Lesson Reading & Thinking Strategies:

2.2 Language Use and Mechanics

 Language Use – refers to the appropriateness of word/vocabulary use.

An effective language is specific, concise, familiar, correct and appropriate.

It is important that you make good choices when it comes to language

use because how you use language affects the tone of the text and the
readers’ interpretation of it. Before writing, you have to think about and
consider your target audience.
Determine when it is appropriate to use formal language or when
informal language is acceptable.

Informal language is usually used in writing for oneself or in writing to family,

friends, and colleagues. On the other hand, formal language is used in writing
academic, business, and official texts.
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Examples:

 We asked the secretary to call the professor and get her permission for us to
continue our research.
 We requested that the secretary contact the professor and obtain her permission
for us to continue our research.
Explanation:
In the first sentence, the writer used casual words such as asked, call, and get
permission, which made the sentence informal. The second sentence used more
serious words such as requested instead of asked, contact instead of call, and obtain
permission instead of get permission. This sentence is formal and is appropriate to use
when talking or writing to a person of authority.
When you write, you should also make sure that the language you use is
**direct and simple rather than complicated so that readers would easily understand
the text.** If your readers are the youth, then you should use words that are familiar to
young people.

Example:
Why Sunglasses Are a Must-Have for Kids (An Excerpt)
(NewsUSA) Most parents know how damaging the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR)
can be to our skin, which is why they dutifully slather sunscreen on their kids during the
summer. But one thing that often gets overlooked is protecting their children’s eyes.
According to vision-care experts, kids receive three times more UV exposure than
adults annually, yet less than 30 percent of parents currently protect their children’s
eyes with sunglasses. The reason for concern is that children and adolescents are
particularly vulnerable to the sun’s rays because their ocular lenses are not mature
enough to filter UV light as effectively as adults, causing damage to the retina.
“Everyone buys into what happens to your skin when it comes to sun damage, but
many parents are really surprised to learn about the cumulative UV damage to the
eyes,” Dawn Hartman, an optometrist at Columbus Ophthalmology Associates in
Columbus, Ohio, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. But the right sunglasses
can help, as parents become more aware that protection from the sun is not just skin
deep.

Explanation:
The entire text uses simple words. This lets readers easily understand the
significance of letting kids wear sunglasses. There were a few technical scientific terms
that were necessary to mention in the text, such as ultraviolet radiation, ocular lenses,
and retina. However, the message of the text is still easy to grasp.

You should also be sensitive enough to use unbiased language so that you will
not offend any individual or any particular group of people. Unbiased language is
language that is free of racial bias, free of religious bias, and free of gender bias.
Examples:

 A teacher should make it a point to motivate her students.

 Teachers should make it a point to motivate their students
Explanation:
In the first sentence, the pronoun used is she, but teachers may also be male, so
the statement shows gender bias. The second sentence, on the other hand, makes use
of the gender-neutral pronoun their, making it unbiased.

Proper Language Use

Proper language use allows you to capture the message that you want to convey
to your readers. It is all about choosing the right words that accurately capture your
ideas.
However, writers sometimes encounter problems with the following:
 Misused Words
 Words with Unwanted Connotations
 Technical or Highfalutin Words

Misused Words
A writer might sometimes use a word incorrectly, and this occurs when the word
does not mean what he or she thinks it does. So, it is important to be certain of the
definition of a word before using it; this often happens with words that sound or look
alike.
Example:
There are many behaviors that past societies considered legal but are now deemed
amoral including slavery, sexism, and racism.
Explanation:
The writer confused the word “amoral” with “immoral.” The former means neither
moral nor immoral (without moral quality) while the latter means not moral. Sometimes,
it is easy to guess the correct meaning of a word just by looking at how it is spelled. The
prefix a- signals that something is without such as in “anarachy” (without a government)
or “atypical” (without typical features). On the other hand, the prefix im- simply means
not such as in “imperfect” (not perfect) or “impossible” (not possible).

Words with Unwanted Connotations

There are words that take on a meaning specific to a context. Some writers might
not be aware of these connotations, so they end up using language that is
unintentionally confusing, comical or even offensive to readers.
Example:
The coast guard salvaged Priscilla and her sister after their fishing boat was damaged
in the storm.
Explanation:
The word “salvage” means to save usually from the wreckage of a marine vessel.
However, the Philippine media and police often use the term to mean a violent killing,
which is opposite from its traditional English meaning. It comes from the Spanish word
“salvaje” that has a meaning similar to “savage.” Thus, if the writer produced this text for
a Filipino audience, the meaning that he or she intended would be lost. Using the word
“saved” or “rescued” would remedy the issue.

