List of Glossary
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- Admission Essay How to Write an Admission Essay >samples19A short academic essay that one writes when applying for a university or college program. There are various types of admission essays: statement of purpose, personal statement, letter of intent, etc.
- Analysis Essay How to Write an Analysis Essay >samples50An essay that breaks down a large subject into subcategories, analyzing each one to form an opinion about a particular topic. In the process of examining each subcategory and forming your opinion from these investigations, one usually explains how each aspect of the larger whole is interrelated. Analysis essays are primarily for reporting information with the added help of a personal opinion.
- Application Letter How to Write a Job Application Letter >samples16A business document that is a part of the important correspondence between applicant and organization, firm or company, institution or various boards and committees. An application letter is usually written when a person would like to enroll for courses at a college or university, or is applying for a job vacancy, or would like to receive a certain grant.
- Article How to Write an Article >samples22Generally defined as a short piece of writing of a non-fiction nature, articles are widely used in journalism, creative writing, publishing, and online. Articles are used to sell, to persuade, to inform, to furnish details, or to entertain. The tone of an article can be casual, academic, or technical.
- Article Review How to Write an Article Review >samples12A type of literary criticism that should include an evaluation of an article and an analysis of it's main points. Depending on the type of article, article reviews can be informal, formal and semi-formal. Sometimes referred to as ‘article summary’ or ‘article critique.'
- Autobiography How to Write an Autobiography >samples2A story of one's life written by oneself. An autobiography can cover a specific life-period or life as a whole. There is no set pattern or plan to writing an autobiography: the story can take any form, as long as it is written expressively and in an informative or entertaining way.
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- Book How to Write a Book >samples0A big project of over 50,000 words, generally. Books can be fiction or non-fiction. Fiction is writing that is based on a story or stories composed and invented by the writer, intended mainly for entertainment purposes. Non-fiction is focused on a specific topic and is usually less story-based. Narrative non-fiction is the telling of true stories in a way that makes facts and real events seem entertaining.
- Book Review How to Write a Book Review >samples17A type of review that provides a short description of a book that includes the reviewer's opinion about it. A book review is meant to provide a critical evaluation of the content it is dedicated to and includes specific examples to support the reviewer's ideas.
- Brainstorming How to Increase Your Productivity as a Writer (Part 2) >samples10Generating as many ideas on a subject as possible with a subsequent sorting and selection. The outcome of a brainstorming process is usually a number of words, phrases or concepts that are relevant to the subject chosen by the writer.
- Brochure How to Write a Brochure >samples10A piece of writing used to distribute concise information of any kind. Brochures can be distributed manually, via mail or email, or placed in brochure racks. Usually, brochures are printed on a single, tri-fold sheet of thick, glossy paper. They often have pictures and other graphics inserted into their design.
- Business Email How to Write a Business Email >samples8An email sent to or from a business that coordinates efforts when working on projects, informs or questions employees, or facilitates other forms of business communication. Business emails have a formal structure and tone in comparison to non-business emails.
- Business Letter How to Write a Business Letter >samples4Used for correspondence between organizations, firms and companies, institutions and various boards and committees, business letters are documents frequently used in all levels of government. Cover letters, application letters, letters of acceptance, confirmation letters, letters of introduction, letters of appointment, and cancellation letters are various different types of business letters.
- Business Plan How to Write a Business Plan >samples6A formal document created with the purpose of defining specific goals related to starting or developing a certain business or project, and creating a plan or a set of steps to achieving each goal along with a budget for its realization. A business plan is usually created for a newly launched enterprise or one that is planning a fundamental change.
- Business Presentation How to Create a Business Presentation >samples2A presentation that possesses several outstanding characteristics which distinguish it from other types of presentations. Its main goal is to sell, or promote a certain commodity, idea or service. The purpose of introducing this type of information is enhanced by the nature of the audience, which consists of people who value their time and money.
- Business Proposal How to Write a Business Proposal >samples6A written offer from a vendor to a prospective buyer; this document must explain to buyers the capabilities of a vendor to satisfy their needs. A business proposal is often confused with a business plan, which is a formal statement of a company’s goals and its means to achieve them.
