Writing

WRITING IN THE

DISCIPLINE

WRITING - is a medium of

communication that represent language through inscription of signs and symbols. It is a system of graphic symbols that can be used to convey meaning.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING1. PROTO WRITING

- The first writing stage of the bronze/stone age.

2. LOGOGRAPHIC WRITING

- Chinese or Japanese system. This writing is a further development towards abstraction in which the graphemes represent words approximately 200 characters.

3. PICTOGRAPHIC WRITING

- (300 B.C.) Egyptians and Mesopotamians. The representation of object and reading initially represented simply organizing symbol.

4. IDEOGRAPHIC WRITING- (2500 B.C.) An abstract or

conventional meaning no longer displaying a clear pictorial representation of object.

5. PHONOLOGICAL WRITING - (1300 B.C.) Syllables or

alphabet. These are phonological based writing system that represent syllables and written language of texts recently identified as very Ancient Greek.

ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS IN WRITING

1. DEFINITION

- Explains the meaning of new/unfamiliar words or phrases.

Signal words: is, refers to, can be define as, means, is a term that, is called, is characterized by, occurs when, are those that, entails, correspondence to, literally.

2. CLASSIFICATION

- Divides the topic into parts base on shared characteristics.

Signal words: classified as, comprises, is composed of, several varieties, different stages of, different groups that, includes, one, first, second, another, finally, last.

3. CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

- Describes the event in which the event occur in time.

Signal words: first, second, next, as soon as, after then, following, after that, last, finally.

4. PROCESS

- Describes the order in which things are done or how things work.

Signal words: first, second, next, then, following, after that, last, finally.

5. ORDER OF IMPORTANCE

- Describes the ideas in order of priority or preference.

Signal words: less, more, primary, secondary next, last, most important.

6. SPATIAL ORDER

- Describes physical location or position in space.

Signal words: above, below, beside, next to, in front of, behind, inside, outside, opposite, within, nearby.

7. CAUSE AND EFFECT

- Describe how one or more things cause or are related to another.

Signal words: CAUSE: because, because of, for, since, stems from, one cause is, one reason is, leads to, causes, creates, produces, due to. EFFECT: consequently, result in, one result is.

8. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

- Discusses similarities and/or differences among ideas, theories, concepts, objects, or person.

Signal words: SIMILARITIES: both, also, similarity, like, likewise, too, as well as, resembles, correspondingly, in the same way, to compare, in comparison, share. DIFFERENCES: unlike, differs from, in contrast, on the other hand, instead, despite, nevertheless, however, in spite of, whereas, as opposed to.

9. LISTING/ENUMERATION

- Organizes list of enumeration: characteristics, features, parts, or categories.

Signal words: The following, several, for example, for instance, one another, also, too, in other words, first, second, numerals (1,2,3,…), letters (a,b,c,…).

10. STATEMENT AND CLARIFICATION SUMMARY

- Indicates the information explaining a concept or idea will follow. Indicates that a condensed review of an idea or piece of writing is to follow.

Signal words: In fact, in other words, clearly, evidently, obviously, in summary, in conclusion, in brief, to summarize, to sum up, in short, on the whole.

11. GENERALIZATION AND EXAMPLE

- Provides examples that clarify a broad, general statement.

Signal words: for example, for instance, that is, to illustrate, thus.

12. ADDITION

- Indicates that additional information will follow.

Signal words: furthermore, additionally, also, besides, further, in addition, moreover, again.

THE WRITING APPROACHES1. CONTROLLED-TO-FREE-APPROACH

- This approach is marked by gradual but very slow movement from controlled to free types of writing. The main focus of this approach has traditionally been use writing as a way to enhance the students’ knowledge of grammar.

2. FREE WRITING APPROACH

- Students in this approach are assigned large amount of free writing for which they get little or no correction.

3. PARAGRAPH – PATTERN APPROACH

- The focus in this approach is on organization on the paragraph level. The students do exercises which are directly or indirectly linked to how larger chunks of writing are organized into paragraph units.

