Lecture Notes Part I

Developmental Reading –2015

Ali G. Anudin
Faculty
Faculty of Arts and Languages
Philippine Normal University
Exercises on the Basic
Methods of Paragraph
Development
Inductive Method – Topic
sentence is found at the bottom
of the paragraph.
 The typical Filipino is short, brown, flat-
nosed. He cannot live without his rice but
he isn’t allergic to bread, arroz a la
valenciana, pancit, and spaghetti. He
educates his youth in foreign languages;
furnishes his home with G.E., Hoover, RCA;
apes the latest fashion from New York and
Paris; argues in world for a in almost
flawless English. His Zalameda is almost a
Parisiene by now, and his Villa has found his
home in America. Indeed, the Filipino
maybe Oriental in looks but Occidental in
more ways than one.
Deductive-Inductive method –
the topic sentence is found at
the beginning of the paragraph
and repeated/reiterated at the
bottom of the paragraph.
 Flowers occupy a very important role in man’s
life. he beautifies his home with the loveliest
daisies, welcomes a visitor with the sweetest leis,
conveys his congratulations with sprays of orchids.
he gladdens his sick friends with the daintiest
carnations, offers his prayers with the purest lilies,
says “remember me” with the most fragile pansies.
when man is dumb with emotions, flowers speak
out what his lips cannot. poets find inspiration in
dancing daffodils; painters capture the beauty of a
woodland orchid with their brushes; composers
immortalize the roses, gardenias, and sampaguitas
in their songs. The story of love is in every petal of a
forget-me-not, and the fairness of a maiden is in
every violet almost hidden from the eye. Indeed,
man is born and welcomed in to this world with
bouquets of flowers; to commemorate his birthday
with the fragrant nosegay, says “I love you” with a
red, red rose, marries with orange blossoms
scenting the air, and finally dies with the wreath of
flowers in his grave!
Deductive method – the topic
sentence is found at the
beginning of the paragraph.
 There are many kinds of movie “pests”.
There are the story tellers who have developed
the habit of seeing the movie in two sittings so
that they can inform the latecomers what
happens next. There are the nutcrackers who
have to munch something- peanuts, walnuts,
popcorn, or anything else that can spoil one’s
fun. There are the mimics who are Tarzans one
minute, Madonnas the next, and the Incredible
Hulks later. There are the mother hens who are
accompanied by a squadron of “retazos” or
“chikitings” whose noise can drive one crazy.
And lastly, there are the wandering Jews who
can’t make up their minds where to sit and
can’t stay put in one place!
Inductive-Deductive Method –
the topic sentence is found in
the middle of the paragraph.
 The growing army of the homeless continue to
clutter Philippine cities in spite of demolitions of
shanties and repeated warnings from the government.
And these squatters fight tooth and nail in order to
survive. As with Egypt’s fellahins and Calcutta’s bustees,
the same fight is being waged against hunger, disease
and ignorance every single day of the year. Indeed in the
slums of the 3rd world as in the Ghettos in the United
States of America and France, a daily battle for the
pitifully simple but basic necessities of life goes on. In
Mexico’s El Troche, for example, life dehumanizes its
unfortunate peasant migrants called paracaidistas
(paratroopers). El Troche’s inhabitant crowd into dingy,
single-room, windowless shacks called jacales for the
night, use undergrowths of trees for toilets, and their
front doorsteps for garbage, where pigs wait to gobble
them up. Even affluent France has her share of
homelessness and poverty – the poorest of her poor
sleeping under cardboard sheeting, or hips of rags,
alleyways, empty warehouses and construction sites.
Hinted or Implied method – No
explicit topic sentence.
 I sank into the first chair at the entrance hall
proffered to me by an unsmiling guard. I waited as
he checked his list of expected visitors, after which
he pressed a button in front of his desk and a voice
came through. They talked in whispers. I was asked
to present my I.D., and the guard looked me over,
looked at my I.D. and he smiled this time. He
motioned me to enter but not until I surrendered my
I.D. to him, and in return he gave me a Visitor’s I.I.
to wear instead. The same ritual took place at the
entrance to the building itself; but this time another
guard asked me to open my bag for inspection. I was
asked to walk through an X-ray type of gadget; and
since no sound came through, I was finally given the
nod to enter. “So this is Malacanang Social Hall”, I
muttered to myself, as I joined the others already
seated in immaculate white covered chairs.
Skimming – selective
reading of material

