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 WRITING
1. 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,
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 APPROACHES
1. 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 WRITING
1. 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.
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 Address
The 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. Closing
The 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. Enclosures
If 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 initials
Typist 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 Format
When 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 Block
Another 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-Block
The 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. Font
Another 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. Punctuation
Punctuation 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 Address
The 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. Date
Put 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 Address
The 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. Body
The 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. Closing
Let'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. Signature
Your signature will go in this
section, usually signed in
black or blue ink with a pen.
9. Printed Name
The 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. Enclosure
If 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 Initials
If 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 Mechanics
1. 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. Spacing
Two 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. Figures
Figures 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.
Tables
Table 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 rules
maintain 1.5 spaces between entries
Abbreviations
Abbreviations 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 Abbreviation
Joule J
Ampere amp
gram g
centimeter cm
Spelling
To determine correct spelling of
words, the latest edition of a
standard English dictionary
should be consulted.
Spelling should be consistent in
the text.
Underlining/Italicizing
Underlining 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.
Capitalization
Descriptive 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.
Punctuation
 To minimize punctuation, a well- planned word
arrangement is necessary
 Punctuations 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 ends
the word “THESIS”,
the course and family name of the
author(s)
the year of completion