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1. What are your strengths as a writer? Weaknesses?
2. Explore the massive "101 Composition" folder shared with you on Google Drive. What are some of the interesting, useful entities you can find there?
Write 300+ total words with varied, artistic sentence styles. See "The Art of Styling Sentences" (click this link) in the "101 Composition" folder for amazing examples--many of which you will use in your essays and, hence, will be on the semester exam. Pictured is Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorite writers.
107 comments:
One of my strengths as a writer, I would have to say, is that I am able to come up with many ideas for one topic. I am able to expand on what it is that I am writing about to create a more detailed essay. Another strength I have an above average expansion of vocabulary. I am not saying that I am a thesaurus, but I do have a couple more synonyms up my sleeve than the average joe may have. One of my weaknesses with writing is that I am not too great at getting a lot of length. I sometimes have a difficult time being able to come up with a multitude of pages. Also, I have not wrote a lot of essays throughout elementary, middle, and thus far in high school therefore I may not proficient in writing well composed essays as I probably should be. One useful thing that I found in the "101 Composition" folder is "C.H.E.S.S.". In our first essay, we are already being encouraged to use this with increasing the quality of our essays therefore, I do imagine this certain tool will be useful throughout the semester. Another thing I find helpful is all of the example essays. They provide a reference when we are writing our essays, so in case we are not sure how to approach a certain issues, the examples are there for us to use to try to resolve any complications we may come across when writing. One final thing I find to be very useful is the assignment layouts. They show us the requirements for the essay and give us a guide on how to lay the essays out. Of course they are useful because they tell us exactly what are assignment is, but also it is good to use as a checklist to make sure that you have covered everything in your writing that was required.
I would definitely say one of my strengths as a writer is my ability to incorporate vocab into my essays. I have always enjoyed vocab and I love to learn new words. Grammar, however, is not as pleasant to me. I do not find learning grammar as satisfying as having a new vocab word fresh in my mind. I am not very good yet at coming up with the initial idea, but once I do, I am able to write well from that. I always encounter my lack of ability to write lengthy essays and I find it aggravating. I hope to work on composing essays that are much longer, more astute, and profound. In the forthcoming future, I hope to find myself writing fitter essays. I want to work on my essays being long and brilliant, not pleonastic, shallow essays that are easily forgotten; I want my essays to be talked about for the next ten years. In writing better essays better sentences are needed, so I found The Art of Styling Sentences to be a very helpful document. After reading it, I found myself thinking back to some of my sentences and papers, and I thought about how bland they were. Every writer needs two, but not limited to these, things in a good essay: Structure and Realism (not always the case, but a good addition to any paper that wants to connect with the reader). It is a good resource for those who are not very good at writing intelligent, grammatically correct sentences. I, myself, have found this to be a very useful document in my writing and specifically in my classification essay. I will continue using this resource for most likely the entire year and I have yet to explore the rest of the composition folder to aid my writing.
To be completely honest, I have never considered myself a strong writer. Writing has been something that I have struggled with since elementary school. I get confused with some of the easiest grammar, which has been a long time problem for me. But, my biggest weakness, I would have to say is finding a topic for myself! A strength of mine is getting very caught up in my writing. Once, I find something to write about and I get caught up in it, it is easy for the words to just keep flowing, but getting to that is another story. I could be sitting at a computer for hours just looking at a blank screen trying to think of topics with nothing coming to mind. Another weakness of mine is my severe fear of other people reading my writing, judging my writing. The thought of having another person, including a teacher, read and critique my writing makes me nauseous.
In the “101 composition” folder there are a couple things that I find extremely helpful for me while writing my essays. First, I love having examples to read. Examples are helpful either when you do not exactly understand the writing assignment and you can look back at one and see that way, or when you just need ideas. I find that a lot of times my ideas for writing come from other people’s ideas in their own writing. I also find it very helpful to look at document like the C.H.E.S.S. one. I love that this one breaks down what every letter means and expands on one way to put your essay together. I also like how in the syllabus it tells us everything that we will be doing over the course of the semester. I always like to know what coming up next so it is super nice that, although not by exact assignment, I can see what we will be doing. Overall I found that folder fairly helpful!
My most prominent strength as a writer is the ability to come up with many ideas in my head. I struggle with wording and writing down what I am thinking inside of my head. It is hard for me to explain exactly what I am thinking and I have difficulty using challenging vocab. I tend to ramble off topic and usually veer away from the topic itself. I find that I try to use difficult vocab but I usually misinterpret it while writing. I also struggle with the punctuation and the structure of a sentence. I hope I can improve on the basics of punctuation and structure in order to make me a stronger writer. I think my biggest strength in writing will be my creative ideas that will fill up pages. In the folder “The Art of Styling Sentences” I found many things that will be helpful to improving my writing skills. In many instances I start my essays off with some sort of question, but usually I am unsure of how to answer it in my essay or even incorporate it. Hypophora explains that the writer should answer his/her question within the essay. Hypophora provides useful advice because in the past I usually have left my questions unanswered. This will be valuable to use in instances when questions are brought up in my thesis. Another helpful tool I found would be dependent clauses in a pair or a series. This is helpful in writing your thesis or summarizing a paragraph. It also explains how to summarize all your important points made throughout your essay. I think this tip will really help me with the structure of my essays and how to correctly write them. The last tip I found very helpful is compound sentence with elliptical construction. It sounds quite difficult but is useful to avoid using the same verb in one clause. This will not only help my structure and punctuation, but will help connect my essay and make it more grammatically correct. I think this year will greatly improve my writing skills in every aspect.
As a writer I have many strengths and weaknesses. One of my strengths is that I am able to write a lot of stuff down and make longer essays. Another strength I have is that I learn fast and hopefully will be able to incorporate all that I learn into my writing. Also I am willing to let others correct me and not take it personally and learn from what they say and try to start incorporate it into my writing. Now for my weaknesses; I do not entirely understand how to use complex sentence structures to my advantage as well as using new vocab words to spice up my writing. Another one of my weaknesses is that I have the worst time starting and finishing essays. It takes me awhile to get an introduction that works and flows and then when I am done I can not make my ending smooth at all. I also struggle with making my whole essay flow together. Instead my essay’s are choppy and do not really have a rhythm. I am also do not always know when to start and end paragraphs. I do know it is when you idea is done but then how to make it transition and work as well. I went looking in the 101 composition folder and the tool or thing I found to be the most useful for me as a writer would be all the examples that are in there. For me as a writer I need to visually see what it is I am suppose to write. I have a hard time to just being told to write something because I wonder if what I am writing is actually what they want or if it is just me going on my own tangent. I also will need and will love the website on sentence structure because I am terrible at different sentence structures. This year I will have to grow substantially as a writer to get ready for college.
Although writing has never been one of my strongest attributes, I do have my own strengths as a writer. My strengths lean towards the grammatical side of things. For the most part, I am able to quickly find and correct grammatical errors. Another strength of mine is using a thesaurus to my advantage. When I use my lifeless words, I can easily find a more colorful word from a thesaurus to use instead. In addition, if given a specific topic to write about and exact directions, writing is painless and easy for me. On the other hand, if given a broad topic such as classification, writing is much more strenuous. That particular type of writing forces me to make decisions and I am tentative when it comes to decision making. Another weakness of mine is expanding on a single topic. Once I come up with an idea, it is an uphill battle for me to write a paragraph on that topic, let alone a five page essay. Even simply blog tasks can be challenging at only three hundred plus words. Dull, disgusting, disenchanting, but helpful--these words detail the essay rubric entity. Not all that interesting, but knowing a general idea of what I will be graded on allows me to better my essays. The linked entity, “The Art of Styling Sentences”, is overwhelming at first, but surely will be useful. Knowing how to structure sentences differently so that my essay is not boring to readers will help me become a better writer. A last eye-catching item in the “101 Composition” folder is Kara Shroll’s Classification essay. As I read her essay, I am amazed with how it well it flows and sounds. Each sentence is unique and contains words I have never seen before. Her idea is clear and concise. Kara accomplished her goal for the essay: classifying young women. I hope to have the ability write as well as the examples in the “101 Composition” folder by the end of the semester.
Mixell 7
I have never really thought of myself as being a strong writer, but I do have some strengths. When I start to write, I feel like I can keep a story going for as long as I want to. I never seem to have trouble when it comes to length while writing stories or essays. If I want to write a five page story I usually can keep writing until I reach that requirement. However, I feel like my weaknesses lie in my grammatical abilities. I have always struggled when it comes to grammar in stories or essays. A lot of the things that "The Art of Styling Sentences" suggests is pretty confusing to me but I will most likely understand it over a period of time. During class when we were asked to look at some of the thesis's that previous students had wrote, I went to Zach Van Ede's essay and I was extremely impressed. The way that he uses metaphors and the way he describes certain things in the essay is something I would've never expected out of a student my age. Just reading his essay makes me wish that I could write like he can. The creativity in his writing is very impressive in my eyes. I ended up reading the whole essay I was so impressed with his writing. Reading examples like that really helps me put into perspective what I want out of myself as a writer. Realizing that a student my age could write something like that really makes me want to be a better writer. One thing I also noticed in the "101 Composition' folder is the assortment of vocabulary in some student's writing. Most of the time when I see a word I can make a pretty solid guess as to what it means, but some of the words in those essays I had to look up. I would like to improve my vocabulary to the levels that some of these students possess.
My strength as a writer is the fact that I can come up with ideas while I’m writing. I don’t need to make an outline first, ideas just come to me while I’m writing, which saves time. I am not too bad at grammar or punctuation. My friends used to have me correct their papers for grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes. I also have a little bit above average sized vocabulary for someone my age. I probably know a few more words than most of my classmates, but I don’t necessarily use them in day-to-day conversation. Sometimes some of the words that show up in the vocab books I already know, which makes studying a little easier. My weaknesses as a writer include not being able to know where to start, and how to end. Usually I start at the beginning of my argument instead of the introduction. Sometimes I struggle to make transitions as well.
I find the C.H.E.S.S document very useful for argumentative and persuasive letters and documents. This is important during our writing assignment where we write to people in letters what we want changed and to try to get a pseudo-celebrity to reply to us. The CCSS Learning Standards are informative as to what we are learning and why we are learning it. This is important because if we ever ask ourselves “why am I doing this? It doesn’t make sense,” then we can go there and read through the requirements of the class. Within the English 101 folder there are several different folders, each that have instructions on how to do different assignments which is very helpful so that we can know what to do for assignments and we can go back to them while doing the assignments to understand more thoroughly while we are working on those assignments.
Reading I have cherished throughout my childhood. Books are teachers: they train a person to write by means of an oxymoronic mixture of repetition and variation. My favorite authors--J.R.R. Tolkien, G.A. Henty, and C.S. Lewis--all happen to be British. Whether it is a strength or not, their styles inevitably come through in my writing. I realize their works are a product of a different country and century. G.A. Henty lived a witness to the British Empire; his mindset was one of order. Henty’s surroundings influenced his voice, a voice that has indirectly shaped my own writing style. Doubtless my essays sound bombastic to some American readers. The authors I emulate chased the sun down on the era of Victorian literature-- an age of grammatical primness and semantic propriety. By no means do I claim myself a master of grammar! Nevertheless, reading antiquated British literature has gradually disciplined me to adopt words and phrases which may sound highfalutin to modern American readers. Some would deem this a weakness (huge words are not necessarily impressive), yet I believe our modern interpretation of the English language has regressed from its golden age in the hands of the British a century ago. On a lighter note, avoiding British word spellings is a continuous and conscious effort for me; my mind naturally assumes something is 'honourable' or 'colourful'.
The essay rubric strikes me to be an advantageous resource. If an essay seems to lack sound bearing, the rubric ought to lend a sense of direction. I am astonished by the dimension of the rubric: mere passion accounts for thirty percent of the essay grade. Never have I clapped eyes on such a measure. It is a profound way to assess the motivation and achievement of a student; it is a brilliant scale.
I have never been one to sit down and think about my writing/composing abilities. This question get me to think that as a writer I have difficulty towards grammar. I have never been one to look at a sentence and be able to correct something, let alone notice if a sentence was wrong. As a student, English was always my weakest subject. I am not good with learning vocabulary, but I use a thesaurus to my advantage to make my papers sound more realistic. One major advantage to my writing skills is not having to make an outline (although it helps). I have always enjoyed writing stories because ideas keep flowing once I start. I can not stop in the middle of a paper otherwise it will be very difficult to finish. I enjoy sitting down and writing all at once, then going back and revising it. After reading "The Art of Styling Sentences" I really looked into the introduction of appositives. I always struggle finding a way to get people hooked into reading my papers right away. I usually start off with a question or maybe just a simple sentence. I have never started it of with descriptive words, describing what you are about to discuss in the paper, or at least a small portion of your paper. I know as a reader strong, vivid words always get my attention. I also enjoyed the usage of how to repeat key terms. Many times in a paper I will try to explain something but simply erase it because i find all the material way too repetitive. I did not know how to make it work. But you simply use dashes. This will really help me be able to get my point across, especially in a persuasive essay when you must repeat to get your point across. Also, helping to get a point across I want to try a short, simple sentence for relief/dramatic effect. I have never used a sentence shorted than 5 words most likely. I never knew what would classify as a sentence, or if it was too short. Sentences such as, Things change. Sentences so short are powerful and to the point. Using "The Art of Styling Sentences" really allows me to enhance each of my essays. I will go back and reuse that multiple times as a reference tool throughout this year.
As a writer I consider myself a fairly strong writer. I love writing about multiple things. I have always loved writing since I was a little girl-I still have a notebook filled with stories I composed. I once dreamed of being an author. Some of my strengths are my use of diction, metaphors, and humorous twists in my writing. I feel most confident in my writing ability when I have a good idea in my head and am also passionate about that topic. One of my weaknesses is organization. Sometimes I just get so many ideas at once that I write them all down and my essay or stories end up becoming choppy and confusing. I re-read my essays multiple times to see if I even make sense! Another weakness of mine is spelling. I am a terrible speller! I often find myself having to look up how to spell certain words and on the computer it is a guarantee that my paper is filled with red underlined words! One thing that had helped me in writing my letters was the use of “C.H.E.S.S.”. It helped me to persuade and get my point across to the readers. I have also read Kara Shroll’s classification essay and it has sparked my creative juices. I hope my classification essay will help future students like hers helped me. “The Art of Styling Sentences” will be a useful document to refer to throughout this course. The essay rubric will be a crucial resource- as it will help with getting a good grade- that I will be constantly referring to. My fellow peers comments, criticisms, and compliments will also help me enhance my writing. I enjoy seeing people’s reactions to my writing and love to read other people’s writing as-well. All these resources will help me grow as a composer and as a student.
7 Bose said....
I do not have many strengths as a writer. The small amount of strengths I have would be that I have the ability to make an essay as short or as long as it needs to be. This meaning that if I need to end an essay I can end it and not make the ending abrupt. Also, if the essay needs to be at a longer length, I can continue my thoughts, opinions, or facts for as long as needed and not elaborate and get off topic. Some of my extensive weaknesses would be that I sometimes make the writing to personal. This can be a good or bad thing, but if I were to do an essay about another person putting myself into the essay would not be appropriate for the subject matter. Another one of my many weaknesses would be grammar; I am a terrible speller and when it comes to sentence structure, I do not even have a structure to my writing. I find grammar and other sentence composing fairly difficult to understand let alone use it accurately in my writing.
The “101 composition” folder isn't what can you find in there, it's what can you NOT find in there! That folder is massive and you can find anything from final exam study guides, rubrics, examples of almost all of our assignments to help you when you’re stuck; you can also find future homework to help you get ahead of class too. That folder has some amazing writing examples that I used in my essays and I know that I will use in future essays in this class. For example, it has this document about C.H.E.S.S in it. This document will be involved in every essay we do in this class and I know for a fact that I will use it in future essays that aren’t in this class.
Peltier 1
I would not classify myself as a extremely strong writer. Writing has always been something I have to work at in order to make it up to par with the standards set for me by my teachers and myself. Parts of the writing that come easy to me, which I would consider my strengths, would be being able to implement vocabulary words into my sentences and being able use experiences that I have been through in my life and being able to relate that to my essays. For example I am passionate about soccer therefore I am able to some how connect what we are suppose to be writing about to this sport which makes the writing more enjoyable. Connecting my writing to soccer also allows me to use more literary devices, such as smilies and metaphors, because I do a lot of comparing and contrasting with soccer and the subject I am writing about. A weakness I have is straying off the topic. A lot of times I find myself starting out talking about what we are suppose to be focusing on, but as I go on I find myself not making sense and talking about something completely irrelevant to the topic. Another weakness I have in my writing is punctuation. I am able to tell where there is obviously suppose to be a comma or period, but when it comes to using apostrophes and putting quotes in the essay that is where I get lost and usually end up guessing on where to put them. In the "101 Composition" folder I found the C.H.E.S.S. strategy the most useful. After we were introduced to this strategy I think my writing improved because it helped me keep my essays more organized and it helped me make sure I hit every important part so that I am able to affect other peoples thinking with my writing. Another thing that I think is extremely helpful are the example essays. A lot of times it can be difficult to start an essay because you do not know exactly what the assignment is asking for, so being able to go back and look at example essays from pervious years is a great way to see what is expected. I am sure I have not see everything in the "101 Composition" folder that could be useful in improving my writing so I look forward to discovering more and making my writing ability improve after each essay.