4. GRAMMAR-SYNTAX-ORGANIZATION APPROACH

- This is a purpose-based approach to writing. Students are given a specific writing task and must find out what vocabulary items and structures are necessary to complete the task successfully.

5. COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH

- In this approach, the purpose and the audience are stressed. Students should act like writers in real-life situation.

6. PROCESS APPROACH

- This approach focusses on how writing is to be done based on research on the habits/techniques of successful writers.

STAGES OF WRITING1. PLANNING STAGE

- Try to foresee what you want your final test look like, using the following steps:

a. Define your writing topics.

b. Calculate the time needed.

c. Brainstorm and jot down any ideas.

d. Organize the idea into an outline.

2. DRAFTING STAGE

- Focus on content only and forget about language and mechanical aspects such as grammar, spelling and punctuation.

a. Introduction

b. Discussion

c. Conclusion

3. REVISING STAGE

- Means evaluating your text’s content and make sure that you act what you actually wrote and what you intend in the planning stage.

4. EDITING STAGE

- Sometimes consider part of revising, but refer to judging text. Grammar lover is required.

a. Be careful with Subject-Verb-Agreement.

b. Use dictionary for spelling.

c. Edit for text mechanics.

5. PROOFREADING STAGE

- Comprises that our extra step you need after revising and editing in order to locate any small mistakes you missed out until now.

6. PRESENTATION STAGE

- It is time to work on some finishing touches aesthetic polishing your text to perfection.

MANUSCRIPT FORM, MECHANICS AND LAY-OUT: GENERAL GUIDELINES

In documenting the manuscript of theses, dissertations, case studies, enterprise development projects, teaching portfolios, and narrative report, the following format should be observed.

A. For the Preliminary Pages

1. Title Page

The Title Page should contain the following:

a. Thesis Title which may come in form of inverted pyramid on top of the page, all in uppercase and in boldface;

b. Submission Statement which should be found ten to twelve spaces away from the thesis title written in paragraph heading style;

c. Degree Earned which should be ten spaces away from the submission statement written in paragraph heading style;

d. Author’s Name in uppercase and in boldface which should be found eight to ten spaces away from the degree earned; and

e. Month and Year of Completion which should be found one space below the author’s name and written in paragraph heading style.

No page number should appear on the title page but is assumed to be page i.

2. Approval Sheet

The approval sheet should have the following entries:

a. University logo along with the letterhead centered on top of the page;

b. Name of College or Campus written in uppercase and boldface which should be found at the center two spaces below the letterhead;

c. Department or Unit (if applicable) which should be written two spaces below the College or Campus, in paragraph heading style and boldface;

d. Author’s Name which should be written in uppercase, boldface, flushed left. It is found four spaces below the Department or Unit;

e. Thesis Title which should be written in uppercase, boldface, flushed left in form of an inverted pyramid (if necessary). It is found four spaces below the Author’s name;

f. The word “APPROVED” which should be written in uppercase, boldface and found four to seven spaces below the thesis title;

g. Names of signatories which should be written in uppercase, boldface with the corresponding title;

h. Designation of signatories is indicated one space below their name;

i. Date of signing is indicated opposite the designation;

j. At the center bottom of the page is the page number “ii”.

Sana thesis mo na lang ako.Para lagi mo akong gagawan ng proposal.

Kapag gabi na, hindi ka makatulog kakaisip sa akin.

At pagdating ng panahon, kahit may mga errors ako,

Handa mo pa rin akong i-defend sa mga panelists

Na ang tanging alam gawin ay ang hanapan ako ng mali.

3. The Biographical Data

The BIOGRAPHICAL DATA contains the following information:

a.Personal information of the author such as birthday, birthplace, home address, name of parents, and siblings;

b.School or schools attended during elementary, high school, and college including honors or awards received; scholarships enjoyed, date of graduation, and membership in organizations (if there is any); and,

c.Significant academic or sports competitions participated in.

The BIOGRAPHICAL DATA should be written using the third person (i.e. the author, the researcher, he, she, they, etc.).

If the thesis manuscript is written by two or more authors, each author should have a separate

biographical data which may be printed in the same page ( if possible) or in separate pages.

