Republic Act No.

6713 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES, TO UPHOLD THE TIME-HONORED PRINCIPLE OF PUBLIC OFFICE BEING A PUBLIC TRUST, GRANTING INCENTIVES AND REWARDS FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE, ENUMERATING PROHIBITED ACTS AND TRANSACTIONS AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees." Section 2. Declaration of Policies. - It is the policy of the State to promote a high standard of ethics in public service. Public officials and employees shall at all times be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence, and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest. Section 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the term: (a) "Government" includes the National Government, the local governments, and all other instrumentalities, agencies or branches of the Republic of the Philippines including government-owned or controlled corporations, and their subsidiaries. (b) "Public Officials" includes elective and appointive officials and employees, permanent or temporary, whether in the career or non-career service, including military and police personnel, whether or not they receive compensation, regardless of amount. (c) "Gift" refers to a thing or a right to dispose of gratuitously, or any act or liberality, in favor of another who accepts it, and shall include a simulated sale or an ostensibly onerous disposition thereof. It shall not include an unsolicited gift of nominal or insignificant value not given in anticipation of, or in exchange for, a favor from a public official or employee. (d) "Receiving any gift" includes the act of accepting directly or indirectly, a gift from a person other than a member of his family or relative as defined in this Act, even on the occasion of a family celebration or national festivity like Christmas, if the value of the gift is neither nominal nor insignificant, or the gift is given in anticipation of, or in exchange for, a favor. (e) "Loan" covers both simple loan and commodatum as well as guarantees, financing arrangements or accommodations intended to ensure its approval. (f) "Substantial stockholder" means any person who owns, directly or indirectly, shares of stock sufficient to elect a director of a corporation. This term shall also apply to the parties to a voting trust. (g) "Family of public officials or employees" means their spouses and unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age. (h) "Person" includes natural and juridical persons unless the context indicates otherwise. (i) "Conflict of interest" arises when a public official or employee is a member of a board, an officer, or a substantial stockholder of a private corporation or owner or has a substantial interest in a business, and the interest of such corporation or business, or his rights or duties therein, may be opposed to or affected by the faithful performance of official duty.

(j) "Divestment" is the transfer of title or disposal of interest in property by voluntarily, completely and actually depriving or dispossessing oneself of his right or title to it in favor of a person or persons other than his spouse and relatives as defined in this Act. (k) "Relatives" refers to any and all persons related to a public official or employee within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, including bilas, inso and balae. Section 4. Norms of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees. - (A) Every public official and employee shall observe the following as standards of personal conduct in the discharge and execution of official duties: (a) Commitment to public interest. - Public officials and employees shall always uphold the public interest over and above personal interest. All government resources and powers of their respective offices must be employed and used efficiently, effectively, honestly and economically, particularly to avoid wastage in public funds and revenues. (b) Professionalism. - Public officials and employees shall perform and discharge their duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and skill. They shall enter public service with utmost devotion and dedication to duty. They shall endeavor to discourage wrong perceptions of their roles as dispensers or peddlers of undue patronage. (c) Justness and sincerity. - Public officials and employees shall remain true to the people at all times. They must act with justness and sincerity and shall not discriminate against anyone, especially the poor and the underprivileged. They shall at all times respect the rights of others, and shall refrain from doing acts contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety and public interest. They shall not dispense or extend undue favors on account of their office to their relatives whether by consanguinity or affinity except with respect to appointments of such relatives to positions considered strictly confidential or as members of their personal staff whose terms are coterminous with theirs. (d) Political neutrality. - Public officials and employees shall provide service to everyone without unfair discrimination and regardless of party affiliation or preference. (e) Responsiveness to the public. - Public officials and employees shall extend prompt, courteous, and adequate service to the public. Unless otherwise provided by law or when required by the public interest, public officials and employees shall provide information of their policies and procedures in clear and understandable language, ensure openness of information, public consultations and hearings whenever appropriate, encourage suggestions, simplify and systematize policy, rules and procedures, avoid red tape and develop an understanding and appreciation of the socio-economic conditions prevailing in the country, especially in the depressed rural and urban areas. (f) Nationalism and patriotism. - Public officials and employees shall at all times be loyal to the Republic and to the Filipino people, promote the use of locally produced goods, resources and technology and encourage appreciation and pride of country and people. They shall endeavor to maintain and defend Philippine sovereignty against foreign intrusion. (g) Commitment to democracy. - Public officials and employees shall

