Getting Started
Composing and Revising
Planning
Understanding an assignment
Assessing the writing situation
Subject
Purpose
Audience
Academic audiences
Business audiences
Public audiences
Genre
Length and document design
Reviewers and deadlines
Exploring the subject
Talking and listening
Reading and annotating texts
Observing
Brainstorming
Clustering
Freewriting
Gaining expert perspective
Keeping a journal
Blogging
Asking questions
Asking questions in the disciplines
Drafting and revising a working thesis statement
Drafting a working thesis
Revising a working thesis
Using the “So what?” test
Using a problem/strategy approach
Revising a thesis that is too factual
Revising a thesis that is merely a question
Revising a thesis that is too broad
Revising a thesis that is too narrow
Revising a thesis that is too vague
Drafting a plan
Informal outlines
Formal outlines
Planning with headings
Exercises: Planning
Exercise: Purpose and audience (autoscored)
Exercise: Thesis statements 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Thesis statements 2 (autoscored)
Resources: Planning
Charts and guidelines
Understanding an assignment
Academic English: Writing across cultures
Checklist for assessing the writing situation
Narrowing a subject to a topic
Considering audience when writing e-mail messages
Tips for assessing genre in a writing assignment
Characteristics of an effective thesis statement
Testing a working thesis statement
Effective thesis statements
Guidelines for constructing a formal outline
Models and visuals
Listing ideas: Community service requirements
Listing ideas: Funding for college athletics
Listing ideas: Violence on television
Listing ideas: Performance-enhancing drugs in sports
Freewriting: Cloning
Focused freewriting: College students and credit card debt
Clustering: Obesity in children
Informal outline: Hunger Games
Informal outline: Television advertising to children
Formal outline: Government regulation of food choices
Formal outline: Internet surveillance at work
Drafting
Drafting an introduction
Strategies for writing an introduction
Placing the thesis in the introduction
Developing the thesis statement
Drafting the body
Asking questions as you draft
Adding visuals as you draft
Considering design as you draft
Drafting a conclusion
Exercise: Drafting the paper
Exercise: Introductions (autoscored)
Resources: Drafting the paper
Charts and guidelines
Providing a hook in your introduction
Academic English: Using a direct approach
Models and visuals
Thesis at beginning of introduction
Thesis at end of introduction
Introduction: Analysis of an advertisement
Introduction: Research paper
Introduction: Argument paper
Conclusion: Analysis of an advertisement
Conclusion: Research paper
Conclusion: Argument paper
Other effective conclusions
Reviewing, revising, and editing
Effective peer reviews
The writer’s role in peer review
The reviewer’s role in peer review
Revising with comments
The comment: Unclear thesis
The comment: Narrow your introduction
The comment: Develop more
The comment: Be specific
The comment: Consider opposing viewpoints
The comment: Summarize less, analyze more
The comment: More than one point in this paragraph
The comment: Cite your sources
Global revision: Revising in cycles
Revising and editing sentences
Creating a personal editing log
Proofreading
One student’s process of revision: Literacy narrative
Exploring the subject (literacy narrative)
Peer review of literacy narrative
Developing revision goals and revising the draft (literacy narrative)
Reflecting on your writing
Exercises: Reviewing, revising, and editing
Exercise: Conducting a peer review (autoscored)
Exercise: Choosing an appropriate point of view (autoscored)
Resources: Reviewing, revising, and editing
Charts and guidelines
Tips for peer reviewers
Tips for using reviewers’ comments
Countering opposing arguments
Checklist for global revision (for writers)
Proofreading strategies
Revision symbols
Models and visuals
Example of global revisions
Example of sentence-level revisions
Sample editing log page
Sample student writing
Literacy narrative (MLA): Nguyen, “A Place to Begin”
Literacy narrative, draft with peer comments (MLA): Nguyen, Rough Draft
Preparing a portfolio
Preparing a course portfolio
Portfolio requirements
Reflection and portfolios
Preparing a professional portfolio
Presenting writing samples
Deciding on format (print vs. online)
Resources: Preparing a portfolio
Sample student writing
Reflective cover letter for a course portfolio
Sample traditional résumé
Sample Web résumé
Building effective paragraphs
Unifying paragraphs with topic sentences
Positioning the topic sentence
Paragraphs without topic sentences
Sticking to the point
Developing the main point
Using paragraph patterns
Examples and illustrations
Narration
Description
Process
Comparison and contrast
Analogy
Cause and effect
Classification and division
Definition
Making paragraphs coherent
Linking ideas to the topic sentence
Repeating key words with synonyms
Repeating key words exactly
Using parallel structures
Maintaining consistency
Using transitions between sentences
Using transitions between paragraphs
Managing paragraph length
Exercises: Building effective paragraphs
Exercise: Topic sentences (autoscored)
Exercise: Transitions (autoscored)
Resources: Building effective paragraphs
Charts and guidelines
Common transitions
Academic English: Using transitions
Paragraph-level transitions
Determining paragraph length
Analyzing parallel structure in a paragraph
Writing with technology
Using software tools
Grammar checkers
Spell checkers
Autoformatting
Managing your files
Naming your files
Saving your files
Sharing files
Annotated paragraph
Academic Reading, Writing, and Speaking
Reading and writing critically
Reading a written text actively
Previewing a written text
Annotating a written text
Conversing with a written text
Asking the “So what?” question
Outlining a written text
Summarizing a written text
Analyzing a written text
Balancing summary with analysis for a written text
Drafting an analytical thesis statement for a written text
Resources: Reading and writing critically
Charts and guidelines
Guidelines for actively reading a written text
Guidelines for writing a summary of a written text
Summary of a written text (big-box stores)
Guidelines for analyzing a written text
Models and visuals
Annotated article
Excerpt from a double-entry notebook for a written text
Outline of a written text
Sample student writing
Analysis of an article (MLA): Sanchez, “Rethinking Big-Box Stores”
Reading and writing about multimodal texts
Reading multimodal texts actively
Previewing a multimodal text
Annotating a multimodal text
Conversing with a multimodal text
Outlining a multimodal text
Summarizing a multimodal text
Analyzing a multimodal text
Balancing summary with analysis for a multimodal text
Drafting an analytical thesis statement for a multimodal text
Resources: Reading and writing about multimodal texts
Charts and guidelines
Guidelines for actively reading a multimodal text
Guidelines for writing a summary of a multimodal text
Guidelines for analyzing a multimodal text
Models and visuals
Example of a multimodal text (World Wildife Fund advertisement)
Annotated multimodal text (Equal Exchange advertisement)
Annotated multimodal text (McDonald's advertisement)
Annotated Web page
Excerpt from a double-entry notebook for a multimodal text
Outlines of multimodal texts
Outline of a multimodal text (McDonald's advertisement)
Summaries of multimodal texts
Summary of a multimodal text (McDonald's advertisement)
Sample student writing
Analysis of an advertisement (MLA): Yoshida, “Sometimes a Cup of Coffee Is Just a Cup of Coffee”
Analysis of an advertisement: Lee, “The Golden Arches Go Green: McDonald's and Real Lettuce”
Reading arguments
Reasonable vs. fallacious arguments
Making generalizations (inductive reasoning)
Drawing analogies
Tracing causes and effects
Weighing options
Making assumptions
Deducing conclusions (deductive reasoning)
Legitimate vs. unfair emotional appeals
Evaluating appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) as a reader
Judging how a writer handles opposing views
Exercise: Reading arguments
Exercise: Evaluating arguments (autoscored)
Resources: Reading arguments
Charts and guidelines
Testing inductive reasoning
Academic English: Stereotyping in writing
Checklist for reading and evaluating arguments
Models and visuals
Ethical appeal in an advertisement
Writing arguments
Placing an issue in context
Addressing skeptical audiences
Using appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) as a writer
Stating your position in your introduction
Backing up the thesis
Supporting claims with evidence
Facts as support for claims
Statistics as support for claims
Examples and illustrations as support for claims
Visuals as support for claims
Expert opinion as support for claims
Anticipating objections and countering opposing arguments
Building common ground
Resources: Writing arguments
Charts and guidelines
Checklist for constructing an argument
Academic English: Giving voice to an argument
Evidence typically used in various disciplines
Academic English: Statistical argument
Example of expert opinion
Anticipating and countering opposing arguments
Breaking a thesis into main claims and subclaims
Models and visuals
Annotated introduction to an argument
Lines of argument: citizen journalism and the shift to online news
Lines of argument: biotechnology in sports
Lines of argument: health care coverage for children
Lines of argument: bridge design
Sample student writing
Argument paper: Jacobs, “From Lecture to Conversation: Redefining What's 'Fit to Print'”
Argument paper: Hammond “Performance Enhancement through Biotechnology Has No Place in Sports”
Argument paper: Lund, “Preserving Yellowstone's Winter Wilderness”
Argument paper: Sanghvi, “Preserving Winter Access: Snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park”
Writing specific genres
Writing guide: Analysis essay
Key features of analysis essays
Exploring ideas for your analysis essay
Drafting your analysis essay
Revising your analysis essay
Presenting your analysis essay
Sample student writing: Analysis essays
Additional resources for writing, reviewing, and revising an analysis essay
Writing guide: Annotated bibliography
Key features of annotated bibliographies
Exploring ideas for your annotated bibliography
Drafting your annotated bibliography
Revising your annotated bibliography
Presenting your annotated bibliography
Sample student writing: Annotated bibliographies
Writing guide: Argument essay
Key features of argument essays
Exploring ideas for your argument essay
Drafting your argument essay
Revising your argument essay
Presenting your argument essay
Sample student writing: Argument essays
Additional resources for revising an argument essay
Writing guide: Literacy narrative
Key features of literacy narratives
Exploring ideas for your literacy narrative
Drafting your literacy narrative
Revising your literacy narrative
Presenting your literacy narrative
Sample student writing: Literacy narrative
Writing guide: Reflective letter for a portfolio
Key features of reflective letters
Exploring ideas for your reflective letter
Drafting your reflective letter
Revising your reflective letter
Presenting your reflective letter
Sample student writing: Reflective letter
Resources: Writing specific genres
Visual and chart
Effective thesis for a literacy narrative
Breaking a thesis into main claim and subclaims (argument)
Breaking a thesis into main claim and subclaims (analysis)
Directory to model papers, by genre (type)
Speaking confidently
Speaking with a sense of purpose, audience, and context
Preparing a presentation
Developing a clear structure
Using visuals purposefully
Preparing to present with slides, from memory, or from a text
Rehearsing the presentation
Delivering the presentation
Starting strong and ending strong
Cultivating a lively style
Using signposts
Using body language
Tips for oral presentations
Being an audience member
Remixing a paper for a presentation
Resources: Speaking confidently
Chart
Using ethos, logos, and pathos as a speaker
Writing about Literature
Planning an interpretation of literature
Annotating a literary work
Taking notes on a literary work
Discussing a literary work
Forming an interpretation
Asking questions that lead to an interpretation
Drafting an interpretive thesis
Focusing an interpretive thesis
Outlining an interpretive essay
Exercise: Writing about literature
Exercise: Thesis statements in literature papers (autoscored)
Resources: Planning an interpretation of literature
Chart, models, and visuals
Questions to ask about literature
Models and visuals
Annotated poem
Note taking on a literary work
Blog discussion exploring a subject
Writing a literature paper
Drafting an introduction that announces your interpretation
Supporting your interpretation with evidence from the work
Avoiding simple plot summary
Observing the conventions of literature papers
Referring to literary authors, titles, and characters
Using the present tense to describe fictional events
Avoiding shifts in tense when integrating quotations
Avoiding confusion of the author with a narrator, speaker, or character
Integrating quotations from a literary work
Creating a context for quotations
Enclosing embedded quotations in single quotation marks
Indicating changes in a quotation
Using MLA style for citing literary works
Citing passages from short stories or novels
Citing lines from poems
Citing lines from plays
Documenting secondary sources
Using MLA style to document secondary sources
Avoiding plagiarism in literature papers
Using quotation marks for borrowed language
Paraphrasing in your own words
Sample literature papers
Sample literature papers
Literary analysis (MLA): Peel, “Opposing Voices in 'Ballad of the Landlord'”
Literary analysis (MLA): Larson, “The Transformation of Mrs. Peters: An Analysis of 'A Jury of Her Peers'”
Understanding and Composing Multimodal Projects
Introduction to multimodal texts
What does it mean to “read” a text?
