LICEO DE LOS BAÑOS

M. Palis St. Timugan, Los Baños, Laguna

S.Y. 2020-2021

Senior High School

Grade 12 (GAS/ABM)

MODULE 2

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC

AND PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES
Quarter 1-Week 2
(Sept. 7- Sept. 11)
Prepared by: Ms. Danielle Salazar

NAME: ________________________________________
SECTION & GRADE: ___________________________
CONTACT NO.: ________________________________
ADDRESS: ____________________________________

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 Opening Prayer
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit+
Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for all the ways in which you provide for us all
despite of this pandemic. Thank you for always protecting us with the power of your Holy Spirit.
As I read this module provided by our beloved school, may you bless us with wisdom and guide us
through our learning and understanding towards the lesson. Inspire us with your Holy Spirit as we
read and write. Help us to focus our hearts and minds now on what we are about to learn. We ask
this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You, one God, forever and
ever. Amen.
LESSON 2: STATING THE MAIN IDEA OF A TEXT
Filipinos are generally good at reading details but not at seeing the whole picture or
structure. Although knowing and remembering the details of a text is an advantage, it is much better
to be able to place those details in their proper context and perspective. That makes for a fuller,
more meaningful comprehension of a text.
The context of information is set by the material’s main idea: why such information is
selected and why it is presented in a certain way is determined by the main point or idea that the
writer wishes to convey. The main idea is at the heart of a text, its driving force, its reason for
being. So, it’s important to be able to identify and express the main idea of a text, whether printed
or audio-visual.
Content Standard: The learners demonstrate the understanding of appropriate reading strategies
for a better understanding of academic texts.
Performance Standard: The learners should be able to produce a detailed abstract of information
gathered from the various academic texts read.
Most Essential Learning Competencies: Uses various techniques in summarizing a variety of
academic texts States the thesis statement of an academic text.
Objectives:
After reading and doing the exercises, you are expected to:
1. Identify the topic and main idea of texts, if expressed;
2. Express the main idea in your own words if it is implicit in the text; and
3. Assist others in understanding a learning material
THE MAIN IDEA OR THESIS
The main idea is the thesis or main point of an informational text. It can be expressed
anywhere in a material or paragraph, either at the beginning or middle, or at the end. If stated at the
beginning, then you can expect the sentences that follow to support or develop the main idea. This
is what you called deductive order. If the thesis or main idea is expressed at the end, then the earlier

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 statements are details/specifics that build up on the main point or general statement. This text
follows the inductive order.

What if the main idea or thesis is not expressed or is implicit in the text? How do you
determine the main idea? Obviously, you first have to know the topic of a text. Consider the words
that are repeated throughout the material that refer to the same subject – most probably that is the
topic of the material. Writers refer to the topic by actually repeating the key term, using synonyms
or other names for it, or using pronouns. For example, for the topic Manny Pacquiao, his name may
be mentioned several times, or the material may use his other names like “Pambansang Kamao” or
“Eight-division Champion”, “Cong Pacquaio”,” Pacman”, or “he”.

Next, try to express what is being said about this key word, preferably one sentence per idea.
Then group the sentences whose ideas are closely related and try to express each group’s ideas in
just one sentence. Finally, combine the ideas and try to come up with one sentence to summarize
them all. This is the text’s main idea/thesis. Another clue may be the title. For example, a title such
as “War Over Jihad” suggests a debate or conflict on the term ‘jihad’ because it’s war OVER jihad.
So, the writer is most probably going to express his side on that debate.

Determining or inferring the main idea or thesis does not only apply to informational texts
(although they constitute the bulk of learning materials in school) but also to audio-visual materials
such as films and advertisements. However, in dealing with audio-visual materials, in addition to
language you have to consider visual details such as color, shape, facial expression, gesture, and
position, and aural details such as tone, pitch and volume.

Let’s see how well you analyze this paragraph to arrive at a statement of main idea. The sentences
are numbered for easy reference.

1. The concept of habitat is very important. 2. In the appropriate physical, chemical, and biotic habitat,
the survival and development of species is almost assured. It is for this reason that organisms do
not just exist or grow anywhere. 4. For example, snakes and lizards cannot exist in Alaska because
summer there is not warm or long enough for them to breed. 5. Similarly, fish require oxygenated
water, so they cannot thrive in bodies of water that are heavily polluted by organic wastes, because
microorganisms consume the oxygen which the fish need.

