REFLECTIVE ESSAY

Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Language to Use for Writing a Reflective Essay

A mirror reflects the person or object in front of it. Writing about a personal experience in an essay is a
way to express your thoughts and reflections about that event. In a reflective essay, you recount that
memorable life experience and focus on what you learned from the experience. The essay's contents might
show how the experience inspired personal growth or how it changed you as a person. Language used in a
reflective essay should primarily be in first person, past tense with a coherent tone, voice and level of
diction.
First Person
In your reflective essay, you should use the first person with terms like I, me, my and mine. The essay
is an account of something that actually happened to you as well as your thoughts on the event. Using the
word "I" to begin every sentence may be a fall-back in an essay that is written in the first person and would
suggest that usage is the norm. The use of the word "I" is crucial to add authenticity and honesty to the
piece. Just as in any essay or written piece, changing up sentence structure to add story balance and
interest to the reader is key. While the first person nature of a reflective essay is the primary format and
can keep the writing from seeming awkward or phony, structuring sentences to begin with something other
than the pronoun can make the story easier to read and more engaging.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Past Tense

Most reflective essays should be written in the past tense since the author is writing about an event
she has already experienced. The reflection portion of the essay may be in present tense -- “I think,” “I
believe” -- if the author is presenting new or current thoughts, or it may be in the past tense -- “I
realized,” “I understood” -- if the author is presenting reflections that occurred in the past. In either case,
the difference in time between the event and the reflections should be clear.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
Concrete and Abstract Language
A reflective essay mainly uses two forms of language: concrete and abstract. Use concrete language to describe
the experience that forms the heart of your reflective essay. Concrete language refers to anything that you can
literally see, hear, smell, taste or touch. This descriptive language brings life to your writing and can draw a reader
into an essay more than writing without sensory or descriptive details. Examples of concrete language include “her
high voice,” “the basket of oranges,” “a metallic smell,” etc. While these are concrete details, a reflective essay
focuses on the author's experiences; the descriptive and sensory details may vary from the author to how someone
else remembers the same event. This reflection of the details in the essay is part of what brings the author's voice to
the reader. The point of this type of essay is to bring that reader as close to the experience as possible. In your
reflections on this experience, you will most likely need to use abstract language that talks about ideas that are not
concrete and are intangible by definition. Examples of abstract language include “honesty,” “goodness,” “emptiness"
or "love". Again, in this form of essay, the author's reflection on these less concrete ideas or feelings are what makes
the essay unique and personal.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Coherent Tone and Level of Diction

Though you may chose from a variety of tones and levels of diction when writing your reflective essay, from
serious and formal to ironic and informal, you should be consistent. If you start at a formal level of diction, as in an
academic paper, your essay should be formal throughout. A valid reason for using non-standard English or slang in
the essay would be when that slang is part of relevant dialogue.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
What is a Personal Narrative?
Maybe you’re right when you compare the excitement of your existence to a single melting scoop of
vanilla ice cream without sprinkles. Perhaps you resort to watching paint dry on Saturday nights just to say you
did something with your weekend. Even if you think you have nothing to share, you can find something
interesting about a boring life. This means you have a plethora of life events, experiences and stories that can
be perfect for a personal narrative essay.
What Is a Personal Narrative Essay?

A personal narrative essay is a story with a plot that includes a beginning, middle and end. It also has a
thesis statement explaining why this particular story is significant to you. The narrative you choose for your
essay should change the way you see yourself, someone close to you, or the world around you in some big or
small way. Everyone has a story to tell, and the goal is to make a connection with the reader through shared
experiences and common expectations.
Even though you still need to include a thesis statement in your essay, you have more creative freedom
while writing a personal narrative than other types of essays. You need to include an introduction, description,
characters, setting, plot, climax and other necessary parts of a story.
The inclusion of a thesis statement is what differentiates a narrative essay from a narrative. The narrative
essay includes a point about the story, but a narrative is just the story itself.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
How Do You Start a Personal Narrative Essay?

