Applying Lessons Learned

Much of what I have learned in English 112 I feel will be useful in other classes as well. For example, annotating texts and paying close attention to how writers frame their arguments can be helpful in any writing assignment (whether it is to be an argumentative paper or an informative one). Drafting effective introductions and conclusions can be useful in that they will give anyone who reads my work in the future a better idea of my overall points. Writing effective main points by using topic sentences is another helpful thing I have learned. This will be effective in my future writing because it will help my reader(s) to better understand what direction each point is going in. And, combined, each of these aspects will make for what I am sure will be extremely strong essays overall.

Another skill that I have learned that I feel will be helpful in writing for future classes is writing a proposal. In doing so, I can organize my own ideas as well as give my instructor and readers a better idea of which direction my writing will be going in and what specific sources I will use. All of the skills listed in the above paragraph will also be useful in writing proposals for pieces I intend to write in other classes, and an effective proposal can help make an effective essay.

Writing as a Process

My writing process for Essay 3 has been a fruitful expedition. Along the way I have come across facts that I recognized as well as being enlightened to others. An example of my enlightenment concerns the phases of domestic violence and how one phase tends to lead to the next. For example, the first phase of domestic violence is often a "nonviolent" phase and is centered around emotional abuse. This phase in turn leads to a progression of violence.

Without my textbook, it is very likely that my writing would not be nearly as strong on this subject as it has become. In reading the chapters assigned throughout the semester, I have learned a great deal. For example, I have learned the value of inquiry as well as the value of annotation of texts. I have learned how to research a topic and what kinds of articles are best for academic research. I have learned how to effectively draft both an introduction and conclusion, and I have learned how synthesis has a strong impact on essays and the audiences who read them. Had I not learned about each of these skills, no progress in my writing would have occurred.

An Editorial

Domestic violence is a serious issue that has profound effects on women and children. But just how serious is this issue, readers may ask. Though they may recognize the seriousness of the affects of domestic violence on women, readers may wonder, "Are children seriously affected, and if so, how?"

It is all too often thought that young children cannot be seriously affected by domestic violence. Some may say that this is so because young children (those as young as two to five years old) cannot remember events that they have witnessed. However, as Betsy McAlister Groves, LICSW, points out in her online article, "How Does Exposure to Violence Affect Very Young Children," "In reality, even young toddlers can often remember and reenact a traumatic experience quite well, and they are likely to speak freely because they have not yet learned to withhold information." Because of this fact, it is extremely important for women and their children to escape an abusive situation as quickly and safely as possible. If you are in an abusive situation, it is important to seek help immediately. Call 1-800-799-SAFE today.


Writing the above editorial can help me with Essay 3 by helping me to think about constraints of this topic as well as by helping me to organize my thoughts in a way that will be helpful in persuading readers of the seriousness of the issue at hand. It can also help me to organize effective counter arguments and rebuttals for this essay as the essay is not merely a report, but rather is an argumentative form of research.

The Importance of Proposals

Proposals give writers a better focus on the topic they intend to write about. They help to organize one's thoughts, points, and sources. Not only are proposals helpful to writers, they are also very helpful to those who will later read the finished product. They can serve as a preview of the topic at hand and are a great way for the reader to get a general idea of the direction a paper will take. For these reasons, proposals are not only important for students of composition classes, but can be used in other classes that require research papers as well (I have already used the techniques I have learned by writing my recent proposal for English 112 to write a brief proposal for another class in which the instructor asked the students to choose a topic to write about. I turned in the proposal to that instructor, and based on it, he said that my topic idea was a great one!).

College is not the only place proposals could be effective for me. As a domestic violence counselor in the future, I may be asked to do extensive research involving domestic violence. Or, perhaps I may want to write articles for women's magazines concerning this topic. Who knows, at some point I may write a book discussing this subject (a big dream perhaps, but entirely possible). In any of these cases, I feel that a proposal would be an important first step not only for myself, but for those who are considering backing me up in my writing endeavors (magazine publishers, my employer, or book publishers).