What is multimodal composing?
Composing hasn’t changed
Composing has changed
Composing in college
Composing beyond college
A toolkit for analyzing and composing multimodal texts
Resources: Introduction to multimodal texts
Models and visuals
Drawing and poem on a Grecian urn
Ancient petroglyphs on cave walls
Medieval illuminated manuscript
A multimodal text from a math course
A multimodal text from a geology course
A multimodal text from an art history course
A multimodal public service ad
Analyzing written words
Genre: In what kind of document do the written words appear?
Features: What do the words look like?
Purpose and audience: Why and for whom are the words created?
Meaning: What effect do the words have on the reader?
Activities: Analyzing written words
Activity 1: Your understanding of written texts
Resources: Analyzing written words
Chart, models, and visuals
Analyzing written words
Models and visuals
Everyday multimodal texts (thumbnails)
Purpose and audience in a public letter
Analysis of a public letter
Analyzing sound
Genre: What kind of sound is it?
Features: Pitch, pace, and volume
Purpose and audience: Why and for whom is the sound created?
Meaning: What effect does sound have on the listener?
Activities: Analyzing sound
Activity 2: Your understanding of sound in multimodal texts
Resources: Analyzing sound
Chart and models
Analyzing sound
Model (external site)
Podcast for student analysis: King Anyi Howell, “Hustlers, Street Vendors, and Farmers”
Sample student writing
Notes on an audio podcast
Analysis of sound in an audio podcast
Analyzing static images
Genre: What kind of image is it?
Features: Context, perspective, and elements
Purpose and audience: Why and for whom are the images created?
Meaning: What effect does the image have on the viewer?
Activities: Analyzing static images
Activity 3: Your understanding of static images
Resources: Analyzing static images
Charts and guidelines
Analyzing static images
What kind of image is it?
Models and visuals
Instructions: Sketch with generic features
Analysis of a set of instructions
Photograph showing an unusual perspective
Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange (1936)
Toppling of Saddam Hussein statue: Two views
Analysis of two photos: Toppling of Saddam Hussein
Analyzing moving images
Genre: What kind of moving image is it?
Features: Perspective, composition, and editing
Purpose and audience: Why and for whom are the moving images created?
Meaning: What effect do the moving images have on the viewer?
Activities: Analyzing moving images
Activity 4: Your understanding of moving images (PSAs)
Activity 5: Your understanding of moving images (interactive ads)
Resources: Analyzing moving images
Charts and guidelines
Analyzing moving images
Common genres (types) of moving images
Models and visuals
Sequence of still images representing movement
Analysis of a moving image
Point of view perspective in the movie Cloverfield
Analyzing multimodal texts
Genre: What kind of multimodal text is it?
Features: Which modes are represented? How do they function?
Purpose and audience: Why and for whom is the multimodal text created?
Meaning: What effect does the composition have on the viewer?
Activities: Analyzing multimodal texts
Activity 6: Your understanding of public service announcements
Resources: Analyzing multimodal texts
Charts and guidelines
Analyzing multimodal texts
Common genres of multimodal compositions
Models and visuals
Public service message (World Wildlife Fund)
Analysis of item collecting in video games
Starting your own multimodal project
Getting direction from the assignment
Considering the “So what?” question
Understanding expectations and managing your time
Activities: Starting your own multimodal project
Activity 7: Your understanding of two multimodal projects
Activity 8: Transforming a monomodal to a multimodal project
Resources: Starting your own multimodal project
Model
Sample student notes: deciding on a topic
Considering your purpose and audience for a multimodal project
Prewriting with your purpose in mind
Identifying your audience’s needs and perspectives
Connecting with your audience
Recognizing an unintended audience
Activities: Considering your purpose and audience for a multimodal project
Activity 9: Your understanding of purpose
Activity 10: Your understanding of audience
Activity 11: Analyzing audience in your own project
Resources: Considering your purpose and audience for a multimodal project
Chart and model
Creating user profiles
Model (external link)
Notes on a Web site project (external link)
Planning your multimodal project
Understanding your own composing process
Collaborating effectively with others
Deciding on a main idea
Planning support for your main idea
Choosing a genre; deciding on a delivery method
Activities: Planning your multimodal project
Activity 12: Your understanding of collaboration
Activity 13: Your understanding of narrowing a subject
Activity 14: Planning support for your main idea
Resources: Planning your multimodal project
Chart
Assessing your strengths as a collaborator
Models and visuals
Linear representation of a composing process
Realistic representation of a composing process
Sample student notes: deciding on a delivery method
Managing your multimodal project
Saving all your files in one place
Keeping track of all your files
Using clear, descriptive file names
Keeping track of versions
Activities: Managing your multimodal project
Activity 15: Your understanding of online file management tools
Activity 16: Using file management for your own project
Resources: Managing your multimodal project
Models and visuals
Folder for storage of multimodal project
Folder with subfolders for music, video clips, and audio clips
Video clips subfolder
Sources and notes for a video assignment
Organizing your multimodal project
Deciding what type of project you want to create
Using outlines, wireframes, and storyboards
Drafting to support your main idea
Activities: Organizing your multimodal project
Activity 17: Understanding how to create an outline, a wireframe, or a storyboard
Activity 18: Using an outline, a wireframe, or a storyboard for your own project
Resources: Organizing your multimodal project
Models and visuals
The first two slides from a slide show presentation
Wireframe for a Web site
Storyboard for a multimodal project
Emphasizing important information in your multimodal project
Determining what needs emphasis
Choosing a strategy for creating emphasis
Activities: Emphasizing important information in your multimodal project
Activity 19: Your understanding of emphasis on Web sites
Activity 20: Using emphasis in your own project
Resources: Emphasizing important information in your multimodal project
Models and visuals
Sample résumé (Smith)
Sample brochure
Print documents, showing different ways to create emphasis
First page of a Web site
Revising and editing your multimodal project
Seeking and using feedback
Revising and remixing a multimodal composition
Editing a multimodal composition
Activities: Revising and editing your multimodal project
Activity 21: Understanding remixing in multimodal compositions
Activity 22: Getting feedback for your own project
Web site project: D'Amato, “Loose Leaf Teas”
Video essay project: Williamson, “To the Children of America”
Resources: Revising and editing your multimodal project
Chart and model
Editing multimodal compositions
Model
Draft of student project: an informative Web site
Sample student writing
Integrating and documenting sources in your multimodal project
Understanding why documenting sources is important
Knowing when a citation is needed
Determining how to integrate sources in a multimodal composition
Figuring out how to document sources in a multimodal composition
Activities: Integrating and documenting sources in your multimodal project
Activity 23: Understanding documentation in different genres
Activity 24: Keeping a working bibliography for your project
Resources: Integrating and documenting sources in your multimodal project
Chart and models
Documentation conventions for different genres
Models
Web page showing works cited and links
Source integrated in a student paper
Presenting or publishing your multimodal project
Options for presenting and publishing multimodal works
Pros and cons of presentation and publication spaces
Making your project accessible and usable
Activities: Presenting or publishing your multimodal project
Activity 25: Understanding accessibility and usability
Activity 26: Considering accessibility and usability in your own project
Resources: Presenting or publishing your multimodal project
Charts and guidelines
Presentation spaces for multimodal projects
Composing projects that are accessible and usable
Directory to activities for multimodal projects
Quick help: Designing documents
Page layout and formatting
Page layout
Page formatting
White space and margins
Pagination
Headers and footers
Borders and rules
Resources: Page layout and formatting
Models and visuals
Thumbnail: Layout of academic paper
Thumbnail: Layout of memo (1)
Thumbnail: Layout of memo (2)
Thumbnail: Layout of résumé
Sample fact sheet
Thumbnail: Layout of newsletter or fact sheet
Sample brochure page
Thumbnail: Layout of three-panel brochure
Thumbnail: Layout of brochure with graphic and headings
Effective use of white space in a magazine
Use of white space on presentation slides
Sample MLA and APA headers with page numbers
Sample memo header with page number
Sample newsletter footer with page number
Sample report footer
Sample Web site with repeated elements
Sample magazine page with boxed text
Sample table with rules
Models and visuals (PDF)
Business letter in full block style
Sample academic paper
Sample memo (1)
Sample memo (2)
Sample résumé
Sample fact sheet
Sample brochure page
Effective use of white space in a magazine
Use of white space on presentation slides
Typical margins in an academic paper
Text formatting
Line spacing
Paragraph indenting and spacing
Text alignment
Tabbed text
Font selection
Fonts for college and workplace documents
Fonts for on-screen documents
Font styles
Headings
Phrasing headings
Formatting headings
Lists
Resources: Text formatting
Models and visuals
Sample double-spaced text
Sample single-spaced text
Paragraph indent in an academic paper
Hanging indents in academic papers (MLA and APA)
Block indents in academic papers (MLA and APA)
Sample table of contents using left and right alignment
Sample business memo with tabs
Sample table using tabbed columns of data
Sample table of contents using right-aligned leaders
Sample text using font styles and colors
Sample business card using different fonts
Sample report with three levels of headings
Sample table of contents with headings and subheadings
Sample report with run-in headings
Models and visuals (PDF)
Paper organized with headings (APA)
Sample memo with headings
Using Visuals
Choosing appropriate visuals
Placing and labeling visuals
Types of visuals to suit your purpose
Using visuals responsibly
Resources: Visuals