- Business Report How to Write a Business Report >samples4Usually, it is a report of the output of a group of workers. Writing it requires careful planning and research in order to support specific organizational objectives or decision making. In order to make effective decisions, companies need accurate and concise information about their current situation, and a business report is the form in which it is usually provided.
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- Capstone Project How to Write a Capstone Project >samples2An extensive academic paper some students are required to write during their last term of studies, which must propose and solve a distinctive problem. A valid capstone project should aggregate all the skills learned from a number of different topics and subjects, and result in a final product that demonstrates everything a student has understood and taken on during their degree program.
- Case Study How to Write a Case Study >samples6A type of academic or scientific paper which is carried out to examine qualitative performance in research and field studies in the case of naturalistic or scientific inquiries. The main thrust of any case study is being investigative. This implies that the person carrying out the study must observe, read, examine, test, investigate, and write a report about the process and its results.
- Cause and Effect Essay How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay >samples76A essay that explains how specific conditions or events translate into certain effects. In other words, the writers' task is to show how one action leads to a consequence. In most cases, you will need to demonstrate how multiple causes result into one effect, or how only one condition becomes the cause of several consequences.
- Clarity samples0Clarity necessarily assumes simplicity in formulations of thought and explanations.
- College Deferral Letter How to Write a College Deferral Letter >samples6A letter to a college or university admissions for them to accept you after a refusal of being admitted.
- Compare and Contrast Essay How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay >samples26An essay that is a form of academic writing built around comparing two or more items. Depending on the emphasis that the writer puts on either of the similarities or the differences of the items, the paper can be more of a comparison essay, or more of a contrast essay.
- Complaint Letter How to Write a Complaint Letter >samples4Letters that facilitate the process of an efficient resolution of a problem. Nearly every individual has faced a personal calamity in the way of receiving an unsatisfactory quality of goods or services, flagrant violations, or were infringed upon in regard to their consumer rights. To prevent the recurrence of said unpleasant events, and to save other people from similar inconveniences, people write letters of complaint to the appropriate authorities.
- Compliment Letter How to Write a Complimentary Letter >samples2Among the numerous ways to express gratitude, complimentary letters are a rather popular and widespread mean. Complimentary letters are usually written by customers who would like to thank a service or product providers for the high quality of their goods or actions. Complimentary letters can also be written in order to praise a person that one admires, or to encourage them to do something. Overall, a complimentary letter is an easy and direct way to manifest one’s positive attitude towards a company or a person.
- Correct Grammar samples1It entails that all punctuation, syntax, tenses, determiners, and parts of speech are coherent and abide by the standards of language.
- Coursework How to Write Academic Coursework >samples3A general name for academic work carried out separately from specific academic assignments for a certain class and from final exams. Coursework is generally a research paper on the subject of one's major or minor specialty that is aimed at demonstrating a student's ability to conduct and analyze concrete scientific research, both empirically and theoretically.
- Cover Letter How to Write a Cover Letter >samples14A type of document that an applicant sends along with their resume when applying for a position or inquiring about one. It is normally no more than a page long and is aimed at presenting oneself in the best possible way, without repeating the information provided in the resume or CV.
- Critical Essay How to Write a Critical Essay >samples12A piece of academic writing, usually in the form of a classic composition, with an introduction, main body paragraphs, and a summarizing conclusion. It provides an interpretation and analysis of a set text. Although frequently confused with a review, a critical essay is more similar to a formal essay. It should incorporate scholarly observations with all facts correctly referenced.
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- Definition Essay How to Write a Definition Essay >samples32An essay used to explain the meaning of a certain term by giving a detailed description of it. The writer also supports their definition with clear examples or facts. Such explanations are needed if a term is special, abstract, disputed or does not have a common meaning. For instance, individuals can interpret the definition of the words ‘freedom’ or ‘abuse’ quite differently.
- Descriptive Essay How to Write a Descriptive Essay >samples46A form of academic writing that is built around a detailed description of a person, building, place, situation, notion, etc. The main purpose of a descriptive essay is to describe an item or phenomena in a vivid and detailed manner so that the readers can easily picture a specific object, person or a state of being in their mind.