Attention grabber or hook: The most important part of the introductory paragraph of any essay is the attention
grabber, or hook, of the opening sentence, and this genre of essay is no exception. Piquing your readers'
interest right away is crucial if you want them to continue reading. If you can't think of any ideas, consider using
a quote from a favorite author, philosopher or even a character from the narrative itself. Most readers would
certainly want to keep reading if the essay opened with a quote from Uncle Hank that read, “I never would have
talked to your Aunt Jean that first time if I hadn’t set her cat’s tail on fire.”

Set the scene: Remember, a narrative is a story, so you want to set the scene with details about the setting,
characters and other parts of the story you choose to introduce early on. Your thesis statement can appear at
the end of the introductory paragraph, which is the usual location in more traditional essays, or you can choose
to include it near the end of the essay in the concluding paragraph. As the writer, you can decide what works
best for your essay.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
What Is the Difference Between a Memoir and a Personal Essay?

You might believe a memoir and personal essay are the same genre of writing. Although both involve writing about
significant personal experiences, a few subtle differences exist.

Memoir: It's a body of writing that focuses on past events and is continuously interpreting, analyzing and searching for
the greater meaning. The purpose of the memoir is to question why particular events were of importance and what that
means in the big scheme of things. The personal narrative writer also asks questions about the significance of the story,
which he eventually turns into the thesis statement. However, the memoir's in-depth interpretations and analyses go far
beyond the scope of the personal narrative essay. Memoirs are significantly longer than personal essays and are usually
the length of a book.

Personal Essay: The writer of a personal essay can choose any topic, past or present. In addition, he can approach that
topic in a more informal way, mulling over the events, while adding description and details, without getting into deep
interpretation or analysis. A personal essay will have one specific main point, or thesis, which is much easier to make
considering the length of an essay compared to the length of a memoir.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
What Is the Goal of Writing a First-Person Essay?
The goal of a first-person essay is to connect with your reader, so she can visualize and understand your perspective.
The first-person voice adds credibility and believability to your experiences, enabling the words on the page to come to
life. This natural writing style is easy to read and flows smoothly, so transitioning to new topics isn't difficult. If you want
your essay to have a personal touch, the first-person writing style works best.

Personal
The goal of a first-person essay is to write in a real and personal way, so the reader feels genuinely connected to the
author. Even if you don't choose to use the personal pronoun "I" throughout your essay, your first-person writing style
suggests that you're the main protagonist, or at least you're writing from that view point. According to the website,
Writer's Digest, the best personal essays are written like a conversation with an intelligent, provocative friend. First-
person essays are individualistic, intimate and revealing, so they draw the reader into your personal world.
The goal of a first-person essay is to connect with your reader, so she can visualize and understand your perspective. The
first-person voice adds credibility and believability to your experiences, enabling the words on the page to come to life.
This natural writing style is easy to read and flows smoothly, so transitioning to new topics isn't difficult. If you want your
essay to have a personal touch, the first-person writing style works best.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Engaging
A first-person essay is engaging, so candid details, humorous experiences and intimate feelings are readily expressed.
Dry language, irrelevant details and non-descriptive wording can bog down a first-person essay, making it feel like a
boring documentary. A first-person essay should read more like a flavorful journal entry than a science report. Writer's
Digest states that the key to an engaging first-person essay is to make sure your writing style is direct and penetrating.
The goal of a first-person essay is to connect with your reader, so she can visualize and understand your perspective. The
first-person voice adds credibility and believability to your experiences, enabling the words on the page to come to life.
This natural writing style is easy to read and flows smoothly, so transitioning to new topics isn't difficult. If you want your
essay to have a personal touch, the first-person writing style works best.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
Understandable
A major goal of a first-person essay is to ensure that the content is written in a style that's straightforward and
understandable. The University of North Carolina's Writing Center recommends using the first person if you want your
essay to have clarity. First-person essays are clearly constructed, so there are no awkward phrases or vague references. For
example, an effective first-person sentence might read, "I felt the shudder of silence as I closed the door for the last time."
Or, "My heart beat so rapidly that it took my breath away." The language is simple, coherent and concise.
The goal of a first-person essay is to connect with your reader, so she can visualize and understand your perspective. The
first-person voice adds credibility and believability to your experiences, enabling the words on the page to come to life.
This natural writing style is easy to read and flows smoothly, so transitioning to new topics isn't difficult. If you want your
essay to have a personal touch, the first-person writing style works best.
Revealing
First-person essays are revealing because personal references establish the time period, historical relevance, setting,
theme and mood. For example, a first-person sentence might read, "My heart swelled as I walked along the harbor, staring
in awe at the wooden tea crates as they bounced across the water." That one sentence reveals that the time period is the
American Revolution during the Boston tea party, and the protagonist is proud and overcome by the event. It would be
difficult to disclose that much information in one sentence using the second- or third- person points of view.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
What Are the Writing Elements for a Personal Narrative?
An emotional experience is often the subject of a personal narrative. A personal narrative is a story
typically written from the writer’s point of view. It can also relay an incident that happened to someone else,
such as the writer’s good friend or parent. The essay’s topic should be significant to the author -- perhaps it’s a
proud accomplishment or a harrowing experience. Narrative essays combine essential elements to engage the
reader, making him feel as if he’s living the experience.

