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A Writer’s Guide

The purpose of this resource is to help us strengthen our skills and understand how to fix issues that we all face in our writing careers. Next to the name of each topic is a list of links to descriptions, examples, and solutions.

Saving time is important when we face assignment deadlines, so this guide includes BRIEF definitions, examples, and solutions. The goal is to answer your questions and get you back to writing as soon as possible.

Some of us like learning from videos and others prefer written explanations: this guide includes both, and most videos will be in the 1-5 minute range, with a few exceptions.

List of topics begins on the next page.

Topic

Resources

Helpful tips for writing the

INTRODUCTION,

BODY, and

CONCLUSION

of an essay

* Slideshow that explains all three parts with examples

* How to create a THESIS STATEMENT (PDF)

* Diagram of intro and concluding paragraphs

* How to develop BODY paragraphs–includes practice activity (PDF)

What to do if I have

WRITER’S BLOCK

* Symptoms & cures for writer’s block (webpage)

* Tips for personal essays (3:05 video)

When should I use

QUOTATIONS

in my writing?

* When should I quote the text? (webpage)

* How many quotations? (Doc)

How do I use

QUOTATIONS

in my writing?

* 3 ways to embed quotations –clear explanation with examples and practice activity (PDF)

* Fixing a few common mistakes (3:26 video)

How do I

PARAPHRASE

a passage?

* Clear explanation of paraphrasing – with helpful visuals; also shows unacceptable, better, and best examples (6:30 video)

* Paraphrasing Stategies (1:30 video)

* Paraphrasing Demo (2:28 video)

* Paraphrasing Example (2:47 video)

What is the difference between a

SUMMARY and a

PARAPHRASE?

* Summary vs paraphrase - clear explanation with examples of each (14:00 video)

Understanding

WORDS,

PHRASES,

and

CLAUSES

* Parts of speech, phrases, and clauses defined with examples and links to more information

(Continued on next page→)

Topic

Resources

How do I vary my

SENTENCES

to make my writing more interesting?

* The four major sentence building blocks (webpage)

* Simple and compound sentences explained (4:29 video)

* Complex sentence explained (5:07 video)

* Compound-complex sentence explained (4:13 video)

* Using short, medium, and long sentences (webpage)

* Advanced concept: intentional fragments (6:13 video)

TRANSITIONS:

moving from one idea to the next

* Helpful lists and tips (webpage)

* Connecting clauses, sentences, and paragraphs (PDF)

MLA Essay Format

* Instructions with an example (webpage)

* A clearly explained example (3:17 video)

MLA 8 CITATION GUIDE

* Sample Works Cited page–bibliography (webpage)

* Find answers to format and order here (webpage)

* Basic format explained in detail (5:26 video)

COMMAS:

When and where?

* Rules with clear examples- includes a practice activity (PDF)

* Using commas with FANBOYS and subordinate clauses (4:59 video)

How and why do we use

COLONS

and

SEMICOLONS ?

* Clear explanation & comparison of the colon and semicolon with examples (4:28 video)

* The colon explained with examples and practice (PDF)

* The semicolon explained with examples and practice (PDF)

* The epiphany colon (3:25 video)

(Continued on next page→)

Topic

Resources

Having trouble with PRONOUNS ?

* Pronoun and Antecedent (58 second video)

* Unclear Pronoun Reference–Lots of helpful examples here (webpage)

* Vague Pronouns (and how to fix them) (2:43 video)

* Should I use WHO or WHOM? (webpage)

SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

* How to identify a sentence fragment – includes practice activity (PDF)

* Fragments explained with examples (webpage and video)

RUN-ON SENTENCES

and

COMMA SPLICES

* Brief explanation with examples (webpage)

* Run-on sentences and comma splices explained (webpage and videos)

* Comma splice & “fused sentences” (run-ons): explanation, examples, and practice exercises (PDF)

What is

PARALLELISM ?

* Explanation and examples + tips on how to fix mistakes (2:18 video)

* More explanation with different examples (5:04 video)

* Definition, examples, and practice (PDF)

What is a

DANGLING MODIFIER

or a

MISPLACED MODIFIER ?

* Brief webpage description plus examples with a helpful Khan Academy video (4:19) linked at the end

* Clear definition of “modifier” and “misplaced modifier” (4:23 video)

* Finding and Fixing Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers (PDF)

* Check your understanding: a practice exercise on misplaced and dangling modifiers. (webpage)

Unnecessary

VERB TENSE SHIFTS

* Helpful examples and a brief explanation (webpage)

(Continued on next page→)

Topic

Resources

ACTIVE VOICE

vs.

PASSIVE VOICE

VERBS

* Clear definitions and tips on using them (3:05 video)

* How to use (and eliminate) passive voice–very clear explanations and examples (5:04 video)

PASSIVE VOICE

in scientific writing

* Ms Carmichael’s guide to science writing (Doc)

How do I make

SUBJECTS and VERBS

agree with each other?

* Explanation and examples (4:52 video)

* Nine agreement issues explained with examples (webpage)

* Common agreement errors (webpage and videos)

When should I spell out

NUMBERS in my writing?

* Basic rule with a few exceptions (website)

LITERARY DEVICES:

What are they and how can I use them?

* Definitions and examples of literary terms and grammatical terms (website)

Writing a

PERSONAL STATEMENT or COLLEGE ESSAY

* Tips for success with link to current Common Application writing prompts (Doc)

Tips for writing

ENGAGING DIALOGUE

* Examples of dialogue to inspire writers