Reading and Writing Skills

Quarter 4 - Module 2
Text and Context Connections

Learning Competency 5: Explain critical reading as reasoning

S2 Q4 EN11/12RWS-IVac-8
Semester: 2nd Semester
Quarter: 4th Quarter
Number of Hours: 2 Hours

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

 WHAT I KNOW – PP. 3
 WHAT IS IT – PP. 7
 WHAT IS IT – PP. 10-12
 WHAT IS IT – PP. 14-15
 ASSESSMENT – PP. 16

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 Lesson Text and Context Connections:
5 Critical Reading as Reasoning

What’s New

It is important to read critically. Critical reading requires you to evaluate the

arguments in the text. You need to distinguish fact from opinion, and look at
arguments given for and against the various claims. This also means being aware of
your opinions and assumptions (positive and negative) of the text you are reading so
you can evaluate it honestly. It is also important to be aware of the writer's
background, assumptions and purposes.

What I Need to Know

By the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. explain critical reading as reasoning.

To achieve the objectives of this module, do the following:

 Take your time reading the lessons carefully.

 Follow the directions and/or instructions in the activities and exercises
diligently.
 Answer all the given tests and exercises.

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 What I Know

Before heading on to our lesson, let us first check what you already know.
Read the statements carefully, and determine if they are TRUE or FALSE, then
write your answers on the blanks provided before each number.

____________________1. Critical reading is simply recognition of the text’s

meaning and restating it in your own words.
____________________2. Critical reading examines the author’s choice of content,
language and structure.
____________________3. Critical reading teaches the readers to accept all the
presented facts without further examination.
____________________4. A statement of fact can be verified through
experimentation, personal observation or credible sources.
____________________5. A statement of opinion needs further evidence and other
valid supporting details to be proven true.

Great job! Later we will see if your answers are correct by reading the
rest of this module… but before that….

Can you think of the similarities and difference between critical reading and
reasoning? Try to fill this Venn Diagram with your ideas.

Critical Reading Reasoning

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 Lesson Text and Context Connections:
5.1 Critical Reading

What’s New

 Critical reading goes beyond recognition of the text’s meaning and

restating it in your own words.
 A critical reader does not merely skim the text at hand.
 To reach a solid interpretation of a text, the critical reader must dwell on
what the text does by making such remarks beyond what it says. From
this, the critical reader must identify what the text wholly means based on
the previous analysis.

Critical reading advances the understanding of the reader by not taking the
text by its face value. It studies the composition’s every nook and cranny until you
find the author’s inconsistencies, oversights, limitations and other reasonable
arguments that is often overlooked by a normal reader.

According to the website criticalreading.com, there are three steps of analysis

reflecting the three types of reading and discussion:
1. What a text says – restatement (wherein the reader merely restates what
is said in the original text)
2. What a text does – description (wherein the reader discusses aspects of
the discussion itself)
3. What a text means – interpretation (wherein the reader analyzes the
meaning of the text as a whole).

Critical reading does not simply ask what the text says but more of how the
topic is presented and why. Critical readers dwell on the distinctive qualities of the
text. Readers normally read texts to obtain facts and knowledge. A critical reader, on
the other hand, mulls over the unique perspective of the author on a particular text
and how the facts the author presented arrived at his/her conclusion.

Goals of Critical Reading

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 Prentice Hall has enumerated the following critical reading skills:
1. The ability to distinguish between fact and opinion
2. The ability to identify the author’s purpose
3. The ability to make inferences
4. The ability to recognize the author’s tone
5. The ability to recognize persuasive techniques

Critical reading ultimately examines the author’s choice of content, language

and structure. The basis of recognizing the purpose of an author is their choice of
content and language to use. The critical reader analyzes the tone and persuasive
elements of a text through reviewing the choice of language used. In recognizing the
bias of the text, the critical reader must identify the nature of patterns of choice of
content and language. Critical reading teaches the reader how to not blindly accept
all the presented facts without further examination. This technique allows you to
confirm and present your own argument. The practical starting point of every critical
reader is to question everything you read.

To read critically is to make judgments about how a text is argued. This is a

highly reflective skill requiring you to stand back and gain some distance from the
text you are reading.

It is not recommended to read just to look only or primarily for information;

instead, read to look for ways of thinking about the subject matter.

What I Have Learned

So far we have discussed what critical reading is.

 Critical reading is a more active way of reading. It is a deeper and more

complex engagement with a text. 
 When we read critically, we use our critical thinking skills to question both the
text and our own and others’ interpretation of it.
 Critical reading teaches the reader how to not blindly accept all the presented
facts without further examination.

