Thursday, September 5, 2013
First Post.
Hi Everyone: In the comment section below, please write an open response in which you describe a) what you think a "great essay" is like and what its elements are, according to what you think and what you have been taught, and b) how you cope with difficult-to-read texts, addressing both what you have been taught to do as well as what you actually do. See the "Procedures" sheet for format and grading information. Thanks, Mr. Telles.
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ReplyDeleteA great essay is composed of supporting details, intuitive questions for the reader to ask himself, and facts that pertain to the subject to maintain the readers attention. Any writer can influence a reader by writing an effective essay, and it lets the reader see the subject from a different point of view.
ReplyDeleteWhen a difficult text or novel approaches me, I try my hardest to stay persistent and attempt to understand each word I’m scanning. I was taught to assess what I am reading, and if I do have trouble with it, to go back and reread the tricky passages. Although this is how I learned how to tackle a solid text I find myself using other methods such as skimming over. Even though this strategy seemed to work, I learned a few years ago that in the long run this procedure screws me over. Now a days, if I find myself having trouble with old Elizabethan literature, I find place with no distractions and get through it.
To me, a great essay has many steps before it is fully developed. When I am assigned to write an essay, I typically write a few ideas retaining to whatever I am writing about. As the ideas flow I began to think about how I begin writing, what I should say or include. Very often when I am writing an essay I will write the report, edit, rewrite, and turn in that second copy as my final copy. Essays should be a report that flows well, all the information or ideas should be gradually building. Then when you finish, you tie together everything to conclude the paper.
ReplyDeleteTo be a writer and be able to produce what you think is excellent work, you have to have a system that works well for you. That also has to do with helping yourself with difficult books. When I am faced at reading a new and challenging book, I typically find a copy of that book that includes notes. Those notes could be from the author or a English major. As I am reading, I make a list of the historical references that the books makes or I write words that are new to me or words that I do not understand. Either way, reading a difficult book can only make you a better reader.
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ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, what makes a great essay is understanding and determination. I feel this way because in order to write about a topic, you must first understand it. Also if you want it to be a great essay you must be actually determined to make the essay fluid and neat and not sloppy and not well put together. To understand a topic you should really try and read the writing or topic for understanding and try to connect to the topic. Great essays almost never come out great at first, for me to be satisfied with my work I must go over it many times adding in things and taking others out. I also take my time when I'm trying to relate all the individual topics in the conclusion so everything sounds good and not out of place.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with difficult texts what I have been taught and come to see is that you have to break the topic down into sections before you write about them. I like to pick out certain things and read them until I understand them and then I begin writing about them. I do this with each section as if they were separate and then go back in the end and tie everything together.
In my mind, the perfect essay is one in which the subject matter relates in full to the topic and does not go off track. One that pulls in real world conversations and does not bore the reader beyond belief is the best choice when creating something meant to be seen by important educational figures. Something clear and understandable but also fun and like candy for the mind controlling every set of eyes that are laid upon it. I always have thought that a great essay is one that in which you learn something new and interesting or important, and in school I learned that essays must be neat and orderly with lots of powerful language and corrected spelling.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with the issue of difficult text, not much advice has been given to me in the past about what to do exactly. In order to cope with this issue I simply try my best to read small bits of text, then take some time afterwards to decipher the strange words. Once I have a rational idea of what is going on in the story I continue forward and repeat the same process if I still have trouble comprehending everything. The best advice I can give is to keep moving forward and never give up reading difficult text just because of the language or if the story isn't lively enough.
Throughout my years in school, the list of qualities a great essay needs has always been increasing. What I have been taught has been to keep the essay readable and interesting, stay on the topic that the essay is about, and to always have your spelling and grammar correct. I do agree with these things but I also have personal qualities that I try and include in an essay to make it great. I think that the writer of the essay should know and have an understanding of the topic they write about. Also, the essay should flow easily together and there should be no random bits.
ReplyDeleteThe way I deal with difficult-to-read texts is get myself into a place where there are no distractions. After each chapter I try and think back to what the main points in the text were and if I can't think of any I re-read the chapter and make sure to find the main details of the chapter. After using this method I feel that I have understood the book a lot better then if I had just read it without reflecting.