4. Acknowledgment

The title, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, should be in uppercase, boldface, and placed at the center on top of the page. Succeeding entries should be written as follows:

a. The acknowledgment should be written in the third person;

b. An introductory paragraph is necessary at the beginning of this section;

c.The adviser, technical critic, department chairperson, RD&E coordinator, and the dean must be acknowledged first;

d. Filipino and/or foreign words should be italicized;

e. With manuscripts having two or more authors, two or more separate acknowledgments may be written using the same format; and,

f. The name of the author capitalized and in bold face must be placed four single spaces after the last sentence and must be signed properly.

SUBJECT - VERB AGREEMENT

You need to realize that in English language the subject and the verb must agree in person and in number.

1. Singular subjects take verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.

Example: The students bring their

experiment equipment to the science laboratory.

2. Indefinite pronouns each, everyone, no one, someone, somebody, nobody, and every take singular verbs.

Examples: No one seems to like him. Everyone is expected to join the

English competition.

3. Collective nouns take singular verbs if they are taken as a single unit.

Example: The committee decides on the case about addiction.

4. Collective nouns take plural verbs if they act individually.

Example: The committee decide on the case about addiction.

5. Compound subjects connected by either-or, neither-nor take singular verbs if the subjects are singular, plural verbs if the subjects are plural, but if the subjects are different in number, the verbs agree with the nearest subject.

Examples:

Either the coach or the player comes on time.

Neither the teachers nor the principal arrives late at the assembly.

Either the president or the secretaries move in the right direction.

6. Intervening words do not affect the number of the verb.

Example: The chairman, together with its member stands firm to impose the rule.

7. Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning agree with singular verbs

Examples:Physics is a difficult subject.

The news brings joy or sadness to a person.

8. The expression a number takes plural verb; the expression the number takes singular verb.

Examples:A number of people die from the typhoon Yolanda.

The number of enrolees has increased this school year.

9. An amount of money, space of time, or unit of measurement even in plural form takes singular verb.

Examples:Three meters of cloth is enough for the table.

Twenty pesos is what I need.

10. Compound subject connected by and takes a plural verb.

Examples:Miriam and Joyce visit me in my house.

The teacher and the researcher discuss the weak points of the demonstrator.

11. Compound subject connected by and takes a singular verb if the subject means the same thing or person.

Examples:My cousin and friend travels to the U.S. For study tour.

The secretary and treasurer is trustworthy.

12. A title is singular and must have a singular verb.

Examples:‘’Trees” is a popular poem written by Joyce Kilmer.

“The Mona Lisa” is Da Vinvi’s beautiful work of art.

WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS

Business Letter used to inform or persuade a reader, is more formal than a personal letter.

PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

1. Sender's AddressThe sender's address usually is

included in letterhead. If you are not using letterhead, include the sender's address at the top of the letter one line above the date. Do not write the sender's name or title, as it is included in the letter's closing. Include only the street address, city, and zip code.

2. Date

The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter is completed over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line. When writing to companies within the United States, use the American date format. (The United States-based convention for formatting a date places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2001. ) Write out the month, day and year two inches from the top of the page. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either left justify the date or tab to the center point and type the date.

3. Inside Address

The inside address is the recipient's address. It is always best to write to a specific individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person's name, do some research by calling the company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman's preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure of a woman's preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. For international addresses, type the name of the country in all-capital letters on the last line. The inside address begins one line below the sender's address or one inch below the date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using.

4. Salutation

Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (for example: Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however, use the personal title and last/family name followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation.

If you don't know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as their job title followed by the receiver's name. It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender.

5. Body

For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph within the body of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When writing a business letter, be careful to remember that conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.

6. ClosingThe closing begins at the same vertical

point as your date and one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing and the sender's name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.

7. EnclosuresIf you have enclosed any documents along

with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this simply by typing Enclosures one line below the closing. As an option, you may list the name of each document you are including in the envelope. For instance, if you have included many documents and need to ensure that the recipient is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.