- Dissertation How to Write a Dissertation >samples2A document submitted in support of one’s candidacy for a degree or professional qualification, presenting the author's research and findings. It is a lengthy academic paper that normally involves extensive research, from both primary and secondary sources. The document also exhibits the author's ability to critically assess their findings, creative approach to thinking, and specific knowledge acquired throughout their academic career.
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- Editing How to Edit >samples3The act of improving, modifying, and correcting a piece of writing. Usually, a writer uses editing to bring their compositions to a level where they feel they have reached their ideal or standard in writing.
- Essay How to Write a Narrative Essay >samples673A literary genre of exacting, prosaic writing that is written for academic, business, or personal reasons. Essays are normally not more than 10 pages long, though they can be as long as 50 pages or higher. An essay is a common academic assignment that regularly consists of three main parts: an introduction, main body paragraphs and a conclusion.
- Essentials of Writing How to Increase Your Productivity as a Writer (Part 2) >samples48The main principles of writing: be specific; aim for communication; be varied; take away the unnecessary; be smooth; express originality; use transitions; and show, don’t tell.
- Evaluation Essay How to Write an Evaluation Essay >samples16An essay that sizes up a particular object or phenomena. This type of critical writing sets precise criteria for evaluation, providing fair and solid supporting evidence so that the reader can form their opinion about the subject.
- Evaluation Letter How to Write an Evaluation Letter >samples6When you're a manager or supervisor of an employee or intern, there may come a time when you're asked to write an evaluation of that person's performance. One way to deliver this evaluation is to write a letter that informs the addressee of the person's job duties and how he did in that role.
- Expository Essay How to Write an Expository Essay >samples195A piece of scholarly writing used mainly for academic purposes which describes or examines a process in a comprehensive way; analyzes a concept, describes and explores a written work or an event; or explains detailed instructions or a description of a method or procedure.
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- Film Review How to Write a Film Review >samples34A type of review that provides a short description of a film along with the analysis by the reviewer and their personal opinion or recommendation. It can be both formal or informal, and normally includes information about the year of production or premiere date, main cast and crew, and critical reception.
- Final Draft How to Craft the Final Draft of an Essay >samples2A copy of a piece of writing that will be its complete and last version. Crafting a final draft requires solving technical issues and exactly adhering to the criteria given by an instructor or a publisher.
- First Draft of an Essay How to Write the First Draft of an Essay >samples2A roughly-written sketch that elaborates on the main ideas stated in an outline for a essay. First drafts are the initial efforts to get down ideas on paper. Fine-tuning of organization, grammar and punctuation, word-choice, and what content to include comes later in other drafts.
- Fundraising Letter How to Write a Fundraising Letter >samples4A letter requesting financial aid from a charity donor. In the letter, the author outlines why the financial aid is needed and what the finances will be used for.
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- General Research Paper How to Write a General Research Paper >samples15Generally defined as pieces of writing longer than regular essays, and requiring additional research in order to write them.
- Grammar samples0The foundation of structural precepts that governs the creation of clauses, phrases and words in any language.
- Grammar Topics samples0Includes: 1. Tenses 2. Punctuation 3. Determiners 4. Subject-verb agreement 5. Verbs, nouns, adjectives, predicates, adverbs. 6. Different types of clauses
- Grant Application How to Write a Grant Application >samples4A document one writes to receive funding for a project, business idea, or production renovation. The aim of a good grant application is to prove that your project is better than other projects competing for the same grant. Sometimes called a "grant proposal."
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- Haiku How to Write Haiku >samples13A Japanese form of poetry that concentrates on capturing a moment and associating it with nature's seasons. They are usually written as tercets, which consist of 17 syllables each: 5 syllables for the first line, 7 for the second, and 5 again for the third. If they are written in English, though, they are commonly composed in the format "short-long-short" in terms of the lines.
- Hardship Letter How to Write a Hardship Letter >samples2A personal letter one writes to explain the financial, or any other type of reason, that makes one eligible to qualify for a benefit, excuse an overdue loan or force one to request a job transfer.
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- Informal Letter How to Write an Informal Letter >samples3A letter used for correspondence in an informal or semi-formal manner. Informal letters can be written for various occasions and for different purposes. They usually express personal feelings, describe events, or convey an informal invitation.
