OWRC Handouts

This handout lists some guidelines for capitalization. If you have a question about whether a specific word should be capitalized that doesn’t fit under one of these rules, try checking a dictionary to see if the word is capitalized there.

A claim persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or provocatively suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you. Learn more about making claims in your writing.

Different cultures have different ideas about what constitutes an appropriate academic paper. In some cultures, where it is politically dangerous to write arguments, students are often taught to piece together their papers from certain “approved” materials. In other cultures, where argument is considered to be an overly “subjective” medium, students are taught to report just “the facts” in their papers. Imagine the distress these students feel when they arrive in America and are asked to create an academic argument.

A checklist for evaluating the quantity and quality of your writing.

Grammar is more than just a set of rules. It is the ever -evolving structure of our language, a field which merits study, invites analysis, and promises fascination. Find out about common errors and correcting yourself.

There is no formula for writing effective introductions and conclusions—here are some strategies that you may find helpful.

Research and the use of different kinds of evidence and texts are important skills and necessary strategies in writing, developing an argument, and participating in academic discourse. In other words, the work you engage in and produce at the university will require you to read about, think about, write about, organize, synthesize, and deploy other people’s ideas, words, concepts, studies, data, and expertise.

Once you’ve decided that a quote should be included in your writing, follow the “three-step” rule to integrate it into your paper.

Most of us who compose on a computer understand revision as an ongoing, even constant process. Every time you hit the delete button, every time you cut and paste, every time you take out a comma or exchange one word for another, you’re revising.

Good reading makes good writing, time management, importance of spelling, reading your writing aloud and more.

Preparing to Write: To write a good summary it is important to thoroughly understand the material you are working with. Here are some preliminary steps in writing a summary.

No sentence in your paper will vex you as much as the thesis sentence. And with good reason: the thesis sentence is typically that ONE sentence in the paper that asserts, controls, and structures the entire argument. Without a strong persuasive, thoughtful thesis, a paper might seem unfocused, weak, and not worth the reader’s time.

Transitional words and phrases are also called signal words. They are placed at key points to lead the reader through the sentences and paragraphs. Using transitional words will help you achieve clear and coherent communication with your audience.

Writing resources from the Purdue University Writing Lab.