Some Writing Resource Sites
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SDSU Writing Center. An invaluable (free) resource. Make use of it! The center has excellent tutors who can help.
- Excelsior Online Writing Lab. This is an excellent source of materials for writing and rhetorical analysis. It has resources to
help with all aspects of writing, the study of argument, and rhetorical analysis. There are tips, exercises, videos, and other fun
stuff. Check out the Grammar Essentials page, a video on argument and audience, and on analyzing evidence.
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Purdue's Online Writing Lab - easily one of the best collections of resources for teaching writing. See the main site, materials for non-Purdue
instructors and their big list of handouts.
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Writing Resources page and the main writing page from the Colorado State University Writing Center. Writing guides, activities, links,
exercises (you must sign up for this) and handouts.
Videos to Help with Writing
There are three particularly useful collections of resources for students
- Purdue video playlist on writing https://www.youtube.com/user/OWLPurdue
- University of Maryland, Baltimore Writing Center playlist of videos
- UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center playlist of videos https://www.youtube.com/user/UNCWritingCenter/videos
SDSU Library Resource to Help with library Research During the Pandemic
- The library created a manual for library research that is useful for students. When developing this resource they imagined it
might be a "companion to our OER RWS textbook, and act as a guide, now that it will be harder to provide in-person library instruction."
https://researchtips.sdsu.edu/
Powerpoints and Podcasts from Other Writing Programs
How to Identify & Fix the Most Common Grammar/Mechanics Problems
See Excelsior's Grammar Essentials page, It is a very helpful resource
The Twelve Most Frequent Errors in Grammar and Punctuation - Weinstein
From Weinstein, Larry (2001). Writing at the Threshold (56 ways to prepare high school and college students to think and write at the college level).
Urbana, IL: NCTE, p. 78.
Error
- Sentence Fragment - definition and examples, exercises (and answers) from OWL; definition, examples and exercises from Penguin,
- Comma splice - definition and exercises (OWL); identifying splices, and fixing them (UToronto)
- Comma missing between independent clauses (divided by and, but, or, or nor) - examples and exercises from the OWL
- Misuse of the semi-colon or colon: how to correctly use a semicolon, colons, and question marks (OWL)
- Comma missing to set off an interrupter (e.g., between subject and verb)
- Comma missing with a non-restrictive clause—or comma inserted with a restrictive clause: OWL guidelines
- Word choice
- Apostrophe error - rules for using apostrophes, exercises.
- Quotation error
- Lack of parallel structure: identifying and fixing, plus exercises (Penguin). See also OWL materials on parallelism
- Lack of agreement between subject/verb, or noun and pronoun/verb that follows: subject verb agreement, and pronoun agreement (OWL), plus exercises. Also, advice from Bedfords
- Misplaced modifier - OWL resources
To find explanations/definitions of each of these errors, and advice on how to fix them, see the following 3 sites (you can enter the name of the error from the list above in the search field on the site). All 3 sites are extremely useful for grammar and mechanics, as well as for many other aspects of writing.
- The Excelsior OWL Grammar Essentials page
- Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) Resources http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/4/
- Bedford St. Martins Writing Resources http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/easywriter3e/default.asp?uid=0&rau=0
- University of Toronto Writing Resources http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/about-this-site/pdf-links
- Richard Nordquist's grammar and composition advice on about.com: http://grammar.about.com/
Bedford St. Martin's List of Common Errors with Links to Help
1. Missing comma after an introductory element
2. Vague pronoun reference
3. Missing comma in a compound sentence
4. Wrong word
5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element
6. Wrong or missing verb ending
7. Wrong or missing preposition
8. Comma splice
9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe
10. Unnecessary shift in tense
11. Unnecessary shift in pronoun
12. Sentence fragment
13. Wrong tense or verb form
14. Lack of subject-verb agreement
15. Missing comma in a series
16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent
17. Unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive element
18. Fused sentence
19. Misplaced or dangling modifier
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