Mullet 6
As a writer, I am not an organized person. My thoughts are scattered although I know exactly what I want to say. I have a hard time keeping each collection of thoughts from bleeding into other paragraphs because I feel like they are all intertwined with each other. I know that I can use more difficult words in my work, but I choose not to; I am not sure why. A possible explanation would be that I live with people that do not use complex words, so they are not in my vocabulary, and in turn not in my compositions.
Even with all of these shortcomings as a writer, I still can compose a decent essay. When I am writing, the next sentence is formed in my head before I am done typing or writing the sentence I am on. Unless I have writer's block, my essays can be typed fairly quickly. I find things that I am passionate about or know a lot about to write; it is a lot easier to compose a piece if I do that. If I do not know that much about my topic, then I will research to get an adequate grasp on the topic. As a writer and a person, I am what one would call a perfectionist. I despise when my essays could be sharpened but I can not figure out what to change. I like my paper to appear very concise and clean in the end, no matter how long it takes. It may just be to change two sentences, but those two sentences change the whole essay.
Some upcoming essays that have stole my attention include the Argumentation essay and Comparison essay. I like to compare objects to each other to see which I value more. The Argumentation essay will be fun because I can be very persuasive with things. I like to push my view of these things and show that it is logical to follow my thoughts. The narrative essay will be interesting because of the time frame; choosing is hard. Composing will be easy.
I am ecstatic to grow as a writer in this class; I want to see where this will take me.
Wardlow 6
I believe that my choice of words is one of my strengths. I as a writer I try to make my writing a little bit more interesting by using a thesaurus to find more exciting and impressive words to use. I do not have an extremely vast vocabulary, but I enjoy using descriptive adjectives that invoke excitement in my audience. I think exciting words make reading more enjoyable. I also think I am a pretty creative writer, I enjoy using different techniques such as alliteration or rhyming in my titles. One of my weaknesses would be grammar, specifically the use of commas. I never really know when I should use a comma and when I should not, I just place them where I please. One of my many goals for my writing this year is to really understand how to correctly use a comma. The book we were given should help me learn, along with term Tuesdays that my classmates will be doing. Another weakness of my is spelling, this is an easy fix. I have many resources available to me to help me correct my mistakes. I am very excited to get writing this year. I am nervous about the length requirements of the essays however I know that I can do it and will be proud of myself when I do. Looking through the massive Composition 101 folder I see many different resources available to me. One of the resources I found in the folder was about styling your sentences. This I believe I will look at throughout the semester to continue to give me tips and ideas on many different and more interesting ways to style a sentence. I noticed it was eleven pages long, lots of material there! Also as I explore the folder I see all the different essay we will be writing during this first semester, I actually am really excited to work on the essay they all seem rather interesting.
Poppenga 6
Writing is definitely one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to school. It comes easily to some people and I become envious. The thing I mostly struggle with is coming up with an idea or topic for an essay. I can sit through a whole class period and still not know what to write about. I find that it is easier for me to write at home because I get distracted easily in class. I also struggle with grammar and punctuation. I don't know when to properly use a semicolon and also a comma. I think the term Tuesdays will help me understand properly. On the other hand, I would say my biggest strength is using more extensive words throughout my writing. I like to go back through my writing and change words that I think are too bland. The thesaurus is a key tool that I use when I am writing. I am a bit nervous for the longer essays because I also have trouble with writing longer essays. But, this is something I hope to improve as well. I don't have a lot of strengths in writing but I hope to get better this year and I look forward to learning how to strengthen my writing.
As I scrolled through the massive "101 Composition" folder, I noticed that the whole folder is dedicated to help make our essays better. I like having all of our classmate's essays in the same folder because we can get ideas or help make each other's essays better. I also think the Essay Assignment page will be very useful because it gives you tips and guides you into the essay. Having essays from the past will also be useful because it can be there to provide a basis for the essay or give you helpful ideas as to what Mr C. is looking for.
There is several strengths I believe I obtain related to writing. For one, I know exactly how to use my emotion in writing. When we were assigned to write two letters, one being a thank you letter and another trying to get our point across, we were instructed on logos, ethos, and pathos. I succeeded in pathos throughout my letters. Pathos is using emotion appeal to the reader. Emotion is a large portion of my writing skills. Along with this, I also have have interesting word choices. Although I usually have to look up synonyms of words, I still know exactly how to spice up my piece. Now, lets move on to what I lack in my writing skills. Sadly, I get distracted very easily. Writing this blog has taken me quite a while. I do not do well with having to focus on one thing at a time, I multi task regularly. My next weakness is my awful tendency to ramble about things that do not relate to my thesis. I usually don't know how to continue my paragraphs so I start to write about things that do not make sense in my essay. I would love to fix this problem before I go to college and have to write more papers, especially the professional ones.
When we wrote our letters you had shared a document with us students called CHESS. CHESS stands for: Contradiction, Hypothesis, Evidence, Stories, and Statistics. I found this very helpful when reading through my letters. I used more emphasis in my writing pertaining to these details. I even ended up writing a whole new paragraph, of course making it better. I also really enjoy how you have study guides to help us prepare for our test. Like most students I have a tough time studying and an even tougher time taking the test. It is no doubt that I will be using those study guides before our exams.
I hope that after this year, my writing will mature and I will be prepared for college. I look forward to future essays to show you how I will improve over this year.
Hoffman 6
I never have actually clarified myself as a strong writer. One of my biggest weaknesses about writing would be world choice. I do not have that large of a vocabulary so it makes it exceptionally hard to compose a writing with quite bland words. But, when it comes to strengths in an essay that I compose would be grammar. Grammar, in my opinion, is by far one of the more important things to know when writing. We as a class have been asked to write about (wo)man hood and also writing letters. During the letters one we were assigned to write we were informed about logos, ethos, and pathos. When picking out these three items in our letters I did not have that big of an issue finding them while for others it was more difficult. Just for the little amount of time we have spent in Composition 101, I have learned three extremely helpful tools when composing a paper. The most important tool would have to be write with passion or a purpose. If you feel strongly for a topic then the writing comes more naturally, while when you are writing about a topic you may not enjoy the most, it is a lot more stressful and will not be the greatest of all essays. The next would be the logos, ethos, and pathos. Logos meaning a logical reasoning, or using reasoning. Pathos would be having emotion, appealing to the readers emotions along with showing feelings to where the reader can feel it. Lastly, Ethos, or the more ethical appeal, using the convincing strategies. The last tool that I have learned to make a writing from good to better or better to best is the acronym CHESS. Contradiction, hypothesis, evidence, stories, and statistics. Using all five of these in an essay will better the essay 100%. Just these three tools in the folder has made writing that much easier and will definitely be a massive crutch when writing in the future from now whether it is a few days to multiple years down the road if I am in need of writing for an important cause. The first 3 weeks of the class have been immensely helpful and I can not wait for the rest of the year and what will be taught for us to learn.
Holm period 7
As a writer, I have several strengths and weaknesses, like most people do. I believe one of my strengths is that I have an extremely vivid imagination. I have always loved listening to others stories, and also making up my own. This is my greatest strength as a writer because no matter what the topic is I can always create a very interesting essay. However, my greatest weakness would be that I am absolutely horrible at creating a thesis statement, or honestly even understanding what a thesis statement is. I was not taught well by past English teachers of mine as to what a thesis statement actually is! I also do not have the best grammar, although it has improved throughout the years. My goal for this course is to be able to write amazing essays with a great thesis statement and proper grammar by the end of the semester.
In the "Composition 101" folder, I find the document C.H.E.S.S. to be incredibly useful. C.H.E.S.S. stands for contradiction, hypothesis, evidence, stories, and statistics. This one document helps you create a better essay by just using the five simple examples suggested. We also learned Logos, Ethos, and Pathos during a "Term Tuesday." These three words made my letters have an extreme amount of persuasion, emotion, and logical reasoning. I have only been in this class for about 3 weeks now and I already have learned eight simple words that have enhanced the two or three essays/letters that I have written thus far. As I am looking through "The Art of Styling Sentences" document, I read many tips that will benefit my writing style through out this semester, year, and the rest of my life as I grow and mature into the college age. I believe the documents that are provided will benefit me and the rest of my peers for many years to come.
I am very ecstatic to continue to learn multiple new things this year about writing and composing before we all move on to our new lives, where we will need to know how to write properly for college essays and future job opportunities.
I definitely feel one of my strengths as a writer is my use a vocabulary. I am always looking to improve in this area but I enjoy using more figurative and picturesque words rather than dull and trite words. On the other hand it is not good to sound like a dictionary in your essays. I try to keep a good balance of this. I also feel one of my strengths are being able to come up many good ideas about a topic I am passionate about and being able to write a lot about it but this also ties into one of my weakness. If I am not passionate about a topic I find it hard to come up with intelligent ideas about it and find myself just writing fluff sometimes. Another one of my weaknesses comes with my grammar and punctuation. I would not say it is anything of concern but it is definitely something that I can and need to improve on. I know we have been taught about it in past years but if I am not constantly writing and incorporating the rules we have learned I tend to forget them. Lastly, I consider one of my biggest weaknesses starting and finishing my essays, and I hope to improve on that this year. One thing I found useful in the 101 Composition Folder was “ The Art of Styling Sentences”. I think this will increase the effect sentences we write are supposed to have on people. It will make what we say more powerful and will be a helpful guide to compose more effective and interesting essays. I also like that there are many examples of essays from previous years. These will help me with my formatting and give me more ideas when I'm stumped. I also think the C.H.E.S.S folder is going to be extremely beneficial. It is going to help my essays be more organized, more thorough, and more artistic.
Helgeson 7
My strengths as a writer come from having a large vocabulary which help me choose more fitting words. My weaknesses as a writer come from not being able to put what is in my mind into words, i have a hard time writing what I want to say simply because i can’t find the right words. Also I have a hard time with sentence structure and just forming well written paragraphs. Inside of the English 101 folder you can find things such as “The Art of Styling Sentences” which is a wonderful document that shows how to improve your grade and also improve the qualities of your essays by adding different writing techniques such as appositives and incorporating balanced pairs. An example of using an appositive in writing would be, “John, who is seven years old, went to The County Fair for his birthday. The appositive is used to show information that is not necessary to the sentence. This information is set off by commas letting the reader know that it is an appositive. This information is not needed for the sentence to be understood. Another writing technique that is presented in this paper is the use of a single modifier out of place for emphasis. An example of this would be “Frantic, the young child rushed out the door after the bus”. The use of the word “frantic” at the beginning of the sentence emphasizes the fact that the child was in a hurry to catch up to the bus. The use of these techniques will help bring more variety to any person's writings. They add a new feel to the way that the paper is read and also keep the reader interested because the same sentence style is not repeated and monotonous. The composition 101 folder contains many other papers with many more helpful ways to increase your writing ability. I plan to use as many of these as I can throughout the year to improve my abilities as a writer.
I would say for me, my strengths are once I know what I am writing about I can write decently. If I really like the subject I can usually write a lot better than when I do not know too much about it or dislike it. I really struggle with using large words or intellectual words. I always seem to get stuck and use the same phrase or words over and over again. I realize that and still cannot seem to think of other ones to use. I tend to ramble on in my papers. Most of the time I do that because I have an idea and it turns into something else. For me it is hard to come up with ideas on the spot and it usually takes me awhile to think of a decent idea. Also I have a hard time writing what I have in my head. I will have good ideas but I just cannot explain the good enough to make sense to other people. Hopefully my writing gets better over the year and it should because of all the tools there are to assist me. The big one is the 101 folder with all the examples in it. It will be nice because I will be able to see what mine is supposed to look like and be like. Another great thing in the 101 folder is “The Art of Styling Sentences.” With this tool I will be able to mix up how I write and be able to sound good. The best tool in the folder is the final exam study guide. This is really nice because I will be able to start studying earlier and not have to wait till right before the finally exam. I can start studying right away. Hopefully each of these tools makes me a better writer
Pardee Pd 7
My main strengths as a writer would be the fact that when I find a topic that I can relate to I never run out of things to talk about. I have so many thoughts that run through my head and then I just word it in a more formal way to make my essay more enjoyable to read. I try to make it entertaining and emotional to the point where a reader is not bored reading my essay but want to analyze the whole essay or letter. I like to make my writing better by finding a word that I want to apply into my essay and look up synonyms that can improve my wording. My weakness that I have when I am writing is that I am not good a grammar. Adding the proper commas, semicolons, and colons get frustrating at times for me. Yes, I am good at not running out of things to talk about when interested in a topic but a negative to that is I just ramble on about random statements at times. I have always struggled with it. Another weakness of mine is that when a topic doesn't interest me it takes me a long time to figure out what I should talk about and how I should start talking about that topic. As I look in the “101 Composition” folder I see many things that will help me for future essays. The first one I look at is C.H.E.S.S this is a set up that will make my essays more organized and improve the wording and layout of the whole essay. It shows me how to make a better hypothesis, how it may be more effective if I can add a story that may intrigue the readers and can relate to them as well. Using statistics as well can make the essay more informative. I hope to use all these resources to make me a better writer in the future.
Spainhower pd7
I feel as a writer I have more strengths as compared to weaknesses. One such weakness that I feel that I have is the difficulty of projecting an idea or story onto paper and have it be consistent. Whenever I write essays, I feel as if I can think of the subject easy enough; to be able to continue with that idea for several pages can be a little strenuous though. Going off of that however, a strength that I feel that I have when writing essays is thinking up a topic to write about. The most important thing that I noticed about the 101 Composition folder is how neatly organized it is. There are three folders on the top consisting of the essay assignments, final exams, and lastly term tuesday information. Following those three, are folders for each class, allowing each student to edit his/her paper and help edit someone else’s paper. Upon clicking on the essay assignments folder, I can see even more essay topics, rubrics, and past essays other people have written; including one folder called Freking. My interest in the assignment rose when I saw that it was an assignment dealing with writing a small horror story. I can not wait until that assignment. Another interesting assignment that I found within the 101 essays folder is the narrative essay. I find the essay a little daunting due to the fact that it has to be six pages and covers the topic of a significant event in our childhood. I think that thinking of a topic would be the easy part of the assignment. However, where it might get a little challenging is making it span the course of six pages. The last essay that which caught my attention was the argumentation essay. As if to outdo its fellow brethren the Narrative essay, this one has a minimum requirement of seven pages not including the works cited pages and and annotated pages! The cool thing about this essay is that it with partners and it appears that they argue over a topic with another group of partners. I must say that I am kind of looking forward to all the upcoming essays and to an interesting year.
Knutson Pd 2
As a writer, I feel as though one of my strengths is that when I am writing about a topic that interests me or I have strong opinions on, I am able to create a strong essay. I feel as though I can make valid points and expand upon more when writing something that is relatable, therefore making my essay more enjoyable to read. I enjoy writing, though one of my weaknesses is getting the writing process started and I loathe beginning an essay. When writing I need to have a fairly good idea what I am writing about and must have a “game plan” before I can begin any sort of writing; because I must have my writings thought out so much it is easy for writing to take longer and for me to procrastinate. I believe I have a good use of vocabulary and word choice in my writing but there always is room for improvement in this department for me. Like any other student, I do not always use grammar correctly and properly. This year I hope to finally master grammar. I also look forward to learning how to use both hyphens and dashes and how to incorporate this type of grammar into my essays, possibly resulting in higher and better grades on such essays.
In the Composition 101 folder, I find the example essays extremely useful. The examples show me what you, Mr. Christensen, are looking for in the essays you grade. These example essays also get my “juices” flowing and help aid me in the beginning of the writing process. I also find the assistive documents such as, “The Art of Styling Sentences,” “C.H.E.S.S.,” and the “Reasons Essays Earn B Grades,” will be of beneficial use as I write essays for this class.
