Writing guides · Page 2
Grammar, essays, citations, emails and career writing — short, practical, answer-first and dated.
100 guides · Page 2 of 5
Academic writing
Footnotes vs Endnotes: How and When to Use Them
A footnote appears at the bottom of the page where its marker sits; an endnote is collected at the end of a chapter or document. Chicago notes-bibliography and
Academic writing
Harvard Referencing: In-Text Citations and Reference List Examples
Harvard is an author-date system: a short citation such as (Okafor, 2023) in the text, and a full entry in an alphabetical reference list at the end. There is n
Spelling & grammar
Has vs Have, Was vs Were, To vs Too: Basic English Confusions Explained
Use "has" with he, she, it and singular nouns, and "have" with I, you, we, they and plural nouns. Use "was" with I, he, she, it and singular nouns, and "were" w
Academic writing
How Do AI Detectors Work, and How Accurate Are They?
AI detectors do not read minds or find a watermark. They measure how predictable a text is, or they use a classifier trained on examples of human and AI writing
Academic writing
How Long Is a Paragraph? Typical Sentences and Words for Each Use
There is no official length. In school and university essays a paragraph is usually 3 to 8 sentences, or roughly 80 to 200 words. Web articles and emails use 1
Paraphrasing
How Paraphrasing Tools Work, and How to Use One Well
A paraphrasing tool uses an AI language model to predict a new wording for your passage that keeps the meaning but changes words and sentence structure. Modes s
Academic writing
How to Avoid Plagiarism: 7 Habits That Work
You avoid plagiarism by always showing where words and ideas came from. Keep a source tag on every note, put exact words in quotation marks, paraphrase properly
Academic writing
How to Check for Plagiarism: Free and Paid Options
To check for plagiarism, search a few distinctive sentences in quotation marks, then run the whole text through a similarity checker and read every match. No to
Academic writing
How to Cite a Website in APA, MLA and Chicago (Even With No Author or Date)
To cite a website, collect the author, the date, the title of the page, the name of the site and the URL, then arrange them in your style. APA 7 puts the date a
Academic writing
How to Cite ChatGPT and Other AI Tools (APA, MLA, Chicago)
Cite an AI tool whenever you quote, paraphrase or build on its output. APA treats the company as the author, MLA describes the prompt and names the tool, and Ch
Business & email
How to End an Email: 40+ Sign-Offs, Closing Lines and When to Use Them
End an email with a closing line that states the next step, then a sign-off and your name. "Best regards" and "Kind regards" are safe almost anywhere; "Thanks"
Academic writing
How to Make AI Text Sound Human: Ten Edits for Voice
To make AI-drafted text sound human, edit it for voice and accuracy: add specifics only you know, vary sentence length, cut filler, take a clear position, and s
Paraphrasing
How to Paraphrase Without Plagiarizing: 6 Techniques With Examples
To paraphrase without plagiarizing, understand the passage, close the source, write the idea from memory in your own structure, then compare and cite it. Six te
Career
How to Start a Cover Letter: Greeting First, Then 20 Opening Lines
Start a cover letter with a greeting that names a real person if you can find one, then a first sentence that states the job you want and your strongest reason
Business & email
How to Start an Email: Greetings, Opening Lines and What to Skip
Start an email with a greeting that matches how well you know the reader, then a first sentence that says why you are writing. "Dear Ms Patel," is formal, "Hell
Academic writing
How to Write a Body Paragraph (PEEL Method With Examples)
A body paragraph makes one point and proves it. Open with a topic sentence (the claim), add evidence such as a fact, example or quotation, explain why that evid
Academic writing
How to Write a Book Report or Book Review: Template and Example
A book report tells the reader what a book is about and what it shows; a book review adds your judgment of how well it works. Open with the title, author and a
Academic writing
How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay: Structure, Wording and Example
A cause and effect essay explains why something happened, what resulted from it, or both. Pick a focus, choose block or chain structure, and support every link
Academic writing
How to Write a Composition: Types, Planning, Paragraphs and Samples
A composition is a piece of continuous writing on a set topic, common in English exams in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Nigeria and many other classrooms. To writ
Academic writing
How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay or Paper (With Examples)
A good conclusion does three things: it restates your main argument in fresh words, synthesises your key points into one larger insight, and closes with a clear
Career
How to Write a Cover Letter: 6 Steps and an Annotated Example
A good cover letter is one page, addressed to a named person, and shows in three or four short paragraphs why you fit this job. Read the ad, open with your stro
Business & email
How to Write a Follow-Up Email: Timing, Subject Lines and Templates
A good follow-up email is short, specific and easy to answer. Send it after a sensible wait, refer to the earlier message, add something useful and make one cle
Academic writing
How to Write a Hook: 10 Types With Examples for Essays and Articles
A hook is the first sentence or two of a piece of writing, designed to make the reader want to continue. Choose a type that fits your genre: a question, surpris
Business & email
How to Write a Memo: Format, Three Examples and a Fill-In Template
A memo is a short, internal document that opens with a header block (To, From, Date, Subject), states its purpose in the first lines, gives only the supporting
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