- Interview samples0A conversation held by a journalist or an anchorman with a person who is knowledgeable about a specific topic. The main goal of most interviews is to create an informational product. Conducting interviews is one of the most common ways of gathering information and it is used by journalists across the globe. A method of interviewing is also often used by the means of interpersonal communication outside the media, such as with employment. However, any type of job interview has its own peculiarities.
- Introduction The mission of an introductory paragraph is to catch readers’ attention, and make them read through the rest of the text. It also includes a crucial part of any piece of writing—a thesis statement. An introduction also provides background information about the main topic.
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- Job Application Letter How to Write a Cover Letter >samples10A type of document written when applying for a desired position. A good job application letter addresses all the points stated in the job advertisement or vacancy notification and presents the applicant for a position in the best manner. A job application letter, along with the resume and/or a cover letter, alerts recruiters and employers to one's capacity, level of education, personal traits, and professionalism.
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- Lab Report How to Write a Lab Report >samples2A report written to thoroughly describe a research process, explain why and how it was done, what the findings were, and whether the findings matched the expected results. Stated succinctly, in a lab report, you provide accurate and factual information about the research.
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- Meeting Agenda How to Write a Meeting Agenda >samples4A document prepared to make a meeting more organized and efficient. Without a written agenda, business meetings tend to run longer and get off topic. On the other hand, preparing an agenda will help you structure the meeting, focus it on the most important problems, and identify its desired outcomes. Besides, all participants of the meeting will be equally aware of the issues up for discussion.
- Meeting Minutes samples0A factual account of what happened during a meeting - usually prepared in a written or multi-media form.
- Memoir How to Write a Memoir >samples8A literary genre that entails writing about previous events in your life such as certain life lessons, fascinating stories, miraculous recoveries or rescues, or any other exciting personal experiences. Unlike an autobiography, a memoir doesn't describe your whole life, but concentrates on some of its milestones and depicts them from the first person point of view. Memoirs are often written by politicians, famous actors or court people, and historically refer more to public affairs than to personal affairs. However, this doesn't mean that memoirs can’t be written by common people.
- Music Review How to Write a Music Review >samples10A piece of writing that reviews a musician's album or song.
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- Narrative Essay How to Write a Narrative Essay >samples52A form of academic writing that is built around a narration of a certain event or situation. Basically, a narrative essay is a concise form of a narrative novel and can just lightly differ from a short story. The main objective of a narrative essay is to tell a story, so that it is both engaging and interesting for the reader.
- Newsletter How to Write a Newsletter >samples4A document that refers to a topic that could gain the interest of current and potential subscribers. It is a rather inexpensive and effective way of conveying information to a target audience.
- Novel How to Write a Novel >samples11An extensive work of prose that tells a story of one or several characters. Usually between 300-1000 book pages, novels require a writer to be well-prepared before the actual writing process and to be dedicated to create a viable story that is well-told.
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- Outline How to Write an Outline >samples4A document that makes a structural plan for a piece of writing. Outlines are usually associated with essays. They are written to give a writer direction and a clear view of what they want to express.
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- Personal Statement How to Write an Admission Essay >samples19A short document which contains a subjective testimonial about oneself couched in expressive but flawless language. A personal statement is written to inform universities and colleges to which one applies for a placement of one's objectives, goals and motivation for studying.
- Persuasive Essay How to Write a Persuasive Essay >samples117A form of academic writing that is built around a certain argument. Persuasive essays are thus also called argumentative essays. In this type of academic paper, the writer aims to persuade the reader to accept the writer’s point of view, using certain persuasive techniques to prove the point and convince the reader.
- Play How to Write a Play Review >samples2A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Plays are performed at a variety of levels, from Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, to Community theater, as well as University or school productions.
- Play Review How to Write a Play Review >Writing a review for a play in a theater or presented through other mediums.
- Poem How to Write a Fairly Good Poem >samples22In a broad sense, a poem is the organization of speech into a form that uses rhythm, symbols, and metaphors to create a mood or to give a certain impression. Usually a poem is broken into lines and stanzas; however, rhyme, although often considered to be the essential element of a poem, is not necessary. In fact, every day we hear commercials, which are rhymed texts, but can hardly be called poetic. Therefore, to be considered poetry, a piece of writing must, above anything else, possess artistic value.
