Patterns of Development

PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

• DEFINITION – clarifies and explains concepts through the use of illustrations, examples, and descriptions

Example:

Social engineering is defined as any method which tricks people to share personal information through the use of technology. The ‘social’ component in this scheme means that there is reliance on various psychological tricks and on the gullibility of users rather than technical hacking. Social engineering also refers to various malicious acts online, such as phishing spamming, and pretexting.

Signal Words

Is defined as               refers to          to define

As defined                   means             to illustrate 

• EXEMPLIFICATION – presents the general statement and then provides specific and concrete examples to expound on the main idea

Example:

 While the Internet offers so many benefits to man, it also has its downsides. One of these is phishing, which refers to the act of obtaining personal information, such as passwords and credit card details, through online means. In other words, phishing is a form of cybercrime. As an example, let us consider the case of Mr. X. he received an email stating that his Gmail account has been compromised and that he needed to click a link to update personal information. If Mr. X clicks on the link, his personal information will be illegally acquired by cybercriminals.

Signal Words

After all, for instance, namely, that is, as an example, in other words, put another way,  to be specific, consider the following, in particular, specifically, to clarify, for example, in short, stated differently, to illustrate

• DESCRIPTION – provides details on the idea by using either sensory or spatial pattern; in the sensory pattern, ideas are arranged based on one or all of the five senses; a spatial pattern arranges ideas by location or physical space

Example:

 A laptop is one of the greatest inventions of the modern era. It is a lightweight device that can save a vast amount of information. The screen, touchpad, speakers, keyboard, battery, and AC adapter are the basic parts of a laptop. The most noticeable part of a laptop is its keyboard. On it are the keys needed to enter data into the computer. Near the keyboard you will find a smooth, rectangular surface which acts like a desktop computer mouse – that is the touchpad. At the bottom part of this rectangular surface, you will see buttons that operate like a mouse button. Below the keyboard and touchpad, built into the laptop itself are the speakers which allow you to hear sounds and music. Found at the back of the keyboard is the battery; it serves as the lifeline of the computer. Finally, a laptop also comes with an AC adapter which charges the batter and serves as the source of electric power when it is plugged in.

Signal Words

Above, across, adjacent to, against, alongside, amidst, around, away from, back of, behind (prepositions)

• CHRONOLOGY/ PROCEDURE – organizes ideas or events according to time

            Narration – sequences events in order in which they occurred in time

            Process – organizes details based on stages or steps

Example:

Narration: Ondoy began to develop from an active low pressure area to a tropical cyclone on September 24, 2009. The following day, PAGASA raised storm signals all over the Philippine archipelago. At that point, signal no. 2 was raised in Catanduanes and other parts of Luzon. By Saturday morning, reports flooding started to pour in. meanwhile, president Arroyo declared state of calamity in Metro Manila. Immediately after President Declaration, various government agencies began the rescue and relief operations. As soon as Typhoon Ondoy exited the Philippines, more and more relief and rescue operations were conducted.

Process: During the flooding, one thing that may probably save your life is an improvised flotation device. You can make one using your pants. First, knot off the leg holes of your pants. Then, hold open waist and swing the pants around to fill the legs with air. Promptly knot off the waist to trap the air and hold the pants underwater so that the air would not escape.

Signal Words

About, after, afterwards, as soon as, at, at this/that point, before, during, eventually, finally, first, immediately, in the meantime, later, meanwhile, next, next week, presently, prior to, second, soon, then, till, today, tomorrow, until, when, yesterday

• LISTING – organizes ideas using enumeration but does not have the element of time

Example:

 Picking the right career is such a daunting task because it pits passion against reality. Would you choose the profession you love or would you choose a more lucrative profession? Some find a hard time choosing at first, so do not be surprised if you see people shift careers several times before they achieve success. On this note, here are some tips to help you choose the right career. Identify your interest. Are you fascinated with numbers, arts, sciences, human behavior, computer technology, or teaching? Try to process as well you reason for choosing a particular career; you can also factor in the financial component during this stage. Another thing that you can do is to focus on and learn everything about your chosen career. If you want to be a doctor, know exactly what a doctor does and check whether you can handle this type of profession. In addition, try to visualize yourself five or ten years from now, and develop plan to achieve the goal in your mind. Remember not to rely on luck when it comes to your career; instead, make reasoned decisions based on what you want.