• Preview if the material contains the

information needed
• Overview – the purpose & scope of
the material
• Survey – the general idea contained
in the material
Scanning – a quick search for a
specific information

• Keep in mind only the specific information to be

located
• Decide which clues will help to find the required
information
• Move eyes as quickly as possible down the page to
find the clue
• Read the section containing the clues to get the
needed information
Skimming and scanning are especially valuable
when there is only one item of information that you need
to find from a particular passage.

• Skimming and scanning are very rapid

reading methods in which you glance at a
passage to find specific information.
These reading methods make it easier for
you to grasp large amounts of material,
especially when you're previewing. They
are also useful when you don't need to
know every word.
Skimming refers to the process of reading only main
ideas within a passage to get an overall impression of
the content of a reading selection. An example of this is
when we read the title of a newspaper to know what
happens everyday.

How to skim:
1.Read the title.
2.Read the introduction or the first paragraph.
3.Read the first sentence of every other
paragraph.
4.Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs. *
Notice any italicized or boldface words or
phrases.
5.Read the summary or last paragraph.
Scanning is a reading technique to be used when you want to find
specific information quickly. In scanning you have a question in
your mind and you read a passage only to find the answer, ignoring
unrelated information.

How to scan:

State the specific information you are looking for.

Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and
what clues you might use to help you locate the
answer. For example, if you were looking for a
certain date, you would quickly read the paragraph
looking only for numbers.
Use headings and any other aids that will help you
identify which sections might contain the
information you are looking for.
Selectively read and skip through sections of the
passage.
1. What is meant by GINGERLY in this
paragraph: She was deep in the road
before she became conscious of her
shoes. In horror, she saw that they
were coated with thick, black clay.
Gingerly she pulled off one shoe after
the other with the hand still clutching
the letter?
A. disgusted C. hurried
B. careful D. determined
2. What is meant by the idiom TO GET
BLOOD OUT OF STONE in this excerpt:
Gerald has owed me fifty thousand pesos
for over a year now. I’ve asked him for it
on several occasions but it’s like tying to
get blood out of stone?
A. impossible to happen
B. not to give up trying
C. to give willingly what is asked for
D. to plan revenge
3. Which of the following lines is a
simile?
A. Life has loveliness to sell.
B. Holding wonder like a cup.
C. Eyes that love you, arms that
hold.
D. Buy it and never count the cost.
CONTEXT CLUES. words, phrases, sentences
surrounding an unfamiliar word may give clue to its
meaning.

1. Synonym or Antonym: clues that indicate an

unfamiliar wordis similar or opposite in meaning to
an unfamiliar word or phrase

Many memoirs describe the feeling of camaraderie

between people, the friendship they felt when they
shared what little they had with others.

During the drought, many farmers abandoned their

unproductive fields in search of arable farmland.
SYNONYMS
• His guilt and regret shows that his
remorse was real.
• The mountain pass was a tortuous road,
winding and twisting around the trees of
the mountainside.

ANTONYMS
• Abigaile’s remarks are generally not
cryptic, but straightforward.
• The twins Abby and Joshua are really
different. Abby is lively and talkative
while Joshua is reserved and taciturn.
2. Cause and Effect: clues that indicate an
unfamiliar word is the cause of and or the result
of an action, feeling, or idea

Constant drought and windstorm conditions

caused the erosion of fertile topsoil that crops
needed to grow.
3. Comparison and Contrast: an unknown word
may be compared or contrasted with a more
familiar word or concept

Impromptu camps of squatters would spring up

like mushrooms in vacant lots of city subdivisions.