When it comes to my strengths and weaknesses as a writer, I can honestly say I fall short on my strengths. One of my strengths is that I have always been able to understand and utilize the proper use of homonyms. For example deciphering between there, their, and they’re have always been a no-brainer for me. Knowing how to spell words has always come naturally to me too. Another strength is that I enjoy using different transitions to start new sentences because I feel like they are crucial to make a piece of writing flow. I am fairly sufficient at organizing my essays. I also find it to be beneficial that when I am in the mood to write or I know exactly where my thoughts should go I can cover a lot of ground on my essays. On the other hand, one of major weaknesses is grammar. I can recall almost every year being taught new grammar skills. Looking back, I wish I would have paid closer attention. In addition, I often find myself troubled in knowing the proper diction to use. I try hard to learn and exercise new synonyms but when I can’t remember the perfect word I turn to dictionary.com to help me. I feel like this is a weakness because I know I won’t always have the luxury to be able to use this tool on all essays in the future if I am given only a piece of paper, pencil, and short amount of time. In the “101 composition folder,” is “The Art of Styling Sentences.” It is a handy document to read and to return to lift my essays to life. One thing I read was forming short sentences to create a dramatic effect. I remember reading books when I was younger that contained the shorter sentence style. I always admired it and would try to replicate it into my writing. I admit I didn’t find it as satisfying in my writing and quit that technique. I would love to try using it again the right way. The other thing in the “101 composition” folder that is helpful to me is all the marvelous essay examples I am able to read and give me a more clear idea as to how I should compose my next essay.
I do not consider myself a strong writer. I do think that I have a few aspects of writing that I can usually do quite well. I really think I can write very clearly about the topic I am assigned. I almost never try to fluff up my writing so much that you can lose focus of the main points. I find it obnoxious and distracting when people force big word or irrelevant information into their writing. Writing directly gives me another attribute in my writing: speed. Once I get my thoughts together I can finish essays and the like a lot quicker than most people. But for me putting my thought into words is the easy part. The hard part is collecting all my thoughts and forming complete ideas. This is my main weakness. I get so many ideas in my head I cannot chose which ones to use and which ones to get rid of. Eventually I get so overwhelmed I have nothing. Nothing to write and nothing to think of. It has caused me great stress in the past but I improve with every essay. Another weakness is meeting length requirements. I hate them with a passion but they are a necessary evil. This weakness is a side effect of my blunt manner of speech and writing. I often have to go out of my way to fill my essay with round-about ways of making sentences longer. My favorite part of the 101 composition folder is the final exam preparation stuff. I really appreciate it when teachers give me a variety of thing do like practice tests and student made study guides. It is really easy to find out what you need to learn own your own time with those tools. The large amount of example for essays are also very helpful when I have no idea where to start.
As a writer, I have strengths and weaknesses. One of my biggest weaknesses is being too casual when writing essays. I often reference the reader too much and I could work on being a bit more formal while writing. Another weakness when writing is a fault I have in day to day life as well, being too loquacious. I can tend to go on and on if I am particularly fired up about a subject. Shortening up your writing is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it can make for a more enjoyable essay that does not drag on. When writing a letter this applies too. The reader of the letter most likely does not want to read an extremely long letter. Commas and semicolons are another part of my writing that could be improved. They are a small thing, but I tend to forget to use them and end up with run on sentences. I am afraid to admit I almost never use semicolons. I am not even sure I entirely know how to use them. I am hoping by the end of this semester I will be able to fluidly use both commas and semicolons. One of my strengths as a writer is how I put my passion into my writing. If I care about a subject you can see it in my writing. I like to think that I use good vocabulary in my essays. I enjoy learning new words and using them whenever I can. Having passion in your writing is, in my mind, the most important part. You can have all the proper sentence structure and semicolons you want, but if it is dull and impersonal then no one will want to read what you have to say. Looking at “The Art of Styling Sentences” document I was refreshed on some things, and enlightened on others. Being in choir, I use rhythm on a daily basis, but I learned that sentences must have a rhythm too. They should flow smoothly using writing structure tools like conjunctions and commas. I figured out that there IS a difference between dashes and hyphens. I feel more confident that I can use more of these techniques in my writing from now on.
Gloege 1
I think as a writer I definitely have more weaknesses than strengths. I do not consider myself a creative person, so I often find it difficult when having to come up with topics and various ideas for essay assignments we are given. Most of the time I rush through things and don’t take my time, which would make my essays sound sloppy and rushed. I also need to improve on my vocabulary when I am writing to help my essays sound more intelligent. Another weakness I have would be that I easily procrastinate things, so this would make it difficult to finish essays. A strength that I have as a writer would be that once I get an idea of what I would like to write about, I can easily expand the information and relate it to myself and real life situations. This helps me to better my essay and make it more relatable for the reader or audience, and easier to read. A folder I think will be extremely helpful this year will be the C.H.E.S.S. folder because I will be able to use that information for the rest of my life, and it will be useful in every essay I ever write. Another folder I find interesting is the Term Tuesday folder. It will become very helpful when it comes time to take the final exam at the end of this semester.
6 Nelson
English has always been a favorite class of mine. However, in past years there has always been a balance of reading a book then writing an essay on it and now this year the whole semester is concentrated on writing. Throughout the past few weeks my strengths and weaknesses as a writer have shown themselves. I feel that one of my strengths as a writer is my creativity. Before an essay I always have multiple ideas that I that I have to narrow down to the one I think will make my paper strong. When I have my topic I can easily add onto it while I write. Another strength I have is I am a slight perfectionist so the structure of my essay flows and goes with the material and I love to use synonyms and higher vocabulary to avoid using the same word too many times. The biggest weakness that I notice is that I like to take my time writing and making everything how I want it. Occasionally I will not realize some grammar and spelling error and I like conjunctions even though they do not belong in formal essays. Overall I like to think of myself as a strong writer because the end result is satisfactory. Having my essay proof read by others is a plus because I like to hear what other people think of my work so I can alter parts to make it even stronger. Before writing, the examples in the comp folder aid me in the direction of how the structure of the essay should go and in what order my thoughts should be presented. Also in the comp folder I found a document called “Reasons Why Essays Earn B Grades.” The document is set up in an easy to read list making it helpful to use as a rubric for future essays. Another helpful resource to utilize is the “Art of Styling Sentences” examples that will help enhance any essay.
Ziegeldorf pd 6
As a writer I have many strengths and weaknesses. I have more weaknesses than strengths but that only means I have room to improve. One of my strengths would include being able to continue writing once I find a place to start. I might have to stop and ponder a little bit on what to write next but I will eventually get the idea and as I write, ideas keep flowing. Another strength would be coming up with a stronger vocabulary word other than, for example, “good” or “very”. What helps me a lot with it is by using any of the vocabulary words I have been tested on in the past that I can remember or I will use my current vocabulary book as well and find a good fit for a word to put into any paper I write. A couple of my weaknesses would be coming up with ideas on what to write about and being able to keep the paper going. For me it can be very difficult to come up with information that will pertain to a topic I was assigned to do. I will sometimes have to ask others to get their opinion on what I should do next. Usually with their help I will figure it out easier. After looking into the 101 Composition folder I found many interesting and useful entries but the one that stood out to me the most was the C.H.E.S.S document. The reason this document will be the most useful for me is because it can help me improve my writing as the semester goes on. By using this information I will be able to write better and make what I am writing clearer to the reader. By using contradiction, hypothesis, evidence, stories, and statistics, your writing skills will become so much more fluent and professional.
My strengths as a writer include the fact that I am always searching for improvement. I love to gain constructive criticism and will not be upset by someone telling me what I need to strive for. I will always accept the challenge: writing exemplary essays. I am able to work diligently on an assignment and work on it gradually instead of turning in a rushed, unfinished assignment. Although I have many weaknesses, they are not always bad. I do not have great confidence when initially starting my essays, I feel it takes me a while to produce ideas, but I push through that stage. I am not the type of person to allow my weaknesses to be a large bump in the road that I never pass; Instead I put in more work. It may take me a few days to come up with a worthy idea to be the base of my essay. After I have found my topic I am known to be a bit rusty at executing my ideas into an organized essay. They seem to be choppy and incomplete at first, but I am able to get them flowing as time goes on. One of my biggest issues dealing with essays is that I am always one to compare my work to others. I sometimes get very flustered and down on myself after reading an example essay, but I need to remember that each person has their own style of writing. In that case I should learn to focus on my own abilities and not constantly compare myself to others.
The Composition 101 folder in my shared drive will come of great use to me this school year. One of the most influential things I have found while searching this folder is the “C.H.E.S.S.” document. It is very beneficial to have strategies laid out step by step for me. Documents such as this one, and the various examples that are present for me to emulate, will be something I appreciate and make use of throughout the year.
Being verbose is one of my strengths as a writer; using vocab words is a weakness. I can write a paragraph about any topic very easily, but incorporating vocab words gives me a headache and frustrates me. A topic gives me freedom to write whatever words I want; a required amount of vocab words, bondage. With a required amount of vocab words to be used, I am forced to conform my sentences to fit the meaning of a word.
Short stories, random names, and many documents -- this is what is contained in the folder named “Sylli.” This is one of the interesting folders that I have found in the massive “101 Composition” folder. Throughout my whole life, I have always found short stories interesting. From fiction to nonfiction, from science fiction to realistic, from historic to current I enjoy all different kinds of short stories. A perfect short story is brief, to the point, and meaningful. Along with the “Syli” folder, the “Classification” folder is also interesting. These essays, that classify whatever random thing the author thinks of, give a new perspective on different things in life. The kind of thinking that these essays provoke, I enjoy. I like to look at things in new ways; from many viewpoints. Not only do I find these essays interesting, but also applicable to daily life and how we see the world. The “C.H.E.S.S.” document is also very interesting. Showing what to include in an effective piece of writing, it will help me and any other person looking to improving their writing skills. I think the document entitled “Final Exam Study Guide” is a very good resource. I want a good grade on the final exam, and I assume that my fellow classmates do as well. This document will be very useful in the future.
As a writer, I lack the ability to write in length when presenting a topic. I am fairly concise and to the point, and struggle to add weight to papers. I also do not have the self-discipline to write on and on, only because I simply lose interest after a self perceived long time of around twenty minutes. I lack the natural ability to write; if I wish to be a creative writer, I put forth much mental effort, similar to away you would work through a foreign math problem. It is work for me to write well, due to the fact that I simply lack a second nature, natural talent to write with grace and flow. It seems to be extremely difficult for me to avoid using the word I when writing in the first person; it gets very repetitive. This is my greatest weakness as a writer, and I do not know how to correct myself. I have been credited by a few number of teachers in having a talent for writing, most likely meaning that I can write convincingly and interestingly if I so apply myself; but I severely doubt that. I do however like to pride myself in using colorful, vivid and descriptive vocabulary while using adjectives. This marks the pinnacle number of pros I can think of.
While exploring the composition google drive folder, a dark epiphany struck me; I will be constantly composing all semester long, and I must except this, otherwise I will fail. Besides this depressing premonition, I did enjoy reading some of the sample essays. It is a summation over the years of students and great writers; a library of those who are on a higher level of education. Yet again, another ominous thought hits me. It makes me either extremely competitive to write better than them, and it also makes sad that it seems unlikely to join them. But the ultimate reality is--deal with it--life goes on.
Anderson pd. 2
As a writer I do not have many strengthens. I am not the best writer out there. I am not one to sit down and just start to write an essay. I do believe I have strength in writing when it comes to a topic I care about or love and am passionate about. With the passionate aspect, I am able to write a strong essay. I can make solid points and can expand upon the point throughout the essay. I have many weaknesses. I can not just incorporate vocabulary right away; I always have to go back and incorporate it later. When writing essays from a prompt, I can not have a great essay do to the fact I do not have a connection with the topic. Along with a prompt for an essay I have to have a guide like a four square with three topics and go more indepth within the essay. I also can ramble on and say the same stuff over again without getting to the point of the essay. I try to use grammar and sentence structure correctly, but I still have improvement. This one reason why I took this class to help me throughout college to help me write a proper essay.
In the Composition 101 folder, I find the examples essays very informative and helpful when writing an essay. The examples given are great examples and what you expect from us as students and what should be expected of us in college as well. Examples help me out a ton when starting a new essay do to the fact sometimes I can get a little confused. The whole writing progress does not stress me out as much as it used too. I also find the “Term Tuesdays” to great knowledge even in everyday life. C.H.E.S.S was very helpful do to the fact it broke down every letter and had an explanation. I also like how other students can critique your essay and have others for examples. The whole course will excellent and knowledgeable not only to myself but others as well.
Some of my strengths as a writer include my incommensurable use of extravagant words and varied imagination, along with my ability to craft great tales of exhilaration and excitement. A few of my weaknesses as a writer include a chronic case of writer’s block, a hard driven genetic laziness, and a somewhat low confidence in myself. It is especially hard for me to finish an essay or a group of lyrics I am writing, but contrariwise I never regret the feeling when I push through all my flaws and explore my strengths as a writer, and come out on top, completed work in my hands. It is even more glorious, as I draw nearer to finishing my first full set of lyrics, to think how wonderful it will be, especially in the sense that it is a feat I have not accomplished yet. I hope this will help me on my quest to be a better musician, and through writing, I hope to accomplish much in life as well. I feel with the help of this class I will be able to excel in composing not only sensational essays, but composing stupefying music, and hopefully (in time) I shall even be able to compose myself.
Essay Assignments, Final Exam Preparation, and all the Term Tuesday Powerpoints- It is too fantastic to be real, or so I had mused, and as a feeble-minded senior prior to taking this class I thought it was too good to be true. But, as I desperately searched the “101 Composition” folder, I so frantically sought what I had looked for: help (and solace). Before me, within the folders themselves, like a intertwined system of heavenly assistance, I saw multitude upon multitude of websites, guidelines, and helpful intimations for whatever my heart may have desired to write about. This is my story.
I do not believe that I am a good writer, but I still have a few strengths. I have decent grammar. When I have conversations with people; I choose my words carefully when writing so that I do not make a fool of myself, and it seems to work. My answers to questions are concise, because I do not like my statements like I like my pillows, full of fluff. Another one of my strengths as a writer is that I can procure unique creations from the depths of my mind. I have been told by my peers that I do have some amazing ideas, but you are an odd duck. Some may say that my strengths outweigh my weaknesses, but I would disagree. First of all, one of my strengths is also one of my greatest weaknesses as a writer. Lengthening some of my stories can be an arduous task for one who would rather have their writing be short, sweet and to the point. My second issue as a writer is that I do not know how to properly build the structure of my theses. I usually miss a step, but at least I have all of the information in the article. Finally, time is usually my enemy, for it takes what seems like eons for me to bring forth a worthy brainchild.
One of the resources in the Composition 101 folder that I will find useful is the Final Exam study guide. This will help me in my studies. A second helpful document in the folder is the Reasons Essays Earn B Grades. This article has already helped me in the class, since I was going to overuse the thesaurus on my computer.
In conclusion, I am not a good writer now, but I chose to be in this class because I wanted to make myself better.
6 Jessica Sadler
As a writer my strength would be my ability to incorporate colorful words into my essays. I would consider myself to be a creative person and I want my reader to watch the scenario of my story play out in their minds. I use words that invoke emotion to make my topic more interesting and relatable. I feel that it is important to intrigue your reader, and using basic, bland words is not a way to do it. Another strength of mine would be my use of humor in my writing. I want to not only intrigue my listener, but also entertain. I would be more drawn to read a comical article, than one with statistics and facts. As for my weaknesses, I have a hard time writing long papers, and towards the end I start to babble to try and take up space on the paper; so the beginnings of my essays tend to be better than the end. Another one of my weaknesses would be my overthinking. I want each sentence to be a beautifully composed work of art, so I spend most of my time thinking about what to say and not actually saying it. This is another reason why I have a hard time writing long essays. There are many beneficial documents shared with me in the 101 Composition folder. They will come to great use over the school year. The C.H.E.S.S. Writing Strategies document is helpful. These strategies help me develop longer, sophisticated paragraphs. They also give me a guideline to follow while writing my essays. The Art of Styling Sentences document will be useful for me because I enjoy smooth, flowing sentences. This will come in handy when I get stuck, overthinking a sentence. Overall, it is reassuring to know I have a folder I can go to whenever I need help.
I believe that I have a powerful ability to communicate with my audience. I can explain things in ways that people understand, by being clear and to the point with my writing. With that said, I can also incorporate flavorful language into my essays to add life to the words without confusing the reader. However, sometimes I seem to lack organization in my paragraphs and sentence structure. I would definitely like to improve on that! Although I can use creative wording, my stories themselves, I feel, could use a bit more imagination and looseness to them. Sometimes, I find it hard to come up with topics to expound upon in my essays. I also find it challenging to relate my writing to personal experiences because I find it somewhat uncomfortable to write about myself. I found the C.H.E.S.S. document useful for writing persuasive works such as our letters. That acronym can be immensely useful for getting what I need done, accomplished in my writing. I was happy to discover the Art of Styling Sentences document because we just had a Term Tuesday on this topic! It is great to have resources like this to back up the information given to us in class. This is very helpful in knowing how to set up sentences correctly. It is also useful for identifying them! The Final Study Guide documents are a great tool to have access to, throughout the entire year for continuous knowledge to be gained as well. I also love having access to everyone’s Term Tuesday projects so I can always go back and relearn or review topics as needed. Overall, I think we have a plentiful amount of resources provided to us to make wonderful essays and this will also help us improve our strengths and lower our amount of weaknesses as writers.
