Question: Is it essential to create an outline before I start writing?
Throughout the module, we have looked at some skills one can adapt to improve their reading and writing skills. One writing task I believe I did well is introducing the topic. An introduction is an essential part of writing because it helps inform readers what the topic is all about (West et al., 2019). I did my research on my chosen topic to make sure I give it a good introduction. One writing task I need to work on writing a conclusion. When writing the diagnostic essay, I realized I was repeating what I had written in the introduction. From the module guidelines, a conclusion should not be a repeat of the introduction or the thesis statement; rather, it should conclude how the body proves the thesis statement. I need to work on this to make sure I conclude my essays effectively.
When writing, I was struggling with the terms “their” and “there,” and I found that I used “there” instead of “their” in most of the sentences. I also faced a challenge with spelling because some of the terms I had to use were not written the same way they are pronounced. As I was writing, I wrote most of the words how they are pronounced, which gave some of the terms a different meaning from what I meant. I also had punctuation issues, and I placed the wrong punctuation marks in the wrong places, which gave some of the sentences a different meaning.
To improve my writing strengths, I plan to understand the questions before I start writing. By taking the time to understand the quiz, I can tell what is expected of me and the terms I will be using throughout the essay (Mallia, 2017). I also plan to always take the time to figure out what to write. Taking time to plan what to write with help me avoid running out of ideas before I finish writing.