EAL Learners and Writers

We welcome learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL), and have compiled the following resources to support EAL learners in their writing.

Academic writing

Quick reads:

• Common Syntax Errors You Should Avoid
• Characteristics of Academic Style in Writing
• Formal and Informal Language
• How to Write Clear, Concise, and Direct Sentences
• “They Say, I Say” Templates: Writing Moves
• Words That Should Not Be Used in an Academic Paper

Longer guides:

• The Right Way to Write: An Academic Writing Guide for Students
• Grammar for Academic Writing
• Your Profs Will Thank You If You Avoid These 10 Writing Mistakes

Citation

• APA Citation: The Basics (PowerPoint file will download)
• How to Create a Reference Page and Citations in MS Word
• The Purdue OWL: Citation Chart
• The Quote Sandwich: How to Quote in an Academic Paper

Cohesion and flow

Quick reads:

• Achieving Flow in Academic Writing
• Cohesion in Writing
• Does My Writing Flow?
• Revising for Style – Cohesion and Coherence
• Transitional Words and Phrases
• Transitions and Coherence
• Using Transitional Expressions

Longer guides:

• Achieving Coherence in Academic Writing
• Cohesive Devices for Writing a Composition
• Creating Good Transitions (PowerPoint file will download)
• Explicit/Implicit Relationships Within and Between Sentences
• Understanding Coherence and Cohesion

Conducting research

Quick reads:

• Getting Your Research Started: Choosing a Topic
• Research Questions: Identifying What You Know and Don’t Know
• Creating a Search Statement

Longer guides:

• Identify the Major Parts of a Research Article: Anatomy of a Research Article

Digital literacy

Quick reads:

• Evaluating Websites Checklist
• How to Evaluate Sources Using the ACCORD Model
  • ACCORD Model: Source Evaluation Checklist
• Why fact-checking?

Longer guides:

• Challenging the Credibility of Online Information
• Evaluating Web Content (PowerPoint file will download)
• The “CARS” Approach to Website Evaluation

Grammar

Conditionals:

• Unreal Conditionals
• The Zero Conditional

Coordination and Subordination:

• Coordination and Subordination

Modifiers:

• Misplaced Modifiers

Nouns:

• Count vs. Non-count Nouns
• Writing Numbers in Academic Papers

Parallelism:

• Parallel Structure

Sentence Fragments and Run-ons:

• Avoiding Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
• Fragments, Run-ons, and Comma Splices
• Run-ons and Comma Splices

Tenses and Agreement:

• Avoiding Shifts in Tense, Person, and Voice (PowerPoint will download, must right-click on link and select “Open in new window”)
• Present Perfect in Academic Writing
• Present Perfect: “just,” “yet,” “still,” and “already”
• Present Tense vs. Progressive Tense
• Sentence Agreement: Indefinite Pronouns
• Tense Shift
• The 20 Rules of Subject Verb Agreement
• The Rules for Subject Verb Agreement: Simply Explained
• The Subjunctive in Noun Clauses
• When Should We Use the Present Perfect Simple Tense?

Verbs:

• 24 Helping and Auxiliary Verbs – List with Examples
• Introduction to Modals
• Reporting Verbs

Hedging

• Using Hedging Language

Paraphrasing

• A Guide to Paraphrasing
• How to Paraphrase or Quote Sources Correctly
• Paraphrasing Graphic Organizer (Word doc will download)
• Paraphrasing Worksheet
• Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting
• The Paraphrasing Checklist

Parts of an Essay

Quick reads:

• Developing Body Paragraphs
• Guidelines for Writing a Summary with APA In-Text Citations
• Write a Three-Prong Thesis Statement
• Paragraph Structure and Clarity
• Thesis Statement vs. Topic Sentence

Longer guides:

• Index of Writing Templates
• Paragraphs and Topic Sentences
• Strong Body Paragraphs
• Writing a Conclusion

Punctuation

Quick reads:

• Brackets, Dashes, and Hyphens
• Colons and Semicolons
• Eight Basic Comma Rules
• How to Correctly Punctuate Bulleted Points
• Parentheses and Dashes
• Quotation Marks
• Reported Speech
• Semicolons

Longer guides:

• Basic Punctuation Rules
• Grammar & Punctuation Rules

Reading

Quick reads:

• Critical Reading vs. Critical Thinking
• How to Read an Academic Paper
• Reading Comprehension Strategies
• Reading to Write
• Six Reading Myths
• Skimming and Scanning: The Basics

Longer guides:

• Critically Reading Journal Articles (PDF file will download)
• Reading Strategies
• Thinking About How You Read

Rhetorical

• Logos, Ethos, Pathos, and Kairos – What the heck?
• Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statements
• Rhetorical Analysis
• Tweak Your Speech: Rhetoric and Star Trek

Writing Genres

Analytical Essays:

• Writing an Analytical Essay

Case Studies:

• The Format for a Case Study

Compare and Contrast Essay:

• How to Structure a Contrast and Compare Essay

Critical Analysis:

• Critical Analysis Essay Template
• How to Write a Critical Review
• What Makes a Good Critical Review?

Literature Reviews:

• Literature Review Checklist 1
• Literature Review Checklist 2
• The Literature Review

Problem-Solution Essays:

• Problem-Solution Essay Outline

Research Papers:

• Guide to Writing A Research Paper

Research Proposals

• Steps to Follow in Writing a Research Proposal
• Research Proposal Example 1
• Research Proposal Example 2

Response Papers:

• The Reaction Paper
• Writing a Response Paper

Rhetorical Analysis Essays:

• How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
• Rhetorical Analysis Sample Essay
• Sample Rhetorical Analysis
• Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Summaries:

• Descriptive vs. Informative Summary
• Guidelines for Writing a Summary with In-Text Citations
• How to Write a Summary Response Essay
• How to Write a Summary of an Article
• Summarizing a Scholarly Journal Article

Writing Process

Quick reads:

• Proofreading, Revising, and Editing: What’s the Difference?
• The Basic Outline of a Paper
• The Writing Process: The Five Qualities of Good Writing

Longer guides:

• Brainstorming, Outlining, and Organizing Your Paper
• How to Brainstorm, Organize, and Write a Rough Draft
• How to Structure and Organize Your Paper
• Prewriting Worksheets