Summer 2011 1

Information for Writing Resources Folder-Summer, 2011

"If you cannot write well, you cannot think well, and if you cannot think well, others will do your thinking for you."

George Orwell

Grammar Practice:

http://www.aug.edu/~mduignan/Grammar_Practice_Web_Sites__Spring_2010_.pdf

List of 22 various websites for grammar practice!

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

The Capital Community College (Hartford, CT) website by Dr. John Darling gives

wonderful Grammar/Punctuation practice. He gives Instruction (including brief power

points for many areas + marvelous longer, more in-depth power point presentations on

clauses, commas, avoiding sentence fragments, semi-colons, s/vb. Agreement, spelling,

apostrophe, capitalization, parts of speech, basic structure of paragraph, and basic parts of

a sentence.

www.towson.edu/ows/indexexercises.htm

This website by Peggy Benner at Towson Education gives great online exercises for

grammar, punctuation, etc.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm

These interactive grammar quizzes from Capital Community College are quite good to

check the student’s understanding of various grammar issues.

http://www.townsendpress.net (No need to log on! Just go to “Try TP’s Exercises”)

Townsend Press online exercises will test individual understanding of various reading skills

such as Main Idea, Supporting Details, Sequence of Ideas, etc.

http://aaweb.gallaudet.edu/CLAST/Tutorial_and_Instructional_Programs/English_Works/

Grammar.html

Gallaudet University (Washington, DC) has good grammar practice materials.

Summer 2011 2

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/subverag.html

Literacy Education Online has good explanation of Subject/Vb. Agreement.

Transitional Words and Phrases

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/trans1.html

Sentence Composition:

http://owlet.letu.edu/grammarlinks/sentence/sentence3.html

This shows how to combine sentences through coordination and subordination.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/general/gl_sentclar.html

Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) shows how to improve sentence clarity.

Reading Comprehension:

http://www.townsendpress.net/home.php

http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/exercises/main/reading.htm

Punctuation:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/grammar/g_apost.html

Summer 2011 3

Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) website explains the use of the apostrophe.

http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/comma.html

University of Ottawa (Canada) has excellent explanation regarding comma usage.

Public Speaking:

http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek4/speech.htm

Kennesaw State University has good explanation of various elements of public speaking.

http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeec

h/TipsTechniques/10TipsforPublicSpeaking.aspx

Toastmasters International organization website gives 10 Tips for Public Speaking.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/speeches.html

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill website gives good information on public

speaking.

ESL Help Online:

http://towerofenglish.com/

ESL website gives games and other ways for international students (as well as locals) to

learn English! Excellent!

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/esl/eslart.html

Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) gives good explanation of when and how to use

Articles.

http://www.edufind.com/english/englishtests/index.cfm

Interactive English language tests and games.

Summer 2011 4

Documentation:

MLA

http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml

Capital Community College website on MLA

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01

Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) online guide to MLA formatting

APA

http://cctc.commnet.edu/apa/apa_index.htm

Capital Community College explanation of APA formatting

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) explanation of APA formatting

Chicago Style:

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Chicago Manual of Style online resource explains how to format/cite their way.

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/hacker/pdf/chicago.pdf

Bedford/St. Martins gives a Sample Student paper, with explanations in the margins –

quite helpful!

Business Writing:

Resumes, Cover Letters and Letters of Acceptance:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/681/01/

Online Writing Lab gives information on Workplace Writing.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/high-school/36957.html

CollegeBoard gives information to students on how to write an effective resume.

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Essay Planning and Shaping:

http://www.gallaudet.edu/CLAST/Tutorial_and_Instructional_Programs/English_Works/

Writing/Essays.html

Gallaudet University (Washington, DC) has good information on essay writing.

http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Thesis.html

Writing Centre (University of Wisconsin-Madison) information on how to write an

effective Thesis Statement.

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Structure.html

Harvard University has excellent material on Essay Structure!

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/grammar.shtml

Dartmouth Writing Program online information on good writing – excellent!

Types of Essays:

http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/Types.html

Online Writing Lab of Roane State Community College has good information on how to

write various types of essays.

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/comparcontrast.html

Literacy Education Online discusses how to write Compare and Contrast essays.

http://bellevuecollege.edu/asc/writing/essays-guides/default.asp

Bellevue College writing lab has good information on types of essays.

