Reading Writing Lab Site Search
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The act of writing has been called the art of linking words together correctly. One of the most important links between words in English occurs between subjects and verbs.
The semicolon and colon allow writers to express relationships between ideas. Although they are used less often than other punctuation marks, the semicolon and colon give new ways to create variety in how you express your ideas.
Readers tend to trust writers who use language with skill and precision. Readers can be misled and confused by errors in grammar and mechanics.
Quotation marks and italics set off or give special emphasis to words or phrases in a sentence.
Pronouns are single words that refer to or take the place of nouns or other pronouns.
Parentheses and dashes are useful when you need to insert a brief definition, explanation, list, or afterthought into a sentence. However, they are often overused or misused, breaking the unity and flow of the sentence. This microlab will help you:
Meaning depends upon finding the right order for your words. Words that are correctly arranged convey the intended meaning. This microlab will help you:
There’s nothing more important to learning English than understanding sentences! Writers need to know the difference between complete sentences (which express complete thoughts), and sentence fragments (which do not). Being able to recognize and write complete sentences is one of the most important skills in writing. This microlab will help you:
Placed correctly, commas help create a clear meaning. Placed incorrectly, commas can distort meaning and confuse readers. Good writers learn when—and when not—to use commas for the sake of clarity in their writing.
Capital letters occur so often in writing that writers hardly give them a second thought. However, when necessary capitals are missing, we immediately notice their absence. Can you imagine a history book, for example, discussing “ancient turkey?” Knowing when to use capital letters is an important part of making meaning clear.