Models and visuals
Example of figure with number and label
Example of table with number and label
Sample pie chart
Sample line graph
Sample line graph and table
Sample bar graph 1
Sample bar graph 2
Sample table 1
Sample table 2
Sample photograph
Sample diagram
Sample map
Sample flowchart 1
Sample flowchart 2
Document design gallery
MLA essay format
MLA works cited page
APA title page
APA abstract page
APA essay format
APA list of references
Business report with a visual
Business letter in full block style
Résumé
Professional memo
E-mail message
Directory of sample documents
Chart
Directory of sample documents
Research
Managing a research project
Exploring the research topic
Writing a research proposal
Posing questions worth exploring
Focused research questions
Challenging research questions
Grounded research questions
Entry points to research
Exercise: Research questions
Exercise: Research questions (autoscored)
Resources: Managing a research project
Charts and guidelines
Thinking like a researcher
Testing a research question
Models
Sample calendar for a research assignment
Determining if a source is scholarly
Mapping out a search strategy
Sample search strategies
Library searches
Database searches
Web searches
Citations, bibliographies, and literature reviews
Field research
Resources: Mapping out a search strategy
Charts and guidelines
Tips for smart searching
Refining keyword searches in databases and search engines
Specialized online search tools
Model
Comparison of a scholarly vs. a popular source
Managing information responsibly
Maintaining a working bibliography
Keeping track of source materials
Avoiding plagiarism with careful note taking
Summarizing without plagiarizing
Paraphrasing without plagiarizing
Quoting without plagiarizing
Avoiding plagiarism from the Web
Resources: Managing information responsibly
Charts and guidelines
Information to collect for a working bibliography
Academic English: Recognizing intellectual property
Models
Integrating and citing sources to avoid plagiarism
Recognizing intellectual property
Evaluating sources
Functions of sources
Selecting sources
Selecting articles in databases
Selecting books
Selecting Web sources
Selecting versions of electronic sources
Reading sources critically
Primary vs. secondary sources
Detecting bias
Assessing multimodal sources
Creating an annotated bibliography
Resources: Evaluating sources
Charts and guidelines
Evaluating all sources
Evaluating sources found on the Web
One student's notes on using sources
Checking URLs for clues about sponsorship
Model
Sample annotated bibliography entry
Documentation style
MLA and APA in-text citations
Chicago footnotes or endnotes
Subject-specific style manuals
Highlights of one student’s research process
“How do I begin a research paper?”
“What sources do I need, and where should I look for them?”
“What search terms should I use?”
“How do I select sources from my search results?”
“How do I evaluate my sources?”
“How do I integrate sources into my paper?”
“How do I keep track of and document my sources?”
Resources: Highlights of one student's research process
Models
Database screen: Search results
Orlov's notes on an eWeek article
Paraphrasing a source
Summarizing a source
Quoting a source
MLA papers: Overview
Forming and supporting a thesis (MLA)
Forming a working thesis
Organizing your evidence
Using sources for different purposes
Using sources to provide background information or context
Explaining terms or concepts
Supporting your claims
Lending authority to your argument
Anticipating and countering objections
Exercises: Forming and supporting a thesis (MLA)
Exercise: Thesis statements in MLA papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Thesis statements in MLA papers 2 (autoscored)
Avoiding plagiarism (MLA)
Citing common knowledge
Using quotation marks with borrowed language
Summarizing and paraphrasing in your own words
Exercises: Avoiding plagiarism (MLA)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: Recognizing common knowledge in MLA papers (autoscored)
Integrating sources (MLA)
Using quotations appropriately
Using the ellipsis mark to limit quoted material
Using brackets to make quotations clear
Indenting long quotations
Using signal phrases to integrate sources
Marking boundaries between your words and the source’s words
Establishing authority
Introducing summaries and paraphrases
Putting direct quotations in context
Integrating statistics and other facts
Synthesizing sources
Considering how sources relate to your argument
Placing sources in conversation
Exercises: Integrating sources (MLA)
Exercise: Integrating sources in MLA papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in MLA papers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in MLA papers 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in MLA papers 4 (autoscored)
Resources: Integrating sources (MLA)
Charts and guidelines
Reviewing an MLA paper: Use of sources
Using signal phrases in MLA papers
Model
Sample synthesis (MLA)
Citing sources, MLA style: Overview
MLA in-text citations
Directory to MLA in-text citation models
General guidelines for in-text citations (MLA)
Author named in a signal phrase
Author named in parentheses
Author unknown
Work with page numbers
Work with no page numbers
One-page source
How to cite a source with an author or authors
Author named in a signal phrase
Author named in parentheses
Two authors
Three or more authors
Authors with the same last name
Two or more works by the same author
Two or more works in the same citation
Corporate author
Government agency as author
Entire work
Indirect source (source quoted in another source)
Selection in an anthology or a collection
Multivolume work
Novel with numbered divisions
Literary work without parts or line numbers
Verse play
Poem
Web source with author
Visual with author (artwork, photograph, table, graphic)
Historical document (with author)
Personal communication and social media
How to cite a source with no author
Author unknown
Encyclopedia or dictionary entry
Legal source
Sacred text
Visual with no author (artwork, photograph, table, graphic)
Exercises: MLA in-text citations
Exercise: MLA documentation: in-text citations 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: MLA documentation: in-text citations 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: MLA documentation: in-text citations 3 (autoscored)
MLA list of works cited
Directory to MLA works cited models
How to list authors
Single author
Two authors
Three or more authors
Organization or company as author
No author listed: Article or other short work
No author listed: Audio/video
No author listed: Book, entire Web site, or other long work
Two or more works by the same author
Two or more works by the same group of authors
Editor or translator (without author)
Author with editor or translator
Graphic narrative or other illustrated work
Author using a pseudonym (pen name) or screen name
Author quoted by another author (indirect source)
How to cite articles and other short works
Journal article (print)
Journal article (on the Web)
Journal article (from a database)
Article in a monthly magazine (print)
Article in a weekly magazine (print)
Article in a magazine (on the Web)
Article in a magazine (from a database)
Article in a newspaper (print)
Article in a newspaper (on the Web)
Article in a newspaper (e-reader)
Article in a newspaper (from a database)
Abstract of an article
Abstract of a paper
Abstract of a dissertation (from a database)
Executive summary
Article with a title in its title
Editorial
Unsigned article
Letter to the editor
Comment on an online article
Paper or presentation at a conference
Book review (print)
Book review (on the Web)
Book review (from a database)
Film review or other review (print)
Film review or other review (on the Web)
Performance review
Interview (print)
Interview (on the Web)
Interview (television or radio)
Interview (personal)
Article in a dictionary or an encyclopedia (print)
Article in a dictionary or an encyclopedia (including a wiki) (on the Web)
Letter (print)
Letter (from an online archive)
Letter (personal)
How to cite books and other long works
Basic format for a book (print)
Basic format for a book (e-book)
Basic format for a book (on the Web)
Basic format for a book (from a database)
Part of a book (foreword, introduction, preface, afterword)
Chapter in a book
Book with a title in its title
Book in a language other than English
Entire anthology or collection
One selection from an anthology or a collection
Two or more selections from an anthology or a collection
Edition other than the first
Multivolume work
Sacred text
Book in a series
Republished book
Publisher’s imprint
Pamphlet, brochure, or newsletter
Dissertation
Dissertation (unpublished)
Proceedings of a conference
Report
Manuscript
How to cite Web sites and parts of Web sites
Web site (with author or editor)
Web site (with organization as author)
Web site (with no author)
Web site (with no title)
Short work from a Web site (with author)
Short work from a Web site (with no author)
Long work from a Web site
Entire blog
Blog post
Comment on a blog post
Academic course or department home page
How to cite audio, visual, and multimedia sources
Podcast
Podcast (downloaded)
Film (DVD, BD, or other format)
Supplementary material accompanying a film
Video or audio from the Web
Video game
Computer software or app
Television or radio episode or program (broadcast)
Television or radio episode or program (on the Web)
Television or radio episode or program (podcast)
Transcript of an audio or a video program
Performance
Lecture or public address
Musical score
Sound recording (CD)
Sound recording (downloaded)
Work of art (original)
Work of art (on the Web)
Work of art (digital file)
Work of art (reproduction—print)
Photograph (original)
Photograph (on the Web)
Photograph (digital file)
Photograph (reproduction—print)
Cartoon or comic strip
Advertisement
Visual (table, chart, graphic)
Map
Digital file
How to cite government and legal documents
Government document
Testimony before a legislative body
Historical document
Legislative act (law)
Court case
How to cite personal communication and social media
E-mail message
Text message
Posting to an online discussion list
Facebook post or comment
Tweet
Exercises: MLA list of works cited
Exercise: MLA documentation: identifying elements of sources (autoscored)
Exercise: MLA documentation: works cited 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: MLA documentation: works cited 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: MLA documentation: works cited 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: MLA documentation (autoscored)
Resources: MLA list of works cited
Guidelines
General guidelines for the MLA works cited list
Models and visuals
Citation at a glance: Book (MLA)
Citation at a glance: Article in a journal (MLA)
Citation at a glance: Short work from a Web site (MLA)
Citation at a glance: Article from a database (MLA)
How to answer the basic question “Who is the author?”
