Think of a time when you or someone you know used informal language in a situation where formal language may have been more appropriate. What happened? Looking back, what could have been said differently, and what did the situation teach you about choosing your words carefully?

 Prompt Response: Someone in my freshman year once asked our English teacher for an extension on an essay. Instead of waiting until after class or sending a polite email, he shouted across the classroom right before the bell rang. He used extremely informal language and lots of slang. The whole room went quiet, and the teacher looked annoyed, not because he asked for the extension, but because of the casual way he brought it up. Calling the teacher by her first name and using slang made it sound like he didn't respect the teacher's authority or the assignment. The teacher denied the extension on the spot and told him that they could talk about responsibility after class. Looking back, he could have handled that situation much better by using formal language. This taught me that when you use extreme slang or overly casual language in a serious setting, people stop focusing on what you are saying and start focusing on how you said it. 

Summary: Today we worked on revising our paragraphs with our groups and then submitted them. 

Reflection: This activity reinforced that peer revision is really important for refining arguments and word choice. It also taught me that being open to constructive criticism makes the final product much stronger. 

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