A writing tutorial website for students of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners.  This page provides free resource for L2 learners to get them started on their writing assignments (e.g., essays, business letters, purpose letters, etc.)

11 Rules of Writing Basic Elements of English - grammar tutorials offered by the English Department at the University of Calgary.  Great site for learning how to develop a great sentence! Common Errors in English - explains a number of common spelling and usage errors in English. Commonly Confused Words - words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings often cause writers trouble.  Great bit of information! Daily Grammar - improve your English with Daily Grammar. Dr. Charles Darling Guide to Grammar - a professor's website for his English courses at Capital Community-Technical College. Punctuation - this website helps you understand how to use different types of puctuation more effectively in your writing.

The first thing you need to do to get started is to select a topic that interest you.  If you are working with an assigned topic, make sure you understand what the teacher wants you to write about.  If you are developing your own topic, make sure it is not too broad.  Reduce generalities to specifics (e.g., breaking "depression" down into "causes, or symptoms, or treatments).  If possible, state your topic as a question to be answered. The next step is to brainstorm--write freely for a few minutes not worrying about format, grammar, etc.  Give yourself some time to write what you know and what interests you about the topic.  What follows are links to paragraph writing, finding topics, and other information I feel will help you get started in getting your paper started. Pre-Writing and Outline - samples to follow Developing a thesis statement - examples The Writing Process - Cleveland State University Writing Center Basic Guide to Essay Writing - a step-by-step guide to writing a basic essay.  Includes links to other online essay resources. The Writing Center - University of Wisconsin-Madison.  This page provides many writing instructional materials. Writing Center at Princeton University - provides information on choosing topics, citation manuals and guidelines and many more. Ohio ESL - writing resources for English language learners.

To write a good paragraph, you must first think of a topic and a controlling idea that will narrow the topic enough to support it well in one paragraph.  Write your paragraph in topic outline form as follows to get you started: Topic sentence: Choosing a college or university can be difficult.     A. Supporting idea 1: Good preparation for your major        1. thorough, solid curriculum        2. qualified professors      B.  Supporting idea 2: Affordable         1. must be able to pay tuition and living expenses         2. possibility of scholarships       C.  Supporting idea 3:  Good Location          1. study environment          2. possibilities of part-time job in your major Concluding sentence:  You should consider these points carefully so you can choose the most appropriate college or university for you. The result:   Choosing a college or university can be difficult.  The most difficult part is finding a university that prepares you well for your future career.  In order to get a good job, the curriculum that is taught must be thorough and up-to-date.  In addition, the professors must be highly qualified and respected in their fields.  Another difficulty in choosing a university or college is affordability.  You need to be able to pay the tuition fees and living expenses.  Some institutions might be able to offer you scholarships if you cannot afford the fees.  A good location is also very important when choosing a school.  The environment should be safe and quiet to facilitate studying.  Moreover, there should be possibilities near the school of part-time or summer jobs in your major, so you can get some practical work experience.  You should consider all of these points carefully so you can choose the most appropriate college or university for you.              ******************************************** What follows are links to websites that provides further help on paragraph writing: Paragraph Development - a handout to help you understand how paragraphs are formed, develop stronger paragraphs, and help you learn to completely and clearly express your ideas. At a loss for words?  Try this fully illustrated website teaching you how to write a sentence or a paragraph. Paragraph a Week - a yearly writing program designed to give you practice with writing various types of paragraphs.

Online Resources for Research Writers A Research Guide for Students Reseach Paper by Jim Moore - from the University of California, San Diego, provides handouts, sample papers, as well as thorough explanation on how to write research papers. Note Cards System - researching and organizing your paper Research Papers - citations and reference formats Advice on Research and Writing - a collection of advice about how to do research and how to communicate effectively.

MLA Style MLA Style Templates -- MLA, APA, CBE, Chigaco templates on Word and rtf. APA Style Citation Styles Concordia Libraries Citation and Style Guides (MLA, APA, CBE, etc.) APA Style guide with samples