...Danielle Hufmann 16158396 dah369@mail.missouri.edu English 1000 I have a confession to make, one that made me feel empty-headed for many years; I used to be horrible at essays! Throughout my education career I have had a difficult time writing papers, whether it was a creative writing story or a research paper. But as I struggled through every essay in English class I was able to learn a great deal of tips to help me through every mistake I made along the way, which helped me some but still, I felt lost. I have always dreaded having to write essays in English classes because I knew it would most likely only hurt my grade, but all of that changed once I found a teacher who I could open up to and who genuinely cared about me succeeding in her class. I then went from having no confidence in any of my essays, to having a smile on my face when I received them back with an A on the front. I may have struggled when it came to how to construct an essay and how to make it flow, but by the time I finished Mrs. Wiley’s class my junior year all of that changed for me. All right so now I guess the secrets out! Although I may be a good writer now, lets start back at the beginning. As I use to sit there at my desk while the teacher was handing out the rubric for the next writing assignment my hands would start to sweat and the nerves would start to kick in. All I could do was stare at my laptop not knowing where to even start. The only thing that had ever stuck with me is to use the...
Words: 812 - Pages: 4
...The final position paper helped me grow as a writer even more than the previous two essays we have done. The reason I feel this way is because as I was beginning to write the paper I caught myself analysing what I was writing from the beginning, and not just waiting to look back at the end. My writing style matured also while writing this paper. I realized what words to avoid and found acceptable words to replace the ones I could not use. These are reasons I believe I grew as a writer from this one paper. Even though I did grow as a writer through this paper it does not mean it was a smooth writing process. Researching was not hard because I already had most of my sources and new exactly what I was looking for in the new articles I had to find. Once I had all of the sources I needed to write this paper is when the challenges appeared. I had troubles finding a good introduction to start my paper, and my thesis was not turning out how I wanted it to. After I finally got an introduction that was decent I focused on writing my body paragraphs. Organization was something I had struggled with in the past, so I spent time deciding what order I should write ideas in each paragraph. This was frustrating at times because it seemed like no matter how I organized the details it did not...
Words: 513 - Pages: 3
...The Freedom Writers book is way different from the Freedom Writers movie. In the book they finish it at their senior year fall semester. In the movie they finished the movie on their sophomore year spring semester. In the movie they didn’t read all the students diary they mostly read Eva’s diary, also Andre, Marcus, Gloria, sindy, Tito, and Victoria. In the book they showed everyone's diary, they even showed Mrs Gruwell's diary entries. Eva was mostly the main character in the movie. Another different thing was in the movie they would add extra things to the scene. They would show the stuff that they said in the diary entry but they would add little extra scene to it to make it a little more excited. They start the movie with Eva, she starts explaining the how it all works where she is from and also everyone is divided with the race. The the next scene it starts with Ms Gruwell, she is barely starting to work in Wilson High School. There was a part in the movie when it was the students freshmen year. Their first...
Words: 1172 - Pages: 5
...writing habits for beginning arugmengive writers. Specifically, Graff and Birkenstein argue that the types of writing templates they offer are sophisticated thinking and writing templates, in which take a lot of practice, and use in order to master. As the authors themselves put it, “the immediate goal of this book is to help you become a better writer, at a deeper level it invites you to become a certain type of person: a critical, intelligent thinker who instead of sitting passively on the sidelines, can participate in the debates and conservation of our world in an active and empowered way.” Although some people disagree with the ways...
Words: 457 - Pages: 2
...Poetry Analysis Essay October 13, 2009 Instructor: Liza Erpelo English 110 AK The Prompt • Choose a poem from R. Zamora Linmark’s The Evolution of a Sigh and write an essay in which you analyze the poem’s literary elements (parts of the poem and figures of speech) and use this analysis to interpret the meaning of this poem. The Prompt • In other words, what is the poem saying and what literary elements does the author use to demonstrate this message? Introduction Provide the necessary background information in 3 to 5 sentences: title of poem poet’s name/any relevant biographical facts summary of the poem’s subject or topic. Thesis • In your thesis, identify the literary element(s) to be analyzed and the approach or direction of the analysis. • What message is the poem sending? Sample Thesis Statement #1 In “First Lessons,” R. Zamora Linmark uses allusions to describe how not to write a poem, and then he uses imagery and allusions to describe how to write a poem properly. Sample Thesis Statement #2 R. Zamora Linmark in “First Lessons” uses imagery and verbal irony to describe how a writer can discover his or her topic, then through diction and allusion, tells the writer how to write a poem that will leave a lasting impression on readers. Sample Thesis Statement #3 In the poem “First Lessons,” R. Zamora Linmark uses allusion and visual imagery in a playful way to teach writers what to avoid and what to incorporate when composing poems based on other literary...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
...I have never considered my self a good writer. The idea of writing a “perfect paper” seemed like an unreachable concept. However, this year, my writing has improved greatly. I am not a five star writer, but i am reaching to better skills now, rather than where i was at the beginning of my freshman year. With the practice and building up my skills, i have improved in certain areas ad a writer. throughout this year, i have improved on the idea of properly analyzing evidence. For the book club unit towards the beginning of the year, I read the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, which told the story of Christopher, a boy with autism. The essay focused on the idea of how Christopher had locus of control. The evidence worked for the point I was...
