In Class Proofreading Exercise, Andrew Heck

Writing to express:

Sitting somewhere in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in rural Alberta, I am reminded of the warmth and cordiality of the family setting in a relaxed and peaceful setting (environment). The only (audible) sounds are those of the crackling fire, the chatter (scattered conversation) of family members, and the soft summer breeze whistling through the treetops. It is a gathering that occurs once a year, with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins (making an attempt to attend, barring personal hindrances). For the past twenty years (encompassing my entire life), the family camping trip has been organized every year by a different person, rotating (in) between the oldest and youngest (of my paternal grandparents' nine) children of my grandmother's nine. There is nothing about the get-together that is planned in great detail, but there is an absolute certainty that the experience will include lots of food, drink, and song. From my earliest recollection of the camping trip, I've (I have) always felt the same sensation of closeness between (the members of) our extended family (, despite our relatively separate personal lives), growing to include around (approximately) forty people today. It isn't something that could be replicated at all in any other way; the celebration is more substantial than any subordinate gathering of cohorts from school or work could offer. I wouldn't trade it for anything. This kind of family bonding has always existed for me, and has served me dearly in my eighteen years of life.

Evaluative reading legend:

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Reflection:

I found the initial thought process to flow quite naturally, considering I've already written my essay, but slightly different. It was difficult to catch myself from editing mistakes as I wrote, because I usually correct a large majority of the technical errors as I progress in a piece. Still, the exercise was helpful, as I now see that the amount of editing in writing is generally much greater than I previously realized.