. Keep the number of characters and scenes to a minimum to avoid spreading your story too
thin.
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4. Use a first-person viewpoint to instantly connect with your readers. Fifth, aim to surprise
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your readers by ending your story on a different emotional note than you started.
5. Make sure to put some thought into your title, as it can significantly impact how readers
approach your story.
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Scan the QR code with your smartphone to access flash fiction examples.
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Link: https://www.flashfictiononline.com/
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Name: _________________________________________________________________________
Section: __________________________ Date: _________________

Part A. You are invited to attend a literary writing workshop in your district. The workshop will
introduce you to the art of flash fiction writing and encourage you to create a piece that reflects
your local and national identity. The goal is to compose and submit an original flash fiction
paragraph of no more than 10 sentences for a writing contest. As you prepare for your draft,
follow the writing process.

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1. Pre-writing
a. Freewriting or Sketching. Use the space provided below to develop your topic. You can

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write down anything that comes to your mind while recalling the discussions about the
short stories discussed in this unit. Highlight the Filipino values and identity that are

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depicted in all the stories. You can also use sketching or illustrating to express your ideas.
The ultimate goal is to put your ideas into words or illustrations.

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b. Storyboarding. Plan your story by creating a storyboard with boxes for each scene and
notes or arrows for details. You can use the template below or make your own using an
extra paper.

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____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

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____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

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____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
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____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
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lu
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____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________


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____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________


____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

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2. During/Post-Writing
a. Initial Draft. Put your ideas together to produce an initial draft. Use the space below.
Then, meet with your teacher about your ideas.

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b. Second Draft. Align your draft with the goal of the task. Compose and submit an
original flash fiction paragraph of no more than 10 sentences depicting Filipino values
and identity for a writing contest. Then, check the guidelines for writing flash fiction.
Use the space below for your second draft. Then, meet with your teacher about your
ideas.

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c. Third Draft. Check your flash fiction’s sentence structure, capitalization, punctuation
marks, vocabulary, and grammar. Use the space below for your third draft. Then, meet
with your teacher about your ideas.

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d. Draft for Peer Review. Review the Checklist for the Flash Fiction Draft. Then, type
your flash fiction draft in a Word application and bring a copy for peer editing and
review.

Checklist for Flash Fiction Draft


Check a box that corresponds to your answer.

Questions Yes No

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1. Does it have a beginning, climax, and ending?
2. Are the roles of characters clear?

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3. Does it describe the setting clearly?
4. Does it use a first-person point of view?

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5. Does it use strong imagery or sensory details?
6. Does it follow a prescribed sentence count?
7. Does it reflect a Filipino culture or identity?

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8. Is capitalization used correctly?

10. Is the grammar accurate?


11. Is the word choice appropriate?
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9. Are punctuation marks used correctly?
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12. Are the sentences well-structured?
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Part B. Participate in peer reviewing activity. You will be assigned to a classmate to read and
review their flash fiction draft. Use the checklist below when you review.

Checklist for Flash Fiction Draft


Check a box that corresponds to your answer.

Questions Yes No
1. Does it have a beginning, climax, and ending?
2. Are the roles of characters clear?

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3. Does it describe the setting clearly?

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4. Does it use a first-person point of view?
5. Does it use strong imagery or sensory details?

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6. Does it follow a prescribed sentence count?
7. Does it reflect a Filipino culture or identity?
8. Is capitalization used correctly?

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9. Are punctuation marks used correctly?
10. Is the grammar accurate?
11. Is the word choice appropriate?
12. Are the sentences well-structured?
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Narrative Comments:
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Good job! I enjoyed reading your flash fiction because…


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Here are some points to improve your flash fiction…


Fo

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Part C. Finalize your flash fiction by incorporating your peers’ and teacher’s comments and
suggestions. Then, submit it for grading. You will be graded using Rubric 17: Flash Fiction in the
Appendix.
Part D. Present orally your flash fiction. You can create visuals or posters to strengthen your
presentation and highlight the central message of your flash fiction. You will be graded using
Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

II. Creating Portfolio. Follow the steps below in creating your portfolio.

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1. Collect all your completed written outputs in this unit.
2. Place them in a binder or expanded folder.

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3. Organize your output according to the lesson and dates. Put a label when necessary.

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4. The last page of your portfolio should be a reflective paragraph about your learning. Use
the guide questions below for your reflective paragraph.
a. What are the essential lessons you have learned from this unit? (Share at least two

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lessons).
b. H
 ow will I use these lessons to become a competent, job-ready, active, responsible, and
patriotic citizen? io
5. Your portfolio will be graded based on completeness (80%) and submission of the reflective
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paragraph (20%).
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UNIT III
EXPOSITORY AND

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INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

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IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES

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This unit focuses expository texts, news, press releases, and features. In this unit, you will learn
to analyze the different features and elements of an essay, and the different parts of a website and
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newspaper.
As part of the unit, you will compose and publish original multimodal informational texts.
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The unit is divided into three lessons focusing on different expository and informational texts
in contemporary times.
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Lesson 7: Evaluating Expository Text. This lesson explores the structures, forms, and key
aspects of expository texts. You will read, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate “An Ultimate Guide
to Philippine Mythology’s Legendary Deities (Excerpts)” by FilipiKnow and “The Origin of This
World” by Abdullah T. Madale.
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Lesson 8: Evaluating Informational Text: Features. This lesson explores the structures, forms,
and key aspects of features as informational texts. You will read, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate
“COVID-19 and My Mother’s ‘Champorado’” by Miguel Louie de Guzman and “What Is an
Educated Filipino” by Francisco F. Benitez.
Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts. This lesson focuses on understanding
and evaluating informational texts through multimodal forms. You will read, analyze, synthesize,
and evaluate “DENR to Spend P265M for Second Phase of Manila Bay Rehab Project” by
Jonathan L. Mayuga and “Chasing the Manila Sunset” by Jess Pacis.

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 221 1/8/2024 4:53:15 PM


Lesson 7
Evaluating Expository Text

By the end of the lesson, you


will have been able to:

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• compare and contrast
the characteristics of

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Philippine deities;
• identify the different
features and part

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functions of a website;
• navigate a website using
essential features, e.g.,
using headings and links;
Before Catholicism took its roots in the 16th century through

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• use appropriate idiomatic
expressions in a variety the Spanish colonizers, the early Filipinos had already been
of basic interpersonal
communicative situations;
• examine the structures
for clarity of meaning
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practicing their religious principles and beliefs about divine beings.
This contributed to the birth of diverse mythological stories during
the precolonial period. These stories helped the Filipino ancestors
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and purpose based on to get by, especially in dire situations.
subject-verb agreement;
• demonstrate Further, early Filipinos also believe in the legends, such as how
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understanding on the use the world began or was created. A legend is sometimes referred
of subject-verb agreement to as a hidden history. It is considered as such as it may be based
rules;
from some historical information. Most of the legends also portray
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• identify the distinguishing


features of myths; historical allusions by featuring real people, places, objects, and/or
• identify supporting events.
details;
Legends are generally considered semi-fictional. It features an
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• note the changes and


listen for important points exaggeration of the truth about a real event, place, or person that
signaled by the juncture has been distorted or glamorized in a narrative form. They also
and rate of speech;
present unverifiable, incorrect, or insubstantial information. They
• predict the gist of the
may present heroic acts, evildoing, or overcoming challenges and
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material viewed based on


the pictures, or excerpts of despairs.
the material viewed;
• employ correct turn-
In the present times, legends and myths still exist and are
taking; turn-giving and considered as important gems in Philippine literary history. They
topic-control strategies present the creativity of the early Filipinos in romanticizing people,
in conversations and
dialogs; and place, or event explained by their extraordinary characteristics or
• use websites in promoting qualities. These legends and myths played essential roles to the lives
local products and/or of the early Filipinos. They also used them in explaining things,
experiences.
phenomenon, and occurrences.

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
Newspapers are considered as important sources of information. The evolution of newspapers
provides different perspectives on the information that they provide from their first publication up
to the present time. With the advent of technology, newspapers are now published in both printed
and digital copies.
Study the front page of a newspaper below.

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Philippine Daily Inquirer October 29, 2023 Issue (Vol. 38 No. 323)
Source: Inquirer.net (https://www.inquirer.net/page-one-single/)

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Using the image on the previous page, answer the questions about the front page.
1. What information does the front page of a newspaper provide?
2. What does What’s Inside present?
3. How would you explain the intended information that the center photo portrays?
4. How was the newspaper helpful during the pre-digital years?
5. Do you think newspapers are still relevant nowadays, considering the presence of digital
media?

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What I Know, What I Do

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Tick the column that best describes your skills, knowledge, and attitude. Answer this section
as objectively as possible. Bear in mind that there are no incorrect answers. You can use your

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performance in Let’s Warm Up as one of the bases in completing this self-audit task.
Self-Audit Task Checklist
Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never

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1. I can compare and contrast the characteristics of
Philippine deities.
2. I can identify the different features and part
functions of a website.
io
at
3. I can navigate a website using essential features,
e.g., using headings and links.
4. I can use appropriate idiomatic expressions in
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a variety of basic interpersonal communicative


situations.
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5. I can examine the structures for clarity of


meaning and purpose based on subject-verb
agreement.
6. I can demonstrate understanding on the use of
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subject-verb agreement rules.


7. I can identify the distinguishing features of myths.
8. I can identify supporting details.
9. I can note the changes and listen for important
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points signaled by the juncture and rate of


speech.
10. I can predict the gist of the material viewed based
on the pictures, or excerpts of the material viewed.
11. I can employ correct turn-taking, turn-giving,
and topic-control strategies in conversations and
dialogs.
12. I can use websites in promoting local products
and/or experiences.
TOTAL

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Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point
Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
34–36 Advanced 25–27 Developing
31–33 Proficient 24 and below Beginning
28–30 Approaching Proficiency

Things to Ponder

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How do you express respect during conversations or dialogs?

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How do you check the veracity of that information that you read

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in print and nonprint media?

How do pictures and titles aid the readers in predicting the content of a text?

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Explore and Experience
What’s Coming
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Vocabulary Preview
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 This section further enriches your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:
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confined huge mythical revered


deities illuminated plump supernatural
derived inhabited retrieving
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Grammar Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to understand the different subject-verb agreement rules
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and use them appropriately and meaningfully.

Literary Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform the corresponding activities.
• “An Ultimate Guide to Philippine Mythology’s Legendary Deities (Excerpts)” by
FilipiKnow
• “The Origin of This World” by Abdullah T. Madale

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Ready to Read
Most mythic accounts are attributed to Philippine precolonial literary beliefs and histories.
These include world creation and adventures of different mythological characters, including the
legendary deities. Although these deities vary depending on the culture or locality, they still share
similarities, which can be attributed to the country’s geographical landscape.
To learn more about the Philippines’ legendary deities, read the guide below, then do the
activities that follow.

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About the Author
FilipiKnow is a Filipino An Ultimate Guide to Philippine Mythology’s Legendary Deities
(Excerpts)

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educational website that helps
Filipinos by providing access to by FilipiKnow
free and reliable information.
Read more in https://filipiknow. Philippine mythology is a collection of stories and superstitions about magical
net/about/

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beings a.k.a. deities1 whom our ancestors believed controlled everything.
According to the late Damiana L. Eugenio, the mother of Philippine Folklore,
What are the different deities in
Philippine mythology? What are
their features and characteristics?
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myths “account for the origin of the world, of mankind, of death, or for
characteristics of birds, animals, geographical features, and the phenomena
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of nature.”

About the Piece Falling under this sub-category are the stories or adventures of deities,
defined as supernatural2 beings with human characteristics.
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The article explains the rich


Philippine mythological history.
It enumerates and describes
Luzon Deities
some of the known mythological
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Based on the early accounts of Spanish conquistador Miguel de Loarca, the


characters across the country.
ancient Tagalogs believed in one creator god. However, they didn’t have the
power to communicate with him directly. An intercessor or “middleman” was
Expanding Vocabulary required.
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Encircle the letter that best This go-between could either be the spirit of their dead relative or any one of
defines each word set in
the lower-ranking deities. Ancient gods were usually worshiped in the form
boldface based on how it is
used in context. of adobe carvings called likha, while the dead ancestors were revered3 by
offering foods or gold adornments to wooden images known as anito.
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1. deities
a. divinities
Take note that the early missionaries differed on how they defined anito. Father
b. souls
2. supernatural Pedro de San Buenaventura, for example, insisted that the word referred to
a. ordinary the act of offering (“naga-anito”) and not the spirit itself (“pinagaanitohan”).
b. powerful
3. revered Aside from the deities and the souls of the departed, the ancient Tagalogs
a. honored also venerated animals like the crocodiles, believing that these wild beasts
b. announced contained the human souls. On the other hand, a tigmamanukan bird flying
4. derived
across someone’s path was considered an omen. Depending on the direction
a. taken
b. gathered of its flight, this bird could foretell whether an expedition would end up a
success or disaster.

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1. Bathala

Luzon Deities
Go to https://filipiknow.net/
philippine-mythology-gods-
and-goddesses/ or scan the
code below, and see how
Dubai-based Filipino graphic
artist “Trix,” and Maria Angela
C. Simbajon reimagined these
Luzon deities based on the

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descriptions given in this
article.

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Also known as Abba, this highest-ranking deity was described as “may
kapal sa lahat,” or the creator of everything. His origin is unknown but his
name suggests Hindu influences. According to William Henry Scott, Bathala
was derived4 from the Sanskrit bhattara which means “noble lord.”

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From his abode in the sky called Kawalhatian, this deity looks over mankind.
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He’s pleased when his people follow his rules, giving everything they need to
the point of spoiling them (hence, the bahala na philosophy). But mind you,
this powerful deity could also be cruel sometimes, sending lightning and
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thunder to those who sin against him.
Interesting fact: Other indigenous groups in Luzon also believed in a
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creator god, but they didn’t call him Bathala. For instance, the Bontoks and
Kankanays of the Central Cordillera considered Lumawig the “creator of all
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things and the preserver of life.” This deity later sired two pretty daughters–
Bugan, the goddess of romance; and Obban, the goddess of reproduction.
Those from Benguet honored Apo as their highest-ranking deity. Ifugaos,
meanwhile, called their own Kabunian. The latter was believed to have
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inhabited the “fifth region of the universe,” and was assisted by other minor
gods, among them Tayaban, the firefly-looking god of death; Gatui, the god
of practical jokes who was also blamed for causing miscarriages among
Ifugao mothers; Hidit, gods of the rituals responsible for giving punishments
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to those who broke taboos; and Bulol (or bulul), the famous Ifugao rice god
worshiped in the form of small wooden statues resembling their ancestors.
Early people of Zambales, on the other hand, named their highest-ranking
deity Malayari. Just like the Bathala of the Tagalogs, this creator god
rewarded his worshipers with good health and harvest and punished the
unbelievers with disease and famine.
Lesser divinities also assisted Malayari in carrying out his tasks, among
them Akasi, god of health and sickness; Manglubar, god of powerful living

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whose task was to “pacify angry hearts”; and the guardian angel Mangalabar,
the god of good grace.
2. Dumangan
Dumangan was the Tagalog sky-god of good harvest, the husband of
Idianale, and father to Dumakulem and Anitun Tabu.
In Zambales culture, Dumangan (or Dumagan) caused the rice to “yield
better grains.” According to F. Landa Jocano, the early people of Zambales
also believed Dumagan had three brothers who were just as powerful as him.

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Kalasakas hastened the ripening of the rice stalks while Kalasokus was
responsible for turning the grains into yellow. Lastly, the deity Damulag

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protected the flowers of the rice plants from the destructive hurricanes.
3. Anitun Tabu

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Among ancient Tagalogs, Anitun Tabu was known as the “fickle-minded
goddess of the wind and rain.” She’s one of the two children of Dumangan
and Idianale.

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In Zambales, this goddess was known as Aniton Tauo, one of the lesser
deities assisting their chief god, Malayari. Legend has it that Aniton Tauo was
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once considered superior to other Zambales deities. She became so full of
herself that Malayari reduced her rank as a punishment.
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The Zambales people used to offer her with the best kind of pinipig or
pounded young rice grains during harvest season. Sacrifices that made use
of these ingredients are known as mamiarag in their local dialect.
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4. Haliya and the Bakunawa


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Haliya is the moon goddess of Bicolano mythology who periodically comes


Expanding Vocabulary
down to earth to bathe in its waters.
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface Legend has it that the world used to be illuminated5 by seven moons. The
based on how it is used in
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gigantic sea serpent called bakunawa, a mythical creature found in the early
context.
Bicolano and Hiligaynon culture, devoured all but one of these moons.
5. illuminated
a. held In some myths, the remaining moon was saved after the gods came to the
b. lightened
rescue and punished the sea monster. Another story suggests that Haliya
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was the name of the last moon standing, and she spared herself from being
eaten by making noises using drums and gongs–sounds that the bakunawa
found repulsive.
Pre-colonial Filipinos blamed the bakunawa for causing the eclipse. Its name,
which literally means “bent serpent,” first appeared in a 1637 dictionary by Fr.
Alonso de Mentrida. Bakunawa was deeply embedded in our ancient culture
that by the time Fr. Ignacio Alcina penned his 1668 book Historias de las Islas
e Indios de las Bisayas, the name of the sea serpent was already synonymous
with the eclipse.

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The Hiligaynon people of the Visayas believe that the bakunawa lives either
in an area between the sky and the clouds or inside the bungalog which is
an underground passage “near the headwaters of big river systems.”
Believing that an eclipse was actually a bakunawa attempting to swallow the
moon, ancient Visayans tried to ward off the monster by creating sounds.
They did this by striking the floors of their houses or by beating cans, drums,
and the like.
Visayan Deities
Unlike the Tagalogs, ancient Visayans didn’t have a creator god like Bathala

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Visayan Deities
who appeared out of nowhere and decided to create humanity. But what Go to https://filipiknow.net/

nl
they lacked in “creator god” they made up for in plenty of origin myths. the-ancient-visayan-deities-
of-philippine-mythology/ or
These stories explain how death, class and race differences, concubinage,
scan the code below, and be
war, and theft were introduced to the world. familiarized with some of the

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famous legendary deities in the
They worshiped and offered prayers to a variety of invisible beings. These
Visayas.
could either be a diwata (i.e. gods and goddesses) or the spirits of their
ancestors called umalagad.

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It is believed that the word diwata was derived from the Sanskrit devata

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which suggests Hindu influences to our pre-Spanish culture.
Most of these unfortunate souls were poor Visayans who either died without
sufficient gold as pabaon or whose relatives couldn’t afford the required
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sacrifice to rescue them.
Mindanao Deities
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Mindanao Deities
If you think the Tagalog and Visayan mythology are mind-blowing enough,
Go to https://filipiknow.net/
wait until you see what Mindanao has to offer. Religion and culture in the the-ancient-mindanao-deities-
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south are unique because of the Muslim and Hindu-Javanese influences of-philippine-mythology/ or
that shaped them. scan the code below, and be
familiarized with some of the
As a result, the way our Mindanaoan ancestors worshiped the spirits in the famous legendary deities in
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pre-colonial era combined both their old beliefs and those of the foreigners Mindanao.

they came in contact with.


The colorful and fascinating Mindanao mythology would have probably died
with our ancestors were it not for the few dedicated people who took the risk
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to study them.
The Mindanao mythology is as colorful as the many tribes that lived in the
island. They include the Bagobo, Manobo, Bukidnon, Subanon, and Tiruray,
among others. Let’s jump right in and explore the magical world of the
ancient Mindanao.

Source:
https://filipiknow.net/philippine-mythology-gods-and-goddesses/

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Talk About It
Activity 7.1
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the article you read.
1. Who is Bathala? Describe his characteristics.
2. How would you explain the religious influence to the mythological beliefs and cultures
of the Mindanaoan ancestors?
3. How would you compare and contrast the different deities or divinities in Luzon,

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Visayas, and Mindanao?

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4. How would you explain the significance of these creatures in Philippine mythology?
What do these reveal about our precolonial history?

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Map It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 7.2
Compare and contrast

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the characteristics of  Compare and contrast the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao deities by
Philippine deities.
completing the Venn diagram below.
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Luzon Deities Visayan Deities
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Mindanano Deities

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Text Focus

Newspapers and Websites


Nowadays, information has been widely available and accessible. The use of newspapers and
other print and nonprint materials have been helpful in providing relevant information about
a particular topic. Newspapers have served as one of the major sources of information, such as
news, current affairs, economics, and classified ads, among others.
Other print media also provide significant information. Brochures, journals, magazines, and
periodicals are some of these print media that still provide relevant details about certain topics or

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subject matter.

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One of the common examples of print media is a newspaper. In getting current information
from a newspaper, it is necessary that you understand its basic parts.

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• The editorial section refers to the opinion of the editorial board on a particular issue.
• A
 n editorial cartoon refers to an illustration that explains the newspaper’s pictorial
presentation of an issue.

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• T
 he feature section refers to the articles that highlight the achievements or experiences of
a person. It also features different topics that include places, events, and others.


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The business news refers to articles that focus on the business issues or updates.
The sports page refers to articles that are related to different sports events.
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• T
 he science page refers to news on science and technology events, innovations, and
breakthroughs.
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On the other hand, the use of nonprint media, like videotapes, television, and radio materials,
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helps in the visualization and digitization of access to information.


With the advent of technology, the use of the Internet has made information more accessible
with a few clicks. One of these electronic means that provides information is a website. It is a
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collection of online pages distinguished by their domain names. It is also circulated in at least one
server.
When navigating a website, it is important that you understand its different features or parts.
Some of these features include the following parts:
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Parts of a Website
Features Description
1. Website Logo It presents the logo or picture of the company or brand. Sometimes, it only
presents its name, which is often linked to its main webpage or home.
2. Header It is the top part of a website. This contains the site menu and the logo.
This allows you to scroll on the content beneath the menu to determine
what other options the site can offer.

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Features Description
3. Menu It is found in the menu. It is placed in an easy-to-access point in a website
that allows the users to easily navigate the site.
4. Body It contains most of the website’s content. Specific pages present specific
contents.
5. Highlighted This helps the users explore the parts of the website. This also presents the
Content contents depicting the main purpose of the website.
6. Call to Action This refers to buttons or links that guide the users in navigating the
(CTA) website, completing website goals, or exploring relevant information.

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7. Sidebar It is used, like menus, to help users navigate the website. It presents
related bits of information, like steps in performing the website’s goals or

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processes.
8. Posts and “Feed” It allows the users to be engaged with the content of the website by
Content providing a “feed.”

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9. Internal Links They provide smooth flow of navigation through the website. They lead
the users to internal or specific content that they want to explore.
10. Forms They are used to get information from website users. They may ask the

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users to sign-up, provide feedback, or provide personal details. They ask
for relevant details that the website developers may use to improve its

11. Buttons
content.
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They serve as links or prompts in performing an action or leading to more
specific contents or steps. They allow the website to be as interactive as
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possible to cater the needs of the users.
12. Footer This provides links on the website, the copyright, and other relevant
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information such as updating time, and the like.


13. Social Links These are links used to direct users to the brand’s or company’s social
media accounts to get more updates and information about the products
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or services that they offer.


Source: https://www.digiworks.co.za/13-parts-of-a-website-you-should-know-about/
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O
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lu
va
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Fo

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Whether your reference is a print or nonprint media, it is essential that you check the veracity
of the article. Veracity refers to conformity to facts or truthfulness. With the advent of technology,
you sometimes encounter fake news or information online. In this digital age, you must recognize
factual versus fake news.
Nick Robins-Early, in his article on November 22, 2016, listed nine things on how you can
recognize fake news story. These are as follows:
1. Read past the headline.
2. Check what news outlet published it.

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3. Check the publish date and time.
4. Who is the author?

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5. Look at what links and sources are used.

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6. Look out for questionable quotes and photos.
7. Beware confirmation bias.
8. Search if other news outlets are reporting it.

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9. Think before you share.

Activity 7.3
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Learning Objective:

Identify the different Do this activity by following the instructions below.


features and part
1. Take a screenshot of your favorite website, print, and paste it below.
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functions of a website.
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2. Identify the different features or parts that it offers. Label each one of them using the
pasted screenshot in number 1.
3. Explain how each feature or part functions to support the operation of the website.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Provide a short explanation why you consider this website as your favorite.
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

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Activity 7.4
Learning Objective:
Part A. Navigate the link below about Homo luzonensis. Read and understand
Navigate a website

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the article. using essential features,
e.g., using headings and
links.

io
Title: Philippine Cave Discovery: Meet ‘Homo luzonensis’
Link: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1106031/philippine-
at
cave-discovery-meet-homo-luzonensis
lu

Part B. Identify at least five key details from the article that you have read.
va
rE

Homo luzonensis
Fo

Part C. Enumerate the steps that you followed or considered in navigating the link.
Step 1 _____________________________________________________________________________
Step 2 _____________________________________________________________________________
Step 3 _____________________________________________________________________________
Step 4 _____________________________________________________________________________
Step 5 _____________________________________________________________________________

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Vocabulary Focus

Idiomatic Expressions or Idioms


Idiomatic expressions or idioms are figurative expressions that portray nonliteral meanings.
Idioms are common languages, and have hidden meanings. The meaning of each idiom is different
from the meaning of each individual element in the expression.
Analyze the example below.

Ferrer: I will represent our school in an oratorical contest tomorrow.

y
Jocelyn: Oh, break a leg! I know you can do it.

nl
In the expression break a leg, it does not literally mean that someone has to break their leg.

O
It actually means good luck or wish for someone to perform or do well in a particular task.
Idiomatic expressions are used in different communicative situations. You cannot say break a
leg to someone who is mourning. You have to gauge the context and the situation. By understanding
the meaning of each idiomatic expression, you will understand when and how to use it.

n
Study the examples below.
Idiomatic Expression
1. Give me a ring before you leave.
io to call
Meaning
at
2. My brother talks a mile per minute. rapidly
3. You have to get in shape before the competition. exercise to improve one’s physique
lu

4. This book is good for nothing. useless


5. This opportunity happens once in a blue moon. extremely rare
va

6. She has now shown her true colors. revealing one’s true character
7. The news about the ghost spread like wildfire. circulate very quickly
8. We get most of the precolonial literary works
spread by talking about it
rE

through word-of-mouth.
one who is considered as the disgrace to
9. He is the black sheep of the family.
the family
10. I want to play outside but it’s raining cats and dogs. raining heavily
Fo

Guidelines on Using Idiomatic Expressions


Here are some of the guidelines on how and when to use an idiomatic expression in different
interpersonal communicative situations.
1. Use idiomatic expressions to make communication more dynamic. Through idioms, you
are able to entertain and add flavor in the communication process, whether written or
spoken.
2. Use idioms to express logical thinking. Through idioms, you are able to establish clear
points by expressing nonliteral contexts and meanings.

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3. Use idioms to create mental images that appeal to the senses. Through idioms, you can
allow your audience and/or readers to use their senses to create vivid pictures of what you
are saying. Stimulating the senses matters.
4. Use idioms to express broad ideas in more specific manner. Through idioms, you can offer
clearer ideas especially if you are uncertain where to start on a broad topic.
5. Establish a viewpoint or perspective. Through idioms, you can present your point of
view and support it with factual and verified information. With this, you can maintain
engagement; hence, leaving an impact on the audience and/or readers.

y
Activity 7.5
Learning Objective:

nl
Part A. Using any of the scenarios listed in the first column, create a dialogue Use appropriate
between two or more characters, incorporating the idiomatic expressions in the idiomatic expressions
in a variety of

O
second column. You will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the basic interpersonal
Appendix. communicative
situations.
Possible Scenarios Idiomatic Expressions

n
Meeting a friend in a coffee shop a mile per minute
Attending a club meeting apple of the eye
Attending a family reunion
Talking to a boss
io
call it a day
once in a blue moon
at
Talk show/Interview piece of cake
straight shooter
lu

when pigs fly


zip your lip
va

Part B. Using the scripts you prepared in Part A, highlight each idiomatic expression used, then
identify their meanings.
rE

Grammar Focus

Subject-Verb Agreement (Part 1)


The subject must agree with its verb in sentence. They should agree in terms of number (singular
Fo

or plural). Except for the verb to be, singular verb requires the use of singular verb (or the -s form
of the verb), while plural subject goes with the plural verb (or the simple form of the verb).
Example:
Haeizel visits her grandmother.
singular subject singular verb/-s form of the verb

Gerald and Jeanny water the plants.


plural subject plural verb/simple form of the verb

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1. The verb to be requires different structures in terms of subject-verb agreement.
Verb (to be)
Subject Examples
Present Past
1. I am was I am the way, the truth, and the life.

2. You You are the father of my brother-in-law.


are were
(Singular) The subject You refers to only one person.

3. You You are the students of my mother.

y
are were
(Plural) The subject You refers to more than one person.

nl
He is the author of Noli Me Tangere.
4. He/She/It is was She is a teacher in a university in the Middle East.

O
It is the capital of our province.
We are the descendants of the pre-colonial datu
5. We are were
of Tondo.

n
They are the police officers assigned in our
6. They are were
barangay.
io
2. A singular subject requires the use of the -s form of the verb.
at
subject verb
lu

The supporting actor plays a very significant role in the movie.


va

3. Generally, compound subjects joined by and require the use of the simple form of the verb.

subjects combined by and


rE

Marianne and Brian deliver the crops to their clients.

verb
Fo

subjects combined by and

The computer and the Internet make researching easier.

verb

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4. Compound subjects joined by and but refer to the same person require the use of the
-s form of the verb.

subjects referring to the same person

My mother and friend prepares a sumptuous dinner for the whole family.

verb

The subjects mother and friend refer to the same person. It means that the

y
speaker also treats his/her mother his/her friend.

nl
5. In compound subjects joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

O
subject (singular) verb

Neither Rommel nor his friends want to join the parade.

n
subject (plural) nearer to the verb want

io
subject (plural) verb
at
Neither his friends nor Rommel wants to join the parade.
lu

subject (singular) nearer to the verb wants


va

6. An intervening phrase between the subject and the verb does not change the number of the
subject.
rE

subject verb

A bundle of books costs Php 500.00 in the international book fair.


Fo

intervening phrase

The verb costs agrees with the main subject bundle and not of books.

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7. An intervening clause between the subject and the verb does not change the number of the
subject.

subject verb

Ferrer who authored the historical books receives a government recognition.

intervening phrase

y
The verb receives agrees with the main subject Ferrer and not who authored
the historical books.

nl
8. Singular subjects separated from the verb by words, such as along with, as well as, including,

O
together with, and besides require the use of singular verbs.

a. Singular subject

n
subject verb

io
The student, together with his teacher, receives the award for student invention.
at
b. Plural subject
subject verb
lu

The students, together with his teacher, receive the award for student invention.
va

9. Singular indefinite pronouns take the -s form of the verbs. Indefinite pronouns that are
singular in number include, but are not limited to, either, neither, one, no one, each, nobody,
somebody, everybody, anybody, something, everything, anyone, everyone, and someone.
rE

subject verb

Nobody wants to take responsibility for this issue.


