Students visiting the Writing Center frequently ask for help with grammar issues, such as sentence fragments and subject-verb agreement.

If you need help with grammar, Writing Center tutors can help you by…

  • helping you identify the grammatical error or errors you commonly make—tutors often do this by reading your paper with you, and doing so slowly.
  • showing you how to locate and correct your most common errors.
  • asking you to identify sentences or phrases that sound awkward to you as we read together.
  • consulting reference books and/or online resources.
  • offering suggestions for proofreading your papers on your own, including reading it aloud yourself or someone else.
  • giving you time to proofread your paper on your own. Many students are able to work alone to fix errors once they know what to look for.
  • providing help sheets for common grammatical mistakes.

As a reminder, tutoring sessions typically...

  • last 30 to 45 minutes.
  • focus on one or two writing issues.
  • help to develop and focus ideas as you talk one-on-one with a tutor.
  • identify aspects of the paper you need to improve on your own.
  • conclude with a short evaluation form.
  • respect the confidentiality of your visit; a tutor will send a report form to your instructor only at your request.

Written by: Chris Taylor

More Writing Help

The Kathleen Jones White Writing Center provides tutoring services, workshops, and writing resources.

Tutoring