commit themselves to the democratic way of life and values, maintain the principle of public accountability, and manifest by deeds the supremacy of civilian authority over the military. They shall at all times uphold the Constitution and put loyalty to country above loyalty to persons or party. (h) Simple living. - Public officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form. (B) The Civil Service Commission shall adopt positive measures to promote (1) observance of these standards including the dissemination of information programs and workshops authorizing merit increases beyond regular progression steps, to a limited number of employees recognized by their office colleagues to be outstanding in their observance of ethical standards; and (2) continuing research and experimentation on measures which provide positive motivation to public officials and employees in raising the general level of observance of these standards. Section 5. Duties of Public Officials and Employees. - In the performance of their duties, all public officials and employees are under obligation to: (a) Act promptly on letters and requests. - All public officials and employees shall, within fifteen (15) working days from receipt thereof, respond to letters, telegrams or other means of communications sent by the public. The reply must contain the action taken on the request. (b) Submit annual performance reports. - All heads or other responsible officers of offices and agencies of the government and of government-owned or controlled corporations shall, within forty-five (45) working days from the end of the year, render a performance report of the agency or office or corporation concerned. Such report shall be open and available to the public within regular office hours. (c) Process documents and papers expeditiously. - All official papers and documents must be processed and completed within a reasonable time from the preparation thereof and must contain, as far as practicable, not more than three (3) signatories therein. In the absence of duly authorized signatories, the official nextin-rank or officer in charge shall sign for and in their behalf. (d) Act immediately on the public's personal transactions. - All public officials and employees must attend to anyone who wants to avail himself of the services of their offices and must, at all times, act promptly and expeditiously. (e) Make documents accessible to the public. - All public documents must be made accessible to, and readily available for inspection by, the public within reasonable working hours. Section 6. System of Incentives and Rewards. - A system of annual incentives and rewards is hereby established in order to motivate and inspire public servants to uphold the highest standards of ethics. For this purpose, a Committee on Awards to Outstanding Public Officials and Employees is hereby created composed of the following: the Ombudsman and Chairman of the Civil Service Commission as Co-Chairmen, and the Chairman of the Commission on Audit, and two government employees to be appointed by the President, as members. It shall be the task of this Committee to conduct a periodic, continuing review of the performance of public officials and employees, in all the branches and agencies of Government and establish a system of annual incentives and rewards to the end that due recognition is given to public officials and employees of outstanding merit on the basis of the standards set forth in this Act. The conferment of awards shall take into account, among other things, the following: the

years of service and the quality and consistency of performance, the obscurity of the position, the level of salary, the unique and exemplary quality of a certain achievement, and the risks or temptations inherent in the work. Incentives and rewards to government officials and employees of the year to be announced in public ceremonies honoring them may take the form of bonuses, citations, directorships in government-owned or controlled corporations, local and foreign scholarship grants, paid vacations and the like. They shall likewise be automatically promoted to the next higher position with the commensurate salary suitable to their qualifications. In case there is no next higher position or it is not vacant, said position shall be included in the budget of the office in the next General Appropriations Act. The Committee on Awards shall adopt its own rules to govern the conduct of its activities. Section 7. Prohibited Acts and Transactions. - In addition to acts and omissions of public officials and employees now prescribed in the Constitution and existing laws, the following shall constitute prohibited acts and transactions of any public official and employee and are hereby declared to be unlawful: (a) Financial and material interest. - Public officials and employees shall not, directly or indirectly, have any financial or material interest in any transaction requiring the approval of their office. (b) Outside employment and other activities related thereto. - Public officials and employees during their incumbency shall not: (1) Own, control, manage or accept employment as officer, employee, consultant, counsel, broker, agent, trustee or nominee in any private enterprise regulated, supervised or licensed by their office unless expressly allowed by law; (2) Engage in the private practice of their profession unless authorized by the Constitution or law, provided, that such practice will not conflict or tend to conflict with their official functions; or (3) Recommend any person to any position in a private enterprise which has a regular or pending official transaction with their office. These prohibitions shall continue to apply for a period of one (1) year after resignation, retirement, or separation from public office, except in the case of subparagraph (b) (2) above, but the professional concerned cannot practice his profession in connection with any matter before the office he used to be with, in which case the one-year prohibition shall likewise apply. (c) Disclosure and/or misuse of confidential information. - Public officials and employees shall not use or divulge, confidential or classified information officially known to them by reason of their office and not made available to the public, either: (1) To further their private interests, or give undue advantage to anyone; or (2) To prejudice the public interest. (d) Solicitation or acceptance of gifts. - Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office. As to gifts or grants from foreign governments, the Congress consents to:

