• 7.3: Becoming a Better Writer

      • 7.3.1: A College Instructor's Expectations for Writing

        • College Success: "Chapter 8, Section 8.2: How Can I Become a Better Writer" >

          Read the Section 8.2 introduction and the text under the "What Do Instructors Really Want?" heading. Do not rush through this reading; college instructors often will not take time to explain to you exactly what they want, especially for a writing assignment. They may assume you already know this information, so it benefits you to have a solid understanding of these expectations.

        • Brooklyn College: L. Melani's "The Eighteenth Century English Novel Examples" n>

          Access a sample student essay on the novel Robinson Crusoe. You do not need to know anything about the novel to complete this reading. Scroll down to the heading that reads, "Robinson Crusoe," and read the writing prompt for the two essays; then read the two essays and begin to think about how each essay responds to the writing prompt. You will evaluate the introductory paragraph of the first essay in the assignment that follows this reading.

        • Evaluate an Introductory Paragraph URL

          Follow these instructions to evaluate an introductory paragraph written by a college student. After you have evaluated the paragraph, you will rewrite it to improve it. Once you complete this assignment, check your answers against the guide to responding.

      • 7.3.2: The Writing Process

        • College Success: "Chapter 8, Section 8.2: How Can I Become a Better Writer" URL

          In Section 8.2, read the text under the headings titled "The Writing Process," "How Can I Make the Process Work for Me?," "What's the Difference between Revising and Editing?," and "What If I Need Help with Writing?" Be sure not to rush through this material and to carefully take notes on the information provided in this reading. Remember that writing is the most commonly required skill for a college student - you need to know how to do it well!

      • 7.3.3: Using Style Guides and Writing Handbooks

        • Purdue University Online Writing Lab: "General Writing Resources" URL

          Explore the different resources available via the links on the webpage above. Note in particular the sections that can help you refine your own writing process ("The Writing Process"); answer your questions about basic writing skills ("Mechanics, Grammar, and Punctuation"); and the extremely helpful citation guides on the left-hand navigation under the heading titled "Suggested Resources" (particularly the MLA Guide and the APA Guide). Note that you may click on each heading on the webpage to access a particular section for more detailed information.

        • Becky Samitore-Durand's "Writing Resources" URL

          You have already visited Purdue University's Online Writing Lab and explored some of the resources there. There are many other good online resources to assist you in your writing. Several more options are listed in the article above. The most important thing for you to do at this time is to become very familiar with what is available among these resources. By evaluating these resources now, you can access and navigate them more quickly when you need to refer to them for specific college assignments. Be sure to bookmark these resources so that you can quickly find particular guides when you need them in the future.