Here are some guide questions to help you:

1. What is the topic of the paragraph? What terms refer to it?

2. What is the comment about this topic? (This is the main idea). Can you identify a sentence
where this comment can be found? (If you can point to it, then that means the main idea is
stated.)
3. Which between Sentence 1 and Sentence 2 expresses more precisely the point of the
paragraph?

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 4. Why does the paragraph mention snake, lizards and fish?

Clearly an analysis of the component idea of a paragraph will go a long way in determining a text’s
main idea or thesis.

Run-through

 The topic is different from a main idea or thesis. The main idea or thesis of a paragraph is its
comment on the topic.
 The thesis or main idea may or may not be stated. If it is not stated, it has to be inferred from
all the details – verbal and nonverbal – given in the text.
 The main idea is usually a general statement which is elucidated in the material through
rhetorical devices such as examples and analysis.

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 LICEO DE LOS BAÑOS
M. Palis St. Timugan, Los Baños, Laguna
S.Y. 2020-2021

Senior High School

Grade 12 (GAS/ABM)

MODULE 3

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC

AND PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES
Quarter 1-Week 3
(Sept. 14- Sept. 17)
Prepared by: Ms. Danielle Salazar

NAME: ________________________________________
SECTION & GRADE: ___________________________
CONTACT NO.: ________________________________
ADDRESS: ____________________________________

5
 Opening Prayer
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit+
Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for all the ways in which you provide for us all
despite of this pandemic. Thank you for always protecting us with the power of your Holy Spirit.
As I read this module provided by our beloved school, may you bless us with wisdom and guide us
through our learning and understanding towards the lesson. Inspire us with your Holy Spirit as we
read and write. Help us to focus our hearts and minds now on what we are about to learn. We ask
this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You, one God, forever and
ever. Amen.
LESSON 3: SUMMARIZING AND PARAPHRASING
Summarizing and paraphrasing are essential to academic success. Do you know why?
Because of these skills show your ability to distinguish what is important and what is less
important, and to get to the heart of the mater. When someone asks you what a movie is about, you
don’t answer by narrating scenes. In school, a summary and a paraphrase are excellent indicators of
your comprehension of the reading material, which is why teachers usually as their students to
summarize and paraphrase.
Content Standard: The learners demonstrate the understanding of appropriate reading strategies
for a better understanding of academic texts.
Performance Standard: The learners should be able to produce a detailed abstract of information
gathered from the various academic texts read.
Most Essential Learning Competencies: Uses various techniques in summarizing a variety of
academic texts States the thesis statement of an academic text.
Objectives:
1. Explain the function of paragraphs in a longer text in order to write coherent summarizes;
2. Summarize and paraphrase paragraphs; and
3. Appreciate the value of intellectual honesty.
WRITING A GOOD SUMMARY
A summary is a short or abbreviated version of a longer text. To be able to shorten
something (to about a quarter of its original length) and still be faithful to its content, you should
express only the text's essential points. This means that you can skip the specifics and just present
the central idea and main supporting details. So, do you include examples in your summary, if there
are any cited in the text? Of course not; what you mention is the point of the examples, and not the
examples themselves.
And because you are cutting short the original, you should not add ideas-your own or
someone else's-to it. Equally important, you should try your best to express these ideas in your own
words. Refrain from copying unless the original wording is so precise and beautiful that it will lose
these virtues if you used your own words.

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 If you must copy a phrase, be sure to enclose it in quotation marks because it's not yours,
otherwise you commit plagiarism. This means that you do not have to look for synonyms for all the
important terms in the text; you may use the writer's key words. Technical and scientific terms, such
as ecology, genetics, and biodiversity, should not be changed. However, copying a unique phrase
from the original requires the use of quotation marks, after all it's the author's phrasing, not yours.
This is intellectual honesty.
The critical part of a summary is the first sentence. In it, you have to mention the source
material (lest the reader is misled into thinking that he or she is reading your own work) and the
main idea of the text. In other words, right from the beginning of the summary, you should make it
clear that what you are about to present is not your idea. The statement of the main idea of the entire
material in the first sentence also implies that you should have good reading comprehension. What
this suggests is a careful reading and rereading of the text before you can do a decent summary of it.
Lesson 2 explains how you arrive at the main idea, especially if it's not stated. Review it if you
must. Preparing a graphic organizer of the material (please review Lesson 1) is also particularly
helpful.
Granting that you have done the two requirements in the first sentence, then your succeeding
sentences should mention the major supporting details that the text uses to develop the thesis. Thus,
your summary follows a deductive order. For example:
According to Farish Noor in his article “War Over Jihad,” Muslims can take steps in order
to correct the misconception surrounding jihad. This misconception, the fault of Muslims and non-
Muslims alike and spread by media, can be corrected if Muslims opened the teaching of Islam to
non-traditional teachers like the media and the universities, and if Islam included economic and
knowledge development in its discourse. This will bring Muslims " within the mainstream of global
developments” (Asiaweek, Oct. 12, 2001, p.26)
A variant of the above summary opening is:
In the article __________________________________________________ (title of article),
___________________________________ (author) says/asserts that…
Let us work on a longer material now. Please read paragraphs 2-8 of " Why Genes aren't
Destiny" by John Cloud ” (Time, Jan. 19,2010 or https://biology.mit.edu/sites/default/files/ time- %
20why % 20genes % 20aren't % 20destiny.pdf. Accessed Dec. 13, 2015)