Language
The reader should be able to visualize the story as it unfolds. Carefully chosen words create the mood of the story.
The writer should use specific, sensory words that evoke emotion in the reader. Include dialogue to make the characters
come alive. It’s more interesting to hear what a character has to say than to simply read about it. Incorporate concrete
language that shows rather than tells. Replace “Mrs. Smith was a good teacher” with “Mrs. Smith knew how to help us
turn our deepest emotions into poignant poems.”

Introduction
The first paragraph of a personal narrative introduces the subject, grabs the reader’s attention and sets the scene for
what is about to follow. The reader should quickly realize the point of the essay. If the narrative begins, “I thought it
would be an ordinary babysitting job, but it turned into a nightmare,” then the writer’s topic is clear. Avoid lengthy
descriptions and get straight to the point.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Body
The middle portion of the essay moves through time, describing the experience as it happened. A new paragraph is
used for each string of events. The order must be clear and organized so the reader isn’t confused, and vary the sentence
structure so the reader doesn’t get bored. The writer can develop characters by exposing their strengths and weaknesses
and describing their physical and psychological characteristics. Even though she knows the characters, her readers
probably don’t. Sufficient details help to make the characters real. The plot should hold the reader’s attention and build to
a climax or turning point.

Conclusion
The last paragraph of a personal narrative ties the information together and brings closure. It describes the resolution.
It might tell how things turned out or describe a lesson that was learned. The writer typically goes through some sort of
change or emotional experience, and he reflects honestly on what he learned as a result of the situation, telling how it
affected him. The reader shouldn’t be left thinking, “So what?” He should readily identify the importance of the
experience to the writer.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
What Does it Mean to Write in Narrative Form?
Narrative form refers to an expository (descriptive) writing approach that discloses details of an act, event
or phenomenon. It tells a story meant to lead the reader to an important conclusion or meaningful realization or
life lesson. The narration discloses a specific viewpoint, contains vivid details that support the story and
typically expresses first or third person perspective.

Narrative Form
Employing narrative form requires the writer finding a situation worth sharing by virtue of a salient point or insight
gained. Narrative relies on personal experience; therefore, it often takes the form of a story. As such, it carries the reader
to the point by the completeness of pertinent details, making the incident tangible for the reader. Employ narrative in a
paragraph as part of a whole essay or in an entire essay.

Narrative Paragraph
A narrative paragraph simply relates an incident germane to an entire report or essay. To include a narrative
paragraph, introduce the event in a transitional paragraph. Relay events as they unfolded, that is, in chronological order,
drawing the reader to anticipate the conclusion. End the narrative paragraph with the outcome that relates to the point.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Narrative Essay
A narrative essay uses the story of an experienced event to relate a theme or conclusion, so the goal is for the reader
also to experience the event through the telling. Vivid verbs and precise details bring the reader into the message.
Typically, the writer introduces the subject into his opening paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs relate the events, feelings,
emotions, dialogues and actions in story layout: that is, using a plot (the events), setting, characters, climax (peak
experience) and resolution—how the incident ended, alluding to the thesis. While chronological order is most common,
experiment with flashbacks or parallel events for effect.