Unlike the displaced migrants and others who

were suddenly unemployed, the affluent were not
much affected by the socioeconomic depression.
4. Definitions and Restatements: words that define
the term or reinstate in other words

Definition is considered the simplest and most

obvious way by which the meaning of a word is
revealed. The be verb is used to equate the term to
be defined to the familiar word in the sentence.

Entire families often became transient, moving from

place to place in order to find work.
Match the underlined idioms with their meanings
A) more than one can afford
B) a sunny day
C) suddenly
D) very happy
E) very ambitious

On Monday, out of the clear blue sky, the

local travel agent called up Elsa to tell her that
she had won two tickets to the International
Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico. She had always
wanted to go with her husband Randy but they
thought that such a trip was beyond their reach.
She was walking in air when she told Randy the
good news.
 E) talking nonsense I) rapidly
F) temperamental J) daydream
G) disappear without K) unaware
leaving a trace
L) slowly
H) very happy
M) aspire for something
•
At first, Randy thought that Elsa was
joking and full of hot air. But when he realized
that she was not building castles in the air, his
annoyance vanished into thin air. As soon as
Randy came home from work, the couple talked
eagerly about the trip. Soon their plans grew by
leaps and bounds . Elsa’s head was in the
clouds all the time because she was looking
forward to her first balloon ride. She was in cloud
nine thinking how good it is to reach for the sky.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
Simile - comparison of two unlike ideas or
objects, using the
word like or as
Lips like rosebuds and kisses like wine

Metaphor - a comparison of two dissimilar

things
She is an angel in disguise.
Personification - the representation of an
object or idea as human
The jovial moon smiling benignly down at
us

Apostrophe - an old-fashioned direct

address to an absent or dead person or
thing
Oh freedom! Hear our cry!
Oxymoron- a phrase linking incongruous or
contradictory terms
A wise fool

Paradox - an apparently absurd or self-

contradictory statement that may
nevertheless be true or wise
Her gentleness was too hurtful to bear.
Hyperbole - exaggeration or overstatement
for emphasis
I could eat a horse.
Irony - use of word/s to convey something
markedly different from the literal meaning; a
common component of sarcasm, though not
necessarily so cutting

It’s a secret so only half of London knows

about it.
Metonymy - use of concrete term to refer to
some wider idea that it characterizes
The crown for monarchy

Synecdoche - use of the name of a part to

refer to the whole, or vice versa, such as
• forty sail to refer to forty ships
Allusion - refers to a literary, biblical,
historical, mythological, scientific
event, character, or place

• Beware of the kiss of Judas! ;

Beware of Greeks, bearing gifts
RHETORICAL DEVICES
Onomatopoeia- use of words whose sound
suggests their meaning
Sizzle, splash, crack, buzz, zap

Alliteration - use of words with same initial

consonant sound
The furrow followed free
Assonance – uses repetition of vowels
without repetition of consonants, also
called a vowel rhyme
• alone, alone, all, all, alone

Consonance – repeats the final

consonant sounds, also called a slant
rhyme
• dreary and weary odds and ends
Anaphora – repeats a word or
words at the beginning of two or
more successive clauses or
verses

• Cannons to the right of

them/Cannons to the left of them!
Euphemism: indirect, agreeable terms used in
place of more direct, less appealing ones

Euphemism More direct form

memorial garden cemetery
socially maladjusted rude
Faux imitation
misrepresentation lie
casualties dead
• Let’s try these:

1. The president took the floor for his

acceptance speech. metonymy
2. Your smile is as sweet as honey. simile
3. The sanitary officer collects our
trash every Friday. euphemism
4. Blue, blue, my world is blue alliteration
Identify the figure of speech used in the following:

1. The train click-clucked, and click-

clucked, click-clucked monotonously
over the rail joints. Onomatopoeia

2. I have been to all places looking for

you. Hyperbole

3. Your senseless chats are tinkling

cymbals to my ears. Metonymy
4. The wind whispered its secret to the
bamboos. Personification
5. Congratulations! You lost the ball
game again. Irony
6. I hate love for all the pains it cause
me. Oxymoron

7. We live in one roof. Synecdoche

8. Beware of Judas in your group.

Allusion
9. O sweet woods, the delight of
solitariness! Apostrophe

10. Fair is foul and foul is fair.

Alliteration
Context clue: Ask, “What was the girl doing into a walled-off
world?”