I believe that a great essay pushes the gears in the reader's mind to start turning and really think about the subject at hand. An essay of excellence forces the reader to really contemplate the subject at hand, or better their understanding. If an essay is based on opinion, the writer should always defend their argument with multiple reasons, and help the reader either change their mind or at least convince them to accept why someone might feel this way on the matter. All aspects of the essay should tie together as a whole and fit together, without unrelated pieces that have nothing to do with the topic. Spelling and grammar should be on point, but I believe the most important part of an essay is forcing the reader to think harder about the topic.
ReplyDeleteWhen I come to difficulties when reading a book, I often try to stop and review what I already know with what I just read. Sometimes I will continue reading a bit farther to see if it begins to make sense. I usually will try not to focus on the small tidbits and try to find the real purpose of the chapter and focus on that. Going back to the text and rereading sometimes helps because I find clues I may have missed before. If there is a noun which I don't know, I'll sometimes look up pictures of it to help me understand. If it's an adjective I don't understand I might look it up on an online dictionary.
In order to create a great essay, you must incorporate a lot of different elements into the essay. It needs to be an interesting read, while staying true to the main idea of the paper. The author needs to have a solid understanding of what they're writing about, otherwise the essay will come across as a weak attempt to get the work done. Also, a great essay uses examples without trailing off topic. I have been taught to use proper spelling and grammar in my essays, and I believe an essay can't be great if it's full of mistakes.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with difficult text, I have been taught focus on the highlights of the chapter, or section. That way, I am looking at the main points from the text and I can have an easier time figuring out the meaning. I also like to take my time. If I don't understand what i'm reading, I have no problem reading though it again. I always understand difficult text more, if i have time to read though it slowly , and really think about the focal points of the text.
According to what I have been taught throughout my life and my personal experiences, I strongly believe an essay should have various qualities. Spelling and grammar being used correctly is an obvious must, but essays should also include many important facts with supporting ideas. An essay shouldn’t just be some quickly written paragraphs, but it should have much thought put into it. Essays could be any size, as long as the information is correct and grasps the reader’s attention. Interesting ideas should be presented in a well-written essay. It is always helpful to research and learn about the topic the written piece will be about. Knowing the facts is an extremely important thing. If you simply just skim through an article and expect to have an amazing essay on it the next day, you would be setting yourself up for an unpleasant surprise. Being familiar with the subject of the essay is the key to writing a perfect essay.
ReplyDeleteThe way I deal with difficult text is to make sure I am somewhere quiet. It is not very easy for me to understand a book or other piece of literature in a distracting place. I need to be in a nice, comforting place with absolutely no distractions. I usually turn my phone off or put it on silent if I am reading a book, whether it is easy or hard to understand. In the past I have been taught to use techniques such as prediction and taking notes while reading difficult texts, but I prefer imagery and re-reading. Sometimes if I am reading a book that doesn’t get my attention, my mind will wander off while I am reading. Then after a few pages I realize I didn’t take in anything I just read. Usually, I will go back and read it over to make sure I completely understand it. Reading is something I really enjoy, but I admit it is easier to understand literature if it is put together in an interesting way.
In my personal opinion, a "great essay" takes a great deal of time and a significant amount of effort. Such an essay requires an understanding of the topic. Any type of connection, wether it is a personal or text to text connection can be extremly helpful. Through my years in school, I have been taught that essays should always be on point, never really drifting from the topic. Grammer has always been a key aspect, and a very trickey one at that. When finished, the entire essay should all come together flowingly. I personally believe it is always great to make the reader think, and to especially amuze and entertain the reader so that their eyes are glued to each and every word.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with difficult-to-read texts, I find myself in a daze of feeling clueless. The most helpful thing to me in these situations is to slowly read the words and frequently stopping to realize what just happened. I like to read in a quite, secluded area so that distractions are few to none. When the meaning in the text is confusing, I often find myself reading what is happening, but not comprehending. That is when I backtrack and slowley and cautiously re-read the text again. I have always been taught to comprehend what is being read before moving on. The important thing to do is to never give up, try your hardest to make an understanding, and to keep moving foward.