To be perfectly frank, I do not think of myself as a writer in the sense that I am creating masterpieces that people would want to read for fun, or by choice. I am a writer in the sense that I create original pieces assigned to me by teachers, but I never write just for the fun of it. As a 'student writer', I have a few strengths I pride myself in. One of these strengths is the small amount of humor I try to hide in my essays, as I think laughter is good for the soul and always lacking in this world. Another strength I find in my written pieces is empathy. I feel as though I have a small ability to connect with my reader so that the material they are reading is not so monotone and boring. When given a prompt I am inspired by, my ideas never cease. I am proud to say that when it comes to creativity, I tend to surprise myself with the smorgasbord of ideas that come to my mind. However, let me take a moment to humble myself b saying that my weaknesses in writing greatly overpower my few strengths. I struggle with coming up with a clear statement thesis, and this can sometimes confuse my readers as to exactly it is they are about to read. I also hate grammar with a passion fueled by frustration with seemingly meaningless rules. While my hatred burns on, I must find it within to accept these rules and include them more in my writings. Another weakness I have in writing is putting all the ideas swirling around in my head onto paper to create a clear, sound essay. I sometimes get jumbled up and struggle with taking a breath and getting my ideas in order. With this in mind, I looked at the C.H.E.S.S. document. I loved that it had pointers on how to organize my thought and breaking them down into five specific groups. After reading this, I will try harder to imagine myself as a new reader unfamiliar with my ideas, therefore forcing me to be clearer with statements. I look forward to developing skills I lack in this class, and hope to identify with the real writers in this world by the end of the course.
As a writer I believe that I have many strengths and weaknesses. I feel that I have more weaknesses than strengths, but that is the main reason I am taking Composition. My biggest weakness when it comes to writing is my creativity. I am not a very creative person, so coming up with an idea to write about is always a challenge for me. Another weakness that I possess is the awful habit of procrastination. I have gotten slightly better at using my time wisely within even the last couple of weeks. I have always been that student who pushes off their work until the last second. As for strengths, I believe that I am good at taking constructive criticism and upping my vocabulary in my writing. I am overjoyed at the thought of someone looking over my writing for me and giving me good ideas on what to fix and improve on. I really enjoy reading other people’s writing and help them improve as well. I also feel that I am good at taking a single word and remodeling it into something more intelligent. Understanding and learning vocab has always been an easy and useful thing to me. There are many beneficial documents shared with me in the 101 Composition folder. I have found myself already using this folder to my advantage many times since we have started this course. One of the things I use the most in the folder would be the 101 Essay Assignments folder. I find it so helpful to be able to look at examples of another person's writing and then to compare it to my own. Looking at someone else's essay always helps me come up with better ideas and over all writing techniques. I am quite grateful to have such a helpful folder handy whenever I need it.
As a writer I believe I possess the ability to connect with almost any audience, because I'm great at explaining things. I'm also
able to compile large amounts of information into one essay. I also do very well in incorporating colorful vocab into my essays. I also believe I'm very good at using emotion in my essays to get what I want. My essays tend to be short and to the point. With that being said, I tend to not expand my ideas very well in my writing. I also seem to bounce back and forth between subjects. I also struggle to start my essays because I never seem to come up with the perfect topic or idea. Sometimes, I get too far off topic and forget to write about the main point in my writing. I tend to have a hard time writing lengthy essays because my writing is extremely "to the point" style. Overall, I think I'm a strong writer because I seemed to be satisfied with the end product. As I'm writing, I found the C.H.E.S.S. document helpful in writing persuasive essays, and I loved how it broke down each letter in way that I could understand. Another huge aid to me has been "The art of styling sentences" document. This document helps me have more variety in my writing. I think the essay examples from previous students will also be very beneficial. The essay examples help me get an idea of what my essay should look like. I also found the Exam Study guide very helpful because I can get a head start on writing. I believe all the documents in this folder will be a huge help in my writing this year. I hope this course will prepare for all the writing I will have to do in college.
Jackson Dziedzic Period 6
I think my biggest strength as a writer is my ability to write about any topic and sound as if I have expertise in that particular area. I also am able to write to any audience with a convincing argument that my topic is solid and believable. I think my biggest weakness is my vocabulary and finding the appropriate word to fit for the right situation. For this reason some of my sentences may not flow as well as they could if I had used the correct word. I also struggle with continuing the essay in a manner which flows with how the reader may be thinking. For example, my next paragraph may lack content from the one before and the reader may get lost while reading, which is not a good skill to have what so ever while writing a persuasive essay. Inside the English 101 folder I have found many helpful tools while writing my essays, they include examples to help you get started, rubrics so you know what points you must stress, and sites that can help you explore more options while writing. Without this folder the class would be so much harder because you would have to find all of this helpful information on your own. In order become a better writer and improve I need to write more often and use the resources that have been given to me to keep learning. I can also as questions. All these things will help me a lot in the long run for all of the papers I will have to write in college. Especially if I pursue a law career in which writing formally is essential to the job. I am planning on copying this English 101 folder so I have it as a resource in college when I need it. Overall I hope this class improves my writing skills and helps me learn more about being persuasive.
Laycock 2
I would consider myself an above average writer, as I have my strengths and weaknesses. I am one whose grammar is far above the rest; you usually will not find many grammatical errors in my essays. Another thing I do well as a writer is once I start writing my essay, I usually do not stop until I have at least most of it done. I enjoy writing when I get on a roll with an idea and can keep producing thoughts that form into well worded sentences to make up the essay. One of my many weaknesses is that I find it hard to start up an essay. It takes me a while to form the original idea that needs to be expanded into the essay. Another weakness I have is the lack of initial ideas that pop into my head to start a topic. It took me longer than I would have liked to start my classification essay due to my lack of ideas on what to classify. Another weakness I have while writing is to be consistent with a topic. I often find myself writing about a certain topic, but having to reread at the end of a paragraph because of the inconsistency of what I wrote and what my main topic was. All in all, I find myself a decent writer, although I have many weaknesses in my writing. I found the C.H.E.S.S. document extraordinarily helpful to say the least. It helped my write and perfect my letters to the pseudo-celebrities I chose in order to have the chance to obtain a singed picture of them. The essay rubric is also helpful. It shows us what you as a teacher is looking for in our essays; therefore, allowing us to perfect our essays in a way so we can have the best possible grade.
I believe one becomes an exceptional writer with influence and experiences throughout their life. I can be a mediocre writer when it comes to essays that I have no interest in or do not concern me in any way. Nevertheless I would say I still have a few select strengths when it comes to writing. My vocabulary can occasionally be nothing to scoff at even though I do not like to show off my intelligence by using too big of words. I can say that I never have problems with spelling or most punctuation even. Also, once I have a decently firm grasp on an idea to write about I usually do not have too hard of a time writing a paper. I try to add humor to papers that I have written or even trying to appeal to the reader by adding personal experiences can help. I feel as if my weaknesses out-weigh my strengths when it comes to these graded works that I will have to complete in this class along with future college courses. One of my weaknesses that will make a huge impact will be how long it takes to get a paper started and being able to carry on with relevant information. I have a hard time getting right to work when writing because I always get over-confident and believe that I will know exactly what to write about when the time presents itself. So poor judgement on my part most the time. I truly believe that Composition 101 will guide and improve my skills in more aspects than one. The instructional strategy --C.H.E.S.S-- will prove to be most helpful because it guides a writer in every way possible. By the end of this school year, I hope I will be able to write without much of a push.
Beck 1
I have never actually thought about how I am a good writer or how I am a bad writer, what are my strengths, and what are my weaknesses that I have. What I was able to come up with is that one of my strengths as a writer is that I have many personal experiences that I am capable of using in free writing essays. I have many things I am able to talk about and give other people a better understanding about. I am able to show a side in some stories that people might not get to hear about if it weren't for some of my experiences. I feel that as though I could write some very good stories because of this. Some of my weaknesses is that when I am writing sometimes everything just becomes very jumbled up and does not make sense. I need to think over what I am writing and write up a quick rough draft so my essays make sense instead of having a million things all together in one essay. I also find it very hard to come up with interesting introductions or conclusions. I feel as though I am not able to be that interesting in certain ways.
Something's in the "101 Composition" folder I found interesting is what we are writing about right now, the classification essay. We are explaining how one thing can be compared to another, one example I saw is that how Sour Patch Kids are compared to Teenage girls. There was watermelon girls, grapefruit girls, and strawberry girls. Each different fruit describes each type of teenage girl in a different way. There are so many options on what you are able to write about in a comparison way. You can write about how the soccer team is like a family or how the marching band is like a clock. Without one thing it does not work right. It is all messed up and incorrect.
Meyer period 1
As a writer I would have to say a strength of mine is my ability to expand on my ideas. I sometimes struggle coming up with ideas to write about but once I have an idea I am able to give it more detail. Another strength of mine is I like finishing a story. I do not like any “loose” ends. Once I start something I have to finish it. With my strengths comes weaknesses. I have trouble coming up with ideas, it usually takes me awhile to get inspired. Another fallback in my writing is my grammar usage. English has always been my weakest subject, especially the grammar portion. In addition to my struggle with grammar, I experience struggle when I am trying to get my ideas onto a page. I get many good ideas but I am not for sure how to put it into words. I also have troubles trying to meet the requirement of some writing assignments. I get caught up in writing the paper I forget to add the requirements. Then I either have to go back and see if it is already in my paper or I have to add it in my paper somewhere, which add another stress to the assignment. While looking through the “101 composition” folder I found “The Art of Styling Sentences” document. This will gives me many examples of to style my sentences differently. I did not realize how many ways a sentence could be structured. This document will help enhance my grammar skills. I also found the “C.H.E.S.S.” document in the composition folder. This document will help be a good reference when wanting to persuade my reader. The whole “101 composition” folder will be very useful for me with various examples of Term Tuesdays, rubrics of essays, and description of essays.
I have many strengths in life and writing is not one of them. As a writer, my writing is not very well composed because my thoughts and ideas in my mind are difficult to explain in physical words on paper. Many of my thoughts do not make sense on paper but make perfect sense in my head. Basically, when it comes to writing whatever is written done can best be described as a beautiful mess. Also I struggle with the use of commas and spelling. My spelling has improved over the years but some days I forget to spell my name correctly. However, if I had to pick one strength of writing it would be that I can come up with original ideas. Some of my ideas are not overly original but I know how to add an original twist. I explored the massive "101 Composition" folder and found many subfolders and example essays that will be extremely helpful for future assignments. I always enjoy how in the massive shared folder, each student has access to all other classmates assignments. Already this year, I have looked at other classmates essays for inspiration; the convenience of the massive shared folder is a blessing. With this option, students like myself that sometimes have troubles with grammatical questions can read others for usage or have fellow students comment on an assignment to help correct errors. Also the folder contains many former students assignments that are helpful for looking at the format and needed lengths for current assignments. Plus, the former students assignments how great transitions that are helpful when one becomes stuck using the same transitions over and over again. Finally, the simple organization of the massive shared folder allows for even a person with an extreme case of the Mondays to navigate the subfolders and essays to find exactly what they are looking for.
All writers have strengths and weaknesses that they try to utilize or try to fix. As a writer, I consider myself as average: nothing extraordinary, but not inadequate. I have many strengths and weaknesses, but I believe that I have more weaknesses than strengths. My biggest strength in writing, I muse, is expounding upon an idea or incorporating new ideas into my writing. I find it fairly untroublesome adding related topics to the main idea. Usually, I blend these related topics in to help the reader gain a better understanding of my writing, if they do not fully understand my point. Another one of my strengths as a writer, is reading. As an avid reader, I have read many newer, and older novels such as Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Robinson Crusoe; but these books are hard to understand some times due to the words being used and the styling of their sentences. The way our language has evolved over time really interests me and I love the older style of writing. I firmly believe that reading new and old books can be very benevolent in writing since they can add new styles and words that are not commonly used. My greatest weakness in writing is not being able to start essays or other compositions. I have the hardest time beginning a project and it frustrates me. I think I spend more time procrastinating the start of my essay than I do actually composing it. I also do not think I fully utilize sentence structure as well as I should. I could use more compound-complex sentences and they would vastly improve my writing. Our shared “Composition” folder is very useful to me. It helps with ideas and examples of what my fellow peers are doing, and in turn, sparks my creativity. It is a very beneficial tool that all of us students should take advantage of.
As I sit here and read my fellow classmates responses, I am left to wonder why I took this class. English has always been one of my favorite subjects, regardless of my strengths and weaknesses, I enjoy it. My peers responses are composed well and are beginning to frustrate me because I feel as though my response will not be up to par. My strength as a composer/writer is being able to continuously compose ideas and make essays longer. An outline is not required when I begin an essay because I have no trouble with composing ideas off the top of my head. To some, this may be considered a weakness if I use too much verbiage, or begin veer off topic. As I articulate my point in an essay, I focus on not using too much jargon. My weaknesses as a composer/writer are properly structuring sentences. I often catch myself getting too comma happy as well, which makes my sentences choppy. At times, I feel as though I need to go back to the primordial stages of English to correctly set up a simple sentence. "The Art of Styling Sentences" will be very helpful in the correction of my weaknesses because they give you examples of proper usage of structure and grammar. Number fourteen on the "Art of Styling Sentences" says: "Prepositional phrase before the subject and verb (or before the verb and subject)." It moves the prepositional phrase away from the word it modifies creates a new style and eliminates the need for a comma. This will be useful in the case of overusing commas. Understanding this class will be a challenge excites me. English is important throughout life and knowing by the end of this semester I will be a much stronger writer is a humbling feeling, and I am grateful for this opportunity to take this class.
As a writer, I have many strengths combated by fair weaknesses. My most noteworthy strength is indubitably my vision for smooth flow and fitting tone, a skill I am proud to have attained. Over the years I have taken notice of how many of my peers struggle with grammar and sentence structure--where to position a comma, where to vary sentence length, where there ought to be suspense, where to tactfully place the bomb to achieve the greatest impact... So many seem to struggle with details like said, and I silently marvel, uncertain of what created our differences. However, in no way am I capable of the almighty. My writing style may be moderately advanced for my age group, yet perfectionism and expansion will forever bar me from my absolution. I crave to produce the perfect tone, the perfect sentence, the perfect word to cover every fraction of the page. I crave perfection from the very beginning, and once I feel I have found it, I can’t bear to alter my masterpiece. For that reason, happen I be a tragic hero, my fatal flaw is expansion; lengthening essays will be the death of me. If a paragraph seems to explain all that it must, I struggle to add fluffy jibber-jabber. Happen I attempt to lengthen, often a tangent sprouts and grows until I saw it off, and then I find myself back at the root of my problem. With so much back-and-forth inner conflict, time slithers by like a snake in my daffodils, waiting for the perfect moment to strike me down. Glancing through the 101 Composition folder, however, I find that the sample essays will truly encourage me to improve my own. Reading the samples when ill with the tragic disease of writer’s block will hopefully trigger my inspiration and bring on another wave of passion-filled writing.
As a writer, I have many strengths, but I also have many weaknesses. One thing I’ve learned about myself as a writer is that I have to correspond with the topic. The topic needs to be something I have deep interest in, it needs to be meaningful to me, and something that I want to learn more about. Once I decide on the topic, I am able to brainstorm ideas. I find myself making a list or a chart to organize the information that I want to include in my writing. Brainstorming ideas tends to come pretty easily for me. Having a rubric, as shown in the “101 Composition” folder, is helpful so I can make sure I have all the proper requirements needed when writing. My weakness, when it comes to writing, is I do not always use the most legitimate word choice. Word choice is something I want to work on and improve this year in Composition so that I am able to excel at it in college and in everyday life. Grammar is another weakness of mine. I have never been an overachiever when it comes to grammar, but I hope one day I am! Another tool I found useful when writing essays were the example essays found in the “101 Composition” shared folder. The essays that are given are helpful when formatting and laying out my own essays. The shared essays give examples that never came to my mind that I could write about in a topic we were given. One document I found extremely useful was the C.H.E.S.S. document found in the “101 Composition” folder. I did not imagine myself looking at it for the two papers and two letters we have already written in the first three weeks of school. From the information and the tools shared with us in the “101 Composition” folder, I have no doubt in my mind that I will be a more prominent and more proficient writer by the end of the semester. I am willing to put forth the effort to strengthen my weaknesses and build on my strengths as a writer.
Kribell 6
I have honestly never considered myself as a strong or skilled writer. I do enjoy writing, but am a little self conscious about my work. When I was younger--about eight or nine--I used to write stories all the time. Though they were usually about animals, my dad loved to read them and even today will make comments about me becoming a writer. My biggest strength is my imagination and ability to randomly think of ideas or stories in my mind. I like to play out scenes in my mind, which is where a lot of my writing comes from. Sometimes I can be very skilled with using different words in unique ways. Metaphors, similes, and adjectives are some of my favorite things to use. However, my most sincere and depressing weakness is that I typically lose interest in what I am writing. I get sick of writing very quickly and my inspiration and joy disappear within a few days. I will start countless papers and never finish them. I truly wish I could keep chugging along and never tire of writing, but the truth is that I do. My motivation fades fast, leaving me in a grumpy and sour mood. Despite this, I am enjoying this Composition class so far. I love all the helpful links in the 101 Composition folder, especially the C.H.E.S.S. This page gives helpful information and hints on how to write not only better, but more persuasively as well. Such as how to use stories and statistics properly. The syllabus for the entire class is also extremely useful. It details exactly what we will be learning and composing, as well as what we will need to be able to do by the end of the class. Even the assignments that will be given out over the course are listed and how much each of them is worth in our overall grading.