How to cite a source reposted from another source
How to cite course materials
MLA information notes (optional)
MLA research paper format; sample student writing
MLA guidelines, body of paper
MLA guidelines, works cited list
Directory to sample student writing in MLA style
Sample student writing: MLA style
MLA research papers
Research paper (MLA): Harba, “What’s for Dinner? Personal Choices vs. Public Health”
Orlov, “Online Monitoring: A Threat to Employee Privacy in the Wired Workplace”
Daly, “A Call to Action: Regulate Use of Cell Phones on the Road”
Levi, “Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers: A Risk or a Benefit?”
MLA argument papers
Argument paper (MLA): Jacobs, “From Lecture to Conversation: Redefining What’s ‘Fit to Print’”
Hammond, “Performance Enhancement through Biotechnology Has No Place in Sports”
Lund, “Preserving Yellowstone’s Winter Wilderness”
Sanghvi, “Preserving Winter Access: Snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park”
MLA analysis papers
Analysis of an advertisement (MLA): Yoshida, “Sometimes a Cup of Coffee Is Just a Cup of Coffee”
Analysis of an article (MLA): Sanchez, “Rethinking Big-Box Stores”
Lee, “The Golden Arches Go Green: McDonald’s and Real Lettuce”
Lopez, “‘A Question of Ethics’ Left Unanswered”
MLA literacy narrative
Literacy narrative (MLA): Nguyen, “A Place to Begin”
MLA literary analysis papers
Literary analysis (MLA): Peel, “Opposing Voices in ‘Ballad of the Landlord’”
Literary analysis (MLA): Larson, “The Transformation of Mrs. Peters: An Analysis of ‘A Jury of Her Peers’”
MLA concert review
Houston, “Concert Review: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra”
MLA paper-in-progress
Annotated Draft: Watson, “Hooked on Credit Cards”
Final Version: Watson, “Hooked on Credit Cards”
Annotated Draft: Nguyen, Rough Draft
Final Draft: Nguyen, “A Place to Begin”
Annotated Draft: Ryoo, “Summary of ‘You, the Language Learner’”
Final Draft: Ryoo, “Summary of ‘You, the Language Learner’”
Annotated Draft: Zhang, “The Importance of Food”
Final Draft: Zhang, “Slow Down and Eat Better”
MLA sample outline
Orlov, “Online Monitoring: A Threat to Employee Privacy in the Wired Workplace” (outline)
Levi, “Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers: A Risk or a Benefit?” (outline)
MLA annotated bibliography
Annotated bibliography (MLA): Orlov, “Online Monitoring: A Threat to Employee Privacy in the Wired Workplace”
Models of MLA formatting
Sample MLA title page
Sample alternative MLA title page
Sample indented (block) quotation
Sample headings in an MLA paper
Sample visual in an MLA paper
Sample MLA list of works cited
APA papers: Overview
Forming and supporting a thesis (APA)
Forming a working thesis
Organizing your evidence
Using sources for different purposes
Using sources to provide background
Using sources to explain terms
Using sources to support claims
Using sources to lend authority
Using sources to counter objections
Exercises: Forming and supporting a thesis (APA)
Exercise: Thesis statements in APA papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Thesis statements in APA papers 2 (autoscored)
Avoiding plagiarism (APA)
Citing common knowledge
Using quotation marks with borrowed language
Summarizing and paraphrasing in your own words
Exercises: Avoiding plagiarism (APA)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers 5 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers 6 (autoscored)
Exercise: Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers (autoscored)
Integrating sources (APA)
Using quotations appropriately
Using the ellipsis mark to limit quoted material
Using brackets to make quotations clear
Indenting long quotations
Using signal phrases to integrate sources
Marking boundaries between your words and the source’s words
Introducing summaries and paraphrases
Putting direct quotations in context
Integrating statistics and other facts
Synthesizing sources
Considering how sources relate to your argument
Placing sources in conversation
Exercises: Integrating sources (APA)
Exercise: Integrating sources in APA papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in APA papers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in APA papers 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in APA papers 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in APA papers 5 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in APA papers 6 (autoscored)
Resources: Integrating sources (APA)
Charts and guidelines
Reviewing an APA paper: Use of sources
Using signal phrases in APA papers
Model
Sample synthesis (APA)
Citing sources, APA style: Overview
APA in-text citations
Directory to APA in-text citation models
General guidelines for in-text citations (APA)
Basic format for a quotation
Basic format for a summary or a paraphrase
Work with two authors
Work with three to five authors
Work with six or more authors
Work with unknown author
Organization as author
Authors with the same last name
How to cite multiple works
Two or more works by the same author in the same year
Two or more works in the same parentheses
Multiple citations to the same work in one paragraph
How to cite Web sources
Web source with author
Web source with no page numbers
Web source with unknown author
Web source with unknown date
An entire Web site
How to cite other sources
Multivolume work
Part of a source (chapter, figure)
Indirect source (source quoted in another source)
Sacred or classical text
Personal communication
Course materials
Exercises: APA in-text citations
Exercise: APA documentation: in-text citations 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: in-text citations 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: in-text citations 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: in-text citations 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: in-text citations 5 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: in-text citations 6 (autoscored)
APA list of references
Directory to APA reference list models
How to list authors
Single author
Two to seven authors
Eight or more authors
Organization as author
Unknown author
Author using a pseudonym (pen name) or screen name
Two or more works by the same author
Two or more works by the same author in the same year
Editor (with no author)
Author and editor
Author and translator
Editor and translator
How to cite articles and other short works
Article in a journal (print)
Article in a journal (on the Web)
Article in a journal (from a database)
Article in a magazine (print)
Article in a magazine (on the Web)
Article in a magazine (from a database)
Article in a newspaper (print)
Article in a newspaper (on the Web)
Abstract of a journal article
Abstract of a paper
Supplemental material
Article with a title in its title
Letter to the editor
Editorial or other unsigned article
Newsletter article
Review
Published interview
Article in a reference work (encyclopedia, dictionary) (print)
Article in a reference work (encyclopedia, dictionary, wiki) (on the Web)
Comment on an online article
Testimony before a legislative body
Paper or other presentation at a meeting or symposium (unpublished)
How to cite books and other long works
Basic format for a book (print)
Basic format for a book (on the Web or in an online library)
Basic format for a book (e-book)
Basic format for a book (from a database)
Edition other than the first
Entire anthology or collection
Selection in an anthology (a collection) or a chapter in an edited book
Multivolume work
Introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword
Dictionary or other reference work
Republished book
Book with a title in its title
Book in a language other than English
Dissertation (published)
Dissertation (unpublished)
Conference proceedings
Government document
Report from a private organization
Legal source
Sacred or classical text
How to cite Web sites and parts of Web sites
An entire Web site
Document from a Web site
Section in a Web document
Blog post
Blog comment
How to cite audio, visual, and multimedia sources
Podcast
Video or audio on the Web
Transcript of a video or an audio file
Film
Television or radio program (series)
Television or radio episode (on the air)
Television or radio episode (on the Web)
Music recording
Lecture, speech, or address
Data set or graphic representation of data (graph, chart, table)
Mobile application software (app)
Video game
Map
Advertisement
Work of art or photograph
Brochure or fact sheet
Press release
Presentation slides
Lecture notes or other course materials
How to cite personal communication and social media
Online posting
Twitter post (tweet)
Facebook post
Exercises: APA reference list
Exercise: APA documentation: identifying elements of sources (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: reference list 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: reference list 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: reference list 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation: reference list 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: APA documentation (autoscored)
Resources: APA reference list
Guidelines
General guidelines for the APA reference list
Models and visuals
Citation at a glance: Article in a journal or magazine (APA)
Citation at a glance: Article from a database (APA)
Citation at a glance: Book (APA)
Citation at a glance: Section in a Web document (APA)
APA paper format; sample student writing
APA guidelines, body of paper
APA guidelines, reference list
Directory to sample student writing in APA style
Resources: APA paper format; sample student writing
Models of APA formatting (PDF)
Sample APA title page
Sample page with running head (APA)
Sample indented (block) quotation (APA)
Sample footnote in an APA paper
Sample abstract in an APA paper
Sample headings in an APA paper
Sample APA table
Sample APA reference list
Sample student writing
Review of the literature (APA; psychology): Mirano, “Can Medication Cure Obesity in Children?”