Identifying Issues

I will be doing a research paper on the effects of domestic violence both on the women who are victims and on their children. I have a strong interest in this topic as I have known women and their children who have been victims of domestic violence, and because my major in college deals with this issue. When college is complete, I hope to become a counselor in a domestic violence shelter, and eventually in my own private office.

But how, you may ask, did I come to identify this issue as a possible reasearch topic? First, I drew on personal experience. As I have said, I know women who have been through domestic violence, and some of those I have a very close relationship with. Some left their abusers; others did not. I am interested in gaining better knowledge of what the effects of domestic violence were, not only on these women and their children that I know, but what they are for all women and children facing the problem.

Next, I have identified parts of the issue that may be up for dispute. One argument that may challenge my own is that children are not affected by domestic violence if they are too young to understand what is going on. This, in my opinion as well as the opinion of others who study and work in the field of domestic violence is a myth rather than a fact. Children of any age may be affected if they witness violence first hand. I will use various sources to back up my argument on this point. Of course, even though I have my opinion as stated above, it will still be important for me to think about different perspectives from my own - which will lead to counter arguments and rebuttals to those counterarguments.

Once I have thought about the issue from multiple points of view, I will continue to consult sources to find out what others think about the issue and to gain a better focus on how others who have written about the issue have framed their arguments either in support of or against the issue.

Of course, one cannot write on any topic without considering constraints of the situation. For example, my audience is likely to be made up of women who either have been abused, are being abused, or are in rocky relationships but are not sure if the problems they are having would fall under the category of abuse. In any of these cases, I plan to give a background on what is considered domestic violence and its effects on women and their children as well as a possible soluiton for those who are or may become involved in abusive relationships. An issue based question that will be answered in this esay is What are the effects of domestic violence (both long and short term), and on whom?

My Writing Process

As I learn the new techniques that the writers of From Inquiry to Academic Writing suggest, I find that I rely on them in my own writing more and more. In the past, I have used questions to find my focus in essays both for myself, and within the essays for my readers. Some new techniques that I have picked up from reading chapters in our texbook are annotation, summarizing, and synthesis. These I had not practiced as much before this course. I find each quite helpful. They not only help me to focus, I feel they will help my readers to have better focus throughout my essays as well.

Synthesis in the "Real World"

We have been studying synthesis in relation to essays, but how you may ask can synthesis relate to real world experiences? In the real world, as in essays, we must often present convincing arguments in order to get results. My synthesis story will better explain what I mean.

Busy wives and mothers everywhere can I am sure relate to being overwhelmed with tasks. And what is one task that is constant and can be extremely overwhelming with so much on our plates? Laundry! As a wife, mother, and student, I often find it tiresome doing so much laundry each week due to my having a washing machine and dryer that can only do one load at a time. So, let's say that I want to convince my husband that we should purchase a newer washing machine and dryer set that can do two loads or more of laundry at once - such as the newest Whirlpool model. It will not be enough for me to say that we need this machine because I am becoming overwhelmed. I must convince him that the machine is worth the purchase, and to do so I must not only give a convincing argument, but I must back it up with evidence.

Two things that my husband may be concerned with are price and if the machine really does cut the workload in half and yet still cleans the clothes effectively. Now, let's say that I have done my research (both via the internet and by asking a friend who has the washer and dryer set) on pricing and have found the best price to be at Lowes. I would then convey this argument to my husband by showing him the prices of the set at Lowes and comparing them to prices of other stores who offer the same product, and then I would tell him that my friend purchased her set there after price shopping as well and found Lowes to be the best bargain.

Agreeing that Lowes has the best price after seeing the evidence, my husband may then move on to the quality of the product. How he may ask do I know that that particular washer and dryer set could cut the workload in half and still be effective? I would then have to give him evidence that supports these claims. Perhaps I could use evidence from consumer reports and give him statements from my friend who has told me she never would have believed the amount of time the set saved her on laundry until she tried it for herself, and that now she is less overwhelmed at least in that area of her life.

By using multiple "sources" to strengthen my argument, I would have a better chance for my husband's consent to buying the products than if I had presented and compared little or no evidence with my argument. Synthesis has the same advantage in an essay. It strenthens the argument, and it helps your audience to realize that you are not just simply making a claim, but that you have the sources to back it up.