Q2 Portfolio ReflectionWriting RevisionDecember 14

Do NowRe-Write Each Sentence to show the emotion instead of telling:

1. Jordan was very angry.2. Nathan was very sleepy.3. Jessie was sad.

Writing PortfolioReview Your Writing Samples

Review Your Essays

Take Note of Comments

Take Note of Errors

Portfolio Reflection

Box 1 – Reflect on Your Composition Goals from Q1

Did You Improve? Explain Why/Why Not

Portfolio ReflectionBox 2 – Reflect on Usage/Mechanic Goals

Did you improve on your usage and mechanics? Explain Why/Why Not

Professional Writing

Step-By-StepLet’s look at some ways to improve our writing.

Step 1: Use Formal LanguageSlang is everywhere. When we use it in everyday life to communicate with friends informally, it’s usually fine. In fact, sounding too formal around our friends is kinda weird. Slang, or colloquial language – to use the formal term – is not appropriate in academic writing and many professional communication situations.

University of South Florida Writing Center

Step 1 Cont’dThere are a few steps you can take to avoid using colloquial language in your writing. First, you need to recognize what terms are informal and learn their formal counterparts. Here are a few common examples:● Kids = Children● Guys = Ladies and Gentlemen● Cops = Police Officers● 24/7 = nonstop● Back in the day = in earlier years● w/out = without

Step 2: Avoid Informal Adverbs

Using mature, sophisticated language requires writers to avoid informal adverbs. Eliminate the following adverbs from your writing repertoire:●really●totally●actually●so●definitely●like

Step 3: Writing in Third Person

Sophisticated writers avoid 1st and 2nd person pronouns (unless otherwise directed). Instead, write in 3rd person:

First Person I, me, my, we, us

Second Person you, your, yours

Step 3 Cont’d● 1st Person: I think gay marriage should be

legalized.● 3rd Person: Gay marriage should be legalized.

● 2nd Person: To attain a more objective tone, however, you should steer clear of the second person and use third person exclusively.

● 3rd Person: To attain a more objective tone, however, professional writers will steer clear of the second person and use third person exclusively.

STEP 4: USE POWERFUL VOCABULARYChoosing appropriate, specific adjectives and adverbs (modifiers) makes your point clear, and you can convey ideas with better style and more shades of meaning.

○ Instead of saying bad, say dreadful.○ Instead of saying good, say superior.

● CAUTION!○ Do not overuse the thesaurus. Sounding

smart involves elevating your vocabulary choices, but not for every word.

STEP 5: USE PRECISE VOCABULARYIn addition to choosing appropriate, specific adjectives and adverbs, good writers also use specific nouns.● Replace the word things with specific nouns and

pronouns.○ A student can learn many things from this lesson.○ A student can learn many useful tips from this

lesson.● Replace the pronouns this and that when they do not

refer to a specific idea.○ This is why Atticus is a good father.○ His moral decency makes Atticus a good father.

STEP 6: AVOID SHORTCUTSFormal writers avoid contractions and abbreviations.● The authors don’t provide evidence to

support their claim.● The authors do not provide evidence to

support their claim.

● The survey should be conducted ASAP.● The survey should be conducted

immediately.

STEP 7: USE FRESH LANGUAGE Writing should be innovative, fresh, and imaginative. Avoiding cliches, common and overused expressions, forces writers to find interesting ways to communicate meaning.

● It made my blood boil.● That rubbed me the wrong way.● My eyes were glazing over.● This pushes all my buttons.

Going Forward..No More 2nd Person POV

Any instances of of “you” in any paper will result in a deduction of 5 raw points each.

Break OutReview Your Essays

Revise them using the steps we’ve just covered

Eliminate all instances of second-person perspective

Re-Write Your Essays

Exit ReflectionWhat are two areas you will strive to improve upon in your writing? Explain each one in 3-5 sentences.