Words: 947 - Pages: 4
...Imagine reading a poorly written review of a movie that you would like to see this weekend. You cannot follow the characters, action, or conflict because the author of the review rambles on and on. Without clear paragraphs, this review will likely lose your interest, and you may skip the movie altogether! When you are the writer, it is helpful to position yourself as a reader. Ask yourself whether you can focus easily on each point you make. Effective writers use a single paragraph for each new idea they introduce. Paragraphs separate ideas into logical, manageable, and distinct units. Each paragraph focuses on only one main idea and presents coherent sentences to support that single point. Because all the sentences in one paragraph support the same point, a paragraph may stand on its own. Each paragraph is shaped by Purpose: the reason why the writer composes the paragraph. < Tone: the attitude the writer conveys about the paragraph’s subject. < Audience: the individual or group whom the writer intends to address. < Content: the written material in the paragraph. < 174 WRITING FOR SUCCESS To create longer assignments and to discuss more than one point, writers group together paragraphs and link them together with transitions. The assignment’s purpose, audience, and tone dictate the content, which determines what paragraphs cover and how each will support a main point. The main point of the paragraph is the message you want to share with the...
Words: 11739 - Pages: 47
...Good writing is clear thinking made visible. A writer has to have a direction and vision. If they don’t, how will they be able to guide the reader? When these tools are in place it will help the direction of the writer and the intended message. As a matter of fact, Proulx’s metaphor of “digging is never done because the shovel scrapes at life itself” relates to good writing. Felt as though you learn as much by writing as by reading. Proulx was all about reading and researching the information that was needed on the matter Proulx’s essay expresses how printed books are basically becoming extinct. As time progresses more people are relying on technology and less on the printed copies. Proulx talked about her distaste of libraries and how it...
Words: 277 - Pages: 2
...Arabic translate | 1 | synthesis | authorship, installation | تركيب | 2 | essays | article, paper, story | مقالات | 3 | discussion | debate, talk, dispute, argumentation | مناقشة | 4 | infer | conclude, deduce, understand | استنتج | 5 | explicit | specific | صريح | 6 | frequently | Much , a lot | كثيرا | 7 | illustration | clarification, explanation | توضيح | 8 | critique | criticism | نقد | 9 | generalization | popularization | تعميم | 10 | desirable | eligible | مرغوب فيه | 11 | authors | writer, bookkeeper, prosaist | الكتاب | 12 | assignment | task, mission, job | مهمة | 13 | argue | dispute, debate, quarrel, | تجادل | 14 | proposition | suggestion, motion, | اقتراح | 15 | mass | Collective, memorial prayer | كتلة | 16 | perception | understanding, grasp | الإدراك | 17 | influenced | affected | متأثر | 18 | apparent | visible, obvious, manifest | واضح | 19 | theoretical | abstract, notional | نظري | 20 | approaches | oncoming, access | المناهج | 21 | argument | excuse, pretext, | حجة | 22 | coherent | solid, concrete | متماسك | 23 | demonstrate | explain, expound, | شرح | 24 | | | | 25 | | | | 26 | | | | 27 | | | | The Explanatory Synthesis The purpose of this handout is to describe briefly the purpose of the explanatory synthesis essay and to provide you with some writing suggestions. In the explanatory synthesis, writers divide a subject into its component parts and present them to the reader in a...
Words: 836 - Pages: 4
...Reflection Essay Student’s Name Institution Affiliation Date Reflection Essay Firstly, in the course of the semester, the discussions we had in class allowed us to talk about my thoughts and those of my cohorts. Simultaneously, the studies helped to shape my initial experiences into a more unpredictable comprehension of the content. As I added to my perusing attitudes and insight into what literature is about, I have developed the capacity to make necessary disclosures about anything that I write or even read. Secondly, the academic resources from my lecturers gave us the foundation information that we need to excel in writing, both on reading the class resource books, extensive lectures, and independent research. Likewise, they have assisted us to exhibit our thoughts in a contemplated and thoughtful analysis. On a frequent basis, they would instruct us on points that they have a particular enthusiasm for and have taken a shot at broadly. Their exploration and analysis can be considered as the foundation stage of our interest in writing. To start with, in the contemporary society, there is by all accounts a move towards auxiliary school subjects that have a solid connection to a tertiary course of study. Hence, a there are few parents and a few understudies who feel that the aspect of writing, particularly among high schools, college, and universities is of great importance. For instance, students who devote their time on just English Language alone, with its accentuation...
