Kelsie Morris

Ms. Hunt

ENGLISH

May 3, 2017

Junior Year and Essay Writing

The writer is by nature a dreamer, a conscious dreamer (Carson McCullers). It takes

many years for well-known authors to amount to where they are today. These authors write story

after story because they have something to share with the world. However, it takes knowledge

and education to become an author. Many world renowned authors begin their education of

writing in High school. Similar to many authors, the legacy of the knowledge and education of

essay writing has been passed on. Throughout junior year, I have gained both strengths in writing

and places in which I need to improve. This can be demonstrated by the evidence used to support

the thesis, the structure and outline that I use to build my essay and the skill of using commas in

which I need to improve upon.

To begin with, over the course of high school I have gained the strength of acquiring

useful evidence in order to support the thesis. After analyzing multiple pieces of literature such

as The Things They Carried (1990), The Crucible (1953) and The Great Gatsby (1922), I have

learned how to properly use quotes from the novel as evidence in order to prove a point and to

persuade the audience into believing what I am stating. An example of this is when I used a

quote from the novel The Things They Carried (1990) describing the imagery and setting of a

scene in order to demonstrate the use of literary devices in an authors narrative. Other examples

of quotes that I have used in order to prove the thesis is from The Crucible (1953). During the

writing process of this essay I used an example from the play that demonstrated the words of
Abigail Williams against John Proctor in order to prove that if these words were spoken in

todays age, technology would have made the situation much more severe than it was in an old

fashioned time period. Along with strong evidence in order to prove a thesis, I have also acquired

the strength of discovering essay structure and outline.

Moreover, throughout junior year I have obtained the strength of using well formulated

essay structure and essay outline. Previous to junior year at Brewster Academy, I would never

use an outline as it was simply extra work that I did not have the time for. I have realized that

with an outline, the ideas are much more clear and well organized. In my opinion, I have become

a key asset when teaching one how to write an outline and how to complete the steps of essay

writing. I believe this is because of my past experience but as well my understanding of the

expectations in the classroom. I have also acquired the strength of developing essay structure. An

example of this is my understanding that the introduction should be like an ice burgh. As the

introduction moves along, the information should become more detailed eventually leading to

the idea of the thesis. This element provides better flow of the essay and allows for the reader to

understand everything more clearly. Another example of my understanding and strengths in

essay structure are in the body paragraphs of the essay. For the body paragraphs one does not

simply start writing but must start with a transitional linking word, a re-stated thesis and topic

sentence. After this depending on the preference of the teacher a definition of a key word that

must be focused on. Next comes three quotes, each with the idea stated, proved with an example

from the novel and next an explanation of the quote that helps the reader better understand what

you are attempting to convey. All of these elements prove how the structure of my essays excel

and how it has become one of my strengths. Along with the essay outline and structure as a

strength, the uses of commas can be an example of something in which I need to improve upon.
 Furthermore, over the course of junior year I have found that although most of my

punctuation is well written, the usage of commas are something in which I need to improve on.

Throughout the year on multiple essays that have been written and area of improvement that

always reoccurs are the commas. Examples of this are in all pieces of writing that I have handed

in whether discussion questions, essays, tests or exams. This is something in which I never truly

gripped a good understanding of and continue to attempt to improve on. Other examples of when

I need to improve on commas are in the introduction of the essay. During the introduction I try to

explain things and when explaining in my head I tend to pause more convincing myself that there

needs to be a comma in that specific place. Whenever I am using commas it is because when I

read it in my head it sounds to me like there should be a comma there. This is something that I

continue to try and improve on. It is something that I do not have a strength with but something

that I know I make mistakes on allowing for myself to make adjustments if needed.

In conclusion, throughout junior year, I have gained both strengths in writing and places

in which I need to improve. This can be demonstrated by the evidence used to support the thesis,

the structure and outline that I use to build my essay and the skill of using commas in which I

need to improve upon. I have a strength in finding evidence in order to prove my thesis. An

example of this is from the essay that I had written on The Things They Carried (1990) and its

imagery. I have found that I have a strength on essay structure when it comes to the introduction

as I know the steps needed to write a good introduction such as a hook to draw in the reader and

as the introduction moves along, it becomes more detailed eventually leading to the thesis.

Lastly, an area in which I need to improve on are commas. Commas are something that I have

needed to work on since the beginning of the year and an example of when I do not use commas
properly are when I am trying to explain something, mainly found in the introduction. To

conclude, Be courageous and try to write in a way that scares you a little (Holly Gerth).