A great essay can be difficult to create. I've gotten most of my techniques for writing a great essay from my teachers. I think it needs to be written by someone who really knows and understands the subject they're writing about. I have been taught that it is important to proofread essays that you write and correct all spelling and grammar mistakes. I agree with this, because not only would it look unorganized and hastily written if there were many mistakes, but it would also be hard to follow and it wouldn't have a good flow. I've also been taught to plan out when you will write what parts of the essay, that way you won't be overwhelmed when the deadline approaches.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have been taught about dealing with difficult to read texts is to divide it into sections and try to locate the important parts. I have also been taught to use a dictionary or thesaurus to find the definition of a word that I don't know the meaning of. I often use this technique, or I sometimes just read a part I don't understand out loud, and it will become clearer.
A great essay consists of strong and clear important facts backed up by strong supporting details. All of this must be done however without losing the readers interest. Meaning you can not use too many run on sentences and you must stay on topic. Your main ideas are the most important and must be completely related to the topic your essay is about. The main ideas also need to be backed up with strong supporting details, these give more meaning to your main ideas and help to entertain the reader and keep them from becoming bored. You also should not be overly repetitive at all over the course of a good essay because it could leave the impression that you do not understand that topic enough to come up with other ideas. And understanding is a very important piece to making a great essay possible. Little things make an essay become great, things like spelling, grammar and your choice of vocabulary. As far as the vocabulary is concerned if you go over the top and try to be too sophisticated, you might lose interest from some readers because they won't understand the point you are trying to make. If you have the perfect combination of all these components, you should have the end result of a perfect essay.
ReplyDeleteThere are two ways that I normally use to cope with difficult to read texts. The first thing I do which I have perfected for myself over the years is to really slow myself down. I do things like re-read a sentence over and over until I understand that particular line before I love on to the next. This process does take a significant amount of time but if effective for me. The second one is something I learned from a teacher multiple years ago. When I do this, I read the whole text once, then analyze what I got out of it. Then I re-read the text and pick up more each time. I repeat this process until I fully understand the entire text. Between these two methods I have been relatively successful in the past years.
In order to create a great essay, from my experience, it is important to have a decent understanding of a few different details that make up the essay. For one, spelling and grammar. If an essay doesn't have proper spelling and grammar, then in the world of literature, it usually becomes useless because all it does is show that the writer doesn't even have a good understanding of the basics. Two, a good essay needs to have a strong reason with logic to back it up. Essays are usually based on facts, and if the essay doesn't have this, then its not really an essay and more of a story. Three, the writer needs to have a strong knowledge of the subject. When a writer doesn't know much about the subject, then they will tend to plagiarize so they sound like they know the topic. Plagiarism in the world of literature is much like breaking a rule, it is unaccepted and makes the writer look bad.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with difficult text, it helps, for one, to be interested in the topic. I find that when I am interested in a topic, it makes it much easier to stay interested in the topic. When I am more interested in the topic, I also find it much easier to crank my brain into wanting to persist and figure out the difficult text. It also helps to schedule out how much I am going to read each day. I find doing this really relieves the stress of needing to read a difficult book.
In my opinion "a great essay" has all sorts of components. The things that stick out to me in a essay is if the essay can catch my attention. If it really causes me to think about the subject that it was written about. Also what i think is important in an essay is the launguage structure. If the author of the essay is using bland words, or not interesting structure to have me think that this is a well written and thought out essay. Lastly i think that the essay should be written clearly but detailed to the reader. It should be information filled but not only for the writter to understand what's going on. Also what i think in a essay which is a big "no-no" is being redundent,
ReplyDeleteHow i cope with books that are more advanced in writting probably isnt the best. i automatically not like the book and think that is boring because i dont understand. yes, i know that makes me out to be lazy but with that type of stuff to be honest i am. i rather read something im interested in. But at the same time i know that "how could i be interested if im not going to try to be." I guess im just going to have to fix that eventually. What i have been taught to do is read it thoroughly, or get a dictionary. Like i said earlier i dont give it a chance to be good.