Fo

Everyone does their best during the foundation day celebration.

subject verb

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10. Plural indefinite pronouns take the simple form of verbs. Indefinite pronouns that are plural
in number include several, many, few, and both.

subject verb

Many want the management to take full responsibility for this issue.

Both do their best during the foundation day celebration.

y
subject verb

nl
11. Some indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural depending on how they are used in

O
a sentence or context. These include some, any, none, all, and most. If these indefinite
pronouns are used with countable nouns, then they are plural. However, if these indefinite
pronouns are used with uncountable nouns, then they are singular.

n
Examples:

a. Uncountable Nouns
subject verb
io
at
Most of the salt remains unused.
lu

uncountable noun
va

b. Countable Nouns
subject verb
rE

Most of the students prepare for their tests.

countable noun
Fo

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Learning Objective:
Activity 7.6
Examine the structures Using the given verb before each number, identify the correct present
for clarity of meaning verb form (­-s or simple form) to be used in each sentence.
and purpose based on
subject-verb agreement.

release 1. Frank and Bing ________ their latest album.


visit 2. Reina, together with her siblings, ________ her parents.

y
want 3. Rommel ________ his inventions be recognized by the government.

nl
give 4. Somebody ________ me this box filled with toys.
be 5. We ________ the ones who filed the motion for reconsideration.

O
expect 6. Either Carmela or her friends ________ to win this competition.
deny 7. My cousin and friend ________ the allegations.
be 8. I ________ aware of what is happening right now.

n
sit 9. A box of books ________ in the shelf.

io
win 10. The lady, who wrote several plays, ________ this year’s Carlos Palanca Awards.
have 11. Most of the sugar ________ been consumed.
at
need 12. Both parties ________ to meet to discuss the terms and conditions.
lu

Activity 7.7

Learning Objective:
Part A. With your groupmates, write a 3-minute news script on issues related
va

to the West Philippine Sea. Use the subject-verb agreement rules that we
Demonstrate
understanding on the discussed. You will be graded using Rubric 18: News Script in the Appendix.
use of subject-verb
agreement rules. Part B. Present your news report in your class. You will be graded using
rE

Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

Link It
Mythology, in its general sense, deals with the study of myths. The concepts of myth and
Fo

mythology are common in most cultures and civilizations. Two of the most common accounts
include the Greek and Roman mythology. The Philippine mythology is composed of different
stories and characters from different groups, communities, and localities in the country. Some
mythological entities may have different names, but their roles and characteristics resemble each
other, such as Supreme Being and Bathala.
Myths are narratives about entities or beings with unverifiable, extraordinary, and/or
imaginary existence. They portray actual or symbolic events associated with religious views. They
narrate stories of gods, goddesses, demigods, superhumans, and other extraordinary creatures.

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Common Filipino myths show stories of the creation of the world and mankind, and the good
deeds of gods and goddesses.
In terms of its common features, myths do the following:
• narrate stories about gods and goddesses;
• include extraordinary creatures;
• show stories of heroism;
• employ strong level of imagery;
• feature magical elements, entities, and power; and

y
• explain peculiar events

nl
Read and analyze the Maranaw version of how the world began titled, “The Origin of this
World.” It includes different layers of the sky and the world. It also presents different mythical

O
characters who played important roles in the creation account.

n
The Origin of this World (Maranaw)
io
Retold by Abdullah T. Madale
About the Author
Like other precolonial literary
works, this account has no definite
at
According to Maranaw folklore, this world was created by a great Being. It author. What is known is that this
creation account came from the
is not known, however, who exactly is this great Being. Or how many days
Maranaw. This account of the
it took him to create this world. origin of the world (Maranaw) is
lu

attributed to Dr. Abdullah T. Madale


This world is divided into seven layers. The earth has also seven layers. who had written hundreds of
Each layer is inhabited by a different kind of being. The uppermost layer, articles about the Muslims and the
va

for example, is the place we are inhabiting. The second layer is being Maranaw.
Read more details about Dr. Madale
inhabited1 by dwarfs. These dwarfs are short, plump2, and long-haired.
from the back cover of his book The
They are locally known as karibangs. The karibangs are said to possess Maranaws: Dwellers of the Lake,
magical powers. They are usually invisible to the human eye. The third
rE

uploaded in Google Books.


layer of the earth which is found under the sea or lake is inhabited by
nymphs. These nymphs also possess certain magical powers. It is stated
How is it possible for human
in the story of Rajah Indarapatra that he met and fell in love with the
being to possess supernatural
princess nymph with whom he had a child.
Fo

powers? Do you believe that


mythical characters have
The sky also consists of seven layers. Each layer has a door which is existed before?
guarded day and night by huge3 mythical4 birds called garoda. The seventh
layer of the sky is the seat of heaven which is also divided into seven
layers. Every layer in the sky is inhabited by angels. Maranaws believe that About the Piece

angels do not need food. They all possess wings with which they fly. This creation account portrays
how the world began based
Heaven which is found on the seventh layer of the sky is where good on the Maranaw mythological
perspectives.
people’s spirits go after death. Saints are assigned to the seventh layer

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while persons who “barely made it” are confined5 to the lowermost layer
Expanding Vocabulary which is found at the bottom of heaven.
Encircle the letter that best defines
the word set in boldface based on It is in heaven where we find the tree-of-life. On each leaf of the tree-of-life
how it is used in context. is written the name of every person living on earth. As soon as a leaf ripens
1. inhabited or dries and falls, the person whose name it carries also dies.
a. populated
b. uncultivated The soul of every person is found in tightly-covered jars kept in one
2. plump section of heaven. This particular section of heaven is closely guarded
a. chubby by a monster with a thousand eyes, named Walo. Walo, in addition to his
b. haggard
thousand eyes, has also eight hairy heads. The epic Darangan speaks to

y
3. huge
a. wide Madale, Bantugan’s brother, Mabaning, husband of Lawanen, entering this
section and retrieving6 the soul of Bantugan.

nl
b. big
4. mythical
a. legendary
b. historical

O
5. confined Source: Eugenio, D. (2007). Philippine folk literature: An anthology. The University of the
Philippines.
a. freed
b. restrained
6. retrieving

n
a. losing
b. reclaiming

Talk About It
io
at
Activity 7.8
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions based on the text you read.
lu

1. What is a garoda? What role does a garoda play?


2. What metaphorical symbolism does the tree-of-life represent?
va

3. How many layers do the world and sky have? What do you think is the significance of
this number in the story?
4. Which characters and/or concepts of the story seem to be real? Explain your answer.
rE

5. How would you differentiate the concept of heaven mentioned in the story with that
of other beliefs?

Map It Out
Fo

Learning Objective:
Activity 7.9
Identify the
distinguishing features  Complete the table by identifying and analyzing if the following
of myths.
common features of myths are present in the given story.
Features Analysis

1. Gods and goddesses

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Features Analysis

2. Extraordinary creatures

3. Stories of heroism

4. Strong level of imagery

5. M
 agical elements, entities, and

y
power

nl
6. Peculiar events

O
Cultural Trip

n

io
Did you know that the Philippines has different versions of mythological characters?
These characters vary from culture to culture or island to island. They also significantly
at
portray the beliefs (and religiosity) of early Filipinos.
• Did you know that the Philippines has mythological characters created and set in the
modern times? One of which is the television series Encantadia that shows modern
lu

examples of mythology in the Philippine context. GMA Network produced and aired
the series in 2005. It narrates a story of a place that uses Enchanta, a fictional language.
This magical world is divided into different kingdoms and territory, such as Lireo
va

(protector of air gemstone), Sapiro (protector of earth gemstone), Hathoria (protector


of fire gemstone), Adamya (protector of water gemstone), and Etheria. It also features
different mythological characters such as gods and goddesses, namely, Cassiopeia, Emre,
Keros, Haliya, Ether, and Arde.
rE

Write It Right
Fo

This lesson focuses on identifying the supporting details in each paragraph. As a paragraph
contains different sentences or statements, it is composed of a topic sentence that presents the key
idea, and other supporting sentences or details. As such, supporting details are information that
further expounds or explains the key detail. They may be reasons, examples, facts, steps, or other
kinds of evidence that explain the main idea.
Identifying Supporting Details
Supporting details may be classified as major or minor details. Major details present, explain,
and develop the main idea while minor details clarify the major information.

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How can you identify the supporting details in a paragraph?
1. Identify the key idea or the topic of the paragraph. The key idea may just be a word or
phrase. However, they are usually contained in the topic sentence. The topic explains the
key concept that a paragraph wants to convey.
2. Identify the supporting details in a paragraph. In analyzing the supporting details in a
paragraph, it is important that you take note of these questions:
• Which statements in the paragraph help me understand the topic?
• Which details help in explaining or elaborating the key idea or topic?

y
Study the example below.

nl
By 2045, the Philippine population is projected to increase from its 2010 Census Count of
93 million to 142 million. This increase is expected even with the projected slowing down in
average annual population growth rate, from 1.73 percent during 2010–2015 to 0.65 percent

O
during 2040– 2045. The CALABARZON region remains the largest in terms of population
size even until 2045 (20.1 million), followed by the NCR and Central Luzon with 14.5 million
each. Western Visayas and Central Visayas come next with 10.4 million each. The CAR region
will continue to report the smallest population with 2.6 million by year 2045.

n
Source: https://psa.gov.ph/content/highlights-2010-census-based-population-projections

io
The given example above shows the population projection in the Philippines by 2045. In this
at
example, can you identify the topic sentence containing the key idea and its supporting details?
Key Idea Increase in population from 93 M in 2010 to 142 M by 2045
lu

Increase is projected to slow down in average annual population growth


Major
rate
Minor Increase in population in slow rate from 1.73% to 0.65%
va

CALABARZON, NCR, and Central Luzon will have the highest


Supporting Major projection followed by Western Visayas and Central Visayas, while CAR
Details will have the smallest one.
rE

CALABARZON as the largest with 20.1 M by 2045


NCR and Central Luzon each with 14.5 M by 2045
Minor
Western Visayas and Central Visayas each with 10.4 M by 2045
CAR as the smallest with 2.6 M by 2045
Fo

By 2045, the Philippine population is projected to increase from its 2010 Census Count of
93 million to 142 million. This is the topic sentence containing the key idea of the paragraph. It
actually shows that the population will significantly increase from 93 M to 142 M.
On the other hand, the other sentences in the paragraph are the supporting details. There may
be several major details in a paragraph. The minor details specifically clarify the major details by
exemplifying them. They are considered as supporting details as they elaborate or explain the key
idea of the paragraph.

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Tips for Identifying Supporting Details
Presented below are tips for identifying supporting details.
1. Read and understand the title of the passage.
2. Determine the topic sentence using the guidelines mentioned in the previous lesson.
3. Answer the following questions in relation to the topic sentence or key idea: who, what,
when, where, why, and how. Answers to these questions will lead you to the supporting
details.
4. Determine which details provide explanation about the key idea or main topic. The

y
sentences that directly support or explain the key idea or main topic is the major supporting
detail.

nl
5. Determine which statement elaborates the major supporting detail. They usually provide
examples on the major supporting detail.

O
Activity 7.10
Learning Objective:
Read each item that is directly lifted from the Climate Change Report of

n
Identify supporting
DOST-PAGASA. Underline the major supporting details once and the minor details.
supporting details twice.
io
1. Climate change is happening now. Evidences being seen support the fact that the change
cannot simply be explained by natural variation. The most recent scientific assessments
at
have confirmed that this warming of the climate system since the mid-20th century is most
likely to be due to human activities; and thus, is due to the observed increase in greenhouse
gas concentrations from human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and land use
lu

change. Current warming has increasingly posed quite considerable challenges to man and
the environment, and will continue to do so in the future. Presently, some autonomous
va

adaptation is taking place, but we need to consider a more pro-active adaptation planning
in order to ensure sustainable development.
2. All areas of the Philippines will get warmer, more so in the relatively warmer summer
rE

months. Mean temperatures in all areas in the Philippines are expected to rise by 0.9°C to
1.1°C in 2020 and by 1.8°C to 2.2°C in 2050. Likewise, all seasonal mean temperatures
will also have increases in these time slices; and these increases during the four seasons are
quite consistent in all parts of the country. Largest temperature increase is projected during
the summer (MAM) season.
Fo

3. In the Philippines, there are now a number of assisted climate change adaptation
programmes and projects that are being implemented. Among these are the Millennium
Development Goals Fund 1656: Strengthening the Philippines Institutional Capacity to
Adapt to Climate Change funded by the Government of Spain, the Philippine Climate
Change Adaptation Project (which aims to develop the resiliency and test adaptation
strategies that will develop the resiliency of farms and natural resource management to
the effects of climate change) funded by the Global Environmental Facility(GEF) through
the World Bank, the Adaptation to Climate Change and Conservation of Biodiversity
Project and the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change (envisioned to develop
the adaptation capacity of communities), both funded by the GTZ, Germany.

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Listening and Viewing Time

Ready to Listen
Speech Elements: Juncture and Rate of Speech
This section explains the concepts of juncture and rate of speech as important speech elements.
• Juncture, sometimes called phrasing, signals pause or pauses in speech. It is basically the
point where two sounds meet. In streets, two directions meet in a corner where they pause.

y
Example 1: my train might rain

nl
Their sounds may somehow be the same, but the juncture places great importance on where
to place it. The position of the juncture provides clear idea on the differences between my
train and might rain.

O
Example 2: ice cream I scream
The position of the juncture provides a clear idea on the differences between ice cream and

n
I scream.
• Speech rate refers to the speed speech units are produced over time. It simply explains the
io
speed you take in speaking. It is calculated in the number of words spoken per minute.
at
Guidelines for Speaking and Reading
Categories Definition
lu

1. Slow less than 110 wpm


2. Conversational between 120 and 150 wpm
va

3. Fast more than 160 wpm

Using the prosodic features of speech, such as juncture and speech rate, watch and analyze
the video about fake news. You can access the video by going to the link or scanning the QR code
rE

below.

Title: What is fake news? Tips for Spotting Them –


Fo

Fake News for Kids


Link: https://youtu.be/D0Cd9-eJ-No

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Talk About It
Activity 7.11
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the video clip.
1. What is fake news?
2. What are key words that can help you in analyzing whether an article is fake or real?
3. Why do some people post fake news or unverified articles?
4. What does it mean by the saying virtual is real?

y
5. How do you share online article or picture with caution?

nl
6. What is the importance of verifying the content of an article before sharing it?
7. How would you evaluate a speaker who presented an information about spotting fake

O
news in terms of volume, projection, pitch, stress, intonation, juncture, and rate of
speech?
8. Does the material seem to be real and verifiable? Explain your answer.

n
Work It Out
Activity 7.12
io Learning Objective:

Note the changes and


listen for important
at
 Identify the average number of words the speaker can utter in a minute points signaled by the
based on the YouTube video. Proper juncture and speech rate should be juncture and rate of
speech.
observed.
lu

Minute Number of Words


1. Minute 1
va

2. Minute 2
3. Minute 3
4. Minute 4
rE

5. Average number
of words
6. Category
Fo

Ready to View
A picture is worth a thousand words. A certain picture may already provide a summary or
relevant information that it portrays. One may predict what a story is all about by reading the
title. Looking at the picture may also serve as a way of predicting the information that it would
like to tell.

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Study the picture below.

y
nl
Photo credit: Personal Photo

O
The picture on this page may suggest different interpretations. However, a viewer may suggest
that this picture may say something about giving or sharing of resources to those who are in need.

n
Watch the video clip below.

io
Title: Climate Change (According to a Kid)
at
Link: https://youtu.be/Sv7OHfpIRfU
lu

Talk About It
va

Activity 7.13
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the video.
rE

1. What is the video all about?


2. How does climate change occur?
3. How do you contribute to making the climate worse?
4. Based on the video, what should be done to stop or control climate change?
Fo

5. As an individual, what contributions can you make in solving or controlling climate
change?

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Learning Objective:
Work It Out Predict the gist of the
material viewed based
Activity 7.14 on the pictures, or
excerpts of the material
 Examine the pictures that follow. Predict the gist or idea that each viewed.
picture tells.
1. 4.

y
nl
O
Photo credit: Grabbed with permission from the
Facebook page of William “Fr. Choi” Garcia.

n
2.
5.

io
at
lu

Photo credit: Personal photo of Benedict Gocuyo


va
rE

Photo credit: Personal Photo

3.
Fo

Photo credit: http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/photo_


release/2022/0510_00.asp

Lesson 7: Evaluating Expository Text ~251

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Express Yourself

Communication Strategies
In communication, it is essential that you learn and employ different communication strategies.
These will help in planning appropriate communication flow in a conversation. You communicate
well to establish harmonious relationship with other people. Effective communication happens if
the intended message is understood, and relationships are maintained.
Below are the different communication strategies that you can employ while conversing with

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others.

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Strategies Definitions Guides in Using the Strategies

1. Nomination It is a strategy used in setting the Introduce the topic in clear and

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mood of the conversation. In here, the truthful manner.
target topic is nominated, presented, Be clear with the key points that you
or opened up. would like to discuss.

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Discuss only what is relevant to keep
the communication focused.

2. Restriction
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It refers to the limitation set in a
communication process. These are
Ask restricting or limiting questions
in a confident yet respectful manner.
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basically the guidelines to be observed Be guided by communication
in a communication proceeding, protocols, especially in formal
i.e., meeting proceedings, rules in events, such as meetings and debates.
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debating.

3. Turn-taking It refers to the exchange of words or Watch out for the verbal and
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messages during a communication nonverbal cues when to speak.


process. It provides the opportunities Do not manipulate the conversation
to individuals involved in a process. Allow the other speakers to
communication process as to who talk or express themselves.
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will control the conversation.

4. Topic control This refers to the level of formality of Observe and take note who holds
the communication process. It differs the power in a conversation activity,
from one communication event to especially in a formal meeting.
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another. In a more formal scenario, Speak only when necessary, i.e., ask
the one holding most of the power questions during open forum in a
usually controls the conversation. seminar.
For the speaker, only ask relevant
questions.
For the respondent, directly answer
the questions. Provide relevant
answers.

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Strategies Definitions Guides in Using the Strategies

5. Topic shifting It refers to the change of topic during Use respectful words in changing
a conversation. It suggests an end of topic.
conversation on a topic while opening Make sure that the new topic is
a new one. relevant, related, or something that
will address the interest of the other
party.

6. Repair It is the process of addressing Ask relevant questions in clarifying

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communication issues that may the question or statement.
occur during the actual conversation.

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Use appropriate nonverbal cues in
This may be done by asking for signifying communication repair.
clarification, repeating one’s
statement, or giving way to others for Repeat questions whenever

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them to speak. necessary that is not offending on
the part of the other party.
Recast the statement if not
understood.

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7. Termination It refers to words, gestures, or signals Use appropriate communication-
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that signify the end of a conversation.
In any communication process,
always remember to terminate it in a
ending statements.
Be courteous in ending the
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communication process. Use
respectful manner. appropriate verbal and nonverbal
cues to signify an end of
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conversation.

Guidelines on Communication
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In general, communication requires a certain level of confidence, expectations, and courtesy.


In doing so, be reminded of the following general guidelines on communication.
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1. Be polite. Courtesy is important to achieve successful communication results.


2. Avoid unnecessary or inappropriate questions or comments. Asking irrelevant or
inappropriate questions may embarrass the other party in the communication process.
3. Be guided by the social distance principle. A certain personal question may be asked of
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other people whom you share with certain level of closeness.


4. Be honest but not rude. Provide honest answers and opinions but still maintain a respectful
communication environment.
5. Use appropriate and necessary verbal and nonverbal cues. This would help you establish
trust, respect, and confidence.

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Effective communication involves appropriate ways of asking questions and eliciting responses.
There are some ways on how one should ask questions in order to elicit appropriate response. In
an interview or conversation, one may ask the following types of questions:
1. Open-ended questions. These are questions that require accurate and long or detailed
responses.
2. Funnel questions. This type uses a top-down approach in questioning. It focuses first on
the general information leading to the most specific answers.
3. Probing questions. This type requires the respondents to answer the question in detailed
form. It may also provide clarification or additional information.

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4. Leading questions. This type of question allows the speaker or interviewer to direct the

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respondent or interviewee to the former’s way of thinking.
5. Rhetorical questions. This type of question does not require answers from the respondent.

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However, they may require appropriate responses from the respondent or interviewee.

Guidelines for Asking Questions and Eliciting Response

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In asking these questions during a conversation or meeting whether formal or informal, be

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reminded of the following guidelines in asking questions and eliciting responses:
1. Ask questions that require learning. It means that both the interviewee and interviewer
will benefit from it.
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2. Use appropriate words in asking questions. Conversations should focus on building
relationships. Respondents or interviewees provide needed feedback if they know that the
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environment is safe for them.


3. Rhetorical questions. Help the interviewee or respondent to reflect on their own experiences
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and actions. By asking rhetorical questions, you are already managing or coaching them in
your own way.
4. Probing questions. Do not use probing questions to provoke your interviewee or respondent.
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Use it to clarify important concepts. Avoid unnecessary conflicts as much as possible.


5. Funnel questions. In case of misunderstanding, calm the interviewee or respondent down
by asking funnel questions. Funnel questioning technique begins with asking general
questions down to more specific or detailed questions. Doing this will help you understand
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the source of misunderstanding. This will also help you in finding a solution to the problem.

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Activity 7.15
With your groupmates, present a 5-minute conversation or dialogue by Learning Objective:
employing correct communication strategies in any of the scenarios below. Employ correct turn-
Use appropriate techniques and strategies when asking questions and eliciting taking, turn-giving, and
topic-control strategies
responses. You will be graded using Rubric 19: Oral Communication Strategies in conversations and
in the Appendix. dialogs.

1. Class election
2. Meeting of club officers

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3. Interview with a famous girl or boy group
4. Family dinner conversation

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5. Meeting with clients

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Practice Some More

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Make It Real
Activity 7.16
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Part A. In groups of five to 10 members, prepare a simple website using
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Google Sites as your platform. Include all the features or parts of a website. Learning Objective:
Your website may feature local products that you sell or services that you Use websites in
offer. Use grammatically correct and meaningful sentences in presenting your promoting local
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products and/or
work. Include hyperlinks to other websites and online sources relating to experiences.
your products or services. You will be graded using Rubric 20: Website in the
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Appendix.

Part B. With your groupmates, pretend that you would present your website to your clients. Prepare
a 5-minute presentation or role play about it. Employ the use of correct techniques and strategies
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in communication. You will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

Part C. Listen to other groups’ presentations. Then, write at least five sentences about their
presentation. You will be graded using Rubric 04: Sentences in the Appendix.
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E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
• How to Recognize a Fake News Story: This is an online material that will help you further
understand how you can spot fake news.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fake-news-guide-facebook_n_5831c6aae4b058ce7aaba1
69?section=politics
• Idioms A-Z: Explained: This is an online material that will help you learn more idiomatic
expressions.

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https://ielts.idp.com/prepare/article-idioms-a-z-explained

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What I Have Learned So Far

Think about the following questions and write your reflection in your learning journal.

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1. What were your misconceptions about subject-verb agreement rules, expository texts,
recognizing fake news, and the topics in general before taking up this lesson?
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2. What new or additional learning have you had after taking up this lesson in terms of
literature, skills, and attitude?
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3. What are your responses to the essential questions in Things to Ponder?
4. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?
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5. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?


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Lesson 8
Evaluating Informational Text: Features

By the end of the lesson, you

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will have been able to:
• identify the features or

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elements of an essay;
• use nonlinear visuals as
comprehensive aids in

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content texts;
• transcode orally and in
writing the information
presented in diagrams,
The school buildings in

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charts, tables, and graphs;
the Philippines during
• supply other words or
the American period.
expressions that complete
an analogy;
• demonstrate
understanding on the use
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Photo credit: Worcester, D.
C. (1914). The Philippines
past and present Volume 1.
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The Macmillan Company.
of the correct present verb
form;
• determine the purpose of
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the author;
• identify key ideas;
• summarize key Features as informational texts are written with the purpose of
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information from text; informing the reader about a particular topic. The topics range from
• illustrate intonation
pattern in statements;
different contexts and experiences of the authors. These features are
• identify the genre, usually found in newspapers, school organs, magazines, folios, and
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purpose, intended other informative print, non-print, and online platforms.


audience, and features of
various material viewed In this lesson, the authors’ personal experiences (“COVID-19
texts, such as movie and My Mother’s ‘Champorado’”) and life perspective (“What Is
clip, trailer, news flash,
an Educated Filipino”) are taken into account. The featured texts
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internet-based program,
and documentary video; in this lesson primarily aim to inform and engage the readers about
• observe correct the natural world and social contexts that happened due to different
production of sounds, phases of human history.
diphthongs, and blends;
and Informational texts use specialized grammatical form and
• present information structure that help the authors convey their intended thoughts and
through pictures and
nonverbal forms.
tone and aid the reader the understanding the meaning and the
mood.

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
In 1934, then U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Tydings-McDuffie Law, also
known as the Philippine Independence Law. It paved the way for the creation of the Philippine
Constitution. In 1935, it was finished by the 1934 Constitutional Convention. It was then submitted
to the U.S. President for signature, and was later ratified by Filipinos through a national plebiscite.
Study the given picture below.

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nl
O
n
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Delegate Manuel Roxas signs the Constitution of the Philippines at the last session of the Constitutional
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Convention on February 19, 1935. He was the leading member of the Committee on Style, also known as the
Seven Wise Men, who had a significant impact on the final draft of the 1935 Constitution.
Photo credit: Official Gazette. (n.d.). Evolution of the Philippine constitution.
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https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/constitution-day/

Answer the following questions about the picture and share them with the class.
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1. Who were the persons seen in the picture?


2. What is the document that they were signing ?
3. What do you think is the significant support or information that a picture tells whenever
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it is attached to a particular text?


4. What other sources can you use in explaining this significant event in Philippine history?
5. To which item or idea can you compare Filipinos as a nation? Make an analogy. Explain
your answer by providing supporting details.

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What I Know, What I Do
Tick the column that best describes your skills, knowledge, and attitude. Answer this section
as objectively as possible. Bear in mind that there are no incorrect answers. You can use your
performance in Let’s Warm Up as one of the bases in completing this self-audit task.
Self-Audit Task Checklist
Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1. I can identify the features or elements of an
essay.

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2. I can use nonlinear visuals as comprehensive

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aids in content texts.
3. I can transcode orally and in writing the
information presented in diagrams, charts,

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tables, and graphs.
4. I can supply other words or expressions that
complete an analogy.

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5. I can demonstrate understanding on the use of
the correct present verb form.
6. I can determine the purpose of the author.
7. I can identify key ideas.
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8. I can summarize key information from text.
9. I can illustrate intonation pattern in
statements.
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10. I can identify the genre, purpose, intended


audience, and features of various materials
viewed, such as movie clip, trailer, news flash,
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internet-based program, and documentary


video.
11. I can observe correct production of sounds,
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diphthongs, and blends.


12. I can present information through pictures
and nonverbal forms.
TOTAL
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Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point
Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
28–30 Advanced 19–21 Developing
25–27 Proficient 18 and below Beginning
22–24 Approaching Proficiency

Lesson 8: Evaluating Informational Text: Features ~259

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Things to Ponder

How will you truly say that a person is well-educated?

How can summarizing skills improve your reading skills?

Why is it important to understand one’s purpose, topic, and target audience in reading,
writing, and speaking?

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Explore and Experience

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What’s Coming

Vocabulary Preview

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 This section further enriches your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:
burden
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extraordinary persisted
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deprivation fundamental reacquaint
encompassed immunocompromised solidarity
endearments ingrained tolerance
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endured irreparable vulnerable


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Grammar Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to understand the different subject-verb agreement rules
and use them appropriately and meaningfully.
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Literary Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
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following selections and perform the corresponding activities:


• “COVID-19 and My Mother’s ‘Champorado’” by Miguel Louie de Guzman
• “What Is an Educated Filipino” by Francisco F. Benitez

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Ready to Read

Essays are nonfiction literary works expressing thoughts or ideas about a particular subject
or topic. They may be formal or informal. They may be factual or opinion-based. They may have
different purposes, such as:
• to narrate – to tell or recount events;
• to describe – to label or define a particular item, person, place, and the like;
• to persuade – to encourage, influence, or convince the readers; and

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• to entertain – to amuse or direct the interest of readers.

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As literature reflects the history or society it represents, a literary work may be influenced by
culture, history, environment, and other factors. The novels Noli Me Tángere, and El Filibusterismo
revealed the condition of Philippine society during the period of Dr. Jose Rizal. Meanwhile,

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Amador T. Daguio’s works showed the environment in which he lived or grew up. These are some
of the literary works that exemplify the influence of the world around them.
Basically, an essay is composed of the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. In writing a

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good essay, it must satisfy the following features or elements:
• B
focused.
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 revity. Statements should be concise or brief. The topic or thesis statement should be
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• Content. The contents of a good essay may reflect personal motivation. The thesis statement
should be properly documented, with clear evidences, and supported claims.
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• S tructure. An essay should be well-structured. A paragraph should contain an appropriate


and clear topic sentence or thesis statement. Paragraphs should also have proper transitions.
They should also be consistent and coherent.
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• Mechanics. There should be no errors in terms of grammar or punctuations. This will help
in establishing the credibility of the author.
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Below is an essay entitled “COVID-19 and My Mother’s Champorado.” Read and analyze it
in terms of the elements of an essay.
A mother’s love is unconditional and goes on eternally. For others, it takes time to realize
this truth. In the following article by Miguel Louie de Guzman, he narrates his journey toward
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understanding his relationship and its value to his mother and shared his inspiring realizations.

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COVID-19 and My Mother’s ‘Champorado’
by Miguel Louie de Guzman

About the Author There was one thing I had always longed to hear from my mother. It was
Miguel Louie de Guzman is a a simple question answerable with “yes” or “no,” yet it encompassed1
Communications graduate from the amount of longing I had for her meager, hard-to-win praises and
De La Salle-Lipa. endearments.
Read more in https://ph.linkedin.
com/in/miguelouie?original_ I don’t know exactly when my relationship with my mother became so

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referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww. complicated and distant, but it has always been that way as far as I can
google.com%2F remember. Our tumultuous relationship worsened through the years until

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it started to wreak havoc on other parts of our lives, causing irreparable2
damage. The eye of this storm was her bad temper. Her hands — along with
Take a quick look at this title.
whatever she could grab nearby — were the winds that whipped my body.

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What are the words that strike
you the most? What content do Her words were the rain that poured hard whenever I was most vulnerable3.
you expect to read in the text? I got drenched every time, wondering if all mothers and sons were like this or
if it was just me and my mother.

