Ethan McFerren
Mr. Koch
English 9H
March 17, 2015
2014
Writing Checkpoint
I
have improved on structure, grammar, and diction in my pieces of writing this
year. The six pieces of writing that I have improved on include a Reader Response
called the Thrilling Book Review: Hatchet, a Creative
Fiction on the beginning story of a captured African teenager entitled The Story of a Slave, Original Poetry
where I describe the memories of pumpkin pie, also known as Oh Yum, Pumpkin Pie, a Personal
Narrative named the Slide of Doom
where I recall my experience with a horrendous water slide, a Business Letter
entitled Nerf Business Letter in
which I describe an issue with a Nerf Gun, and a Big Question Essay stating the
advantages and disadvantages of robots called Should Robots be Allowed in Our World? I still have weaknesses and
flaws that I need to address, including the use of more semicolons and a
stronger, more mature vocabulary. In structure, I have improved with analysis,
in grammar I have gotten better in quotation marks, and finally I have increased
my skills in diction, especially in the use of strong verbs.
The
crucial part of writing I have gotten better at is structure. Specifically, I
improved on analysis. I did not know that analysis was an important part of
writing until a couple of years ago, but now I know how to consistently find
the purpose of a piece of writing. For example in my Big Question Essay titled Should Robots be Allowed in Our World?,
“According to these articles, I think robots are good for society to use only in the workplace.” Analysis is
important in writing because it shows that you are trying to dig deeper and
farther to really examine something further than other people would. I can
improve my analyzing skills by constantly questioning and finding a purpose in
every paper I read and write.
The second strength I
have gained in writing is command of grammar, especially with quotation marks.
In the past, I rarely used quotation marks when I was writing and had no idea
how to properly use them. This sentence shows evidence of my improvement: A
robotic voice soon announced, “Five, four, three, two, one.” I used this
quotation in my Personal Narrative The
Slide of Doom writing. Quotation
marks are crucial, especially in stories. The reader needs to be able to follow
the story easily and know who is saying what. I need to improve in this skill
by making sure that I am using quotation marks correctly in personal accounts
and book reviews.
My
final strength I achieved in writing this year is strong verbs. This can be
tricky to find a perfect verb to describe somebody’s reaction or a memory, like
mine, pumpkin pie. One instance of this strength as shown in my Free Verse Poem
“Oh Yum, Pumpkin Pie” is: “Do you
remember spraying and spurting whip cream, that wonderful whip cream, on to the
back of your pie for five long seconds near the crispy crust …” Using strong
verbs is one of the most important, if not the most important, aspect of
writing. A reader needs to have a mental painting or image in their head to
visualize what is going on so they can connect with the story from their own
experiences. Using stronger verbs can be achieved by reading; which is
something I need to keep up with. Of course, I have weaknesses in my writing
that I need to fix to become a better reader, writer, and thinker. Some
examples of my weakness include thesis statements, semicolons, and a mature
vocabulary. I can fix these issues by using them more in my writing repeatedly
and to read consistently.
I
improved in analyzing, quotation marks, and strong verbs throughout the school
year. Overall, I am satisfied with my growth and development as a reader,
writer, and thinker. I am also eager to expand my horizons even further than
before with the help of my teachers, classmates, and practice. With these aids
in writing, I know I can produce high quality papers and become a better
writer. I will to continue using my skills, improve on weaknesses, and gain new
strengths in writing that I have yet to master.
Nice fam
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