ORGANIZING IDEAS THROUGH OUTLINE

Outlining- is a process that helps you see exactly how the parts of your writing will fit together. An
outline organizes ideas and allows you to see how they relate to one another, where you need to add
examples, or where the overall write-up is headed.

When you make an outline, you can either have a topic outline or a sentence outline. In a topic outline,
words and phrases are used as headings and subheads. The headings and subheadings serve as guides in
mapping out the entire write-up. No elaborate descriptions are necessary. However, since this outline
only uses words or phrases, it could be difficult for a writer to remember what each heading should
exactly contain. See how the African tale you read can be mapped out in a topic outline.

In a sentence outline, complete sentences are used for headings and subheadings. Although it is time-
consuming to use such outline, it is easier for the writer to make a composition whose general ideas are
already expressed.

GERUND AND PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Verbals- are words that look like verbs but do not function as verbs in sentences.

The Gerund is a verbal that ends in ing but functions as noun--- either as subject or object.

Examples: Hunting is common to Africans. (used as subject)

Ogaloussa loves hunting. (used as object)

The present participle is a verbal that also ends in-ing but functions as adjective or adverb.

Examples: The disappearing hunter left no traces. (used as adjective)

The siblings tried hard searching for their father. (used as adverb)

PAINT A PICTURE – In poetry, an image is created from the author’s words. This image or picture
appeals to one or more of the five human senses. The reader senses how an image smells or looks; or
how it sounds, feels, or tastes.

Many stories and poems contain Allusions, which are references to actual persons, events, places, or
ideas with historical, cultural, or literal significance.

When readers recognize the people, events, places or ideas alluded to in a poem, an enriching reading
experience takes place.
In the poem The Sling, the writer alludes to the Berg, a mountain in South Africa, and to Goliath, the
biblical character. Readers who are not familiar with these terms will miss some of the work’s intended
meaning.

CONTEXT CLUES

Authors usually know when to use an unfamiliar word. When they do, they include other words or
phrases for a clear understanding of it. These words or phrases are referred to as context clues. These
clues are found within the sentences, and they help you make a logical guess about the meaning of the
unfamiliar word. Once you become more aware of these clues, you will save time looking up meanings
in the dictionary.

Example:

It was an experience for him to hear a polyglot speak the language of the world.

From the given sentence, you will know that a polyglot is someone who has the gift of speaking many
languages.

RECOGNIZING PARALLEL STRUCTURES

In writing a sentence, coherence is achieved by expressing a series of parallel ideas. A coherent sentence
should have its parts logically integrated and woven together so that meaning is clearly expressed and
understood. Parallel structures can be seen in the following:

1. Parallel Words
- His artistry is seen in his honest, relevant and unique body of work. (adjectives)
- The gifted boy enjoys singing, painting, and writing. (gerund)
2. Parallel Phrases
- He wanted to take photos of the forest, to write under the old tree, and to run wild along
the shore. (Infinitive phrase)
- The parents realized that their daughter has the gift of charm, of intelligence, and of beauty.
(prepositional phrase)
3. Parallel Clauses
- I read that the artist rose to unparallel success, not just because of the talent but because of
hard work. (dependent clause)
- The judges gave a standing ovation, the audience cheered in amazement, and everyone in
the show’s production lauded the unbelievable talent of the 10-year-old singer.
(independent clause).
Correcting Sentences with Faulty Parallelism

Sentences with faulty parallelism confuse readers. To correct structures that are not parallel, remember
to come up with parallel words, parallel phrases, and parallel clauses. The elements of the sentence
should be expressed in the same grammatical forms.

Below is a sample sentence with faulty parallelism. Study how it is corrected.

Wrong: The boy guarded the cattle, and was looking after the field.

Correction 1: The boy guarded the cattle and looked after the field.

Correction 2: The boy was guarding the cattle and was looking after the field.

POINT OF VIEWS

In telling stories, the point of view refers to the perspective of narrator.

In the first-person point of view, the story is narrated by one of the characters. It means that the
narrator participates in the action, tells events, and shares his or her thoughts and feelings about them.
The first-person pronouns I, me, we, us, my, our, ours are used in the narration.

In the second-person point of view, there is consistent use of the pronouns you, your, yours. Write-ups
in this perspective usually persuade or command the reader.

In the third-person point of view, the narrator is not involved in the action of the story as one of the
characters. However, he or she relates how the characters react, feel, and think. The narration is done
by unknown “voice” that refers to the characters using third-person pronouns such as he, she, his, her,
hers, their, theirs.

MEETING THE GOALS OF LISTENING

The following are the strategies that will enable you to meet the goals of listening.

1. Prepare yourself. Make sure you are relaxed. Since the mind is easily distracted by other
thoughts, focus only on what you listen to. Do not think about past events, or worry about
future endeavors. Once other thoughts get in, you will find yourself groping for any significant
details from what you listen.
2. Remove distractions. Do not do anything that will distract you from listening. Do not crumble
pieces of paper, or look out the window, or talk.
3. Listen to how words are said. Note how the speaker stresses words, or uses pitch in order to
vary meanings. Vocal delivery is an important element of speech that makes the conveyed
message easily understood.
 4. Focus on ideas, not just words. Get the whole picture, not just bits and pieces conveyed by
individual words. By this you will be able to infer general ideas, perspectives, emotions, and
even intentions. To infer is to make a conclusion about something.

WRITING A GOOD OPENING FOR A NARRATIVE

The opening paragraph of narrative is the introduction, which presents the main idea. It is where the
readers get to know what the story is about. It is important to have a good opening paragraph because
it helps the reader determine whether he or she will continue reading or not. A good introduction keeps
the reader’s interest and allows him or her to anticipate the next parts of the narrative.

Study how can one topic can be introduced using different methods.

Topic: Being called up to recite in Mrs. Briginio’s class.

Describing the setting – The class was usually quiet. The others were probably memorizing their lines. If
you listened closely, you could hear faint and random whispers, muffled only by the constant whirring of
the ancient fan. Suddenly, Mrs. Briginio called my name.

Using direct speech (dialogue) – The silence was broken when Mrs. Briginio spoke, “Mr. Makalintay”
and there was a chorus of sighs from the others. It was my name. Silently, I asked the Lord, “Why me?”

Stating your own beliefs, opinion, or feelings – When Mrs. Briginio called my name, I wasn’t sure if I
could consider myself lucky or otherwise. I knew that everyone in the class was unprepared and I was. It
was impossible to memorize a poem that long in such a short time.

Creating a sense of anticipation (Climax) – There was an eerie silence in the classroom. The age-old fan
let out a sound, which added to everyone’s nervousness. “Whirr…” All of us waited for Mrs. Briginio’s
mouth to open, for the unfortunate one to be called first. Time seemed to stop when Mrs. Briginio
spoke and said, “Mr. Makalintay.”

Asking questions – How could anyone memorize a poem that long in such a short time? It’s impossible!
Mrs. Briginio must be kidding when she surprised us to do the recitation today. What was she thinking?
My classmates were relieved when she called on the first student to recite--- me.