- Poetry Analysis How to Write Poetry Analysis >samples8A reflection on a poem that involves analyzing the poetic instruments, discussing the language and the figures used by the author, as well as sharing one's personal position on the poem. It is sometimes referred to as "poem review."
- Presentation How to Create a Presentation >samples3An effective practice of demonstrating and explaining certain material using specific visual tools and equipment. A presentation is usually accompanied by a speech and can be both formal and informal.
- Press-Release How to Write a Press-Release >samples3In order to announce or highlight an event for the media, writers compose and distribute special informational statements called press-releases. A press-release is an important tool of PR and writing it well can be beneficial for any company wishing to share news or promote itself.
- Process Paper samples0A guide which shows how something is done, explains how it works, or how it occurs. A process paper may refer to any topic: cooking a sandwich, writing a capstone project or conducting a nuclear fission. The main condition is an excellent knowledge of the topic that one is going to write about. A goal of a process paper is to give readers some simple directions, so that they can accomplish their task. Sometimes referred to as a "how-to" guide.
- Progress Report How to Write a Progress Report >samples4A progress report is an update on a project’s status within a company. A well-written progress report is beneficial both for a company and for staff.
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- Recommendation Letter How to Write a Recommendation Letter >samples3Recommendation letter, also known as a letter of recommendation, is a document which is a testimonial: that is, it is written to recommend or support a person’s skills and attributes, or to recommend a person’s suitability for a specific position, vacancy, or business role.
- Reference Letter How to Write a Reference Letter >samples2An official document that serves as a business tool, which is provided by an applicant to prove that skills shown on a resume or CV are real. A reference letter can support claims about skills and experience. It can also be a confirmation by an employer that the bearer of the reference letter has worked in their organization. A reference letter by a professor or instructor can support an applicant’s academic claims. A support letter by an employer can prove that an applicant has a set of skills required in a specific field of endeavor.
- Reflective Essay How to Write a Reflective Essay >samples51An essay that expresses thoughts and emotions about certain events or phenomena. Writing this type of essay is good training to sharpen your critical thinking skills, as well as your ability to develop and express opinions on a particular topic – either formulated by yourself or assigned to you by your instructor.
- Refund Letter How to Write a Refund Letter >samples2A letter written in order to receive a refund for a purchase made that was not satisfactory to the client who bought the product or service.
- Researching How to Research >samples4A necessary part of doing almost any academic assignment: learning and discovering more about your chosen subject. You will need to base your work on research to support your thesis statement and conclusions, or facts that you introduce in your piece of writing.
- Research Paper How to Write a Research Proposal >samples16A type of academic assignment that requires a student to conduct theoretical or empirical research (can be both) on a certain specific topic. Research papers vary in size - it can be a college level term paper of 15-20 pages, or a thesis or dissertation paper in support of one's candidature for a degree, in which case it is an extensive academic paper that is written over a long period of time.
- Research Proposal How to Write a Research Proposal >samples10A concise document written to outline and justify the necessity of conducting research on a certain specific topic. The justification can be based on lack of information on the subject, inconsistency of previous research or arousal of new questions as a result of earlier findings.
- Resignation Letter How to Write a Resignation Letter >samples10No matter how long one stays at a company, certain circumstances may force an individual to leave and begin their search for a new workplace. If you make a decision to quit, your only option is to do it properly by writing a resignation letter. A properly written resignation letter will not only help you leave your current job or position, but also make a good impression on your previous employers, and maintain a good relationship with them, thus making resignation a painless and comfortable process.
- Resume How to Write a Cover Letter >samples14A document an applicant has to provide when applying for a position or inquiring about an employment vacancy. It has to present concise information about educational and professional experience, as well as contain relevant information about personal traits, additional skills and interests of the applicant. It is usually accompanied by a cover letter or a motivational letter.
- Review How to Write a Book Review >samples74A short description or summary of a book, movie, play, article, etc. The main objective of a review is to give your readers a good idea about the piece of work you are reviewing, enriching it with your personal opinion on the matter and possibly with the opinion of critics.
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- Scholarship Essay How to Write an Admission Essay >samples19An academic document written to receive a scholarship to complete certain studies. Any scholarship essay is aimed at impressing the recruitment officers of the college or university of your choice that you are worthy of consideration, are highly motivated to excel in studying as well as to significantly contribute to college life and development.
