You might think that creating a portfolio is just a matter of finding some final drafts and sticking them in a folder on your desktop. However, anyone who looks at your portfolio will need a little more direction than that to understand what kind of writer you are. You'll also want to read through each piece carefully and see if there are any small changes you can make to represent yourself in the best way possible. This lesson will guide you through all of those steps.
First, make some final decisions about what will appear in your writing portfolio. You should already have a list, or a collection of gathered work, if you've completed the other lessons in this module. If not, do that now: Gather your best and your favorite pieces of writing. Keep in mind that your portfolio should include at least one representative of each of these writing modes:
| Persuasive writing in which you provide reasons in support of a proposition, proposal, or claim |
| Expository writing in which you inform readers about a subject or explain complex ideas |
| Narrative writing in which you tell a story or or recount a significant personal experience |
| Descriptive writing in which you use sensory details and/or figurative language to paint a picture |
Do you know how to recognize each mode of writing? Think about what forms could count as each mode. Then click the box the mode's label to check your answer.
The grade on your portfolio will be not be based on how carefully you selected the pieces that fill it. However, part of your grade will reflect the final edits you make to the pieces. Therefore, you should use work that seems strong already but that you find interesting enough to read very closely and look for opportunities to make a few more tweaks.
