McGann 1 Meaghan McGann, : Professor Swindell Ha ENGW 104 ae 18 December 2012 Portfolio Cover Letter Dear English Department Faculty, ‘Throughout the second half of my first semester at Wheaton College I have had the ‘opportunity to participate in an English Writing and Composition Course. This course has enabled me to evaluate my effectiveness as both a writer and a communicator and enhanced my ability to critique my own writing in order to convey my ideas more clearly. In contrasting the first draft of my first essay for this class, and the first draft of my final essay for this elass, I found improvements in the overall flow and phrasing of my writing and in my implementation of supporting evidence. In my first essay I lacked a clear thesis statement, making it harder for me to support my el s effectively. My essay lacked connectedness because my main points were not clearly related to an overarching thesis, It was much harder to support these main points in a manner that added to the general flow of the paper while effectively arguing my ideas. In the first draft of my final paper, my thesis statement could still be more directly stated but the connection between my thesis and my main ideas is much clearer; this has allowed my paper better flow and support, Ttook care to connect this paper in such a way that my main points directly argue for my thesis and have been better able to integrate and explain my sources as a result, 1 greatly appreciate and recognize the value of taking this course. Through the practice of ‘writing several different drafts and then critiquing and editing my own work I have been able to identify some of my strengths and weaknesses as a writer and have been more intentional about