If you noticed, paragraphs 2 and 3 are about the interesting episodes of two extremes among
the residents of Norrbotten, Sweden: the extreme experience of starvation and later its opposite,
gluttony. This is followed by a discussion of interesting results from the study of the extreme
experiences in Sweden-interesting because they contradict established" truths " in science about
gene changes (paragraphs 4-7).

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 The transitional devices for instance, ' and' for example ' warn you that the examples are
meant to be evidence of this unexpected finding. Then paragraph 8 proposes a tentative explanation
for this finding.

Now, what's the main point of the paragraphs? Isn't it that lifestyle affects the action of
epigenetic marks, which effects could be passed on to the next generations? Hence, a short
paragraph like this can be an acceptable summary of paragraphs 2-8.

According to Cloud, lifestyle affects the action of epigenetic marks on genes, causing them
to either activate or deactivate certain genes. Thus, an unhealthy lifestyle can trigger the activation
of bad genes and the silencing of good ones, resulting in sickness or even early death. Furthermore,
epigenetics research has shown that the descendants of those who live unhealthy lifestyles are
prone to the same problems.

SUMMARIZING A LONGER TEXT

To help you summarize a longer material, it is important to know the function of each
paragraph in it. This will help you see the flow and interrelationship of ideas in the text. For
example, the material begins with a definition and the next paragraph presents examples. So, ask
yourself how the second paragraph is related to the first, what its purpose is. Logic should tell you
that the examples probably illustrate the definition. If the third paragraph still presents examples,
then consider paragraphs 2 and 3 to serve the same function: to illustrate the definition.

The other possible purposes or functions of paragraphs are to explain, to compare and
contrast, to concede a point, to debate or question a point, to re-state, to provide proof or evidence,
to transition to another point, to assert a position, to introduce an idea, and to conclude. The number
of paragraphs that the writer devotes to a certain function indicates the importance of the idea in the
material. This should suggest probable inclusion of the idea in your summary. If several paragraphs
serve the same function, one sentence can summarize
this part of the article. All in all, you will probably come up with several sentences. Now to write a
good summary, connect these sentences by using appropriate linkers (similarly and on the contrary),
conjunctions, and transitional devices (moving on to the next point, and still another factor is).
Let's have some practice. Go back to the article on texting found on page 22 of Unit I. This
excerpt from a book contains six paragraphs. Analyze the function of each paragraph in order to see
the idea development in the material.

WRITING AN EFFECTIVE PARAPHRASE

If a summary is written to present the essential ideas of an article, a paraphrase is a
restatement and a restructuring of ideas for the purpose of clarifying the meaning of a text.
Restatement means that you rephrase the original using your own words. However, you don't just

