Letter
8246 LIV 239
Chillicothe, MO 64601
December 14, 2015
Dr. Jill Watkins
Adjunct Professor, North Central Missouri College
1301 Main Street
Trenton, MO 64683
Dear Dr. Watkins:
There are two key factors that have shocked me throughout your class: my lack of English knowledge and the amount of information I have obtained. After the first day of class, I was uncertain of the outcome for end of the year. Would I be overwhelmed, learn nothing, or obtain valuable information?
I remember wanting to bawl the first day of your class. I am one who tends to over think and dwell on any detail whether the detail be a grammar mistake or awful diction. When I heard you say that we your class, as individuals, would not get as good of a grade as we believed we would, I went into stress mode. After a couple of days in your class my stress levels zeroed out, and I realized the class would only benefit me. I have strengthened in identifying common grammar usages such as pronoun/antecedent agreements, comma splices, and the oxford comma. I have been able to pull out these small, but common, mistakes in many papers that I have peer-edited, including my own. As I reflected back onto the first paper I had written, I realize that I had no transitions or flow to my paper. Suddenly, transitions became a necessity to all of my writing. I quickly changed my mood and strived for the better.
Additionally, I have learned how to cite. Before I came into the class, I had no knowledge of citing papers. I always copied a format and prayed that it was right. Taking College English has helped me learn how to cite an article, book, etc. I know now that if the article does not have an author use the title as the citation instead. Furthermore, I discovered how to structure a works cited page: the indentions and alphabetical order. I have also learned how to use proper quotes. I know to never use them as a concluding or topic sentence. I understand that unless the quote is in the introduction, there has to be an author tag proceeding the quote. In addition to the common grammar usages, I have fully comprehended a thesis statement. I understand that it goes at the end of an introduction, it should be parallel, and it should guide your paper. I have learned how to structure an amazing thesis statement, works cited page, and a citation.
Moreover structure, I have discovered how to organize a paper. For example, in the argumentative paper, I learned whether or not to put the opposition first, last, or in every body paragraph. I figured out how to use information in a way that proved my point without stating my opinion. Another example would be my summary/response essay. I have learned how to structure a summary and use it in the paper. I know to start with an introduction, summarize an article, state my response to the article, and then end with a conclusion.
Although my strengths include a long list, my weaknesses also include a pretty lengthy list. I struggle with even the smallest grammar mistakes such as knowing when to use who or whom. I know that one is subjective case, and one is objective case, but when I write a paper I pay no attention to them. I never use whom, and I feel like that may be wrong. I also have a few troubles with leaving readers to assume events. There are a few times, such as my first paper, where the reader was left confused on what exactly happened in the moment. I have gotten better, but I still struggle. My biggest enemy are verb tenses. I write a paper starting with past tense and end it with present tense. I frequently have a peer-editor help me with this problem and there has been a few times where I could fix it myself. We have been over it in class, but I when I write a paper, the concept does not stick with me. Who/whom, little detail, and verb tenses are only a few of my weaknesses.
Wrapping the paper up, I just would like to say I am thankful for taking your English class; it has helped me learn new concepts and understand a lot of grammar. Even though I was panicking on the first day, I am glad to have stuck through the class. Realizing how much information I did not have prior to the class shocked me, but taking the class has only helped me obtain valuable knowledge. Thank you for your time and wonderful teaching.
Sincerely,
Katie Mason