Writing Resources

These writing resources should be helpful to students in writing essays, preparing other kinds of written assignments and developing skills of self-expression. Although we have included several resources specific to psychology, most of these are of general use in all disciplines.

25 Common Writing Errors
For Who or Whom? 25 Common Writing Errors
APA Style Resources
A list of resources for using APA style
APA Publication Manual FAQs
Frequently asked questions about the rules for writing in APA style.
Common Errors in English
Paul Brians, professor of English at Washington State University, has prepared an impressive list of errors in English usage and spelling.
Developing Study Skills
"These notes were first developed by Val Smith a tutor at Leeds University for a distance learning course run for the Transport and General Workers Union. They have been revised for use at Athabasca and have benefitted from comments made by colleagues Lois Hamiester, Carol Shafer and Jeff Taylor." This material, organized by Dr. Bruce Spencer at Athabasca University, includes a section on essay writing. It is especially well-suited to distance learners.
Dr. NAD's prig page
Dr. NAD is an unapologetic prig who clings tightly to the rules of English grammar. An online test will determine if you are a prig.
English Grammar
Grammar lessons, exercises, and rules for everyday use.

English Grammar Online

Adultlearn.com's online grammar page.

Guide to Grammar and Writing
Professor Charles Darling's page has a convenient interface called the ASK GRAMMAR form.
Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization
Provides rules for many different types of grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
Grammar and Style Notes
Jack Lynch's alphabetically organized guide that provides many rules for correct usage and appropriate style.
HyperGrammar
This site is a grammar course taught at the University of Ottawa and covers the following topics: The parts of speech, the parts of the sentence, punctuation, using pronouns, using verbs, modifiers, building phrases, building clauses, building sentences, writing paragraphs, diction and spelling.
Online Grammar Handbook

University of Minnesota's Online Grammar Handbook. A Grammar Guide--21 Chapters of Links to Grammar, Punctuation, Writing, and Research Help, and to Full-text Literature, Arguments, and 100+ Sample Student Papers.

OWL Handouts in Outline Form
"This site lists over 100 handouts available on the following major categories, many of which are subdivided": General writing concerns, writing research papers and citing sources, writing in the job search, professional writing, English as a second language, parts of speech, sentence construction, punctuation and spelling.
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
Covers a wide range of topics in writing including discovering what to write, organizing your writing, revising your writing, editing your writing, documenting sources, writing informal essays, writing thesis/support essays, writing exploratory essays, and writing argumentative essays.
Phrase Finder
"The Phrase Finder does for phrases what a thesaurus does for words. Give it a single word and it will give you a list of phrases and sayings that are related to the word in some way."
Preparing a Laboratory Report in APA Format
Jan Kennedy's guidelines for writing psychology laboratory reports include helpful checklists for tables and figures.
Strategies for Critical Reading and Writing
The author of this page depicts the processes of reading and writing as an active process of making choices.
Strunk, William. 1918. The Elements of Style
This timeless classic in the field of writing is now in the public domain and available online.
Style Guide for NASA History Authors and Editors
These guidelines for submitting NASA reports are useful in other contexts as well.
The Virtual Reference Desk
The library at Purdue University has an excellent collection of online reference materials.
Vocabulary Development
"This advanced English-language site is here as a guide by your side so you can experience the wonder of words and the English language. As distance learners (of all ages), you can enjoy words and their fascinating histories and enhance your English-language skills. Over the months ahead, we'll take you through a series of word activities based mostly on Latin and Greek elements, which exist in English, and the etymological meanings and histories of thousands of words that have merged with our vast English vocabulary."
Web Extension to APA Style
The American Psychological Association's specifications for citing electronic sources.
Word Detective
"The Word Detective on the Web is the online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers' questions about words and language. The Word Detective is written by Evan Morris and appears in newspapers in the U.S., Mexico and Japan."