1. In the excerpt below, the word retreating means

a. recognizing.
b. withdrawing.
c. playing.
d. pushing others.

“Our little girl was retreating into a walled-off world until we found
the key to unlock her love.”
Context clues: “flat and expressionless” and “looked like an
unpainted [i.e., without features] wooden doll.”

2. In the excerpt below, the word animation means

a. limits.
b. liveliness.
c. cleanliness.
d. silence.

“Her eyes became flat.” and expressionless, her face lost all
animation. … she looked like an unpainted wooden doll.”
Context clues: “desperately needs.”

3. In the excerpt below, the word craves means

a. greatly needs.
b. provides a lot of.
c. does not recognize
d. ignores.

“She’s so … alone. She craves attention and she desperately

needs more of it from you.”
Context clues: Ask, “What did the author wish to do with the
children’s help?”

4. In the excerpt below, the word enlist means

a. avoid.
b. imitate.
c. forget.
d. get.

“Knowing that siblings in a large family are intensely

competitive, I decided it would be best to enlist their help.
I called the older children together and repeated what
Mrs. Voorhees had told me.”
Context clues: Ask, “What took the author a long time to do?”

5. In the excerpt below, the word acknowledge means

a. deny.
b. remember.
c. forget.
d. admit.

“It took me a long time to acknowledge that Debbie – that WE

– needed help.”
Context clues: Ask, “How must the future looked then?”

6. In the excerpt below, the word bleak means

a. bright.
b. far away.
c. gloomy.
d. helpful.

“… no money, no job training and two kids in college. The

future looked bleak.”
Context clues: Ask, “What would the kids have done to get college
money?”

7. In the excerpt below, the word appealing means

a. paying.
b. saying no.
c. hiding their need.
d. making a request.

“The kids found college money by working and by

appealing to their father.”
Example context clues for woes: “situation with my water heater,”
“termites discovered in my basement,” “canceled appointment to have
my furnace cleaned.”
8. In the excerpt below, the word woes means
a. happy events.
b. inexpensive details.
c. reasons.
d. troubles.

“… I am worrying about the situation with my water

heater. … In addition, I am anxious to schedule my
exterminator’s visit to treat the termites discovered in
my basement. My preoccupation with such household
woes is due to a canceled appointment to have my
furnace cleaned. …”
The MAIN IDEA is the chief point an
author is making about the topic. It
sums up the author’s primary message.
It is also called the central idea or thesis.
It is usually found in the beginning of
the paragraph.
Cost-cutting measures have to be practiced if a
company or even the country as a whole has to
survive. Cost-cutting takes different forms. A
plain housewife can best cost-cut on expenses by
recycling leftover food, turning off electricity and
water faucets when not in use. Going to
supermarket only once instead of water trips.
These practices also help prevent panic buying
which results in shortage of food supplies. Indeed
the hardship that is felt nowadays can be reduced
by observing some cost-cutting measures.
INFERENCING is to interpret unstated
meaning; the author provides clues so
that the reader can put together facts and
details in a logical order and draws
conclusions.
Unstated Main Ideas
1. The Roman emperor Nero was probably behind some of the
earliest frozen desserts. He had snow brought to him from
nearby mountains to cool his wine cellar. Historians believe
that the snow was also mixed with fruit juices and honey. It
wasn’t until the 1200s, however, that the first frozen dessert
made with milk reached Europe. It was introduced by Marco
Polo, who brought the recipe from the Orient.

The unstated main idea is:

a. Some of the earliest known frozen desserts were made for
Nero.
b. The history of frozen desserts was influenced by Nero and
Marco Polo.
c. A frozen dessert in ancient Rome consisted of snow, fruit,
juices, and honey.
d. There are many delicious and healthful frozen desserts.

Items a and c are too narrow; item d is too broad.

