Improving My Writing Skills - Essay Example

The knowledge I have gained in this class and the sessions with the writing community have taught me how to make a draft, construct my sentences and write organized paragraphs.

One of the most difficult parts of writing an essay is how one starts. For this problem, one can save so much trouble by making a draft. This is the skeletal view of the essay which simply shows how one is to go about the essay. First, there should be an introduction that contains the hook or lead sentence. This is very important because as they say, “first impressions last” and since this is the first sentence, it should catch the attention of the reader. Informative sentences should follow which are related to the lead sentence as well as the thesis statement. The thesis statement is often the last sentence and it states what is supposed to be discussed in the following paragraphs. The next paragraphs should have definite topics and if needed, they should also contain subtopics. The importance of each topic can be arranged from the least important to the most important depending on how the writer wants to present his ideas. The most important thing to consider in making a draft is to write the lead sentence and thesis statement in complete sentences. The other information could be phrases or just words. This will serve as a guide for the writer, making his task a lot easier.

Sentence construction is another important thing that I have learned in writing. In this area, I could say that I improved a lot and I know that I need to improve further because I can use this skill in my future writing experiences. Before this class, I had very bad sentence constructions. They were often short but others had difficulty understanding me. However, through hard work and determination, I improved on my grammar and I could say that the people I deal with are now able to understand me better. I am now very careful with my subject and verb agreement as well as with other rules that I should follow in making my sentences. I also use vary the length of my sentences, using short and long sentences alternately to make a better paper. In addition, I also improved my vocabulary. I am have grown the number of words I know and I try to gain more by using the new words I learn in my daily dealings not only in school but also at home.

Equally important that I have learned is the making of paragraphs. I understand that this is not simply a group of sentences that make up a formatted paragraph. Rather, they are sentences that are related to each other. Therefore, it is important that a writer’s ideas should be well-organized in order for the sentences to give a clear picture of what is being discussed. I have learned to organize my thoughts with the help of the draft and also through critical thinking. I also bear in mind that the sentences should give a smooth flow of ideas so that readers will be able to follow my train of thought. Moreover, I learned that transition sentences are important in making paragraphs because they help readers expect that the writer is about to change the subject matter.

With the help of this class and the International Writing Community, I have improved my writing skills and I could say I am now competent in this area. I have learned to make a draft to make my task easier. I also learned to write my sentences correctly with the use of the right words in order to effectively communicate my thoughts. My paragraphs are now substantial, containing informative sentences that have a smooth flow of transitioning from one topic to another. I believe that I am now ready for the next level writing course based on the improvements that I have pointed out.