ARE YOU READY TO BECOME A CRITICAL READER?

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 Lesson Text and Context Connections:
5.2 Facts versus Opinions

What’s New

 A statement of fact is characterized by its ability to be verified through

experimentation, personal observation or credible sources.
 On the other hand, a statement of opinion needs further evidence and
other valid supporting details to be proven true.

Facts are statements that can be checked or proved. We can check facts by
conducting some sort of experiment, observation or by verifying (checking) the fact
with a source document.

Facts often contain numbers, dates or ages and facts might include specific
information about a person, place or thing.

An opinion, on the other hand, is a statement that cannot be proved or

checked. It tells what someone thinks, feels or believes.

Clue words for opinion statements are: think, believe, seem, always, never,
most, least, worse, greatest.

To recognize a fact or an opinion, ask yourself, “Can this statement be

proved?”. If your answer is YES, then that statement is a fact; if your ANSWER is
NO, then that statement is an opinion.

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 What is it?

Activity 6: Identify whether the following statements are statements of fact or

opinion. Write SOF for statement of fact and SOO for statement of opinion.

________1. Chocolate cake is the most delicious kind of dessert.

________2. Belo Medical Clinic is the best clinic that can reverse skin aging.
________3. LBC is the most reliable express delivery company in the Philippines.
________4. BDO is the best bank in the Philippines.
________5. Listerine is a mouthwash.
________6. Listerine is a dynamite against bad breath, plaque and gingivitis.
________7. Globe handy phone makes great things possible.
________8. Natural fibers boost the immune system and improve digestive health.
________9. Paula’s Hotel is perfectly suited for your family vacation.
________10. Paula’s Hotel is located at Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
________11. BMW is the fastest and most sporty car ever.
________12. Winston Cigarette is the “spirit of the USA”.
________13. Hope is the largest-selling luxury cigarette.
________14. Hope is a brand of cigarette.
________15. Palmolive is a brand of shampoo and conditioner.
________16. Palmolive shampoo makes you more confident with your straighter
hair.
________17. Filipinos are lazy people.
________18. Men and women are opposite sexes.
________19. People from Mindanao are all beautiful.
________20. Duterte is the greatest president this country has ever had.

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 Lesson Text and Context Connections:
5.3 Author’s Purpose and Tone

What’s New

 An author’s purpose is his reason for or intent in writing. An author’s

purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader or to inform
him.
 An author’s purpose is reflected in his tone.
 Tone reflects the author’s attitude in approaching the topic. According to
Forlini, “an author chooses words according to his/her attitude toward the
topic and how the author expects the reader to respond to the material.”

Purpose is the reason an author writes about a topic. An author may have a
more specific purpose in mind other than to inform, entertain or persuade him. To
figure out the author’s purpose, you as the reader, must consider the main idea,
thought pattern and tone.

The author’s tone, on the other hand, may be evident in his/her choice of
words either expressing its connotation or denotation.

The author uses various persuasive techniques to color the presentation of

facts and to appeal to the reader. Authors use jargons and slanting to make the
readers lean towards their position/argument.

 Jargons are “specialized vocabulary used by people in a particular field.”

While often misused to conceal meaning, jargons may prove effective in
solidifying an argument if defined and explained appropriately.

 Slanting “is the writing of a passage so that it leans toward one point of view.”
Words with either positive or negative connotations may be used as slanting.
Another example of slanting is purposefully leaving out information of a
different perspective on a similar issue.

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Analyzing a Written Text

In analyzing a written text, it is important to take note of the following

elements as well as the guide questions that come with it:
 Purpose/Context – What does the text aim to do? Does it mean to persuade
or does it contribute to a discussion of an existing topic? What content does
the text cover? What purpose does it serve its readers?
 Author/s – Who wrote the text? What are his qualifications for writing about
the topic?
 Audience – What is its target audience? Where is the text found? What does
the author expect the reader to get from his/her composition? Are you a part
of the author’s audience?
 Topic and Position – Is the author’s argument on the topic at hand supported
by valid evidence? Is the author’s position clear? Is it presented as objective?
Is his/her stand based on other author’s position or simply from personal
observation/experience?
 Research/Sources – Do previous researches have a role in supporting the
author’s argument? Which of the references elicits further discussion?
 Proof/Evidence – What are the proofs/evidence presented by the author
throughout the text? Did they come from credible sources? What type of
proof is used by the author (e.g. references to other work, interpretations of
other work, original research, personal experience, author’s opinions, critical
analysis, etc.)? Do these proofs validate the argument? Which of the
evidence carries the most weight?
 Organization – How are the information organized in the text? For what
particular reason are they arranged in this particular way? Where did the
author plainly states his/her stand on the topic? Is the organization driven
more by the content (the information that needs to be presented), by the
authors' argument, by the needs of the audience, or by some combination of
the three?
 Style – What can you infer from the author’s choice of words? From what
perspective did the author write the text? Was he/she inclusive with his/her
choice of words? Did they use jargons or slanted meanings? If there are,
were they properly defined for the reader’s convenience and understanding?
What other writing techniques did the author apply in writing the text?
Analyze each sentence structure, figurative language and rhetorical
questions existing in the text.
 Drawing Conclusions – What does the author want to highlight? Compare
and contrast the text with other similar ones. Identify the similarities and
differences in their approach of the same topic.

