Writing guides · Page 3
Grammar, essays, citations, emails and career writing — short, practical, answer-first and dated.
100 guides · Page 3 of 5
Academic writing
How to Write a Narrative Essay: Structure, Techniques and an Example
A narrative essay tells a true story, usually in the first person, to make a point about what the experience meant. Build it on a clear arc: a setting, a proble
Academic writing
How to Write a Paragraph: Topic Sentence, Support and Examples
A good paragraph makes one point and proves it. Open with a topic sentence that states the point, add two to four sentences of evidence, explanation or detail,
Academic writing
How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Techniques, Outline and Example
A persuasive essay tries to move the reader to agree or act. Choose a clear position, know your audience, and combine credibility (ethos), emotion (pathos) and
Business & email
How to Write a Professional Email: Structure, Tone Ladder and Six Templates
A professional email has six parts: a specific subject line, a greeting, the purpose in the first sentence, only the details the reader needs, one clear action
Career
How to Write a Resume: Step-by-Step Guide With a Template and Country Conventions
To write a resume, choose a format (reverse-chronological for most people), add contact details, a short summary, work experience, education and skills, and wri
Paraphrasing
How to Write a Summary: Five Steps, Length Rules and a Worked Example
A summary is a short account of a text's main ideas, written in your own words, with no opinions added. Aim for roughly a tenth to a quarter of the original len
Academic writing
How to Write a Thesis Statement: Formula, Types and 12 Examples
A thesis statement is one or two sentences, usually at the end of your introduction, that state the main claim of your essay and the reasons behind it. Use the
Academic writing
How to Write a Topic Sentence (With 15 Examples)
A topic sentence is the sentence that states the single main point of a paragraph, usually the first one. Write it by naming your subject, making a claim about
Academic writing
How to Write an Analytical Essay and a Rhetorical Analysis
An analytical essay breaks a text, event or idea into parts and explains how those parts create meaning. It does not retell. State a debatable claim, support ea
Academic writing
How to Write an Argumentative Essay: Outline, Annotated Example and Checklist
An argumentative essay takes a debatable position and defends it with reasons and evidence. Build it in five moves: a specific, arguable thesis; reasons in orde
Academic writing
How to Write an Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide With an Outline Template
To write an essay, follow seven steps: analyse the prompt, gather evidence, draft a working thesis, build an outline, write the first draft, revise for argument
Academic writing
How to Write an Essay Outline: Formats, Templates and a Worked Example
To write an essay outline, start with your thesis statement, list the main points that prove it, put each point in a logical order, and add the evidence or exam
Academic writing
Expository Essay: Definition, Structure and a Full Example
An expository essay explains a topic clearly and neutrally, using facts, examples and evidence instead of personal opinion. It has an introduction with a thesis
Academic writing
How to Write an Introduction: Hook, Context, Thesis (With 6 Examples)
An introduction does three jobs in order: it hooks the reader, gives just enough context, and ends with a thesis that states your argument. For a school essay t
Spelling & grammar
Hyphen vs Dash: When to Use a Hyphen, En Dash or Em Dash (With Keyboard Shortcuts)
A hyphen (-) joins words or word parts: well-known author, twenty-one. An en dash (–) shows a range or connection: pages 10–15, London–Paris. An em dash (—) mar
Academic writing
In-Text Citations: APA, MLA and Chicago Examples Side by Side
An in-text citation points the reader from a sentence to the full entry in your reference list. APA uses author and year, (Okafor, 2021). MLA uses author and pa
Academic writing
Is Using AI Plagiarism? How to Disclose It
Using AI is not automatically plagiarism, but passing off AI-generated text or ideas as your own work usually is, and so is using AI where your course or employ
Spelling & grammar
Latin Abbreviations in English: etc., i.e., e.g., vs., cf., viz. and More
E.g. means "for example" and introduces some examples; i.e. means "that is" and restates something in other words; etc. means "and so on" and ends a list. Ameri
Business & email
Letter Format: Block, Modified Block and Semi-Block (With Templates)
There are three standard letter formats. In block format everything is flush left. In modified block, the date, closing and signature move to the centre or righ
Academic writing
30 Literary Devices With Examples From Well-Known Texts
Literary devices are the techniques writers use to build meaning and effect. They fall into narrative devices, such as foreshadowing, flashback and irony, and f
Business & email
Looking Forward to Hearing From You: Meaning, Grammar and 25 Alternatives
"Looking forward to hearing from you" is correct and polite. The "to" is a preposition, so it must be followed by an -ing form: "look forward to hearing", never
Academic writing
MLA Format: Works Cited, In-Text Citations and Paper Setup (MLA 9)
MLA format (9th edition) uses a short in-text citation, usually the author and page number such as (Okafor 14), and an alphabetical Works Cited page at the end.
Spelling & grammar
Ms, Mrs, Miss or Mx? How to Address People in Writing
Use Ms for a woman when you do not know her preference, Mrs or Miss only when she has told you she uses it, Mr for a man, and Mx for a person who is non-binary
Spelling & grammar
Nouns: Definition, Types and Examples (Common, Proper, Countable, Collective and More)
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, idea or quality: teacher, Manchester, laptop, honesty. English nouns fall into overlapping types: common or
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