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She raised me and my brother by means of deprivation4 so that we would
supposedly become independent individuals capable of conquering
About the Piece
“COVID-19 and My Mother’s
‘Champorado’” appeared in the
Young Blood column of the
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anything even when she wasn’t around. It was like she threw us into the
ocean along with other flotation devices, hoping we’d learn how to use
them or figure out how to swim entirely on our own. It wasn’t easy, but I
at
Philippine Daily Inquirer. have learned how to swim even without such devices. But in the process, I
completely eliminated the need for her mothering, which lacked tenderness
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and tact.
Expanding Vocabulary In the last week of August, however, I would learn of the limits of my words.
Encircle the letter that best
My neat-freak mother was horrified to learn that we both tested positive for
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defines the word set in


boldface based on how it is
COVID-19. In an extraordinary5 turn of events, she and I were on the same
used in context. page. The only difference was that her symptoms quickly went away. I had
1. encompassed it worse. I first had fever and cough, but I thought it was just due to stress
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a. wasted caused by my job. But then, it progressed to loss of smell and taste, body
b. included pain, and difficulty in breathing. I knew then that my poor health was not
2. irreparable because of work.
a. impossible to reach
b. impossible to repair
My fever persisted6 for almost a week, and we were most concerned
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about my difficulty in breathing because I was immunocompromised7 due


3. vulnerable
a. defenseless
to asthma. My mother cried uncontrollably. She must have stormed the
b. unsafe heavens and called on the names of every saint she knew, begging for my
4. deprivation recovery. This was the first time in such a long time that she would have to
a. wealth care for her son again. We were quarantined together in our house as we
b. poverty were living alone, and because no hospital would take us due to a lack of
5. extraordinary COVID-19 dedicated beds.
a. expecting
b. surprising
The first meal she cooked for me was the champorado I had always loved as
a kid, the one with lots of powdered milk on top. This immediately transported
me to rainy days during my childhood when classes were suspended and

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I would snuggle in bed with her and my father while watching “Looney
Tunes.” The whole thing might have already become foreign to her, but I
suppose motherhood doesn’t let someone forget such a thing. I was the
one who had become unfamiliar with her capabilities as my mother.
The whole process of recovery felt like a ritual to reacquaint8 myself with
her. Her hands, which I feared as a child, suddenly felt like a feather with
Expanding Vocabulary
their gentle strokes every time she had to clean me. Her eyes, which most of
Encircle the letter that best
the time only looked at me with fierce disapproval and bitterness, suddenly defines the word set in
gazed at me with immense tenderness. Her mouth, once reeking with vile boldface based on how it is
curses always hurled at me, suddenly spoke endearments9 I never knew used in context.

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she was capable of. 6. persisted
a. stopped

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And there it was, the question I had longed to hear from her. b. continued
“Kumusta ka, anak? Ayos ka lang ba?” she asked with such affection while 7. immunocompromised
gently touching my forehead.

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a. weak immune
system
I nodded and closed my eyes to signal to her that I wanted to sleep. I silently b. strong immune
cried after she left. The walls I built, cemented with her vicious words, felt system
like an overflowing dam during a raging storm. My mind and heart were a

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8. reacquaint
tornado of emotions that yanked about every pain and anger I had buried a. make familiar again
deep. I have endured10 quite a lot of adversities in my life that I wish I could b. start over

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tell my mother, but I didn’t know how to approach her. I had to hear her say
that question to realize that I was holding everything in for far too long.
9. endearments
a. dislike
b. love
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Truly, there are things only a mother can do, and one of those is to ease a
son’s accumulated pain with a single question. 10. endured
a. carried
My mother and I survived COVID-19 after three weeks of quarantine. b. suffered
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But that’s not the only thing I want to take from this experience. I want
to remember that despite her stern attitude and ruthless words, she now
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knows at least one way to her son’s heart, even though she doesn’t always
go by it. I want to remind myself that it’s unfair of me to judge her solely
on the frequency of our disagreements, when I know that her sacrifices
outweigh these things by a multitude. She has difficulty expressing her love
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for us, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love us.
It took a pandemic before I had the courage to bring to the forefront these
things that I had known for some time already, but I was too blinded by
hatred to recognize any of it.
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At 50, my mother is as strong and opinionated as she was when I was a


child. I know there would be countless other fights that would scar me
further after this, but I don’t want to think of that now.
The storm has finally calmed down. The sun is peeking through the dark
clouds. My mother is waiting by the shore holding a warm bowl of my
favorite champorado. I want to be able to go to her before another storm
wrenches me away from her again.
Source: de Guzman, M.D. (2020, November 1). Covid-19 and my mother’s ‘champorado’.
Inquirer.net. https://opinion.inquirer.net/134904/covid-19-and-my-mothers-champorado

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Talk About It
Activity 8.1
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the article.
1. What had happened between the author and his mother before they were tested positive
of COVID-19?
2. Can you recall an instance where you disagreed with your parent?
3. How did the author use COVID-19 and champorado in the text?

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4. What do you think of the author’s realizations about his relationship to his mother?

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5. If you had a similar situation, how else would you show your love for your loved ones?

Map It Out

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Learning Objective:
Activity 8.2
Identify the features or
elements of an essay.  Complete the grid below by identifying and/or explaining the features

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or elements of an essay with reference to “COVID-19 and My Mother’s
‘Champorado’.”

Features or Elements
1. Brevity
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2. Content
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3. Structure

4. Mechanics
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Text Focus
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Types of Reading Texts


Reading texts may be classified as linear or nonlinear. They are both important in reading, and
they complement one another. They only differ on how the texts are read. In reading linear texts,
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a reader follows a sequential pattern or certain sequence in which he or she reads from beginning
to end to grasp the intended meanings. They are considered traditional texts. The arrangement and
the composition of words make the texts meaningful. Common examples of linear texts include
essays, short stories, novels, and poems.
On the other hand, in reading nonlinear texts, a reader may choose where to start. These texts
do not follow a certain order. They are considered nonsequential, as meanings may be understood
without looking at the actual order of texts. The use of nonlinear texts serves as comprehensive
aids in discussion texts. They provide a visual representation of what is indicated in a linear text.
Some examples of nonlinear texts are charts, graphs, and tables.

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Read and analyze the example below.

Household Population, Number of Households, and Average Household Size of the Philippines
(2020 Census of Population and Housing)
Reference Number: 2022-111
Release Date: 23 March 2022

Household population comprises 99.7 percent of the total population

Table A. Philippine Population Based on Various Census Years

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Filipinos in Philippine
Total Household Institutional
Census Year Embassies, Consulates,

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Population Population Population
and Missions Abroad
2000 76,506,928 76,332,470 171,607 2,851

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2010 92,337,852 92,097,978 237,135 2,739
2015 100,981,437 100,573,715 405,588 2,134
2020 109,035,343 108,667,043 366,202 2,098

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Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2000, 2010, 2020 Census of Population and Housing
and 2015 Census Population

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As of 01 May 2020, the Philippines had a total population of 109,035,343 persons. Of this total,
the household population comprised 99.7 percent or 108,667,043 persons. This is 8.09 million
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higher than the 100,573,715 household population in 2015, and 16.57 million more than the
92,097,978 household population posted in 2010 (Table A and Figure 1).
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Figure 1. The Philippine Population: 2020

109.04 Million
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TOTAL POPULATION

108.67 Million 2,098 Filipinos


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366 Thousand
Household Population in embassies consulates and
Institutionalized Population
missions abroad
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Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020 Census of Population and Housing

The remaining 0.3 percent of the total population is comprised of the institutional population
or those residing in collective or institutional living quarters such as hospitals, orphanages, and
military camps; and of Filipinos in Philippine embassies, consulates, and missions abroad.

Source: https://psa.gov.ph/population-and-housing/node/166426

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The given number chart and pictograph help readers in visualizing the linear texts or the
presented explanation. The use of nonlinear text supplements in understanding the intended
meaning.
Guidelines on Using Nonlinear Visuals
It is important that you understand the data at hand, so you can present it accurately using the
appropriate nonlinear visuals. Here are some guidelines on using the different nonlinear visuals.
1. Use a line graph if you are presenting data points that you want to connect. One common
example is showing the increase or decrease in COVID-19 cases over time.

y
2. Use a bar graph if you want to show relationships between data entries. Each bar represents
the range of a certain item. The higher the bar means the higher the value. By looking at

nl
these bars in a graph, you can see the difference between the given value points.
3. Use a pie chart or graph in presenting parts to whole. One common example is presenting

O
distribution of a budget. Through a pie chart, you can show the distribution of the whole
(the total budget) to varying parts, which are usually presented in percentage form.
4. Use a Venn diagram to show similarities and differences between sets. The circles that do

n
not overlap show the differences, whereas the overlapping circles show the similarities.
Transcoding Nonlinear Visuals
io
In transcoding, it is important that you know how to identify the different parts or concepts
at
incorporated in a nonlinear visual. Here are some of the common ways in transcoding available
information.
1. In transcoding a line graph, highlight the first and the last data points as they comprise
lu

the entire duration of the source of data (e.g., one week, one month). Then, mention the
important points in the line graph. These points refer to the weakest or lowest and the
va

highest points. The meaning of these points may vary depending on the context of the
data. For instance, if the data presents the number of COVID-19 cases in a week, the
highest data point signifies a negative point, as there are many additional sick people.
Unlike a line graph on the number of products delivered, the highest data point might
rE

indicate a positive impact on the sales of the group or company.


2. When using a bar graph, take note first of the highest and lowest bars. The highest bar
may not always be positive in meaning. Remember that the meaning of the bars varies
Fo

depending on the context of the data. For instance, if the bar graph pertains to the number
of deaths recorded in a day, the highest bar has a negative impression. Whereas, if the bar
graph presents data on recovery rate, then the highest bar portrays positive information.
3. In transcoding a pie chart or graph, you may present it in two forms: whole to part and
part to whole. In whole to part, you can present first the totality of the data items before
going to the specific details or distribution. Meanwhile, in parts to whole, you can present
first the allocation of data before explaining the total points. Further, in presenting the
allocation in a pie chart, you can also start with the lowest portion going to the largest
portion and vice versa.

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4. In transcoding a Venn diagram, establish first the available data. Though there may be some
connotations, you can still choose which to present first: the similarities to the differences
or vice versa. Remember, assess first the context of your data to determine which and how
it should be transcoded.

Activity 8.3
Learning Objective:
Illustrate the texts and/or data below using the appropriate nonlinear
Use nonlinear
visuals such as graphs or charts. visuals as
comprehensive aids
1. Leo’s weekly allowance amounts to Php 500.00. He will be presenting

y
in content texts.
his weekly expenses to the class. His usual expenses are as follows:

nl
• Food – Php 260.00 (52%)
• Load and data – Php 50.00 (10%)

O
• Photocopies – Php 40.00 (8%)
• Fare – Php 100.00 (20%)

n
• Other school needs – Php 50.00 (10%)
2. Family A consumes an average of 20 pails of water per day. Your teacher asked you to
io
illustrate the consumption based on the distribution indicated below.
• Shower and toilet – 8 pails (40%)
at
• Kitchen use – 3 pails (15%)
• Washing clothes – 6 pails (30%)
lu

• Watering the plants – 2 pails (10%)


• Others – 1 pail (5%)
va

Activity 8.4
Transcode the given visuals by explaining the details in paragraph form. Learning Objective:
rE

Transcode orally
1. 
Monthly expenses of a small family with a monthly income of and in writing
PHP50,000 the information
presented in
diagrams, charts,
Monthly Expenses of a Small Family
Fo

tables, graphs.

Savings
20% Rent
35% Transportation
10% Groceries
School Fees
10% Emergency Fund
5%
10% 10% Food

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2. School enrollment for six consecutive school years of St. Nicholas Academy

Enrollment per School Year

Enrollment per School Year

650

594
573
512

486
456

y
2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021

nl
Vocabulary Focus

O
Analogy
An analogy refers to the comparison between two ideas or subjects. It is commonly used to

n
explain or clarify the two compared things. There are two ways to present an analogy.
1. Use of colon. A colon (:) is used to divide the analogy into two parts.
Example:
2. Verbalization. The use of words in showing analogy.
io
Batangas : Mount Taal :: Albay : Mount Mayon
at
Example: Batangas is to Mount Taal as Albay is to Mount Mayon.
Types of Analogy
lu

There are different types of analogy, such as synonyms, antonyms, functions, cause and effect,
part to whole, and characteristics.
va

1. Synonyms. These are analogies that refer to words with similar meanings.
Examples: intelligent : smart :: just : fair
rE

optimistic : positive :: outstanding : excellent


2. Antonyms. These are analogies that refer to words with opposite meanings.
Examples: new : old :: rich : poor
Fo

strong : weak :: happy : sad


3. Functions. These are analogies that show the use of two particular items.
Examples: pen : write :: microphone : talk/sing
ambulance : rescue :: car : travel
4. Cause and effect. These are analogies that present why a certain thing happens and what
is its result.
Examples: exercise : healthy :: rest : energized
heavy rains: flood :: earthquake : destruction

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5. Part to whole. These are analogies that show how one thing is part of a group and vice
versa.
Examples: brain : nervous :: stomach : digestive
school : classroom :: hospital : emergency room
Characteristics. These are analogies that refer to the qualities and characteristics of the
6. 
compared items or subjects.
Examples: rural : quiet :: urban : noisy
snow : cold :: fire : hot

y
Learning Objective:

Supply other words

nl
Activity 8.5 or expressions that
complete an analogy.
Supply the missing words to complete the analogies.

O
1. spider : eight legs :: horse : ___________
2. crocodile : ___________ :: panda : mammal
3. ___________ : North Pole :: Antarctic : South Pole

n
4. Pampanga : San Fernando :: ___________ : Tagbilaran
5. airplane
6. ___________
:
:
___________
beef ::
io :: car :
sheep :
land
mutton
at
7. teacher : school :: doctor : ___________
8. paper : writing :: ___________ : reading
lu

9. sun : Vitamin D :: citrus : ___________


10. optimistic : pessimistic :: objective : ___________
va

Activity 8.6
Complete each analogy by supplying the missing word.
rE

1. Horse is to pony as pig is to __________.


2. Eyes is to __________ as ears is to hearing.
3. Manila is to the __________ as Beijing is to China.
Fo

4. __________ is to hot as winter is to cold.


5. Sailor is to boat as __________ is to plane.
6. Fish is to school as ant is to __________.
7. Box is to square as __________ is to circle.
8. __________ is to three sides as pentagon is to five sides.
9. South Korea is to __________ as Rwanda is to Africa.
10. Wealthy is to rich as kind is to __________.

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Grammar Focus

Subject-Verb Agreement (Part 2)


In subject-verb agreement, the first step includes the identification of the subject and the verb
in a sentence. Once they are identified, you have to analyze the number of the subject. If the
subject is singular, then the verb must be in singular (or -s) form. On the other hand, if the subject
is plural, then the verb must be in plural (simple) form.
Here is the second set of rules that you must understand to ensure correct subject-verb
agreement.

y
1. Despite its structure, inverted subjects must agree with their verbs.

nl
Examples:

O
verb subject

There are visitors in the school today.

n
Here is the book that you borrowed.

io
verb subject
at
2. Collective nouns may be singular or plural depending on the intended meaning of the
sentence. Some of these collective nouns include crowd, jury, team, band, committee,
lu

among others.
Examples:
va

a. If the subject acts as one unit/entity, the subject is singular in number.


subject verb
rE

The committee approves the application of Los Angeles to host the 2028 Olympics.

b. If the collective noun acts as individual units or entities, the subject is plural in
number.
Fo

subject verb

The committee argue on the merits of the application to host the Olympics.

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3. Titles or names of single units or entities, such as books, songs, literary works, organizations,
countries, among others, are always singular.
Examples:
a. Country
subject verb

The Philippines is home to more than 115 million people.


b. Song

y
subject verb

nl
Raining in Manila ranks first in this week’s top OPM songs.
c. Organization

O
subject verb

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization hosts this

n
year’s World Science Day for Peace and Development.

io
4. Plural-form nouns with a singular meaning take singular verbs. Examples of these plural-
form nouns include news, diabetes, measles, mumps, etc.
at
Examples:
subject verb
lu

Diabetes predisposes patients to other health risks and issues.


va

5. Plural-form nouns ending in -ics may be singular or plural depending on their meaning.
Examples of these include statistics, economics, electronics, politics, mechanics, among
others.
rE

Examples:
a. If they refer to principles, a system, or a field of study, the subject is singular in
meaning.
Fo

subject verb

Statistics is my favorite subject.


b. If they refer to individual practice, activities or application, the subject is plural in
meaning.
subject verb

Statistics show that there are more than half a billion people worldwide are living
with diabetes.

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6. Plural-form nouns with plural meaning take plural verbs. Examples of these plural-form
nouns include scissors, pants, shorts, trousers, goggles, binoculars, among others.
Examples:

a. Plural
subject verb

The scissors are kept inside the kitchen cabinet.


b. Singular

y
subject verb

nl
The pair of scissors is kept inside the kitchen cabinet.

O
In this example, the pair becomes the subject of the sentence. Since pair is singular; therefore, it requires the use of
a singular verb.

n
7. The expression the number requires the use of singular verbs, while the expression a
number requires plural verbs.
Examples: io
at
a. The number
subject verb
lu

The number of bottles stands in its shelf.


b. A number
va

subject verb

A number of delegates present their proposal for peace process.


rE

8. The expressions every _____ and many a _____ take singular verbs.
Examples:
Fo

a. Every + singular noun


subject verb

Every child and student is special.


b. Many a (used with a singular noun to refer to a large number of things or people)
subject verb

Many a mother hopes her children become successful someday.

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9. Expressions of time, money, and distance are generally singular; thus, they take singular
verbs.
Examples:
a. Time
subject verb

4 weeks is not enough for our Christmas break.


b. Money

y
subject verb

nl
Php 500 is a great deal of money for a junior high school student.
c. Distance

O
subject verb

2 kilometers is a manageable distance for a daily walk exercise.

n
10. The expression the + adjective requires the use of plural verbs.
Examples:
io
at
subject verb

The rich find more business opportunities to increase their assets.


lu

subject verb
va

The smart invest their time in challenging themselves.

11. With fractions and percentages, the verb agrees with noun or clause preceding it.
rE

Examples:
a. Singular fractions and percentages
subject verb
Fo

One-fourth of his research needs further review.

singular noun preceding the verb

subject verb

Fifty percent of the harvest goes to our partner organizations.

singular noun preceding the verb

Lesson 8: Evaluating Informational Text: Features ~273

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b. Plural fractions and percentages
subject verb

One-fourth of his collections need proper labeling and storing.

plural noun preceding the verb

subject verb

y
Fifty percent of the farmers demand the right to manage their farms.

nl
plural noun preceding the verb

O
12. Majority and minority may be singular or plural depending on how they are used in a
sentence.

n
Examples:

or less than 50%.


subject verb
io
a. Use a singular verb if majority or minority refers to unspecified number that is more
at
The majority approves the budget request of the government.
lu

This refers to an unspecified number that is more than 50%.


va

subject verb

A small minority supports the implementation of the newly approved law.


rE

This refers to an unspecified number that is less than 50%.

b. Use a plural verb if majority or minority refers to a specified set.


subject verb
Fo

The majority of the lawmakers approve the budget request of the government.

specific set of persons


subject verb

A minority of the teachers support the implementation of the newly approved law.

specific set of persons

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Activity 8.7 Learning Objective:

Using the given verb before each number, identify the correct present verb Demonstrate
understanding on
form (­-s or simple form) to be used in each sentence. the use of the correct
present verb form.
believe 1. The abandoned ________ that they should be given the
opportunity to dream and build their own future.
announce 2. The World Health Organization ________ its plans to help poor Filipinos
against hunger.
affect 3. Measles ________ anyone but is common among children.

y
cost 4. My shorts ________ Php 50.00 at the nearby ukay-ukay.

nl
vote 5. Sixty percent of registered voters ________ during the barangay and
Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

O
seem 6. Two hundred pesos ________ nothing nowadays considering the continuously
increasing price of prime commodities.
help 7. Mathematics ________ me understand different algebraic, geometric, and

n
trigonometric concepts.
demand 8. A number of students ________ that their tuition fees be refunded to them.

support
be
10.
9. io
Here ________ the documents that you need to photocopy.
The majority ________ the bill institutionalizing the protection and benefits
at
for our senior citizens.
lu

Link It
va

“What Is an Educated Filipino?” is an essay written during the American period. It highlights
important concepts and definitions with reference to Filipinos as educated individuals. It encourages
everyone to understand how educated Filipinos should act. It also invites people to do some things
rE

based on what is expected of each of us.


Fo

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What Is an Educated Filipino?
About the Author by Francisco F. Benitez
Francisco F. Benitez (1887–
1951) was a writer and
What is an educated Filipino and what qualities should distinguish him today?
educator who was married to
Paz Marquez Benitez. He was The conception of education and of what an educated man is varies in
considered one of the pillars of
Philippine education.
response to fundamental1 changes in the details and aims of society. In

y
Read more about him in our country and during this transition stage in our national life, what are the
http://geocitiessites.com/ qualities which an educated man should possess?

nl
sinupan/BenitezF.htm
Great changes have taken place in the nature of our social life during the last
forty years. The contact with Americans and their civilization has modified

O
What is an educated Filipino? many of our own social customs, traditions, and practices, some for the
How do you distinguish an worse and many for the better. The means of communication have improved
educated from an uneducated
Filipino? Do you consider
and therefore better understanding exists among the different sections of
our country. Religious freedom has developed religious tolerance2 in our

n
yourself educated?
people. The growth of public schools and the establishment of democratic

About the Piece


This essay encourages Filipinos
io
institutions have developed our national consciousness both in strength and
in solidarity3.

With this growth in national consciousness and national spirit among our
at
to determine the characteristics
of an educated Filipino. It also people, we witness the corresponding rise of a new conception of education
highlights the importance
— the training of the individual for the duties and privileges of citizenship, not
of understanding Philippine
lu

cultures and beliefs as they help only for his own happiness and efficiency but also for national service and
in forming our values and morals. welfare. In the old days, education was a matter of private concern; now it is a
public function, and the state not only has the duty but it has the right as well
va

to educate every member of the community — the old as well as the young,
Expanding Vocabulary women as well as men — not only for the good of the individual but also for the
Encircle the letter that best self-preservation and protection of the State itself. Our modern public school
rE

defines the word set in system has been established as a safeguard against the shortcomings and
boldface
based on how it is used in
dangers of a democratic government and democratic institutions.
context.
In the light of social changes, we come again to the question: What qualities
1. fundamental should distinguish the educated Filipino of today? I venture to suggest that
Fo

a. essential
b. advanced
the educated Filipino should first be distinguished by the power to do. The
Oriental excels in reflective thinking; he is a philosopher. The Occidental is
2. tolerance
a. endurance the doer; he manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino of today needs
b. impatience more of his power to translate reflection into action. I believe that we are
3. solidarity coming more and more to the conviction that no Filipino has the right to be
a. power considered educated unless he is prepared and ready to take an active and
b. unity
useful part in the work, life, and progress of our country as well as in the
progress of the world.

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The power to do embraces the ability to produce enough to support
oneself and to contribute to the economic development of the Philippines.
Undoubtedly, a man may be, and often is, an efficient producer of economic
goods and at the same time he may not be educated. But should we consider Expanding Vocabulary
a man who is utterly unable to support himself and is an economic burden4 Encircle the letter that best
to the society in which he lives as educated merely because he possesses defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
the superficial graces of culture? I hope that no one will understand me as
context.
saying that, the only sign of economic efficiency is the ability to produce
4. burden
material goods, for useful social participation may take the form of any of

y
a. asset
any of the valuable services rendered to society through such institutions b. responsibility
as the home, the school, the church and the government. The mother, for 5. ingrained

nl
a. infused
example, who prepares wholesome meals, takes good care of her children
b. memorized
and trains them in morals and right conduct at home, renders efficient

O
service to the country as well as the statesman or the captain of industry.
I would not make the power to do the final and only test of the educated
Filipino; but I believe that in our present situation, it is fundamental and
basic.

n
The educated Filipino, in the second place, should be distinguished not only
io
by his knowledge of the past and of current events in the world’s progress,
but more especially by his knowledge of his race, his people, and his
at
country, and his love of the truth and ideals that our people have learned to
cherish. Our character, our culture, and our national history are the core of
our national life, and consequentially, of our education. I would not have the
lu

educated Filipino ignore the culture and history of other lands, but can he
afford to be ignorant of the history and culture of his own country and yet
call himself educated?
va

The educated Filipino, in the third place, must have ingrained5 in his
speech and conduct those elements that are everywhere recognized as
accompaniments of culture and morality; so that, possessing the capacity
rE

for self - entertainment and study, he may not be at the mercy of the pleasure
of the senses only or a burden to himself when alone.

There are, then, at least three characteristics which I believe to be the


Fo

evidence of the educated Filipino — the power to do, to support himself


and contribute to the wealth of our people; acquaintance with the world’s
progress, especially with that of his race, people, and the community,
together with love of our best ideals and traditions; and refined manners
and moral conduct as well as the power of growth.
Source: http://studymoose.com/what-is-an-educated-filipino-2-essay

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Talk About It
Activity 8.8
Share with the class your answers to the following questions about the essay.
1. What are the three fundamental characteristics of an educated Filipino?
2. How did the following improve during that period, based on Benitez’s essay?
a. means of communication
b. religious freedom

y
c. public education

nl
3. How would you differentiate oriental from occidental?
4. Do you believe on the three foundations of Benitez’s educated Filipino? Why? Why

O
not?
5. How did the work or profession of Benitez affect the way and theme of his writings?
6. Can you consider yourself as an educated Filipino? Explain your answer.

n
Learning Objective:
Map It Out
Activity 8.9
io
at
Determine the purpose
of the author.  Using the grid below, determine the purpose of the essays that you
have read. Cite specific lines that helped you in determining the themes.
lu

COVID-19 and My Mother’s


What Is an Educated Filipino? Analysis
va

‘Champorado’

1. Theme
rE

2. Purpose
Fo

3. Specific Lines or Sentence


that Describes the Purpose
of the Text

4. Summary

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Cultural Trip

• Did you know that champorado is adapted from Mexico’s champurrado? The Filipino
champorado is made of glutinous rice and native chocolate powder. We often poured
condensed (or sometimes evaporated) milk to give it a sweet flavor. On the other hand, the
Mexican champurrado is a chocolate-based beverage.

y
nl
Write It Right

O
Summarizing Key Information
Summarizing helps learners like you focus on the important points of a material. One must
be keen on summarizing a particular text. In doing so, one must not forget the very essence of the

n
original text, which must be captured in the summarized version.
In your previous lesson, you learned that summarizing is the skill of transforming a particular
io
piece of information into a concise form. It is shorter than the original but carries the most important
message conveyed by the original text. It also eliminates details, supporting information, and even
at
examples. As a skill, it is important as it helps readers understand the essential information by
trimming details down to their key concepts.
In writing a summary, you should consider the following steps:
lu

1. Rescan the text by pointing out the most essential topic or information.
va

2. Reread the reading text and ensure that all concepts, words, or details are clear to you.
3. Categorize the statements according to the main idea or topic sentence and the supporting
details.
rE

4. Recompose or paraphrase the main idea or topic sentence.


5. Organize the supporting details. Classify them according to major and minor information.
6. Remove the supporting details that you believe are not really essential. These may include
examples or processes.
Fo

7. Use the remaining key information in developing your summary.


8. Change the words used in the original text, but never change the intended meaning. The
meaning should stay above all the texts.
Identifying Key Ideas
As part of the steps in summarizing, it is necessary that you are able to distinguish the main
or key idea from the supporting details. The main idea presents the key points or information that
the text presents. It is the central detail that the text conveys. It may also provide a summary of
what the text portrays.

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Meanwhile, supporting ideas are minor details that help in clarifying the main idea. They are
details that establish the message of the main idea.
A paragraph is usually composed of a topic sentence and supporting sentences. The topic
sentence, though usually found at the beginning, can also be found in the middle, or at the end
of a paragraph. In summarizing the main idea, you should not get away from the central point it
makes.
In identifying the main idea, take note that it should:
• present the central point of the paragraph;

y
• tell what the paragraph is about; and
• present specific information or details about the central topic.

nl
Guide on Identifying the Main or Key Idea

O
There are important considerations that you should look into when identifying the main or
key idea. These include the following:
1. Read the title of the passage. Except for excerpts, most of passages have their titles with

n
them. By examining it, you will be able to get the key focus of the passage. It will direct
you on what to expect in the article.
io
2. In each paragraph, read and understand the first and last sentences. They usually contain
the key points that the author would like to express—the first sentence as the usual topic
at
sentence, though this is not always the case; and the last sentence, which usually presents
the summary or conclusion.
3. Examine the remaining sentences in the paragraph. They usually present examples,
lu

clarifications, and justifications about the key concepts presented in the title, the first
sentence, and the last sentence.
va

4. From examining the passage, ask yourself this question: What does the writer really want
to say? This statement will lead you to the main or key idea of the passage or paragraph.
Read the paragraph below. Then, identify the topic sentence containing the main idea of the
rE

text.

Climate change is one of the most fundamental challenges ever to confront humanity. Its
adverse impacts are already being seen and may intensify exponentially over time if nothing is
Fo

done to reduce further emissions of greenhouse gases. Decisively dealing NOW with climate
change is key to ensuring sustainable development, poverty eradication and safeguarding
economic growth. Scientific assessments indicate that the cost of inaction now will be more
costly in the future. Thus, economic development needs to be shifted to a low-carbon emission
path.
Source: http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/information/climate-change-in-the-philippines

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Can you distinguish the topic sentence that contains the main idea of the paragraph? In the
given example, the first sentence serves as the topic sentence. It presents the main idea of the
paragraph. It tells that climate change is considered a fundamental challenge not only in terms of
environmental perspective, but so with an economic aspect.

Activity 8.10
Learning Objectives:
With a partner, identify the topic sentence or main idea in each paragraph
Identify key ideas.
below by underlining it. Then, summarize key information from the text on
the space provided. These paragraphs were taken from the “NEDA Report on Summarize key

y
information from text.
Conservation, Protection and Rehabilitation of the Environment and Natural

nl
Resources.”
1. The country’s forests and coastal and marine ecosystems, inland water bodies, wetlands,
and caves are also home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The wetlands are home

O
to one of the largest assemblies of microorganisms, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and
mammals that live within or near waters. Over 1,500 caves have been recorded in the
country since 1994 with a significant number yet to be discovered and mapped. These

n
caves are considered unique, natural and nonrenewable resources with important scientific,
economic, educational, cultural, historical and aesthetic values.
io
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
at
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
lu

_____________________________________________________________________________
va

_____________________________________________________________________________
2. The degradation of the environment aggravates the impacts of disasters and climate
change. Deforestation increases the chances of landslides. The risk of drought and poor
availability of water are aggravated by the loss of forest cover. Depleted mangrove reserves
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deprive coastal communities of natural protection from storm surges. Uncontrolled urban
growth coupled with poor land use planning results in encroachment on protected forests
or danger zones like riverbanks. Together with shortfalls in basic services such as proper
waste disposal and decent housing, these result in clogged waterways and increased flood
Fo

risk.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

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3. Despite government efforts at sustainably managing the country’s environment and natural
resources, environmental degradation continues. The plethora of laws and policies, as well
as the established agencies to manage, protect, and preserve the country’s environment and
natural resources have not sufficed or worked effectively enough to address the threats to
ecological integrity. Institutional issues need to be addressed to ensure the sustainability of
the country’s fragile environment and natural resources. Policies, programs, and existing
institutional arrangements must be revisited in order to move forward and deliver the
promise of sustainable development.
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
4. Contributing to poor enforcement and compliance is the lack of knowledge of
at
environmental laws, policies, and programs among LGUs, specifically in communities or
barangays. There are still rural communities which depend on resource extraction for their
livelihood. Relevant environmental laws, specifically those regulating the utilization of
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natural resources, e.g., National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) are Wildlife
Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, are poorly implemented. There is a
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need to intensify information and advocacy campaigns on existing environmental laws


and policies among communities.
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Fo

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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Listening and Viewing Time

Ready to Listen
Stress is the emphasis imposed on certain sounds or syllables. It may be a syllable that is
expressed with louder sound than the unstressed syllable. It has two basic types: primary and
secondary stress. (See Lesson 9 for the full discussion on stress.)
Meanwhile, intonation is the melody of the speech. It also refers to how you say a particular
statement. It deals with the way on how voice rises and falls when speaking.