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/process.html

Literacy Education Online explains how to write a Process essay.

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Writing Summaries

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/standsum/

Colorado State University explains how to write a Summary.

Writing Critiques

http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/critique.html

The Writing Center at Rensselaer explains how to write a Critique.

http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/bkrev.html

University of Toronto (Canada) explains how to write an article critique or a book review.

Writing about Literature

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/618/01/

Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) explains how to write about literature.

Avoiding Plagiarism

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) explains how to avoid plagiarism.

Editing and Proofreading

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/01/

Summer 2011 7

Logic in Argumentative Writing

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/01/

Parts of Speech:

Parts of Speech Poem

Three little words you often see

Are articles – an, a, and the.

A noun is the name of anything,

As school or garden, hoop or swing.

Adjectives tell the kind of noun,

As great, small, pretty, white or brown.

Instead of nouns the pronouns stand –

Her head, his face, your arm, my hand.

Verbs tell of something being done –

To read, count, laugh, sing, jump or run.

How things are done the adverbs tell,

As slowly, quickly, ill or well.

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Conjunctions join the words together,

As men and women, wind or weather.

The prepositions stand before a noun,

As in or through the door.

The interjections show surprise,

As Oh! How pretty! Ah! How wise!

The whole are called the nine parts of speech.

Which reading, writing, speaking teach.

-Green Baker

A Freedmen’s School, 1865

Parts of Speech Websites

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/parts.htm

This website from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada gives important

information, as well as interactive exercises concerning parts of speech.

http://www.quia.com/jg/65832.html

This website is composed of games one can play in order to learn and identify the parts of

speech. You will particularly enjoy the Matching game, Concentration game, and the Word

Search.

Summer 2011 9

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/partsp.html

This website contains material on each of the individual parts of speech as well as a Review of

the parts of speech.

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/rvpartsp.html

Interactive quiz on parts of speech.

http://www.uvu.edu/owl/infor/test_n_games/index.html

Interactive quiz on Parts of Speech (50 questions) from Utah Valley State College. Take this

quiz and test your understanding! Also, you will find games to help you learn!

Parts of Speech Interactive Quizzes

http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/rvpartsp.html

University of Ottawa, Canada has outstanding interactive Review of Parts of Speech.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt/parts.pps

Capital Community College has this wonderful power point presentation on Parts of Speech.

http://eslus.com/LESSONS/GRAMMAR/POS/pos.htm

Interlink Language Center information and quizzes on both individual parts of

speech as well as an overall quiz on all the parts of speech.

http://www.gallaudet.edu/CLAST/Tutorial_and_Instructional_Programs/English_Works/Gra

mmar.html

Gallaudet University (Washington, DC) website on parts of speech. Quite helpful!

Websites for Adjectives and Adverbs

http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/speech/1_4e.htm

University of Calgary, Canada practice distinguishing between adjectives and adverbs.

Summer 2011 10

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/adverbs/xadvb1.htm

Information and practice exercise on adjectives and adverbs.

http://www.slidermath.com/literacy/Adverb.shtml

English grammar and literacy website to help students learn difference between adjectives

and adverbs. Read the information, play the game, and learn!!!!

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/adjectives_and_adverbs_1.asp

Take this quiz from The Blue Book of Grammar and see how well you do!!!!

Prepositions Websites

http://langues.cmaisonneuve.qc.ca/clakoff/GRAMMAR%20LINKS/prepositions.html

Good website for Prepositions practice!

http://www.grammaruntied.com/prepositions/prepositions.html

The Tongue Untied (Prepositions Practice)

http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/speech/1_5a.htm

University of Calgary, Canada information on exactly what a preposition, as well as what is

the object of the preposition.

http://www.english-in-chester.co.uk/stayintouch/prepositions-english-language-

practice_22.html

Stay in Touch website from the United Kingdom giving several exercises so that you may

“practice” prepositions.

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Websites for Pronouns:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/pronouns1.htm

Good information on exactly what is meant by pronoun and antecedent agreement.

At the bottom of this page, there are links to 2 quizzes.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/grammar/g_pronuse.html

Good explanation of what pronouns are and what they do.

http://iteslj.org/cw/1/vm-pron.html

Pronoun crossword puzzle – fun!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/interestsentences/pronouns/game.shtml

Pronoun game with sound! Try it!

http://www.stufun.com/index.php?module=interactive&action=showdata&group=Pronouns

Have fun while you learn grammar!