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change some words in the material; you also need to change the flow of ideas in the effort to make
the original meaning clearer.
As in writing a summary, you need to identify the source material that you're paraphrasing
and you have to use quotation marks when you copy from the original. That way you can't be
accused of plagiarism.
Let us see if you can identify which is an acceptable paraphrase of this excerpt from a
speech by Dr. Victor Ordonez:
Research tells us that a child's aptitude for linguistic skills comes at a much earlier age than
his or her aptitude for computational skills. But in classrooms, an equal amount of time, at every
grade, is given to both. An experiment in Michigan had 50 schools that did not teach arithmetic at
all in the first four grades, to give more time to language and other subjects, but only in Grades 5-
7. At the end of that period, they took the standard arithmetic tests that all the other schools were
taking, and fared equally well. Did the other schools waste 40 minutes a day teaching arithmetic
for the first four years?
-Victor Ordonez, Speech on the occasion of being conferred
an
honorary doctoral degree by De La Salle University (January 26,
2009)
Version 1
Dr. Victor Ordonez, in his speech delivered on January 26, 2009, mentioned an experiment
involving 50 schools in Michigan where arithmetic was taken by students starting only from Grade
5. After Grade 7, these students took the standard test in arithmetic. The test results showed that
they performed as well as those who had been taking arithmetic since Grade 1, confirming research
that had earlier established that children's “aptitude for computational skills" develops much later
than their " aptitude for linguistic skills." One wonders then if those who had been taking arithmetic
since Grade 1 wasted 40 minutes daily for four years.
Version 2
Children's aptitude for computational skills is developed much later than their aptitude for
linguistic skills. Yet in school an equal amount of time is given to the two skills at every level. In an
experiment in Michigan involving 50 schools, arithmetic was offered only in Grades 5-7. When the
students took the standard arithmetic tests, they fared equally well as the other students who had
been taking arithmetic since Grade 1. So, the question is asked if the other students wasted 40
minutes a day during the first four years.
If your answer is Version 1, then you're correct. Version 1 is acceptable because of the
following reasons:
1. It mentions the source of the passage.
2. It restructures and restates the original passage.
3. It uses different words and where words from the original are copied, quotation marks are used.

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 Version 2, on the other hand, is not acceptable because: 1) It does not mention the source of
the passage; 2) Although it changes some words of the original, it does not restructure the
paragraph; and 3) It copies some phrases like " aptitude for computational skills" and " aptitude for
linguistic skills” but doesn't enclose them in quotation marks.

Run-through

Summarizing and paraphrasing are basic reading and writing skills that are essential to academic
success. Summarizing or condensing a longer article develops your ability to distinguish the
essential from the not-so-essential that can be excluded from a summary. On the other hand,
paraphrasing hones your skill of accurate reexpression of a passage. Both require the use of your
own words and impart the value of academic honesty.

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 LICEO DE LOS BAÑOS
M. Palis St. Timugan, Los Baños, Laguna
S.Y. 2020-2021

Senior High School

Grade 12 (GAS/ABM)

MODULE 4

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC

AND PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES
Quarter 1-Week 4
(Sept. 21- Sept. 25)
Prepared by Ms. Danielle Salazar

NAME: ________________________________________

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SECTION & GRADE: ___________________________
CONTACT NO.: ________________________________
ADDRESS:_______________________________
Opening Prayer
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit+
Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for all the ways in which you provide for us all
despite of this pandemic. Thank you for always protecting us with the power of your Holy Spirit.
As I read this module provided by our beloved school, may you bless us with wisdom and guide us
through our learning and understanding towards the lesson. Inspire us with your Holy Spirit as we
read and write. Help us to focus our hearts and minds now on what we are about to learn. We ask
this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You, one God, forever and
ever. Amen.

UNIT 2
WRITING CRITIQUES AND REACTION PAPERS
Have you done any of these things lately?

- Clicked the “like” button on Facebook

- Posted a comment on a news story on the internet or on your social media account.
- Argue with a friend over the good or bad points of a film both of you watched.
- Pointed out the flaws in a couch’s strategy while watching basketball.

These are all expression of one’s feelings about or judgment of something and they are things
that we do all the time. In academics writing, these activities can be done in the form of a reaction
papers and critiques- various types of critical writing activities. These comprise some of the
common writing requirements in high schools and universities.

In this unit, you will learn how to write good reaction papers and critiques.

LESSON 1: CRITICAL THINKING, READING AND WRITING

Before writing critiques and reaction papers, it is important to first know the kind of
thinking that produces these forms of writing: critical thinking. As you’ll find out, critical thinking
is an important skill. It’s something that we apply not just in the writing of papers; it’s something
we need to use in different life situations.

Content Standard: The learners demonstrate the understanding of… the principles and uses of a
reaction paper/review/critique.

Performance Standard: The learners should be able to produce an objective assessment of an

event, a person, a place or a thing, critiques design objects or craft objects, furniture, fashion
designs based on a set criteria and critiques graphic

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Most Essential Learning Competencies: Uses appropriate critical writing in a critique such as
formalism, feminism, etc.

Objectives:

1. State the nature and purpose of critiques and reaction papers;

2. Articulate the value of critical thinking, reading, and writing; and
3. Analyze and give examples of personal experiences that required the use of critical
thinking.