8. Typist initialsTypist initials are used to

indicate the person who typed the letter. If you typed the letter yourself, omit the typist initials.

FORMAT AND FONT OF BUSINESS LETTERS

1. Block FormatWhen writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.

2. Modified BlockAnother widely utilized format is

known as modified block format. In this type, the body of the letter and the sender's and recipient's addresses are left justified and single-spaced. However, for the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type.

3. Semi-BlockThe final, and least used,

style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.

4. FontAnother important factor in the readability

of a letter is the font. The generally accepted font is Times New Roman, size 12, although other fonts such as Arial may be used. When choosing a font, always consider your audience. If you are writing to a conservative company, you may want to use Times New Roman. However, if you are writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom when choosing fonts.

5. PunctuationPunctuation after the salutation and

closing - use a colon (:) after the salutation (never a comma) and a comma (,) after the closing. In some circumstances, you may also use a less common format, known as open punctuation. For this style, punctuation is excluded after the salutation and the closing.

The block format is the simplest format; all of the writing is flush against the left margin. (Other Business Letter Formats) With all business letters, use 1" margins on all four sides.

1. Your AddressThe return address of the sender so

the recipient can easily find out where to send a reply to. Skip a line between your address and the date. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with the company letterhead already on it.)

2. DatePut the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the inside address (some people skip 3 or 4 lines after the date).

3. Inside AddressThe address of the person you are writing to along with the name of the recipient, their title and company name, if you are not sure who the letter should be addressed to either leave it blank, but try to put in a title, i.e. "Director of Human Resources". Skip a line between the date and the salutation.

4. Salutation Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or To Whom It May Concern: if recipient's name is unknown. Note that there is a colon after the salutation. Skip a line between the salutation and the subject line or body.

5. Subject Line (optional)Makes it easier for the recipient to find out what the letter is about. Skip a line between the subject line and the body.

6. BodyThe body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line between the end of the body and the closing.

7. ClosingLet's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized. Skip 3-4 lines between the closing and the printed name, so that there is room for the signature.

8. SignatureYour signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen.

9. Printed NameThe printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or position on the line underneath it. Skip a line between the printed name and the enclosure.

10. EnclosureIf letter contains other document other than the letter itself your letter will include the word "Enclosure." If there is more than one you would type, "Enclosures (#)" with the # being the number of other documents enclosed, not including the letter itself.

11. Reference InitialsIf someone other than yourself typed the letter you will include your initials in capital letters followed by the typist's initials in lower case in the following format; AG/gs or AG:gs.

ABSTRACT Abstract entries should be written as follows: The word ABSTRACT in uppercase, boldface found at the center on top of

the page; Two spaces below the word ABSTRACT is the surname of the author

followed by the first name and the middle initial in uppercase and in boldface found immediately at the beginning of the preliminary details in paragraph form; 

Thesis title in boldface and paragraph heading style found immediately after the author’s name;

The manuscript description, degree earned, University/Campus name and address, month and year of completion and the complete name of the adviser in single space are found immediately after the thesis title in the same paragraph;

Two hundred fifty words or less content of the abstract found two spaces below the preliminary details in paragraph form; and,

Body of the abstract should be double spaces away from each other.

INTRODUCTION The INTRODUCTION contains some

introductory statements relative to the study. Its first paragraph may present generalization, an issue or claim centrality. The succeeding paragraphs should cite literature to establish a niche, raise questions, establish a gap or continuity between the previous and the present study. In its last paragraph, the problems or aims of the present study are introduced.

THE INTRODUCTION INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING SUB-SECTIONS: 

1. Introductory or Opening Paragraph. The “Introduction” should start with an introductory or opening paragraph that will give the reader a background of the problem or maybe the place where the study will be/was conducted or why the study will be or was conducted in the first place.

2. Statement of the Problem. This section describes the problems to be investigated. It contains a general problem written in the form of a statement followed by the specific questions or sub-problems.

3. Importance of the Study. This section discusses the reasons in conducting the research. It answers the following questions: Why is there a need to conduct the study? What benefits would be derived from it? Will the study add to knowledge? Will it have practical application?