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/usepronn.html

Information on “how to use pronouns”. Good website!

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/pronoun_quiz

Quiz on pronoun usage.

Summer 2011 12

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/pron2_quiz.htm

Quiz on pronoun forms.

http://english.acadiau.ca/tl_files/sites/english/resources/4UnclearPronounRef.pdf

Acadiau University in Canada website gives excellent information to help you understand pronoun

reference.

Websites for Misplaced Modifiers

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/modifiers.html

Good information for Literacy Education Online regarding what misplaced modifiers are!

Read and learn!

http://aliscot.com/bigdog/misplaced.htm

Big Dog Grammar explanation of misplaced modifiers. Take the Self-Test to check your

understanding, please.

http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/msplmod.html

University of Ottawa information of what it means to “have misplaced modifiers”.

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/mismod.html

University of Richmond’s website gives an outstanding explanation of what misplaced

modifiers really are.

http://wwwnew.towson.edu/ows/moduleDangling.htm

Towson Education has good material to explain what a misplaced modifier is. Built into this

material are several Practice Exercises.

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http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/modifier_quiz.htm

Quiz on misplaced modifiers. Take this and see how far you have come in your

understanding!

Websites for Parallel Structure

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_parallel.html

This gives the rules and explanation as to exactly what is meant by “parallel structure” in

writing.

http://bellevuecollege.edu/asc/writing/essays-guides/documents/parallelism.pdf

Good information from Bellevue Community College on rules and explanation of parallel structure in

writing.

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/parallelism.html

Literacy Education Online has excellent information regarding parallelism.

http://users.humboldt.edu/tduckart/ParallelStructure.htm

Good explanation of what “parallel structure” truly is.

http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/dante/grammar2.htm

Exercise and answers regarding Parallel Structure.

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/parstruc.html

University of Richmond’s explanation of parallel structure. This is one of the best explanations I have ever seen.

http://aliscot.com/bigdog/parallel_exercise.htm

Big Dog Grammar website on Parallel Structure gives good Practice Exercise to test one’s understanding of this concept!

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/parallelism_quiz.htm

Capital Community College gives an excellent Quiz on Parallel Structure.

Summer 2011 14

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/parallelism.htm

Capital Community College gives a link in this website (Parallel Form) to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Click on it and notice the tremendous use of parallel structure in this historical document!

Verb Tense Websites

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_tensec.html

This gives a good explanation of the rules regarding verb tense.

http://ec.hku.hk/epc/interviews/verb_tenses.htm

University of Hong Kong website gives an unusual practice for verb tense!

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs29practicetest.htm

Verb tense practice. Take this and see how well you do!

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs30finaltest.htm

Test on Verb Tenses. Take this and test your understanding!

Fragments, Run-ons, and Comma Splices Websites

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/fragments_add1.htm

Sentence Fragments: Practice Exercise l

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/fragments_add2.htm

Sentence Fragments: Practice Exercise 2.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/fragments_add3.htm

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Sentence Fragments: Practice Exercise 3.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/run-ons_add1.htm

Run-on Sentences: Practice Exercise 1.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/run-ons_add2.htm

Run-on Sentences: Practice Exercise 2. This is yet another practice to see if you understand

the concept of Run-on sentences.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/powerpoint.htm

Outstanding site for power point presentations on: Avoiding Sentence Fragments,

Avoiding Run-on Sentences, Parts of Speech, and The Paragraph. Go to this website, then

click on the area where you wish to work. View the presentation and learn!

Spelling Websites

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/powerpoint.htm

Capital Community College has a marvelous power point presentation on spelling and its

rules. View and learn!

http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/humanities/english/spelling_bee.html

Spelling Bee fun quizzes. Take some of these and see how well you spell!

http://www.quiz-tree.com/English_Spelling_main.html

Quiz Tree educational website for practicing your spelling.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm

Capital Community College list of Interactive Quizzes. Take several of the ones on Spelling

(133-142) and check your understanding.

Summer 2011 16

Websites for Coordination and Subordination

http://owlet.letu.edu/grammarlinks/sentence/sentence3.html

Good info on exactly what is meant by coordination and subordination. Also, has interactive

quiz to show if you understand these concepts! This website explains (and shows) how you

can improve your writing through the use of coordination and subordination.

