Essay on reflection 1

Hello there! 👋 Let’s break down ‘Essays on Reflection - I’ from the sources and our conversation history. It’s all about expressing your personal views on topics that don’t have clear-cut answers. 📝✨

What is an ‘Essay on Reflection’? 🤔

An ‘Essay on Reflection’ is a type of writing where you explore and present your personal thoughts, ideas, and views on subjects that are often philosophical or controversial, meaning they do not have clear “black or white” answers. These are topics where people might have very different opinions, and there isn’t one “correct” answer.

Think of topics like:

• “All human beings are alike; they can, therefore, live and work alike. We need not worry about local cultures, local languages, one global culture will create global happiness. Do you agree?”
• “Should there be only unlimited freedom?” (e.g., regarding censorship for mass media)

These essays invite you to reflect upon possible issues and answers, even when a definite answer isn’t known.

Why Do We Write Them? (Purpose) 🎯

The main purpose of a reflective essay is to share your unique perspective and reasoning on a complex subject. It’s about demonstrating how you present what you know, not just what you know. In academic or professional settings, these essays (like IELTS Task 2 essays) assess a higher level of proficiency, where you must reflect on related issues and present your views. Ultimately, it contributes to developing a substantial understanding of the target language, making you a confident speaker and writer.

How Do We Write a Good Reflective Essay? (The Process) ✍️

Writing a good essay, especially a reflective one, isn’t just about having knowledge; it’s about how you present that knowledge. It requires a systematic approach and following simple principles.

Here are the key steps:

1. Don’t Start Writing Immediately 🛑

   • When you get a topic, do not begin writing at once. Instead, sit down and gather your thoughts.

2. Create a Synopsis First 🧠

   • This is the most crucial first step. A synopsis is an overview of what you are going to say in your essay.
   • What to include in a synopsis:
     • Definition of the topic (e.g., “What do you mean by happiness?”).
     • Instances, examples, and evidence to support your points (these can be personal or statistical). Stories and anecdotes make your essay richer and more meaningful.
     • Dimensions of the topic.
     • Points for both sides of a controversial issue to avoid a partisan (one-sided) view. A good synopsis should reflect comprehensive thought.
   • Format: Write it as hints, not running sentences. It’s your private paper, so don’t worry about spelling or grammar at this stage.
   • Why it’s important: Making a good synopsis is said to be half the job done for a good essay. It helps you organise your facts, write more easily and with greater felicity, save time, and produce the best essay you are capable of writing. It prevents you from “wandering in the dark”.

3. Manage Your Time Wisely ⏳

   • For a 30-minute essay, dedicate:
     • 5 minutes for creating a synopsis (thinking before you begin).
     • 20 minutes for writing the essay.
     • 5 minutes for revising.
   • Spending time on the synopsis might seem like less time for writing, but it makes the writing process faster and more coherent.

4. Write in Simple Language ✍️📖

   • Use simple words in simple sentences. Avoid jargon, clichés, vagueness, and ambiguity.
   • Be brief and precise: Say the same thing in fewer words. Avoid redundancy.
   • Maintain Cohesion: Sentences and paragraphs must be connected thematically and logically. Use connectors or discourse markers (e.g., “as,” “for example,” “thus,” “therefore,” “however”) and proper pronouns/prepositions to link ideas. These are like “glues that put sentences together”.

5. Revise Thoroughly 🧐

   • A good essay is not possible without revision.
   • Why revise? While writing, you might be preoccupied with content and make mistakes in spelling, punctuation, grammar, or vocabulary due to oversight, haste, or “slip of hand”. Revision helps these “little things disappear”.
   • What to look for:
     • Accuracy: Check grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling.
     • Clarity and Conciseness: Cut out redundant words and phrases, and reduce sentence length.
     • Content: Ensure your arguments are well-supported and that you haven’t written a partisan essay.
   • Multiple Drafts: It’s rare for the first draft to be the best. Writing is a skill that improves through trial and error and multiple drafts (second draft is better than the first, third is better still, etc.).

Importance of Practice 🏋️‍♀️

Learning to write effectively, especially reflective essays, is a skill. It’s best learned by doing rather than just listening or watching. The more you actively practice, analyze, and revise your writing, the more confident and impactful your communication will become.

Practice Questions 🤔

Scenario: You need to write a reflective essay on the topic: “Is social media connecting people more or isolating them?” You have 30 minutes to complete the essay.

Question 1 (The First Step): According to the principles of writing a reflective essay, what should be the very first thing you do when given this essay topic? A) Immediately start writing your introduction. B) Begin researching new facts about social media. C) Sit down and create a synopsis of relevant points and ideas. D) Ask a friend for their opinion on the topic.

Question 2 (Synopsis Content): Which of the following elements would be most appropriate to include in your synopsis for the essay mentioned above? A) Detailed statistics on social media usage from a recent global report. B) A list of common social media platforms and their features. C) A definition of ‘connection’ vs. ‘isolation’, along with anecdotes of how social media has affected real relationships, both positively and negatively. D) A summary of historical communication methods before social media existed.

Question 3 (Time Management): If you follow the recommended time management for a 30-minute reflective essay, how much time should you allocate for the actual writing of the essay? A) 5 minutes B) 10 minutes C) 20 minutes D) 30 minutes (all of it)

Solutions ✅

Answer 1: C) Explanation: The sources explicitly state: “do not start writing at once.… Sit down, hold yourself and first create a synopsis of relevant points that you are going to write”. This crucial planning stage helps organise thoughts before drafting.

Answer 2: C) Explanation: A good synopsis for a reflective essay should include a definition of the subject (e.g., defining “connection” and “isolation” in this context). It should also contain instances, examples, and stories/anecdotes to illustrate points, which makes the essay richer and more meaningful by showing both sides of the argument. While detailed statistics (A) might be too specific for a synopsis, general ideas and anecdotal evidence are perfect. Options B and D are less central to forming a personal reflection on the core “connecting or isolating” debate.

Answer 3: C) Explanation: The recommended time allocation for a 30-minute essay is: 5 minutes for synopsis (thinking), 20 minutes for writing, and 5 minutes for revision.