4. Objectives of the Study. This section includes both the general and specific objectives. The general objective is a statement of the broad target; while the specific objectives are statements of the definite inquiries indicated in the Statement of the Problem.

5. Time and Place of the Study. This section includes the period when the study was conducted starting from the preparation of outline to the writing of the manuscript. The place of study includes the actual place where the research was conducted.

6. Scope and Limitation. This section describes the extent of the study including the parameters evaluated. It also discusses the weaknesses of the research in terms of methodology, framework and others.

7. Operational Definition of Terms. This section defines the key terms, words, or phrases as used in the study. Definitions should be as brief and clear as possible.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (RRL)

The REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE is a discussion of facts, principles, theories, concepts and constructs related to the study. It includes summary of studies, inquiries, or investigations conducted for the last five to ten years. It may indicate a gap or continuity between the previous and the present studies.

Sub-headings should be used in the RRL to organize the topics properly.

It is required that the APA Format should be followed for text citations and references.

METHODOLOGY OR MATERIALS AND METHODS 

The METHODOLOGY discusses how the study was conducted. It describes the research design, sources of data, data gathering procedure, research instrument/s, data analysis and statistical treatment (if any) employed in the study. For experimental research, this section is labeled MATERIALS AND METHODS.

The entries for this section are described below:

1. Research Design. This section describes the design followed in the conduct of the study.

2. Sources of Data. This section provides information about the respondents/ samples or any other entities within which data were obtained. The manner employed in the selection of participants/samples is also indicated in this section.

3. Data Gathering Procedure. This section is a detailed description of how data used in the study were collected.

4. Data Analysis. This section describes how data were analyzed to find answers/solutions to the research problems.

5. Statistical Treatment. This section is usually employed in quantitative research. It presents the statistical measure used to answer the research problems that require mathematical computations.

6. Research Instrument. This section describes the instruments used by the researcher in gathering the necessary data. It may come in form of questionnaire, interview schedule, and others.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The RESULTS AND DISCUSSION section

includes the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data. The discussion of results must be supported by literature that may either be confirmed or contradicted by the current study. In this section, data are usually summarized in forms of tables and figures which are properly labeled.

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS contains the significant portions of the study in form of summary. It also presents the conclusions and recommendations formulated out of the significant findings.

Contents of each section are described below:1. Summary. This section is a brief presentation of the contents of the thesis. It includes the objectives of the study, time and place, methodology, and significant findings.

2. Conclusions. This section presents the constructs drawn in the light of the findings. Conclusions should correspond to the objectives and hypotheses.

3. Recommendations. This is an appeal to fill the gap between the present body of knowledge and ideal situation necessary for technology generation, policy formulation and theory building. This may also contain suggestions for further research on similar or related topics.

On Documenting the Text Headings

Headings may come in four levels. The extent of use may vary depending on the complexity of the thesis or dissertation. a. Level I Heading. This is also called the major heading. It is written at the center, in boldface and in Headline Style on top of the page. The paragraph following it begins on the next line and is indented.

b. Level II Heading. This is the first sub-heading after the major heading. It should be flushed left, boldface and in Headline Style. The paragraph following it begins on the next line and is indented.

c. Level III Heading. This is the next sub-heading under Level II. It should be indented, boldface paragraph heading in sentence style, ending with a period. The paragraph following it begins immediately after it on the same line, not separated or indented.

d. Level IV Heading. This is the next sub-heading under Level III. It should be indented, boldface, italicized paragraph heading in sentence style, ending with a period. The paragraph following it begins immediately after it on the same line, not separated or indented.

Manuscript Mechanics1. Margins and Indention The left margin of each page of the manuscript should be 1.5 inches; while the top, bottom and right margins should be 1 inch each.

Paragraph indention should be five spaces from the left margin.

2. SpacingTwo single spaces should be observed between Level I

and Level II headings.Double spaces between Level II heading and the

succeeding paragraph should be maintained. Three single spaces must be observed after the last sentence and the succeeding Level II heading.