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There are three basic intonation patterns: the rising intonation, the falling intonation, and the

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falling-rising intonation.
Rising intonation signals the speaker to continue speaking. It signifies the rise in the pitch of

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voice at the end of the sentence. It is commonly used with tag Yes/No questions and tag questions.
Examples:
• Do you like your new bag?

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• You are a new employee, aren’t you?

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Falling intonation is the most common pattern. It signifies falls in pitch of voice at the end of
the sentence. It is commonly used in statements, WH-questions, commands, exclamations, and
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confirmatory question tags.
Examples:
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• Are you coming on Monday or Tuesday?


• We’ve got salad, pasta, sweets, and veggies.
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• If Nikko delivers the items, ask him to come to my office.

Falling-rising intonation signifies that the pitch of the voice falls, then suddenly rises on a
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particular word or syllable. This intonation suggests that the speaker is uncertain of the answer,
hesitant to reply, suggesting, or being polite.
Examples:
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• You didn’t see Ara yesterday? I don’t quite remember.


• We’ve got papers, pens, books, and markers.

Watch a video on road safety, which you can access through going to the link or scanning the
code below. Take note of the intonation pattern in the presented material.

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Title: Road Safety video || Traffic Rules And Signs
For Kids || Kids Educational Video
Link: https://youtu.be/_NeEF1fwT4k

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Talk About It
Activity 8.11
io
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Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the video.
1. What are the meanings of green, yellow, and red traffic lights?
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2. What would you do if you see a red man sign in a traffic light system?
3. What should you not use when you are in a vehicle?
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4. What is the importance of observing the correct speed limit?


5. How would you explain the importance of knowing and understanding each road
safety symbol?
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6. How would you describe the impacts of following and not following these road safety
signs?
7. What do you think is the importance of intonation in creating meanings and expressing
thoughts?
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Work It Out
Learning Objective: Activity 8.12
Illustrate intonation
pattern in statements.  art A. Analyze and illustrate the intonation pattern employed in each
P
statement taken from the road safety video.
1. Red means stop.
2. All the vehicles have to stop.
3. Only when the signal turns green, vehicles move ahead.

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4. When the signal turns yellow, vehicles should slowdown.
5. If you see the red man, it means you should not walk.
6. Yes, you can walk now.
 art B. Write a five-sentence paragraph noting and describing the important points that
P
intonation emphasize in creating meanings and expressing thoughts. You will be graded using
Rubric 06: Paragraph Writing/Narrative Paragraph in the Appendix.

Ready to View

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With the new technological advancement, viewing has expanded to the use of digital materials.
There are different viewing materials available via the Internet and television. These materials vary

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in terms of genre, purpose, and other features. Study the table below.
Viewing Genres Purposes Other Features

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to entertain the audience about a usually lengthy (at least an hour) and
1. Movie
particular story features a complete story
to entertain and give the audience a usually short (seconds to minutes)

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2. Trailer
preview on a particular movie and features a preview of the movie
to inform the public about important aired between programs
3. News flash

4. Internet-based
news at the moment io
to inform, educate, or entertain the uses websites as platforms in airing
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program target audience or streaming the materials
5. Documentary to inform or educate the audience on research-based viewing materials
videos a particular issue anchored on a specific story or issue
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Watch the video below by accessing the link or scanning the code in the box. Assess what type
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of viewing genre it is.


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Title: WATCH: Encantadia’s official full trailer


Link: https://youtu.be/c19jvpQOFWw
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Talk About It
Activity 8.13
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the trailer you watched.
1. What particular mythological elements are featured in the material?
2. How would you explain the power of women based on the trailer?

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3. How would you describe the cinematic effects shown in the trailer?
4. If you were given an extraordinary power, what would it be? Why? How would you
call yourself?
5. How would you analyze the material in terms of features of a myth?
6. To which viewing genre would you classify this video? Does it satisfy the characteristics
of such genre material?

Work It Out

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Learning Objective:
Activity 8.14

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Identify the genre,
purpose, intended Part A. Watch and analyze two viewing materials of your choice below.
audience, and features
of various materials 1. One True Pair The Movie

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viewed, such as movie
clip, trailer, news flash, Link: https://youtu.be/xw3yzsvUw8k
Internet-based program,
and documentary video. 2. Hello, Love, Goodbye Official Trailer | Kathryn Bernardo, Alden
Richards | ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’

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Link: https://youtu.be/s7UyA4w6a7A
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3. Metro Manila intensifies border controls ahead of ECQ
Link: https://youtu.be/JPkQPF9GhZc
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4. School Improvement Plan (SIP) Instructional Videos
Link: https://www.deped.gov.ph/2019/04/22/school-improvement-
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plan-sip-instructional-videos/
5. The Atom Araullo Specials: Munting Bisig (Full Episode)
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Link: https://youtu.be/FZowODHlxQE

Part B. Identify the genre, the purpose, the intended audience, and other observable features of
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your chosen viewing materials in Part A.


Features Video 1 Video 2

1. Video title
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2. Genres

3. Purposes

4. Intended audience

5. Other features

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Express Yourself

Diphthongs and Blends


Diphthongs, also called gliding vowels, are two different vowel sounds in one syllable.
The speaker glides from one vowel sound toward the other vowel sound.
Examples: /eɪ/ as in mate (/meɪt/) or grate (/greɪt/)
/ɪə/ as in near (/nɪə/) or rear (/rɪə/)
/eə/ as in lair (/leə/) or rare (/reə/)

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/ʊə/ as in lure (/ljʊə/) or cure (/kjʊə/)

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/əʊ/ as in grow (/grəʊ/) or bone (/bəʊn/)
/ɔɪ/ as in point (/pɔɪnt/) or choice (/ʧɔɪs/)

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/aɪ/ as in lime (/laɪm/) or light (/laɪt/)
/aʊ/ as in howl (/haʊl/) or hound (/haʊnd/)

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Blends are consonant pair sounds in a single syllable. It is produced by blending the consonant
sounds together. The sound begins with one consonant sound and moves toward another.
Examples: blame
clap
crow
past
io play
cask
stay
trap
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Remember that diphthongs and blends are unique sounds produced by blending sounds
together, unlike the individual vowel and consonant sounds you studied in the previous lesson.
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Pronouncing these sounds correctly would help you to become an effective communicator.
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Activity 8.15
Learning Objective:
Read the statements below. Observe the correct production of sounds,
Observe correct
diphthongs, and blends. You will be graded using Rubric 21: Oral Reading in
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production of sounds,
the Appendix. diphthongs, and
blends.
1. Beautiful life
Interesting proposal
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With the director


2. When I am with you
After you have finished your report
Because he submitted a comprehensive report
3. Blends and diphthongs are important in speech production. Students should learn how to
produce vowel and consonant sounds correctly. Producing correct sounds will help you
build your confidence in front of other people.

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4. “We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build
a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and
aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure
to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the
rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and
promulgate this Constitution.” – The Preamble, 1987 Constitution.

Practice Some More

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Make It Real

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Learning Objective: Activity 8.16
Present information
Part A. You were tasked by your school to prepare a bulletin board on the

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through pictures and
nonverbal forms. famous dishes from your province or locality. As you prepare your bulletin
board, you must research information about your province in available online
and print sources. Include the history and facts using your gathered data.

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You must include important details and present them through a timeline or
other graphic organizers, pictures, statistics, and other available resources.
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You will be graded using Rubric 22: Bulletin Board in the Appendix.

Part B. Present your bulletin board in class. In your 3-minute presentation, observe the use of
at
correct speech elements. You will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

Part C. Listen to other groups’ presentations. Then, write a five-sentence paragraph about the
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purpose, topic, and theme. Use meaningful and appropriate sentences. You will be graded using
Rubric 04: Sentences in the Appendix.
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

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E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
• Intonation: This provides additional lesson in understanding intonation.
https://langeek.co/en/grammar/course/1250/intonation
• Process & Procedure (Non-linear and Linear Text): This provides sample activities in
transcoding nonlinear to linear texts.
https://www.liveworksheets.com/w/en/english-second-language-esl/1603783

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What I Have Learned So Far

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Think about the following questions and write your reflection in your learning journal.
1. W
 hat were your misconceptions about subject-agreement rules, informational texts, and
the topics in general before taking up this lesson?

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2. What new or additional learning have you had after taking up this lesson in terms of
literature, skills, and attitude?
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3. What are your responses to the essential questions in Things to Ponder?
4. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?
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5. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?
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Lesson 9
Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts

By the end of the lesson, you

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will have been able to:
• analyze how nonlinear

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texts represent and/or
summarize the contents of
informational texts;

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• give the meaning of
prohibition signs and
symbols;
• explain the meaning of

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prohibition signs and
symbols;
• create or expand word
clines;
• demonstrate understanding
of pronoun-antecedent
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agreement rules;
• compare the content of
materials through nonlinear
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representation;
• analyze texts in terms of
structure, coherence, and
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cohesion; The current social world encourages and expects students to


• compose informational be critical readers and thinkers. This includes understanding the
text; informational texts through different multimodal contexts, such as
• edit the text for textual
reading and comprehending signs and symbols.
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consistency;
• revise the text for One way in which readers may further understand an
coherence and cohesion; informational text is through reading information in a quick but
• use the correct stress
(primary and secondary)
efficient way. Informational texts embed different definitions,
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when reading passages; specialized vocabulary or jargons, and even varying levels of
• compare the content of vocabulary or word cline to further enrich the contexts and
materials viewed to other make the reading texts more meaningful. Though not always,
sources of information
(print and radio); informational texts usually include different nonlinear texts to
• present argument in present the intended information.
cohesive, coherent, and
consistent text structure;
and
• apply multimodal elements
in presenting one’s ideas.

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
There is a famous adage that says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This means that a
single picture may generate several meanings. Study the pictures below.

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n
Picture A
Photo credit: Nathan Cadavido io Picture B
Photo credit: Nathan Cadavido
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Using the given pictures, answer the following questions:
1. How will you describe each picture? Give three-word descriptions for each picture.
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2. What can you infer or conclude from each picture?


3. What do you think is the emotion expressed by each picture?
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4. How do pictures help in providing clear descriptions of a text?

What I Know, What I Do


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Tick the column that best describes your knowledge, skills, and attitude. Answer this section
as objectively as possible. Bear in mind that there are no incorrect answers. You can use your
performance in Let’s Warm Up as one of the bases in completing this self-audit task.
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Self-Audit Task Checklist


Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1. I can analyze how nonlinear texts
represent and/or summarize the contents of
informational texts.
2. I can give the meaning of prohibition signs
and symbols.

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Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
3. I can explain the meaning of prohibition signs
and symbols.
4. I can create or expand word clines.
5. I can demonstrate understanding of pronoun-
antecedent agreement rules.
6. I can compare the content of materials
through nonlinear representation.
7. I can analyze texts in terms of structure,

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coherence, and cohesion.
8. I can compose informational text.

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9. I can edit the text for textual consistency.
10. I can revise the text for coherence.

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11. I can revise the text for cohesion.
12. I can use the correct stress (primary and
secondary) when reading passages.

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13. I can compare the content of materials viewed
to other sources of information (print and
radio).
14. I can present argument in cohesive, coherent,
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at
and consistent text structure.
15. I can apply multimodal elements in presenting
one’s ideas.
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TOTAL
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Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point
Score Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
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43–45 Advanced 34–36 Developing


40–42 Proficient 33 and below Beginning
37–39 Approaching Proficiency

Things to Ponder
Fo

Do you think you have an important role in protecting the environment? How will you
contribute to protecting nature?

Why is it important that you learn and understand how to read signs and symbols?

How will word cline benefit you as a Grade 7 student in enriching your vocabulary skills?

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Explore and Experience
What’s Coming

Vocabulary Preview
 This section further enriches your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:
bustling landmark replenish

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dolomite majestic sketchy

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dredging picturesque squadron
drenched rehabilitation unobstructed

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Grammar Preview
 In this lesson, you are expected to understand the different pronoun-antecedent agreement

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rules and use them appropriately and meaningfully.

Literary Preview
io
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 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform the corresponding activities.
• “DENR to Spend P265M for Second Phase of Manila Bay Rehab Project” by Jonathan
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L. Mayuga
• “Chasing the Manila Sunset” by Jess Pacis
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Ready to Read
Manila Bay is considered one of the world’s great harbors. It is considered one of the
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Philippines’ major hubs of economic activity. With these growing industrial activities, pollution
has served as a major threat to it. To address this concern, the Philippine national government,
the local government units, and even the private sectors have initiated programs and projects to
rehabilitate this historical site.
Fo

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DENR to Spend P265M for Second Phase
of Manila Bay Rehab Project
by Jonathan L. Mayuga
About the Author
Jonathan L. Mayuga is a
journalist of Business Mirror The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set
with more than 15 years of to spend P265 million for the second phase of the Manila Bay “Beach
experience in the industry. He
has received various awards in
Nourishment Project,” along Roxas Boulevard in Manila, the BusinessMirror
journalism. learned.

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Read more in https://
businessmirror.com.ph/author/ In an interview, Environment Undersecretary for Policy Planning and

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jonathanmayuga/ International Affairs Jonas R. Leones, confirmed with the BusinessMirror the
existence of the project as well as the P265-million appropriation saying it is

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part of the continuing rehabilitation1 of Manila Bay.
Can the Manila Bay still
be saved? What can the To be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways
government do to have it fully
(DPWH), the Beach Nourishment project involves the dredging2 of garbage
recovered? As a Filipino, how

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can you contribute in saving one and silt and the dumping of filling materials.
of the famous Philippine sites?
The first phase of the project involved the overlaying of crushed dolomite3

About the Piece


io
from a mining town in Cebu province at a 500 meter-portion of the Baywalk
along Roxas Boulevard.
at
The article provides a clear The fund for the second phase is already downloaded to the Department of
picture of the government’s
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), but remains with the DENR as
Manila Bay Rehabilitation
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Project. It explains how much the project is yet to be transferred or downloaded to the DPWH.
the government has spent
for the implementation of the
“The fund is still with us,” Leones told the BusinessMirror.
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project.
For the second phase, details remain sketchy4, he said, as the DENR and the
DPWH have yet to finalize the project design and plan. Leones, however, said
there is “still no MOA [Memorandum of Agreement] yet for the project.”
Expanding Vocabulary
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Encircle the letter that best He told the BusinessMirror the idea is to replenish5 around 300 meters of the
defines the word set in beach area from the Manila Yacht Club toward the US Embassy, near where
boldface based on
how it is used in context.
the dolomite beach.
1. rehabilitation The first phase of the Beach Nourishment Project has a total appropriation of
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a. improvisation
P389 million, part of the total P1.7-billion Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program.
b. restoration
Funding for the second phase was approved by Congress as part of the 2020
2. dredging
General Appropriations Act (GAA), according to Leones.
a. digging
b. searching
He said the DENR will provide details of the project once the MOA and plan
3. dolomite for the project become available.
a. translucent mineral
b. rocky compound The 2020 budget for the operational plan for the DENR Manila Bay Coastal
Management strategy is P1.347 billion.

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Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
context.
4. sketchy
a. vague

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b. clear
5. replenish

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a. overflow
b. fill

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n
Manila Bay rehab project:
A clean and garbage-free shore.

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Source: Mayuga, J.L. (2021, May 3). DENR to spend P265M for second phase of Manila Bay
rehab project. Business Mirror. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/05/03/denr-to-spend-
p265m-for-second-phase-of-manila-bay-rehab-project/

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Talk About It
Activity 9.1
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the article.
1. Why is the project called “Beach Nourishment Project”?
2. What activities or procedures are involved in the said project?
3. How much funds are allocated for the first and second phases of the project?
4. W
 hy did the government initiate the rehabilitation project of Manila Bay? Were they

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successful in the rehabilitation project? Expound.

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5. What is the importance of rehabilitating Manila Bay?

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Map It Out
Learning Objective: Activity 9.2

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Analyze how nonlinear  Using the word map below, research and describe Manila Bay before
texts represent and/or
summarize the contents
and after the rehabilitation.
of informational texts. io
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Before After
Manila Bay
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Rehabilitation Rehabilitation
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Text Focus

Signs or Markers
Aside from usual texts that you read, understand, and give meaning to, there are other
nonlinear or visual elements that you should be able to read and comprehend. These are signs or
markers. These signs or markers are available almost everywhere—in school, on the road, and in
other public places. Prohibition signs have different purposes depending on where they are placed.
For instance, the signs on the road are for safety purposes, whereas signs in establishments are
reminders to the public.

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Study the prohibition signs below.

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O
n
io
at
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va
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Can you name all the prohibition signs above? In most cases, a sign or marker is provided
without any textual support; hence, it is important that you understand the meaning of each
marker or sign that you see in public places.

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Learning Objective:
Activity 9.3
Give the meaning of
prohibition signs and Give the meaning of each prohibition sign below.
symbols.

1. 2. 3. 4.

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________________ ________________ ________________ ________________

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5. 6. 7. 8.

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________________ ________________
io ________________ ________________
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9. 10. 11. 12.
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________________ ________________ ________________ ________________

Activity 9.4
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Learning Objective:
Part A. Using the illustration below, create your own prohibition sign or
Explain the meaning of
prohibition signs and marker on a 1/8 illustration board. Then, explain its meaning in three to five
symbols. sentences.
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Part B. Explain the meaning and the use of your self-invented prohibition sign in three to five
sentences.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

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Vocabulary Focus

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Creating Word Clines
Word cline is a fun vocabulary exercise that can help you build, refine, and use new words.

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It gives you a visual representation of a set of words as they are arranged along a cline or scale.
In creating word clines, generate synonyms of or words related to a keyword first. Then,
arrange the synonyms on a scale or cline that goes from increasing to decreasing order, best to

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worst, most important to least important, and vice versa.
Guidelines on Creating Word Clines
1. Identify or select a keyword.
io
at
Examples: small, happy
2. Generate synonyms or words that are closely related to the keyword.
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Examples:
small: diminutive, little, miniature, tiny
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happy: cheerful, ecstatic, joyful, jubilant


3. Arrange these words in increasing or decreasing order or weak to strong based on your
judgment.
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Examples:

small happy

diminutive jubilant
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miniature ecstatic

tiny cheerful

little joyful

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Learning Objective:
Activity 9.5
Create or expand word Form a group with three to five members and perform the following
clines. tasks.

1. G
 enerate four synonyms of the underlined words. You can use context clues or dictionary
to generate similar words.
a. Or a slit in a hollow post

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b. Son’s note or Dad’s one gaudy tie,

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O
c. From God’s own bright teeth,

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d. Breathless hand over

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2. Arrange the words in increasing order based on your judgment to create word clines.
at
a. hollow b. gaudy
lu
va
rE

c. bright d. breathless
Fo

300~ Unit III Expository and Informational Texts in Contemporary Times

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Grammar Focus

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
A pronoun is a part of speech that is used to replace a noun, or it stands for a noun. Meanwhile,
an antecedent is a word that a pronoun represents. It comes from the Latin word ante, which means
before or preceding. Thus, an antecedent is a word that exists or is placed before or preceding
another.
In pronoun-antecedent agreement, always remember that the pronoun must agree with its
antecedent in terms of number, gender, and person.

y
Let us study the example below.

nl
The pronoun her refers to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

O
The late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is remembered for her intelligence,

antecedent pronoun (or the referent)

n
singular singular
feminine
third person

strong will, and charismatic personality.


io feminine
third person
at
As a key reminder, a singular pronoun must be used to replace a singular noun, and a plural
lu

pronoun must be used in place of a plural noun. If the antecedent is feminine, the pronoun should
also be feminine. If the antecedent is in third person, the pronoun should also be in the third
person.
va

To further understand the pronoun-antecedent agreement, study some of the rules below.
1. A plural referent must be used in compound subjects joined by and.
rE


Example:

Marianne and Brian visited their grandparents in Bicol.


Fo

antecedents referent

plural (Marianne and Brian) plural

The antecedents, Marianne and Brian, are compound subjects.

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~301

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2. Compound subjects that refer to the same person take singular pronoun or referent.

Example:

My father and friend gave his blessing for me to marry Celine.

antecedents referent

singular singular

y
The antecedents, father and friend, are compound subjects but refer to the same

nl
person.

O
3. An intervening phrase or clause between the subject and the verb does not change the
number of the antecedent.

Example:

n
A pack of oranges sits in its basket.

antecedent
io referent
at
singular singular
lu

The intervening phrase of oranges does not have something to do with pack. Though
the noun oranges is plural, the main subject pack is singular. Thus, the referent (its) must
va

also be singular.

4. Singular indefinite pronouns used as antecedents take singular referents. Examples of


rE

these include either, neither, one, no one, each, nobody, somebody, everybody, anybody,
something, everything, anyone, everyone, and someone.
Example:
Fo

Someone requested that his/her leave application be approved.

antecedent referents

singular singular

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5. Plural indefinite pronouns used as antecedents take plural referents. Examples of these
include several, many, few, and both.
Example:

Both requested that their leave applications be approved.

antecedent referent

plural plural

y
nl
6. Some indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural depending on their intended meanings.
These include some, any, none, all, and most. If these indefinite pronouns are used with

O
countable nouns, then they are plural. However, if these indefinite pronouns are used with
uncountable nouns, then they are singular.

Examples:

n
a. Uncountable Nouns
io
Some of the salt remains in its jar.
at
antecedent referent
lu

plural plural
va

Salt is an uncountable noun. This makes the indefinite pronoun some singular.

b. Countable Nouns
rE

Some of the books are still in their shelf.

antecedent referent
Fo

plural plural

The word books is a countable noun. This makes the indefinite pronoun some plural.

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~303

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7. In the case of or or nor, the pronoun or referent must agree with the antecedent closest
to it.

Example:

Neither Ethan nor the council members want to withdraw their proposal.

antecedent referent

plural plural

y
nl
Connected by nor, the subject council members, which is plural in number, is closer
to the referent their.

O
Either the council members or Ethan will withdraw his proposal.

antecedent referent

n
plural plural
io
Connected by or, the subject Ethan, which is singular in number, is closer to the
at
referent his.

8. Depending on their meaning, collective nouns may be singular or plural. The referent must
lu

agree with the number that the collective noun signifies. Some of these collective nouns
include crowd, jury, team, band, committee, among others.
va


Examples:
a. If the subject acts as one unit/entity, the subject is singular in number
rE

The committee announced its decision on Saudi Arabia’s bid to host FIFA 2034.

antecedent referent
Fo

singular singular

b. If the collective noun acts as individual units or entities, the subject is plural in
number.

The committee announced their findings on the cases of the city hall’s ghost
employees.
antecedent referent

plural plural

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9. Titles or names of single units or entities, such as books, songs, literary works, organizations,
countries, among others, always take singular referents.
Example:

Raining in Manila has been in the 10 most played songs since Week 1 of its release.

antecedent referent

y
singular singular

nl
10. Plural-form nouns with a singular meaning take singular referents. Examples of these
plural-form nouns include news, diabetes, measles, mumps, among others.

O

Example:

n
Measles is known for its red blotchy characteristic.

antecedent io referent
at
singular singular
lu

11. The expression the number requires the use of singular referents, while the expression a
number requires plural referents.
va


Examples:
a. The number
rE

The number of bottles stands on its shelf.

antecedent referent
Fo

singular singular

b. A number

A number of delegates present their proposal for peace process.

antecedent referent

plural plural

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~305

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12. The expressions every _____ and many a _____ take singular referents.
Examples:

a. Every + singular noun

Every Miss Universe candidate is expected to give her best during the competition.

antecedent referent

y
singular singular

nl
b. Many a (used with a singular noun to refer to a large number of things or people)

O
Many a woman got her special office in the Congress.

n
antecedent referent

singular
io
singular
at
Activity 9.6
Learning Objective:
Part A. Box the antecedent and encircle the referent(s) used in each sentence.
lu

Demonstrate Draw an arrow from the referent(s) to their antecedent. Then, below the
understanding of
pronoun-antecedent referent(s) and their antecedents, analyze each in terms of number, gender, and
va

agreement rules. person.

1. Jocelyn and Ferrer registered their marriage two months ago.


rE

2. My brother and classmate shared his snacks with me this morning.


Fo

3. The box of pens stays in its drawer.

4. Anyone may file her candidacy if she meets the criteria.

5. Many believe that their good deeds will bring them good karma.

306~ Unit III Expository and Informational Texts in Contemporary Times

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6. All students arrived early for their quarterly exams.

7. Either the senators or the President will express his disapproval to the new legislation.

8. The crowd believes that it is their right to peacefully assemble and express their sentiments.

y
9. The United Nations released its resolution to call for a ceasefire between the opposing

nl
parties.

O
10. A number of applicants queued for their final interview.

n
Part B. Using any of the above rules, write a complete sentence with an antecedent and referent(s).
io
Draw an arrow from the referent(s) to their antecedent. Then, analyze them in terms of number,
gender, and person.
at
lu
va
rE
Fo

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~307

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Link It
Have you watched the sunset in Manila Bay? Many consider the sunset in Manila Bay
breathtaking and charming. It is such a wonderful and relaxing sight. The text below describes the
majestic characteristics of the Manila Bay sunset and the role that this body of water played in
our history as a nation.

y
Chasing the Manila Sunset
by Jess Pacis

nl
About the Author
Jess Pacis is a regular columnist
for The Philippine Daily Mirror. I remember hearing someone ask recently, “what’s Manila’s famous
landmark?” Paris has the Eiffel Tower, London has Big Ben. What do

O
She is a writer and development
worker based in the Philippines.
people think of when they think of Manila? And although the city of
Manila has many historical landmarks — Luneta, Intramuros, the old-
world charm of Escolta — one “tourist destination” it’s always been

n
How does the Battle of Manila
Bay differ from the Battle for known for is its majestic1 sunset. It’s kind of weird to think of the
Manila Bay? Manila sunset as a “landmark2” because don’t sunsets look the same
everywhere? io
Well, anyone who has ever seen the sunset along Manila Bay would tell you
at
About the Piece
This text was published on they don’t.
February 1, 2022 under the
Know Your Philippines in In fact, I can still vividly remember some Canadian visitors from a few years
lu

the Lifestyle section of the ago telling me that the sunset in Manila is the most beautiful sunset they’ve
Philippine Daily Mirror. ever seen anywhere in the world. I also recall a time in 2019 when the Manila
Bay area underwent rehabilitation. Hundreds of visitors flocked to the site
va

when it reopened. It was quite the sight for me — a multitude of people


Expanding Vocabulary
braving the traffic and the packed crowds just to see the sunset. Isn’t that
Encircle the letter that best
amazing?
rE

defines the word set in


boldface based on how it is
When I was a kid growing up in rural Bulacan, my dreams were not beach
used in context.
vacations or overseas trips. I used to dream of being at the top of a building
1. majestic
in Manila, with a picturesque3 view of the city skyline. I always set my “dream”
a. grand
at dusk. I always imagined the Manila skyline as one drenched4 in orange
Fo

b. simple
2. landmark hues, dotted with the warm glow of the setting sun. Growing up and having
a. sight the chance to visit Manila during sundown did not disappoint. And maybe
b. marker this is the same charm that keeps drawing visitors to the bay.
3. picturesque
a. scenic Conveniently located along the western edge of Luzon, Manila Bay offers
b. picture an unobstructed5 view of the setting sun upon still waters. However, the
4. drenched harbor also played a significant role during the Spanish-American War,
a. wet apart from this gorgeous view. In 1898, just as war was starting between
b. covered
Spain and the United States, the Americans realized that taking control of

308~ Unit III Expository and Informational Texts in Contemporary Times

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y
Expanding Vocabulary

nl
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in

O
context.
5. unobstructed
Spanish troops stationed in the Philippines would be critical to winning the
a. clear
war. Under the excellent command of Commodore George Dewey and with b. building

n
detailed information from the United States Consul in Manila, the United 6. squadron
States squadron6 at the time managed to catch the Spanish unit unaware. It a. group

io
overwhelmed the ships with their superior naval gunnery. As the first major
battle in the Spanish-American War, the Americans’ victory in the Battle of
Manila Bay marked a critical point in their subsequent takeover of Spanish


7.


b. troop
bustling
a. busy
b. small
at
fleets in the Philippines.

Today, the very same harbor that served as the setting for this historic battle
lu

now remains to be an important port for trade and commerce. (Fun fact:
when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources launched
va

a seven-year rehabilitation program for Manila Bay in 2019, they called it


the “Battle for Manila Bay.”) The prime location and recent rehabilitation
of Manila Bay have attracted tourists and business people alike over
the years, so much so that they developed the surrounding area into a
rE

bustling7 business district, with plenty of malls, casinos, hotels, and luxury
condominium buildings cropping up in recent years.

Now, when people think of Manila Bay, what comes to mind is an area
sprawling with big buildings and leisure spots, but with the same majestic
Fo

sunset that we’ve grown to love.

“Perhaps the reason Manila Bay deserves to be a “landmark”


of the city is precisely this: it represents the ability of the
Philippines’ capital to embrace modern developments while
still preserving its rich history”.

Source: Pacis, J. (2022, February 1). Chasing the Manila sunset. Philippine Daily Mirror.
https://www.philippinedailymirror.com/chasing-the-manila-sunset/

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~309

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Talk About It
Activity 9.7
Work with a partner and discuss the answer to the questions about the article.
1. Why do you think that the Manila Bay rehabilitation program was initially called the
Battle for Manila Bay?
2. How did Manila Bay shape Philippine colonial history from the Spanish time to the
current period?

y
3. Explain how Manila Bay represents the ability of the City of Manila to embrace
modern developments while still preserving its rich history.

nl
4. As a student, how will you contribute to preserving the natural beauty and historical
significance of Manila Bay?

O
5. What is your most memorable sunset experience? Describe it and explain where it
happened.

n
Learning Objective: Map It Out
Compare the
content of materials
through nonlinear
Activity 9.8 io
Part A. With your groupmates, complete the graphic organizer below.
at
representation.
lu

When Purpose/s Outcome/s


va
rE

Battle OF Manila Bay


Fo

Battle FOR Manila Bay

When Purpose/s Outcome/s

310~ Unit III Expository and Informational Texts in Contemporary Times

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Part B. Using the tune of your favorite song, present the information in Part A through the form of
a song. Then, present it in front of the class. You will be graded using Rubric 23: Group Musical
Presentation in the Appendix.

