Summary
1. The author feels confident about her writing in the beginning of the story but then she starts to doubt herself due to failing the writing portion of the exam taken. She felt like she thought she knew how to write but then realized she didn't really know much about it once taking the exam which made her feel discouraged. " I doubted my ability and the ideas I wrote about. Failing the second time made things worse, so perhaps to protect myself from my doubts, I stopped taking English seriously." " But I never again felt the same love of reading and writing."
2. The author feels that standardized testing is graded differently because she felt as if she did everything correctly but still failed the writing portion of the standardized test. "This experience showed me just how differently my writing could be judged by various readers.
3. In the beginning the author felt as if she was an excellent writer then after she took the test she was in disbelief of failing the writing portion of the standardized test. The more she failed, the more discouraged she got until she was not able to feel the same about writing. " Until that time, I loved writing just as much as I loved math." "How did I manage to fail writing, and by half a point, no less? I thought to myself in disbelief." But I never again felt the same love of reading and writing."
4. If I were Mrs. Brown, the author's English teacher, I would have told the author everyone has a different opinion when it comes to writing. Your form of writing may not be considered proficient in their eyes but to you it may be. Everyone's thinking process is not the same and others may have a different view of writing opposed to my view or your classmates view.
