Q&R4

Q: Why does repetition need to revise into a different phrase?

Writers who use repetition usually don’t notice they have made that mistake, but tend to continue on in their writing. We learned in school to avoid repetition in writing, what people tend to do when they here repetition while reading, is they rephrase passages and correct it themselves, in doing so it helps them in their future writing. Repetition can make a writers story uninteresting in the choice of words. Readers are interested in different meanings to a story but when they see again, the same written sentence in a different paragraph the reader will be confused in understanding. The way to change the wording of a sentence repetition is to make it sound different, but actually, it’s the same meaning. Being able to revise a repetition into different sentences of the same meaning is like coloring a black and white painting, giving it much more life and presence. Correcting a repetition in ones writing will interest the audience to give more feeling, and emotion, leaving them to discover different meanings altogether.

Q&R 3

Q&R 3: Do the strategies presented in the article have any specific significance to students at the University level?
The studies done through out this article revolve around students in middle school. But the information and results the author’s presented lead me to believe that when applied correctly, the PQP method can be useful to university students. When reading in groups, you get to hear texts in another person’s voice; this can help you grasp the deeper meaning of a reading. This is especially critical when it comes to comprehending longer and more complex forms of text. You are then able to pin point personally, where and what the author could revise through constructive criticism, which can greatly help improve the way the reading is presented by the author.
Revising peer’s writings allows you to recognize things that, when revised, can help a paper be more organized and well delivered. Because revising peer’s papers requires the reader to provide specific comments that give the author general direction in improving the quality of their work, you are then able to familiarize yourself with these strategies and apply them to your own writings. That in itself has enough significance for me to conclude that the strategy of purpose, question, and praise can in fact be beneficial to students at the university level.

Q&R 4

Q&R 4: Why doesn’t the linear model benefit the “writing process”?

The article states that the linear model refers to speech containing two specific ways of presentation. One being based on rhetoric models and the other being the use of a thesis statement. Traditional rhetoric strategies contain stages which a writing must go through and follow. Britton decribes “the writing process as a serious of stages described in metaphors of linear growth, conception, incubation, and prodution”. This supports my observation of the text when it decribes the procedure presented for the writing process. I believe that this method consticts the author to simply following a guide line presented within the linear model. It’s important for a authors writing to be individual, contain voice, and engage audience to help in comrehending the deeper meaning of a textual piece. All of which, in my opinion, are unable for the author to express through their writing when following the linear model.

The thesis statement method requires you to pick one topic and go into detail explaning what it consists of and supporting your theories and observations with concrete evidence. This method allows you to gather facts about the topic and deliver them in a organized manner to your audience, unlike traditional rhetoric strategies that are aimed more at convincing or persuading your audience to agree with what you are writing about. The linear method, in my opinion, does not benefit the writing process because of how it requires writers to write in a pre determined format not allowing the author to express there individuality and beliefs.

Q&R 4

Why does the writing process interfere with revision?

It doesn’t make sense that the writing process that is used today would interfere with revision. As students learn to write and express their ideas more clearly, the revision method should be met at the same level. The revision plays a major role in the final draft and because revising and editing takes place it is important that both assignments are done correctly.
A writer must know to write correctly by adding their characteristics in the terminology in the text. A student who is revising should not seek to “use better words.” The linear model represents a way to describe discrete stages. Although the author does not agree with this method, it is the way most students have learned to write. She believes that the revision process is recursive by student writers. The problem presented in this article is that the reader or writer can grasp the concept which makes it difficult to revise. Comments to improve this task must be relatively specific to what the piece is lacking.
When revising a paper a student is most likely to use vague terminology. They focus on “using better words,” rather than using specific ideas on improving the text. Sommer’s believes that students have indeed been taught a different version of the linear model by using a thesis statement in which the student can follow to write an essay. The writer must be able to communicate to the reader without using direct terms.
I think that enable to actually revise a paper, reading, writing, and revising skills are crucial. Revising should not consist of just terminology, but making sure that the writer uses words to express themselves as individuals.

Q&R 3

Why do the author’s want to target students at the middle school level?


The middle school stage is a very critical step in developing writing skills. It is difficult to perfect your own essay without constructive criticism. I believe that it is in the best interest of the student to critique appropriately. A major part in peer revision is that the student knows how to read by using strategies. It is important to give a detailed explanation of the corrections. “We have found this technique helps student focus on the task at hand as well as maintain a positive attitude toward the revision process.” This will encourage both the reader and writer to complete the PQP assignment.

Now that I have read the article by Down & Wardle I understand how a piece should be written. In critiquing an essay it is important not to change what the writer is trying to say because that will discourage the writer. The positive feedback should be given with explanation as well, so that the writer will keep that part of the story. In this article the PQP was proven to be an effective strategy. It helps the writer understand what his or her piece is lacking. The reader should be looking for details and voice when reading an essay. Because peer revision is corrected in the PQP form, the writing has a higher potential of being an excellent piece.

It is important that this revision process is taught to students at a younger age in life because they will be able to incorporate ideas they’ve received in the past. At the college level the student should already be able to write an essay independently.
Although, I fall into the general but useful category, I consider myself being able to give advice to the writer. I would not mind following this format to improve my way of interpreting a message to be able to offer specific instructions in which the writer may choose to follow.

Q &R 4 How is revision helpful ?

When writing a text do you think it is right on your first draft? According to Sommers a writer is a man that puts his experiences into words in his own mind. What this means is that each individual has his or her form of language that they understand to themselves but when someone else reads it, they might be dumbfounded. Revision is helpful because it helps the writer get on the same page as the reader and makes the written work sound more understandable. Sommers categorized writers into two sections student writers and experienced writers. I honestly put myself in the student writers section because my writing form isn’t too strong but my ideas are good. I usually have trouble putting my ideas in order so they make sense, I just write and write and that sometime loses the reader. Even experienced writers can have trouble because they want their work to sound good and they themselves proof read and it usually takes several revision before they feel it is right.

Q&R 4

Why can’t writing be compared to speech? Is it possible to revise your verbal words? Why or why not can you do this?

 

Speech cannot be compared to writing in my honest opinion because, as stated in the text, it is impossible to revise your words. Once you have voiced yourself, you cannot retract your statement. It is as if you had damaged something irreplaceable, you may try to fix it but what has been done has been done cannot be erased.  There are other reasons why speech cannot be compared to writing, because writing is a process in which you collect your ideas, revise and edit, and publicize your content. However, I feel that speech is more impromptu. Speeches are usually well prepared beforehand though, usually the same as the writing process, but depending on the tone the person gives the speech in, it may have a different interpretation. The person may give what might be received by many as a bland speech, however, had the person just read the text, they could have concluded that it was intended to have this meaning, by inferring from the diction and syntax of the piece. One of the other things is when giving a speech, is if you happen to make a mistake, some more critical people may attack this and draw from this mishap that you are ill prepared and do not know the subjects as well as you claim. But that would have to be a worst case scenario to most people. I feel that there is no way for anyone to revised their spoken words, it would be like taking the information back from anyone who had heard what they were speaking of.