(The following list of Portfolio Exercises is subject to change, addition, deletion, or substitution.)  Click on Exercise # to open page.

Exercise 1. Paragraph Building from a given sentence

Exercise 2. Sentence Rewriting & Variation based on Ex. #1

Exercise 3. Thesis Placement and Constructing Intro Paragraph

Exercise 4. Identifying Transitional words, phrases, and constructions

Exercise 5. Summarize an assigned short essay

Exercise 6. Generate ideas for an assigned topic: freewriting, brainstorming, clustering

Exercise 7. Transforming Sentences: Active and Passive constructions

Exercise 8. Write a Review of a Film, Play, Music or Dance Recital, Art Exhibition or other similar event.

Exercise 9. Write a one-page set of instructions, procedures, directions or a "how to" process

Exercise 10. Short Story Questions—Generating Ideas for Term Papers—Set 1

Exercise 11. Identifying Logical Fallacies by their forms and examples

Exercise 12. Create examples for several basic logical argument structures

Exercise 13. Identify Descriptive figures worksheet for Ch. 6 readings (Ballou and Steinbeck)

Exercise 14. Choose 5 descriptive sentences and Amplify or Embellish them using Erasmus’s tool

Exercise 15. Choose one general sentence and amplify it into a descriptive paragraph as shown

Exercise 16. Write a one-page definition of an abstract term, concept, idea, or object.

Exercise 17. Short Story Questions—Generating Ideas for Term Papers—Set 2

Exercise 18. Developing 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-part essay outlines (thesis and topic sentences)

Exercise 19. Responding to a Topic: Generating Ideas and writing a thesis and introduction

Exercise 20. Write the Conclusion for a prospective essay from #19

Exercise 21. Generate some type of outline for the body (argument and evidence) for #19

Exercise 22. Short Story Questions—Generating Ideas for Term Papers—Set 3

Exercise 23. Read an approved or assigned technical article. Then write a summary and response that will be used to begin your Evaluation Essay #6.

Exercise 24. Develop and submit an outline for Essay #6.

Exercise 25. Respond (1/2 page) to one of the short story questions using any method of critical theory.

Exercise 26. Short Story Questions—Generating Ideas for Term Papers—Set 4

Exercise 27. Expanding your ideas and developing your term paper thesis

Exercise 28. Writing the introduction and key topic sentences of your term paper argument

Exercise 29. Develop and Organizational Plan (a rough outline) for your paper and argument

Exercise 30. From you notes, freewriting, or clustering exercises in Ex. 28, generate a rough draft paragraph for each item in your Organizational Plan and continue to revise some sentences or paragraphs using methods of variation, amplification, or other rhetorical figures or strategies. By now your term paper should be about 80% roughed-out.

See Instructor for more information about the following Extra Credit Assignments.

Extra Credit: P. O. V.—re-write an assigned short paragraph from 3 different points of view (1 1/2 pts)

Extra Credit: Rewrite a given paragraph in 5 different writing styles from a list of choices (3 pts)

Extra Credit: Identify and Illustrate Logical Constructions and Rhetorical Figures in either of the following: Swift’s essay "A Modest Proposal" or MLK’s essay "Letter from Birmingham Jail." (2 points for either; 5 points for both)

Extra Credit: Summarize and respond in 1 Paragraph to one of Bacon’s essays (2 points)

Extra Credit: Write 8 short dialogues that illustrate the 8 forms of rhetorical verbal abuse patterns and include 8 alternative counter-argument responses. (4 points)

 If Extra Credit Link is not available, see instructor for information regarding any of the above approved Extra Credit assignment options!  Each point of extra credit is equal to a missed exercise.  Extra Credit Points will be applied to the total grade of Exercises.

Additional Portfolio points will be awarded for Organization & Neatness (5%), Extra Work with Logical or Rhetorical figures (up to 5% for each category), and Extra work with New Vocabulary (1% for each 10  words--up to 10% or 100 words). These words should come from your assigned readings.  Develop your own Personal Glossary of Key Composition terms and definitions with examples (up to 5%).  See Instructor for details or check website for Extra Credit Links.