I feel like I am an overall strong writer. But also on the other hand, everyone has their flaws. First off I have a pretty broad vocabulary when it comes to writing. I am able to distinguish my writing from someone else’s with much ease. On the other hand though, I tend to get off topic fairly easily and will begin to ramble off useless information that is not needed in the essay nor the reader would care about. Another strong suit of mine, is that I am able to fluently write and do not need to stop and brainstorm ideas very often, if at all. Along with that comes creativity, I myself hate reading boring essays; therefore, I make it a priority to make mine full of life. Another flaw is that I tend to start out every sentence the same or very similar. I need to make an effort to consciously be changing up my sentences and make sure they are always evolving. In addition, my writing ability is greatly affected by the mood that I am currently in. I need to be able to fluently write and put words down that have meaning behind them, even when i'm in the worst of moods. Currently when I am in a lazy or grouchy mood, I have absolutely no motivation to write or do any type of homework. With college coming up, I must be able to put my feelings aside and finish school work before anything else. Lastly, I feel that my overall best skill as a writer, is life experience. I have gone through a lot as a kid, like the passing of a parent and switching of schools. Along with sports I’d say that I always have plenty to write about and will never run out of ideas.
There are a few interesting documents within the comp 101 folder. For example, the fact that we already have access to the final exam study guide is incredibly useful. Along with all of Mr. Christensen's examples.This will make studying for the final so much easier and will allow us to use our time much more wise.
Hammond pd. 7
I find that one of my greatest strengths as a writer is the way I use my language. I think that I have a rather distinct way of writing that emulates the manner in which I speak and I feel like this is a good thing because it adds personality to the words. One of my weaknesses as a writer is that I sometimes find it very difficult to think up topics to write about. I often procrastinate in my writings and have a tendency to leave things unfinished if I am given the space to. Without set deadlines I often stray away and from there well, let's just say I have more than a few unfinished stories in my folders. I also have a tendency to ramble on, or take the long route to get to the point in some sentences. I would like to learn how to write more clearly and know how to add some of those good artistic sentence styles as in the link you shared.
In exploring the folder 101 Composition, I stumbled upon quite a few wonderful entities indeed. I found enjoyment exploring the 101 Essay Assignments folder and looking at some of our future essay topics. When you look at most of the future assignments without any other context, some seem to make absolutely no sense and I am excited to learn how to make sense of them. I like the Narrative folder, and the 6-Word Stories file. I understand some of it, like the example at the topic with Ernest Hemingway’s Famous Short Story, but the rest of it seems a bit of a mess to me. Some of the stories have a prevailing theme, while others seems to have no direction. Evan Wieser’s were poetic and abstract, whereas Kendra Riley’s were shorter and seem more hard and to the point. Because of looking at that file, I look forwards to getting the prompt on what me must write.
One of my strengths, not only as a writer, but as a person, I believe, is honesty and genuineness. I don’t hide my own opinion, even if it doesn’t always match the majority’s, and I say things as they are. Even though English is my second language, I’m happy to see that my grammar is better developed than the average foreigner’s. On the other hand, what needs some work is my vocabulary and clarity of my message, as I sometimes just jam ideas and thoughts together, not realizing that it doesn’t always make sense to the readers. Most of the time I am able to come up with great ideas, other times I lack creativity, I guess it just depends on my mood or on the given (or not given) topic. Speaking of tone, when I get into writing, my mood is fully reflected by my words and sentences, which, I think is a good thing, at least, that’s what I would like to achieve. The main major weakness I’m having issues with, and not only in writing, but in general as well, is that I procrastinate all the time, put everything off until the last possible minute. I know it’s not something wise and smart people do, but at least I don’t think I’m alone with this problem.
So far, the most useful things I found in the “101 Composition” folder, were the example essays and letters. I gained inspiration, and they were (and still are) awesome samples to look at for guidelines when in need. Last, but not least, the assignment layouts and requirements are the ultimate lifesavers. Without those, I wouldn’t be sure on what to do and how to get started. Sometimes I really like how specific said requirements are; they lessen my chances of screwing up.
Jacobson p. 6
As a writer, I do not consider myself strong in any sort of way. My weaknesses largely overpower my strengths. Essays tend to stress me out, and as far as weaknesses go, I would say I overthink and lack any stellar word choices. My essays are usually on the casual side and are hardly ever praiseworthy. Grammatically speaking, a weakness is my strong ability to second guess myself and therefore change things that were most likely right in the first place. However, one of my strengths may very well be that I am always willing to at least try to write an essay. Starting out, I always overthink and, hence, struggle to create a gripping introduction. That would be my most substantial weakness; overthinking. My word choice and creativeness are two huge things I really hope to get better at when it comes to writing essays. I hope to be able to make my essays as spiffy as possible and to keep the reader’s attention from the beginning to the end. There are many tools in the “101 Composition” folder that will aid me through my writing. One of those tools is the C.H.E.S.S. document. C.H.E.S.S. will help me organize my overthinking into constructive categories and touch the audience of whom my essays could pertain to. The essay examples in the “101 Composition” folder are also beneficial. They help give me a basis of what my essays should look like and provide me some good words to use because “good” word choice is something I tend to lack. Overall everything in that folder is very helpful. This class, although challenging, should be really interesting and I am really keen to see how Composition will affect me. I am looking forward to being a stellar writer.
I believe I have many strengths with writing. I have always loved writing and reading since I was young. I have notebooks full of stories I wrote when I was little. I was so obsessed with writing, my parents bought me a book publisher kit on the 10th birthday, and I made ‘real’ (laminated) hard cover books! I always dreamed of being an author, but since the field is hard to get into and be recognized, I switched to being an English teacher. My biggest strengths are spelling, and imagery. I’ve always been a good speller, it bothers me when I cannot spell something right, but I occasionally misspell common words. Even the dullest essays, I like to color it up with some imagery, get the reader into the essay, maybe add some humor. My biggest weaknesses with writing are probably grammar and finishing a story. My grammar is honestly at a fifth grade level; if even. I lived in Mitchell basically my entire life,up until last year, and the Mitchell School District did not implement any sort of grammar after the fifth grade. All I remember in middle school english, was reading and writing. Even my sophomore year of high school at Mitchell; barely any grammar was introduced. So when I moved to Brandon and took Honors English 11, I was very unprepared. I failed every grammar unit that year; it was the most difficult and frustrating unit I’ve ever done. I also never know when to finish a story, I don’t know how to stop a story without stopping abruptly and losing the main purpose of my essay.
Some interesting items I could find in the 101 Composition Folder, are a lot of helpful reviews for the final, and examples of essays that I can look at and learn from. Looking at The Art of Styling Sentences, it really provides helpful examples that I can go off of; I am awful at grammar; so that will be a helpful tool.
As a writer I hold few strengths, and many weaknesses. To be completely honest writing has never been my strong suit. When it comes to grammar or anything english related I have always known just enough to get by and pass the class. My vocabulary use is very limited, and when it comes to length I am lucky if I get a page or two. I have many ideas on topics I would like to incorporate into my essays. However when I go to put them down on paper I struggle. I have many ideas but no clue how to link them all together. Although I have many weaknesses, I still hold some strengths. Coming up with a title or topic for an essay has always come relatively easy to me. When writing about something I am passionate about I can really express my emotions. I feel I use logos, ethos, and pathos fairly well. Being able to relate to others, and also making them feel what I feel.
One of the tools I found very helpful in the composition 101 folder was the “C.H.E.S.S” document. When I write I find it very hard to get all of my thoughts down on paper. After reading about C.H.E.S.S., I was able to organize my thoughts into an essay. I like being able to tell stories in my essays using this strategy. I also find the example essays very helpful. It helps me more to read examples, other than instructions. Being able to communicate through text in our generations is becoming more and more important. I hope that through this class I can improve my writing skills, to help me more in the future.
My strengths in writing essays include, knowing what to write about if we are to choose the topic and being persuasive when it comes to something I have strong beliefs about. I have a wide variety of views on different subjects. I am also creative. I like to read a lot which inspires me to be a good writer whether if that is referring to well written essays or writing my own pieces someday. My weaknesses in writing essays is struggling with coming up with a challenging topic that have requirements such as the "Classification" essay; using educationally advanced words; reaching the required limit for length if it is a topic I am not ecstatic about. The Classification essay has definitely challenged me in ways I have not been challenged before. Although, once I found an inspirational topic, things have been looking up. My goal is to learn how to pull things from all different perspectives and different to make great essays with great vocabulary. I would like to put my audience whom I am writing to, in awe with my words.
Pieces of information I find helpful in the 101 composition folder is "The Art of Styling Sentences", because it really helps me to check to make sure I am putting some style into my sentences, being the most constructive and organized I can be. I find "C.H.E.S.S" to be very helpful as well because it helps pull together the different techniques and views to help you collect as much data together for your essay, keeping it organized. Also all the impressive examples really help me get an idea of what is expected, giving me inspiration to be at least half as good as the examples. The 101 composition folder is helpful in many ways making writing essays a little less stressful and a lot more helpful.
Finch 1
As a writer, I understand I have many weaknesses, as well as a few strengths. I believe I am very fortunate that spelling has always come second nature to me. I simply find it quite easy and I have never had a problem with it and for that I am quite thankful, as I realize it's a difficulty for many people today. As for grammar, I find it relatively simple as well; though I would not consider myself among the best, of course. I consider myself imaginative, which can be beneficial or detrimental depending on my utilization of the trait. I can think of crazy, fantastical stories when I am allowed to let my mind run wild, but when I am told that I am required to write about something, my brain turns into that of an idiot child's. That is my greatest weakness as a writer: thinking of a topic when I am instructed to do so is harder for me than it should be. When I am unimpeded by guidelines and regulations, however, I can usually think up a relatively creative story. Another noteworthy weakness I have is my mediocre ability to create long essays. Even now I find myself going back to check areas I can elaborate on to achieve the required 300 word count.
Despite my crippling weaknesses, the "101 Composition" folder comes to the rescue. In the folder can be found many useful tools and models to use when I write essays for this class. I find the various models to be invaluable to me due to my absolute incompetence when it comes to thinking of a topic. They really help when my brain goes blank. Additionally, the C.H.E.S.S. file is helpful when forming the essay as a whole. Of course, the individual assignment guidelines/rubric files are useful to use when formatting specific essays. All of these files will lend a helping hand during this class and perhaps for assignments in other classes as well.
As a writer I have many strengths and weaknesses. Maybe more weaknesses than strengths, but since I’m still developing that is to be expected. At least I hope so. As far as strengths go, I am usually quite adept at coming up with new ideas to write about, and usually have an abundance of material which I can fill an essay with. This Is useful when I want to just write for a while while thinking about what to write next. I also think that when it comes to presenting ideas in an organized, rational way, I excel. This includes giving information in paragraphs, as well as splitting up the information in a logical way. Other than the occasional rambling I believe that I succeed at that quite well. Secondly, when it comes to weaknesses, sometimes i don’t write as smoothly, or with as much variety as I would like. Oftentimes, my essays are very choppy and don’t flow together very well. They also, have very uniform sentence types, which makes for a boring read. I also tend to rely too much on a format if I am given on. If I am given a sample essay and the teacher says to write like they did since theirs was very good, I will sometimes look a little too much. Even today, I was wondering how long my first paragraph should be in my classification essay, so I went to google drive and looked at Zach’s essay. I just made my first paragraph about the same length as his and called it good. On another topic, when I went into the 101 Composition folder the best tool I found was simply the C.H.E.S.S. page. It gives the main ways to argue and win those arguments and it is laid out in a very understandable and logical format. I can simply look at it and it makes the coming up with ideas on what to write about so much simpler.
I believe that I can be a supreme writer. My writing skills can easily be described as intelligent and extremely superb; however, there are times when my writing is not that great. I have good days and bad days with how I decide to write. But in my writing's entirety, I believe that I have an abundant amount of strengths. One of them would be being easily capable to quickly write down or type my feelings and thoughts. It just comes natural to me. Another strength would probably be my word choice, on occasion. Like I said, I have my good days and bad days. On my good days, the word choice that I use can make me seem much more intelligent than I actually am (I suppose that's a good thing). On my bad days, however, my word choice can make me sound more unintelligent than I actually am. With great strengths comes many weaknesses. The weaknesses that I produce in my writing would be rambling while writing. Sometimes I continue on a rant and throw all of my ideas out there without actually compiling them into a formal looking paragraph.
The most helpful piece of information in the 101 Composition folder would probably be the C.H.E.S.S document. C.H.E.S.S. stands for Contradiction, Hypothesis, Evidence, Stories, and Statistics. This is a very helpful and useful document because it teaches you how to properly organize your thoughts and ideas and produce it into writing. Obviously this class is a writing class, so looking back on this document frequently is extremely useful because we write so much. As well as this document, the examples of other classmates work really assist me in understanding what is expected of us and how our writing should thoroughly be articulated.
I am extremely excited to learn a greater amount of understanding in my writing while I am in this class. Having a greater knowledge of how to compile your words and how to properly speak/write will definitely aid me in the long run.
As one who does not write often, I would most definitely consider myself as a mediocre writer. I feel as though I am not a strong writer, but have small qualities in my writing that could possibly make a fellow classmate of mine believe I have more strengths than weaknesses. I say this because my writing strength, like most others, mainly depends on the topic I have been assigned, or chose to write about. If I can make up my own story or writing about a topic that I would enjoy writing about, I would rate myself above an average writer. If I can write about something I want, I could go on for a vast amount of time. When I get into writing about a certain topic, it just flows through me and I can get many words down in a little amount of time. A strength I feel is important is my writing is that I am great at focusing on my writing when I am writing and tune out what is going on around me. Although I have these strengths, there are many weaknesses that I need to work on during this semester. One of my biggest weaknesses, whether it be on a topic of my choice or someone else’s choice, I am awful at developing a well-written introduction. I found this out last year in my English class that coming up with introductions just could not come to me as quick as I anticipated them to. Another weakness of mine that I hope to fix is coming up with better words to use in my essays. I find that my word choice is not quite up to par compared people’s writings I read. In some of my essays if I try hard, I am able to come up with words that would be more suitable and would really emphasize my writing. The last weakness is my inability to complete writings quicker when I am timed or have a due date in which I have to have a certain amount written. There are more than just these few weaknesses stated but I feel as though you should know these three because they are the more important ones.
Some interesting things you can find in the 101 composition folder is a wide variety of documents that can help your sentence structure be ten times better than it already may be, the syllabus for the class, samples of essays that are above average, and overall things that can help you become a better writer. I really like that there are documents such as the “C.H.E.S.S.” folder with information that can help you write fantastic persuasive essays to make the reader believe the same that you do in five steps.
Bender pd. 6
One of my largest strengths as a writer is that I can start from scratch and formulate many sentences and paragraphs in a short amount of time. One other strength out of my short list, is that I usually have upper level diction. I see common and trite words scattered in my essay and look up the words synonyms and find an alternative option. The last strength is that I can write passionate essays if I love the topic and get on a role. My weakness comes straight from my strength in that I seem to become too wordy and ramble. I also find myself rushing to get done and sooner giving up than rereading an essay for the 4th or 5th time revising it like great composers and authors must do to make an essay into a masterpiece. My style of writing, like others, is not thought through; It is all over the place and hard to follow for readers. I hope to improve these things this year with the help from repetition of writing. What I find most helpful, looking through the 101 Composition folder, is the prior student’s essays. When seeing how others word things and their logical paths for essays, I can learn off of their mistakes and write mine using their techniques. Past examples is the best way of learning. Also it is fun to see familiar peer’s writings. These are more genuine and real rather than the list of “The Art of Styling Sentences.” I can only look at bulleted list for so long. But “ The Art of Styling Sentences” is a fantastic source that is far more direct and straight forward. It does take more time to read an entire essay to find examples of how to write instead of looking through a list of how to write correctly structured sentences. The C.H.E.S.S Folder is also extremely helpful.
