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The things we end up explaining most often, written down
Every guide here exists because the same correction kept appearing in work we were editing. They are written to be used while you are actually writing, which means examples, tables and the rule stated before the explanation.
All guides
Pick the thing you are stuck on
Every one is free to read and none of them asks for an email address.
APA 7 and citation
- APA 7 in-text citationsAuthor and date placement, quotes, multiple authors, missing information
- APA 7 reference listBuilding entries for every common source type, and what order they go in
- APA 7 paper formattingTitle page, margins, headings, tables, figures and page numbers
- In-text citations explainedWhat has to be cited, what does not, and how to cite without quoting
- MLA 9 formatWorks cited, in-text citations and how MLA differs from APA
Punctuation and grammar
- Colons and semicolonsThe difference, and the three jobs each one does
- CommasThe rules that change meaning, and the ones that are preference
- ApostrophesPossessives, plurals, its and it's, and names ending in s
- Common grammar errorsThe mistakes that appear most in academic drafts
Structure
- Essay outlinesOutline structures that work, and how to use one while writing
- Thesis statementsTurning a topic into an arguable claim
- Paragraph structureWhat a paragraph has to do, and why yours may be doing two things
- Topic sentencesMaking the first sentence carry the paragraph
- TransitionsConnecting ideas without a list of linking words
Style and voice
- Academic writing styleWhat formal actually means, and what it does not
- Academic toneHedging, certainty and writing claims at the right strength
- Academic English for international studentsArticle use, collocation and the patterns graders notice
Editing and proofreading
- Writing and editing overviewWhat we actually do to a document, and which level you need
- Proofreading versus editingWhat each one actually changes, and which you need
- How much proofreading costsHow pricing works in this market and what moves the number
- Proofreading your own workTechniques that work when you cannot see your own text any more
Nothing on these pages is gated. If a guide does not answer your question, tell us and we will fix the guide.
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