Cultural Trip

y
• Did you know that Manila Bay is considered as the heart of the Philippine

nl
economic activity? Manila Bay is famous for its picturesque sunset. It is also
known being a major shipping, industrial, commercial, and tourism hub. Manila
Bay has been a witness to the country’s rich cultural past.

O
Write It Right

n
Informational Text
io
An informational text is a type of text that provides rich information on a certain topic. In
varied cases, informational texts may present both general and specific information on a particular
at
subject matter.
Like other types of essays or texts, informational text is basically formed by three parts:
lu

introduction, body, and conclusion.


1. Introduction. This provides a concise overview or background about the topic being
va

presented.
2. Body. This part of an informational text provides thorough discussion of the topic or
theme presented. This may include significant information on the topic. Most writers
rE

use varying techniques in presenting information, such as cause-effect, problem-solution,


topic-discussion, comparison-contrast, question-answer, and the like.
3. Conclusion. This provides a short summary of the discussion, or a key takeaway regarding
the topic.
Fo

In writing an information text, you should consider the following points and/or steps:
1. Identifying the topic. It is important that you understand the topic that you would like
to discuss. You may have rich knowledge about your chosen or given topic. If you do
not have enough information on it, it is essential that you immerse yourself into reading
different materials to help you identify and establish your topic.

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~311

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Example:
What is reclamation?
What do I know? What do I need to know?
1. Reclamation in Manila Bay 1. Effects of reclamation to the environment
2. Famous buildings in the reclaimed area 2. Impact to the economy
Write everything that you know about the
3.  Write everything that you want to know
3. 
topic. about the topic.

2. Preparing your outline, or organizing your topic. After understanding your topic, it is

y
important that you prepare your outline. Your outline will help you in presenting the

nl
information that you have on your topic. A sample outline is provided below.
Example:

O
I. 
Introduction about reclamation (Should I state about reclamation history? Or
impact? Should I pose a question? Should I use a quotation or statistics?)
II. Topic/Paragraph 1: Reasons for Reclamation

n

• Subtopic 1.1: Expansion of land territory
io
• Subtopic 1.2: More sites for industries
III. Topic/Paragraph 2: Sites or Buildings in Reclaimed Lands
at

• Subtopic 2.1: Cultural Center of the Philippines

• Subtopic 2.2: Mall of Asia
lu

IV. Topic/Paragraph 3: Effects and Impact of Reclamation



• Subtopic 3.1: To the fishing industry
va


• Subtopic 3.2: To the environment especially during calamity

• Subtopic 3.3: To the economy
V. Conclusion (What should I include in the summary? Should I give my judgment?
rE

Should I pose a challenge or a question?)

3. Gathering all the necessary information. Since your outline serves as the skeleton of your
text, you may use it in gathering all necessary information. From the information that you
Fo

know and do not know, you may use the outline in organizing the information based on
how you want to present your topics and subtopics.

You may gather information by reading books, newspapers, research articles, legal
documents, and other printed materials. You may also refer to other nonprint materials,
such as documentaries, videos, and news items. In gathering relevant information, ensure
that your sources are legitimate, verified, validated, and accurate documents. Avoid fake
information at all costs.

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4. Writing your draft. Using your outline and your gathered information, you may now start
writing your informational text. Your outline will help you in determining the number of
paragraphs that you would like to include. This will also help you in setting the topic that
you wish to explore in each part of your informational text.
5. Reviewing your draft. In revising your draft, you should ensure the following steps:
a. 
Check the errors in terms of grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Checking these points will also help in ensuring consistency of your writing.
b. 
Review the contents to ensure that you only provide factual information. It is very

y
important that you write the right information. This will help you establish your
credibility.

nl
c. 
Review for coherence. Coherence refers to the overall unity within the material in terms
of information presentation and structural organization. It emphasizes the importance

O
of the flow of your writing through connection or organization of the text in general.
This is established at the macro level sense of your writing.
d. 
Review for cohesion. Cohesion refers to the writer’s way of using words and structures

n
in ensuring that connections between words are established. It is achieved when
sentences are clearly connected. It means that each sentence should connect to the
io
sentences before and after it. This is established at the micro level sense of your writing.
In ensuring cohesion in your writing, you may be guided by the following cohesive
at
devices:
Purpose Cohesive Devices
lu

1. To summarize or conclude In summary, Thus, Therefore


2. To add Moreover, Further, Furthermore, Also
va

3. To compare Similarly, Likewise, Like, In the same way


However, In contrast, On the contrary, On the
4. To contrast
other hand
5. To show cause and effect/result Thus, Therefore, As a result, Because
rE

6. To express condition Although, Though


7. To give examples For example, For instance
Before, Long before, After, During, In the
8. To signify time
Fo

beginning
9. To explain Again, To clarify, In other words

6. Finalizing your draft. Finalize your work by looking into the points you identified in
item number 5. You must rewrite your writing and ensure that the identified errors are
corrected, and necessary revisions are made.

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~313

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Learning Objective:
Activity 9.9
Analyze texts in
terms of structure, Read again the texts entitled “DENR to Spend P265M for Second Phase
coherence, and
cohesion. of Manila Bay Rehab Project and Chasing the Manila Sunset.” Then, analyze
and describe them using the table below.
DENR to Spend P265M for
Questions Second Phase of Manila Bay Chasing the Manila Sunset
Rehab Project
1. How many paragraphs does
the text have?

y
2. How will you describe the
text in terms of grammar,

nl
tenses
3. What type of information is

O
presented in the text?
4. Do you think the
information presented is
accurate and verified? Why?

n
Why not?
5. Do you think the text shows
coherence? Why? Why not?
6. Do you think the text shows
io
at
cohesion? Why? Why not?

Activity 9.10
lu

Learning Objectives:
Part A. With your partner, choose one from the given topics below.
1. Drug war in the Philippines
va

Compose
informational text.
2. Fake news
Edit the text for
textual consistency. 3. Agricultural economic sabotage
rE

Revise the text for 4. West Philippine Sea


coherence and
cohesion. 5. Religious or cultural coexistence
6. Poverty in the country
Fo

Part B. From your chosen topic, write a five-paragraph informational


essay by following the steps below. You will be graded using Rubric 24:
Informative Essay in the Appendix.
1. Identifying your topic
2. Preparing your outline
3. Writing your final essay.

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Part C. Evaluate the work of your classmates by answering the following questions.
1. What is the title of your classmates’ essay?
2. Are they free from errors? Check the grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
3. Do you believe that the information presented is factual? Why? Why not?
4. How will you describe their work in terms of coherence and cohesion?

Listening and Viewing Time

y
Ready to Listen

nl
Stress

O
Stress refers to the highlight or emphasis given to a syllable in a word. Stressed syllable is
expressed with louder sound than the unstressed syllable.
There are two basic types of stress: primary and secondary stress.

n
1. Primary stress expresses the strongest degree. It has a noticeable change in pitch.
Examples:

apart define pattern
io
miserable phonetics metal
at
2. Secondary stress is weaker than the primary stress.
Examples: generosity environmental economic
lu

phenomenology apologetic academic


In identifying the stress in a word, it is important to take note that only vowels are stressed,
va

not consonants. In a word, a primary stress may co-exist with a secondary stress syllable.
Guidelines on Using Correct Stress
Here are some guidelines that you can follow in identifying and using correct stress.
rE

1. Read each word slowly. Exaggerate your way of pronouncing it. You will learn the stress
by reading slowly and separating syllables from one another.
2. While doing the first guideline, take note of the rise in pitch in particular syllables in each
word.
Fo

3. Take note of the syllable that requires much time to say. It is usually the long syllable.
4. Use the words in a context, such as a sentence or phrase. Say the sentence or phrase to
determine how much emphasis or stress is placed on a particular word.
5. Try to pronounce the word incorrectly. As this may not be the case at all times, but if the
word sounds funny after pronouncing it incorrectly, then you have misplaced the stress in
its supposed correct position

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~315

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Talk About It
Activity 9.11
Read, analyze, and answer the following questions about the discussion on stress.
1. What is stress? What is the importance of stress in reading a text?
2. How does stress change the meaning of a word?
3. G
 ive at least five words with primary stress, and another five with secondary stress.
Explain how these words differ.

y
4. Research on how stress is used in the Filipino language. What are its features and how

nl
it is used in our national language?

Work It Out

O
Learning Objective:
Activity 9.12
Use the correct  In groups of four, read the passage below in 3 minutes in front of
stress (primary and the class. Observe the use of primary and secondary stresses. You will be

n
secondary) when
reading passages. graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

io
What you need to know about road safety in the Philippines
at
(An excerpt)
lu
va
rE

What we can do to ensure road safety among motorists?


All drivers, before applying for a driver’s license, should have at least the basic
Fo

knowledge about road safety.


All driver’s license holders should be well-informed about the laws, rules and
regulations pertinent to land transportation. They should be willing to share the roads
with other road users. They should understand not only the rights and privileges related
to being a licensed driver, but also the duties and responsibilities that come with it. Most
importantly, they should know the first thing about defensive driving since it is inevitable
that they would encounter road users that are reckless, ignorant, arrogant or grossly
noncompliant with the traffic rules.
Source: https://business.inquirer.net/255709/need-know-road-safety-philippines

316~ Unit III Expository and Informational Texts in Contemporary Times

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Ready to View

Comparing Contents
Every day you encounter information from the materials you view, and most of the time you
use this information to add to your knowledge or support your ideas. But with the spread of fake
news, it is critical to compare the information you gain from different sources of information. This
is to ensure the information is correct and accurate and to avoid misinformation.
Below is the table that shows the comparison of viewed and printed materials.

y
Point of Comparison Viewed Printed
Materials that are published and

nl
Materials presented through
1. Descriptions made available physically or
moving or motion pictures
accessible online.

O
Books, articles from newspapers,
2. Examples Films, television shows, videos magazines, or scholarly journals,
social media.

n
Below are some tips for comparing contents from multiple sources.

io
1. Make sure you have access to viewed and printed sources available digitally or nondigitally.
2. Choose sources carefully by evaluating their truthfulness and accuracy.
at
3. Use a diagram like Venn diagram or table to check on the similarities and differences in
terms of the types of the materials, purpose, and central idea or theme.
lu

Practice your skill in comparing the information from the material viewed to other sources
of information through this short film. A short film is a type of motion picture. Compared to a
full-length film, a short film has a running time of fewer than 40 minutes. It can be animated or
va

live-action.
rE

Title: How to express your love... OFW short film:


“Asikaso”| AM Studios
Link: https://youtu.be/265Bkq7WjmU
Fo

Talk About It
Activity 9.13
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the short film.
1. What inferences can you make from the short film?
2. How would you demonstrate your love for anyone despite the distance?

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~317

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3. How would you explain the family relationship presented in the video?
4. Do you think communication technology improves family love and relationships?
5. How would you use digital technology to make your relationships with anyone better?

Learning Objective: Work It Out


Compare the content Activity 9.14
of materials viewed
to other sources of  art A. Identify the key ideas from “Asikaso” with a partner. Write your
P
information (print and

y
radio). answers below.

nl
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

O
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

n
________________________________________________________________________________

P
paragraph using the guide questions below.
io
 art B. Compare the key ideas you identified from other available sources. Write a five-sentence
at
1. What available sources have you found that are related to the key ideas of “Asikaso”?
2. What similarities did you identify? What about the differences?
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________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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Express Yourself
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Learning Objective: Activity 9.15


Present argument in Part A. Your class will be grouped into two to debate on this topic:
cohesive, coherent,
and consistent text Reclamation in any part of the Philippines should be continued as Filipinos
structure.
can benefit from it. Prepare your arguments by identifying what you know
and what do not know about the topic. Outline your argument to ensure
that your statements are coherent. Prepare your script and your evidence to support your claims.

Part B. The teacher will explain the mechanics of the debate. Be firm with your stand but be
respectful at all times. You will be graded using Rubric 19: Oral Communication Strategies in the
Appendix.

318~ Unit III Expository and Informational Texts in Contemporary Times

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 318 1/8/2024 4:53:34 PM


Practice Some More
Make It Real
Activity 9.16 Learning Objective:

Apply multimodal
Part A. With your groupmates, create a poster of different traffic signs and elements in presenting
symbols. You will be graded using Rubric 25: Poster in the Appendix. one’s ideas.

Part B. Present your poster in class. Make it as interactive as possible by stating statements,
questions, and even exclamations. Ensure that your statements are cohesive and coherent. You will

y
be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

nl
Part C. Listen to other groups’ presentations. Then, write your observations on your classmate’s
presentations in five sentences only. You will be graded using Rubric 04: Sentences in the Appendix.

O
E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.

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• Traffic Signs: This is an online quiz to test your knowledge of the different traffic signs and
symbols that you should remember.
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https://www.roadtrafficsigns.com/free-traffic-signs-quiz-intermediate
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• Cohesion: This is a valuable resource that will help you further understand how cohesion
works in a text.
www.eapfoundation.com/writing/cohesion
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What I Have Learned So Far

Think about the following questions and write your reflection in your learning journal.
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1. What were your misconceptions about pronoun-antecedent agreement, word clines, and
the topics in general before taking up this lesson?
2. What new or additional learning have you had after taking up this lesson in terms of
literature, skills, and attitude?
Fo

3. What are your responses to the essential questions in Thing to Ponder?


4. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?
5. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?

Lesson 9: Evaluating Multimodal Informational Texts ~319

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 319 1/8/2024 4:53:34 PM


Unit III
End-of-Unit Assessment
I. Group Work
 Your group was commissioned by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to prepare a
website for climate change information, issues, and proposed solutions. In your personalized
website, you must feature any informational texts, such as expository, news, and features,

y
related to the given topic.

nl
 In preparing your website, use Google Sites as a platform, as it is free and easy to explore.
Make sure your website has its own title or heading and other navigable links. Make it

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appealing, creative, and educational. Your website should include the following elements/
features.

Part A. Featured Informational Text

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1. Compose your own information text, which may be written in the form of expository
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texts, news and press releases, and features.
2. Your composition should use climate change as a theme or focus.
at
3. It should be an original composition.

Part B. Analysis of Your Featured Informational Text


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1. Analyze your own informational text in terms of clarity of meaning, purpose, and target
audience.
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2. Determine the form and structure of your informational text.


3. Also include the explanation how your work reflects the theme as may be influenced by
culture, environment, history, and other factors.
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4. Identify the analogy and/or idiomatic expressions used.


5. Use meaningful sentences with correct subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreements.
Fo

Part C. Act It Out


1. Create a 3-minute video on the informational text that you have written using any of the
activities below.
• Interview type • Roundtable discussion
• Debate • News program
2. Use appropriate communication strategies and guidelines in the video presentation while
discussing the features and elements of informational texts.
3. Employ appropriate speech strategies and techniques.

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Part D. Gallery
1. Allow your website visitors to predict the gist of the content of your site by providing five
to eight pictures relevant to the informational text that you have featured.
2. Research relevant photos taken from various resources, such as newspapers, websites, video
images, podcasts, and print-based materials that will support your own informational text.
Use of original photos, videos, etc. is encouraged.
3. Include any nonlinear visuals, if available.

Part E. References. Provide a complete list of references used on your website. These may

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include books and other printed materials, and online sources.

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Rubric for the Website
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1

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1. The website is well-planned and organized.
2. The details presented are factual and informational.
3. The contents show clarity.

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4. The output displays creativity.
5. The work is collaborative. io
6. The website features an informational text related to climate change.
at
7. The website lists the references or sources used.
8. The website has a gallery of photos and videos related to the featured
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informational text.
TOTAL
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5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric for the Analysis


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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The paragraph conveys its purpose.
2. The theme and the purpose are well-explained.
3. Factors considered in choosing the featured informational text are
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well-explained.
4. Analogy and idiomatic expressions are identified and analyzed.
5. The sentences are appropriate and meaningful.
6. The required number of sentences is met.
7. Word choice is appropriate.
8. The grammar is correct in terms of subject-verb and pronoun-
antecedent agreements.
TOTAL

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Unit III: End-of-Unit Assessment ~321

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 321 1/8/2024 4:53:34 PM


Rubric for the Video
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The purpose of the presentation is clear.
2. The message is delivered clearly.
3. The ideas flow smoothly.
4. The speakers incorporate lines from the researched materials.
5. The speakers use correct communication strategies and guidelines.

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6. Supporting information reinforces the message.
7. The speakers observe grammatical correctness.

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8. The speakers use courteous language.
9. The speakers maintain eye contact.

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10. The time limit is met.
TOTAL

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5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

II. Individual Work



io
at
Create a portfolio of your best work. Then, write a three- to five-paragraph essay
highlighting your personal reflection using the given questions below. Use correct subject-verb
and pronoun-antecedent agreements. Use analogy and idiomatic expressions in writing your
lu

reflection.
Guide Questions
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1. What are the elements that you considered in choosing the works or outputs that you
featured in your portfolio?
2. What do you think are the strengths of your chosen works or outputs?
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3. What steps or process did you take in completing this portfolio?


4. What are the problems that you encountered in completing your outputs and your
portfolio?
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5. How do you feel about your work? Are you satisfied with them? What are the things that
you should have done to make your chosen work or output better?
6. How does this portfolio demonstrate or reflect your learning and personal journey as a
student?

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Rubric for the Portfolio
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The portfolio reflects your personal experiences related to learning
objectives and outcomes.
2. The portfolio entries reflect in-depth learning.
3. Learning is evident in terms of mastery of knowledge and skills
through real-life application.
4. The reflection highlights learning and demonstrates personal
connection.

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5. The portfolio entries are complete.

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6. The portfolio is well-presented and of high quality.
TOTAL

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5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric for the Reflection

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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The paragraph conveys its purpose. io
The sentences employ correct use of subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent
at
agreements.
Figures of speech are used to describe or retell their experience.
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Word choice is appropriate.


The sentences are appropriate and meaningful.
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The required number of paragraphs is met.


TOTAL

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)


rE
Fo

Unit III: End-of-Unit Assessment ~323

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 323 1/8/2024 4:53:34 PM


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nl
O
n
io
at
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va
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Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 324 1/8/2024 4:53:34 PM


UNIT IV
ACADEMIC AND TRANSACTIONAL

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nl
TEXTS IN THE PRESENT TIMES

O
n
io
at
In this unit, you will gain a deep understanding of the style, form, and features of an
academic expository essay and a letter of request essential in the present times. You will learn to
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critically evaluate these texts regarding their clarity of meaning, purpose, and target audience.
You will be provided with practical guidance on composing and publishing original multimodal
va

academic expository essays and letters of request using appropriate forms and structures that
best represent their meaning, purpose, and target audience.
By the end of this unit, you will have a range of skills that will enable you to effectively
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analyze and evaluate academic texts and create original and engaging informational and
transactional texts tailored to the intended audience. You will also be able to use appropriate
forms and structures, such as multimodal features, to represent the texts’ meaning, purpose, and
target audience.
Fo

This unit comprises two important lessons that will help you master some essential skills.
Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text - Expository Essay. In this lesson,
you will learn about the features and structure of an academic text. It will help you understand
how to write your own expository essay using a process writing approach.
Lesson 11: Evaluating and Composing a Transactional Text - Letter of Request. This lesson
will deepen your understanding of the purpose, structure, and elements of a request letter. It will
guide you in writing an effective and purposeful letter of request.

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 325 1/8/2024 4:53:34 PM


Lesson 10
Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text:
Expository Essay

By the end of the lesson, you

y
will have been able to:
• determine the information

nl
that supports the central
idea of the text;
• examine the paragraph

O
by identifying the topic
sentence, supporting
ideas,
and purpose;

n
• determine the structure of
the academic paragraph;
• rewrite sentences
for diction and style
appropriate for a target
audience;
io
at
Academic texts are indispensable for students in the 21st century.
• use verb forms correctly; They provide students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives
• compare the texts based needed to thrive in an ever-evolving educational and professional
on their features;
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• compose an expository
landscape.
essay following the Critical thinking skills are crucial for students to navigate vast
process approach to
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writing; information online in the digital age. Academic texts help develop
• formulate predictions these skills by presenting complex ideas, arguments, and evidence.
about the content of the They are also available digitally, contributing to students’ digital
text;
literacy. Students must learn to navigate online databases, use
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• infer thoughts and


feelings expressed in the digital tools for research, and evaluate online sources. Academic
text listened to; texts also integrate knowledge from diverse fields, promoting
• make a stand on the interdisciplinary collaboration and keeping students updated on the
material viewed;
latest advancements in their fields.
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• express ideas and


opinions based on text Academic texts expose students to diverse ideas and cultures,
listened to; and encouraging the development of problem-solving skills to tackle
• produce a multimodal
real-world challenges and contribute to society. Furthermore, they
video or poster
presentation about a local help students stay relevant in today’s job market by instilling a
community for a specific habit of continuous learning and enhancing their communication
audience.
skills. They also explore ethical considerations related to research,
technology, and societal issues, fostering a sense of ethical
responsibility.

326~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
Form a group with five members. Read the headlines from three newspapers. Then, as a group,
discuss your answers to the questions about the headlines. Prepare to share your answers in class.

y
nl
O
n
io
at
lu
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1. What do the headlines talk about?


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2. What is the purpose?


3. What words help you determine the meaning and purpose of the headlines?
4. Based on the headlines, what do you think each article that corresponds to the headline is
Fo

about?
5. In your own words, write a sentence that captures the message of all the headlines. Use the
space provided.

Your sentence:

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~327

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What I Know, What I Do
After completing the Let’s Warm Up, tick the column that you think best describes your ability
to adhere to the principles of effective writing. Answer this section as objectively as possible. Bear
in mind that there are no wrong answers. You can use your performance in Let’s Warm-Up as one
of the bases for completing this self-audit task.

Self-Audit Task Checklist


Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never

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1. I determine the information that supports the
central idea of the text.

nl
2. I examine the paragraph by identifying the
topic sentence, supporting ideas, and purpose.

O
3. I determine the structure of the academic
paragraph.
4. I rewrite sentences for diction and style
appropriate for a target audience.

n
5. I use verb forms correctly.

6. I compare the texts based on their features.

7. I compose an expository essay following the


io
at
process approach to writing.
8. I formulate predictions about the content of
the text.
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9. I infer thoughts and feelings expressed in the


text listened to.
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10. I make a stand on the material viewed.


11. I express ideas and opinions based on the text
listened to.
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12. I produce a multimodal video or poster


presentation about a local community for a
specific audience.
TOTAL
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Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point
Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency
33–36 Advanced 21–24 Developing
30–32 Proficient 20 and below Beginning
25–29 Approaching Proficiency

328~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Things to Ponder

What is the structure of the academic text particularly expository essay?

How do you write an expository essay following a process approach to writing?

Explore and Experience

y
What’s Coming

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Vocabulary Preview

O
 In this lesson, you will develop your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:

n
advent extraordinary privileged status quo unscathed
afford extreme rapid pace tipping points uphold
anomalies
anthropogenic
feedback loops io
dangerous instability
resilient
snitch
uncharted
unprecedented
wary
wildfires
at
Grammar Preview
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In this lesson, you are expected to use verb forms correctly.

Literary Preview
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 In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform related activities:
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•  Climate-Related All-time Records” excerpt from the “2023 State of the Climate

Report: Entering Uncharted Territory” by William J Ripple, Christopher Wolf, Jillian
W Gregg, Johan Rockström, Thomas M Newsome, Beverly E Law, Luiz Marques,
Timothy M Lenton, Chi Xu, Saleemul Huq, Leon Simons, and Sir David Anthony King
Fo

•  What Being Poor Means” by Vincent Pajenago


Ready to Read
Before Reading Tips: Underline or box the title. Then, write some notes about what you
know, what you do not know, or what you want to know about the text based on the title and the
illustration. Next, preview the text by numbering the paragraph and drawing a circle to words or
phrases that are new or interesting to you.
Climate change is a global issue. This shows the planet’s vital signs and potential drivers of
climate change and responses.

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~329

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 329 1/8/2024 4:53:36 PM


Climate-Related All-Time Records
William J. Ripple, Christopher Wolf, Jillian W. Gregg, Johan Rockström,
About the Author
Thomas M. Newsome, Beverly E. Law, Luiz Marques, Timothy M. Lenton,
The authors come from Chi Xu, Saleemul Huq, Leon Simons, and Sir David Anthony King
different universities and
research centers around the
world. They are researchers and
experts on climate change.
See more in

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https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/
biad080

nl
Take a quick look at the title.

O
What knowledge do you already
have about the title? What
content do you expect to see in
the text?

n
About the Piece
The main title of the text is “2023
State of the Climate Report:
io
at
Entering Uncharted Territory.”
It is published by the Oxford
University Press
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Expanding Vocabulary
va

Encircle the letter that best


defines each word set in
boldface based on how it is
used in context.
In 2023, we witnessed an extraordinary1 series of climate-related records
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being broken around the world. The rapid pace2 of change has surprised
1. extraordinary
a. unusual scientists and caused concern about the dangers of extreme3 weather, risky
b. special climate feedback loops4, and the approach of damaging tipping points5
2. rapid pace sooner than expected (Armstrong McKay et al. 2022 Ripple et al. 2023 ).
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a. fast movement This year, exceptional heat waves have swept across the world, leading to
b. slow movement
record high temperatures. The oceans have been historically warm, with
3. extreme global and North Atlantic sea surface temperatures both breaking records
a. regular
and unprecedented6 low levels of sea ice surrounding Antarctica. In addition,
b. excessive
June through August of this year was the warmest period ever recorded,
and in early July, we witnessed Earth’s highest global daily average surface
temperature ever measured, possibly the warmest temperature on Earth
over the past 100,000 years. It is a sign that we are pushing our planetary
systems into dangerous instability7.

330~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in
We are venturing into uncharted8 climate territory. Global daily mean boldface based on how it is
temperatures never exceeded 1.5-degree Celsius (°C) above preindustrial used in context.

levels prior to 2000 and have only occasionally exceeded that number 4. feedback loops

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a. a cycle where one
since then. However, 2023 has already seen 38 days with global average
thing leads to

nl
temperatures above 1.5°C by 12 September—more than any other year— another
and the total may continue to rise. Even more striking are the enormous b. a situation where
margins by which 2023 conditions are exceeding past extremes. Similarly, one is the same as

O
the other
on 7 July 2023, Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest daily relative extent
5. tipping points
since the advent9 of satellite data, at 2.67 million square kilometers below
a. critical points in
the 1991–2023 average. Other variables far outside their historical ranges Earth’s system

n
include the area burned by wildfires10 in Canada, which may indicate a b. critical places
tipping point into a new fire regime. around Earth

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Anthropogenic11 global heating is a key driver of many of these recent
extremes. However, the specific driving processes involved can be
6. unprecedented
a. not happened
before
b. not happening
at
quite complex. For example, rising Atlantic ocean temperatures may be soon
connected to Sahel rainfall and African dust (Wang et al. 2012). Another 7. dangerous instability
potential contributor is water vapor (a greenhouse gas) injected into the a. controlled and safe
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b. unsteady and risky


stratosphere by an underwater volcano eruption (Jenkins et al. 2023). The 8. uncharted
recent rise may also be linked to a regulatory change mandating the use of a. not explored
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low-sulfur fuels in ocean shipping, because atmospheric sulfate aerosols b. not found
9. advent
directly scatter sunlight and cause reflective clouds to form. The sudden
a. beginning of
rise in temperatures is also likely contributed to by the onset of an El Niño something new
event—a naturally occurring part of the climate system, which could, itself, b. interesting story to
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be affected by climate change (Cai et al. 2021). In any case, as Earth’s begin
10. wildfires
climate system transitions away from conditions associated with human
a. fast-spreading fire
thriving, such anomalies12 may become more frequent and could have b. controlled fire
increasingly catastrophic impacts (Xu et al. 2020, Lenton et al. 2023). 11. anthropogenic
Fo

a. caused by
technology
b. caused by people
Scan the bar code to access full text: 2023 state of the climate report: Entering uncharted 12. anomalies
territory | BioScience | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
a. things that are not
normal
b. things that are not
connected

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~331

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Talk About It
Activity 10.1
 Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the excerpt.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing this text?
2. What lesson or message the authors are trying to convey?
3. What are the interesting or surprising facts in the text?
4. What are examples of changes in the climate that the authors pointed out?

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5. Why are these climate changes considered a global problem?

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6. What kinds of solutions do we need to address climate change?

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Map It Out
Learning Objective:
Activity 10.2
Determine the
information that  With a partner, reread “Climate-Related All-Time Records.” Complete

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supports the central the graphic organizer by writing the information supporting the text’s
idea of the text.
central idea.
io
In the year 2023, there were unprecedented and concerning
climate-related events worldwide.
at
lu
va
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Text Focus

Introduction to Academic Text


Fo

Academic text is a type of writing that is scholarly and research-oriented. This type of text is
usually found in books, journals, research papers, and other materials used in academic settings.
Some things that make academic text different from other types of writing include using
formal language that is precise and objective, giving credit to other people’s work, focusing on
evidence and logical reasoning, using words that are special to a particular field of study, and
being critical of what other people have written.
Examples of academic texts include research papers, articles written by experts, and papers
presented at conferences. These types of texts help to create new knowledge in a particular field of
study. The excerpt, “Climate-Related All-Time Records” is considered an academic text.

332~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Literary Texts and Academic Texts
Check the differences between two text types, literary and academic, in terms of formality,
citations, and structure.
Literary Features Academic
Conversational and informal 1. Formality Formal vocabulary and objective tone
vocabulary, subjective tone
May not include citations 2. Citations Included citations in-text and reference
Unique structural elements vary 3. Structure • Well-structured
depending on genre, like poetry, short

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• Must have an introduction, body,
story, or novel conclusion, and reference page

nl
• In the case of an academic
paragraph, it must have a topic
sentence and supporting sentences.

O
• To entertain, evoke emotions, and 4. Purpose To educate, inform, and contribute
explore human experiences using to the scholarly conversation within
artistic language and creative a specific discipline and often present

n
expression research findings, arguments, or
• To tell stories, convey themes, or analyses.
communicate ideas.
• Broad and includes general readers
who appreciate fiction, poetry, or
io
5. Audience • Usually, scholars, researchers,
students, or professionals within a
at
drama. specific field
• The interpretation of literary works • Texts adhere to academic writing
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can be subjective and varied. conventions and standards.

Guide Questions for Examining the Features of an Academic Paragraph


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Consider the following guide questions to help analyze an academic text paragraph’s structure,
content, and effectiveness. By addressing these guide questions, you can thoroughly examine the
features of an academic text paragraph and assess its effectiveness in conveying information and
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contributing to the overall argument or narrative.


1. Topic sentence • Is the main idea clear?
• Is there a topic sentence?
Fo

2. Supporting details • What are the specific details, examples, or evidence that are
given to support the main idea?
• Are these supporting details effectively contributing to
developing the paragraph’s argument or narrative?
3. Use of evidence and citations • Is there any evidence or sources that can back up the
information stated in the paragraph?
• Are the references provided accurate, and can the sources be
considered reliable?