Rowbotham pd. 2
As a writer I do not have very many strengths. Growing up I have never been the best writer, but if I had to list some strengths I thought I had, it would be that I have a good imagination. I feel like I can come up with good topics to write about, but when it comes to expanding on that topic, is where I tend to fail. I can come up with good ideas in my head, and ponder for hours, but when I have to put my thoughts on paper, I can not express them very well. Another weakness I have in writing, is my vocabulary. I tend to stick to prevalent, and common word, and do not extend my vocabulary when writing. My essays tend to seem boring to read because of the vocab I choose to use. But like when I read an essay of Ethan Brown, his vocabulary is truly amazing. I am immediately hooked and have to continue reading. He can go on and on about a topic with such passionate words and inspiring lines. His writing is truly inspiring and I wish I had strengths in writing like he did. Another weakness I think I have in writing, is writing in length. I was never able to write pages on pages growing up. I never wrote essays very much, so maybe that is a reason on why I have so many weaknesses in writing. One thing I found very helpful when going through 101 Composition was C.H.E.S.S. It’s a great tool to use when writing. It can help you plan out your writing and make sure you get good details. It can also help so you do not forget any steps. Remembering C.H.E.S.S. and going through those steps makes it easier for me to write essays and I think will be very helpful through the whole year.
Ullom pd. 7
As a writer, I have more weaknesses than strengths. I have always had a difficult time trying to come up with ideas on starting my essays. Once I get the hang of things than words just start flowing out. Unfortunately, I can usually say what I need to say in one paragraph. Which brings me to one of my weaknesses; not being able to write a long essay. I have always had trouble trying to add extra ideas or thoughts. Sometimes it gets to the point to where I repeat myself just to get the right length. When it comes to strengths, I am still working to discover what they are. One that I can say for sure is being resourceful. Another strength is being able to express myself when I am excited about a certain topic. Although it may not come out as beautiful or as eloquent as someone else might write it’s my writing just the same.
The information found in the “101 Composition” folder are all resources I can use to prepare my best essay. "C.H.E.S.S." showed me how to organize my thoughts for a persuasive and argumentative essay. The Term Tuesday folder is another folder that will help me throughout the year. It will help me be ready for the semester exam and it will be great in everyday life. Another resource I find helpful is knowing that I must use vocab words in certain essays. It helps to broaden my vocabulary base. The other piece helpful from this folder is just being able to use previous students essays for comparison.
My hope is that this semester of writing will give me more confidence for the future. I know that whatever I decide to pursue in college, writing will be required. If only my writing could read my mind, my life would be a lot easier.
I believe that I am an average writer. I have never been the best, but never the worst. One of my strengths would have to be my ability to easily elaborate on broad subjects. I also have a great imagination and I use it as best as possible. I am usually writing at my peak when I truly enjoy or support the topic. Now, like every writer I also have my weaknesses. At times I tend to repeat the same words over again and again. Another weakness of mine is the use of commas. At times I use commas excessively, but then some times I never use them. I also have trouble knowing when to put a semicolon or a comma, I often get confused and feel like a weak writer. Using intelligent vocabulary is also another one of my weaknesses because I usually use simple and straight to the point type of words. I also have trouble writing longer essays because I enjoy getting to the point and not beating around the bush.
Logos, Ethos, and Pathos is a document that helped me in my letter to Chris Watts. They helped me to find ideas about what to write about. For example using Ethos by adding that I was had played football since I was a young boy. A document that I found interesting and helpful is the C.H.E.S.S. document. It stands for contradiction, hypothesis, evidence, stories, and statistics. The document helps with structure and strategy of writing. It also helps you write like a lawyer and we all know lawyers are the best argument winners in the world. Why else would they get paid to do just that, win disputes. Another thing that I found helped me write my essays better is the great examples of essays, they really help when you get stuck in the middle of a paper.
Words are incredible powerful; they hold the power to create peace or ignite wars. My strength as a writer lies in the words I choose. Essays of mine contain a variety of words and phrases but they are simple enough that they do not confuse the reader or detract from the essay. Writing and composing songs has become a great hobby of mine; it has helped me to develop better story-telling abilities and grow my vocabulary. The words can change the entire mood of the song. I enjoy creating long, thought-out metaphors to describe things in my own unique way. The best essays I’ve written were the ones that burned my preconceptions, the ones that stoked my curiosity, the ones that fanned the flames of my passion. Once I truly care about something, I will stop at no end to craft it into a masterpiece that I can be proud of. My weakness, the loose thread in the hem of my writing, is that I tend to overthink. I can spend hours thinking, plotting, planning. When the time comes to write, my mind is in a million different places. My mind is like a ball of yarn after a kitten has played with it: it is often a complete disaster. Sometimes, I’ll write an entire paragraph in five minutes then delete the entire thing a minute later. Into the trash my writing often goes. It is through tossing my crumpled papers in the trash that I have become quite adept at trash can basketball. Searching for a good topic for my essay is best compared to finding a foot that fits Cinderella’s glass slipper. Occasionally, I will find myself trying to tackle too much. I’ll use too big of words or make phrases that are too complex and confusing. No matter how frustrated I get, I will always love writing. It provides an escape from the insanity of daily life.
One of my favorite quotes that seemed to complement this blog task: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” --Ernest Hemingway
The best resource in the 101 Composition folder has to be the C.H.E.S.S. file. It combines all of the necessary elements to creating a solid argument in one document. I will be sure to utilize this valuable resource not only in my writing for composition class but also college essays and job resumes.
I have never considered myself an incredibly great writer. In my high school career I have not learned the aspects of making a great essay. I have always enjoyed reading, but writing has never came very easy for me. I have many flaws in my writing that I hope to fix by the end of the semester. Although few strengths that I do have would be that when I get connected and passionate about what I am writing, it comes out very easy for me. When I am passionate and confident about my writing the the correct words and grammar seem to come out on to the paper fairly good. Although a weakness would be that if I am not inspired by what I am writing, it becomes a very hard task for me to write anything. I draw a blank and could sit there for hours with no words to type. I can never come up with even the easiest words to say, and how to word certain sentences is a problem with me. I am not confident when it comes to my writing and that may be the reason behind my inability to come up with even the simplest sentences. I also have trouble lengthening my essays. I feel as if I repeat myself the longer my writing is because I have said what I needed to imply and don't know what else I could possibly add.
in the 101 Composition" folder there are many different resources that I can use to prepare the best essay I can. The amazing examples of others writings is very helpful. It gives me an understanding of how my own writing should be, and helps me when I get stuck. The most helpful document shared in the 101 composition folder would be C.H.E.S.S which stands for contradiction, hypothesis, evidence, stories, and statistics. Reading this helps me strengthen my writing and will help me in future writings.
Thelen 6
I would never pair myself with a strong writer. Struggling in English class is what I have always done. I find it hard to use multiple types of sentences. I write without thinking about showing a display of a variety of sentences. The hardest part is being creative enough to figure out what I am writing about. The hardest part of writing my For example, I struggled with what topic I would discuss on my classification essay is coming up with a creative title that captures the interest of the reader. I settled with only two days before the rough draft is due. Once I have my idea, I can easily put cohesive sentences together. Organizing is one of my strong suits. I am able to put together the subtopics to create flow for the reader. For writing, I use a Thesaurus. I take dead words, replacing them with sophisticated words that advance my writing. I am able to put paragraphs together; creating a capturing experience for the reader.
My goal with Composition 101 is to be contempt with the strength of my writing. I am strengthening my writing through reading an abundance of books. Reading helps put examples of sentences straight into my hands. I see myself strengthening everyday in composition. Having examples such as “The Art of Styling Sentences” helped me see why different sentences affect my writing. It’s effective. Another helpful document is “C.H.E.S.S.” “C.H.E.S.S.” powered my writing. When I would reread my letter after added C.H.E.S.S. I could tell that it strengthened my writing. Looking at past examples help display where my writing is should be. I constantly compare my writings to the past examples. The comparison shows a gradual increase in my essays. Being able to use these tools, the struggles I have with writing will diminish quickly this semester.
As a writer I have quite a few strengths: creativity, flow, and vocabulary. My primary strength is creativity; I find it simple to take a topic and run with it. Flow is my second strength, I can easily dance from one topic to the next. I am by no means, the epitome of correct word usage; however, I do enjoy making myself sound smarter through the use of larger words. Discussing your own strengths is the easy part of this assignment; everyone likes to talk about what they are good at. That hardest part is admitting your weaknesses. No one wants to talk about their flaws. However, I have strengths; so, I have weaknesses. As for my weaknesses, I have three: run-on sentences, train of thought, and relative content. As a writer I can very excited about what I have to say, and I try to cram it all into one sentence. I have so much to say about one specific thought before I lose it, which leads me to the train of thought. When I start writing my mind wanders wherever it pleases; I let it go and hope that it finds its own way back. While I am losing my train of thought, I also lose relative content. I could start writing a story about a goldfish and end up in a heartfelt rant about photosynthesis. Some would say it take talent for a train of thought like that, I would say all it takes is a multiple track mind. I found the document--The Art of Styling Sentences-- to be a useful tool. Even as I am writing now, this document helped vary and expound my knowledge and use of sentences. The Art of Styling Sentences was also very intriguing because I had no idea there were so many different types of sentences--all of which help to enhance your grade. In summary, I will be able to help my weaknesses, such as run on sentences, by using what I have learned. I will also be able to grow my strengths by continuing learning the art of sentences.
At this point as a writer I feel that my weaknesses outweigh my strengths. The most important part of the essay -- the beginning -- is one area is where I struggle. I may have an idea but I fret over my word choice and the impact the words will have and internally I battle over the best way to start. Commas, dashes, and semicolons -- grammar, for me, is an ocean that I find overwhelming and a place where I fight to keep above water. I have no doubt though, that, by years end I will know more about grammar than I do know and will feel that though I’m in an ocean I have a life raft. Fictional story? An essay over a book? Bring it on, but an essay over my feelings about an issue or a tale of my youth? I struggle because I don’t really like writing what I feel or about myself in general. Though I have these weaknesses I do have some strengths. I feel that when I do write I write to my reader be it appealing to their emotions or just keeping the reader amused. Keeping the reader engaged is not the only important thing, clarity is important as well. When I write you will know where I stand because I make my point and it can be seen clearly. One of the entries in the 101 Composition folder I have found useful and motivating would be “Reasons Essays Earn B Grades” this helps me by showing me what to avoid when typing an essay. One other helpful resource would be the entire 101 Final Exam Preparation folder but the study guide and the practice exam will be of the most use to me. I may not be taking the practice exam quite yet but it will be quite helpful in the future.
My strengths as a writer would have to be the ability to turn a boring topic into something that people want to read. Something that catches the readers attention and draws them in and want to read more about what I have to say about that topic. A great weakness I have in my Writing is what variation of a word I need to use in the position that I put it. Examples would be using the wrong "to" or "too" in my sentence which sound the same but have totally different meanings in the world of writing. The best and i feel like the most effective writing piece we have done was the persuasive letter to a person. I feel like it is the most important because it will help get things you want to get done, get done in your favor. A job this would help for meetings or for even the sooner future college applications and scholarships. Also a good thing we will learn in the future of the Composition class will be the argumentation that will help us get our own views and points across to a class of people or to a single person that just goes against your views of a situation. These two pieces will help further us more as we go through college and even later on in life in the work force. Most of the things we will learn in this class will further our knowledge in the English language and how to write it properly with out making ourselves sound and or look like fools doing it.
My strengths and weaknesses as a writer are actually pretty simple. My main problem when I’m writing is I am happy with what I write. I will write for a while revise and edit a bit of the sentences, but I just get content with my essay really easily. It is not even that I am just too lazy to do it. I am just happy with the heaping pile of essay I had just written. I read it back to myself and am happy. Now this may sound like a good thing or at least a positive thing to look at, but writing and getting better at writing is all about revising over and over again to make something better. I enjoy my writing almost right away so I find it difficult to change things or to add things even if it may seem obvious to someone else that it needs to be changed. My main strength as writer is my ability to start writing and just keep writing. I really enjoy it, and it is able to flow quite easily and in my opinion coherently. The second I realize what I want to write I can just keep going until someone tells me to stop, or I have a reason to stop. This could be a strength or a weakness depending on how you look at it. The ability to just keep writing is a strong trait that keeps an essay going and lengthy. If I can learn to revise; I can learn to make my essays stronger with less sentences while still having some girth to them. I look forward to applying this to my writing. The C.H.E.S.S document is a useful entity, and I feel as though I need to make use of it more in my essays. It is especially helpful in persuasive essays. Everything in that document -- Contradiction, Hypothesis, Evidence, Stories, and Statistics -- is important to know for writing a clean, clear composition.
I feel like my one strength as a writer is that I am able to put my thoughts down on paper. I have struggled with knowing when to end or start a new paragraph. I also feel as though I ramble on a lot in my essays. I need some guidance on how to keep my points as the focus of the essay. I wish to become better at using more terms and also using better punctuation. I also feel that I will need some help organising some of my ideas because I have the ability to think them, I just need to get them down in an orderly fashion. Looking at the composition page I feel like the CHESS page, which talks about the organisation of your thoughts, will help me help myself immensely. As I said earlier I have a little trouble organising my thoughts and this page will help me get them into an order where they will actually make sense. Also reading the example essays has helped me to get my mind on track, as well as inspiring me to be a before writer. I am also really excited about being able to hear your opinions on my essay, and help me get this whole writing thing down.
Pleased, frustrated, and delighted-these are all words I would use to describe my writing process. Sometimes it comes easy and sometimes it does not. In my writing, though, I believe that I have a few strengths and a few weaknesses. One of my strengths is that I am good at coming up with ideas to write about in my essays. Most of the time I can come up with more than one topic that I could possibly write about, so ideas aren't too much trouble for me. Another strength is that I am always open to suggestions or other ideas from other people. I like having a different perspective or more than one perspective on my essay. Also, another strength is I am good at the spelling and grammar side of writing. I never struggle with how to spell a word because I have always been good at spelling. When it comes to essays I tend to avoid two things, though: big words and fancy sentences. One of my weaknesses is I forget to use elaborate words when writing and tend to use more simple words that I understand easier. I said before that a strength of mine was coming up with ideas; however, it is also my weakness. When I am writing, I tend to come up with multiple approaches or ideas for writing my essay and I can not decide which way is best so I get frustrated. Writing the introduction paragraphs and concluding paragraphs is also a weakness. When I looked in the 101 Composition folder I found my favorite useful entity: essay examples. I like that I can look at well written essays and see how that person composed it to help me know how I am supposed to compose my essay. I also like that all the directions for every essay are in there so we know exactly what is needed in the essay.
Throughout my high school career I’ve never looked upon writing a bare necessity. Looking through a telescope; seeing that writing will. There are various ways of getting a message, thought, or idea onto the next human: but it can only better my communication skills by developing the literature aspect. One of my weaknesses in writing is the will and drive. By that I mean the will to keep going on a certain essay or the drive to start a new one. Don't get me wrong now. Laziness is not the case because I did take the step to better my writing with a more difficult college class. The thing is I see that writing will be a great skill in my pocket. For example the letters that we wrote using logos, ethos, and pathos will be very helpful throughout life.
I would have to say a strong suit of mine is coming up with unique topics to write about. I get a feeling that writing is a pure art form. Likewise art is something I can relate to so why not try doing innovative writing topics like I do with my art pieces. Yes I realize that there is always room to branch out and reach new depths or heights. That is exactly my motive with this class. By reading through The Art of Styling Sentences I can already tell that iv only hit the tip of the ice berg for expanding my writing. The main improvement I would like to strive for is turning the writing I was talking about into composition. An essay that's worth reading. A story that's repeatable. Using those examples may get me there and by the end of this semester I want to be a walking sentence king.
Though I feel my weaknesses overtake my strengths, I do have some strengths as a writer. One strength that I have is that I can write with detail, but not necessarily on the rough draft. Another strength of mine is that I can create sentences that are easy to understand and not overly complex. My last strength is my spelling, which is made a nearly useless skill due to the internet and spell-check. These are my strengths, but I also see them as part of my weakness. I am able to write with detail that still can be understood, because I take my time -- a long time -- to write letters, speeches, or essays. This would be good if I did not have time limits, but all forms of writing have to be done at some time. My greatest weakness is thinking of what I want to write, which takes away the time I have to be writing my essay.
I see that in the folder is the folders for all the class periods. This I feel can be the most useful, since I can use other people’s works to draw inspiration from for my own works. I can also use these as a way to help each other in writing by commenting on parts that are need to be worked on or expanded on. Another aspect of the folder that I am glad to see is the study guide for the final exam. This gives us list of terms for what we need to study, so we have a way to be prepared for the exam whenever we want to be. This can be a resource for different aspects of my writing. It has terms over parts of writing from grammar to sentence structure. With my difficulties when it comes to writing, I am glad to be able to have access to these great resources to help me compose essays or letters better.
