Three Key Concepts

    The three key concepts for English Composition Two are: 

                1) claims require evidence,

                2) meaning has context, and 

                3) writing is revision. 

    I feel that two of these concepts have already been drilled into my brain from previous English courses, however that does not mean that I have mastered them, just that I am aware of them. These concepts are that claims require evidence and that writing is revision. In the past, especially in research papers, I have tried to ensure that all of my claims have solid evidence as support, but I am certain that I have strayed from this and have not provided sufficient evidence in many cases. I may even be doing that right now, but this is my blog so I'm not overly concerned about it. Similarly, revision is something that I also don't always do, at least not as well as I should. I believe that I have disliked revising because a lot of the papers I have been tasked with revising have been over topics that I am not passionate about, so the final product is not something I end up feeling connected to. I believe that if I was to write about something I am truly passionate about, I would be more proud of my writing, which would push me to ensure that it is as high quality as I can make it. For example, in the past I have written papers about the worldwide obesity epidemic, but obesity has not personally affected me, so the connection simply is not there. 

Example of an "Out of Context Compilation" Video

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbul8BEnzaA)

    The one concept that I really haven't heard before this class is that meaning has context, but it really seems like common sense after having it explained. It has become a somewhat popular trend to take what celebrities and internet personalities say out of context, and make a comedic video out of these short clips, and these videos have been something that I have gotten great enjoyment from in the past. I believe the reason these videos are so comedic relates to the concept of meaning having context. There is no context in these videos, so the meaning is completely changed, making these short clips often sound bizarre. Although I did not know much about this concept before, I believe that the idea of context being necessary is something that I have learned throughout life without ever truly realizing it. Although I feel that I know about all three of these concepts, I am sure throughout this course I will gain a greater understanding of these concepts, which will in turn improve my writing greatly.