- Screenplay How to Write a Screenplay >samples8A creative piece of writing upon which a movie, television show or film is based. A screenplay carries all the words that could be spoken by the actors, all the details about the scenario, and all the necessary set directions. The dialog, actions, expressions, and movements of the actors are detailed in a screenplay.
- Second Draft How to Craft the Second Draft of an Essay >samples2After a writer composes a first draft, a second draft is needed to refine the expression of the main points, the organization, the clarity of the thesis, and correct any technical errors.
- Short Story How to Write a Narrative Essay >samples50a genre of prose, normally composed in a narrative manner, which is smaller than a novel and usually has only one storyline. Like a narrative essay, it usually has a limited number of characters and, unlike a novelette or a novel, it evolves around one major problem, conflict or event. However, unlike a narrative essay, a short story can develop such an event, problem or conflict into a variety of directions, or show it from different perspectives as seen by the characters in the story.
- Song How to Write a Song >samples8A work of music that combines poetic verse that is often set to a rhythm, has rhyming phrases, and is composed of four sections: chorus, bridge, verse, and an introduction.
- Speech How to Prepare a Speech >samples16A short monologue dedicated to a certain specific topic that is usually aimed at persuading or motivating the audience towards a particular aim. Speeches can be formal (for a lecture, project presentation, school assignment, etc.) and informal (for one's birthday, engagement, retirement or any other occasion).
- Statement of Purpose How to Write an Admission Essay >samples19A short essay that a college or university entrant has to compose in order to introduce themselves to the admission committee. A statement of purpose needs to show one's previous education, work experience, career and academic goals, as well as what factors have influenced one's choice of a profession or major.
- Studying How to Organize A College Party >samples3The act of memorizing, understanding, and gaining knowledge.
- Stylistic Errors When a writer expresses their content with an incorrect tone, tense, word, or voice.
- Summary Essay How to Write a Summary Essay >samples24There are two basic types of summaries. First, a reader summary, that you compose to develop a better understanding of what you have read. Second, a summary essay, which is written for others and is a precis of the original text. The point of writing a summary essay is to convey an understanding of the essence of the source text to the readers, without them having to read it in its entirety.
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- Term Paper How to Write a Term Paper >samples11A type of academic assignment which usually comes down to a small research paper built around the material covered over an academic term: that is, a semester, or a whole academic year. It is used by examiners and instructors to estimate how well a student has understood, researched and incorporated the set material and activities associated with the course.
- Thesis How to Write a Thesis >samples2An extensive academic paper required for completion at the end of one's undergraduate or master's program (in the USA) or a postgraduate year (in the UK). A thesis is written in support of one's candidature for a certain degree and it usually contains a hypothesis, which the student develops during an entire course of study.
- Thesis Statement How to Write a Thesis Statement >samples4A sentence or two that clearly introduces the main point of your paper, its central message. Basically, a thesis statement comments on your position in regard to your chosen topic, and helps your readers keep track of your arguments.
- Transitions How to Make Your Writing Flow >samples4To make readers attention flow from one idea to another smoothly, and to make the paper readable by connecting its semantic parts and indicating their relationships, transition words and phrases are used.
- Travelogue How to Write a Travelogue >samples4A person’s account of a journey to another country or place. It can either be a written report with many factual details or a narrative story about personal impressions and experiences, supported by pictures, brochures and other illustrations. A good example of a travelogue is Marco Polo and other explorers’ diaries.
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- White Paper How to Write a White Paper >samples4Recently, white papers have become a popular marketing tool, especially in business. The main purpose of a white paper is to help clients, who are seeking solutions on certain issues, make informed decisions in favor of a product or a service that a company is offering. Generally speaking, white papers stand somewhere in the middle between an article and a promotional brochure. They contain useful information, show how a problem can be solved with the help of certain products or services, and they push readers towards purchasing those products or services.
- Word Order How the phrasing of a sentence is put. Some order of words are more natural sounding than others and follow grammatical guidelines.
- Writing Style How to Increase Your Productivity as a Writer (Part 2) >samples16The way a writer expresses oneself through syntax, format, phrasing, word usage, tone, and word choice.