Blog 4 (2) Reflections on writing

So what is next? After long time narrating, the passage deserves a conclusion and a repeat of controlling idea? But I even had no intention to write a topic sentence! This bad habit contributed to the fairly low mark of my paragraph. In my view, in some cases it is necessary to make a clear structure of an essay and to show it to the reader, thus readers will get across your ideas. However, sometimes it is not. When write something relates much to one’s emotions, any assertive conclusions or judgments will be superfluous and break all the scenery the writer has made.

What enforces me to write opinions above is an event I shall not forget for a long time. Paragraph 6 was distributed in today’s class, and it was that paragraph that I made my mind to write essays in a well organized way in future. My standpoint was not clear enough, especially the topic sentence, thus making a vital mistake. I got punishment, fairly low marks, for the shaky ground. For the first sentence, actually I considered a long time whether I should write a sentence like this: I will never rely on the Internet to sustain my relationship with a girlfriend, for love does not equal to life on the Internet; but I can’t agree more to make the most of the Internet for romance. 

The main problem is I seemed to have no standpoint. Firstly I issue a denial, and what I mean is that we cannot rely on the Internet too much. Secondly I state my opinion that we should utilize the Internet properly, or moderately. The sentence is written in a Chinglish way because of my lack of knowledge in phrasing. The meaning of “equal to” in this sentence is not clear enough. Another problem is I do not address my idea in a direct way; instead I use the phrase “I can’t agree more”, which is a bit weak in stating an idea.

It reminded me of compositions in senior high school. Translated in English, its name is “An essay that contains five paragraphs: introduction, three main points, and conclusion; each main point is formed by four parts: topic, transition, body and conclusion”. Surprisingly, we have been taught to write formal essays several years ago, and what we are expected to write now is identical to we have been expected before.

Perhaps it makes it easy for teachers to mark the composition, since detailed criteria can be adapted to evaluate students’ work. And it ensures that everyone’s work could be judged in a fair way, thus getting rid of all kinds of conflicts. For students, writing becomes easy as well. Some specific models are provided for them to imitate. With three years’ imitating, anyone can get good marks if he or she spends a little time in reciting models and a few materials.

I am convinced that it is a good way to write academic articles. However, it is not useful enough. One may laugh at this ridiculous statement, for people write essays in this style all the time; it therefore should be the best style with no doubt. But think of the whole life: will people write this kind of essays if they do not have to worry about graduation, money and occupation? When we are free to write anything we like after escaping out of the hell of College Entrance Exam and being admitted in university, seldom do we write anything to reflect our lives.

Of course we should not write academic articles casually. However, masterpiece rarely does in a stodgy way. Not only do we need to write essays to establish a successful career, but we also need to record happenings, express emotions and retrospect ourselves in essays.