Highline Writing Center

 

Tips on Writing Essays

• Writing Den: Writing Tips: Specific tips about writing, divided into three groups: sentences, paragraphs, and essays.
• Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: This helpful site will guide you through all stages of the writing process, from prewriting exercises to tips for proofreading and revision.
• Writing Guidelines for Science and Engineering Students: Discusses common types of writing in the sciences (memos, lab reports, and more) using models written by other students.

Citing Sources

• Documentation Guidelines: Citing Sources: A good quick reference for common citations. Uses APA, MLA, and CMS.
• Big Dog's Quick Guide to MLA: An explanation of citation vocabulary, and why we cite sources anyway.
• Chicago Citation Style: A quick reference to the Chicago Manual Style from Long Island University.

Grammar Handouts and Exercises

• English Works!: A detailed look at the parts of speech and an extensive selection of grammar quizzes.
• HyperGrammar: An extensively interlinked walk-through of some of the trickiest grammar terms.

Interactive Grammar Quizes

• Dave's ESL Cafe: Quizzes: Interactive quizzes on topics of interest to students learning English, such as prepositions, irregular verbs, and subject-verb agreement.
• Grammarstation Quiz Zone: Includes a diagnostic quiz to help you identify "which of the eight language areas you are weak in."

Vocabulary and Spelling

• Word A Day: These words are grouped into common categories depending on the theme of the week.
• Spelling Test: Quiz yourself on fifty commonly misspelled words!
• Common Errors in English: An interesting and extensive explanation of commonly misused words and phrases. Explains the difference between commonly misused pairs of words, such as "effect" and "affect."
• Dictionary: Merriam-Webster online abridged dictionary; this site also offers premium, unabridged services.
• Thesaurus: Roget's Thesaurus.

ESL

• Prepositions: A list of common prepositions, sorted into three categories: location, time, and action and movement.
• ESL Slang Page: An alphabetical list of meanings and examples. This site also notes any words or phrases which might be offensive.
• ESL Idiom Page: An alphabetical list of meanings and examples for common idioms.