The syllabus for English 131 is structured around four main outcomes, the first of which is to “Demonstrate an awareness of strategies writers use in different writing context.” As a class we read multiple pieces of writing, ranging from essays to short stories to advertisements that provided examples of how authors effectively portray their claims and/or themes, specifically through pathos, ethos, and logos. I demonstrate an exploration and adoption of authors’ techniques in Short Assignment 3, when I discuss the effectiveness of two authors in an interactive hypothetical conversation through written letters. While the first outcome develops an eye for recognizing authors’ techniques, the second focuses on analyzing and supporting those techniques with multiple kinds of evidence. My first major paper, comparing the effectiveness of two authors, Amy Tan and James Baldwin, not only studies the two pieces written and highlights their tactics in persuading an audience but also provides numerous examples in proving that Tan’s essay is more effective. The first two outcomes focus on studying different pieces of writing whereas the third concentrates on developing an academically powerful and complex argument when writing. I demonstrate this outcome in my second short assignment, arguing that Baldwin logically uses pathos and logos to successfully prove his claim, although some readers would debate otherwise. In this portfolio I use my first short assignment to illustrate the fourth and last outcome, however, every essay I have written this quarter demonstrates that I have “developed flexible strategies for revising, editing, and proofreading writing” considering I edited every essay, using feedback from my peers and teacher. The writing I completed throughout this quarter is an ultimate demonstration of mastering the course outcomes because each essay within my portfolio relates to at least one outcome, proving that the skill described is both understood and implemented.