ENGLISH 8

Name of Learner:
Grade Level:
Section:
Date:

EXAMINE BIASES ( FOR OR AGAINST) MADE BY THE AUTHOR

Title
Objectives:
As you go through this lesson, you are expected to:
A. recognize the difference between objective and a biased account of an event
B. examine biases ( for or against) made by the author
PRE-TEST
Read each item carefully. Choose the best answer for each number.

1. My son's girlfriend is very rude.  She calls so late at night--sometimes as late as 9:00 at night!
 Last week she called me Sara instead of Mrs. Olson--I quickly corrected her.  So disrespectful.
 Today she came over for lunch and brought cookies--without even asking if it was okay.  What if
I had already made cookies?
The author is biased against...

A. Rude children
B. Her son
C. Her son's girlfriend

2. Which of the underlined words help show the author's bias?

My son's girlfriend is very rude.  She calls so late at night--sometimes as late as 9:00 at night!
 Last week she called me Sara instead of Mrs. Olson--I quickly corrected her. 
A. girlfriend
B. rude
C. week

3. An author writing about Mustang Convertibles uses words such as: 

performance, speed, fuel-efficiency, wind, luxury
What can you infer about the author's bias?
A. Dislikes sports cars
B. Likes Mustang Convertibles
C. Thinks Mustangs are for old people
4. What does it mean to show bais?
A. to be angry
B. to favor one side over another
C. to refuse to take a side

5. True or False: Everybody is biased 

A. True
B. False
6. An author has good credibility when you can prove that they have used valid facts and materials,
and that you can trust their writing.
A. True
B. False
7. Which statement is NOT an example of author bias?
A. The best new song is Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself"
B. The #1 song on the Billboard Top 100 this week is Rhianna's "Work"
C. "One Call" is the worst song.

8. ______ is the preference or opinion that prevents one from approaching a topic with a neutral
point of view.
A. Loaded Language
B. Credibility
C. Bias
9. The degree to which a source is trustworthy and believable.
A. Loaded Language
B. Credibility
C. Preference
10. Words or phrases that are used to inspire emotion or influence and audience by using an appeal to
emotions.
A. Loaded Language
B. Credibility
D. Preference

Background Information for Learners:

What is Bias?
“Bias in writing can be defined as: 
● A prejudice against something an author is writing about. 
● Favoritism for something an author is writing about. 
● An author letting feelings or emotions cloud his/her objectivity concerning something he/she is
writing about.  
Recognizing Bias
● Look for loaded words – words that are charged with emotion (whether positive or negative) can
reveal an author’s opinion about his/her topic. 
● Watch out for stereotypes – if the author labels an entire group, the writing is probably biased. 
● Notice vague language or generalizations – if the author isn’t using specific language, this could
be an indicator of bias. 
● Be on the lookout for one-sided arguments – if the author only presents one side of an argument,
his/her writing is probably biased. 
● Does the author present facts or opinions? Facts are what they are – the truth. But opinions can be
based on feelings, emotions, or prejudices, which aren’t objective.

Here are some examples of words that denote bias. Biased words often are full of emotions.  

awful better fun miserabl terrible

amazing disgustin good e unbelievabl
bad g great more e
beautifu exciting handsom most ugly
l favorite e smart very
best frightful horrible stupid
The following are indicators of biases for you to keep in mind when reading.
● What is the author’s point of view on the issue?
● What does the author stand to gain?
● Does the author present the other side of the story?  
● If yes, was the author objective in presenting the other side of the matter?
One important skill in critical reading is the ability to distinguish the author’s bias and prejudice.   When
the author is biased on an issue, he or she becomes subjective and presents only one side of the story, thus
may lead to false impressions or worse inaccurate information.

An Example of Bias

 “When I met with Mayor Abu Bakkar, I noticed that he had a graceless (a loaded, negatively charged
word) appearance. He was unshaven and wearing dirty clothes (one-sided – notice that the author doesn’t
tell us why the Mayor was dressed this way. Maybe there was a good reason). He spoke to me about his
horrible plan to fix our city’s roads (vague language – what specifically is horrible about it?). Anyone
who knows the plan will tell you that it will bankrupt our city (is this a fact or opinion? The author offers
no supporting evidence). The plan to fix our roads mostly benefits friends of the Mayor. He plans to pay
his buddies in the construction business millions of pesos over the next two years. I do not want to insult
anyone, but the Mayor is of Muslim descent, and we all know what reputation they have in this part of the
country. Need I remind you of Abu Sayyaf? (This is clearly a stereotype).” 
Scenario  #1:
You want to watch an upcoming thriller movie and so you read movie reviews online.  You came
across the blog of the famous movie critic, Cameron Panis Jr.  He isn’t a fan of Vince Disel, the star of the
movie  “Pandemic Revolution” because of an incident when Vince spilled sauce on Cameron’s shoes. 
Although Cameron enjoyed the movie, he didn’t put on a good review and commented that Vince Disel is
a lousy actor who just paraded his muscled body.
Note:  The critic is biased because he didn’t like the actor, thus the review is not believable.  
Scenario #2:
Minchin is interested in buying a new smartphone since it will be needed for his online classes. 
She goes to the All Phone Store and inquires about the latest A Phone series.  Mr. Barnie, the manager,
discourages Minchin from buying A Phone and stating its limitations and keeps on showing Minchin
different models of phones.  Minchin finds out that All Phone Store does not sell A Phone series. 
Obviously, Mr. Barnie is biased against phones he doesn’t sell in his store.