FROM CRITICAL THINKING TO CRITICAL WRITING

Imagine this scenario: it’s presidential campaign season. In the few days, you, along with
many other registered voters, are going to elect a new president. Two candidates, Candidate A and
Candidate B, are vying for position. As a responsible voter, you’ve decided to do some reading
before you reach a decision. So, you take a look at two candidates campaign materials. Below are
the brochures of Candidate A and B.

Vote for Mr. X

He comes from a long line of public servant!

His mother was the former representative of the third District of province W; his father, a former
senator, Public service runs in his blood!

His heart is with the masses!

Candidate A’s grandparents were but poor fisher folks, but through sheer hard work and faith in
God, they were able to send their children to school.

Vote for Ms. Y!

Even before running for office, Ms. Y was already a trusted Public Servant!

She was president of the youth for tomorrow foundation, which has received international
recognition for its work in empowering the youth.

He promises for tomorrow:

Ms. Y will continue to work in empowering the youth through livelihood and educational
programs.

Now, who do you think is the better candidate? What makes you say so?

Critical thinking is evaluating thinking. To evaluate means to carefully weigh any idea, actions,
decision, or a piece of work (like a painting or a research paper) to consider its merits or demerits.
Thus, to criticize and to evaluate both mean to judge; judgments- contrary to popular belief- can
be both positive and negative.

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 In order for you to judge properly, you should know the standards or criteria to use. You
may not have been aware of it, but we exercise critical thinking all the time-even in the most
mundane activities like buying a new gadget, like your cell phone, probably have a set of
unwritten standards in your head even before you go to the store: the price have range, features,
size, and weight, etc. You carefully check each kind of phone that the store’s clerk shows you
before reaching your final, best choice: the one phone that best fits all your requirements.
A close “relative” of critical thinking is critical reading. To read critically means to apply
critical thinking skills upon the things that we read – which includes many types of materials since
much of what we need for daily activities we get through reading: from the mundane like the
cafeteria menu, to the critically life-saving, like the correct dosage for medicine.

Critical reading skill is important not just in your academics; it is usually a life-skill – one
that has great value especially in the Internet age, where the problem is no longer the lack of
information, but the overabundance of all sorts of information, from every source imaginable.
Thus, the important questions are: which information should I believe in? Should I just believe
everything I read?

Critical writing is a product of critical thinking and reading. It is our judgmental (of an
idea, action, decision, or piece of work) presented in a written form. In the academic world,
common forms of critical writing are reaction papers and critiques, such as a review of a
performance or a piece of work, whether technical or artistic. Critiques and reaction papers are
two forms of critical writing that are extensively used in academe.

 Critiques – are papers that assess or evaluate the merits of a piece of work. Critique
according to Swales and Feak (2012, p.228) is French for “critical assessment”, which can
mean a positive or negative judgment on the work, or a combination of both. Thus, a
critique judges an assigned subject objectively, using criteria. Common examples of
critiques are film and book reviews.
 Reaction papers – are papers that present a writer’s evaluation of the work, as well as his
or her experiences and feelings in relation to the work being evaluated. Thus, the reaction
paper is like the critique but is more subjective, as it allows the student to talk about how a
particular work affected him or her.

(If you want to see samples of these in advance, you can visit samples 1 and 2 under Lesson 3 of
this Unit.)

What are the purposes of these types of writing? It is often the case that teachers use
critiques as a way of judging a student’s critical thinking ability. In the case of reaction papers,
teachers sometimes use these to determine how students felt about the assigned subject for the
paper.

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 Aside from these academic purposes, however, critiques and reaction papers also have
practical purposes. For authors, inventors, artists, and other creators of a piece of work, people’s
evaluations can be a very helpful guide for improving their craft. For readers, on the other hand,
critiques and reaction papers also serve as guides, but in a different way: they help these people
make decisions.

The next lessons will give you more preparation for writing these types of papers.

Run-through

 Critical thinking involves the evaluation of an idea, action, or a piece of work in order to
judge its worth, advantages, and disadvantages.
 Closely related to critical thinking, critical reading involves applying critical thinking
skills on things we read.
 The product of our critical thinking and reading activities is usually expressed in written
form in the form of critical writing. Two common examples are critiques – such as book
and film reviews – and reaction papers.
 Both critiques and reaction papers are forms of writing that evaluate an assigned subject,
such as a piece of work (artistic or technical), an idea, or an action. However, reaction
papers tend to be more subjective than critiques. These papers serve certain academic and
practical purposes.

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