Websites for Subject/Verb Agreement

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/subverag.html

This is excellent information from Literacy Education Online from St. Cloud State University regarding

Subject/Verb Agreement. This will help with your understanding of exactly what is meant by

“subjects and verbs agreeing with each other”.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslsubverb.html

This is another outstanding website that will help you “understand” what subject and verb agreement

means!

http://aliscot.com/bigdog/agreement_sv.htm

This Big Dog Grammar website is another good tool to help with your comprehension of subject/verb

agreement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/sentencebasics/verbsubjectagreement/game.shtm

l

This is a fun, interactive game you will enjoy to “make sure” that you truly understand subject/verb

agreement. Enjoy!

Reading Comprehension Practice Websites

Summer 2011 17

http://www.townsendpress.net/home.php

(Wonderful online practice exercises from Townsend Press. This website gives online exercises so

that you may practice English Essentials (Grammar skills) as well as Reading Skills (such as identifying

Main Ideas and Supporting Details).

http://www.learnatest.com/LEL/index.cfm/learningCenter/collegeStudents/COLLEGE_READI

NG_LEL/#cat_COLLEGE_READING_LEL

Dalton State University gives great online practice for determining Main Idea and Supporting Details.

Be sure to work on Vocabulary as well!

Paragraph and Essay Writing:

Prewriting Paragraphs

http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/paragrap/prewrite.htm

What is the prewriting stage?

The prewriting stage is when you think carefully and organize your ideas for your paragraph

before you begin writing.

Six Prewriting Steps:

1. Think carefully about what you are going to write. Ask yourself: What question am I going to

answer in this paragraph or essay? How can I best answer this question? What is the most

important part of my answer? How can I make an introductory sentence (or thesis statement)

from the most important part of my answer? What facts or ideas can I use to support my

introductory sentence? How can I make this paragraph or essay interesting? Do I need more

facts on this topic? Where can I find more facts on this topic?

2. Open your notebook. Write out your answers to the above questions. You do not need to

spend a lot of time doing this; just write enough to help you remember why and how you are

going to write your paragraph or essay.

Summer 2011 18

3. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic. Look for and write down facts that

will help you to answer your question. Timesaving hint: make sure the facts you are writing are

related to the exact question you are going to answer in your paragraph or essay.

4. Write down your own ideas. Ask yourself: What else do I want to say about this topic? Why

should people be interested in this topic? Why is this topic important?

5. Find the main idea of your paragraph or essay. Choose the most important point you are

going to present. If you cannot decide which point is the most important, just choose one point

and stick to it throughout your paragraph or essay.

6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea. Once you have chosen

the most important point of your paragraph or essay, you must find the best way to tell your

reader about it. Look at the facts you have written. Look at your own ideas on the topic. Decide

which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of your paragraph. Once you have chosen

the facts and ideas you plan to use, ask yourself which order to put them in the paragraph.

Write down your own note set that you can use to guide yourself as you write your paragraph

or essay.

Writing Paragraphs

http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/paragrap/write.htm

What is the writing stage?

The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.

Five Writing Steps:

1. Open your notebook and word processor.

2. Write the topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence.

3. Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning.

4. Focus on the main idea of your paragraph.

5. Use the dictionary to help you find additional words to express your ideas.

Editing Paragraphs

Summer 2011 19

http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/paragrap/edit.htm

What is the editing stage?

The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and correct them.

Grammar and Spelling

1. Check your spelling.

2. Check your grammar.

3. Read your essay again.

4. Make sure each sentence has a subject.

5. See if your subjects and verbs agree with each other.

6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence.

7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.

Style and Organization

1. Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence.

2. Make sure your supporting sentences focus on the main idea.

3. Make sure you have a closing sentence.

4. Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea.

5. See if your paragraph is interesting.

Paragraph Writing Websites

http://english-zone.com/writing/para-strctr.html

Excellent information on paragraph writing!

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/paragrph.html

Thorough information on every aspect of writing good paragraphs.

Summer 2011 20

http://www.wlu.ca/forms/917/Paragraph_Writing_1.pdf

Good explanation from Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada) of various aspects of “the

paragraph” – topic sentence, supporting details, transitions and conclusion.

