Reflective Essay: Improving Writing Skills

Writing is a practice that most of us were taught when we were young. We were taught the basics of grammar, how to form a sentence, conjunction words, how to write paragraphs and more. Although we have learned this skill while growing up and have used the skill every year after entering kindergarten, this does not mean our writing process will ensure the best work. The authors that I chose each encourage their audience to excel in the art of writing in their own way to help with the writing process.

I always thought that my writing skills were pretty good until I started this class. It has been thirteen years since I graduated high school and I quickly realized that I had a lot of “refreshing” to do as far as writing papers. I actually felt very discouraged when I took the grammar test and did not score very well. I knew that I had to dedicate myself and put a lot of effort into this class to really improve. The practice quizzes were a major help to refresh on everything I must have forgotten since high school. Being able to write a quality paper is a skill that everyone should master. Writing is such a major part of communication in this day and age so being able to write an intelligent paper will benefit you not just through school but also through life. Writing skills are a reflection of intelligence and I want to perfect my writing the best that I can. Being able to write a quality paper is a skill that everyone should master. Writing is such a major part of communication in this day and age so being able to write an intelligent paper will benefit you not just through school but also through life. Writing skills are a reflection of intelligence and I want to perfect my writing the best that I can.

To begin with, English II has been an intriguing course with an abundance of knowledge accumulation. There are plenty of wide range topics we had been over with significant historical, personal, emotional and cultural value. The three main subjects I was very absorbed by was The Secret Life of Bees, Jim Crow and debate. These topics have inspired me to invest more time in literature and the education it provides for everyday life.

Upon entering English 111, I knew I would be writing papers. However, I did not anticipate how much room I had for improvement. Throughout this term I have been enlightened with so much knowledge that I may have forgotten or have been exposed to for the first time. Certainly, my experience with essay writing has been solidified due to newfound knowledge of proper work citing, MLA standards and the steps of planning an essay. Perhaps, my time away from a learning environment slowed me down a bit, other times I feel as though I have an advantage due to life experience. An online environment has certainly been challenging but throughout the course I have provided solid work and consistent grades commendable of an A grading.

If you are not in a hurry and want to analysis your writing in detail, then you must check out Slick Write. Slick Write not only points out your errors but also gives you an analysis of your writing which lists phrases, filler words, uncommon words, adverbs, passive words, prepositions and lots more. Once in a while, I keep track how I am improving my writing with Slick Write. It’s a good way to know progress in the quality of your

After looking over my recent GRW essay and the comments made on it by professor Prud’homme, I have concluded my work could be significantly improved with further revision prior to submission. I need to be more careful when editing my writing and possibly read it backwards to make sure I'm not overlooking simple errors. Through improving my editing and reviewing process I also think it will help to identify sentences needing further clarification. By acknowledging these weaknesses in my writing process I strongly believe it will lead to improvement in my overall writing abilities on future assignments.

I totally agree with what the author is saying in the text. It takes time to get a good product out even though we think some people are deep and wonderful they still have the same struggles that we have when it comes to writing. I like this text because it is realistic it is giving an account of first drafts from common day people and shows how it is even for professional writers have problems with. This point is important because as people we sometimes feel we are not as good or capable of doing something not realizing that the people we look up to have the same problems we do. Another point that I agree with the author on is that you have to start somewhere. Many times as writers we don’t know where to start when it comes to writing. That being said we will just sit and think for ten twenty minutes when we could've just been information on the paper and then editing it later. In addition I liked that the author used examples from his professional experience when it came to writing food reviews. By him using details like how he went to the restaurant and sat down with friends and took notes of what was said. This was good to me because it helps me connect with him and the things that he does to write his reviews.

     One of the techniques I am going to use through out college is talking to

Essay have never been my strong suite. This semester however, my writing ability has improved. My progress is evident when I look over my assignment five essay and see the mistakes highlighted. These mistakes are what I now look for while editing my work. I am still improving with every piece of writing I create, but I revise differently by looking specifically for my weaknesses. I have been successful in my attempts because I do not make the same mistakes as I used to. I now use more resources than I previously did to embellish my writing process. The combination of these changes has greatly improved my final pieces of writing.

This fall semester in ESL 91has been pretty interesting, and so far successful. The main object of this semester was to improve our essay writing. We were taught various lab techniques that helped us to improve our English writing skills, such as using appropriate verb tense and how to write a research paper with a works cited. Through my work on the research paper I have learned how to write in an academic style, how to find appropriate sources from an academic database, and how to cite my sources. Most of all, I can say that my reading skills have improved because the research for our papers required me to do a lot of critical reading.

Another key writing skill I have mastered in this class is how to develop an idea. Even though I understood that a writer should use fact and examples to support an argument, I failed to create texts to convince readers. In this class, I have learned how to use rhetorical strategies to develop an idea and appeal to readers effectively. For example, in my position essay, I built logos by crafting a clear thesis statement, providing solid evidence to support my claim, and arranging my argument in a reasoned manner. I enhanced my credibility through acknowledging the opposite view and documenting sources appropriately. I also engaged the readers’ emotions by using examples. By recognizing and incorporating these strategies in my essays, I can

Throughout my time in this course, I feel my writing skills have improved tremendously. I am now more capable of composing more organized, grammatically correct, and cohesive essays. In addition to acquiring many important writing skills during this course, I also learned how to write an MLA formatted essay. The many assignments requiring MLA format helped me to learn this skill, including the reflective essay, profile essay, MLA quiz, annotated bibliography, and the research paper. As a writer now compare to in the beginning of this course, I feel like I have a better understanding of how to structure an essay and how to properly write essays in a timely manner. The more essays I completed, the easier it became to effectively structure and make my essays sound as fluid as possible.

As I reflect on my writing skills I can see that I am a strong writer but I need a lot of work to polish my work. One of the strengths that I have is that I do not have a hard time just sitting down and writing out my thoughts. I have always enjoyed writing and being able to express my opinions and feelings. Even though writing comes to me with ease, grammar and spelling do not.

Over the course of my studies at university, I have grown and learned more about academic writing and numerous writing styles. I believe there is so much room for me to master my writing skills to succeed and complete my degree and improve my academic writing and personal skills through more practice. However, I have become concerned with my first attempt submitting my piece of paper through the online test in the Writers’ Diet diagnostic tool and was labelled ‘flabby’ in my writing. Analysing my errors and referring to the textbook ’Communication Toolkit’ by Grellier and Goerke (2014), also submitting my piece of writing to Grammarly and paper rater I was able to measure my weakness in the area of sentence structure, punctuation and grammar.

Before I came to college, I felt my writing had to follow a certain pattern and be fixated around one way of thinking. What I was fortunate to learn was quite the opposite. Writing does not have to follow any certain pattern, but can rather be structured through many different possibilities. I was also told in high school that my papers either had to agree or disagree with the given topic, even if I believed otherwise. This formulated a very one-track way of thinking when it came to my papers. Now I know that I can let my mind explore new and exciting ideas. I can agree, disagree, compliment, criticize, and question the author however my heart desires, as long as I have the evidence to back myself up. Many authors in the book, Writing About Writing, explain their processes as well as the processes of others when it comes to writing. As a writer, I can draw on my own processes and relate them to the authors, as well as use their ideas and apply them to myself. Through reading, I have learned new methods of invention, planning and revising, and incubation when it comes to writing. All ways I can use to create more meaningful and creative work.