Composition 1 Portfolio Presentation By: Courtney King December 2000 Introduction As a writer, I feel that my writing has greatly improved over this semester. I have learned many things; how to write an effective summary, how to organize essays, how to improve a thesis, how to express my feelings in a way as not to offend, and how to write an effective introduction. I have experienced writing in such a way as now I appreciate my writings and the works of others. Changes in My Writing This Semester I have learned to write an effective summary. I know how to cite sources in my writing. I have learned how to organize my essays. I have improved the quality of my thesis statements. I have learned how to express my feelings in such a way as to not offend. I have learned how to write an effective introduction. I Have Learned to Write an Effective Summary. The essential points of writing a summary include the thesis, the main points, and a generalization of what the writing was about. The example below shows what the thesis is and a basic summary of what the essay was about. I Have Learned to Write an Effective Summary. I Know How to Cite Sources Correctly in My Writing. The style of citing sources I used was citing electronic sources. An example of this would be: Gilson, Ian, Mary Busalacchi. “Medical Marijuana Cures Hiccups.” Lancet.4Dec.2000 http://www.marijuanamagazine.com/toc/hic cups.htm I Know How to Cite Sources Correctly in My Writing. I Have Learned Four Ways to Organize Essays. The fours way to easily organize an essay are; point by point, comparison/contrast, research, and summary. I enjoy the comparison/contrast the most as it lets you know how the author feels about the subject. Courtney King Comparison/Contrast Essay English 110 Comp 1 I remember coming home after a rough day; it was cold and dreary out. I t had been a terrible day. I come home and am greeted by friendly, I Know the Essential Features of a Good Thesis Statement The features of a good statement are; it must be clear and concise, it must grab the attention of the reader, and it is best if it is not in the form of a question. One such example is: “The death penalty should be abolished.” This is a good example because it clearly states my opinion on the topic, it is clear, and it grabs the attention of the reader. How I Have Learned to Express My Feelings The ways that I have learned to express my feelings as not to offend anyone are I have learned to control my writing and not say everything that I mean to say that might offend people. I have learned that just because I may feel strongly about something doesn’t mean that everyone is going to feel the same way. I Have Learned to Write an Effective Introduction I have learned that an effective introduction means that I need to give more effort in getting the attention of the reader, such as, including a short story. I Have Learned to Write an Effective Introduction Writing Skill / Levels 1 & 2 Level One: Expresses clearly thoughts and ideas in informal writing contexts. Composes structurally correct sentences in Standard American English. Generates well-developed, coherent paragraphs. Level Two: Processes information to produce writing that clearly and accurately summarizes and/or reports. Writes, well-developed, focused essays. Searches for information and inserts research appropriately. Conclusion I feel that I have successfully achieved these skill levels. I have generated well-developed essays I have composed structurally correct sentences I am able to search for information and insert research appropriately I feel that I am capable of doing all of these things after completion of this semester in this class.