(i) The acceptance and retention by a public official or employee of a gift of nominal value tendered and received as a souvenir or mark of courtesy; (ii) The acceptance by a public official or employee of a gift in the nature of a scholarship or fellowship grant or medical treatment; or (iii) The acceptance by a public official or employee of travel grants or expenses for travel taking place entirely outside the Philippine (such as allowances, transportation, food, and lodging) of more than nominal value if such acceptance is appropriate or consistent with the interests of the Philippines, and permitted by the head of office, branch or agency to which he belongs. The Ombudsman shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of this subsection, including pertinent reporting and disclosure requirements. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to restrict or prohibit any educational, scientific or cultural exchange programs subject to national security requirements. Section 8. Statements and Disclosure. - Public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has the right to know, their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living in their households. (A) Statements of Assets and Liabilities and Financial Disclosure. - All public officials and employees, except those who serve in an honorary capacity, laborers and casual or temporary workers, shall file under oath their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and a Disclosure of Business Interests and Financial Connections and those of their spouses and unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living in their households. The two documents shall contain information on the following: (a) real property, its improvements, acquisition costs, assessed value and current fair market value; (b) personal property and acquisition cost; (c) all other assets such as investments, cash on hand or in banks, stocks, bonds, and the like; (d) liabilities, and; (e) all business interests and financial connections. The documents must be filed: (a) within thirty (30) days after assumption of office; (b) on or before April 30, of every year thereafter; and (c) within thirty (30) days after separation from the service. All public officials and employees required under this section to file the aforestated documents shall also execute, within thirty (30) days from the date of their assumption of office, the necessary authority in favor of the Ombudsman to obtain from all appropriate government agencies, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue, such documents as may show their assets, liabilities, net worth, and also their business interests and financial connections in previous years, including, if

possible, the year when they first assumed any office in the Government. Husband and wife who are both public officials or employees may file the required statements jointly or separately. The Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and the Disclosure of Business Interests and Financial Connections shall be filed by: (1) Constitutional and national elective officials, with the national office of the Ombudsman; (2) Senators and Congressmen, with the Secretaries of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively; Justices, with the Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court; Judges, with the Court Administrator; and all national executive officials with the Office of the President. (3) Regional and local officials and employees, with the Deputy Ombudsman in their respective regions; (4) Officers of the armed forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain, with the Office of the President, and those below said ranks, with the Deputy Ombudsman in their respective regions; and (5) All other public officials and employees, defined in Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, with the Civil Service Commission. (B) Identification and disclosure of relatives. - It shall be the duty of every public official or employee to identify and disclose, to the best of his knowledge and information, his relatives in the Government in the form, manner and frequency prescribed by the Civil Service Commission. (C) Accessibility of documents. - (1) Any and all statements filed under this Act, shall be made available for inspection at reasonable hours. (2) Such statements shall be made available for copying or reproduction after ten (10) working days from the time they are filed as required by law. (3) Any person requesting a copy of a statement shall be required to pay a reasonable fee to cover the cost of reproduction and mailing of such statement, as well as the cost of certification. (4) Any statement filed under this Act shall be available to the public for a period of ten (10) years after receipt of the statement. After such period, the statement may be destroyed unless needed in an ongoing investigation. (D) Prohibited acts. - It shall be unlawful for any person to obtain or use any statement filed under this Act for: (a) any purpose contrary to morals or public policy; or (b) any commercial purpose other than by news and communications media for dissemination to the general public. Section 9. Divestment. - A public official or employee shall avoid conflicts of interest at all times. When a conflict of interest arises, he shall resign from his position in any private business enterprise within thirty (30) days from his assumption of office and/or divest himself of his shareholdings or interest within sixty (60) days from such assumption. The same rule shall apply where the public official or employee is a partner in a partnership.