Charat, “Always Out of Their Seats (and Fighting): Why Are Boys Diagnosed With ADHD More Often Than Girls?” (literature review)
Conderman, “The Influence of Sex and Learning on Taste Sensitivity” (Psychology)
Elwell, “The Secret of Walmart's Success: A Marxian Analysis” (Sociology)
Gibson, “A Reflection on Service Learning: Working with Eric” (reflective essay)
Johnson, “Reaction Times for Detection of Objects in Two Visual Search Tasks” (Psychology)
Ratajczak, “Proposal to Add a Wellness Program” (business proposal)
Riss, “Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Hypertension in One Client” (nursing practice paper)
Spencer, “Positively Affecting Employee Motivation” (business report)
Zopf, “African American Males' Perceptions of Urban and Hip-Hop Styles of Dress” (Sociology)
Annotated bibliography (APA; psychology): Haddad, “Patterns of Gender-Related Differences in Online Communication”
Annotated bibliography (APA; economics): Niemeyer, “Keynesian Policy: Implications”
Chicago papers: Overview
Forming and supporting a thesis (Chicago)
Forming a working thesis
Organizing your evidence
Using sources for different purposes
Using sources to provide background information or context
Using sources to explain terms
Using sources to support claims
Using sources to lend authority
Using sources to anticipate and counter alternative interpretations
Exercises: Forming and supporting a thesis (Chicago)
Exercise: Thesis statements in Chicago papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Thesis statements in Chicago papers 2 (autoscored)
Avoiding plagiarism (Chicago)
Citing common knowledge
Using quotation marks with borrowed language
Summarizing and paraphrasing in your own words
Exercises: Avoiding plagiarism (Chicago)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers 5 (autoscored)
Exercise: Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers 6 (autoscored)
Exercise: Recognizing common knowledge in Chicago papers (autoscored)
Integrating sources (Chicago)
Using quotations appropriately
Using the ellipsis mark to limit quoted material
Using brackets to make quotations clear
Indenting long quotations
Using signal phrases to integrate sources
Marking boundaries between your words and the source’s words
Introducing summaries and paraphrases
Putting direct quotations in context
Integrating statistics and other facts
Exercises: Integrating sources (Chicago)
Exercise: Integrating sources in Chicago papers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in Chicago papers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in Chicago papers 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in Chicago papers 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in Chicago papers 5 (autoscored)
Exercise: Integrating sources in Chicago papers 6 (autoscored)
Resources: Integrating sources (Chicago)
Chart
Using signal phrases in Chicago papers
Citing sources, Chicago style: Overview
First and later (shortened) notes for a source
Chicago notes and bibliography
Directory to Chicago notes and bibliography entries
General guidelines for listing authors
One author
Two or three authors
Four or more authors
Organization as author
Unknown author
Multiple works by the same author
Editor (with no author)
Author and editor
Author and translator
How to cite books and other long works
Basic format for a book (print)
Basic format for a book (e-book)
Basic format for a book (Web or online library)
Edition other than the first
Volume in a multivolume work
Selection in an anthology
Book part (introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword)
Republished book
Book with a title in its title
Work in a series
Sacred text
Government document
Unpublished dissertation
Published proceedings of a conference
Source quoted in another source
How to cite articles and other short works
Article in a journal (print)
Article in a journal (on the Web)
Article in a journal (from a database)
Article in a magazine (print)
Article in a magazine (on the Web)
Article in a magazine (from a database)
Article in a newspaper (print)
Article in a newspaper (on the Web)
Article in a newspaper (from a database)
Unsigned article (newspaper)
Article with a title in its title
Review
Letter to the editor
Article in a reference work (encyclopedia, dictionary, wiki)
Letter in a published collection
How to cite Web sources
An entire website
Short work from a website
Blog post
Comment on a blog post
How to cite audio, visual, and multimedia sources
Podcast
Online audio or video
Published or broadcast interview
Film (DVD, BD, or other format)
Sound recording
Musical score or composition
Work of art
Performance
How to cite personal communication and social media
Personal communication
Personal interview
Online posting
Facebook post
Other social media posts
Exercises: Chicago notes and bibliography
Exercise: Chicago documentation: identifying elements of sources (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation: notes 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation: notes 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation: notes 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation: notes 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation: bibliography 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation: bibliography 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation: bibliography 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Chicago documentation (autoscored)
Resources: Chicago notes and bibliography
Models and visuals
Citation at a glance: Book (Chicago)
Citation at a glance: Article in a journal (Chicago)
Citation at a glance: Article from a database (Chicago)
Citation at a glance: Letter in a published collection (Chicago)
Citation at a glance: Primary source from a Web site (Chicago)
Chicago manuscript format; sample student writing
Chicago guidelines, body of paper
Chicago guidelines, endnotes
Chicago guidelines, bibliography
Directory to sample student writing in Chicago style
Sample student writing: Chicago style (PDF)
Guidelines
General guidelines for Chicago notes and bibliography
Models of Chicago formatting (PDF)
Sample Chicago title page
Sample indented (block) quotation (Chicago)
Sample visual in a Chicago paper
Chicago paper with headings
Sample Chicago endnotes
Sample Chicago bibliography
Sample student writing
Research paper (Chicago; history): Bishop, “The Massacre at Fort Pillow: Nathan Bedford Forrest”
Benjamin, “Wage Slavery or True Independence? Women Workers in the Lowell, Massachusetts, Textile Mills, 1820-1850”
CSE documentation: Overview
CSE citation-sequence system
CSE citation-name system
CSE name-year system
CSE in-text citations
Basic formatting of CSE in-text citations
Mentioning the author in the text
Referring to a specific part of a source
CSE reference list
Directory to CSE reference list models
Basic guidelines
One or more authors
Organization as author
Two or more works by the same author
Two or more works by the same author in the same year
How to cite articles and other short works
Article in a print magazine
Article in a print journal
Article in a print newspaper
Map
Article with a corporate author
How to cite books, other long works, and parts of books
Print book
Book with an editor or editors
Edition other than the first
Report from a private organization
Report from a government agency
Conference proceedings
Dissertation (unpublished)
Selection or chapter in an edited book
How to cite online, audio, visual, and multimedia sources
Entire Web site
Short work from a Web site
Online book
E-book
Article in an online journal or magazine
Article from a database
CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc
Online video
Podcast
Blog post
Social media
E-mail or other personal communication
CSE paper format; sample student writing
CSE guidelines, body of paper
CSE guidelines, reference list
Directory to sample student writing in CSE style
Resources: CSE documentation
Models
Sample CSE title page
Sample CSE reference list
Sample student writing
Lab report (CSE; botany): Johnson/Arnold, “Distribution Pattern of Dandelion on a Golf Course”
Review of the literature (CSE; biology): Martin, “Hypothermia, the Diving Reflex, and Survival”
Writing in the disciplines: Overview
Finding commonalities across disciplines
Recognizing the questions writers in a discipline ask
Understanding the kinds of evidence writers in a discipline use
Becoming familiar with a discipline’s language conventions
Using a discipline’s preferred citation style
Resources: Writing in the disciplines: Overview
Charts and guidelines
Approaching assignments in the disciplines
Evidence typically used in various disciplines
Point of view and verb tense in academic writing
Writing in specific disciplines
Writing in the biological sciences
Your audience in biology
Forms of writing in biology
Laboratory notebooks
Research papers and laboratory reports
Literature reviews
Research proposals
Poster presentations
Questions biologists ask
Kinds of evidence biologists use
Writing conventions in biology
CSE system for citation in biology writing
Sample student writing: Laboratory report and review of the literature
Writing in business
Your audience in business
Forms of writing in business
Business reports
Business proposals
Abstracts and executive summaries
Memos and correspondence
Business presentations
Brochures, newsletters, and Web sites
Questions business writers ask
Kinds of evidence business writers use
Writing conventions in business
APA or Chicago (CMS) system for citation in business writing
Sample student writing: An investigative report and a proposal
Writing in criminal justice and criminology
Your audience in criminal justice and criminology
Forms of writing in criminal justice and criminology
Research papers
Analytical papers
Argument or position papers
Investigative and administrative reports
Policy memos
Case briefs and legal briefs
Case plans (or case notes)
Questions criminal justice professionals and criminologists ask
Kinds of evidence criminal justice professionals and criminologists use
Writing conventions in criminal justice and criminology
APA or Chicago (CMS) system for writing in criminal justice and criminology
Sample student writing: Administrative report
Writing in education
Your audience in education
Forms of writing in education
Reflective essays, journals, and field notes
Curriculum designs and lesson plans
Reviews of instructional materials
Case studies
Research papers
Self-evaluations
Portfolios
Questions educators ask
Kinds of evidence educators use
Writing conventions in education
APA or Chicago (CMS) system for citation in education writing
Sample student writing: Reflective essay
Writing in engineering
Your audience in engineering
Forms of writing in engineering
Project notebooks
Laboratory reports
Technical reports
Proposals
Progress reports
Questions engineers ask
Evidence engineers use
Writing conventions in engineering
Chicago (CMS), IEEE, or USGS system for writing in engineering
Sample student writing: Proposal
Writing in history
Your audience in history
Forms of writing in history
Critical essays
Book reviews
Research papers
Historiographic essays
Questions historians ask
Kinds of evidence historians use
Writing conventions in history
Chicago (CMS) system for citation in history writing
Sample student writing: Research essay
Writing in music
Your audience in music
Forms of writing in music
Response papers
Program notes
Press releases
Concert reviews
Journal articles
Grant proposals
Questions musicians and musicologists ask
Kinds of evidence musicians and musicologists use
Writing conventions in music
MLA system for writing in music
Sample student writing: Concert review
Writing in nursing
Your audience in nursing
Forms of writing in nursing
Statements of philosophy
Nursing practice papers
Case studies
Research papers
Literature reviews
Experiential or reflective narratives
Position papers
Questions nurses ask
Kinds of evidence nurses use
Writing conventions in nursing
APA system for citation in nursing writing
Sample student writing: Nursing practice paper
Writing in psychology
Your audience in psychology
Forms of writing in psychology
Literature reviews
Research papers
Theoretical papers
Poster presentations
Questions psychologists ask
Kinds of evidence psychologists use
Writing conventions in psychology
APA system for citation in psychology writing
Sample student writing: Literature review
Writing Effective Sentences
Sentence emphasis
Coordination
Ineffective coordination
Subordination
Ineffective subordination
Combining choppy sentences
Special techniques for emphasis
Exercises: Sentence emphasis
Exercise: Identifying coordination (autoscored)
Exercise: Identifying subordination (autoscored)
Exercise: Identifying sentence emphasis 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Identifying sentence emphasis 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Combining choppy sentences (autoscored)
Exercise: Using coordination and subordination 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Using coordination and subordination 2
Exercise: Using coordination and subordination 3
Resources: Sentence emphasis
Charts and guidelines
Transitional expressions
Style point: End emphasis
Multilingual: Repeated objects or adverbs
Strong, active verbs
Quick help: Strong, active verbs
Strong, active verbs: Overview
Using the active voice
Appropriate uses of the passive voice
be verbs
Exercises: Strong, active verbs
Exercise: Identifying active and passive voice (autoscored)
Exercise: Using active voice (autoscored)
Exercise: Active vs. passive voice (autoscored)
Exercise: Active vs. be verbs (autoscored)
Exercise: Using active verbs
Resources: Strong, active verbs
Guidelines
Academic English: Knowing when to use the passive voice
Parallelism
Quick help: Parallelism
Parallelism: Overview
Parallel ideas in a series
Parallel ideas in headings and lists
Parallel ideas in pairs
Parallel ideas with coordinating conjunctions (and, but, etc.)