A “great essay” is an essay that answers and explains every part of the question, while still having its own style. The elements that make an essay good consist of many things. Like having a well-organized paragraph, and not have it all over the place. Also if there is no plagiarism. What most students don’t understand is that teachers are not stupid, so they can tell if you took it from the internet or another source. I have been taught that plagiarism is bad and you can be heavily punished for it.
ReplyDeleteWhen coping with a difficult-to-read text I have been taught to find a place where there are no distractions and it is easier for me to focus. That way I can make sure that I am trying my all to understand it as best I can. When things are hectic in my house and there is no place where I can focus, I write what I didn’t understand down and see if there is a way that I can try to understand it. What I actually do when it comes down to it is, I read the parts over again that gave my difficulty and if then it still doesn’t click with me I read it out loud.
A great essay for me is when you put together all facts of literature together with the thesis topic in a sophisticated way that can be also be understandable as well. An essay takes more then just a good content; it takes time and practice. One thing adds to another, and that's what makes an essay complete and accurate. When it comes to reading difficult texts I like to use a dictionary or an online source to help me understand the text right and get to the goal that I'm looking for. The difficult text helps you get a deeper understanding of the topic and the essay itself. With both things together you can get a concrete and accurate conclusion leading to a great essay. However, when I need to learn about something that tricks my mind I prefer to be in a place where I feel comfortable with, and that I'm able to focus on that exact topic or sentence that doesn't quite make sense to me. Being able to read through the paper many times also helps to get a better learning and better understanding of the content that confuses you. I've been thought in the past to always look for clue words that helps me reach my goal of understanding better what I'm reading and comprehending. I also believe that if you re-read it many times helps you getter a better conclusion of it as well. Of course after all you need to be interested on the book or topic you're reading about, because If you don't, then it will be less provable that you will be able to understand it. Liking something helps you get the best attention on that specific topic which leads you to the opportunity of learning new things and understanding them better. When you focus on that specific thing, you connect the important parts with the details which again, helps you reach your maximum goal of understanding.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, a great essay can be composed only when the writer fully understands the question or topic and has a plan to attack and answer it. A great essay contains facts that are strongly supported with details. These facts and details must back up all of the main points of your essay and they must hold the readers interest. In an essay if the reader does not maintain an interest, then the writer failed to due his job. Essays are not always about just answering the question, because you may answer the question but the reader may fall asleep. I have been taught by previous teachers to answer the question but add some interesting and fun facts and supporting details to keep the reader interested. Throughout my school years, I have also been taught to keep a nice flow with the wording of essays and to try my best with spelling and grammar. I agree with almost all the methods that my previous teachers have taught me but I still have my own style of writing. One thing that I like to do in my essays is leave the reader in suspense by ending with a question. I also like to use strong vocabulary because it stands out and can be noticed by the reader. When a great essay is done the main points and supporting details should be understood by the reader and the reader should be interested in your topic.
ReplyDeleteI cope with difficult-to-read-texts in a few different ways. My previous teachers have told me to read the text over once and then read it over a second time if the book is extremely hard to understand. I sometimes do this but I most often reread only the parts or chapters that I struggled to understand. I also may just slow down the pace at which I read because I usually read at a fast pace. I find that by doing this I can understand the material a little easier. My parents have also told me to read in a place where I can concentrate and take in the material from the book. I find this to be a great idea and I have realized that I read best alone in my room. I find that these methods really help me cope with difficult texts.
In my opinion a great essay is one in which the subject matter relates in full to the topic and does not go off track. The essay has lots of supporting detail but not so many that it bores the reader and makes them loose interest. Before writing your essay, the writer should do background research to get a clear understanding of the topic, the writer should also use correct spelling and grammar.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with difficult text to read I find my self having to read more slowly to understand the situation at hand. The most helpful thing to me in these situations is to slowly read the words and frequently stopping to realize what just happened. It is also helpful if you read in a quiet and non distracting environment when reading difficult text. Difficult text isn’t just hard words to understand, because you can always look up the definition, but comprehending what happened. The most important thing to do when reading hard text is to never give up or just skim the page. It is always helpful to discuss the text with someone else and hear their thoughts and opinions.