The requirement of divestment shall not apply to those who serve the Government in an honorary capacity nor to laborers and casual or temporary workers. Section 10. Review and Compliance Procedure. - (a) The designated Committees of both Houses of the Congress shall establish procedures for the review of statements to determine whether said statements which have been submitted on time, are complete, and are in proper form. In the event a determination is made that a statement is not so filed, the appropriate Committee shall so inform the reporting individual and direct him to take the necessary corrective action. (b) In order to carry out their responsibilities under this Act, the designated Committees of both Houses of Congress shall have the power within their respective jurisdictions, to render any opinion interpreting this Act, in writing, to persons covered by this Act, subject in each instance to the approval by affirmative vote of the majority of the particular House concerned. The individual to whom an opinion is rendered, and any other individual involved in a similar factual situation, and who, after issuance of the opinion acts in good faith in accordance with it shall not be subject to any sanction provided in this Act. (c) The heads of other offices shall perform the duties stated in subsections (a) and (b) hereof insofar as their respective offices are concerned, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Justice, in the case of the Executive Department and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in the case of the Judicial Department. Section 11. Penalties. - (a) Any public official or employee, regardless of whether or not he holds office or employment in a casual, temporary, holdover, permanent or regular capacity, committing any violation of this Act shall be punished with a fine not exceeding the equivalent of six (6) months' salary or suspension not exceeding one (1) year, or removal depending on the gravity of the offense after due notice and hearing by the appropriate body or agency. If the violation is punishable by a heavier penalty under another law, he shall be prosecuted under the latter statute. Violations of Sections 7, 8 or 9 of this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment not exceeding five (5) years, or a fine not exceeding five thousand pesos (P5,000), or both, and, in the discretion of the court of competent jurisdiction, disqualification to hold public office. (b) Any violation hereof proven in a proper administrative proceeding shall be sufficient cause for removal or dismissal of a public official or employee, even if no criminal prosecution is instituted against him. (c) Private individuals who participate in conspiracy as co-principals, accomplices or accessories, with public officials or employees, in violation of this Act, shall be subject to the same penal liabilities as the public officials or employees and shall be tried jointly with them. (d) The official or employee concerned may bring an action against any person who obtains or uses a report for any purpose prohibited by Section 8 (D) of this Act. The Court in which such action is brought may assess against such person a penalty in any amount not to exceed twenty-five thousand pesos (P25,000). If another sanction hereunder or under any other law is heavier, the latter shall apply. Section 12. Promulgation of Rules and Regulations, Administration and Enforcement of this Act. - The Civil Service Commission shall have the primary responsibility for the administration and enforcement of this Act. It shall transmit all cases for prosecution arising from violations of this Act to the proper authorities for appropriate action: Provided, however, That it may institute such administrative actions and disciplinary measures as may be warranted in accordance with law. Nothing in this provision shall be construed as a deprivation of the right of each House of Congress to discipline its Members for disorderly behavior.

The Civil Service Commission is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, including guidelines for individuals who render free voluntary service to the Government. The Ombudsman shall likewise take steps to protect citizens who denounce acts or omissions of public officials and employees which are in violation of this Act. Section 13. Provisions for More Stringent Standards. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed to derogate from any law, or any regulation prescribed by any body or agency, which provides for more stringent standards for its official and employees. Section 14. Appropriations. - The sum necessary for the effective implementation of this Act shall be taken from the appropriations of the Civil Service Commission. Thereafter, such sum as may be needed for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. Section 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance is declared invalid, the remainder of the Act or the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected by such declaration. Section 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees and orders or parts thereof inconsistent herewith, are deemed repealed or modified accordingly, unless the same provide for a heavier penalty. Section 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after thirty (30) days following the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Rules of Subject Verb Agreement

Basic Rule. The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. NOTE: The trick is in knowing whether the subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural verb. Hint: Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order to determine which verb is singular and which one is plural, think of which verb you would use with he or she and which verb you would use with they. Example: talks, talk Which one is the singular form? Which word would you use with he? We say, "He talks." Therefore, talks is singular. We say, "They talk." Therefore, talk is plural. Rule 1. Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb. Example: Rule 2. My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.

Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in Rule 1. Examples: Neither Juan nor Carmen is available. Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 3.

When I is one of the two subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am. Example: Neither she nor I am going to the festival.

Rule 4.

When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb. Example: The serving bowl or the plates go on that shelf.

Rule 5.

When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb. Example: Neither Jenny nor the others are available.

Rule 6.

As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and. Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

Rule 7.

Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb. Examples: The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly. Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 8.

The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of. Examples: Each of the girls sings well. Every one of the cakes is gone. NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.

Rule 9.

With words that indicate portionspercent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, and so forth look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb. Examples: Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared. Pie is the object of the preposition of. Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared. Pies is the object of the preposition. One-third of the city is unemployed. One-third of the people are unemployed. NOTE: Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions. All of the pie is gone. All of the pies are gone. Some of the pie is missing. Some of the pies are missing. None of the garbage was picked up. None of the sentences were punctuated correctly. Of all her books, none have sold as well as the first one.

NOTE: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. However, according to Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism" (p. 664).

Rule 10.

The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the expression number is followed by a plural verb. Examples: The number of people we need to hire is thirteen. A number of people have written in about this subject.

Rule 11.

When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs. Examples: Neither of them is available to speak right now. Either of us is capable of doing the job.

Rule 12.

The words here and there have generally been labeled as adverbs even though they indicate place. In sentences beginning with here or there, the subject follows the verb.

Examples:

There are four hurdles to jump. There is a high hurdle to jump.

Rule 13.

Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time. Examples: Ten dollars is a high price to pay. Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.

Rule 14.

Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of a verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So, if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb. Examples: Salma is the scientist who writes/write the reports. The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes. He is one of the men who does/do the work. The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.

Rule 15.

Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence. Examples: The staff is in a meeting. Staff is acting as a unit here. The staff are in disagreement about the findings. The staff are acting as separate individuals in this example. The sentence would read even better as: The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.

Parts of a Book
Cover - To put something over or upon, as to protect, conceal or enclose. Spine - The back part of the book and it faces outward when you shelf the book right. Title Page the page in the front of a book that tells the title, author and illustrator. Copyright Page - Where the copyright date is found. Dedication Page - its the place where the author dedicates the book to someone.

Table of Contents-A list of the chapters listed in the order they can be found in the book Forward/Spine - An introduction by someone other than the author, and it is usually a famous person.. Text (or Body) - the text of a book. The story or information. Glossary - A list of specialized words and their definitions. Usually found in a science book or a book with unique vocabulary. Bibliography - A list of books found in the back of a book. These are either books the author has used for research or books recommended for further study of the topic. Index- An alphabetical listing of the subjects and the pages where they can be located. Found in the back of a book.

WH Question Words
We use question words to ask certain types of questions (question word questions). We often refer to them as WH words because they include the letters WH (for example WHy, HoW).
Question Word what Function asking for information about something asking for repetition or confirmation what...for when where asking for a reason, asking why asking about time asking in or at what place or position Example What is your name? What? I can't hear you. You did what? What did you do that for? When did he leave? Where do they live?

which who

asking about choice asking what or which person or people (subject) asking what or which person or people (object) asking about ownership asking for reason, asking what...for making a suggestion asking about manner asking about condition or quality

Which color do you want? Who opened the door?

whom

Whom did you see? Whose are these keys? Whose turn is it? Why do you say that? Why don't I help you? How does this work? How was your exam? see examples below How far is Baguio from Pangasinan? How long will it take? How many cars are there? How much money do you have? How old are you? How come I can't see her?

whose why why don't how

how + adj/adv how far how long how many how much how old how come (informal)

asking about extent or degree distance length (time or space) quantity (countable) quantity (uncountable) age asking for reason, asking why

A List of General References Found in the Library

Well-Known Reference Books

All libraries have a Reference Section that is filled with noncirculating reference books. This means you can use the book while you are in the library, but you cannot check it out. The most commonly used Reference Section titles include dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias and atlases.

