Progressed and I Was Able

¶ … progressed and I was able to develop a strong command of writing fundamentals. I have demonstrated these skills in a variety of different essay types, from narrative to persuasive. I learned how to create essays with strong introductions, supporting arguments, a logical flow of ideas and a powerful conclusion that ties the essay together. These are the fundamental elements that I sought to master over the course of the semester and I feel that my portfolio demonstrates success in that regard.

In my persuasive essay on the subject of illegal file sharing, I was able to form a concrete thesis and then create a supporting argument. The supporting argument flowed from a number of different points. Each point I used strengthened the power of my overall argument. This essay also demonstrates my use of different devices. I successfully made the analogy between the enforcement of physical property laws and the enforcement of intellectual property laws. I also was able to construct my arguments using a number of different approaches. I learned over the course of this semester that strong writing does not involve repetition of a single point, but involves development of many points that each support the main thesis. I feel that with the persuasive essay about illegal file sharing, I was able to support my thesis in this way. I feel the tight flow of the arguments in this paper represents the most impressive leap in my writing abilities that I experience this semester.

In my narrative essay on the day the changed my life, I was able to create a strong logical progression of ideas. After stating what my life-changing day was, I was able to recount the various steps of my life that demonstrated how my life was changed. At the end of the narrative, I brought resolution to the story. I was even able to manage the tone of the story, keeping it personal but relatively detached and professional.

These essays and my other ones each demonstrate not only my progression as a writer, but help to illustrate my strengths and weaknesses. The Wal-Mart story, the narrative and the illegal file share persuasive story each have very strong opening paragraphs that set the tone for the powerful thesis statement. My ability to construct arguments and narratives that not only flow but support the central thesis is a constant throughout my portfolio. Each of these papers also has a strong conclusion.

A still feel that I have much room to improve as a writer. At times, I have struggled with my tone. I have at times shifted between formal and informal tones, such as with the narrative story and the persuasive essay. Occasionally, I struggle with transitions, or introduce ideas that I neglect to tie back into the central thesis. I also sometimes try to squeeze too many ideas into a paragraph, which makes it difficult to expand each idea fully. This can be found in the Wal-Mart essay, for example.