2. Personality plays a big role in who is chosen to be a TV game-show
contestant. Producers of The Price Is Right, for instance, like
contestants who almost jump onto the stage. Of course, contestants
must also be good game players. Appeal and energy are not enough if
a person does not have skill at the game. The way game show
producers find out just how good candidates are is through tryouts.
Would-be contestants should, then, live in the Los Angeles area.
Except for a few shows that sponsor auditions around the country,
most tryouts take place in Los Angeles.

The unstated main idea is:

a. Producers of The Price Is Right like very energetic contestants.
b. Game-show contestants must have the right type of personality.
c. There are several factors involved in selecting TV game-show
contestants.
d. Producing television shows is a very complicated process.

Items a and b are too narrow; item d is too broad.

3. According to psychiatrist Richard Moscotti, the ability to work
well is one key to a balanced life. He feels that both
underworking and overworking are to be avoided. A second key
is the ability to love, which requires a certain amount of
openness. The ability to be loved is the third key to a balanced
life. This is difficult for those who feel unworthy of love. The last
key, according to Moscotti, is the ability to play, which involves
knowing how to relax.

The unstated main idea is:

a. The first key to a balanced life, according to Moscotti, is the
ability to work well.
b. According to Moscotti, some people have trouble receiving
love.
c. Psychiatrists have specific ideas on what makes up a
balanced life.
d. According to Richard Moscotti, there are four keys to a
balanced life.

The paragraph lists Moscotti’s four keys to a balanced life.

4. Trina was having trouble in her American government class.
Although she read her textbook carefully, she never got better
than a C on an exam. She went to the study skills center to get
help and discovered from her tutor that she was not taking good
lecture notes in class. Because she listened rather than took
notes, she did not get down a written record of what ideas her
teacher considered most important for her to learn. The tutor
made Trina realize that there was no way she could possibly
remember everything the teacher said in class. As a result, it was
very important for her to start taking plenty of notes in class and
to rely heavily on those notes when preparing for a test. Trina
followed his advice and began spending as much time studying
her class notes as she did taking notes on her textbook. The
result was that she began getting better grades. Incorrect.

The unstated main idea is: Too narrow.

a. Textbook notes are more important than class notes in doing well in a course.
b. A good summary
Trina worked hard in her American government class, but she was not successful.
c. Thanks to a tutor, Trina improved her grades by taking detailed notes in class.
of the paragraph.
d. All too often, students neglect to benefit from the helpful services at their school’s
study skills center. Too broad.
(The paragraph is about only one student).
Cost-cutting measures have to be practiced if a
company or even the country as a whole has to
survive. Cost-cutting takes different forms. A
plain housewife can best cost-cut on expenses by
recycling leftover food, turning off electricity and
water faucets when not in use. Going to
supermarket only once instead of water trips.
These practices also help prevent panic buying
which results in shortage of food supplies. Indeed
the hardship that is felt nowadays can be reduced
by observing some cost-cutting measures.

TIMES ARE HARD SO IT IS IMPORTANT

FOR PEOPLE TO SAVE.
PREDICTION is made on the basis of
prior knowledge. It answers questions
such as: What do you think will happen?
and Why do you think so?
Cost-cutting measures have to be practiced if a
company or even the country as a whole has to
survive. Cost-cutting takes different forms. A
plain housewife can best cost-cut on expenses by
recycling leftover food, turning off electricity and
water faucets when not in use. Going to
supermarket only once instead of water trips.
These practices also help prevent panic buying
which results in shortage of food supplies. Indeed
the hardship that is felt nowadays can be reduced
by observing some cost-cutting measures.
IF WE DON’T OBSERVE COST-CUTTING
MEASURES, WE MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY
LIVING UP WITH THE TIMES.
My favorite sport is basketball which I
play and also watch on TV. I also like
softball better than volleyball, but I prefer
tennis as a summer sport over softball
and volleyball.
Which is correct about the paragraph?
A. I like softball least.
B. Tennis is my second favorite sport.
C. I like volleyball better than tennis.
D. I like tennis as much as I like
basketball.