Lesser Known Reference Books

The Reference Section also has a lot of lesser known resources that can actually be quite useful. An almanac is packed with all types of facts and statistics. A concordance pinpoints key words and phrases in well-known texts like the Bible. Guidebooks are great for travelers who want to find out all about an exotic location they plan to visit. Manuals are useful for students trying to learn "howto" do just about anything.

Searchable Databases

Many libraries also subscribe to searchable databases that provide their patrons with access to a wide variety of off-site information. These databases provide safe and secure access to thousands of newspapers, magazines, journals, websites and reference books. The information they contain is prescreened to be credible and current.

Other Types of References

Beyond hardbound books and online resources, you will also find newspapers, magazines, academic and trade journals, legal resources, professional directories and many other helpful texts at your local library.

FIGURE OF SPEECH
A figure of speech is a change from the ordinary manner of expression, using words in other than their literal sense to enhance the way a thought is expressed. The following are the more common figures of Speech you can use to achieve some interesting "effects" in your writing:

1. Alliteration: the same sound is repeated noticeably at the beginning of words

placed close together

2. Allusion: casual reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event. 3. Apostrophe: direct address of an absent or dead person or personified thing.

Invocation: an apostrophe to a god or muse. Examples-- "God help me!""Ambition, you're a cruel master!"

4. Irony: using words to mean the opposite of what is said.

Sarcasm: cutting, sneering or taunting irony.

Examples-- "He's handsome if you like rodents."

Hyperbole: exaggeration not meant to be taken literally.

Examples--"I waited forever for him.", "I destroyed that test!", "The world ended the day my father died."

Understatement: the representation of something as significantly less than it actually is.

e.g. "That was some sprinkle." (in reference to the four inches of rain which fell an hour before)

5. Metaphor: an implied comparison between things, events, or actions which are

fundamentally unlike.

Metonymy: substituting a word--which is suggested by it or which is closely associated with it--for another word Examples-- "He hit the bottle soon after his wife died." ,"She counted heads.", "The White House denied the allegations." Synecdoche: using a part for the whole or the whole for a part
e.g. "The pen is mightier than the sword"

Personification: representing a thing, quality, or idea as a person Examples-- "The book just begged to be read.","The ocean screamed its fury", "Fear lived with us in Vietnam."
Recommendations: o o

The comparison should be more evocative and appealing than the literal, plain statement of the thought Use sparingly. Too much of this and you call attention to yourself as the author instead of leaving your reader immersed in your story

6. Onomatopoeia: using words to imitate the sound they represent

Examples--"I heard the hiss of steam down in the access tunnel.", "The clock in the living room cuckooed the hour.", "The clang of the cymbals echoed across the square."

7. Parallelism (aka "Balance"): Expressing two ideas of equal

importance through similar phrasing.

Antithesis: parallelism in grammatical pattern but strong contrast in meaning. Examples--"Give me liberty or give me death!", "That isn't the truth, it's a lie.", "You seem so wise, yet how foolish you are." Recommendation: Don't use too much of this; it can easily wear on the reader. Paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory. The effect of this is to jolt the reader into paying attention.
Examples-- "He who loses his life for My sake will save it., "One day is sometimes better than a whole year.

Oxymoron: a paradoxical statement in which two contradictory terms or words are brought together.
Examples--"The quiet was deafening.", "He was clearly misunderstood.", "They were alone together."

Anaphora: repetition of the same word or words at the beginning or successive clauses, verses, or sentences,
e.g., "He came as conqueror. He came as ally. He came as a stranger. He came as brother."

