Student Assistance

Language Resources

This page contains links to web sites which, in our opinion, hold repositories of resources which are necessary for academic education and exchange.
Displaying a link to a given site does not indicate that we subscribe to its content, morality or mission. To be used at your own discression.

Writers' Questions, Errors, and Usage

• Common Errors in English A helpful guide to several hundred errors, as well as pages on non-errors, misspelled words, and other good resources. Compiled by Paul Brians, Professor of English, at Washington State University.
• alt.usage.english FAQ - The alt.usage.english FAQ in HTML format.
• American English - The UK Web Library American/British translation. Notes on American English.
• Linguistic Phenomena/Devices - A list of some of the lesser known linguistic phenomena and devices used in English writing. You actually know what most of these are, you just didn't know what they were called.
• Loquacious Language - A column (running for three years) devoted to language by Michael Tseng.
• Plain English Campaign - We help to destroy gobbledygook, legalese, small print and bureaucratic language. Crystal Mark Award for good use of plain English.
• Style and Usage Here you'll find everything you'll ever want to know about correctly using the parts of speech and sentence structure -- plus a section on punctuation, with tips to improve your writing, reduce writing errors, increase consistency, avoid bias and figure out the mysteries of abbreviations and capitalization.
• Good Grammar, Good Style Helen Moody, Ph.D., Professional Training Co., New Mexico.  Articles on acronyms, passive writing[,] and the serial comma, and answers to frequently asked questions about grammar terms, verbs, pronouns, spelling, punctuation and other topics.
• Some Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Melisa Michaels of Hawaii, author of seven novels -- six science fiction and one mystery. Commentary on the apostrophe, phrase matching, spelling, identifying pronouns and being consistent.
• Frequently asked questions The excellent collection compiled by Mark Israel.
• Keith Ivey's English Usage Page Contains many valuable discussions of grammar, style, and usage.
• alt.usage.english A newsgroup
• Common English Errors is a new Web site which simply and entertainingly explains a number of common spelling and usage errors in English.
• Misktakes in Writing features The Standard Deviations of Writing by Roger MacBride Allen. Errors in style and substance are addressed in detail.
• Nayden's Haven for Frustrated English Students
• Editing Tips -- Common Grammar Problems.

Words, Wit, & Wisdom

• The Word Detective
• Focusing on Words
• dictionary.com - “Words, words, words...” Search and browse online dictionaries of English. Plus computer jargon, grammar, usage and style.
• Origin of Phrases - You probably know what these phrases mean, you may use them yourself. But why do they mean what they do? Phrases usually have meaning that goes beyond the words in the phrase.
• Phrase Finder - Does for phrases what a thesaurus does for words.
• Wilton's Etymology Page - Where words come from is a fascinating subject, full of folklore and historical lessons.
• A Word With You - A daily on-line column, featuring little known facts about well known words and phrases.
• Word Wizard - A round trip across the English language: word or phrase origins, new words, quotations, insults, slang, Public Scribe service and competitions!
• WordNet - An online dictionary that you can explore in different directions, finding words that mean the same, are more general, more specific - as well as getting a brief description.
• World Wide Words - Explores some of the byways history, quirks, curiosities and evolution of the English language.
• Ye Olde English Sayings - Some romantic but dubious and some authentic phrase origins. Subscribe to the Words Discussion Group.
• Focus on Words
• Experience the Wonder of Words with Focusing on Words. This advanced English-language site allows you to experience the wonder of words and the English language through a series of word activities.

English as a Second or a Foreign Language

• English as a Second Language Home Page
• ESL Web Guide
• EF Englishtown
• Frizzy University Network (FUN)
• BritSpeak - English as a second language for Americans.

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