Parallel ideas with correlative conjunctions (either . . . or, etc.)
Parallel comparisons with than or as
Repeating function words to clarify parallels
Exercises: Parallelism
Exercise: Identifying parallel structure (autoscored)
Exercise: Parallelism 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parallelism 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parallelism 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parallelism 4
Sentence variety
Varying sentence structures
Varying sentence openings
Inverting word order
Exercise: Sentence variety
Exercise: Sentence variety 1 (autoscored)
Avoiding Sentence Problems
Sentence fragments
Quick help: Sentence fragments
Sentence fragments: Overview
Fragmented clauses
Fragmented phrases
Fragmented lists
Fragmented examples
Using fragments deliberately
Exercises: Sentence fragments
Exercise: Sentence fragments 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sentence fragments 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sentence fragments 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sentence fragments 4
Exercise: Sentence fragments 5
Resources: Sentence fragments
Charts and guidelines
Test for sentence fragments
Multilingual: Sentence fragments
Run-on sentences
Quick help: Run-on sentences
Run-on sentences: Overview
Revising run-on sentences
Fixing run-ons with a comma and a coordinating conjunction
Fixing run-ons with a semicolon, colon, or dash
Fixing run-ons by creating separate sentences
Fixing run-ons by subordination
Exercises: Run-on sentences
Exercise: Run-on sentences 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Run-on sentences 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Run-on sentences 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Run-on sentences 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: Run-on sentences 5
Exercise: Run-on sentences 6
Resources: Run-on sentences
Chart
Recognizing run-on sentences
Awkward modifiers
Quick help: Awkward modifiers
Placement of limiting modifiers
Placement of modifying phrases and clauses
Ambiguous (squinting) modifiers
Awkwardly placed modifiers
Split infinitives
Exercises: Awkward modifiers
Exercise: Awkward and misplaced modifiers (autoscored)
Exercise: Misplaced modifiers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Misplaced modifiers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Misplaced modifiers 3
Resources: Awkward modifiers
Charts and guidelines
Style point: Delayed verb
Multilingual: Adverb between verb and object
Dangling modifiers
Quick help: Recognizing dangling modifiers
Quick help: Repairing dangling modifiers
Recognizing dangling modifiers
Repairing dangling modifiers
Exercises: Dangling modifiers
Exercise: Dangling modifiers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Dangling modifiers 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Dangling modifiers 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Dangling modifiers 4
Resources: Dangling modifiers
Chart
Checking for dangling modifiers
Shifts
Quick help: Shifts
Shifts in point of view
Shifts in verb tense
Shifts in verb mood
Shifts in voice
Shifts from indirect to direct questions
Shifts from indirect to direct quotations
Exercises: Shifts
Exercise: Shifts: person and number (autoscored)
Exercise: Shifts: tense (autoscored)
Exercise: Shifts: mood and voice, questions and quotations 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Shifts: mood and voice, questions and quotations 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: All shifts 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: All shifts 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Editing for shifts
Mixed constructions
Mixed grammatical structure
Mixed sentence logic
Avoiding is when, is where, and reason . . . is because
Exercises: Mixed Constructions
Exercise: Mixed constructions 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Mixed constructions 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Mixed constructions 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Mixed constructions 4
Resources: Mixed constructions
Guidelines
Multilingual: although, because
Multilingual: Double subjects and other repetition
Writing Correct Sentences
Making subjects and verbs agree
Quick help: Subject-verb agreement
Standard subject-verb combinations
Agreement with subject, not with intervening words
Agreement when subjects are joined with and
Agreement when subjects are joined with or or nor
Agreement with indefinite pronouns
Agreement with collective nouns
Agreement with the number, a number
Agreement with fractions and units of measurement
Agreement when the subject follows the verb
Agreement with subject, not with words following verb
Agreement with antecedents of who, which, and that
Agreement with words such as athletics, economics, statistics, news
Agreement with titles of works, company names, words as words, gerund phrases
Exercises: Making subjects and verbs agree
Exercise: Subject-verb agreement 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subject-verb agreement 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subject-verb agreement 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subject-verb agreement 4 (autoscored)
Resources: Making subjects and verbs agree
Charts and guidelines
Subject-verb agreement at a glance
When to use the -s (or -es) form of a present-tense verb
Subject-verb agreement with do and don't
Using verbs correctly
Quick help: Verbs
Forms of regular and irregular verbs
Past tense vs. past participle of irregular verbs
lie vs. lay
-s verb endings
has, does, doesn’t
-ed verb endings
Omitted verbs
Survey of tenses
Simple tenses
Perfect tenses
Progressive forms
Special uses of tenses
Present tense for general truths
Present tense for writing about literature
Present tense for writing about nonliterary works
Past tense for writing about history
Past or present perfect tense for writing in science or social science
Special uses of the past perfect tense
Sequence of tenses
Subjunctive mood
Forms of the subjunctive
Uses of the subjunctive
Exercises: Using verbs correctly
Exercise: Irregular verbs 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Irregular verbs 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Irregular verbs 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Standard English verb forms 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Standard English verb forms 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Standard English verb forms 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verb tense and mood 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verb tense and mood 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verb tense and mood 3 (autoscored)
Resources: Using verbs correctly
Charts and guidelines
Survey of verb tenses
Common irregular verbs
Present-tense verb endings
Present-tense and past-tense forms of have
Present-tense forms of do (including negative forms)
Multilingual: Linking verbs
Simple tenses
Perfect tenses
Progressive forms
Using pronouns correctly
Quick help: Pronouns
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Agreement with indefinite pronouns
Agreement with generic nouns
Agreement with collective nouns
Agreement with compound antecedents
Pronoun reference
Ambiguous pronoun reference
Implied pronoun reference
Broad reference of this, that, which, and it
Indefinite reference of they, it, or you
Pronoun case: I vs. me, they vs. them, etc.
Subjective case
Objective case
Compound word groups
Appositives
we or us before a noun
Comparisons with than or as
Subjects and objects of infinitives
Possessive case to modify a gerund
who and whom
who and whom in subordinate clauses
who and whom in questions
whom for subjects or objects of infinitives
Exercises: Using pronouns correctly
Exercise: Pronoun-antecedent agreement 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun-antecedent agreement 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun-antecedent agreement 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun-antecedent agreement 4
Exercise: Pronoun reference 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun reference 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun reference 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun reference 4
Exercise: Pronoun case (such as I vs. me) 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun case (such as I vs. me) 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun case (such as I vs. me) 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun case (who and whom) 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun case (who and whom) 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun case: review 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Pronoun case: review 2 (autoscored)
Resources: Using pronouns correctly
Charts and guidelines
Pronoun case
Multilingual: Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Using adjectives and adverbs appropriately
Quick help: Adjectives and adverbs
Adjectives: Overview
Adverbs: Overview
Using adjectives to modify nouns
Using adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
good vs. well
bad vs. badly
Comparatives and superlatives
Form of comparatives and superlatives
Double comparatives or superlatives
Absolute concepts
Double negatives
Exercises: Using adjectives and adverbs appropriately
Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 3 (autoscored)
Resources: Using adjectives and adverbs appropriately
Guidelines
Multilingual: Adjectives and plural nouns
Multilingual: Placement of adverbs
Using needed words
Quick help: Needed words
Complete compound structures
Using that to avoid misreading
Making comparisons logical
Making comparisons complete
Adding articles (a, an, and the) for clarity
Exercises: Using needed words
Exercise: Needed words 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Needed words 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Needed words 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Needed words 4
Resources: Using needed words
Guidelines
Multilingual: Needed words
Choosing Words Appropriately
Writing concise sentences
Quick help: Concise language
Avoiding redundancy
Avoiding repetition of words
Cutting empty or inflated phrases
Simplifying sentence structure
Reducing modifying phrases and clauses
Exercises: Writing concise sentences
Exercise: Wordy sentences 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Wordy sentences 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Wordy sentences 3
Exercise: Wordy sentences 4
Resources: Writing concise sentences
Chart
Choosing the concise word or phrase
Using appropriate language
Quick help: Appropriate language
Avoiding jargon
Avoiding pretentious language
Avoiding euphemisms
Avoiding “doublespeak”
Avoiding slang
Avoiding regional expressions
Observing the distinction between Standard and nonstandard English
Using an appropriate level of formality
Recognizing sexist language
Revising sexist language
Avoiding offensive language
Exercises: Using appropriate language
Exercise: Jargon, pretentious language, euphemisms, doublespeak 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Jargon, pretentious language, euphemisms, doublespeak 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sexist language 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sexist language 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sexist language 3 (autoscored)
Resources: Using appropriate language
Charts and guidelines
Choosing alternatives to jargon
Examples of jargon from different fields
Euphemisms and plain English alternatives
Avoiding sexist language
Using exact language
Quick help: Exact language
Connotation
Specific, concrete nouns
Misused words
Standard idioms
Clichés
Figurative language
Exercises: Using exact language
Exercise: Misused words 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Misused words 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Standard idioms 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Standard idioms 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Clichés and figures of speech 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Clichés and figures of speech 2 (autoscored)
Resources: Using exact language
Charts and guidelines
Idiomatic usage
Multilingual: Idioms
Style point: Figures of speech
Consulting the dictionary and the thesaurus
Spelling, word division, and pronunciation
Word endings and grammatical labels