Each line within the text should be two spaces away from each other.

Footnotes and contents of tables should be typed single spaces.

References should be written in single spaces.

3. Tenses The present tense is generally used in presenting theories, philosophies, generalizations and conclusions.

The past tense is generally employed in describing the results of the study.

The future tense is generally used in writing the thesis proposal and in presenting the recommendations.

4. FiguresFigures may come in form of pictures, drawings, diagrams, photographs, blue prints, maps, graphs and chart

Figures should be:  printed on a separate page immediately after it is introduced in

the text; clear enough to be understood even without referring to the

text; numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals ( as they appear on

text) two spaces below them; printed directly in the text (not glued/pasted).

Figure captions should: be written opposite the figure number; be clear enough to be understood even without examining the

figure; be two spaces below and centered within the figure; come in two or more lines placing the second and succeeding

lines vertically aligned with the first line if they are quite long.

TablesTable titles should be a comprehensive description of the table entries.

For tables that contain several levels of headings, the first level is in uppercase while the second and succeeding levels should be in paragraph heading style.

Units of quantity should be enclosed in parentheses immediately after the column heading.

Table entries should be arranged in rows and columns either in single or two spaces.

Tables should:be placed within the text or on a separate page immediately after they are introduced.

be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals.

use ¾ point line on top and at the bottom; and ¼ point for internal horizontal rule.

have no vertical rulesmaintain 1.5 spaces between entries

AbbreviationsAbbreviations should be avoided in the text except for footnotes, tables and list of citations.

Abbreviated terms in parentheses should occur only after their first reference in the text.

Two or three-letter abbreviations should be preferred.

Examples:Word AbbreviationJoule JAmpere ampgram gcentimeter cm

SpellingTo determine correct spelling of words, the latest edition of a standard English dictionary should be consulted.

Spelling should be consistent in the text.

Underlining/ItalicizingUnderlining should not be used for emphasis.Scientific names should be italicized.Generic names used as common name in the text should not be underlined.

Foreign words used in English text should be italicized except those which have been constantly used in the English language.

The Latin phrase “et al.” must not be italicized.

CapitalizationDescriptive terms used to denote direction or

position should not be capitalized.Descriptive terms that denote a definite

region, locality or geographic feature (e.g., Central America, North Africa) should be capitalized.

The first word of a fragmentary quotation should not be capitalized.

The first letters of the words “Figure” and “Table” should be capitalized.

PunctuationTo minimize punctuation, a well- planned word

arrangement is necessaryPunctuations should be omitted if they do not

clarify.If the meaning is clear, comma should be used

instead of a parentheses. Terminal punctuations should not appear after

titles of papers, headings and legends of tables.Words or phrases which are part of the quoted

matter should be enclosed in quotation marks.Single punctuations should be used whenever

possible.

Hyphen should be used for words which are generally printed with the root word to avoid doubling vowels or tripling consonants (e.g., micro-organism, shell-like).

between word combinations to form a unit (e.g., two-inch diameter pipe).

Words with short prefixes like ca, de, pre, pro and re should not be hyphenated.

Commercial Products Mention of brand name of commercial products in the text should be avoided.

Commercial products should be identified by chemical or generic names, and/or descriptions.  

Where the product was part or essential in the outcome of the study, the propriety name and manufacturer’s name and address should be included in a lettered footnote.

Manuscript Cover Thesis manuscript should be hard bound following

the course color code. The following should appear on front cover in

upper case with gold letters: Thesis Title (e.g. LANGUAGE EXTINCTION IN

PROCESS)The word “THESIS”Author’s Name (e.g. ANTONIO T. PO JR.)Name of the University (e.g. POLYTECHNIC

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES)

The following also appear in front cover yet written in lower case.

The name of the college (e.g. College of Education)

University address (e.g. Cabiao, Nueva Ecija)

The month and year of submission (May 2010) 

The title is printed 1½ inches below the top of the cover.

On the spine of the bound thesis, the following should appear in uppercase with gold letters: double bar one inch on both endsthe word “THESIS”,the course and family name of the author(s)

the year of completion