The general rule with semicolons: before and after a semicolon, there needs to be independent clauses, or phrases that could be complete sentences. When to Use a Semicolon: 1. To combine two sentences that have no conjunction (but, yet….). Example:…
Writing Guides - Page 3
AcademicHelp.net has a database of free guides on writing academic papers to provide you with guidelines, tips, and hints while writing any paper.
How to Use Commas
The general rule for commas is that we use them to make reading more understandable by separating parts of a sentence so that readers don’t get confused about what a certain text means. When to Use a Comma 1. Separating…
Proper Use of Dashes
There are two types of dashes: the en dash ( – ) and em dash ( — ). When to Use the En Dash: 1. To show periods of time. Example: I will be in Poland from the 23rd-25th of…
Subordinate Clauses
What’s the Difference Between Independent and Subordinate Clauses? English sentences can exist in the form of both independent and subordinate clauses. An independent clause is a complete sentence that contains a subject, a verb, and conveys a complete thought (or…
How to Avoid Mistakes
What is a Misspelling? Mistakes are a regular part of academic writing. In its turn, one of the most common mistakes is misspelling. Simply put, misspelling something is writing a word down incorrectly. Misspelling can happen due to different reasons,…
Information Sources
Every essay should be supported with specific facts and evidence—this is one of the main rules of academic writing. Respectively, students should keep in mind the necessity of presenting quotations, citing references properly, and other bothersome work. However, when making…
Quotation Marks
Why Do We Need Quotation Marks? Quotation marks are needed to mark a phrase or sentence as a quotation, direct speech, or literal title or name. e.g. “Whoa, guys, did you launch a hurricane here?” Jim asked when he entered…
How to Write Vague or Detailed
What is Vague Writing? Vague writing stems from writers that have the inability to express exactly what they want to say. Instead of directly and clearly describing key points, such an author would use generalizations, avoid specifics and concrete naming,…
Writing an Argument
What is an Argument? An argument is a claim that one uses to support a thesis statement. Arguments can be inserted in text in the form of facts, statistical data, references to credible sources, logical constructions, and so on. The…
Rules for Capitalization
What is Capitalization? To capitalize a word in the English language means to begin it with a capital letter. In the English language, there are many rules regarding capitalization. When is Capitalization Needed? 1. The first word in a sentence…
Varieties of Sentences
Why is Sentence Variety Important? One of the commonly ignored factors that influence the quality and comprehensibility of an essay is sentence variety. Many writers, especially amateurs, do not pay proper attention to how their writing sounds in general; as…
Rules of Punctuation
Period (.) End a sentence. Example: I love you more now. Question Mark (?) – End a sentence and show a question/inquiry. Example: Have you been there before? Exclamation Point (!) – End a sentence and show excitement or emphasis.…
Tone in Writing
What is a Tone of an Essay? A tone of an essay is the way it sounds to a reader in general. In most cases, the tone depends on the purpose of your paper; for example, if you criticize something,…
Word Order in English Sentences
Word Order in Positive Sentences The basic rule of English syntax for positive sentences is that between a subject and an object of a sentence there should be a verb (or a predicate). Simply put, English sentences have the following…
Fragmented Sentences
How to Recognize a Fragment? A fragment is a sequence of words that begins with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark: usually a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark. However, there is a significant difference…
How to Use Prepositions Properly
What are Prepositions Needed for? Prepositions are parts of a sentence needed to connect nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns to other parts of a sentence. The most common English prepositions are the following: at, in, into, on, of, to, with,…
Word Repetition
What is Wrong about Repetition? “Word rep.” is supposedly one of the most frequent comments left by teachers on papers submitted by their students. Though word repetition is not as bad as grammatical mistakes, for example, it is still recommended…
Word Order in English Questions
Word Order in English Questions The word order in English questions is the same as in positive sentences: subject — verb (predicate) — object. The main difference is you need to put an auxiliary verb (which depends on the time…
Run-On Sentences Rules
What is a Run-On Sentence? Students who study English as a second language rather often face the problem of long sentence lengths. Sometimes the sentences they compose can be too short, or lack subject-verb agreement—in this case, they are called…
Main Stylistic Mistakes
Using Passive Voice Too Often Passive voice is needed when you want to make an emphasis on an object that has undergone certain changes or actions, or when a subject is unknown. Passive voice also sounds more formal and “clever” than…