Words: 914 - Pages: 4
...During the 1890s, many women were limited to what they were allowed to do. They could not go to school, have a job, or even vote. Men viewed women as though they were only meant to bear children and be a housewife. However, a writer by the name of Kate Chopin was a voice for women all the over the world. Two of her most famous writings are “The Storm”, and “Story of an Hour”. Within these two writings, she discussed issues that many other women writers would have avoided. Another writer who was famous for his portrayal of gritty topics was Ernest Hemingway. One of his most memorable writding is titled “Hills like White Elephants”. These writers were able to write about challenging realistic new ideas such as freedom after the death of a love one, abortion, and adultery. Although some of these stories are deemed gritty, Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” deals with realistic issues couples often face. These writings also have ironic undertones such as, when Mrs. Mallards dies from seeing from dead husband and the girl who thinks about abortion, but notices greener fields on the other side of the track. Furthermore realism is when an author intends to tell real life events to his/her audience. Realism can appear in many different aspects of society. When it comes to writing, realism focuses on the average individual, and can be heard as a voice for the ordinary human being. There is a focus on realistic people and events. For example in “Hills like White Elephants”...
Words: 342 - Pages: 2
...Bradbury’s book, “Zen in the Art of Writing”, he brings together a group of his essays on the basis of creativity to explain to his readers how stories do not simply write themselves, they are created through many hours of time, practice, dedication and even tears. Bradbury uses his essays to present a list of ways for one to become a better writer and ultimately understand the art of writing itself. In the first section of Bradbury’s book, he uses the quote, “Do not.. turn away from what you are, the material within you which makes you individual and therefore indispensable to...
Words: 816 - Pages: 4
...PRESENTATION You will be scheduled to present to the class two pages of writing by an author (poet, essayist, or fiction writer) you admire. The class presentation will focus on a specific aspect of the writing, such as characterization, tone, point of view, scene-setting/description, dialogue, etc. This will also be handed in as an essay (two pages, double-spaced) focusing on what students can learn, borrow and personalize from the example by the published writer. CREATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIO SYSTEM Assignments given out in class tend to focus on traditional poetic form or respond to the poetic innovations of non-traditional writers – responses to these assignments should appear in the portfolio. The original versions of anything you have translated don’t count toward the page total, of course; work for other courses does not count either, unless you’ve done workshops in class on the writing. Your final portfolio will contain the text of your presentation to the class of some work by a published writer you admire. MIDTERM PORTFOLIO This must be fifteen pages long, minimum. A page of poetry has twenty lines of poetry on it, on average. It is best to limit each page to one poem – though if you’re writing haikus, then that’s an exception. Single-space poems. Make sure your document has page numbers. Prose covers the whole page, but it’s double-spaced. If you’re writing short prose pieces (i.e. ‘flash fiction,’ ‘prose poems,’ ‘short shorts,’ etc.) then you may have...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2
...Language" - Writing Prompt In George Orwell's essay, "Politics and the English Language", he discusses how good writing "has nothing to do with correct grammar and syntax, which are of no importance so long as one makes one's meaning clear." In many ways, Orwell is exactly right. The purpose of writing is often times to convey an idea, to relay information, or to make a point. "Correct grammar and syntax" are of much less importance when the purpose of writing is simply to tell of an idea or defend a point/main purpose. I agree with Orwell in which he has stated writing is not all about the wording and strong use of grammar. What makes good writing is the idea behind it and the detailing put into it. In his essay "Politics in the English Language", he explains how dying metaphors, operators or verbal false limbs, pretentious diction, and meaningless words are all just space fillers and are unimportant to the essay itself. He believes they are just a way for the writer to stall and drag on their work. There is a "half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes.” Words are meant to flow “naturally” and at ease. Instead, modern-day writers, and past writers as well, have made the mistake of forcing words and jumbling them together defeating their purpose in the process. Now, although it is true that the way it is worded doesn't really make up the point of the essay, the wording is still a strong part of the writing...
Words: 442 - Pages: 2
...a basic essay pattern? In what kind of writing situation is exemplification used? According to the text, what are four purposes for which a writer might use exemplification when writing an essay? Planning an Exemplification Essay How many examples are required for there to be “enough” examples when using exemplification in an essay? What do the two examples given by the text illustrate about the number of examples needed? What is as important as choosing an appropriate number of examples? What do effective writers use to help readers see the connection between an example and the general statement it is illustrating? Structuring an Exemplification Essay What is the basic structure of the exemplification essay? Where is the writer’s thesis usually presented? What problem can result from a poorly organized exemplification essay? How can this problem be avoided? What order or arrangement strategies can be used effectively? Student Writers Read Kristy Bredin’s letter of application and the commentary that follows the student model. What arrangement strategy does Kristy use to support her thesis that she is qualified for the position? Read Grace Ku’s essay “Midnight” and the commentary that follows the student model. How does Grace introduce her topic? Do you find her introduction effective? Consider the structure of Grace’s essay. Note the content or purpose of each paragraph. Paragraph 2: Paragraph 3: Paragraph 4: Paragraph 5: Paragraph 6: How does Grace conclude her essay? How is...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
