I chose to look at my first essay.

Do you see any patterns?

• I seem to follow a pattern of restating the topic of conversation in the paragraphs.  Other than that, I don’t seem to follow a specific pattern.

Do you rely on certain devices more than others?

• I rely on repetition and transitions. I repeat key terms and ideas throughout each paragraph and circle the idea back to my claim. I also use transitional phrases to keep the words flowing without sounding too choppy. Transitional phrases and repetition of key terms and pointing terms allow the audience to follow along easily.

Are there any passages that are hard to follow- and if so, can you make them easier by adding any of the devices mentioned in this chapter?

• I don’t think any of the passages are too hard to follow, I think they all flow nicely in a way that makes them easy to understand. I do, however, think some paragraphs flow better than others. I think I can add more key terms to lead the reader in the right direction and I think I can add a little more repetition for clarity while also continuing to move the writing forward.