Narrative Perspectives
While perspective voice usually is first person singular---that is, the writer himself (i.e., I)---occasionally a writer
employs third person (he, she, they) or the "royal we"---first person plural---for effect. A seldom used, but effective
perspective is the interpolated tale: a story within a story that adds meaning and panache. Most importantly, however, is to
keep the voice consistent. If the essay begins in first person singular, continue it through to the end.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Irony in Narrative
Narrative irony occurs when the reader suspects that the narrator is unreliable. That is, when both the reader and the
writer know more than the narrator and the other characters, leading the reader to disbelief, or an otherwise judgmental
attitude. When choosing narrative voice, therefore, the believability of the narrator is paramount to expressing the desired
conclusion.

Principles of Narratives
Two basic principles to remember in writing narrative are to craft the essay around a central theme, point or main
idea that the narrative supports and explains, and to incorporate details to encourage the readers’ imaginations and
illuminate the point. The goal is to make a deep emotional impression using specific sensory details and confirm the
author’s own conclusion.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
The Difference Between Argumentative & Narrative Paragraphs
Arguments and narratives are two genres of essays you may be expected to compose in a writing class.
An argumentative essay addresses a specific position on an issue with the intention of persuading readers. A
narrative essay's goal is to tell readers a story, often about an experience that resulted in a powerful life
change. Because of these differences, examples of their paragraphs will look very different. Argumentative and
narrative essay paragraphs differ according to elements such as structure, length and use of language.
Structure
In an argumentative essay, each paragraph details one reason for the author's position. The first sentence introduces
the reason, while the rest establishes its validity with supporting evidence. This can include statistics, facts or documented
anecdotes. An argumentative paragraph also tends to have a clear conclusion, in which the author summarizes the
importance of its ideas. By contrast, a narrative paragraph moves the action of the story forward instead of functioning as
a single unit. Rather than ending with its conclusion, the details and events it sets up will continue to be developed in the
succeeding paragraphs.
Arguments and narratives are two genres of essays you may be expected to compose in a writing class. An
argumentative essay addresses a specific position on an issue with the intention of persuading readers. A narrative essay's
goal is to tell readers a story, often about an experience that resulted in a powerful life change. Because of these
differences, examples of their paragraphs will look very different. Argumentative and narrative essay paragraphs differ
according to elements such as structure, length and use of language.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay

Point of View
Argumentative essays are rarely written in first person. Each paragraph generally will be developed in third person to
allow for objectivity and adherence to a conventional academic voice. Stating an argumentative point in first person can
give readers the impression of bias or a need to rely on personal opinion due to lack of knowledge. Narrative essays,
though, often require a first person voice because of the personal nature of the story. A strong first person voice allows
readers to identify with the author's experiences and sympathize with him as the events progress.
Arguments and narratives are two genres of essays you may be expected to compose in a writing class. An
argumentative essay addresses a specific position on an issue with the intention of persuading readers. A narrative essay's
goal is to tell readers a story, often about an experience that resulted in a powerful life change. Because of these
differences, examples of their paragraphs will look very different. Argumentative and narrative essay paragraphs differ
according to elements such as structure, length and use of language.
 Language to use for Writing a Reflective Essay
Tone
Tone is the way language reflects the attitude of the speaker. Depending on the genre, it can be positive, negative or
neutral. The tone of argumentative paragraphs is usually neutral. While the author may feel strongly about her position,
the best way to persuade readers is through fair, objective treatment of the issue. In a narrative essay, the tone of each
paragraph will reflect the events of what is going on at that point in the story. If the section is dealing with death or illness,
the tone will be somber, while descriptions of happy memories will be more joyful. Arguments and narratives are two
genres of essays you may be expected to compose in a writing class. An argumentative essay addresses a specific position
on an issue with the intention of persuading readers. A narrative essay's goal is to tell readers a story, often about an
experience that resulted in a powerful life change. Because of these differences, examples of their paragraphs will look
very different. Argumentative and narrative essay paragraphs differ according to elements such as structure, length and
use of language.
Length
Because each paragraph represents a point in the author's argument, argumentative paragraphs will all be about the
same length, though some may be longer due to the use of direct quotations. A narrative essay's paragraph length,
however, can vary from one line that emphasizes a single detail to a paragraph of description and action. Dialogue usage
complicates the narrative definition of a paragraph as well. Since the story may include dialogue exchanges, where a new
paragraph begins when a new person speaks, one page may even include multiple very short paragraphs.
 Reflective Essay
A reflective essay is an academic analysis of your own experience.