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~333

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 333 1/8/2024 4:53:36 PM


4. Formality Does the paragraph avoid informal expressions and maintain a
formal tone?
5. Structure Does the paragraph have a topic sentence and supporting
sentences?
6. Unity and coherence • Are all the sentences in the paragraph relevant to the topic
sentence?
• Are the sentences arranged logically to create a coherent flow of
ideas?
7. Clarity of language • Is the language used in this context clear, concise, and

y
appropriate for an academic setting?
• Are terms or concepts defined if they may be unfamiliar to the

nl
reader?
8. Conciseness and precision • Are unnecessary words or redundancies avoided?

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• Is the language precise, conveying information without
unnecessary elaboration?

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Activity 10.3
Learning Objective:

Examine the paragraph


by identifying the topic
sentence, supporting
io
Examine the given academic paragraphs with a partner by identifying the
topic sentence, supporting ideas, and purpose. Use a separate sheet of paper
for your answers.
at
ideas, and purpose.
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Text 1

   This research explicated the culinary safeguarding culture of Pancit based on the current practices
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and traditions of the Filipinos in Luzon Island. The study employed a qualitative approach specifically
by implementing a case study approach. The researcher used an in-depth interview, observation,
archival analysis, and video and photography interpretation. The gathered information was analyzed
using the repertory grid. The research highlighted that Luzon island Pancit’s culinary heritage is
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significant, especially on different culinary safeguarding cultures. The findings from this study make it
a viable basis in conceptualizing a culinary safeguarding plan, which promotes sustainability, inclusive
growth, and development.
Source: Mercado, J.M. (2021, January 20). Pancit: explicating the culinary safeguarding culture of
Fo

Philippine noodles-The case of Luzon Island. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology.
Abstract retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2020.1871146

Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________


Supporting ideas: _______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose: _______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

334~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Text 2

   The new environment for Filipino journalists is a difficult terrain to navigate: Professionals struggle
to establish themselves as a source of information in the time of technological disruptions, digital
populism, tighter market competition, labour precarities and the political pressures of an increasingly
authoritarian regime. This provided the context for the subsequent discussion on journalistic
competence: What competencies are most important for Filipino journalists given this status quo?
More importantly, how should the concept of journalistic competence be viewed, conceptualised or
interrogated given the current conditions that affect or threaten journalistic practice? The discussion
on competencies was anchored on extant research, a survey with Filipino journalists and data from in-
depth interviews with selected experts worldwide. The prominent elements of journalistic competence

y
in the Philippines were identified and discussed vis-à-vis factors and conditions that influence
journalism competence such as journalistic roles, media systems, popular attitudes towards news and

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educational infrastructure.
Source: Estella, P. G. (2021, April 3). Digital populism, digital newswork and the concept of
journalistic competence: The Philippine condition. Media International Australia.

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Abstract retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1329878X211003568

Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________

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Supporting ideas: _______________________________________________________________

Purpose:
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___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
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Basic Features of Academic Texts


1. Formality. Academic text is formal in style, using precise and objective language to convey
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information. Furthermore, academic writing aims to present information objectively, without


personal bias or emotional language. It focuses on evidence, analysis, and logical reasoning.
2. Citations. Academic texts often include citations and references to acknowledge and support
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the information presented. This helps readers trace the origins of ideas and provides a basis
for further exploration. This also makes the idea concrete.
3. Structure. To ensure clarity, the academic text follows a clear and organized structure, with
well-defined sections such as introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion,
Fo

and conclusion. In the case of an academic paragraph, the structure must include the topic
sentence and supporting ideas.

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~335

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 335 1/8/2024 4:53:36 PM


Observe how the academic paragraph example below uses formal tone and vocabulary,
citations, and structure.

In 2023, we witnessed an extraordinary series of climate-related records being broken around


the world. Topic sentence The rapid pace of change has surprised scientists and caused concern
about the dangers of extreme weather, risky climate feedback loops4, and the approach of
damaging tipping points sooner than expected (Armstrong McKay et al. 2022 , Ripple et al.
2023 ).citations This year, exceptional heat waves have swept across the world, leading to record
high temperatures. Supporting idea 1 The oceans have been historically warm, with global and North

y
Atlantic sea surface temperatures both breaking records and unprecedented low levels of sea
ice surrounding Antarctica. Supporting idea 2 In addition, June through August of this year was the

nl
warmest period ever recorded, and in early July, we witnessed Earth’s highest global daily
average surface temperature ever measured, possibly the warmest temperature on Earth over

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the past 100,000 years. Supporting idea 3 It is a sign that we are pushing our planetary systems into
dangerous instability.

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Organizing the sample paragraph into an outline makes it more readable and easier to follow.
The main ideas are clearly presented and arranged in a logical order.
io
1.0 In 2023, we witnessed an extraordinary series of climate-related records being broken
around the world. Topic sentence
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The rapid pace of change has surprised scientists and caused concern about the dangers
of extreme weather, risky climate feedback loops4, and the approach of damaging tipping
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points sooner than expected (Armstrong McKay et al. 2022, Ripple et al. 2023).citations, transitional
sentence
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1.1 This year, exceptional heat waves have swept across the world, leading to record high
temperatures. Supporting idea 1
1.2 
The oceans have been historically warm, with global and North Atlantic sea
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surface temperatures both breaking records and unprecedented low levels of sea ice
surrounding Antarctica. Supporting idea 2
1.3 In addition, June through August of this year was the warmest period ever recorded,
Fo

and in early July, we witnessed Earth’s highest global daily average surface temperature
ever measured, possibly the warmest temperature on Earth over the past 100,000
years. Supporting idea 3
1.4 It is a sign that we are pushing our planetary systems into dangerous instability. Closing
sentence

Did you know that transitional and closing sentences can make your academic paragraphs
look more well-structured? Give your writing a professional edge by incorporating these important
elements.

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Activity 10.4 Learning Objective:

Determine the
Organize the following academic paragraph with a partner into an outline structure of the
to determine the topic sentence and supporting ideas. Use the given space for academic paragraph.
your output.

We are venturing into uncharted climate territory. Global daily mean temperatures never
exceeded 1.5-degree Celsius (°C) above preindustrial levels prior to 2000 and have only
occasionally exceeded that number since then. However, 2023 has already seen 38 days
with global average temperatures above 1.5°C by 12 September—more than any other
year—and the total may continue to rise. Even more striking are the enormous margins by

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which 2023 conditions are exceeding past extremes. Similarly, on 7 July 2023, Antarctic
sea ice reached its lowest daily relative extent since the advent of satellite data, at 2.67

nl
million square kilometers below the 1991–2023 average. Other variables far outside their
historical ranges include the area burned by wildfires in Canada, which may indicate a
tipping point into a new fire regime.

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1.0

n
1.1
io
at
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1.2
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1.3
rE
Fo

1.4

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~337

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Vocabulary Focus

Diction and Style


Using the right words and style is very important in academic writing. It helps to make sure
the writing is clear and easy to understand for everyone who reads it. Let us take a closer look at
what we mean by this.
Diction Style
1. What is it? Diction is all about choosing the right Style is all about how you express
words for what you are trying to yourself in writing. It includes

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say. This means using words that are things like the way you write your
appropriate for the situation and the sentences, the tone you use, and

nl
people you are talking to. how you organize your ideas.
2. Why is it important When you are writing something When you are writing something

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in academic academic, you want to be as clear academic, you want to make sure
writing? and precise as possible. That means you sound like you know what
choosing words that say exactly you are talking about. That means
what you mean without confusing using a clear and confident tone.

n
anyone. Depending on what you are You also need to make sure your
writing and who you are writing for, ideas are well-organized so that

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you might need to use more formal
language or more conversational
language in the case of literary
people can follow along easily.
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writing.
3. What else do you When you are writing something Depending on what you are
need to know? academic, you need to think about writing, you might need to use
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who your audience is. Are you writing different techniques to help people
for your classmates, your teacher, or understand what you are trying to
a wider audience? This will help you say. For example, you might use
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choose the right words to use. examples or stories to make your


point clearer.

Tips for Effective Diction and Style in Academic Writing


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1. Keep it simple. Use words that everyone can understand.


2. Think about your audience. Who are you writing for? What do they already know?
3. Stay consistent. Make sure your writing sounds the same all the way through.
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4. Edit your work. Read over what you have written and make sure it makes sense. Ask someone
else to read it too.

In summary, using the right words and style is important in academic writing. It helps to make
sure that your writing is clear and easy to understand for everyone who reads it. By choosing your
words carefully and organizing your ideas well, you can make your writing more effective and
engaging.

338~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Activity 10.5 Learning Objective:

Rewrite sentences
Imagine you are writing for high school students. With a partner, rewrite for diction and style
the following sentences for diction and style that can be readable for high appropriate for a
target audience.
school students. Use the space for your revised sentences.
1. In 2023, we witnessed an extraordinary series of climate-related records being broken
around the world.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________
2. We are venturing into uncharted climate territory.

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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________
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3. This year, exceptional heat waves have swept across the world, leading to record high
temperatures.
at
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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4. Similarly, on 7 July 2023, Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest daily relative extent since the
advent of satellite data, at 2.67 million square kilometers below the 1991–2023 average.
____________________________________________________________________________
rE

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Fo

5. The sudden rise in temperatures is also likely contributed to by the onset of an El Niño
event—a naturally occurring part of the climate system, which could, itself, be affected by
climate change.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~339

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 339 1/8/2024 4:53:36 PM


Grammar Focus

Forms of Verbs
Verbs are essential in completing the thought of a sentence. It expresses the action of a subject
(action verb) or indicates the state of being or does not show action (linking verb).
Look at the examples below of verbs according to categories.
Action Verbs Linking Verbs
(Expresses the action of a subject) (Does not indicate action)

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1. My brother claimed it was a rooster. I 1. “It is a hen,” I said.
claimed it was a hen. We almost got thrashed

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2. “I am sorry,” Father said.
trying to settle the argument.
3. The chief was the oldest man in the village.
2. Suddenly we heard the rapid flapping of
4. The fight was brief. Both birds were released in

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wings. We turned in the direction of the
sound and saw two chickens fighting in the the centre of the arena.
far end of the field.
3. When he got near them, he dived and caught

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one of them by the legs. It struggled and
squawked.

Other examples of action verbs: walk, dance,


write.
io Other examples of linking verbs: be, being, been,
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are, were

Aside from action and linking verbs, linking or auxiliary verbs help the main verbs function
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according to time or mood. Look at some examples of auxiliary verbs and how they are used
below.
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Auxiliary Verbs Examples


1. am, is, was, are, were • Kiko and I were driving the chickens from the cornfield. (were
[auxiliary verb] + driving [main verb])
• The match 1was made and the birds 2were readied for the killing.
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Sharp steel gaffs


3
were tied to their left legs.
1
(was [auxiliary verb] + made [main verb])
2
(were [auxiliary verb] + readied [main verb])
Fo

3
(were [auxiliary verb] + tied [main verb])
Take note:
• Am and is are used as a singular form to a main verb in present tense.
Examples: I am working. She is asked to lead.
• Was is used as a singular form to a main verb in past tense.
Examples: He was writing. She was requested to deliver a speech.
• Are is used as a plural form to a main verb in present tense.
Example: They are watching.
• Were is used as a plural form to a main verb in past tense.
Example: We were planning. They were told.

340~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Auxiliary Verbs Examples
2. has, have, had • Before Kiko and I realized what had happened, Father and Mother
were arguing about the chicken by themselves.
(had [auxiliary verb] + happened [main verb])
• He had studied poultry raising in the University of the Philippines.
(had [auxiliary verb] + studied [main verb])
Take note:
• Has is used as a singular form to a main verb in present tense except
for the personal pronoun “I,” which uses have.

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Examples: I have planned. She has planned.

nl
• Have is used as a plural form to a main verb in past participle.
Examples: They have gone to the market.

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• Had is used as either singular or plural form to a main verb in past
participle.
Examples: She had done writing. We had bought flowers.

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3. do, does did • It does not look like any hen I have ever seen.
(does [auxiliary verb] + look [main verb])
• io
“Do you believe it is a rooster now?”
(do [auxiliary verb] + believe [main verb])
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Take note:
• Do is used as a plural form to main verb in present tense.
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Example: They do want vegetables.


• Does is used as a singular form to a main verb in present tense except
for personal pronoun “I”, which uses do.
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Examples: I do. She does plan.


• Did is used as either in singular or plural form to a main verb in past
tense.
rE

Examples: We did plan. She did leave.


• Do, does, did should be used with a base form of the main.
Examples: do buy, does buy, did buy
4. modals (will, would, • “That is a question that should concern only another chicken,” the
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should, can, could, chief replied.


may, might) (should [auxiliary verb] + concern [main verb])
• My brother would not listen.
(would [auxiliary verb] + listen [main verb])
• “… I couldn’t tell in one look…”
(could [auxiliary verb] + look [main verb])
Take note:
• Modals should be used with a base form of the verb.
Examples: will go, would go, should leave, can fly

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~341

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 341 1/8/2024 4:53:36 PM


Learning Objective: Activity 10.6
Use verb forms
correctly. With a partner, complete the following paragraphs with a correct verb
form. Write your answer on the space provided.

About the Philippines

The Philippines 1(is, are) _______ one of the world’s largest archipelago nations. It is situated
in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean. Its islands 2(is, are) _______ classified into three
main geographical areas–Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Because of its archipelagic nature, the

y
Philippines is a culturally diverse country. With its topography consisting of mountainous terrains,
dense forests, plains, and coastal areas, the Philippines 3(is, are) _______ rich in biodiversity. It is

nl
considered as one of the mega biodiversity countries in the world with a high percentage of flora
and fauna endemism.

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Despite having widespread poverty, the Philippines 4(has, have) _______ fared relatively well in
Human Development Index (HDI), particularly in comparison to other Southeast Asian nations. In
2012, the Philippines’ economy outpaced the growth of its neighboring countries with 6.6 percent
growth rate.

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History
The Philippines has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences. Prior to
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Spanish colonization in 1521, the Filipinos 5(have, had) _______ a rich culture and were trading
with the Chinese and the Japanese. In 1898, after 350 years and 300 rebellions, the Filipinos, with
leaders like Jose Rizal and Emilio Aguinaldo, succeeded in winning their independence.
at
In 1898, the Philippines became the first and only colony of the United States. Following the
Filipino-American War, the United States 6(bring, brought) _______ widespread education to the
islands. Filipinos 7(fight, fought) _______ alongside Americans during World War II, particularly
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at the famous battle of Bataan and Corregidor which delayed Japanese advancement and saved
Australia. They then waged a guerrilla war against the Japanese from 1941 to 1945. The Philippines
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8
(regain, regained) _______ its independence in 1946.
Success
The Philippine economy 9(has been described, have been described) _______ as resilient. Despite
the global food and fuel crises, gross domestic product (GDP) peaked at 7.1 percent in 2007 and
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continued to grow at 3.8 percent in 2008. The country was much less affected by the global financial
debacle as compared to other countries: GDP slowed to 1.1 percent in 2009 but recovered to 7.3
percent in 2010, bucking all estimates. At the end of 2009, the Philippines 10(graduates, graduated)
_______ to the rank of “lower Middle-Income Country,” which implies less reliance on aid and
greater capacity to shape its own development.
Fo

Adapted from UNDP (2021, March 30). Philippines. https://www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/countryinfo.


html#:~:text=The%20Philippines%20is%20one%20of,is%20a%20culturally%20diverse%20country.

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Link It
Poverty in the Philippines remains a challenge, and it has become even more challenging during
the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A report from World Bank revealed that the global
crisis made 2.7 million Filipinos poor. Vincent Pajenago, through the following article, shared his
personal take on how it meant to be poor and what needs to be done about it.

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What Being Poor Means
by Vincent Pajenago

nl
About the Author
1
Growing up poor is difficult. I remember there were days when all I could Vincent Pajenago is a
psychology student at the
eat was a mixture of rice, water, and coffee because we did not have money

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Ateneo de Manila University.
to buy food. But at least I got to eat, right?
2
Now, being a poor kid in a premier university, that’s a different story. I am
Take a quick look at this title.
the second financial aid scholar in our family. My aunt, the first one, warned

n
What are the words that strike
me of people who would remind me that I was nowhere near them, and that you the most? What content do

io
I should be constantly wary1 of the kind of people I would befriend. But in
my first year in the university, I felt welcomed. I didn’t even see it as a place
where people belittled other people because of their social standing. The
you expect to read in the text?
at
place became home, and I got through senior high school unscathed2, at About the Piece
least for the most part. This article appeared in the
Young Blood column of the
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3
At the start of the pandemic, my batch had just finished our last year of Philippine Daily Inquirer.
high school and we were gearing up for our college lives. Of course, you
would want to connect with people from your high school who planned to
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go to the same college as you. We made a Facebook group chat to keep in Expanding Vocabulary
touch with our batchmates. It might have been due to the boredom caused Encircle the letter that best
by the pandemic, but that group chat eventually turned out to be a place for defines the word set in boldface
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based on how it is used in


people to badmouth transferees, or as they were called, “outsiders”. It all got
context.
out of hand and became a big issue. Apparently, a screenshot of the thread
1. wary
got leaked to one person they were talking about, and it was leaked through a. careful
an Android phone. I was one of the few poor scholars in the group chat, so I b. careless
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was suspected of being the snitch3. 2. unscathed


a. unharmed
4
It’s petty that the only reason I was suspected was because I had an b. unhappy
Android phone. I didn’t know that phones could now be used to measure
3. snitch
social standing. It was the only phone my mom could afford4, given the a. an informer
resources we have. At least I had a phone, right? b. a seeker
4. afford
5
This made me reflect on the deeper and underlying problem that not only a. pay for
our school has, but is also embedded in the fabric of our society. Growing b. take away

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~343

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 343 1/8/2024 4:53:36 PM


up poor is difficult. At a young age, you are expected to be resilient5 enough
to withstand the challenges you face. Being poor means having to forego
Expanding Vocabulary going to the hospital and just enduring the sickness you have because health
Encircle the letter that best care is costly. It means having to settle for scraps because, most of the time,
defines the word set in
they’re all that’s left for you.
boldface based on how it is
used in context. 6
However, I also recognize that I’m still more privileged6 than most. I get to
5. resilient eat thrice a day. I get to study in a great university. I get to build connections
a. strong with people. That’s not the case for most people, though. What would happen
b. loud to them?

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6. privileged
a. blessed
7
Bill Gates once put it: “If you are born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you
die poor, it’s your mistake.” Never mind the unequal opportunities that are

nl
b. hardworking
7. uphold presented to people, right? Never mind the ruling class exploiting the working
a. support class. Never mind that the whole system as it is right now is designed to be

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b. provide
against the poor and to always uphold7 the rich. Never mind that the world is
8. status quo
unfair because if you are born poor, you are expected to settle for what’s less,
a. present situation
b. future situation to be thankful for the little that is given you.

n
8
If you are born poor, no one really cares about you, and no one really knows
you. You are just part of official statistics on poverty, in a world designed to
io
ensure that no one will challenge the status quo8. But, as they tell you, at least
you get to live, right?
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Source: Pajenago, V. (2021, March 16). What being poor means. Inquirer.net. https://opinion.
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inquirer.net/138519/what-being-poor-means
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Talk About It
Activity 10.7
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Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the article.
1. What are the situations the author gave that illustrate “what being poor means”?
2. How would you face any of those situations?
Fo

3. What is the purpose of the author to write about “what being poor means”?
4. Do you agree with the ideas of the author in paragraph 8?
5. What solution would you propose to address the root of this issue?

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Map It Out Learning Objective:

Compare the texts


Activity 10.8 based on their
features.
 Compare the texts with a partner according to the given features. Use
the space for your answers.
Text Title:
Climate-Related All-Time Records Text Title:

Excerpt from the 2023 State of the Text Features What Being Poor Means
Climate Report: Entering Uncharted

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Territory

nl
Academic 1. Genre Informational

O
n
2. Formality

io
at
3. Citations
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va

4. Structure
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5. Purpose
Fo

6. Audience

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~345

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Cultural Trip

• Did you know that the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca
Awards) is the longest-running literary competition in the Philippines? The Palanca
Awards was established in 1950 by Don Carlos Palanca Sr. to enrich Philippine
Literature, promote excellence writing, and preserve literary gems. One category is

y
Kabataan Essay (in English and Filipino) for those below 18.

nl
Write It Right

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Composing an Expository Essay: A Process Writing Approach
Expository essays are a genre of academic writing that seeks to inform, educate, and enlighten

n
readers about a particular topic. These essays are carefully crafted to provide a balanced, objective,
and clear analysis or explanation of the subject matter, devoid of the writer’s personal bias or
opinions. io
The primary aim is to present the information in a way that is easily understood by the reader
at
while exploring ideas, explaining processes, or clarifying concepts.
Expository essays are an effective tool for learning, as they provide a comprehensive
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understanding of the topic and are an excellent source for acquiring knowledge.
The excerpt “Climate-Related All-Time Records” is an example of an expository essay. The
va

authors provide clear and concrete information about the rapid pace of climate change around the
world through evidence-based examples. The text also observes formality in tone and vocabulary
and follows an introduction-body-conclusion essay structure including the reference section.
rE

Observe the text structure of the sample expository essay.

Climate-related all-time records


William J Ripple, Christopher Wolf, Jillian W Gregg, Johan Rockström, Thomas M Newsome,
Fo

Beverly E Law, Luiz Marques, Timothy M Lenton, Chi Xu, Saleemul Huq,
Leon Simons, and Sir David Anthony King

In 2023, we witnessed an extraordinary series of climate-related records being broken


Introduction

around the world. The rapid pace of change has surprised scientists and caused concern about
the dangers of extreme weather, risky climate feedback loops, and the approach of damaging
tipping points sooner than expected (Armstrong McKay et al. 2022 , Ripple et al. 2023 ). This
year, exceptional heat waves have swept across the world, leading to record high temperatures.
The oceans have been historically warm, with global and North Atlantic sea surface temperatures
both breaking records and unprecedented low levels of sea ice surrounding Antarctica.

346~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 346 1/8/2024 4:53:36 PM


In addition, June through August of this year was the warmest period ever recorded, and
in early July, we witnessed Earth’s highest global daily average surface temperature ever
measured, possibly the warmest temperature on Earth over the past 100,000 years. It is a
sign that we are pushing our planetary systems into dangerous instability.
Body
We are venturing into uncharted climate territory. Global daily mean temperatures
never exceeded 1.5-degree Celsius (°C) above preindustrial levels prior to 2000 and have
only occasionally exceeded that number since then. However, 2023 has already seen 38
days with global average temperatures above 1.5°C by 12 September—more than any other
year—and the total may continue to rise. Even more striking are the enormous margins by
which 2023 conditions are exceeding past extremes. Similarly, on 7 July 2023, Antarctic

y
sea ice reached its lowest daily relative extent since the advent of satellite data, at 2.67
million square kilometers below the 1991–2023 average. Other variables far outside their

nl
historical ranges include the area burned by wildfires in Canada, which may indicate a
tipping point into a new fire regime.
Anthropogenic global heating is a key driver of many of these recent extremes.
Conclusion

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However, the specific driving processes involved can be quite complex. For example, rising
Atlantic ocean temperatures may be connected to Sahel rainfall and African dust (Wang
et al. 2012). Another potential contributor is water vapor (a greenhouse gas) injected into
the stratosphere by an underwater volcano eruption (Jenkins et al. 2023 ). The recent rise

n
may also be linked to a regulatory change mandating the use of low-sulfur fuels in ocean
shipping, because atmospheric sulfate aerosols directly scatter sunlight and cause reflective
io
clouds to form. The sudden rise in temperatures is also likely contributed to by the onset
of an El Niño event—a naturally occurring part of the climate system, which could, itself,
be affected by climate change (Cai et al. 2021 ). In any case, as Earth’s climate system
at
transitions away from conditions associated with human thriving, such anomalies may
become more frequent and could have increasingly catastrophic impacts (Xu et al. 2020 ,
Lenton et al. 2023 ).
lu

The following shows additional features of an expository essay.


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Your purpose in writing is to provide relevant information to widen your


readers’ understanding of a topic by defining, comparing, and giving
1. Purpose examples; presenting cause-and-effect relationships; explaining a process,
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step, or procedure; describing a problem and providing solutions to it; and


the like.
You can present your ideas related to your topic through:
• Definition – giving dictionary and contextual meaning
Fo

• Comparison – comparing a topic with other related idea


Organizational
2.  • Illustration – giving examples or personal experience
pattern • Cause and effect – identifying possible causes and effects
• Process – showing the steps or procedure
• Problem and solution – describing the problem and recommending a
solution
Consider general audience in mind and the goal to deepen their
3. Audience
understanding on the topic using the organizational pattern.

Lesson 10: Evaluating and Composing an Academic Text: Expository Essay ~347

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You can use either first or third person. Be consistent with your point of
4. Point of view
view.
5. Starting point Select a topic of interest or expertise.
You can use personal experiences, observations, narrative stories, and ideas
6. Support
from credible sources.
7. Structure Follow Introduction-Body-Conclusion structure.
Consider your context—for formal, observe academic and professional tone;
8. Tone
for informal, observe personal tone.

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Guidelines for Composing an Informative Essay

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1. Select a topic of your interest or you have knowledge about. This is important so you can
easily incorporate your personal experiences and observations when in writing.
2. Find relevant and credible sources. Fusing your experiences and information from relevant

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and credible sources, make your ideas concrete and reinforce your main idea or thesis.
3. Organize ideas into an outline.

n
4. Choose an appropriate organization pattern. You can combine two or three such as
definition and comparison.
5. Write a draft based on your outline.
6. Observe editing and revising properly.
io
at
Basic Structure of an Informative Essay
Here is the basic structure of an informative essay combining some organizational patterns.
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Take note that the structure may vary according to your choice of organizational patterns.
va

Introduction 1.0 Describe your topic in general


1.1 Provide another interesting fact about your topic
1.2 Write your thesis statement
rE

Body 2.0 Define the topic


2.1 Explain or describe the subtopic
2.2 Compare
2.3 Illustrate or give an example
Fo

Conclusion 3.0 Restate your thesis statement


3.1 Recommend what you want your readers to do
3.2 Provide a memorable closing

Process Approach to Writing


Writing can be daunting, but breaking down the process into stages can make it more
manageable. The process approach helps you engage as a writer and ensures that the final product

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Pre-writing
meets your expectations. This approach is dynamic After Writing
Brainstorming and
and recursive, with repeated steps before finalizing Reviewing and editing outlining ideas
your piece. drafts through peer about a topic for
and teacher feedback; composition
The process approach has three major steps: finalizing and
Pre-writing, during writing, and after writing. publishing final piece

Each step has key features you should remember


throughout the writing process. Remember that

y
these steps are recurring, so you will likely revisit During Writing
them multiple times before completing the final

nl
Writing drafts
draft. based on
prewriting

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Process Approach to Writing

n
Pre-writing Before writing, writers brainstorm, gather information, plan, and organize their
thoughts. This helps them clarify their purpose, audience, and main ideas.

During Writing io
In this step, writers create a rough draft based on their pre-writing to capture
their ideas without worrying about perfection.
at
After Writing Reviewing. During the revision phase, writers evaluate their draft,
1. 
considering structure, content, and organization. They may need to rearrange
paragraphs, add or remove information, and refine the overall message.
lu

Editing. Writers aim to refine text for clarity and accuracy by focusing on
2. 
mechanics, grammar, punctuation, and spelling
va

Publishing. Writers create a final draft with a specific audience in mind. This
3. 
may involve sharing with peers, submitting to a teacher, or publishing for a
wider audience.
rE

Collaboration. During the writing process, writers collaborate with peers, teachers, or mentors to
receive feedback and improve their work through discussions and revisions.
Rewriting and Producing Multiple Drafts. Writing is often an iterative process and the process
approach recognizes this fact. Writers may go through several drafts, refining their work as they receive
Fo

feedback and gain new insights. The process approach acknowledges that different writers have varied
styles, processes, and preferences, and thus allows for flexibility in how individuals approach the
writing process.
Reflecting. Reflecting on their writing process helps writers identify strengths and areas for
improvement, enhancing self-awareness and skill development.

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Activity 10.9

Learning Objective: You will compose an expository essay. Form a group with a maximum
Compose an expository
of three members and read the specific instructions. Your teacher will guide
essay following the you through the writing process. You will be graded using Rubric 24:
process approach to
writing.
Informative Essay in the Appendix.

Instructions
1. Write an informative essay about anything unique in your community—barangay, village,

y
town, city, or region—that you love to share, discuss, or promote incorporating academic
writing features.

nl
2. Keep track of the progress of your informative essay using the writing process checklist below.
Get feedback from your teacher and ask him or her to sign on the allotted space.

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Writing Process Checklist

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Teacher’s Feedback
Writing Process Date Accomplished
and Signature

Prewriting 1
io
at
(Topic selection)

Prewriting 2
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(Thesis Statement)
va

Prewriting 3
(Outline)
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Draft 1

Edited Draft
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Revised Draft

Final Draft

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Listening and Viewing Time

Ready to Listen

Predicting and Inferring


Predicting and inferring are skills essential for active listening. Based on the previous discussion,
predicting outcomes involves using information from the text to guess what happens next in the
story. The answers can be verified during and after listening to the text. In making inferences,

y
however, you use your predictions to figure out what the speaker was saying by reading between
the lines and reflecting on what is not stated or mentioned in the text listened to.

nl
Similarly, both require activating schema and previewing. But inferences are based on your
predictions and those you form on making meaning and sense out of the information provided. In

O
other words, references can be the result of your reflective predictions.
Here is how you can infer thoughts and feelings expressed in the text listened to.
1. Before listening, formulate predictions. To predict, use the titles, images, and illustrations

n
that are shown, including the speaker’s background. Another is using your own experiences,
prior knowledge, or schema to expect what message you will gain. You can use these
phrases in formulating your predictions.
a. I think the text is about…
io
at
b. I guess the story will be about…
c. I think I will learn about…
lu

d. I think the message or the theme is about…


2. During listening, describe what you think and feel about what the speaker is saying. Be
va

mindful of the lines and expressions and the tone of the speaker’s voice, as these can
contribute to describing your thoughts and feelings.
3. After listening, reflect on whether your predictions are accurate and formulate in your
rE

own words what you thought and felt about the text you listened to. You can use these
phrases for your inferences.
a. The text said…. which made me realize…
Fo

b. I think…. will happen because…


c. When I listened to…. it made me feel that…
d. I can tell that the speaker…… tells us to….
e. What the text tells me is that….

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Scan the code or click on the link below to watch YouTube video clip and learn how climate
change affects farmers in Southern Philippines.

Title: Philippines: Changing Climate Changing Lives


Link: https://youtu.be/VvmPRrJC5cc?si=aRxw0RadF-
f0cSkL

y
Talk About It

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Activity 10.10
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the video clip.

