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Internet Writing Resources (Grammar; Vocabulary; Persuasive, Business and Technical Writing; Etc.)
General Resources
- The Compact Reader: Short Essays by Method and Theme: Another companion website to a college essay textbook, which explores various types of essays.
- The Penguin Handbook: The companion website to an excellent textbook for introductory-level college writing students.
- William Safire's Rules for Writers: 18 concise rules for effective writing, from a well-known journalist.
Common Writing Issues for College Students
- Dartmouth Writing Program – Materials for Students: A very good comprehensive resource for students new to college writing. Covers basic questions like, "What is an academic paper?", writing for areas like the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences, and other specialized information.
- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources: Buyer Beware! Be sure to ask yourself 5 things when evaluating information on the web.
- How to Write a Research Paper: Pima Libraries’ main site on major questions and issues related to writing research papers in college.
- How to Write a Term Paper: A short primer including tips on choosing a topic, writing thesis statements, and more.
- Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It: College research papers often require discussion of other people's ideas, but you have to do so carefully, giving credit where credit is due. This site explains how to write responsibly when borrowing ideas from others.
- Selecting a Research Topic: Simple steps for brainstorming, focusing, and turning your topic into a good research paper.
Citation Guides
- Citing Sources: Concise guides to creating bibliographies in the various popular styles - MLA, APA, Chicago, and others
- RapidCite: A free online tool which allows you to check how your MLA, APA, or Chicago style bibliography should look, by easily typing basic citation information (author, title, date, etc) in a form and checking the results. Note: use with care, as this tool is not a substitute for college-level critical thinking.
- Using MLA Format: A good overview of the popular citation format, from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab, "OWL."
Essential Reference Sources for Writers
- American Heritage Online Dictionary: a good online dictionary, whose definitions are complete with word origin and sample sentence usage.
- Bartelby.com: a collection of basic online reference materials, like a dictionary, thesaurus, quotation source, and much more.
- Dictionary of Spanish: A good Spanish-English/English-Spanish dictionary that also provides word definitions and some audible pronunciations.
- William Strunk's Elements of Style: Can't remember if it's 's or s' ? Need help on good paragraph organization and style? Use this well-known reference source to find solutions to common pitfalls in writing.
Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, and Critical Thinking
- A.Word.A.Day: This popular site is a great way to grow your vocabulary and become a more effective communicator.
- Common Errors in English: When does one use "fewer" versus "less?" Is it "intents and purposes" or "intensive purposes?" This excellent site lists words and phrases we often use incorrectly.
- Glossary of English Grammar Terms - A - Z: Not sure what your instructor meant by the literary use of "metaphor," "irony" or "onomatopoeia?" See definitions and examples here.
- Guide to Grammar and Writing: This guide is full of valuable tips on everything from paper organization tips to parts of speech. Sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation.
- Mission: Critical: an interactive tutorial on building critical thinking skills.
- Newsday.com's Crossword Puzzle page: Good writers often have good "peripheral thinking," and there's nothing like a good crossword puzzle for practice in thinking widely.
- Some Rules and Suggestions about Spelling: Essential spelling rules, warnings about getting too close with your spell-checker, and tips for a better spelling memory.
Writing Persuasively
- The Art of Rhetoric: Learning How to Use the Three Main Rhetorical Styles: How to become a more persuasive writer by learning how to incorporate the concepts of Ethos (appeal based on reputation), Logos (logical appeal), and Pathos (emotional appeal) into your essays.
- Writing Arguments, A Rhetoric with Readings: How to read arguments critically and produce effective arguments of your own.
Business Writing
Technical Writing
Other Specialized Writing
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