This may include a discussion about :

• what and how you have learnt

• what you have done or experienced
• how your learning and experience applies to theories, concepts and models you are studying

A reflective essay still follows academic conventions, for instance, it is structured with a beginning, middle, and end,
and it should have a logical series of paragraphs. Also, you need to acknowledge the sources of your work and
understanding.

Reflective essays come in different forms: they can be based on theory, on case studies or on a personal experience.  In
all reflective essays, you need to critically reflect on thoughts, feelings and actions, then integrate these reflections with
theoretical concepts.
The key to your reflective essay is understanding the principles and theories of your unit. Once you understand these, it is
useful to form reflective questions to gather the information you need for this assignment.
 Reflective Essay
Gibbs' (1988) framework of reflective learning is a useful starting point:
Writing a Reflective Essay

In a reflective essay, you need to express your thoughts and

emotions about certain events or phenomena. Writing this
type of essay provides solid training to sharpen your critical
thinking skills, as well as your ability to develop and express
opinions on a particular topic—either chosen by yourself or
assigned by your instructor.
 Writing a Reflective Essay

Reflective Essay Topics

Since writing a reflective essay supposes you will write about a personal experience, you can choose whatever event
you like. It is almost like a diary, where you write down your thoughts about a significant happening in your life. It can be
about reading a special book, a difficult situation you faced, a person you encountered—the main point is to state your
opinion. For example, you can write about:
 Writing a Reflective Essay
• A conversation when you became very angry.
• A time when you were disappointed or discouraged by something someone said.
• Watching the ocean with your feet buried in the sand.
• Looking at a sunset.
• Your room growing up, or your bedroom now.
• The town where you grew up.
• Holidays like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentines, 4th of July, Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, or St.
Patrick’s Day.
• Visiting a museum or zoo.
• Have I changed because of this? How? Is this good or bad?
• In what way was this a turning point for me?
• A trip to an exotic place.
• A situation involving a human rights infringement in some distant country.
• A book you have recently read.
• The solving of a difficult problem.
• A successfully completed research project.
 Writing a Reflective Essay
Key Points to Consider

1. Your introductory paragraph could give a hint about the conclusions in your essay. For example, it could
state: “When I first saw a desert with my own eyes, I thought it is was possibly the most lifeless place in
the world. However, as I studied it in more detail, I found my surroundings were not quite so desolate as I
had imagined.”

2. Since a reflective essay is particularly based on personal experience, it is acceptable to use the personal
pronoun “I.”

3. Usage of one or more quotations in the introduction can make your writing more authoritative.

4. In most reflective essays, apart from describing what went right, you may also describe what went wrong,
or how an experience could have been improved.
 Writing a Reflective Essay
Do and Don’t
Do Don’t
•Do write your ideas in a •Don’t be too personal. Despite the fact
descriptive manner. Your a reflective essay is based on personal
thoughts must be stated clearly, so experience, remember you are writing an
your readers understand exactly academic essay, not a letter to a friend.
what you wanted to say. •Don’t try to cram all your experiences
•Do remember: despite your essay into one essay; choose the most
being of a reflective type, it is still important and significant moments.
an academic paper, so try to keep it •Don’t try to write everything at once.
as formal as possible. Compose a mind-map and create an
•Do follow the classical outline which gives a clear direction to
structure: an introduction, main your writing.
body paragraphs, and a conclusion. •Don’t make your essay a free-flowing
•Do keep in mind: you should analysis, including all your
write your essay basing it not only unstructured thoughts, insights, and
on a personal experience, but also ideas. Sort your ideas in a logical order.
using some factual material.
 Reflective Essay Sample