O
1. What is the central message of the video?
2. How did climate change impact the lives of the farmers?

n
3. What were the causes of climate change as depicted in the video?
4. What solutions were presented?
io
5. What actions have you taken or would you take to help address climate change in your
community?
at
lu

Work It Out
Learning Objectives:
Activity 10.11
va

Formulate predictions
about the content of  Listen intently to the YouTube video about George Royeca’s life and
the text.
business talk. With a partner, formulate predictions about the content
Infer thoughts and of the video and infer thoughts and feelings expressed in it. Write your
feelings expressed in
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the text listened to. responses in the table. Aim for at least three sentences for each column.
Fo

Title: George Royeca Life and Business Talk


Link: https://youtu.be/5lr-CHH-CaY

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Our Predictions Our Inferences
1. I think the video is about… I realize that…

2. I think the message is… This tells me that/to…

y
nl
3. I guess what I can learn is… I can tell that

O
n
Ready to View

Making a Stand
io
In most cases, you will be asked about your opinion on specific issues or things that matter to
at
you, your family, community, or society. Specifically, you will be asked about whether you agree
or disagree or what side you are on—negative or positive. For example, you will be asked about
your side whether students should wear school uniform or not, which learning modality (face to
lu

face or blended) is more beneficial for teachers and students, or should you not be allowed to have
social media accounts.
va

Making a stand or position helps you formulate your principles, which you live by. Hence, this
requires critical thinking, or the process of thinking that involves weighing the advantages and
disadvantages, evaluating the gains or benefits and losses, finding sources to support your choice,
and reflecting on the effects. In other words, your goal is to make a sound decision and position
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that will benefit not only you but others as well.


Guidelines on Making a Stand Effectively
1. Understand the topic and the issue being discussed by activating your schema and reading
Fo

relevant information. This can help you create a picture of what is being talked about.
2. Apply critical thinking when deciding on a side by listing and evaluating the advantages and
disadvantages, asking who will benefit the most, finding examples, and reflecting on what
works and what will not work. This can help you narrow your path when deciding which one
to take.
3. Finalize your stand, supporting it with the results of your critical thinking process.

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Activity 10.12
Learning Objective: Form a group with five members. Watch again the “Philippines: Changing
Make a stand on the Climate Changing Lives.” Then, take your stand on the issue being discussed.
material viewed.
Fill out the table below with relevant information. You can conduct an online
search to find relevant and credible support. Be ready to share your work
with the class.

Issue:

y
Advantages Disadvantages

nl
O
n
io
at
Your stand (Agree or Disagree; Yes or No):
lu
va
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Fo

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Express Yourself
Expressing Ideas and Opinions
There are different ways to express your ideas and opinions. One is when you share your
position on a particular issue. In the classroom, your teachers often ask you if you agree or
disagree with the authors’ points of view and allow you to expound on your side. Your response
is also elicited during recitation when your teacher asks you to say something about the author’s
work or the presentation of your classmates. Another is when you negotiate your ideas with others
to influence or explain your points. At home, for example, you state your explanation to your

y
parents to justify your actions.

nl
Principles of Effective Communication
While there are opportunities to express and state opinions, it is essential to consider the

O
principles of effective communication. Here are some of the principles.
1. Clarity. Be clear in the delivery of the purpose and message of your speech. State your
purpose at the beginning of your speech. State clearly whether you agree or disagree. Be
clear in pronouncing and enunciating your words by constantly practicing them before

n
your performance.

io
2. Conciseness. Be brief. Use concise words and expressions understandable to your audience.
3. Coherence. Lead your audience smoothly by using transitional words.
at
4. Concreteness. Use personal examples to illustrate and reinforce your message as well as
relevant and credible sources.
lu

5. Completeness. Provide complete information to avoid confusion on your audience’s side


and achieve the desired result.
va

6. Correctness. Observe grammatical correctness.


7. Courtesy. Be courteous with your language. Avoid stereotypes and any words, ideas, or
expressions that can offend your audience.
rE

Expressions for an Effective Communication


You can use the following expressions when expressing your ideas and opinions, according to
purpose.
Fo

1. To state your point and meaning


• In my opinion, I think/believe…
• In my experience, I…
• Personally, I consider/believe/think that…
• If you ask, I can say that…
• My point is that…
• What I am trying to say is that…
• What I mean is that…

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2. To support the point of others and state yours
• I agree with… and the other way of saying it is…
• I support that statement of… In fact,…
• I think you are correct. Here is my take.
• That is true. My experience is that…
3. To disagree and state your side
• I can see your point, but…

y
• I understand your side. However, let me state my view.
• You may be right. But consider this.

nl
• I know what you mean, but…

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Format in Expressing Ideas and Opinions
Here is the suggested format when expressing ideas and opinions.
1. Start with greetings or expressing thanks.

n
• State your name.

io
State your side (agree or disagree) or state your purpose (explain or persuade)
2. State the reason for your position.
at
• State your support 1 using personal example or source
• State your support 2 using personal example or source
lu

3. Restate your point.


• Express thanks.
va

Activity 10.13
Rewatch “Philippines: Changing Climate Changing Lives.” Share your
rE

Learning Objective:
thoughts based on the material viewed, using your ideas from Activities
Express ideas and
opinions based on text
10.11 and 10.12. Remember the principles of effective communication,
listened to. appropriate expressions, and format. Your presentation should be no longer
than 2 minutes. You will be graded using Rubric 03: Oral Presentation in the
Fo

Appendix.

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Practice Some More
Make It Real
Activity 10.14 Learning Objective:

Part A. Your local government assigned you to produce an original video or Produce a
multimodal video or
poster presentation about any topic below. Your target audience is a group of poster presentation
elementary students. about a local
community for a
1. The impact of climate change or any social issue to raise awareness and specific audience.

y
call for action

nl
2. What being poor means to you and ways to improve life out of poverty
3. Your expository essay topic about anything unique in your community for informational
purpose

O
As you prepare for your video or poster read more articles, watch videos related to your
topic. Identify key messages that you can use for the contents. Use your creativity in incorporating
available resources. Apply process approach to writing. You will be graded using Rubric 09:

n
Publication Material in the Appendix.

io
Part B. Prepare a 2-minute presentation explaining the central message of your video or poster.
Make sure to express your ideas clearly. Your oral presentation will be graded using Rubric 03:
at
Oral Presentation in the Appendix.

Part C. Listen to other group’s presentations. Then, write at least five sentences about the group
lu

presentation’s purpose, topic, and key messages. Observe appropriate diction, style, and verb
forms. Use the space below, or you use another sheet.
va

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

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E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
• Write and Improve: This online writing workbook offers tasks to improve academic
writing skills with clear instructions.
https://writeandimprove.com/workbooks#/wi-workbooks
• Online Writing Hub: This website offers resources to help improve and practice academic
writing skills, covering topics such as the writing process, source evaluation, citation and
documentation, and more.

y
https://owl.excelsior.edu/

nl
• Grammar Practice: Verb Tense: This resource provides information on verb tense usage
and includes exercises to improve mastery.

O
https://valenciacollege.edu/students/learning-support/lake-nona/documents/verb-tense.pdf

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What I Have Learned So Far
io
Think about the following questions and write your reflection in the space below, which serves
as your learning journal.
at
1. What are your responses to the essential questions in Things to Ponder?
2. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?
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3. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?


va
rE
Fo

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Lesson 11
Evaluating and Composing a Transactional
Text: Letter of Request

By the end of the lesson, you

y
will have been able to:
• create a multimodal picture

nl
book that captures the main
idea and supporting ideas of
the text;

O
• determine features of a
request letter;
• analyze a transactional
text based on clarity,

n
conciseness, completeness,
concreteness, correctness,
coherence, and courtesy;
• categorize the words
according to their shades of
meaning;
io
Transactional texts like request letters are essential for students
to learn as they help them communicate, collaborate, and access
at
• formulate short replies; information effectively. Students must develop skills to craft clear
• produce a multimodal and concise business-related documents to succeed academically
illustration of the conveyed
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and professionally.
message in the text;
• compose a letter of request Students must learn to create practical job applications and
following a writing process communicate collaboratively online for successful teamwork in
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approach;
• process information
remote work environments. Students often use transactional texts
mentioned in the text to search for information, read manuals, and interpret data to access
listened to; information online. Students must also be able to understand and
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• determine the worth of evaluate media texts such as advertisements, product descriptions,
ideas mentioned in the text
listened to; and reviews.
• determine the truthfulness Transactional texts also help students develop financial and
and accuracy of the material
legal literacy and digital citizenship. Students learn how to make
Fo

viewed;
• use correct and appropriate informed decisions and navigate legal obligations by interpreting
multimedia resources when financial and legal information. Engaging with transactional texts
orally giving information and
online requires digital citizenship, including online etiquette,
instructions, explaining, and
narrating events in personal privacy considerations, and security measures.
or factual recounts; and
Finally, students must be able to solve practical problems.
• organize a student event
applying skills in using Proficiency in interpreting and producing transactional texts aids
multimedia resources and in problem-solving, whether through deciphering instructions,
writing a request letter. troubleshooting technical issues, or following step-by-step guides.

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Get Ready!
Let’s Warm Up
A. Form a group with five members. Read the sample letter below. Then, as a group, discuss your
answers to the following questions. Prepare to share your answers in class.
1. What do you notice in the sample letter?
2. What do you wonder about the letter?

y
December 10, 2023

nl
Dear Mr. Sipacio,

O
Please excuse my son, Xavier Rodriguez, from your class today because of his
appointment to the medical doctor. Last night, he complained about a back pain,
which caused his interrupted sleep.

n
I will update you on his medical status as well as his return to school. I will send a
medical certificate as soon as I get it.
io
at
Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
lu
va

Mrs. Maria Rodriguez


Xavier’s Mother
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What I Know, What I Do


Fo

After completing the Let’s Warm Up, tick the column that you think best describes your ability
to adhere to the principles of effective writing. Answer this section as objectively as possible. Bear
in mind that there are no wrong answers. You can use your performance in Let’s Warm Up as one
of the bases for completing this self-audit task.

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Self-Audit Task Checklist
Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude Usually Sometimes Seldom Never
1. I create a multimodal picture book that
captures the main idea and supporting ideas of
the text.
2. I determine features of a request letter.
3. I analyze a transactional text based on clarity,
conciseness, completeness, concreteness,
correctness, coherence, and courtesy.

y
4. I categorize the words according to their
shades of meaning.

nl
5. I formulate short replies.

O
6. I produce a multimodal illustration of the
conveyed message in the text.
7. I compose a letter of request following a
writing process approach.

n
8. I process information mentioned in the text
listened to.
9. I determine the worth of ideas mentioned in
the text listened to.
io
at
10. I determine the truthfulness and accuracy of
the material viewed.
11. I use correct and appropriate multimedia
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resources when orally giving information and


instructions, explaining, and narrating events
in personal or factual recounts.
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12. Organize a student event applying skills in


using multimedia resources and writing a
request letter.
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TOTAL

Scoring
Usually, 3 points; Sometimes, 2 points; Seldom, 1 point; Never, 0 point
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Scoring Level of Proficiency Scoring Level of Proficiency


28–30 Advanced 21–22 Developing
25–27 Proficient 20 and below Beginning
23–24 Approaching Proficiency

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Things to Ponder

How do you analyze a transactional text based on clarity, conciseness, completeness,


concreteness, correctness, coherence, and courtesy?

How do you compose a letter of request following a writing process approach?

y
Explore and Experience

nl
What’s Coming

O
Vocabulary Preview
 In this lesson, you will develop your vocabulary skills by understanding and applying the
meaning of the following words:

n
enrich indolence onslaught show-off vague
folklore
gallant
insurmountable
lavished
io
open-minded
pestilence
strive
subtle
vicissitudes
vitality
at
glitzy locusts plague terrible well-informed
humble luxurious plight uplift yields
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Grammar Preview
va

In this lesson, you are expected to formulate short replies.

Literary Preview
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In this lesson, you are expected to read, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the
following selections and perform related activities:
• “A Letter to the Filipino Youth: It’s Time to Make a Difference this Independence Day” by
Chino R. Hernandez
Fo

• “The Filipino and His Philosophy in Life” by Ismael V. Mallari

Ready to Read
On June 12, 1898, the Philippines’ independence from the Spaniards was proclaimed. It is a
milestone in the country’s history. In this article, the author provides insights on how the Filipino
youth should celebrate Philippine independence.

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A Letter to the Filipino Youth:
It’s Time to Make a Difference this Independence Day About the Author
by Chino R. Hernandez Chino Hernandez is the Lifestyle
Asia former editor. He is now a
food business owner.
Happy Independence Day! We over at Lifestyle Asia believe in living true
Read more in
lives of luxury. Beyond designer labels, glitzy1 events, and jet-set lifestyles, https://onemega.com/
there is a way to achieve a truly luxurious2 life, and that’s by giving back to chinohernandez/
the world the best way you can. And we don’t mean simply writing a check

y
or Instagraming that you bought a table at the latest charity ball, but to truly Take a quick look at this title.
give back to the world, we need to be the best version of ourselves. What are the words that strike

nl
you the most? What content do
We need to stay happy. We need to stay focused on making ourselves you expect to read in the text?
better in every aspect. We need to be open minded3. We need to be willing

O
to learn from others, and more importantly, we need to be able teach others
the positive things we’ve learned ourselves. No, not by giving pointers on About the Piece
This article appears in the
the hottest new clubs to hit, but by enriching each other’s minds through
digital news platform called
important lessons that could uplift4 our community as a whole. Have

n
Lifestyle Asia. It was printed to
you discovered a new brand that donates their proceedings to help fight commemorate the Philippine

io
hunger? Tell a friend about it. Do you know a charity or organization worth
supporting? Tell a friend about it. Information is our greatest weapon.
It’s time to use social media as a tool for love instead of hate. Be a well-
independence.
at
Expanding Vocabulary
informed5 citizen. Be a good teacher to those older and younger than you.
Encircle the letter that best
We need to care for the environment. We need to stop throwing cigarettes defines the word based on
lu

how it is used in context.


on the ground. We need to start bringing re-usable bags when shopping
at the malls or groceries. We need to conserve energy and water. Learn to 1. glitzy
a. flashy
save. Learn to recycle. You may be children now, but the resources you use
va

b. simply
today, will be the resources YOUR children won’t have tomorrow. Do you feel
2. luxurious
that participating in Earth Hour really makes a difference? Tell a friend why a. rich
and then tell them to tell a friend. Do you believe in a world without plastic? b. humble
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Tell a friend why and then tell them to tell a friend. Don’t post your metal 3. open minded
straw on social media, but actually use it religiously. a. willing to learn
b. willing to fight
We need to show off6 the Philippines as a place that shouldn’t be taken 4. uplift
for granted. We need to dream big and show the world our capabilities a. improve
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and talents. We need to strive7 hard but remain humble8. We need to stop b. criticize
supporting corruption and crime. We need to stop underestimating our 5. well-informed
country, and start working to build a better one. Do you believe in a better a. knowledgeable
b. compassionate
Philippines? Tell your friends and work on it together. Do you believe in
6. show off
our generation improving the country’s current situation? Tell your friends a. display
and work on it together. Don’t waste time commenting on terrible9 news b. keep
headlines and writing long verses about it on your Facebook account. Use 7. strive
your voice and change the world. It is not impossible, and you’re too bright a. follow
not to do it. b. fight

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I promise you, every time someone decides to be better or use their resources
to inform and enrich10 others, the world becomes a better place. We’re not
Expanding Vocabulary super heroes that can stop hunger, pollution, corruption, and everything in
Choose the letter that best one day. But we can strive to do so. And if one day, we’re successful, we’ll
defines that word based on be living “true lives of luxury” together. Our generation deserves it, but it all
how it is used in context. starts with YOU.
8. humble Happy Independence Day!
a. respectful

y
b. proud Source: Hernandez, C. R. (2018, June 12). A letter to the Filipino youth: It’s time to make a
difference this Independence Day. Lifestyle Asia. https://lifestyleasia.onemega.com/a-letter-
9. terrible

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to-the-philippine-youth-its-time-to-make-a-difference-this-independence-day/
a. awful
b. joyful

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10. enrich
a. inform
b. improve

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Talk About It
Activity 11.1 io
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the article.
at
1. What is the article about?
2. What do you see or experience every June 12?
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3. How to be the best versions of yourself, according to the author?


4. Do you agree with the ideas of the author?
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5. What would you tell yourself if you were to write a letter to yourself about the Philippine
independence?
rE

Map It Out
Activity 11.2
Learning Objective:
Fo

Create a multimodal
 You have been tasked with sharing the message of “A Letter to the
picture book that Filipino Youth: It’s Time to Make a Difference this Independence Day”
captures the main idea
and supporting ideas of
with kindergarten pupils in your community. You aim to create a picture
the text. book that accurately conveys the text’s central idea and supporting ideas.
Use a separate sheet of paper to create a draft but remember that your
final picture book should be limited to five pages, including front and
back covers. You can finalize your picture book using Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint, or any other web-based presentation tool.

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A Letter to the Filipino Youth: It’s Time to Make a Difference this Independence Day
by Chino R. Hernandez
Picture Book: Draft
Front cover: Sketch your illustration.
Page 1: Illustrate the main idea, “We need to be the best version of ourselves.”
Page 2: Illustrate the first supporting idea, “We need to be willing to learn from others, and
more importantly, we need to be able to teach others the positive things we’ve learned
ourselves.”

y
Page 3: Illustrate the second supporting idea, “We need to care for the environment.”

nl
Page 4: Illustrate the third supporting idea, “We need to show off the Philippines as a place
that shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

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Page 5: Illustrate, Happy Independence Day!

Text Focus

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Transactional Texts: Letter of Request
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A transactional text is meant to give information or complete a task. Unlike stories or poems,
which are meant to entertain or make people feel things, transactional texts are meant to be
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helpful and get things done. These kinds of messages are often used for practical things, like work,
school, or using technology.
Transactional texts are formal documents used for various purposes, such as requesting
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information, seeking permission, or asking for a recommendation. A letter of request is one


example of a transactional text that is widely used in academic, business, or professional settings.
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A well-written letter of request should be clear, concise, and polite; it should outline the purpose
of the request and provide all the necessary details.
Below are some everyday situations in which a letter of request might be used:
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1. Request for information. If you want specific information from an individual, organization,
or government agency, you can write a request letter.
2. Permission request. If you need permission to organize an event or conduct research, you
can use a letter of request to make the formal request.
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3. Product or service request. In a business context, you might write a letter to request a
product sample, a quote, or additional information about a service.
4. Meeting request. If you want to schedule a meeting with someone, you can use a letter of
request to propose a meeting time and agenda.
5. Letter of recommendation request. When seeking a recommendation letter from someone,
you can use a letter of request to ask for their support.

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Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 365 1/8/2024 4:53:39 PM


When writing a request letter, it is crucial to be specific about what you are asking for, provide
any relevant background information, and express gratitude for the recipient’s consideration. The
tone should be polite and professional, and the letter should be formatted in a way that is easy to
read and understand. Check the sample request letter below.

December 3, 2024

Dr. Meredith L. Santiago

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Principal

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Manila High School
Blumentritt, Manila

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Dear Dr. Santiago:

I am writing to formally request permission to organize a student event entitled


“Understanding AI” on behalf of the Student Council. This event will not only benefit our

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organization but also have a positive impact on the community.

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The “Understanding AI” event is scheduled for January 24, 2025, from 1:00–3:00 p.m. and
will be held in the auditorium. Our primary objective is to deepen the understanding of students
about artificial intelligence (AI) and its relevance to today’s world. To achieve this objective, we
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invite distinguished professors from the College of Information and Communication Technology
of De La Salle University as resource speakers. They will share authentic, meaningful, and
relevant information about AI and its applications, sparking students’ interest and curiosity.
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In this regard, we request financial support and permission to use the auditorium and excuse
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the students from their classes for this event. We have a detailed budget and plan, which we are
happy to discuss with you in person.

We are excited about the prospect of organizing this event and sincerely hope for your
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favorable response. We can meet at your convenience to discuss this proposal further if needed.

Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to the possibility of working
together to make this event a success.
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Respectfully yours,

Philippe John Sipacio


President, Student Council

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Features of a Request Letter

December 3, 2024 1. Date

Dr. Meredith L. Santiago


Principal 2. R
 eceiver’s
Manila High School Information
Blumentritt, Manila

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Dear Dr. Santiago: 3. Salutation

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I am writing to formally request permission to organize a student event
entitled “Understanding AI” on behalf of the Student Council. This event

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will not only benefit our organization but also have a positive impact on
the community.

The “Understanding AI” event is scheduled for January 24, 2025, from

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1:00 – 3:00 p.m. and will be held in the auditorium. Our primary objective

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is to deepen the understanding of students about artificial intelligence
(AI) and its relevance to today’s world. To achieve this objective, we
invite distinguished professors from the College of Information and
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Communication Technology of De La Salle University as resource
speakers. They will share authentic, meaningful, and relevant information 4. R
 eceiver’s
about AI and its applications, sparking students’ interest and curiosity.
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Information

In this regard, we request financial support and permission to use the


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auditorium and excuse the students from their classes for this event. We
have a detailed budget and plan, which we are happy to discuss with you
in person.
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We are excited about the prospect of organizing this event and sincerely
hope for your favorable response. We can meet at your convenience to
discuss this proposal further if needed.
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Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to the


possibility of working together to make this event a success.

Respectfully yours, 5. Closing

6. Signature
Philippe John Sipacio
President, Student Council 7. S ender’s
Information

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1. Date. This refers to the date the letter is written. The format is month, day, and year
(example: December 3, 2023). Mind the comma that separates the day and the year.
2. Receiver’s information. This refers to the contact information of the letter’s receiver or
recipient. It consists of the receiver’s name1, position or title2, organization3, and address4.
Example:
Dr. Meredith L. Santiago1
Principal2
Manila High School3
Blumentritt, Manila4

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3. Salutation: This refers to the formal greetings to the recipient. Mind the use of the colon

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(:) at the end of the salutation.
Example: Dear Dr. Santiago:

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4. Body. This refers to the main content of the request letter. It consists of the following
sections: Introduction, Body, and Closing
Example:

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I am writing to formally request permission to organize a student event entitled
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“Understanding AI” on behalf of the Student Council. This event will not only benefit
our organization but also have a positive impact on the community.- The introduction
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states the purpose of the request letter.
The "Understanding AI" event is scheduled for January 24, 2024, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
and will be held in the auditorium. Our primary objective is to deepen the understanding
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of students about artificial intelligence (AI) and its relevance to today's world. To achieve
this objective, we invite distinguished professors from the College of Information and
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Communication Technology of De La Salle University as resource speakers. They will


share authentic, meaningful, and relevant information about AI and its applications,
sparking students' interest and curiosity.- The first part should provide the clear details
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related to the request.


In this regard, we request financial support and permission to use the auditorium and
excuse the students from their classes for this event. We have a detailed budget and plan,
which we are happy to discuss with you in person.- The second part should clearly state
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your specific and actionable request.


We are excited about the prospect of organizing this event and sincerely hope for your
favorable response. We can meet at your convenience to discuss this proposal further if
needed.
Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to the possibility of working
together to make this event a success. The third part should provide summary of your
letter and a statement of gratitude for the time and consideration of your recipient.

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5. Closing. This refers to the formal closing statement. Mind the comma at the end of closing.
Example: Respectfully yours,
6. Signature. This refers to a handwritten representation of person’s name to signify approval,
consent, or acknowledgment of the letter. It should be placed above the printed name.
Example:

Philippe John Sipacio


President, Student Council

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7. Sender’s Information: This refers to the sender’s full name1 and title or position2.
Example:

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Philippe John Sipacio1
President, Student Council2

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Activity 11.3
Learning Objective:
Bring samples of request letters. Then, with a partner determine the features

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Determine features
in each of your samples by labeling them. Share with the class what features of a request letter.
are present in your sample request letters.

The Seven Cs of Effective Communication


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To communicate effectively in writing, consider the seven Cs: clarity, conciseness, coherence,
concreteness, completeness, correctness, and courtesy. These principles ensure your message
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achieves its intended purpose.


Questions to Ask When
Seven Cs Descriptions
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Examining a Text
1. Clarity Clearly stating the main objective or Is the main objective stated clearly?
message of communication Is the message understandable?
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2. Conciseness Conveying ideas directly and efficiently, Are the ideas stated directly?
minimizing unnecessary words or phrases. Are the ideas related to the topic?
3. Coherence Making the overall message easy to follow Are all ideas connected?
and understand Are all ideas understandable?
Do all ideas support the message?
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4. Concreteness Using specific examples and details to Is the message explained and
clarify messages supported by examples and details?
5. Completeness Providing all the essential details required Is all the necessary information to
to convey a message precisely and convey a message provided?
comprehensively Are all the features present?
6. Correctness Ensuring proper grammar, sentence Does the writing adhere to
structure, spelling, and punctuation grammatical rules, proper spelling,
and appropriate language use?
7. Courtesy Using polite, respectful, and considerate Does the writing evoke a polite,
language and behavior when interacting respectful, and professional tone?
with others

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Consider these reminders when analyzing and writing a transactional or any form of texts.
• Clarity makes comprehension easier.
• Conciseness saves time.
• Coherence smoothens the flow of ideas.
• Correctness builds confidence.
• Concreteness reinforces confidence.
• Completeness brings the desired response.

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• Courtesy strengthen positive relationships.

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Learning Objective: Activity 11.4

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Analyze a transactional Choose one sample of request letter from Activity 11.2. Then, with a
text based on
clarity, conciseness,
partner, analyze it considering clarity, conciseness, coherence, concreteness,
completeness, completeness, correctness, and courtesy. Use the checklist below in your
concreteness,

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correctness, coherence,
analysis. Share your findings with the class.
and courtesy.

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The Seven Cs Checklist
Check the (Yes or No) column corresponding to your response.
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Seven Cs Questions to ask when examining a text Yes No
1. Clarity Is the main objective stated clearly?
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Is the message understandable?


2. Conciseness Are the ideas stated directly?
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Are the ideas related to the topic?


3. Coherence Are all ideas connected?
Are all ideas understandable?
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Do all ideas support the message?


4. Concreteness Is the message explained and supported by examples
and details?
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5. Completeness Is all the necessary information to convey a message


provided?
Are all the features present?
6. Correctness Does the writing adhere to grammatical rules, proper
spelling, and appropriate language use?
7. Courtesy Does the writing evoke a polite, respectful, and
professional tone?

370~ Unit IV Academic and Transactional Texts in the Present Times

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Vocabulary Focus

Words and Their Shades of Meaning


It’s important to understand different meanings of words when we talk or write. This helps us
to express our ideas accurately and with more detail. It also helps us avoid misunderstandings and
communicate what we really mean.
Knowing the meanings of words and how to use them correctly can be very useful. It helps us
to understand that some words have similar meanings, but are used to convey different ideas or
strengths. This is especially important when we write for school or work.

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For example, words like big, large, and enormous may seem similar, but they have different

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intensity levels. This is like creating word clines in Lesson 9, where synonyms are generated and
arranged in increasing to decreasing order of importance or relevance. Learning to use these
words correctly can help us express our message more effectively.

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Some of the ways to determine the shades of meaning or level of intensity of words is first to
think about their synonyms, then rank them from the least to most intense.

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Activity 11.5
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Part A. Below is a list of words. With a group of three members, categorize or
group these words according to their meaning. Show your answers by presenting
Learning Objective:

Categorize the words


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according to their
them in word webs, as shown in the sample. shades of meaning.

Example: Small
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little miniature
tiny
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afraid gloomy mad speedy


boisterous gradual miniature terrified
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bright hushed mournful tiny


clever intelligent noisy tranquil
content irritated pleased unhappy
exhausted joyful quick Weary
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fatigued languid rambunctious


frightened leisurely rapid
furious little silent

1. Angry 6. Sad
2. Fast 7. Scared
3. Happy 8. Slow
4. Loud 9. Smart
5. Quiet 10. Tired

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Part B. With your group, discuss the shades or differences of meaning of the words and rank them
in order of intensity, one being the most intense.
Happy Sad Fast Slow Smart Scared Angry Tired Loud Quiet
1
2
3

Grammar Focus

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Formulating Short Replies

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A short reply is used for an answer to a yes-or-no type of question or to state either an
agreement or disagreement in a conversation. In a formal context, a short reply does not mean

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simply stating “yes” to mean positive or agreement or “no” to negative answers or disagreement
that are common in informal or casual situations. Instead, you reply with short answers using a
complete sentence to sound natural and neutral.

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Look at the examples below according to the purpose of a short reply.
1. To respond to a yes/no question
• Yes/No question:
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Excuse me. May I know if the school principal is around?
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Short reply: Yes, the principal is here.
• Yes/No question: May I request the extension of the submission of the requirements?
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Short reply: Sure, your request is granted.


• Yes/No question: Do you have extra paper?
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Short reply: No, I don’t have.


Note:

• A positive short reply is formed with a Yes, Sure, or Okay + subject + predicate.
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• A negative short reply is formed with a No or Sorry + subject + predicate.


• C
 ontractions (e.g., don’t [do not]) are acceptable in formal or informal speaking but
not in writing.
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2. To state an agreement or disagreement


• Statement: I like the stories of Edith L. Tiempo.
Short reply: I do, too.
• Statement: I disagree with how the speaker of the poem sees love.
Short reply: I do not agree with you.
• Statement: English is everybody’s favorite subject.
Short reply: True, it is indeed.

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Note:
• The agreement is formed with a positive reply.
• Disagreement is formed with a negative reply using not or other negative expressions.

Guidelines on Formulating Short Replies


1. Determine your purpose according to the situation or context.
2. Observe politeness even in disagreement. Instead of saying, “No” as a direct response
of rejection, you may say, “Not today,” “Not at this time,” “Not yet.” You can also add

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politeness markers such as “Thanks” or “Great” to your “No” to lessen the impact.
3. Be mindful of your verbal and nonverbal cues.

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Activity 11.6

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Learning Objective:
Formulate replies according to the given idea. Work with a partner and Formulate short replies.
write your answers in the space provided.
1. Do you agree with the author’s point of view in the text “A Letter to the Filipino Youth:

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It’s Time to Make a Difference this Independence Day?”
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___________________________________________________________________________
2. Our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal wrote, “The Filipino youth is the hope of the
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motherland.” Do you agree?
___________________________________________________________________________
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3. Would you make a sacrifice for someone that you love?


___________________________________________________________________________
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4. Love has five languages according to the author Gary Chapman, namely, words of
affirmation, acts of service, gifts, quality time, and physical touch. What you feel about
these languages of love?
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___________________________________________________________________________
5. Kindness begins at home, when family members are treated with love, respect, and equality.
Once kindness is developed inside the household, you bring it outside, making others feel
loved. Do you agree to these statements?
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___________________________________________________________________________

Link It
Filipinos are often romanticized for their resilience. Their natural characteristic is displayed
especially during natural calamities, disasters, and even the global pandemic. It is called as Filipino
resilience, and it can be rooted in the experience during the periods of colonization. In this piece
by Ismael V. Mallari, he used bamboo as a metaphor to describe the Filipinos in challenging times.