Meanings, word origin, synonyms, and antonyms
Usage labels
Resources: Consulting the dictionary and the thesaurus
Visuals
Print dictionary entry
Online dictionary entry
The thesaurus
Basic Grammar
Parts of speech
Parts of speech: Nouns
Parts of speech: Pronouns
Parts of speech: Verbs
Parts of speech: Adjectives and articles
Parts of speech: Adverbs
Parts of speech: Prepositions
Parts of speech: Conjunctions
Parts of speech: Interjections
Exercises: Parts of speech
Exercise: Identifying nouns (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: nouns 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: nouns 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Identifying pronouns (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: pronouns 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: pronouns 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Identifying verbs (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: verbs 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: verbs 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Identifying adjectives and adverbs (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: adjectives 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: adjectives 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: adverbs 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Parts of speech: adverbs 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: All parts of speech 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: All parts of speech 2 (autoscored)
Resources: Parts of speech
Charts and guidelines
Proper and common nouns
Count nouns and noncount nouns
Singular and plural nouns
Basic verb forms
Common prepositions
Conjunctive adverbs
Subordinating conjunctions
Parts of sentences
Subjects
Verbs, objects, and complements
Linking verbs and subject complements
Transitive verbs, objects, and complements
Intransitive verbs
Exercises: Parts of sentences
Exercise: Identifying complete subjects (autoscored)
Exercise: Subjects 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subjects 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subject complements and direct objects 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subject complements and direct objects 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Indirect objects and object complements 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Indirect objects and object complements 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: All objects and complements (autoscored)
Exercise: Linking, transitive, and intransitive verbs (autoscored)
Subordinate word groups
Prepositional phrases
Verbal phrases
Appositive phrases
Absolute phrases
Subordinate clauses
Adjective clauses
Adverb clauses
Noun clauses
Exercises: Subordinate word groups
Exercise: Prepositional phrases 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Prepositional phrases 2
Exercise: Prepositional phrases 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Objects of prepositions (autoscored)
Exercise: Verbal phrases 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verbal phrases 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verbal phrases 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subordinate clauses 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subordinate clauses 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subordinate clauses 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Subjects of subordinate clauses
Exercise: Phrases and clauses (autoscored)
Resources: Subordinate word groups
Guidelines
Style note: Reducing relative clauses
Words that introduce subordinate clauses
Sentence types
Sentence structures
Sentence purposes
Exercises: Sentence types
Exercise: Sentence types 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sentence types 2 (autoscored)
Punctuation
The comma
Quick help: Commas
The comma: Overview
Comma before a coordinating conjunction
Comma after introductory phrase or clause
Commas with items in a series (list)
Comma between coordinate adjectives
Commas and restrictive and nonrestrictive elements: Overview
Distinguishing between restrictive and nonrestrictive from context
Commas with adjective clauses
Commas with adjective phrases
Commas with appositives
Commas with transitional expressions
Commas with absolute phrases
Commas with contrasted elements
Commas with parenthetical expressions and other interrupters
Commas with direct quotations
Commas in dates
Commas in addresses
Commas with personal titles
Commas in numbers
Commas to prevent confusion
Exercises: The comma
Exercise: Commas with independent clauses and introductory elements 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Commas with independent clauses and introductory elements 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Commas with series and coordinate adjectives 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Commas with series and coordinate adjectives 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Commas with nonrestrictive elements (autoscored)
Exercise: Major uses of the comma 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Major uses of the comma 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Major uses of the comma 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Major uses of the comma 4 (autoscored)
Exercise: All uses of the comma (autoscored)
Unnecessary commas
Quick help: Unnecessary commas
No comma between some compound elements
No comma between a verb and its subject or object
No comma before the first or after the last item in a series
No comma between cumulative adjectives
No commas with restrictive (essential) elements
No commas with mildly parenthetical elements
No comma with off an essential concluding adverb clause
Other unnecessary commas
Exercises: Unnecessary commas
Exercise: Unnecessary commas (autoscored)
Exercise: Misuses of the comma 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Misuses of the comma 2 (autoscored)
The semicolon
Quick help: Semicolons
Semicolon between independent clauses
Semicolon with transitional expression
Semicolons between items in a series
Unnecessary semicolons
Exercises: The semicolon
Exercise: The semicolon and the comma 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: The semicolon and the comma 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: The semicolon and the comma 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: The semicolon and the comma 4 (autoscored)
The colon
Quick help: Colons
Colon to introduce a list or other concluding element
Colon between independent clauses
Conventional uses of the colon
Unnecessary colons
Exercises: The colon
Exercise: The colon, the semicolon, and the comma 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: The colon, the semicolon, and the comma 2 (autoscored)
The apostrophe
Quick help: Apostrophes
Apostrophe in possessives
When to add -’s to a noun for possessive
When to add only an apostrophe to a noun for possessive
Apostrophe for joint possession
Apostrophe for possessive of compound nouns
Apostrophe with indefinite pronouns
Apostrophe in contractions
Apostrophe: Special cases
Common misuses of the apostrophe
Exercises: The apostrophe
Exercise: The apostrophe 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: The apostrophe 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: The apostrophe 3 (autoscored)
Quotation marks
Quick help: Quotation marks
Quotation marks with direct quotations
Quotation marks in dialogue
Long quotations in academic writing
Quotations within quotations
Quotation marks with titles
Quotation marks with words used as words
Periods and commas with quotation marks
Colons and semicolons with quotation marks
Question marks and exclamation points with quotation marks
Introducing quoted material
Misuses of quotation marks
Exercises: Quotation marks
Exercise: Quotation marks 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Quotation marks 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Quotation marks 3 (autoscored)
The period
The question mark
The exclamation point
Exercise: End punctuation
Exercise: End punctuation (autoscored)
The dash
Parentheses
Brackets
The ellipsis mark
The slash
Exercises: Other punctuation marks
Exercise: Other punctuation marks 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Other punctuation marks 2 (autoscored)
Style note: Absolute phrases
Mechanics
Spelling
Spelling rules
i before e except after c
Spelling with suffixes (word endings)
Spelling of plurals
American vs. British spelling
Words that sound alike but have different spellings (homophones)
Exercises: Spelling
Exercise: Spelling (autoscored)
Resources: Spelling
Charts and guidelines
Commonly misspelled words
American vs. British spelling
Hyphens
Hyphens with compound words
Hyphens with compound modifiers
Hyphens with fractions and compound numbers
Hyphens with prefixes and suffixes
Hyphens to resolve ambiguity
Hyphens to divide words at line endings
Hyphens and URLs
Exercises: Hyphens
Exercise: The hyphen 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: The hyphen 2 (autoscored)
Capitalization
Capitalizing proper nouns
Capitalizing scientific and technical terms
Capitalizing personal titles
Capitalizing titles and subtitles of works
Capitalizing the first word of a sentence
Capitalizing quoted sentences
Capitalizing after a colon
Capitalizing abbreviations
Exercises: Capitalization
Exercise: Capitalization 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Capitalization 2 (autoscored)
Abbreviations
Abbreviations for titles with proper names
Abbreviations for organizations and other common terms
Abbreviations a.m., p.m., No., and $
Abbreviations for eras
Latin abbreviations
Abbreviations for units of measurement and scientific terms
Misuses of abbreviations
Exercises: Abbreviations
Exercise: Abbreviations 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Abbreviations 2 (autoscored)
Numbers
Spelling out numbers
Acceptable uses of numerals
Exercises: Numbers
Exercise: Numbers 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Numbers 2 (autoscored)
Italics
Titles that are italicized
Titles that are not italicized
Italics in electronic documents
Italicizing names of spacecraft, aircraft, and ships
Italicizing non-English words
Italicizing words, letters, and numbers mentioned as themselves
Excessive use of italics
Exercises: Italics
Exercise: Italics 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Italics 2 (autoscored)
Multilingual Writers and ESL Challenges
Verbs for multilingual writers
Quick help: Verbs for multilingual writers
Verb form and tense
Survey of tenses for multilingual writers
Simple tenses
Perfect tenses
Progressive forms
Base form after a modal
Forming the passive voice
Negative verb forms
Avoiding double negatives
Verbs in conditional sentences
Tense in factual conditional sentences
Tense in predictive conditional sentences
Tense in speculative conditional sentences
Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
Verb + gerund or infinitive
Verb + gerund
Verb + infinitive
Verb + noun or pronoun + infinitive
Exercises: Verbs for multilingual writers
Exercise: Verb forms and tenses 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verb forms and tenses 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verb forms with modals 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verb forms with modals 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verbs in negative and conditional sentences (autoscored)
Exercise: Verbs in conditional sentences (autoscored)
Exercise: Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Using verbs: review (autoscored)
Resources: Verbs for multilingual writers
Charts and guidelines
Basic verb forms
Modals and their meanings
Verb tenses commonly used in the passive voice
Correct use of do and does
Sentence structure for multilingual writers
Quick help: Sentence structure
Linking verb between a subject and its complement
A subject in every sentence
Avoiding repeated subjects
Avoiding repeated objects or adverbs
Avoiding mixed constructions with although or because
Avoiding adverbs between verbs and objects
Exercises: Sentence structure for multilingual writers
Exercise: Omissions and repetitions 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Omissions and repetitions 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sentence structure 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Sentence structure 2 (autoscored)
Articles for multilingual writers
Quick help: Articles
