Writing Practice: Moocs Academic and Business Writing Week 4 Journal 4 The strengths and weaknesses in my writing and what I should do to improve my writing

In your journal this week, write a paragraph about your strengths and weaknesses in writing. What is your plan in going forward? What steps will you take to improve. Post your ideas in the discussion area and read and comment, as always. Mark off what you've completed.

Although my ideas and vocabulary are not bad in my writing as I have gotten good feedback about them from some peers a couple of times during this course, I have some weaknesses in my writing. The weakest point of my writing is spelling. My spelling test score in this course is low, and I often have to consult with dictionaries while writing. This is partly due to aging because now I am not confident of the spellings that I used to be able to spell without thinking. What I have to do is to write English words as often as I can so that I can stay familiar with the spelling. Also, I should relearn the words whose spellings I have not been confident about by using a vocabulary notebook. Another weakness in my writing is punctuation and grammar. I know the rules and I review a few times, but my writing is never free from mistakes. I also forget to make sure if the grammar-checker is on. I should use the grammar-checker consciously.  Last but not least, I have learned that the tone of my writing tends to be pessimistic. This makes the reader of my essay sad. I will try to choose words more carefully by being conscious about the tone and make it a habit to think more positively.

My comments to peers
1. I am a poor speller, too. As you say, I think I also have to examine the spelling of the word carefully. I terms of grammar, my idea is that grammar is the logic of a sentence. Writing a grammatically correct sentence means writing a logically coherent sentence.

2. Another idea for smooth writing would be to listen to or watch your favorite writer talking. Then your writing will sound like the writer, probably too much. This might be embarrassing, but you will be smoother for sure. Over time, you will be smooth and original.