Signal Words

Additionally, again, along with, also, and, and then, another, as well, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, in addition, in the same way, likewise, moreover, next together with

• COMPARISON-CONTRAST – organizes ideas based on how events, places, people, things, and concepts are similar to or different from one another

Example:

 Are you not sure yet which phone to buy? To help you decide, this review will inspect the basic similarities and differences of the flagship phones of two giant companies: Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S5. Both brag to be the best smart phones in the market to date. While these state-of-the-art phones have similarities in the form of their sleek design, multi-touch touch screen, and multimedia features, they have their distinctive features as well. First, Galaxy S5 has a larger screen at 5.1 inches as compared to iPhone 6’s 4.7 inches. As for the operating system, iPhone 6 Uses iOS (8.x) while S5 uses Android (5.0, 4.4.2). In terms of the camera, S5 has a 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera which is higher than iPhone’s 1.2 megapixels. Unlike S5, iPhone’s battery is not user-replaceable and has a shorter talk time, but when it comes to built-in storage, iPhone 6 outperforms S5. Now that you know the basic differences of the two phones, you can decide!

Signal Words

Also, as, both, equally, in a similar fashion, in comparison, in the same way, like, likewise, similarly

Although, and yet, as opposed to, but, conversely, counter to, despite, even so, even though, in contrast

• CLASSIFICATION & DIVISION – organizes ideas into categories of divisions based on criteria and standards; superordinate & subordinate

Example:

 Earthquakes can be classified into three main types based on the plate movements. The first type is known as a convergent boundary. Also known as destructive plate boundary, this type of earthquake happens when two tectonic plates move toward one another and collide. The second type of earthquake is called the divergent boundary. During this type of earthquake, two plates are forced to move away from each other resulting in a rift zone. The last type is called the conservative plate boundary or transform fault. During this type of earthquake, two tectonic plates slide past one another.

Signal Words

Another, classified as, final type, one kind, the first category, the last group, the next part

• CAUSE AND EFFECT – details based on the cause, reason, and the result or consequences of a certain phenomenon

Example:

 The advancement in technology and economy has created major changes in modern society. One of these changes is globalization. As we know, globalization has affected the world in many ways. First, it served as a catalyst to worldwide trading, thus allowing countries to access foreign products. Although this had positive effects, it also posed a real threat to the merchandise of local traders. Second, globalization affected the financial market. As a result, different countries had more access to funds, and the exchange in national currencies dramatically increased. Finally globalization also led to the privatization of various facilities, such as public health institutions. These institutions were being privatized due to the idea that the private sector can better manage and provide health services. In consequence, health policies become more and more of a commodity on a global scale.

Signal Words

As, because, being that, due to, for, for the reason that, in that, in view of, in as much as, one reason

• PROBLEM-SOLUTION – organizes ideas into problems and proposed solutions

Example:

 Today, most of the energy resources we have are generated from coal, oil, and natural gas. However, these resources are limited. If continuously consumed at an alarming rate, fossil fuels necessary for generating power to operate vehicles and factories will run out before long. Nonetheless, this problem can be resolved through the use of alternative sources of energy and conservation efforts. First, using alternative sources of energy such as solar energy and fusion energy would lessen population. These alternatives are actually more accessible and cost-efficient. Although there are some potential risks in using fusion energy, these risks can be mitigated by implementing strict safety measures. The second solution that governments can adopt is the enhancement of conservation efforts. To do this, the governments need to make the public more aware of the benefits of conservation, as well as ways of conserving energy, such as recycling. Laws can also be passed to mandate the public and all stakeholders to recycle energy.

Signal Words

But, first, second, nonetheless, one reason of the, one solution is, one way is, the problem, the solution

• PERSUASION - shows how a set of evidence leads to a logical conclusion or argument; presents issue, the position, and the supporting evidence

Example:

 Euthanasia or mercy killing has been a widely debated issue. It is an act to end a person’s life to alleviate the suffering brought about by a terminal or grave illness. While it may be supported by some, mercy killing is not only an unethical medical practice, it is also a crime. After all, on the most basic level, euthanasia still takes a life. In fact, majority of the countries in the world, including those that have legalized it, consider it as homicide. Aside from being a crime, euthanasia is unethical in the medical context because it violates the principle of “primum non nocore” which means “first, do no harm.” In their code of ethics, doctors have the responsibility of saving lives, not destroying them, which is why euthanasia can never be acceptable.

Signal Words

Indeed, to repeat, accordingly, thus, admittedly, needless to say, obviously

Emphasizing a point, concluding and summarizing, conceding a point