Grammar seems to be the most common “worry” of ESL students. Here are some links we hope are helpful to you.
Confusable Words
Affect or effect? Farther or further? When writing, it is sometimes difficult to remember the correct word.
Good Grammar
For most people, learning grammar is the first step in learning to write. The idea is that rules of grammar are the foundation for clear sentences, and clear sentences lead directly to good writing.
Parallel Structure
Parallelism is a similarity of grammatical form for similar elements of meaning within a sentence or among sentences. If two or more ideas are parallel, they should be expressed in parallel grammatical form.
Subject-Verb Agreement
When writing a paper, it is helpful to keep in mind that verbs must always agree with the subject in both number and person.
Tense Shifting
Many students believe that tense changes should always be avoided. However, sometimes a shift in tense is necessary to indicate a change in the timeframe of the action.
Using Accents and Other Symbols
Writing sometimes calls for the use of some non-traditional marks. For example, when writing in Spanish, French or German, a student often needs to add special marks (called diacriticals) to some letters, such as an accent mark or tilde.
More Writing Help
The Kathleen Jones White Writing Center provides tutoring services, workshops, and writing resources.
Tutoring
- In-Person: 203 Stabley Library
- Online Tutoring: Use the online writing center.
Workshops
- Instructors: Request a workshop for your class.
- Students: Attend a Wednesday-night workshop.
- Online Workshops: APA Documentation, MLA Documentation.