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The Filipino and His Philosophy in Life
by Ismael V. Mallari

About the Author There is a story in Philippine folklore1 about a mango tree and a bamboo tree.
Ismael V. Mallari (1898–1979) Not being able to agree as to which was the stronger of the two, they called
was a former faculty member upon the wind to make the decision.
and a librarian of the University
of the Philippines. In 1940, The wind blew its hardest. The mango tree stood fast. It would not yield. It
he released a book entitled
was strong and sturdy. It would not sway. It was too proud. It was sure of

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The Birth of Discontent: An
Autopsychograph. This was itself. But finally its root gave way, and it tumbled down.

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followed by the publication of
When I Was a Little Boy in 1951. The bamboo tree was wiser. It knew it was not so robust as the mango tree.
Read more details about And so every time the wind blew, it bent its head gracefully. It made loud

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the author from the entry protestations, but it let the wind have its way. But when finally the wind got
in Philippine Short Stories,
tired of blowing, the bamboo tree still stood in all its beauty and grace.
1925–1940, edited by Leopoldo
Y. Yabes, uploaded in Google
The Filipino is like the bamboo tree. He knows that he is not strong enough,
Books.

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to withstand the onslaughts2 of superior forces. And so he yields3. He bends
his head gracefully with many loud protestations.
Take a quick look at the title and
illustration. What knowledge do
you already have about the title?
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And he has survived. The Spaniards came and dominated him for more than
three centuries. And when the Spaniards left, the Filipinos still stood—only
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What content do you expect to much richer in experience and culture.
read in the text?
The Americans took the place of the Spaniards. They used more subtle4
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means of winning the Filipino over to their mode of living and thinking. The
About the Piece Filipinos embraced the American way of life more readily than the Spaniard’s
“The Filipino and His vague5 promise of the hereafter.
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Philosophy in Life” is included


in Ismael V. Mallari’s book, Then the Japanese came like a hurricane, like a plague6 of locusts7, like a
Vanishing Dawn: Essays on pestilence8—rude, relentless, cruel. The Filipino learned to bow his head low,
the Vanishing Customs of the
to “cooperate” with the Japanese in their “holy mission of establishing the Co-
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Christian Filipinos printed in


1948 and 1954. This essay Prosperity Sphere.” The Filipino had only hate and contempt for the Japanese,
is one of his popular pieces but he learned to smile sweetly at them and to thank them graciously for their
because it highlights that “benevolences and magnanimity”.
Filipinos are pliant like a
bamboo tree. When the Americans returned and driven away the Japanese, those Filipinos
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who had profited most from cooperating with the Japanese were loudest
in their protestations of innocence and of loyalty. And now everything is as
though the Japanese had never been in the Philippines.

For the Filipino would welcome any kind of life that the gods would offer him.
That is why he is contented and happy and at peace. The sad plight9 of the
other peoples of the world is not his. To him, as to that ancient Oriental poet,
“the past is already a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today, well-
lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and tomorrow is a vision
of hope.”

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Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best
defines the word set in boldface
based on how it is used in
context.
1. folklore
a. legend, myth
b. fact, reality

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2. onslaught

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a. destruction
b. submission
3. yields

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a. supports
b. surrenders
4. subtle
a. obvious

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b. indirect
This may give the impression that the Filipino is a philosopher. Well, he is.
5. vague

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He has not evolved a body of philosophical doctrines. Much less has he put
them down into a book, like Kant for example, or Santayana, or Confucius.
But he does have a philosophical outlook on life.
a. unclear
b. acceptable
6. plague
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a. disease
He has a saying that life is like a rim of wheel. Sometimes it is up, sometimes b. collection
it is down. The monsoon season comes, and he has to go undercover. Then 7. locusts
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the sun comes out again. The flowers bloom, and the birds sing in the trees. a. pests
You cut off the branches of a tree; and, while the marks of the bolo are b. poultry

still upon it, it begins to shoot forth new branches—branches that are the 8. pestilence
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a. fatal disease
promise of new color, new fragrance, and new life.
b. curable disease
Everywhere about him is a lesson in patience and forbearance that he does 9. plight
not have to learn with difficulty. For the Filipino lives in a country on which a. travel
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b. situation
the gods have lavished10 gifts. He does not have to worry about the morrow.
Tomorrow will be only another day—not a winter of discontent. If he loses 10. lavished
a. to give generously
his possessions, there is the land and there is the sea, with all the riches that b. to take away
one can desire. There is plenty to spare for friends, for neighbors, and for
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11. indolence
everyone else. No wonder he can afford to laugh. a. diligence
b. laziness
The Filipino is endowed with the saving grace of humor. This humor is
earthly as befits one who has not indulged in deep contemplation. But it has
enabled the Filipino to shrug his shoulders in times of adversity and say to
himself, “Bahala na!”—”Let the future take care of itself.”

The Filipino has often been accused of being indolence11 and of lacking in
initiative. He has answered back that no one can help being indolent and
lacking in initiative who lives under the torrid sun, which saps the vitality.

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This seeming lack of vitality12, however, is only one of his means of survival.
He does not allow the world to be too much with him. Like the bamboo tree,
he lets the winds of chance and circumstance blow all about him; and he is
unperturbed and serene.
Expanding Vocabulary
Encircle the letter that best The Filipino, in fact, has a way of escaping from the rigorous problems of
defines the word set in existence. Most of his literature and most of his art are escapist in nature. His
boldface based on how it is
forefathers wallowed in the moro-moro, the awit, and the corrido. They loved
used in context.
to identify themselves with the gallant13 knights battling for the favors of fair
12. vitality ladies, or the possession of hallowed place. And now he himself loves to be
a. energy

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lost in the throes of modern romance and adventure.
b. lifelessness

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13. gallant His gallantry towards women—especially comely women—is a manifestation
a. superior of his romantic turn of mind. Consequently, in no other place in Orient are
b. heroic
women so respected, so adulated, and so pampered. For his women have

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14. vicissitudes
enabled the Filipino to look upon the vicissitudes14 of fortune as the bamboo
a. changes
b. stillness tree regards the angry blasts of the blustering wind.
15. insurmountable The Filipino is eminently suited to his romantic role. He is slender and

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a. unconquerable
willowy, with trim hips and a narrow waist. He is nimble and graceful in his
b. inescapable
movements. His voice is soft, and he has the gift of song and of language.
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In what other place in the world does music form such a natural background
accompaniment for even the most prosaic activities? In what other place can
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people carry on a fluent conversation in at least three languages?

This gift for language is another means by which the Filipino has managed
to survive. There is no insurmountable15 barrier between him and any of the
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people who have come to live with him—Spanish, American, and Japanese.
The foreigners do not have to learn his language. He easily masters theirs.
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Verily, the Filipino is like the bamboo tree. In its grace, in its ability to adjust
itself to the peculiar and inexplicable whims of fate, the bamboo tree is
expressive and symbolic of the Filipino national character. If the Filipino
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should choose a national tree, it would have to be, not the molave, nor yet the
narra, but the bamboo.
Source: Mallari, I.V. (1954). Vanishing dawn: essays on the vanishing customs of the Christian
Filipinos. Philippine Education Company.
Fo

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Talk About It
Activity 11.7
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the text.
1. What are the key messages of the text?
2. When was the last time you displayed the characteristics of a bamboo?
3. What are the specific situations experienced by the Filipinos that made the author
associate them with the bamboo?

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4. D
 o you agree with the author that Filipinos are “not the molave or the narra, but the

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bamboo”? Explain your answer.
5. What other living or nonliving things can you associate Filipino identity with?

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Map It Out
Activity 11.8

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 Form a group with three to four members. Choose a paragraph from the
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text, “The Filipino and His Philosophy in Life” by Ismael V. Mallari. Then,
illustrate the message conveyed in the paragraph. Draft your illustration
Learning Objective:

Produce a multimodal
illustration of the
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using the space provided. Use any presentation tool in finalizing your conveyed message in
the text.
illustration. Present your work in class.
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va
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Cultural Trip

• Did you know that harana is a unique Filipino tradition that existed even before
the Americans came? Generally, Filipinos enjoy songs about undying love or being
heartbroken ever since. Harana is a Filipino folk song for courtship or for an act to
serenade accompanied by guitar known to be sung by men only. The lyrics were in

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authentic Tagalog such as “Dungawin mo, hirang, ang nananambitan kahit sulyap
mo man lamang iyong idampulay” or “O tanglaw sa gabing tahimik” in songs titled

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“Dungawin Mo Hirang” and “O Ilaw” by Ruben Tagalog.

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Write It Right

Preparing any formal letter may be intimidating sometimes. There are so many things to

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consider before you can sit down and actually write one. For a request letter, there are some
guidelines you can follow to make it an easy task.
Guidelines for Writing a Request Letter
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1. Know your audience. Consider who will read or receive your letter. The target reader or
recipient will influence the tone of your writing.
2. Clarify your purpose. Determine the reason for writing your request letter. Do you need
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information, permission, a product or service, a meeting or a letter of recommendation?


Clarity of purpose will enable effective communication in writing.
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3. Understand the context. Requests letters are usually formal. Hence, they require a professional
tone.
4. Include all necessary elements. Ensure that all elements are present, including the date,
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recipient’s information, salutation, body, closing, signature, and sender’s information.


5. Follow the appropriate structure. While there are other structures such as semi-block and
block structure, the full-block style is commonly used. Check the request letter sample in the
Text Focus section.
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6. Review and edit. Review the structure and content, including the organization. Ensure the Seven
Cs (clarity, conciseness, coherence, completeness, concreteness, correctness, and courtesy) are
achieved.

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Activity 11.9
In Lesson 10, your class composed an expository essay about the unique
Learning Objective:
features in your local community that are worth sharing. Your class will organize
Compose a letter of
an event called “Promoting Local Tourism: An Exhibit of Student Essays.” This request following
event exhibits your expository essays and give you the opportunity to read a writing process
approach.
essential parts of your essay. You have been assigned to compose a letter of
request to your principal. Complete the writing process sheets. Confer with
your teacher every time you finish each sheet. Upon completion of Sheet 3,
follow the directions stated in Sheet 4. Your final writing output will not be

y
accepted unless the writing process is completed.

nl
Writing Process Sheets
Sheet 1. Identifying Target Audience and Purpose of Request

O
Target Audience:

n
Purpose of Request

Sheet 2. Outlining

1. Date
io
at
2. Recipient’s information
lu

3. Salutation
va

4. Body 4.1 (Introduction) _____________________________________________


4.2 (Body)
4.2.1 (Details related to the request such as title of the event,
time, place or venue, objectives, and resource speakers
rE

when necessary)
___________________________________________________
4.2.2 Specific and actionable request statement (what kind of
support do you need- financial, logistical, use of venue and
Fo

facilities, etc.)
4.2.3 Summary and gratitude statement
___________________________________________________

5. Closing

6. Signature

Sender’s information

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Sheet 3. Writing the First Draft

4. Type your draft in Microsoft Word, observing the following requirements:


a. Font: Times New Roman

y
b. Font size: 12

nl
c. Margin: 1” all sides
d. Letter writing block structure: Full block

O
5. Check the model request letter (See sample in text Focus section) to ensure similarity in
structure.
6. Review your draft using the Seven Cs checklist. Then make necessary changes to your draft.

n
Seven Cs Questions to ask when examining a text Yes No
1. Clarity io
Is the main objective stated clearly?
Is the message understandable?
at
2. Conciseness Are the ideas stated directly?
Are the ideas related to the topic?
lu

3. Coherence Are all ideas connected?


Are all ideas understandable?
Do all ideas support the message?
va

4. Concreteness Is the message explained and supported by examples and


details?
5. Completeness Is all the necessary information to convey a message
rE

provided?
Are all the features present?
6. Correctness Does the writing adhere to grammatical rules, proper spelling,
and appropriate language use?
Fo

7. Courtesy Does the writing evoke a polite, respectful, and professional


tone?

7. Edit your draft to ensure correctness in grammar, punctuation, and usage of words and
capitalization. Then make necessary changes to your draft.
8. Confer with your teacher for feedback. Then make necessary changes to your draft.
9. Finalize your request letter and submit it your teacher. You will be graded using Rubric 27:
Request Letter in the Appendix.

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Listening and Viewing Time

Ready to View and Listen


Scan the QR code below with your smartphone to watch and listen to the lecture of Solita
Monsod, popularly known as Mareng Winnie, a broadcaster, economist, columnist, and professor
who talked about the value of honor first before excellence.

y
Title: Honor and Excellence
(Prof. Monsod’s last lecture to her class)

nl
Link: https://youtu.be/sF3yPcqO6gE

O
Talk About It

n
Activity 11.10
Work with a partner and discuss the answers to the questions about the lecture.
io
1. What are the key ideas from the talk by Mareng Winnie?
2. Can you identify anyone at present time who still value honor first before excellence?
at
3. What information from the text would you use to help you in your learning journey?
4. Do you agree with honor first before excellence mantra?
lu

5. 
What action steps would you take to promote integrity at home, school, and
community?
va

Work It Out
Processing Information
rE

 Why do you process information? How do you process the information? You need to
process ideas or information from a text or piece of material you listened to so that you can
understand and appreciate the message the author conveys as well as its worth or relevance.
Fo

In school, you will always have tasks to listen to lectures and speeches. Oftentimes, you will
be assigned to write what you have learned.
 Note-taking is a technique that can help you process information and determine the worth
of ideas mentioned in the text more effectively. Here are some of the tips that you can use
when you use note-taking.
1. Record information or ideas in phrases, not in full sentences.
2. Write down in your own words what you heard.
3. Use any graphic organizer when you record.

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 Also, processing information involves reflection. After listening, reflect on the lessons you
have learned and their relevance to your personal life, as well as some information that you
are confused about and want to know more about. Here are some guide questions that you
can use when you use reflection.
1. What lessons have I learned?
2. How will I use these lessons for continuous improvements?
3. Which ideas are new to me, and I am interested to know more?

y
Learning Objectives: Activity 11.11

nl
Process information
mentioned in the text
Listen intently as you watch again Honor and Excellence. With a partner,
listened to. share your note-taking and reflection notes and consolidate them. Then,

O
Determine the worth of complete the table below.
ideas mentioned in the
text listened to.

n
Notes on Honor and Excellence
How Will I Use What Else Do I Want
What I Learned
io
What I Learned to Know
at
lu
va
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Truthfulness and Accuracy


Fo

In literary texts such as “A Letter to the Filipino Youth: It’s Time to Make a Difference this
Independence Day” and “The Filipino and His Philosophy in Life,” can easily get a connection or
relate because the authors based the characters or events on the realities. But there are authors and
video creators who combine reality and fantasy to strengthen the message.
Every day, you will encounter different information from various online sources, especially at
this time when social media are increasingly becoming the most popular source. As a student, it is
very important to strengthen your ability to recognize, locate, judge, evaluate, and use effectively
online sources to avoid misinformation and be a lifelong learner.

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Here are some questions and actions that can guide you in evaluating information from a
material to determine the truthfulness and accuracy of the materials.
Guide Questions Actions
1. Is the stated information Check the information on the reliable news, government
verified by other reliable documents, and scientific publications.
sources?
2. Is the information published Check the year of publication when it is published.
currently? Consider information from a source produced not to exceed five
years from the recent year for a scholarly work.

y
3. Are the sources cited in the Check the references used in the article to see whether they are
material related and current? updated, not related, or not.

nl
4. Is the author an authority of Check the author’s (a person’s or organization’s) qualifications
the topic? to verify expertise and biases. For example, if the topic is health

O
science, then a doctor of medicine or a medical doctor is the
authority; if the topic is engineering, then an engineer is the
authority.

n
Apply these guide questions in viewing the television documentary show, I-Witness, with a
title “Iskul Ko, No. 1!,” by Sandra Aguinaldo and produced by the GMA 7 network. Is the stated
information truthful and accurate? io
at
Title: G
 MA 7’s Public Affairs-I-Witness: “Iskul Ko, No. 1!,”
a documentary by Sandra Aguinaldo (full episode)
lu

Link: https://youtu.be/hsWaQVu-o1Y
va

Activity 11.12 Learning Objective:


rE

Determine the truthfulness


Part A. With a partner, find three videos from social media and complete the and accuracy of the
table below with relevant information. material viewed.

Video Titles Source Link


Fo

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Part B. Determine the truthfulness and accuracy of each video using the checklist below. Write
the exact information stated in the video in the second column. Put a 3 in the third column if the
answer corresponds to a yes. Otherwise, put an 7.
Truthfulness and Accuracy Checklist
Guide Questions Information Yes/No
1. Is the stated information
verified by other reliable
sources?
2. Is the information

y
published currently?

nl
3. Are the sources cited in
the material related and
current?

O
4. Is the author an
authority of the topic?

n
io
Express Yourself
at
Using Multimedia Resources
More technology resources such as the Internet, computers, smartphones, social media
lu

platforms, and software applications are becoming accessible and essential for learning and
collaboration in this digital age. Consequently, educational resources are increasingly becoming
known as multimedia.
va

Multimedia results from combining text, graphics, diagrams, audio, images, photos, and
videos. You can use PowerPoint slides or web-based presentations such as Prezi and Infographics
to present information in multimedia formats.
rE

In this lesson, you must have already incorporated multimedia resources in your oral
presentations to display your creativity, reinforce your message, and broadcast it for academic
purposes. You must remember that multimedia resources are part of visual aids. They are meant
for your audience to deepen their understanding and appreciation of your message. Hence, in
Fo

choosing correct and appropriate multimedia resources for your presentations, it is essential to
consider your audience. Here are some guidelines for your reference.
Texts
1. Select a font style and size of your texts readable to your readers. In a PowerPoint presentation,
Arial and Calibri font styles are highly recommended. Your text must not be smaller than 18
points as regards the size.
2. Minimize the amount of text. It is ideal to include a three-liner text reflecting the message you
want to convey in every slide.

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3. Check the spelling, punctuation marks, capitalization, and grammar.
4. Use contrasting background and text colors. It is ideal to use a white background and black
text.
Graphics, Diagrams, Images or Photos, Videos, Sounds, and Audio
1. Select graphic, diagram, image or photo, videos, sound, and audio appropriate to your message.
2. Be mindful of the currency, relevance, and credibility of the sources.
3. Choose a graphic, diagram, image or photo, videos, sound, and audio that are generally
acceptable and not offensive.

y
4. Caption graphic, diagram, image, or photo, and videos correctly.

nl
5. Give credits to your sources.
Incorporating Multimedia Resources

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1. Determine your purpose. A vlog requires almost all multimedia resources such as videos,
texts for subtitles, audio, music, and images, among others. Unlike in slide decks, you can
incorporate one to two resources to highlight your message.

n
2. Consider your audience. You may ask: Will my audience understand and appreciate my
message through these resources?
io
3. Check on the appropriateness and accessibility. In the process of finalizing your work, ensure
your selected resources match your purpose and your message, and are accessible.
at
Activity 11.13
lu

Learning Objective:
Imagine a Filipino group that discovered a pill that can help cure terminal
Use correct and
diseases such as cancer, lung and heart diseases, and the like. Your task is appropriate multimedia
va

to orally give information about this discovery to the public using correct resources when orally
giving information,
and appropriate multimedia resources or materials. Form a group with five instructions, making
members and perform this activity. You will be graded using Rubric 27: Group explanations, and
narrating events in
Visual Presentation in the Appendix. Consider the following in planning your
rE

personal or factual
presentation. recounts.

1. Select a digital tool.


• PowerPoint slides or web-based presentations such as Prezi (https://prezi.com/)
Fo

• Infograms (https://venngage.com/, https://piktochart.com/formats/infographics/)


• Videos, animations (https://www.powtoon.com)
2. Choose appropriate multimedia resources. Follow the tips.
3. Use the following questions as a guide to your content.
• What inspired you to pursue your discovery of the pill?
• What was the process of discovery?
• How do you describe the process?
• What are the components of the pill?

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Practice Some More

Make It Real
Learning Objective:

Organize a student event Activity 11.14


applying skills in using
multimedia resources Part A. You are a student leader and plans to organize a tree planting day in
and writing a request
letter. your school. Form a group with three members, and do the following tasks.

1. Discuss with your members the answers to the following questions. Use the space to write

y
your answers.

nl
a. What will you do to make the tree planting Day successful?
b. How will you do it?

O
c. Why will you do it?
d. Who will be involved?

n
e. When will you do it?
What How Why Who When
io
at
lu
va
rE
Fo

2. Create a presentation using multimedia resources to show your plan. Then, present it in class
for peer and teacher feedback.
3. Write a request letter to your Principal to allow you to hold the event. Your request letter will
be graded using Rubric 26 in the Appendix.

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E-Link
Visit the following links to further expand your knowledge and practice your skills.
•  riting an Effective Request Letter: This provides you with comprehensive information
W
about the elements of the request letter.
https://sacd.sdsu.edu/student-ombudsman/writing-an-effective-appeal-or-request-letter
• How to Write Request Letters: This provides samples and templates for reference.
https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/request-letter-sample

y
• Language Skills Practice: This allows you to practice your language skills through exercises.

nl
 ttps://www.ixl.com/ela/topics?partner=google&campaign=179162755&adGroup=8821
h
321315&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4NWrBhD-ARIsAFCKwWtkw11aRrnWaUq8JdeQ7HIZfKKI
HCKYwnNMqfkk5qUK6irRyLgyUM0aAlheEALw_wcB

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What I Have Learned So Far

n
Think about the following questions and write your reflection in the space below, which serves
as your learning journal. io
1. What are your responses to the essential questions in Things to Ponder?
at
2. What aspect/s of the session helped you in learning the lesson?
3. What difficulties did you experience during the learning session?
lu
va
rE
Fo

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Unit IV
End-of-Unit Assessment
Follow the steps below in creating your portfolio.
1. Collect all your completed and graded expository essays and letters of request.
2. Place them in a binder or expanded folder.

y
3. Organize your written output according to date of completion. Put a label when necessary.

nl
4. The last page of your portfolio should be a reflective paragraph about your learning. Use
the guide questions below for your reflective paragraph.

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a. What are the essential lessons you have learned from this unit? (Share at least two
lessons).
b. H
 ow will I use these lessons to become a competent, job-ready, active, responsible, and
patriotic citizen?

n
5. Your portfolio will be graded based on completeness (80%) and submission of the reflective
paragraph (20%). io
at
lu
va
rE
Fo

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Appendix
Rubrics

Rubric 01: Speech Performance

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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The purpose of the speech is clear.

nl
The speech is appropriate for the target audience and context.
The speaker uses pitch appropriate for a word or phrase.

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The speaker uses correct intonation for a word or phrase.
The speaker stresses the syllable of a word correctly.
The volume is loud enough for context and target audience.

n
The speaker’s delivery is engaging.
The speaker’s nonverbal cues are appropriate.
io TOTAL
at
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
lu

Rubric 02: Brochure


Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
va

The brochure is well-planned and organized.


The details presented are factual.
The contents show clarity.
rE

The output displays creativity.


The work is collaborative.
The design complements the brochure.
Fo

TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubrics ~389

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Rubric 3: Oral Presentation
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The purpose is clear.
The message is delivered clearly.
The ideas flow smoothly.
The speaker pronounces and enunciates the word sounds correctly.
The speaker uses concise words and expressions.
Supporting information reinforces the message.

y
The speaker observes grammatical correctness.

nl
The speaker uses courteous language.
The speaker maintains eye contact.
The speaker shows a positive stance and behavior.

O
The time limit is met.
TOTAL

n
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 04: Sentences


io
at
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The sentences are well-structured.
The grammar is accurate.
lu

Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation marks are correctly used.


Word choice is appropriate.
va

The required number of sentences is met.


TOTAL
rE

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 05: Visual Presentation


Fo

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The output presents the theme of the texts.
The visual elements are effectively used.
The presentation is organized.
The work is collaborative.
The time limit is met.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

390~ Rubrics

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Rubric 06: Narrative Paragraph/Paragraph Writing
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The paragraph conveys its purpose.
The topic sentence is clearly stated.
The supporting ideas are related to the topic sentence.
The flow of ideas is smooth.
The grammar is accurate.
The spelling, capitalization, and punctuation marks are correctly used.

y
The word choice is appropriate.

nl
The sentences are well-structured.
The required number of sentences is met.
TOTAL

O
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

n
Rubric 07: Advocacy Material
Criteria
io
The advocacy material is well-planned and organized.
5 4 3 2 1
at
The details presented are factual.
The contents show clarity.
The output displays creativity.
lu

The work is collaborative.


The poem complements the poster.
va

TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
rE

Rubric 08: Correct Pitch, Juncture, Stress, Volume and Projection, and Rate/Speed of Speech
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Fo

The purpose of the presentation is clear.


The ideas flow smoothly.
The speakers use appropriate pitch.
The speakers use appropriate juncture.
The speakers use appropriate stress.
The speakers use appropriate volume.
The speakers use appropriate projection.
The speakers use appropriate rate or speed.
The speakers use appropriate verbal and nonverbal cues.

Rubrics ~391

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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The speakers maintain eye contact.
The time limit is met.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 09: Publication Material

y
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The publication material is well-planned and organized.

nl
The contents show clarity.
The output displays creativity.

O
The work is collaborative.
TOTAL

n
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 10: Collage


io
at
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Variety of pictures are used to show the general mood of the story.
The collage shows clarity of purpose.
lu

The output displays collaboration of members.


TOTAL
va

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)


rE

Rubric 11: Dialogue


Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The presentation captures a scene from a required text.
Fo

The dialogues are delivered clearly.


The body language, facial expression, and other nonverbal cues of the performers
are natural.
The presentation is collaborative.
The presentation meets the time limit.
The overall performance is fun to watch.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

392~ Rubrics

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Rubric 12: Forum
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The presentation is well-planned and organized.
The speakers express their beliefs and convictions effectively.
The output incorporates multimedia resources correctly and appropriately.
The speakers observe verbal and nonverbal cues correctly.
The speakers used an outline to organize information.
The speakers used correct grammar.

y
The presentation is collaborative.

nl
The presentation meets the time limit.
TOTAL

O
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 13: Illustration

n
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
io
The drawing or illustration is well-planned and organized.
The drawing or illustration is accurately detailed.
at
The output shows clarity of theme.
The output displays creativity.
lu

TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
va

Rubric 14: Video Presentation


rE

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The output presents the theme of the texts.
The visual elements are effectively used.
The presentation is organized.
Fo

The output conveys its purpose and displays creativity


The contents show clarity.
The work is collaborative.
The script incorporates an anecdote.
The flow of ideas is smooth.

Rubrics ~393

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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The grammar and word choice are appropriate.
The spelling, capitalization, and punctuation marks are correctly used.
The sentences are well-structured.
The time limit is met.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

y
Rubric 15: Storyboard

nl
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The story board displays beginning, middle, and ending of the story.

O
The story board shows connections that are easy to understand.
The story board is clearly written, labeled, or illustrated.

n
The story board contains ideas that are enjoyable and creative.
TOTAL
io
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
at
Rubric 16: Flash Fiction
lu

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The story contains a beginning, climax, and ending.
va

The roles of the characters are clear.


The setting is described clearly.
The first-person point of view is used.
rE

The story contains strong imagery or sensory details.


The story follows the prescribed sentence count.
The story reflects a Filipino culture or identity.
Capitalization is used correctly.
Fo

Punctuation marks are used correctly.


The grammar is accurate.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

394~ Rubrics

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Rubric 17: News Script
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The script conveys its purpose.
The grammar is accurate.
The word choice is appropriate.
The sentences use appropriate and meaningful direct and reported speech.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

y
nl
Rubric 18: Oral Communication Strategies

O
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The purpose of the presentation is clear.
The topic of the conversation is well-introduced or nominated.

n
Topic restriction is carefully observed.
Smooth turn-taking between or among the speakers are manifested in the
presentation.
io
Controlling the topic is done in appropriate and respectful environment.
at
The transition of topic is smooth.
Speakers employ appropriate verbal and nonverbal strategies in repairing
communication breakdown.
lu

The conversation is terminated in light and respectful way.


The time limit is met.
va

Appropriate and/or relevant questions are asked to elicit appropriate responses.


TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
rE

Rubric 19: Website


Fo

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The website is well-planned and organized.
The details presented are factual.
The contents show clarity.
The output displays creativity.
The work is collaborative.
The work is navigable.
The output uses meaningful clauses.

Rubrics ~395

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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The output uses appropriate figures of speech.
Hyperlinks are included in the website.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 20: Oral Reading


Criteria 5 4 3 2 1

y
The statements are read properly.

nl
The speaker reads the vowel and consonant sounds correctly.
The speaker reads the diphthongs and blends correctly.

O
The speakers maintain eye contact.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

n
Rubric 21: Bulletin Board
Criteria
io 5 4 3 2 1
at
The bulletin board is well-planned and organized.
The details presented are factual.
lu

The contents show clarity.


The output displays creativity.
The work is collaborative.
va

The work uses appropriate graphic organizer.


TOTAL
rE

5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 22: Group Musical Presentation


Fo

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The presentation meets its purpose.
The creativity of the group is exhibited using recyclable materials.
The presentation is organized.
The work is collaborative.
The time limit is met.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

396~ Rubrics

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Rubric 23: Informative Essay
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
Content
The introduction states the thesis statement clearly.
The purpose is stated clearly.
Appropriate point of view is observed.
Conclusion restates the thesis.
The recommendation is presented in the concluding paragraph.

y
Organization

nl
Cohesive devices are effectively used.
Ideas are correctly placed which improves the paper’s organization.
The flow of ideas is smooth and easy to read.

O
Style
The paper showcases the writer’s voice.

n
The paper uses a variety of sentence structures.
The paper eliminates sexist language .

io
The paper uses language appropriate to the context.
The paper eliminates wordiness.
at
Grammar and Mechanics
The grammar is accurate.
lu

The spelling, capitalization, and punctuations are correctly used.


The word choice is appropriate.
The sentences are well-structured.
va

Documentation and Sources


The paper uses correct citation and reference format.
The sources used are reliable.
rE

The sources used are relevant to the topic.


TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
Fo

Rubric 24: Poster


Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The poster is well-planned and organized.
The details presented are factual.
The contents show clarity.
The output displays creativity.

Rubrics ~397

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Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
The work is collaborative.
The design complements the poster.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

Rubric 25: Request Letter


Criteria 5 4 3 2 1

y
The purpose is clearly stated.

nl
The message is clear.
The ideas are conveyed directly.

O
The main and supporting ideas are easy to follow.
The letter provides specific details to clarify the message.
The letter has all the features.

n
The letter is well-edited ensuring proper grammar, sentence structure, spelling,
and punctuation.
io
The letter observes polite and respectful language and tone.
TOTAL
at
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)
lu

Rubric 26: Group Visual Presentation


Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
va

The output presents the theme of the texts.


The visual elements are effectively used.
The presentation is organized.
rE

The output conveys its purpose and displays creativity


The contents show clarity.
The work is collaborative.
Fo

The script incorporates an anecdote.


The flow of ideas is smooth.
The grammar and word choice are appropriate.
The spelling, capitalization, and punctuation marks are correctly used.
The sentences are well-structured.
The time limit is met.
TOTAL
5 (Advanced), 4 (Proficient), 3 (Approaching Proficiency), 2 (Developing), 1 (Beginning)

398~ Rubrics

Conversation 7 tx_matatag series.indb 398 1/8/2024 4:53:41 PM


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