Climax: The arrangement of a series of ideas or events in ascending order of importance, interest, or effectiveness. Stresses the relative importance of ideas or events. Anticlimax: the use of climax up to the end of a series of thoughts and then the insertion of some unimportant idea in the last, most important position. Useful in humorous writing

8. Simile: an explicit comparison between things, events, or actions which are

fundamentally unlike. .

Typically involves the words "like" or "as" Examples:"His arguments withered like grapevines in the fall.", "He was cold as an arctic wind.", "Crooked as a dog's hind leg.", "Casual dress, like casual speech,

tends to be loose, relaxed and colorful" Recommendations: The comparison should be more evocative and appealing than the literal, plain statement of the though Use sparingly. Too much of this and you call attention to yourself as the author instead of leaving your reader immersed in your story
If a simile seems too awkward, convert it into a metaphor to see if it works better; but note that not every simile can be turned into a metaphor.

PUNCTUATION MARKS AND THEIR COMMON FUNCTIONS

1. Period ( . ) To indicate the end of a declarative sentence Example: Here is the place. To indicate that letters are used as abbreviations Example: Dr. Carle D. Reynolds To indicate decimal fractions Example: 16.34 2. Three Periods--Ellipses () To indicate that a portion of quoted matter is omitted Example: To receive, obey, and pass on 3. Comma ( , ) To separate independent clauses joined by a conjunction Example: This is the street, but I dont know the number of the house. Note: no comma is used unless each statement is independent. Example: You will police the area and maintain a fire watch. To separate parts of a series Example: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday To separate coordinate or equal adjectives in a series Example: a loud, sharp blast Note: Unless the adjectives modify the same noun in the same way, they are not in series and no comma is used. To test, check if the adjectives can be reversed. If not, no comma. Example: heavy woolen clothing To separate introductory statements beginning with such words as when, while, since, if, because, until, although, and whenever (or other subordinate conjunctions) Example: When the rain was falling, there was very little wind. To set off introductory prepositional phrases (starting with on, in, at, to, by, for, of, through, etc.) Example: By the time she crawled into bed, she was too exhausted to sleep. Note: Short prepositional phrases (3 words or less) are not always followed by commas. Example: In Japan he served as platoon commander. To separate non-essential elements from the rest of the sentence. A non-essential element is a word or group of words that gives additional identifying information about someone or something already identified; its non-essential because the sentence is still clear without it. Examples: The President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, rates a salute. I visited Albany, the capital of the state of New York. Note: Commas are NOT placed around essential elementsthose that limit meaning or give identifying information about someone or something not already identified. Example: The procedure that you are required to follow is explained in TM 5-250. To set off introductory phrases beginning with verb participles ending in ing, -ed, -en, etc.

Example: Having turned off the lathe, I stopped the motor. To set off such expressions as you, no, well, on the other hand, you might say, and of course, (such expressions are called interrupters) Example: He was, of course, the first person I saw. To set off such expressions as he said from direct quotations Example: That decision, he explained, must be your own. Note: No comma is used to separate such expressions from the rest of the sentence if the sentence is an indirect quotation (often introduced with the word that). Example: He explained that the decision must be my own. To separate contrasting elements Example: The wall is gray, not blue. To prevent misreading Example: Undressing, the child ran into the bathroom. To set off the name of a person addressed Example: Frank, may I borrow your skill saw? 4. Semicolon ( ; ) To separate independent statements that are not joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) Example: Black is a mixture of all colors; white is the complete opposite. Note: If the independent statements are short, a comma may be used. Example: Horses sweat, men perspire. To separate independent statements when the second statement begins with such conjunctive adverbs or phrases like therefore, however, thus, otherwise, on the other hand, for example, in fact, that is, etc. Example: I submitted a request six months in advance; still, I did not receive a permit in time for the departure. To separate independent statements joined by conjunctions if such statements are long or they contain internal punctuation Example: Classic science fiction sagas include Star Trek, with Mr. Spock and his large pointed ears; Battlestar Galactica, with its Cylon Raiders; and Star Wars, with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. 5. Apostrophe ( ) To show possession (if the word does not end in s, add an apostrophe and an s.) Example: The doctors advice, the housewifes choice, mans clothing, Martins house Note: If the word is singular and ends in s or an s sound, use apostrophe and an s Example: Mr. Schultzs car unless pronunciation is awkward: Example: Miss Simmons coat To indicate the omission of letters in contractions Examples: cant, wont, doesnt, havent, its To form the plural of letters, words, and symbols that do not have logical plurals Example: three 2s, too many &s, and seven cs 6. Dash ( ) To indicate a sudden, abrupt break of an unfinished word or sentence Example: She will take charge of this post and Wait a minute. Who are you? To set off a summary of a preceding series Example: Food, clothing, shelter, and a sense of humor those are the things a man needs to survive. 7. Hyphen ( - ) To join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun Example: a one-way street, chocolate-covered peanuts Use a hyphen with compound numbers Example: forty-six, sixty-three Our much-loved teacher was sixty-three years old. To avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters

Example: re-sign a petition (vs. resign from a job) semi-independent (but semiconscious) shell-like (but childlike) Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex- (meaning former), self-, all-; with the suffix -elect; between a prefix and a capitalized word; and with figures or letters Example: ex-husband, self-assured To divide words at the end of a line if necessary, or show a break between syllables Example: pre-fer-ence, sell-ing 8. Quotation Marks (__ and __) To set off quoted matter (including punctuation marks, usually. See a handbook for details.) Example: I saw it, he replied. Note: Indirect quotes are not set off by quotations. Example: He said that the decision must be my own. To indicate a quotation within a quotation (single quotation marks) Example: I replied, When I asked him if he had ever heard of the American Revolution, he said, I saw it. To enclose titles of short stories, poems, magazine articles, portions of books, and individual television show episodes Example: Good diagrams can be found in the chapter entitled Engine Constructions in Dean Austins book Automotive Mechanics. 9. Italics ____________________ To indicate the titles of books, plays, magazines, long musical compositions, works of art, movies, and television show series Example: I highly recommend The Technique of Clear Writing, by Robert Gunning. To indicate use of foreign words Example: And there I was, en dishabille. To indicate that the writer is referring to a word rather than to the sense that it conveys Examples: He mistook was for saw. Can you spell precede? (Note: Letters, figures, and symbols, when used as such, are also italicized.) Examples: The m looks like a w. Type & rather than and. 10. Parentheses ( ) To set off digressions or elements which provide extra information Example: The progress report (Form #78) is submitted each week. I told him (Travers) exactly what to do. To enclose numbers and letters enumerating parts Example: The principal parts are (1) the present tense, (2) the past tense, and (3) the past participle. 11. Brackets [ ] To set off material inserted in a direct quotation Example: Audubon reports that if there are not enough young to balance deaths, the end of the species [California condor] is inevitable. 12. Colon ( : ) Used after an independent clause (complete sentence) to direct attention to a list, an appositive, or a quotation Example: He laid down three rules: no smoking, no idle talk, and no sleeping. Example: A rainbow consists of the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Example: The speaker quoted a popular saying: We grow too soon old and too late smart.

To separate two independent clauses (complete sentences) when the second one summarizes or explains the first Example: Faith is like love: it cannot be forced. 13. Slash ( / ) To indicate the end of a line of poetry Example: Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough, / A Flash of wine, a Book of verse and Thou To set off phonemic transcriptions Example: In French the /e/ is pronounced as /A/. To separate paired terms (use sparingly) Example: pass/fail producer/director

Storytelling techniques
Selecting the right story The art of storytelling begins by selecting just the right story. Stories that are especially suitable for storytelling are myths, fables, legends, ghost/scary stories, tall tales, fairy, and folk tales. Bringing the Story to Life Once you have chosen a story, read the story, and become very familiar with it. Pull out the essence of the story. Where are the moments of description? Where is the action? Description is imagery or language that appeals to the five senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight. Imagery creates pictures

in the mind of the reader. The more details given, the clearer the picture. Emphasizing moments of description with sensory language can engage the senses of your audience. The Props of the Storyteller The storyteller's props are his or her voice, gestures, and sounds. Use your voice to create the appropriate mood for the moment in the story. If the character is in peril, then your voice should also sound as if you are in peril. Read sound affects as if they are actually happening.