I have many strengths and weaknesses as a writer. It takes me a large amount of time to try to think of what to write about and what topics I should use in my essays. I love to write about random things that come into my mind and I enjoy writing, but if I have to think about something in particular to write I can never think of anything and it takes me forever to come up with a topic, which causes me to procrastinate on my writing. I can write for a long time if I have inspiration and I love to put all my thoughts down on paper because it is the easiest way to express myself. Typing is quicker than writing on actual paper but I love to write with a pencil. I try to make my sentence smart sounding and being able to write instead of talk gives me time to come up with sentences that sound more sophisticated than anything I can say in person. Another weakness to my writing is sometimes I jump all over the place in my paragraphs and I start writing about something new, one thing just leads to another and my ideas change throughout writing. It can be a constant problem because then I have to go back through my writing and change sentences to make it understandable all the way through. I try to place commas and semi colons in the correct spot as much as possible just so I don't have to go back through and correct my errors, I like to catch myself making mistakes as I type or write. In the "101 Composition" folder I can find many useful papers. There are examples of essays for every assignment, the paper that tells us what to do for each assignment, and all the words that I need to know for the final exam that will be here before I'm ready for it. That folder will be extremely useful to me as it already has been, and I try my hardest to make sure I get the MLA format correct by looking at all the examples from smart students that graduated years before me.
Pd 1
Over all, I would say my strong suit with writing would have to be,keeping to a specific topic and not wandering off. Personally I am definitely nowhere close to being a good writer to say the least. When it comes to weaknesses, it will be just about everything. I am not a good speller, not the best at grammar, and I also have a tendency to lose track of what I'm even doing when writing. Within the document shared, just about anything within it could be useful to me. I could work more on my commas and repetition. Over all, I would say that number four, a series without the usual conjunction, and number fourteen, prepositional phrase before the subject and verb. With unusual conjunctions would definitely benefit in a way of helping what I write flow together more than having one part sound contradictory to the next. The interrupting modifier mainly goes with my issues when it comes to comma positioning, dashes, and parenthesis. I would like to be able to assert specific meaning within a certain topic at cans they just placing it in. Not to a.so mention my issue with dry humor and not being somewhat capable on expanding so much on simple topics that a three hundred word essay ends up being around a hindered and fifty.
(Yes I do understand that I will not receive full credit for under three hundred words.)
My strengths as a writer are certainly not a lengthy list but I have a few. First, I put a lot of thought into my writing. I also pay a lot of attention to the words I am composing in effort to have exiting flavorful word choices. I use correct grammar most of the time in my writing. Also I am a swift typer. my weaknesses as a writer start with I am a terrible speller. Spelling has never come natural to me and I rely heavily on the spell check. Coming up with catchy and exiting titles is a skill I unfortunately do not possess. Having classmates being able to see what I have written makes me want to perfect everything. I do not use puns or alliterations in my writing as much, and I want to work on working more in my writing. Next, I am an incessant procrastinator that waits longer than I should to polish off an essay. I find myself using contractions in my formal writing occasionally. Though I put things off, I am also a motivated writer. I brace the challenges that composing introduces to me. I believe being able to write with purpose accuracy is a skill that most members of society should adapt. On the topic of the 101 Composition folder, I find it easy to feel overwhelmed by oll of the essays that will be expected of us. Also I find a numerous amount of examples of essays. I will use the multiple essays provided for me to help complete my own. I noticed that there are various rubrics. Rubrics will be a helpful tool for me because I am able to narrow down what you are looking for. I find the term tuesday presentations being available to everyone through google drive a helpful addition.
Writing has always been an asset of mine. I have always been able to compose my ideas thoroughly through writing. The ability to write, is the ability to organize; another is persuade. Narrative, descriptive, and persuasive—these are different writing styles. When writing, I feel that it is a natural action. This, however, is not the only strength in regards to writing that I have. When looking at papers I have written, I see that a consistent strength of mine is flow. Having a good flow involves the ability of the reader to easily comprehend and view the work being put in front of them. Achieving this can take a lot of work, but one trick I have learned is to read and reread a piece of work I have made. Doing this allows me to change from a writer’s standpoint, to a reader’s standpoint. The necessary things to provide flow—grammar, ideas, and word choice—I have learned. One of my biggest strengths, however, is my ability to make people believe and feel what I am saying. This is achieved by composing my works with thoughts, ideas, and words that are original. Being someone that can change others’ thoughts and/or opinions through my writing and being someone that can make people think, is a goal of mine every time I pick up a pencil. These strengths, however, do not come without weaknesses. I would say my biggest weakness would be grammar. A goal of mine is to be able to have a larger vocabulary; also use things that are grammatically correct. Another downfall in my writing would be speed. Increasing my speed would help me exponentially. Anyone in a writing class will tell you that there are two things that help you out in class: speed and dedication. The C.H.E.S.S. document found in the composition folder was extremely interesting. This will help to add an extra boost to my writing. The essay examples are extremely helpful. They are not only fun to look at, but also have great insight into questions one may have. We grow in our writing abilities by being exposed to others’ pieces of work. These combined will help me improve my writing. The weakness I have listed will soon be strengths. The more exposure one has to writing, the more one is able to find new strengths and fix flaws.
A question you have to ask yourself, am I a writer? Am I able to write well enough to assume that title? For most people the answer is no, some “not a chance”, and others “A writer? Are you kidding me?” Although there is a small percent of people that can answer yes to those questions, they are writers. It is difficult to know if you are a writer or not. I, for example, would have never in 10 thousand years made the assumption that I was a good or even decent writer. I had always done well on writing assignments, if the topic was interesting enough to write about. I had always passed, but there is the difference between passing an assignment and excelling on one, that I had never noticed.
What are my strengths as a writer? I would have to say my ability to keep my work flowing. If that makes any sense. My ability to have an idea and just write and write and write until the idea is expressed completely. Sometimes I am thankful for my skill in being able to ramble so well.
What are my weaknesses as a writer? Our weaknesses are always more prominent than our strengths, are they not? This question, however, is easy to answer. My dyslexia is my greatest weakness when it comes to writing. It limits me in so many ways imaginable, the most outstanding being my spelling and reading abilities. It limits my word choice simply because I do not know how to spell the word in my mind. I can and am using it correctly in my speech and in my sentences, but cannot spell it. The speed at which I read is what bothers me the most, more often than not the time we are allotted to read a passage in class runs out and I am not even half way done with it. My classmates ask me to proof read their work, I of course agree to do it, but sign mentally when I see its length. It is not easy, but I know I could be a lot worse off.
My strengths as a writer are few in my opinion. I would say that I am able to make sentence flow better than the average person, but even that can be a hit or miss scenario at times. As for my weaknesses, I feel that I could do a better job at expanding my vocabulary, I’ve come to find that I often times repeat words or phrases among my writing assignments and I am always trying to expand my vocabulary usage as well as my use of punctuations. The mark of a good writer is correct punctuation usage. It seems that many of my peers understand this much better than I do and it is for this reason that I am grateful that we can look at others essays and works whenever we want to. Another thing I feel that I could work on would have to be better starting a sentence or paragraph. Often times I find myself scratching my head wondering what catchy phrase to use to make my writing better. Once again, the fact that we can look at other people’s writings helps me greatly in this aspect. As for the composition folder, the most useful tool I have found on there to date would have to be the C.H.E.S.S. notes. This helps me greatly because it gives me the proper guidelines I need to write more effectively and with much more diction and empowerment than I would normally have. There are a plethora of useful entities that can be found in this folder, and among them are the various assignment syllabi as well as the requirements that we need to effectively finish term Tuesday PowerPoints. Last but not least is the list of emails for all our classmates, this allows us to communicate better and provide each other with assistance as needed
Smith 1
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I would not consider myself a very good writer. I would call myself mediocre at best. I don't have the biggest vocabulary at my disposal, and I'm not that good with punctuation. I do, however, think I can come up with some pretty good ideas. Whether it's coming up with fictional ideas or trying to explain myself in a nonfictional setting. When it comes to actually writing the essay, I sometimes have a hard time putting my thoughts into words the way other people do, with all of the description they put into it. Some other people will describe a flower as an incandescent yellow with the sun dancing off the pedals in a fashion that makes it sparkle. I, however, would just say that it was a bright yellow. I also sometimes have a hard time writing with a purpose. I get started but by the end I have rambled off on a tangent. I would say that I read books a little more than average than other teens my age. The book I’m reading right now (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe) uses such good description in some places, it surprises me how clear of an idea I have of the setting and plot. Reading a well written book makes me almost envious of the author’s skill. One of the reasons I took this class was to better my writing so in the future I may be able to compose a letter or just write in general in an educated way that doesn’t make me seem like a complete dunce. One of the tools that I’ve encountered that seems to help me a lot is C.H.E.S.S. I would like to incorporate C.H.E.S.S. into my essays as much as possible so that I can further my writing skills. I will try to use C.H.E.S.S. into college and hopefully beyond that. One of my goals in life is to write a book. It doesn’t have to be published or anything, just something that I can have for myself. With this class, I’m closer to that goal with each day.
1 Lindemann
My strengths as a writer include: variation, description, and formation. I often think of multiple ways to express what I am trying to say-which is facilitated by my large vocabulary-in order to provoke thoughts of the mind, invoke spirits of the soul, and evoke emotions of the heart. I have a sixth sense for reading to know when the use of certain words will cause the reader to subconsciously skim the surface. I want to engage; delve deeper into words; create the optimum level of verisimilitude regardless of whether or not my writing is based on real life or not. This is done by the use of powerful words and, not the lack of, but the watchful use of common words such as: very, good, amazing, so, ect. I am best at descriptive and creative writing. I grew up reading books-sometimes five at a time-giving me a wonderful insight into the techniques of child/young adult authors who create such fantastic worlds. Now I posses the ability to paint not only a picture but an entire mural. I absolutely love to use imagery and symbolism. Whether I’m describing the awe of being in a beautiful forest, or the terror of being in a ominous house all alone. Feelings are what I do best through engaging a person’s senses. I once wrote an entire page solely on the feelings of a blank piece of paper. Lastly, I do not understand sentence structure but I grasp the way a sentence should compel the reader onward. I know that adverbs are ambiguous and should not be overused. Instead, a descriptive verb that involves the reason behind the action is better. For example: If I say “The boy ran quickly behind the wall.” that’s boring. How fast is he running? Why is he running? Why is he behind a wall? I can even shorten the sentence and give more detail. “Frightened, the boy dashed for cover.” Now the reader is intrigued. Why is he scared? Why is he running for cover? I do not know, you will have to keep reading. Also, bland adjectives are bad. How tall is tall? How fast is fast? What shade of purple? Adjectives need to be specifically placed and supported. “If I say the man was tall.” how boring is that? “The man towered over all five foot six of me.” Even then I did not even have to use the adjective and I give the reader something to compare or envision. Those are a few examples of the innate rules I hold to. Useful writing tools in the Comp. 101 folder would be pretty much everything depending on the situation. The C.H.E.S.S document is great for writing arguments. I realized I have used those techniques before but now I know why it is most effective. Also, the art of styling sentences can be useful for every kind of writing. All of the examples can be used when the appropriate assignment is in need of help.
Though I have been writing for a while I know that there is still a multitude of different things that I still need to learn in order to become a great writer. My strengths as a writer come when I get to write about a topic that I am passionate about. When I am passionate about something I want to write more about it and I will naturally go more in depth in my writing, whereas when I am just given a prompt that I do not care about I only want to do the bare minimum. Another strength I have in writing I love to write stories where I can be creative and take my stories any direction that I want to. One of the biggest weaknesses that I have as a writer is writing cohesive analytical essays or research essays. Also I am bad at using commas because I can never memorize all the rules for when to use commas and when to use other things such as semicolons and colons. When I went to the composition 101 folder I found the C.H.E.S.S. document and found that to be wonderfully helpful. This document will not only help me when I am writing persuasive letter and essays, but also when I am writing stories. When I am writing stories I can use the techniques that are in this document to make the readers feel empathy for certain characters and maybe even persuade them to see classic stories in a different way.
Paauw 6
When it comes to writing, I have some strengths as well as some weaknesses. Being able to incorporate a certain word or idea is one of my strengths as well as composing interesting ideas. I can-- when I keep my thoughts straight-- usually compose a pretty good essay. Weaknesses of mine are varied. One weakness, coming up with ideas, is probably the hardest to remedy. I can sit for long periods of time and not have a single sentences, or even an idea to go off of. Another weakness of mine is that ideas will sometimes come to me and I don't know how to make a cohesive essay from them. My essay then become scattered and hard to read. Spelling and grammar--my least favorite part of writing--make up my greatest weakness. Yes, there is autocorrect but it does not always provide the right word or allow for the correct punctuation to be added. Titles are another major weakness of mine. While composing essays, I usually take until the end of time allowed to come up with a creative title that fits with my essay, as well as adding to my essay instead of just being there.
Wow, just wow. The “101 Composition” folder will, and probably should be, my biggest asset while in this class. The essay examples in the “101 Essay Assignment” folder, will be my biggest alie. Looking at how others interpreted the assignment and deriving ideas from those essays, will be a wonderful tool, not only to assist in writing mine, but to also make my, already typed essays, even better. The “Term Tuesday” folder will also assist immensely when needing to compose essays. It not only has terms, but also the power points that others have created, and their examples using specific terms. This will be helpful when needing to incorporate these terms into various essays.
Every writer has strengths and weaknesses. My biggest downfall always seems to be writers block and procrastination (a very tragic combination). For me, there are so many conditions that make it impossible for me to focus enough in order to write something worth reading. Almost anything--side conversations, weird smells, subtle hunger--can make writing seem as impossible as rocket science. I also seem to have problem with going back and being as thorough with revising my essays. The most daunting task of composing is recomposing so I try to avoid it as much as I can, not helping my writing at all. Despite procrastination always seeming to sneak up on me, it also almost always gives me my best ideas and push me to finish well because of the upcoming deadline. Other small strengths I possess in writing would include a fairly strong grip on punctuation and organization of ideas.
In the “101 Composition” folder, there is such a wide range of files that I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to view them all by the end of the semester. I would have to say the most useful of all the files would have to be the contents of the final exam folder and past student examples of the different essays. Having all the information about the final exam readily available is a definite way to be able to prepare for the exam with plenty of time to spare. Not only does it have study guides, but also practice exams. The past student works are especially helpful because they are works written on the exact same topics that are assigned to us. Seeing real examples help us fully understand the expectations and guidelines of the assignments. Knowing the past students is also a great benefit because you can see what your friends and upperclassmen “celebrities” were like when they were seniors.
Though I am not yet a skilled writer, some of my strengths as a beginner are being able to create complex sentences, and use new vocabulary words. I find it easier to write when I am writing about something I enjoy, or am very familiar with. I could probably write over five pages on the origin modern art, but if I were forced to write an essay on football, I am afraid I wouldn't be able to cover half a page. Sometimes I like to do my research on a topic before I write. If there are words or topics that I am unfamiliar with, then I feel it is my priority to learn more about it.. What if I get asked about it in the future, and I have literally nothing to say about it? That would be pretty embarrassing. So, with that said, vocabulary is important to me because even if you have little to say, you can say it using words that make you sound intelligent. My definite weakness as a writer is grammar. I know for a fact that this comment is loaded with grammar errors. For example, I haven't used a single semicolon, and I know that this writing should contain many. I suppose I should use my strength in learning new ideas to figure out how to be more grammatically correct. Having guidelines to write an essay with is like having an English teacher right by your side as you write. Mr. Christensen introduced me to C.H.E.S.S, which is a strategy using five specific tactics that can help critical thinkers organize their thoughts, ideally empowering them to be compelling enough to affect others’ thinking. Out of all things I have learned in English classes, this has been the most inspiring. I will most likely continue using c.h.e.s.s. for many years to come.
As a writer I would not classify myself as a strong writer. Ever since elementary school writing has never been my strong suit and hopefully that will change with taking this class. I can come up with ideas inside my head, but writing them down onto paper and composing a paper is one of the many weaknesses with my writing. Another weaknes that I notice with my writing is word choice, vocabulary and grammer. I like to use the same words, and the easiest grammer will confuse me, or I will mess up simple stuff that I have learned about every year since I was at a young age. I would say I have many weaknesses, but that last one I want to touch base on would have to be my procrastination. I put off with writing assignments until the last minute and waiting to finish a paper until the last minute. My strong suit with writing is that i can spell very well and thinking of ideas to write about. Schroeder Pd. 6
I would say that my writing is pretty original and creative. Another strong attribute with my writing is that I am an organized writer. Before I start composing paragraphs, obviously I have to start writing the sentences, but before I start writing sentences I put together a graphic organizer. Looking through the 101 Composition folder I thought the C.H.E.S.S. was the most helpful, with our first essay it was used to advance the effect, and so in the future with all of my assignments I can use this document. The second thing that I think that is really helpful inside of the folder is that you have multiple essays from previous students that had really good examples of the essay that we are currently assigned. I am really excited to see the progress that I show from this class.
I feel that one of my strengths as a writer is creativity. Another strength that I have is that I a can just start writing. With this classification essay, many students are having a hard time starting their essay. One of the things that I did was just start writing about a topic, whether it be a strong topic or not, it is a start. This start can breed new ideas and overall it helps me create a more solid essay.
