CWE Digital Dashboard A-Z
The Writing Process
Conducting Research
Citing Sources
Technology & Writing
Specific Types of Writing
Writing in the Disciplines
Second Language Writing
Academic Integrity
Grammar & Style
Overview
Grammar & Punctuation
Specific Problem Areas
Style
Paragraphing
Transitions
Integrating Writing into
Your Course
Designing Assignments
Responding to Writing
Conducting Peer Review
Evaluating Writing
Teaching Writing with
Technology
Writing in the Disciplines
Second Language Writing
Academic Integrity
The consultants at the CWE
have put together a variety of
helpful handouts for writers
and teachers.
These handouts are included
in the relevant sections of
the CWE Digital Dashboard.
You can also view a
complete list of all CWE
handouts here.
You will also find useful
tips and information in
our CWE newsletters.
Grammar & Style
OVERVIEW
From short engaging podcasts to interactive tutorials to helpful examples and clear descriptions--you'll find a wealth of resources here to help you improve your grammar and elevate your style.
Look for free online exercises from Hacker's A Writer's Reference, "quick and dirty" tips via podcast from Grammar Girl, and a blast from the past with Schoolhouse Rock. Who says grammar isn't fun?!
If you're looking for grammar and style help related to second-language issues, see our Second Language Writing page for additional resources.
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Electronic diagnostic tests(Hacker's A Writer's Reference Companion Website) |
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Grammar Girl’s "Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing" (Grammar Girl) A weekly podcast on grammar questions and tips. You can subscribe to this free podcast of "Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing" at the iTunes store or you can read and/or listen to Grammar Girl’s expanded episodes from the Grammar Girl web site. One nice thing about the reading the episodes it that you can also read all the comments posted after each episode, which offer some real, some funny, and some wacky examples of the episode's main topic. |
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Grammar Girl web site (Grammar Girl) |
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Writing Exercises (Hacker's A Writer's Reference Companion Website) |
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Attending to Grammar (Institute for Writing & Rhetoric, Dartmouth) This web page argues the importance of having a good command of English grammar and then goes through some of the most common grammatical errors. |
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Commas vs. Semicolons (Purdue OWL) Exercise to help understand the difference between commas and semicolons. Answers provided at the end. |
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Grammar Exercises (the companion web site for Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference) A collection of 200 well designed and recently updated interactive exercises on grammar and punctuation. Think of doing these exercises as a gift you give yourself to improve your mastery of writing. Site Access: To access these exercises, you need to register with the site. Registration is fast and simple. |
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Semicolons - Quick and Dirty Tips (Grammar Girl) Engaging commentary and instruction on the use of semicolons. |
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Guide to grammar and writing (Capital Community College Foundation) This website offers an extensive overview of tips for writing at the word/sentence level, paragraph level, and essay/research paper level. The index is extremely thorough and includes all facets of grammar. The site also has interactive quizzes that provide the students with instant feedback and explanations of their performance. (Summary and recommendation courtesy of Katie Sudol, Montclair State Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Literacy Education) |
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Punctuation Made Simple: Guide to the Semicolon (Illinois State U) Like it says--simple, basic, easy to understand. |
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Schoolhouse Rock |
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The Semicolon (Capital Community College Foundation) Short, brief basics about semicolon usage |
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Writing Capstone: Grammar (IU Southeast Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies Michael Abernethy) Access: Available through iTunes U Last modified: June 8, 2009 | length 3:14 A mini lecture in the form of a video podcast done in a goofy but informative style that begins with a look at why one needs to understand grammar and then discusses two common errors: the confusion of there, their and they’re and comma usage. This is part of a 16 part course series. Other topics covered include outlining, citation formats, finding good sources, incorporating sources, and proofreading. |
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SPECIFIC PROBLEM AREAS
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STYLE
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Adding Emphasis in Writing (Purdue OWL) "This handout provides information on visual and textual devices for adding emphasis to your writing including textual formatting, punctuation, sentence structure, and the arrangement of words." |
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Conciseness (Purdue OWL) "This resource contains general conciseness tips followed by very specific strategies for pruning sentences." |
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The Elements of Style (William Strunk, Jr.) Online version of William Strunk, Jr.'s classic text (first publisehd in 1918) on writing clear and concise prose. The contents are hyperlinked making it easy to find a specific topic or section.\ |
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Language Debates (Hacker A Writer's Reference companion website)
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Quick Guide to Troubleshooting Your Writing (Andrea Lunsford, Re:Writing from Bedford/St. Martin's) |
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Sentence Variety (Purdue OWL) "This resource presents methods for adding sentence variety and complexity to writing that may sound repetitive or boring. Sections are divided into general tips for varying structure, a discussion of sentence types, and specific parts of speech which can aid in sentence variety." |
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Style (The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) "Have you ever wondered what your instructors mean when they write "wordy" or "passive voice" or "awk" in the margins of your paper? Do you sometimes sense that your sentences could be stronger, clearer, shorter, or more effective? Do you often feel that you know what you mean but do not know how to say it? If you often get feedback from your instructors that you need to "tighten your prose" or "look at your word choice," you may need to work on your writing style. This handout will help you recognize potential problems in your writing style and learn to correct them." |
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Word Choice (The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Official Description: "This handout can help you revise your papers for word-level clarity, eliminate wordiness and avoid clichés, find the words that best express your ideas, and choose words that suit an academic audience. " |
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Paragraph Development (The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) "This handout will help you understand how paragraphs are formed, how to develop stronger paragraphs, and how to completely and clearly express your ideas." |
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Paragraphs & Paragraphing (Purdue OWL) "The purpose of this handout is to give some basic instruction and advice regarding the creation of understandable and coherent paragraphs." |
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Topic Sentences and Signposting (Harvard College Writing Center) This guide discusses how "topic sentences and signposts make an essay's claims clear to a reader" and that "good essays contain both." |
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Transitions (The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) "In this crazy, mixed-up, topsy-turvy world of ours, transitions glue our ideas and our essays together. This handout enlists you in the cause." |
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Transitioning: Beware of Velcro (Harvard College Writing Center) |
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