Top 10 Qualities I Consider to Be the Most Important in People

• As a friendly and social person, I have greatly admired different personal qualities that most successful people I have
either read about or met exhibit. These qualities are inbuilt and originate from daily habits that are learned and adopted
by such people. My personal analysis of these traits has led me top draw a conclusion that when a person gives the best
of these qualities in his/her life, they are equally rewarded for their efforts by succeeding in their endeavors. These
qualities can also be described as attributes that are essential for a person’s success in their endeavors and relationships
with other people. Additionally, I believe that it is not a coincidence that successful individuals espouse these
attributes, rather it means that they must have played a great role in their achievements. This is why they feature in my
list of top ten qualities that I consider most important in people. Indulge me as I name them and discuss their
importance.
 Writing a Reflective Essay
Integrity is one of the qualities I greatly admire from a person and is one of the vital attributes that one can cultivate
in oneself and gain respect. With integrity, a good character is created and defined, and it’s always easy to deal with
people or situation when one has such character. Integrity is closely associated or considered as honesty which the best
policy in any dealings or aspect that you are conducting.

Self-confidence is another brilliant quality that I greatly admire and have always tried to emulate in my life as well.
Self-confidence means that I trust myself anytime and all the time which is always vital for any undertaking that I pursue
in my life. With self-confidence, I can also gain support and confidence either as an individual or as part of the team with
an objective to succeed in a certain endeavor.

Self-reliance is another brilliant quality that I have a lot of admiration for, and it basically means to shoulder
responsibilities and always to be accountable for any course or task that I am undertaking. This also means that I should
always be ready to make hard decisions whenever it is necessary and stand by them. By knowing myself, I should always
think for myself which shows that I am self-reliant and accountable for any decision that I make.
 Writing a Reflective Essay
The drive is also another admirable attribute in my list which is the determination always to work hard or harder and
do it right. Having a strong drive do to something also means taking charge when I am required to and aligning myself
with excellence and purpose for a program that I am carrying out.

Willpower is an important quality in a person’s character as well, and it basically means the power to make a
decision and act on it, as well as stay focused and consistent with your efforts in achieving your goals. It may also mean
the ability to control yourself and refrain from your bad habits or being resilient and not giving up in the face of adversity.
This is indeed a crucial quality that anyone should possess.

Optimism is also an excellent quality which means having the hope to achieve great things in this world as well as
the knowledge to know the worth of what I undertake to fight for and be successful. Everything that I do I do it with hope
and faith which is exactly what optimism is all about.

Passion is also a fantastic quality which is the desire and admiration for what you are doing or plan to do.
 Writing a Reflective Essay
Communication is a good quality as well which is communicating with those around you and paying attention to
what others are saying or telling you. By communicating, you will not only stand to know better but also do and achieve
what you wish to achieve much in the fastest, easiest and efficient way possible.

Being social is a wonderful quality as well and it basically means how well you relate to others which translate to
better relationships and success in your endeavors.

Lastly, patience as a personal quality is also important and involves understanding that in everything I do, there are
failures as well as frustrations. When these failures occur, I should not take them personally but rather learn from them
and come out stronger and determined to achieve my set objectives.

The above ten qualities are essential in building a person’s character, and all the individuals who have attained their
goals have at least few of these qualities in them. Every successful person will tell you that these traits are learned and
embraced and have played a significant role in achieving their objectives as well as having better relationships in the past,
present and future. Additionally, it is also advisable to be humble and determined while incorporating these qualities to
gain maximum benefits as you grow. Success heavily depends on how a person responds to a situation and these qualities
will boost the chances of responding positively to situations in a great way.