Clauses and Sentence Structure

Achieving a variety of sentence structures can create interest and complexity in your writing. To understand sentence structure, we must first address the building blocks of a sentence.

Types of Dashes

Using different types of dashes can add interest and variety to one’s sentences. They can substitute words or be used as grammatical punctuation to better connect ideas.

(Note: I created this resource before the popularity of generative language models and their obsessive dash usage.)

Less vs. Fewer

"Less" and "fewer" both refer to a smaller amount of something, but they are used in slightly different ways.  

Types of Commas

Commas save lives! But how do we know when to use commas and what type of comma to use?  

Easy Steps for Revision

Revision is the art of improving your writing by seeing words in a different way. However, changing one’s words can be fun and simple instead of terrifying.

Revising for Grammar

Grammar does not matter if there are no words.

Telling Interesting Stories through Uninteresting Details

Details are only as interesting as they are presented: especially in writing personal statements, it can be helpful to consider information in terms of specificity and framing.

Organize Browser Tabs to Support Productivity

As humans, our brains have limited cognitive capacity, so it is crucial that we find ways of lowering the processing burden in our work.

Formatting through Lorem Ipsum

Formatting is essential to writing, yet it is easy to become distracted by content, which can prevent efficient document preparation. Fortunately, we can borrow a technique from journalism to prepare formatting without distractions.

Formatting Lifesavers for References/Works Cited (Microsoft Word)

Not knowing the best formatting techniques in word processing software can result in hours of wasted time and frustration. Below are some tricks for how to save yourself time through formatting!

Using Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) in Citations

Have you ever clicked on a link and been given a "404: Page Missing" error? In the rapidly changing landscape of the internet, links expire, pages change, and the sources in your bibliography could quit working.

Basic Citation Mechanics (Part 1)

Citations are essential in academic writing: without them, we cannot give credit to other researchers’ ideas, thereby committing plagiarism. Yet, there is confusion on how many citations are too much or too few, and what pieces of information relate back to which citations.

Basic Citation Mechanics (Part 2)

Citations risk distracting from content and overwhelming the reader, depending on how they are integrated into the text. Fortunately, there are strategies for combining, simplifying, and reducing citations to streamline information without sacrificing academic integrity.

Types of Search Filters

Sometimes, there are too many sources... Fortunately, search filters allow us to narrow our focus to only what is relevant.

Using Keywords

Search filters are not always enough on their own for narrowing down sources. If a specific topic or focus is required, it is best to pair filters with specific keywords. 

Advanced Search Functions

While filters and strategic keywords are crucial in effective research, Boolean search queries can maximize one’s ability to find the best sources.

Source Configurations

In reviewing sources, there are options within each returned item that can locate related sources, generate citations, or save the source for reference.