Learning Competency with Code:

Examine Biases ( For or Against) Made by the Author

A. Three of the many possible sources of bias are listed below. Try matching these sources with the paragraphs
that follow. There may be more than one answer.

A. The writer has received incomplete information.

B. The writer is trying to influence or convince the reader.
C. The writer’s past experience is influencing his or her thinking.

1. The pollution in our river is caused by the big factory upstream. The people who own the factory are
only interested in making money. They don’t care about the environment at all. I heard about them from my
friend Barry, and he knows what he’s talking about.

2. Every morning, my grandfather’s rooster crows when it is still dark. About five minutes later, the sun
comes up. I don’t know how it works, but my grandfather’s rooster is responsible for the sunrise!

3. On the Internet, I learned about a place where aliens have secretly landed a spaceship on Earth. They’re
going to take over the world, and when they do, they’ll put all of the redheaded people like me in charge.
You’d better be nice to me!

4. Our new science textbook will be terrific! I have used other textbooks by the same company, and they
are always well-written and accurate. One of the teachers at our school says this is the best textbook she’s
ever used.

B. Read each paragraph; then, choose the best answer to the question that follows to find out if you
can identify bias.

New cars are not built as well as they used to be. Owners of new cars in 2002 have more complaints about
their automobiles than in past years. In fact, the recalling of new cars by their makers is becoming a
routine practice in America. Instead of insisting upon safe, well-designed products, carmakers seem more
concerned with throwing together shoddy automobiles and making a profit. Invariably, new cars need
parts replaced almost as soon as the warranty expires. Unfortunately, people need transportation, so they
continue to buy new automobiles.

1. The author shows bias against

a. new car owners
b. foreign car manufacturers
c. car repair shops
d. automobile manufacturers

Everyone who cooks should own a food processor. This marvelous invention is now being used by over
12 million vegetarians, compared with only half that number a couple of years ago. Vegetarians rarely
have a weight problem since most vegetables are low in calories and contain little or no fat. They do not
suffer a build-up of cholesterol in the bloodstream as they grow older. Some doctors have suggested a link
between vegetarianism and longevity. As Americans become more health-conscious, vegetarianism will
certainly become more popular.

2. The author show bias for

a. eating more vegetables
b. avoiding cholesterol
c. eating “health foods”
d. becoming a vegetarian

America is certainly a strong military power; it now has the nuclear power to destroy the entire world.
We are not the only country that has this capacity. The threat of nuclear war affects all of us.

3. The author seems biased against

a. American military power
b. other countries
c. nuclear arms
d. the world

An independent insurance agent works directly for you, not for a large, anonymous organization. The
agent must provide you with the best policy at the lowest price if he is to remain in business. The agent’s
job is to help you find a policy that suits your needs. This may cover your life, health, home, or
automobile. Independent insurance agents are free to recommend the best policy, regardless of which
insurance company provides it.

4. The author show bias in favor of

a. using an independent insurance agent
b. selecting an insurance policy on your own
c. avoiding low-cost insurance policies
d. buying insurance from a well-known company

The entire so-called science of parapsychology is simply a clever fraud. The attention of
parapsychologists is focused on false claims that fall outside the bounds of normal human experience,
including extrasensory perception. These parapsychologists know about as much about real science as the
town drunk. In truth, their experiments have been shown to be impossible to replicate, which is a
fundamental qualification for a science.

5. The author shows bias against

a. scientists
b. experimentation
c. parapsychologists
d. the town drunk

POST TEST
Directions: Write the bias statements in the boxes and in the center circle the summary of the author’s
bias.

When I met with Mayor Geovelli, I noticed that he had the appearance of a hobo. He was
unshaved and wearing dirty clothes. He spoke to me about his horrible plan to fix our city’s roads
horrible. Anyone who knows the plan will tell you that it will bankrupt our city. The plan to fix our roads
mostly benefits friends of the Mayor. He plans to pay his buddies in the construction business thousands
of dollars over the next two years. I do not want to insult anyone, but the Mayor is of Italian decent, and
we all know what reputation they have in this part of the country. Need I remind you of Al Capone and
other Italian Mafia members?
Guide Questions (if necessary)
How do emotions affect your views when reading a particular text?

References for Learners:

● https://www.wcpss.net/cms/lib/NC01911451/Centricity/Domain/3855/Authors%20Bi
as%20Notes.pdf
● https://www.mdc.edu/kendall/collegeprep/documents2/BIASrev819.pdf
● https://www.mdc.edu/kendall/collegeprep/documents2/BIASrev819.pdf
● https://www.slideshare.net/mariaahmad82/media-text-analysis

Prepared:
ANA ROSE CAROL S. PEREZ
Teacher I

Checked: Approved:

MARIBINI D. DE MESA PURIFICACION D. PAGUILIGAN

Master Teacher I Head Teacher