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 What is it?

Activity 7: Read the following passage and analyze the author’s purpose, tone
and persuasive techniques used by completing the table that follows it. Use
the guide questions we have discussed in the previous page to help you in
analyzing the text.

Exit Essay: Save the Filipino Language

The Filipino language plays a huge part in the lives of the countrymen. It is
the heart and soul of the country as it symbolizes oneness in words, speech, and
thought. Language is something one continuously learns as he/she grows up. Truly,
a country’s language paves way for bigger and better opportunities that will benefit
everyone. But what will happen to this optimistic view of the future if the means of
learning one’s language is taken away from him? This has been one of the hottest
issues present in Philippine society today – the exclusion of the Filipino subject in
the tertiary level.
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has already released a revised
general education (GE) curriculum that implements the dropping of the mandatory
Filipino subjects on the tertiary level. The CHED memorandum order on the new
curriculum notes that the integration of GE courses in senior high school – Grades
11 and 12 – has created a window for the revision of the current curriculum in
colleges. According to CHED, the revision of the curriculum aims to promote the
development of a student’s intellectual competency, personal and civic competency,
and practical skills. CHED also claims that the Filipino subjects taken under the K to
12 program are sufficient given that students already have 108 hours under the said
subject in Grade 11 alone. “The proposed GEC strips away remedial courses, those
that duplicate subjects in Grades 11 and 12, and introductory courses to the
disciplines,” CHED explained in CMO 20-2013.
The new curriculum includes the following core courses: Understanding the
Self; Readings in Philippine History; The Contemporary World; and Mathematics in
the Modern World. Also included are Purposive Communication; Art Appreciation;
Science, Technology and Society; and Ethics. It requires three courses on the Arts
& Humanities; Social Sciences & Philosophy; and Mathematics Science and
Technology clusters. It also mandates the three-unit Life and Works of Rizal course.
As a whole, the number of GEC units has been reduced from the current 63-51 units
down to 36 units for all college students.
The revision of the curriculum has met various violent reactions and

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oppositions from stakeholders, linguists, academics, and even students themselves.
Movements from different universities concerned are currently in motion in order to
fight for the life of the Filipino subjects in the tertiary level. David San Juan (2014), a
professor in De La Salle University-Manila, pointed out that while the memorandum
stated that the optional provision for the teaching of the courses in Filipino dilutes its
purpose as most universities in the country uses English as its default language. In
addition to the statements of oppositions, the Kagawaran ng Filipino of the Ateneo
de Manila University avers that “Hindi lamang midyum ng pagtuturo and Filipino. Isa
itong disiplina. Lumilikha ito ng sariling larang ng karunungan na nagtatampok sa
pagka-Filipino sa anumang usapin sa loob at labas ng akademya.” UP DFPP also
reacted on the revision of the curriculum expressing, “Ang pagtatanggal ng siyam na
yunit ng Filipino sa kolehiyo ay isang anyo ng karahasang pangkamalayan.
Nilulusaw nito ang pagpapahalaga sa kasaysayan at kabihasnang tanging Filipino
ang makakapagpaliwanag.”
On a personal account, being a student myself makes me think twice
about the revision of the GE curriculum in college. Through the years of my
schooling, the Filipino language has been one of the most important factors that
shaped me as a person. It is the language I use at home, in school, and nearly in
everywhere I go every day. I couldn’t stress even more the fact that I am a Filipino
living in the Philippines. I grew up in a family that treasures the native language of
the Philippine culture. Hearing about the mandatory exclusion of the Filipino
subjects in college irks me mostly because I cannot see the point if it is really
necessary to remove the Filipino language when in fact; it plays a big role in the
development of the country. Resorting to dropping these subjects in favor of others,
let alone its mere deletion, is senseless. There are far more ways to address the
issue of the student’s incompetence and the revised curriculum is not one of them. It
is a shameful act to kill the nurturing of the native language. We are Filipinos and
our language is something we should be proud of – something that we must
treasure. Save the country from senseless actions by fighting for the life of the
Filipino subjects. It is not impossible to oppose such acts if all countrymen are united
towards achieving one goal. The time to act is now – before it is all too late.