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DeleteA great essay must have a clear topic that is strongly presented. It also must have several supporting details that show an understanding of the main idea. The length throughout the essay should be concise and the language should be able to captivate the reader's attention, wanting them to read more as well as not being redundant. Needless to say the spelling should be perfect as well as correct grammar.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading a text or other reading source i have problems with I do multiple steps to understand it. I will read the text several times over and attempt to break down the lines and language into something I can understand. Reading and trying to understand what is occurring in the text and the main idea is the goal not figuring out every single detail. However if it proves too difficult to use context clues use a thesaurus or a dictionary
There are several elements to writing a "great essay". One of these elements being proper grammar and the correct format. All well written essays should be spell checked so that there are no grammatical errors, because most likely teachers are going to deduct points if they see any. Also, having the correct or recommended format is important because teachers normally prefer a certain one. Another important element is to add detail that the reader could relate to. If you add personality to the subject you are writing about the reader will become more interested in what your saying because its not just plain facts. Not to mention, do not babble and go off topic. Try to coerce the reader to want to read more but do not start talking about irrelevant matters. Stay on the topic you were assigned and you should do just fine with the correct grammar and a little personality.
ReplyDeleteWhen dealing with hard to read text I tend to get stressed out and panic. A way to deal with this is to read it over again slowly and multiple times. If this does not work and you are still confused, try breaking it down into smaller sections. Once you can understand a good portion of the text than chances are you can interpret the rest of it. If this fails, simply go ask a teacher or fellow classmate to explain it to you. Sometimes when a teacher explains things to me, I still might not fully understand it, so by asking another student I might get an answer that is easier to understand. When reading a difficult text you should always take your time and not rush through it because it will only confuse you further.
My idea of a great essay is simple. To start off a perfect essay you jump right into a great introduction. Without a great introduction your reader might get bored and not read through to main points of the essay. A strong essay must also include points that make sense and support what you are writing about. Strong opinions that are also backed up by facts and evidence give your essay a sturdy density. A great essay also has to be straight on target and easy to follow. When people linger and start to get off target, it makes the paper lack in depth and makes it hard to follow making the reader confused or uninterested. The problem most people have with staying on topic is they are too dull and don’t share enough information. Though usually being clear associates with being short, short lengths essays don’t meet the amount of details you might need to persuade someone to have the same opinion.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the points I mentioned one other crucial element to make you essay great essay is vocabulary and sentence structure. On most occasions using diverse words that are challenging can show the passion you have for the essay’s topic and the importance of it. You do not want to use too many difficult words that will make it too hard to read and not make sense but you want to put words throughout your essay that show the density of your supporting details. One more element that will put your paper over the top is conclusions. Conclusions are vital to an essay as it wraps up what you are trying to say along with clearing up an unclear details and opinions. Conclusions can often make or break an essay, having a weak or uncertain ending will make the essay loose all the momentum you have been building since the beginning. A great essay is only where not only you feel proud about writing but one that affects people the way you want it to.
In my opinion in order for an essay to be great it has to meet four simple requirements. First of all you need an introduction to state your opinion or your thesis statement to really hook the reader into wanting to read more. If you have an uninteresting and common intro to your essay the reader might make the assumption that the rest of your paper will be dull and boring. Secondly, the essay must supply the reader with something to think about, a drive to read the rest of the essay. The easiest way to do this is to have a interesting title that will catch the eye of the reader. Thirdly, the essay has to contain some sense of confidence in what you are telling the reader. State facts and state counter facts that you can prove wrong, anything that backs up your point to make your argument stronger. Lastly, there needs to be some sign of deep understanding, showing that you know what you’re talking about. Think differently, find examples no one else has thought of or use different arguments to show that you didn’t just look up points online. There are many ways to have a great essay if you do all the things I have listed above in my opinion you will have a great well thought out essay.
ReplyDelete-James Fritz