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Sofia Castillo
Professor Batty
English 113B
7 May, 2016.

DiscoveringMyProcess
DuringthissemesterIhavenoticedmanychangeshappeninthewayinwhichIwrite.
Thefirstofthesechangesisthatinsteadoffocusingspecificallyonusingbigwordsthatmake
mesoundsmart,Ihaveinsteadstartedfocusingthatenergyonorganizationandformingmy
ideas.MyprocessconcerninghowIorganizemywritinghasalsomajorlychanged,andIfeel
thatwhenIwrite,Iamabletoconnectideasandparagraphsbetter,especiallythroughtheuseof
transitionsattheendofparagraphs.
WhenIusedtowriteacademicessays,Iwouldgivemoreimportanceinhowtoarrangea
setofcomplexwordstoformasentenceratherthanstructuringmyideaslogically.Ithoughtthat
theuseofcomplexwordswouldmakemesoundveryintellectual.However,asIstartedwriting
morepapers,Irealizedthatwritingisnotentirelyaboutcomplexitybuthowyoupresentyour
ideaslogicallyandbeingcapableofenteringconversationswhereyoucanusesourcestosupport
yourarguments.WhenIlookathowIusedtoapproachwritingcomparedwithhowIdonow,I
seethatthiswayofthinkingIusedtohavewasveryflawed,asthewordsyouusetodescribean
ideaarentreallyofanyvalueiftheideaitselfmakesnosense.
ThissemesterIhavealsobeenworkingonimprovingthewayinwhichIarrangemy
ideasinordertoconstructastrongargument.IhavebeenthinkingaboutwaysinwhichIcan
organizemybodyparagraphssothattheyworkwellwithoneanotherandbuildoneachother,

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butalsohowtheyinteractwiththeintroductionandconclusion.Whiletheoverallorganization
ofideashaschanged,Ihavealsobeentryingtoconnecttheminawaytheycanflownicely
together.
Myuseoftransitionsatthebeginningandendofparagraphshasbeenveryimportantin
thedevelopmentoftheflowofmywritingastheymakemyessaysseemmuchmorestrongly
connectedratherthanmixeduporconfusing.Alotofthetime,asimpletransitioncanmakethe
readerhaveastrongerunderstandingoftheoverallidea,byhighlightingsmallerpartsoftheidea
asawhole.
Also,Ineverthoughtthatthecounterargument,alsoknownasthenaysayer,wouldmake
myargumentstronger.Whenyoupresentanobjectionthatopposesyourargument,itis
importantnottoaddressaclaimthatismoreconvincingthanonesown.SometimesIwould
introducemynaysayerverybrieflyratherthanmentioningitinseveralsentencesoreven
paragraphs.Whileconstructingyourcounterargumentyouneedtokeepinmindtheimportance
ofputtingyourselfintosomeoneelsesshoeswhodisagreeswithyoubecausethatiswhat
refinesyourownposition.Forexample,inmyessayontuna,thecounterargumentwasthattuna
shouldbefarmraised.Whilemanypeoplethinkthissoundslikeagoodidea,itishardforthem
torealizealloftheimportantdetailsandthingsthatmaketunasouniquelyhardtofarmin
captivity.Byaddingthiscounterargument,Imademyessaymuchstrongerbecauseitshowed
thatthesolutiontotheproblemisverycomplexandhardtoachieve,aswellasverydifferent
fromfarmingothertypesoffish.
AllofthesewritingskillsIhavelearntduringthissemesterwillhelpmenotjustin
collegebutinthefurtherfuture.BythetimeIgraduate,Iwillhaveamplifiedmyknowledgeand

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myvocabulary.Ialsowillbemoreinformedaboutpastaswellascurrentevents.AsanEnglish
learner,itwilldefinitelyhelpinmyeverydaylifebycommunicatingmoreeffectively.Icanuse
mynewunderstandingofrhetoricalstrategiestonotonlyhelpmecommunicateideas,butalsoto
understandideasthatarecommunicatedtome,whetheritisthroughanotherperson,amovieor
TVshow,orbook.
Ingeneral,Ihaveseenmywritingimprovedinmultipleways.Firstofall,Ihavelearned
howtobuildmyargumentthroughtheuseofevidence,objectiveanalysisandhowtoquote
properlywiththeuseofthequotesandwich.IfeellikewheneverIwritesomethingIcareabout,
thewordscomeoutmoreeasily,thequalityofmysentencesareverywellwrittenandthereare
lessgrammaticalmistakes.Onceyouareincollegetheonlythingthatmattersishavingthe
abilitytocomeupwithyourownideasandbeingabletopresenttheminawaythatispersuasive
andmostimportantly,contributingnewideastotheconversationyouentered.GeraldGraff,a
professorofEnglishandEducationattheUniversityofIllinois,mentionsonhisbookTheySay
ISaythatintheend,thepurposeofwritingisnotentirelyaboutprovingthatyourargumentis
right,butbeingcapableofstretchingthelimitsofyourthinking.Inconclusion,IhopethatasI
getmoreusedtowriting,Iwillbeabletothoroughlyenjoyitsbeautyandusefulness.