(Perez, R.E. (2014). Exit essay: Save the Filipino language. Retrieved from
http://rjaperez.tumblr.com/post/95149266012/exit-essay-save-the-filipino-language )

Purpose/Context

Author

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Audience

Topic & Position

Research/Sources

Proof/Evidence

Organization

Style

Drawing Conclusions

Lesson Text and Context Connections:

5.4 Making Inferences

What’s New

 An inference is an idea or conclusion that’s drawn from evidence and

reasoning. 12
 An inference is an educated guess.
 When you are making an inference, you are reading between the lines or just
 The text, by itself, does not contain meaning. It is up to the reader to interpret
the meaning of the words, their usage and structure in the text. The reader infers an
interpretation of the text through prior knowledge, social conventions, shared
experience or shared values.

Inferences are essential in both written and spoken communication. A single

sentence may contain a variety of assertions. Reading is “an active, reflective,
problem-solving process.” Readers do not simply read the words, but ideas from a
collection of assertions.

Some examples of inferences are the following:

 A boy is wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, glasses, and his shoes have mud on
them. One can infer he likes Led Zeppelin, his eyesight is poor and he walked
through mud.

 You adopt a puppy from the shelter and he seems nervous and scared. He
hides from loud noises and had some noticeable scars. You can infer that he
was abused by his former owner.

What is it?

Activity 8: Let’s try if you can infer where I am and what I am doing, and
what can you infer about the feelings of the people in the situations that
I’ll be giving you. The first one has been done for you.

Can you infer where I am and what Can you infer where I am and what
I’m doing? I’m doing?

I see bubbles rising. I hear my own I hear screaming. My stomach feels

breathing. There are fish swimming funny. Can you see my hair blowing?
above me. I feel the seaweed swaying. I’m feeling excited.

Answer: Scuba diving in the sea! Answer:

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Can you infer where I am? Can you infer where I am?

It’s so dark in here. What’s that spooky I hear the crowd cheer as the ball gets
sound? Oh I feel somebody on my inside the ring. The players whop with
back! I’m getting nervous. glee.

Answer: Answer:
What can you infer from this? What can you infer about Anna’s
father?

Rey always carries his guitar with him.

After Anna broke the vase, her father
turned and walked away without saying
anything.

Answer: Answer:

What can you infer about the What can you infer about what
relationship of the speaker and Grandma is feeling?
whom she is speaking to?

Grandma’s mouth dropped open. Her

If you won’t go, I won’t either. hands flew to her face.

Answer:
Answer:

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 What I Have Learned

 Critical reading goes beyond recognition of the text’s meaning and

restating it in your own words
 A critical reader must be able to do the following
a. Distinguish between fact and opinion
b. Identify the author’s purpose
c. Make inferences
d. Recognize the author’s tone
e. Recognize persuasive techniques.

Assessment
After our lesson, let us now check what you have learned. Read the
statements carefully, and determine if they are TRUE or FALSE, then write
your answers on the blanks provided before each number.
____________________1. Critical reading is simply recognition of the text’s
meaning and restating it in your own words.
____________________2. Critical reading examines the author’s choice of
content, language and structure.
____________________3. Critical reading teaches the readers to accept all the
presented facts without further examination.
____________________4. A statement of fact can be verified through
experimentation, personal observation or credible sources.
____________________5. A statement of opinion needs further evidence and
other valid supporting details to be proven true.

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 Key to Answers

Pre-Test & Post Test

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True

ACTIVITY 1 ACTIVITY 2
1. SOO Answer may vary
2. SOO
3. SOO
4. SOO
5. SOF
6. SOO
7. SOO
8. SOF ACTIVITY 3
9. SOO Possible answers
10. SOF
I’m in an amusement park ride
11. SOO
I’m in a horror house
12. SOO
I’m at a basketball game
13. SOO
The guitar is important to him
14. SOF
Anna’s father is upset
15. SOF
They are good friends
16. SOO
Grandma is surprised
17. SOO
18. SOF
19. SOO
20. SOO

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