General Writing Help
Need help with punctuation, grammar, writing paragraphs, word choice, and more? Then you've come to the right place!
Purdue's OWL
Need a link to help you with everything related to writing? Then Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) is for you! You'll find lots of information on MLA, grammar, punctuation, essay writing, and more. Just click here to be whisked away to their site.
Basic Punctuation Rules
Confused about commas? Do colons and semicolons have you befuddled? Use the attached PDF to understand some basic punctuation rules. Click here to open it up!
Correct Comma Usage
Using commas correctly is a necessary skill to have. To find out more about when to use a comma and when to not, view this file.
Don't Be Afraid of Semicolons & Colons
Have no fear...semicolons and colons can become your new favorite punctuation marks once you learn the basic rules. So what are you waiting for? Try them out after checking out this PDF.
Instead of Says
So, you know the word says? It's really a dead word (violin music playing). But it's okay! There are many fantastic words out there to say the same thing, only better! First, watch this little presentation (click here) about said (it's not just me who isn't a fan of this four-letter word!). Then download this document to have a quick reference when you write.
Transition Words
Everyone should check this baby out! No more choppy sentences and fragmented paragraphs. Simply find the appropriate transition word on this list and use it in your writing. Presto! Fluid writing with ideas that connect...
Punctuation Exercises
Do you need a bit of practice with those commas, periods, colons, semicolons, apostrophes, or quotation marks? Visit Purdue's OWL to exercise your brain and hone your skills. Simply click here.
A Comma Game
Play this comma game that will not only help you learn where commas go, but also why they go where they go! Click here.
An Apostrophe Game
Apostrophes are very important...they let the reader know if someone owns something (John's car) or if a contraction is being used (won't). For a bit of practice, play the game by clicking here.
Commonly Confused Words
So many words sound the same, but have different meanings and different spellings (isn't the English language weird?!?). These homonyms can be tricky, but not if you use this PDF to master commonly confused words!
Revising & Editing Your Work
Need to revise and edit your writing? This handy how to provides guiding questions to help you create a polished final draft.
Using Spell-Check
While it's not always perfect, spell-check is a very handy and useful tool to catch the majority of those typos. If you're not sure how to use spell-check, take some time to review this PDF.
Writing a Strong Paragraph
One of the most critical skills required of a student is writing a strong paragraph. This document gives you the basic format with some handy tricks to mastering the paragraph format.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Do your papers keep coming back with that annoying comment to make sure your subjects and verbs are in agreement? Then this one's for you!