Technical or Highfalutin Words

Writers want to sound smart by using words that are very technical or have deep
meanings. Though some writing genres require the use of such words, writers should
still be careful about using them since they make readers work harder to understand
texts.
 Example:
There is an ongoing discourse about the antidisestablishment assemblage and the
administrative political body.
 Explanation:
The text is complicated because it is filled with words that are difficult to understand.
If the terms are important to use, then the writer could define what they mean.
Otherwise, the sentence could be rewritten simply this way: There is an ongoing
discussion between the opposition and the government. This sentence still “sounds
smart” but it is easier for most people to understand and it does not change the meaning
of the original sentence in any way.

REMEMBER

When you use words improperly, readers are left confused as to what you
are trying to say. So, always choose words according to their correct definition
and connotation. Also, keep your language simple enough to make your text
easier for readers to understand.

What is it?

Activity 13: Underline the informal words in the following sentences.

1. He’s gonna be angry.

2. I wanna learn how to ski.

3. Didja like the movie?

4. We hafta leave now.

5. I bought ya apples and grapes.

Mechanics - refers to a set of conventions on how to spell, abbreviate, punctuate and
capitalize. Mechanics are conventions that have to be considered in writing. Some of
these conventions are spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. It is important to
know and observe these conventions in writing to avoid confusion.

Spelling
When you write, always make sure that you are consistently using one standard
with regard to the spelling of your words. Remember that there are slight differences in
American English spelling and British English spelling.

Punctuation
Punctuation is the act of using a system of symbols such as the comma, period,
quotation marks, question marks, etc. that are used to give structure to and organize a
text. The use of punctuation guides the reader regarding how the text should be read.
Examples:

 I love to paint portraits I would paint one every day if I had the time
 I love to paint portraits. I would paint one every day if I had the time.
 This book is dedicated to my parents, Noel and Corazon.
 This book is dedicated to my parents, Noel, and Corazon.

Explanation:
The first example does not make use of proper punctuation marks, while the
second example presents two sentences that are correctly punctuated. In the third
example, the sentence denotes that the author’s parents are Noel and Corazon. In the
fourth example, the use of the serial comma denotes that the book is dedicated to four
persons: the author’s mom, the author’s dad, Noel, and Corazon. The simple act of
adding a comma completely changed the meaning of the statement.

Capitalization
Capitalization is the act of writing the first letter of a word in uppercase while the rest of
the letters are in lowercase. There are rules in capitalization that one has to remember.
Below are a few examples of words that require capitalization:
 proper nouns
Alex, Manila
 proper adjectives
Canadian
 days of the week
Sunday
 months of the year
January
 specific course titles
Theater 101
 kinship names used in place of personal names and are followed by personal
names
Grandma, Dad, Aunt Paz, Uncle Alvin
 adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns, and pronouns in a title and the first and last
word in a title
  Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (literature)
  historical periods, events, documents
 Great Depression, the Renaissance, the Constitution

What is it?

Activity 14: Put a () if the phrases or sentences are following the proper
mechanics. If the words or phrases are incorrect, rewrite them below the given
items to make it correct.

_____1. San miguel Corporation

_____2. Joe said, “he is my patient.”

_____3. do you believe me

_____4. Tom Cruise won the oscar award

_____5. Hon. Juan dela Cruz

_____6. girlie is one friend i know inside and out

_____7. i am from the philippines

_____8. Anna can pass for a movie star as a deadringer of anne Hathaway.

_____9. Being the only daughter, sylvia is the apple of the eye of her father.

_____10. please keep an eye on her while I am out.

What is it?

Activity 15: In not more than 10 sentences and not less than 5 sentences explain
what you like or don’t like about Senior High School. Your paragraph will be rated
based on the rubric below. You may write your paragraph on the space provided.

Criteria Performance Indicators Points Score

Complete and thoughtful explanation of ideas 2
CONTENT Strong organization and structure 2
Vivid supporting details included 2
MECHANICS Written in complete sentence 2
 Correct and appropriate grammar, punctuation,
2
spelling, etc.
Total 10

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