One of my weaknesses as a writer is that I cannot write in volume well. I will summarize my writing points and not get expand upon ideas enough. This directness in writing can be helpful, because I can get my point across in a succinct manner, but it can hurt in school because I find it very difficult to write long essays. I am concerned about how I will fare having to write essays in this class that are five pages long. I need to work on the depth of my essays. I should include more details and more descriptive sentences to aid in getting my point across more effectively.
I should also try and make my essays broader. I try and finish the essay in as little words as possible, and this does not work as well as an essay with more examples, details, and writing points. I have a hard time writing lengthy essays. It is like I am a laser pointer, direct and specific. I need to improve on becoming a flashlight, giving a bright light to larger area and covering more topics.
In exploring the Composition 101 folder, I found the causal essay instructions. This essay seems really interesting, and I am interested in reading the topics that my classmates choose. I remember having to do in-text citations in eighth grade and finding them very difficult. I am much more well versed in English so I will not have as many problems this time around. I think this will be a fun essay to research and write.
One of my strengths as a writer is the ability to be able to come up with ideas for my writing very quickly and as I type. I usually can type out most of an essay in one sitting as long as I don't get distracted. Most of my essays comprise of me throwing on some music and just typing most of it out at once. A weakness of mine would be that my first draft of my essays are usually pretty bare bones when it comes to the inclusion of symbolism and other literary devices. I'm not good at putting those in immediately, and even though I can usually write out most of my essay in a sitting, it usually isn't super detailed. My essays can usually be churned out quickly; however, they aren't the most intricate pieces in the world. Now, the information that I have found in the Composition 101 folder have proven to be very useful in writing my essays. The example essays specifically have proved to be very useful. It is very beneficial to me to be able to see examples of excellent essays written by people that I once knew and respected, such as Zach Van Ede and Kara Shroll. Not only are the essays written by other students useful, but a lot of your documents really help lay out skills that I can use in my own essays. The C.H.E.S.S. document specifically really helped in the construction of my letters sent to James Roday and Contigo. I feel as though reading through that document helped immensely in making those letters (potentially) very successful, and without them, my letters would've been a lot more bland. All in all, even though the year has just begun, I feel as though my writing skill has improved a great deal just by reading through a lot of the material given through the composition 101 folder, and they will continue to help my writing style grow. And while I understand my strengths and weaknesses, I still have a ton of room to grow as a writer, and I believe that I will be able to do that this year.
As a writer I believe I have many strengths, one of these strengths is being able to elaborate on a topic. If I am given a starter to an essay I will be able to take it and go with it to make it a finished product. In general I am able to create layers after layers to add on to the topic of what I am writing. Another one of my strengths in writing is my ability to use vocab words. I really enjoy adding new vocabulary to my essay because it helps widen my knowledge of terms to my vocabulary. My weaknesses in writing start with my inability to pick a topic. Like I stated before I am able to go far with what I am writing as long as I am given a topic. Picking a topic for me can be hard because I am indecisive as to what I want to write.
I believe there are many useful items in the “101 Composition” folder. One of the many things that is of great use to me is the examples that are in there. I always find it exceptionally use to be able to see examples of how my essay is supposed to look before I write one myself. For example the Van Ede and the Shroll example with the Classification essay helped me a great deal with writing my thesis statement. Another thing that I already know is going to be very useful is the final exam study guide that is in the Composition folder. The study guide will be useful as I grow in my knowledge of Composition. Another useful document in the “101 Composition” folder is the C.H.E.S.S document. Any document that will help me write an essay will greatly help my growth as a writer. It is also very helpful to have the skill to write documents that will affect other people's thinking. For example you could use the tactic to write a letter to a person to try to get them to change their thinking on a topic or rule.
I believe I still have lots of room to grow in my knowledge in writing and I am excited to see how far I go in one semester.
Polasky 6
Writing is something I enjoy doing if I am given some guidelines. I love to create stories. Coming up with an idea, however, is a different story. I get too many ideas in my head and I cannot think of a way to organize it down into a story. This is why I like guidelines because it gives me somewhere to grow from. Another weakness of mine as writing is trying to get a point across. Things that make sense in my head do not always make sense on my paper. I try hard but having someone else read it to themselves or to me helps me see where I can make the piece I am working on flow easier. I have to say one of my strengths is that when I do write, it is able to be understood. I write in a way to where anyone could pick it up and read it and still have it make sense to them. Like I said before I like guidelines, so by saying this, looking through the folders on Google Drive gives me an idea of what could help me write better. I like how there is a formula to write out a sentence. This helps because I can just fill in the blanks with my own words while I still have an idea what to write. If I ever get stuck writing there is a lot of helpful tools in these folders. I could look at other people’s examples and try to base mine off of what they have written (of course in my own way and own words). In return, other people could leave comments on my essays helping me see something else then just what is in my head. The folders in Google Drive help me a lot with my weaknesses and now all I have to do is show my strengths while writing without worrying about my weaknesses.
As a student, I am aware that I have my strengths. Creative writing, safe to say, is not one of them. My imagination does not like to simply pop out ideas on random topics and expand on them to convert three sentences into two paragraphs. Even if I do manage to complete a creative essay on time and with the required length, I am still criticized to the point of madness for the mistakes I had made and for the lack of creativity and focus in my creative essay.
I am extraordinarily mediocre at descriptive writing. Whenever I am forced to write a descriptive essay, I must take much more time than other people, for my mind requires an alarming amount of effort to imagine the intricate details which correlate to a certain feeling or emotion. All the way back to my childhood, or as far back as I can recall, I have had trouble writing well. Just recently in April, when I participated in taking the ACT, I was required, by the state of Minnesota, to take the writing portion of the already stressful and life changing test. About one month ago, I finally received my ACT test results in the mail. That was when I discovered that I had relatively bombed the writing portion.
So far until this point, I have been stating how awfull I am at writing, but we are only halfway done because there are two more forms of writing. Next is persuasive writing, which is probably my weakest point of them all. I would have a better time "persuading" an ant to burst into flames with a magnifying glass. I once wrote a two and a half page persuasive essay about urging people to choose how the universe began: the Creationist way or the Evolutionist way. In the end, this essay only gave information about both sides
By now you are probably thinking, "this guy is a poor illiterate peasant who has no idea of how to write." My answer to you is simple, "I am not great at essays, poems, short stories, or anything of the sort."
Peterson 6
Writing has never been something that I enjoyed, and that may be the reason why I struggle with it. My weakest point would be to convey what I want to say. I have great ideas when I think of it in my head, but trying to get it out, and make it sound professional is nearly impossible for me. Another weakness that I have is grammar. When I was in eight grade I suffered from a severe concussion and was unable to be in an English class. That year was when the majority of grammar was taught, since then I have had a hard time catching up. Now on to my strengths. When I find something to write about, I can keep it going. Being interested in my topic also helps me create my paper. My last strength that you could include would be I am not afraid to ask for help. Having others read and critique your essay to make sure not only makes sense to you, but it also makes sense to the reader(s).
Looking through the “massive 101 Composition Folder” I found many helpful resources all in one place. This will definitely guide me to better and more successful essays. What I found to be most helpful was C.H.E.S.S. This is a technique we used to write our letters and it was a great tool for me. It helped me organize my thoughts, and get my point out clearly and correctly. This will help me in the future not only in this class but also for writing letters for scholarships for example. Lastly another thing that helps out a great deal is the example essays. It is hard for me to just think in my head of how my essay should be laid out. By reading the examples it helps guide me to composing a masterpiece.
Rasmussen
I believe that I am a strong writer, one of my strengths is making a essay or paper personal. I tend to bring personal experiences into my stories. I feel that if you bring a true life story into your paper that it will bring more people to connect with what you wrote and have a more enjoyable time reading your paper. With telling stories in your paper can also cause for the reader to become bored of what you are talking about or to think that the paper is all about yourself. I think that I push the limit of how many personal connection stories you can tell; so I feel that this is one of my weaknesses at the same time as a strength. I also feel that my one of my weaknesses is not using an extensive vocabulary. I tend to just use short words like I am right now. I use words that everybody knows so they can read and understand it, but at the same time does not make me sound as smart. For the essay I am most excited about, I would have to say that I am most excited for the narrative assignment where you write about a dramatic experience in your life. I say this essay because as I said earlier it is one of my strengths to write about my past experiences. This would make this essay somewhat easy, and I feel that once I decide what experience I am going to use the words with flow onto the paper. I am also excited for this essay because I can learn about others past experiences and what experience or experiences made them who they are today, good or bad. Some people do not believe that their past made them who they are, that they formed themselves, but I believe that it is kind of both. It is your past experiences and how you responded to them. I am excited to see what comes up for some people.
I actually enjoy writing very much. When you write you are able to express what you feel in words and that is very important to do. As a writer I have many weaknesses and many strength. Some of my weaknesses are the types of sentences I type. Sometimes I just start typing and it makes sense to me, but then when I read over what I just typed it doesn't make any sense. Another weakness of mine is that I am not very good with coming up with my own topics. If you would give me something you want me to write about, I would be able to. I can research topics and then type about them. Writing about sports is also one of my best strengths. I have been playing baseball and basketball before I can even remember. So I have countless knowledge on that. Also I love to write about shoes. Shoes are something that I wear every day and shoes have so much meaning behind them that if I typed about them, i would be able to type forever.
In the big composition 101 folder the things I found most helpful are the examples from past students. It helps me because I can go back and look at what former students typed about and look at the format of essays. I am a visual learner so if there is something in front of me that I can go through and base my essay on that; I can make that essay 100 times better. I am excited for this year because writing is something you always have to be good at and it can make or break your career.
Litt 2
It is difficult for anybody to look at themselves objectively, but I myself would not say I am a strong writer in any sense of the word. However, I have some strengths and some weaknesses like everyone else. One thing I am good at is that I can express my ideas onto paper with ease, but it is the coming up with the ideas that is the quandary. If I can articulate an idea, then I can type about it for as many pages as need be. Length is not going to be an issue. If I can get an essay started I will have no problem continuing to write as many pages as need be. One of my big weaknesses is that I can sit and stare at a computer screen for hours and not come up with any useful ideas to write on. Sometimes I just have to start writing and the topic will hopefully present itself. This is a quite difficult part of writing for me in particular. Another strength I have is my ability to conclude essays; I will not leave an essay open ended. Grammar is a rather large weakness I have as well. My brain just seems to not process how to use correct grammar, because I can write an essay and it can be filled with grammatical errors without me noticing at all. This however, is something that can be learned over time. I need to broaden my use of different sentence types. I can use the presentations that my classmates make, in the term Tuesday folder that was shared with the entire class, along with the art of styling sentences document to hopefully take my weaknesses and turn them into my strengths. A goal of mine is to grow exponentially over the course of this class. If I can complete my goal I will become a more proficient writer, which will help me throughout my life.
Ellie Klumpp pd.2
As a writer I definitely have more weaknesses than strengths. One of my strengths as a writer is being able to be creative, once I come up with that idea I am able to write what most people would think of along with what only a creative person like myself can vision. This helps my essays have more length while at the same time be more unique and interesting than the average essay that you would read. But on the other side of things I tend to struggle with grammar, I have never been the best student with grammar and punctuation. I hope this class well help me fix that and have my essays become more formal and easier to read.One thing I also struggle with is ending my writing. It is hard for me to compile all those creative ideas into a clean and interesting ending, that still matches the whole feeling the essay gives. My last thing that tends to be a weakness of mine with is keeping my ideas clear and not so bouncy. I tend to come up with a thought that I just go with instead of completing the idea i just ended with. This tends to make my essays confusing and not easy to read. One important thing I found inside the comp folder was C.H.E.S.S I think i will use this throughout the semester.m Another helpful tool is the example essays, this helps us use a comparison for our own essays and make sure ours are up to standard.
When first starting this class, I was completely unaware of the many different types of sentences. Opening up the word document showing the huge variety of sentences was slightly overwhelming. There are so many more ways to write a sentence and compose an essay than I could have ever imagined. Trying to pick a favorite sentence style is an extremely difficult thing for me to do. There are simply too many to choose from. When trying to narrow down the different types, I would say one sentence style I prefer slightly more than others is a sentence involving a question. I believe that if a writer can get their reader to ask themselves personal questions and picture scenarios in their head, then they have composed a successful piece of writing. Being able to accomplish those things can make an impact on a reader and help them remember your writing. Adding questions to one's writing can help the essay flow and spice it up a bit. Many people tend to ramble on in their writing and repeat themselves throughout their essays. I feel that adding different types of sentences, such as questions, can help prevent the rambling and repetition. Questions in one's writing can be the perfect way to engage the reader and make them want to read more. I would enjoy adding questions to my writing for those reasons. I also would be impressed with myself and my writing if I was able to incorporate more sentences using colons, dashes, and semicolons. When I see those different punctuation marks in a peers writing I am immediately more intrigued and impressed. I would like to be able to add these different types of punctuation marks and make my writing more interesting by doing so. I hope to be more successful with my writing as the year goes on. I am excited to see my writing techniques improve and grow throughout this course using the variety of sentence styles.
Emma Roach Pd. 2
For me writing a story, essay, etc. can be very difficult for me. I feel as though and I am not creative in the sense that someone would read one of my short stories and be interested or inspired by it. I read some of my other classmates short stories and I am blown away by the power they have in their writing that I do not acquire. It seems as though they have been writing for years and that it comes easy to them. I am not a writer. I can truthfully say that I do not enjoy writing, but maybe that is because I am not necessarily good at it. One of my biggest weaknesses in writing is that I can never find the inspiration for my essays or short stories. It is hard for me to find some great idea and make a great story out of it. I am hoping by taking Mr. Christensen's class that I can get better at all of these weaknesses. I can say that I do have some great strengths as a writer. One of them being that I am very truthful when I write. All of my essays or short stories are going to come from my heart and my mind and portray exactly how I feel about the topic. This is a great strength because when people read a story they want to be reading the truth, they want to be feeling the exact same way the writer felt when they were writing about an event. I think this is also a great strength to have in life,not only in writing. The C.H.E.S.S folder to me is one of the most useful folders in the 101 composition, I think it is a great tool for people to look at if they are struggling with writing an essay or if they want some help to make their essays better. I also think the term tuesday folder will be very helpful because I have already learned a lot with the first term tuesday we have had in class. Having a folder with all of that information in it for me to go back and look at if I need some help on my essay is a huge bonus for all of us.
Komatsubara 7
I have a feeling I will be pointing out more weaknesses than strengths due to my personality. Well, we will just see how it goes anyway.
One essential thing I believe is notable, is that I was raised bilingual. Having a Japanese native father and an American native mother, I had an environment I believe was quite unique. This environment gave me new perspectives, stumbling upon vocabulary words that clearly exist in only one of the languages I knew lead me to notice difference in culture, difference in perspectives. This leads me to develop what would be called “common sense” that is different in many ways from my surrounding individuals. My point: my possibly minority perspective allows me advantage in that I can write views that can be fresh to many people, possibly causing inspiration--that term is relatively difficult to translate into Japanese. I hope people do not misinterpret that I think of myself as special. Like everyone, I have my weaknesses.
So on the other hand, this “advantage” can be a downer as well. Just because I acquired two native native languages, that does not mean my vocabulary capacity is double of everyone else. Some thoughts that others around me can learn as common sense occasionally falls out. In addition, having a unique perspective and values has the possibility of difficulty in empathy for readers.
Completely apart from that--although it is not necessary at the level of “struggle”--I do often have a hard time avoiding excessive repetition of words. Perhaps I have relatively low vocabulary knowledge, or I do not have flexible enough imagination for word use. When I have others read my work they do not seem to think so, but I simply cannot get out of the worries of cliche word use. Maybe I am paranoid.
Anyway, those are the facts to know about my not so high level writing style.
Hoffman 3
I have considered myself as a writer with thought, but not with perfection. I have always gone into an essay thinking that it is a blank canvas that I can paint all over in unique and wonderful ways, though sometimes I fear that my words or thoughts can be misinterpreted or phrased in a way that fails to be coherent or charming. This may be often evident because I tend to throw thoughts out there, but not all of them flow nicely or sound as wonderful as they do in my mind. I also find it a weakness of myself that I try to shorten everything, whether it be essays, blogs, schoolwork in general, and many other topics that don’t even have to do with writing.. This is because I own a YouTube channel, and the goal I strive for is to cover the topic without a single dull moment whatsoever. Evidently, this bleeds into my writing career, though, I am still learning and hope to grow better soon.
Looking through the 101 Composition folder, I found many things of interest. I was able to find out some specific things as well, such as how Bailey Quanback is an astounding writer. Her title never seem to bore me, and they retain my interest while I am reading the rest of the essay. I think this is because she puts as much heart into the essay as she puts mind. It appears that most of the things she may talk about are usually from past experience, and loads of it. In her comparison and contrast essay, she talks about the difference between Oral Interp and Theatre; two things she participated in that are close to the same, but not quite. Overall, I wish to be even a fragment of how interesting she is while she writes someday.
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