Articles and other noun markers
Types of articles and types of nouns
Using the with most specific common nouns
Using a (or an) with common singular count nouns
When to use articles and quantifiers with noncount nouns
Not using articles with general nouns
Articles with proper nouns
Exercises: Articles for multilingual writers
Exercise: Using articles 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Using articles 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Using articles 3 (autoscored)
Exercise: Articles and types of nouns (autoscored)
Resources: Articles for multilingual writers
Charts and guidelines
Types of nouns
Choosing articles for common nouns
Commonly used noncount nouns
Using the with geographical nouns
Adjectives for multilingual writers
Quick help: Adjectives for multilingual writers
Present participles and past participles used as adjectives
Order of cumulative adjectives
Exercises: Adjectives for multilingual writers
Exercise: Present vs. past participles 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Present vs. past participles 2 (autoscored)
Exercise: Using cumulative adjectives 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Using cumulative adjectives 2 (autoscored)
Resources: Adjectives for multilingual writers
Chart
Order of cumulative adjectives
Prepositions and idioms for multilingual writers
Quick help: Prepositions and idiomatic expressions
Prepositions showing time and place
Using nouns (including -ing forms) after prepositions
Common adjective + preposition combinations
Common verb + preposition combinations
Exercises: Prepositions and idioms for multilingual writers
Exercise: Prepositions showing time and place 1 (autoscored)
Exercise: Prepositions showing time and place 2 (autoscored)
Resources: Prepositions and idioms for multilingual writers
Charts
Common adjective + preposition combinations
Common verb + preposition combinations
At, on, and in to show time and place
Academic Resources for ESL and Multilingual Writers
College-level expectations
Reading the syllabus
Understanding the expectations of US classrooms
Participating actively
Class participation
Working in groups
Showing respect for peers
Speaking in English
Attending classes
Getting extra help
Writing centers
Professor’s office hours
Useful Web sites
Resources: College-level expectations
Models and visuals
Sample syllabus
Preparing for a writing center visit
How the writing center can help your writing
Improving your academic English
Intensive and extensive language activities
Reading while listening
Using an English-English dictionary or a thesaurus
The Academic Word List
Learning about prefixes and suffixes
Keeping a vocabulary notebook
Keeping an editing log
Targeting areas for improvement
Paraphrasing sources effectively
Understanding synonyms
Determining the source’s meaning
Presenting the source’s meaning in your own words
Resources: Improving your academic English
Charts and guidelines
Activities for intensive and extensive language practice
Most commonly used academic words (Academic Word List)
Sample vocabulary notebook entry
Prefixes and their meanings
Suffixes and their parts of speech
Sample editing log 1: Checklist
Sample editing log 2: Corrected sentences
Strategies for improving your academic English
Models and visuals
Blank editing log
Academic writing and cultural expectations
Asserting your claim before providing evidence
Taking a stand on an issue
Including details that support the main idea
Understanding intellectual property and avoiding plagiarism
Recognizing intellectual property
Avoiding plagiarism by integrating and citing sources
Sample student essays
Resources: Academic writing and cultural expectations
Charts and guidelines
Note on topic sentences
Recognizing intellectual property
Integrating and citing sources to avoid plagiarism
Models and visuals
Sample outline: Main idea last
Sample outline: Main idea first
Draft with instructor's comments (MLA): Zhang, "The Importance of Food"
Final draft (MLA): Zhang, “Slow Down and Eat Better”
Draft with instructor's comments (MLA): Ryoo, “Summary of 'You, the Language Learner'”
Final draft (MLA): Ryoo, “Summary of 'You, the Language Learner'”
Practice exercises
Intensive grammar exercises
Topics for writing practice (intensive and extensive)
Instructions for intensive practice (focus on grammar and on writing and editing skills)
Instructions for extensive practice (focus on fluency and speed)
Writing prompts for multilingual writers
Strategies for Online Learners
Preparing to learn online
Checking your readiness for online learning
Traditional versus online courses
Asynchronous versus synchronous communication
Resources: Preparing to learn online
Charts and guidelines
Qualities, skills, and tools of successful online learners
Typical activities in traditional and online writing courses
Faulty assumptions versus the realities of online learning
Tips for participating in asynchronous discussions
Tips for participating in synchronous discussions
Becoming familiar with your online course
Navigating the course platform and other technology
Home page or welcome page for the course
Course content units
Discussion forums (asynchronous communication)
Chat rooms, live chat, and instant messaging (synchronous communication)
Course e-mail (personal communication)
Other tools
Becoming familiar with course materials and requirements
Syllabus for an online course
Assignments in an online course
Announcements
Content pages
Course organization
Resources: Becoming familiar with your online course
Models and visuals
Home page for Anthropology 101
Introductory page for a content unit
List of discussion forums in one course
Live chat among members of a peer review group
Private e-mail message from a course participant
Participating actively in online courses
Setting priorities and managing your time effectively
Using the course calendar and a personal planner to manage your time
Communicating regularly with your instructor and classmates
Making adjustments to increase your motivation and participation
Resources: Participating actively in online courses
Guidelines
Tips for increasing motivation in an online course
Models and visuals
Assignment calendar with due dates
Personal planner (March)
Due date and time for an assignment
Contributing appropriate content in online courses
Submitting your best work
Communicating with your instructor and classmates
Dealing with controversial topics
Offering sound advice in peer reviews
Writing with diversity in mind
Writing with permanence and portability in mind
Reading with an open mind
Using the appropriate level of detail and clarity in discussions
Submitting only your own work
Resources: Contributing appropriate content in online courses
Guidelines
Shortcuts to avoid in online classes
Communicating with peers and instructors
Participation in a discussion forum
Models and visuals
Example of peer reviewing
Finding extra help
Attending workshops or visiting the computer lab
Being prepared for possible technology challenges
Asking your instructor or peers for help with course materials
Visiting your school’s writing center—on campus or online
Resources: Finding extra help
Visual
Sample contact information for technical support
A brief glossary of online learning terminology
Glossary of Usage
Glossary of Terms
Exercise menu
LearningCurve menu
Assignment modules
Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers
Read
Avoiding plagiarism: Citing sources
Avoiding plagiarism: Note taking
Avoiding plagiarism: Summarizing
Avoiding plagiarism: Paraphrasing
Avoiding plagiarism: Quoting
Avoiding plagiarism: Web sources
Reading: “Academic Integrity and Student Plagiarism: A Question of Education, Not Ethics” by Susan D. Blum
Practice
Practice: Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers
Thinking about integrating quotations
Thinking about paraphrasing
Thinking about avoiding plagiarism in your own writing
Editing for concise writing
Choosing the concise word or phrase
Editing to avoid redundancy
Editing to avoid repetition
Editing to cut empty words or phrases
Simplifying sentence structure
Reducing modifying phrases and clauses
Practice
Practice: Revising wordy sentences
Editing your own writing for wordiness
Freewriting and listing
Read
Ways to explore a subject
Examples of freewriting
Explore a subject by freewriting
Examples of listing
Explore a subject by listing
Look at examples
Freewriting on cloning (student writer)
Focused freewriting on college students and credit card debt (student writer)
Listing about funding for college athletics (student writer)
Listing about community service requirements (student writer)
Listing about violence on television (student writer)
Freewriting and listing for your own assignment
Using signal phrases in APA papers
Read
Signal phrases for integrating sources (APA)
Signal phrases for marking boundaries (APA)
Signal phrases for introducing summaries and paraphrases (APA)
Signal phrases for putting direct quotations in context (APA)
Signal phrases for integrating statistics and other facts (APA)
Practice
Practice: Integrating sources in APA papers
Using signal phrases in your own writing (APA style)
Using signal phrases in MLA papers
Read
Signal phrases for integrating sources (MLA)
Using MLA style to document secondary sources
Signal phrases for marking boundaries (MLA)
Signal phrases for establishing authority (MLA)
Signal phrases for putting direct quotations in context (MLA)
Practice
Practice: Integrating sources in MLA papers
Using signal phrases in your own writing (MLA style)
Assignable writing prompts
Composing and revising
Writing practice: Thinking like a college writer
Writing practice: Exploring a subject
Writing practice: Revising a thesis
Writing practice: Revising an introduction
Writing practice: Revising a conclusion
Writing practice: Managing your files
Writing practice: Using reviewers’ comments
Writing practice: Being a peer reviewer
Writing practice: Proofreading your work for grammar, punctuation, and spelling
Writing practice: Proofreading your work for correct citations
Writing practice: Learning about revision from other writers
Writing practice: Creating unity
Writing practice: Using transitions
Academic reading, writing, and speaking
Writing practice: Reading actively
Writing practice: Drafting and revising an analytical thesis
Writing practice: Analyzing a written text
Writing practice: Developing an analysis of a written text
Writing practice: Reading images and multimodal texts actively
Writing practice: Analyzing an image or a multimodal text
Writing practice: Drafting and revising an analytical thesis for an image or a multimodal text
Writing practice: Learning about analytical writing from other writers
Writing practice: Evaluating ads for logic and fairness
Writing practice: Identifying appeals
Writing practice: Evaluating an argument
Writing practice: Joining a conversation
Writing practice: Appealing to your readers
Writing practice: Drafting your central claim and supporting claims
Writing practice: Practicing counterargument
Writing practice: Examining the writing in a particular field
Writing practice: Examining a writing assignment from one of your courses
Writing practice: Revising a presentation
Writing practice: Focusing on your delivery
Writing practice: Remixing a paper as an oral presentation
Writing practice: Learning from another speaker
Research
Writing practice: Managing the project
Writing practice: Posing questions worth exploring
Writing practice: Mapping out a search strategy
Writing practice: Writing a research proposal
Writing practice: Planning with sources
Writing practice: Evaluating sources you find on the Web
Copyright page
Acknowledgments
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
The apostrophe 4
Parts of speech: coordinating and subordinating conjunctions (autoscored)
Parts of speech: identifying conjunctions (autoscored)
Sentence fragments 6
Paraphrasing in APA style
Paraphrasing in MLA style
Parts of speech: prepositions (autoscored)
Parts of speech: identifying prepositions
Pronoun-antecedent agreement 5
Subject-verb agreement 5
Topic sentences 2 (autoscored)
Sentence variety 2
As you write: Focusing on topic sentences
As you write: Revising paragraphs
As you write: Summarizing a text
As you write: Balancing summary with analysis
As you write: Asking questions about literature
Nancy Sommers on Argument
Nancy Sommers on the Composing Process
Nancy Sommers on Reading and Responding
Nancy Sommers on Revision
Nancy Sommers on Teacher Comments