| A grammar and rhetoric text-- probably a text you once used in a college-level composition course--and a desk dictionary should be part of your personal reference library. Consult these books as needed. |
| Microsoft Word and other commercial word-processing software include excellent spellcheck programs. Use them. But remember that a spellcheck program will not alert you to misused homonyms (i.e., "there" instead of "their") or to misspellings that are also real words. So don't forget to carefully proofread a draft printout of your essay. Don't try to proofread on screen; don't proofread immediately after you have finished typing an essay. |
| Grammar check programs used in commercial word processing software are less useful than spellcheck programs. However, if English is not your first language you will want to use grammar check to highlight anyt problems in your use of verb tenses and prepositions. Native speakers might want to use grammar check to highlight the use of passive voice constructions or to point out wordiness. |
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| Here are some online resources for rules of grammar, punctuation, and style |
• Literary Research • Grammar Guide • Blackboard Guide •
© 2005 Agatha Taormina
Last Revised: November 15, 2006