Website resources for Grammar and Writing

http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/grammar_topics.php

An outstanding grammar site that gives in-depth explanations for a vast variety of grammar

questions. Good test website as well.

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/paragrph.html

Excellent information on how to write a good paragraph. Read and learn!

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt/paragraph.pps

Wonderful power point presentation from Capital Community College

regarding The Paragraph (what and how to properly write one!)

(Materials continue on following pages!)

Summer 2011 21

Used by Barbara Bryant in Self-paced ENC0021 course

Online Writing Lab Website from Purdue University

http://owl.english.purdue.edu

Below is a complete list of all of our printer-friendly handouts provided

by the Online Writing Lab Website from Purdue University.

General Writing Concerns (Planning/Writing/Revising/Genres)

Research and Documenting Sources

Punctuation

Spelling and Capitalization

Sentence Construction

Parts of Speech

English as a Second Language

Exercises/Answer Keys

OWL’s Power Point Presentation on Finding Your Focus: The Writing

Process.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/writproc.PPT

(This is an outstanding power point presentation that will help you

understand how writing is actually a “process”.)

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Paragraph Outline (Beginner)

Kirzner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. Writing First. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martin’s P, 2009. Print.

Topic Sentence:

______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________.

Supporting Sentence #l:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________.

Supporting Sentence #2:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________.

Supporting Sentence #3:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________.

Concluding Sentence:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________.

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Paragraph Plan (Advanced)

General Topic:___________________________________________________________

Focused Topic:_________________________________________________________

Topic Sentence:__________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Primary

Support A: ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Detail l:__________________________________________________________

Detail 2:__________________________________________________________

Detail 3:__________________________________________________________

Primary

Support B:______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Detail 1:__________________________________________________________

Detail 2:__________________________________________________________

Detail 3:__________________________________________________________

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Primary

Support C:_____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Primary

Support D:_____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Detail 1:_________________________________________________________

Detail 2:__________________________________________________________

Detail 3:__________________________________________________________

Conclusion:_____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Paragraph Writing Information Websites

Summer 2011 25

http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/JRusso1/files/writing%20sent.%20to%20parag

raphs.htm

Good information on “How to Write an Orange” and “How to Write an Apple, explaining how to

effectively write a paragraph about an orange as well as an apple!

The main point of these simple steps is to help the individual understand the various steps involved in

writing an individual paragraph.

http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/paragrap/index.htm

Step-by-step information on how to write an effective paragraph!

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/writing%20process/writingprocess.htm

This is a wonderful website that explains the various steps of the writing process. Learn the history of

writing, the writing process, forms of writing, information on different languages, and rules of

punctuation. Go to this website, follow along, and see what makes the writing process happen!

Paragraph Writing Exercise

http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/Paragraph%20Writing%20Exercises.htm

This is a series of steps in a Paragraph Writing Exercise. Please go to this website, follow each

step, and see what you can do.

(Additional material on following pages!)

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Self-Assessment Checklist for Paragraphs

Kirzner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. Writing First. 4th

ed. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martin’s P, 2009. Print.

Revising Your Paragraph

o Have you stated your main idea clearly in your topic sentence?

o Do you have enough points to support your paragraph’s main idea, or do you need to look back at your notes or try another strategy to find additional supporting material?

o Do you need to explain anything more fully or more clearly?

o Do you need to add more examples or details?

o Should you cross out any examples or details?

o Does every sentence say what you mean?

o Can you combine any sentences to make your writing smoother?

o Should you move any sentences?

o Are all your word necessary, or can you cut some?

o Should you change any words?

o Does your paragraph end with a sentence that sums up its main idea?

Summer 2011 27

Essay Writing Websites

http://members.tripod.com/~lklivingston/essay/

Well-written information on how to construct a typical 5 paragraph essay.

http://www.gel.bham.ac.uk/ScoEandOAR.shtml

University of Birmingham, England explanation of the proper way of writing a good essay.

This is an interesting explanation of the process!

http://www2.actden.com/Writ_den/tips/essay/index.htm

This website gives good information on Parts of an Essay, How to Write an Essay, as well as

Kinds of Essays.

http://www.gallaudet.edu/CLAST/Tutorial_and_Instructional_Programs/English_Works/Writ

ing/Essays.html

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