Grammar Resources for Multilingual Writers
This page offers a variety of resources related to the common grammar errors made by advanced learners of English. Whether you’d like to improve your grammar, better understand a comment your professor made, or work with a tutor, you can find resources here that will support your efforts. If you have additional questions, please make an appointment with a writing tutor.
Understanding your Professors’ Feedback
Proofreaders’ marks: Some professors use proofreaders’ marks or abbreviations for comments on spelling, diction, capitalization, word order, etc. This resource provides a list of the most common ones.
Collections of Grammar Resources (covers more than grammar)
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Resources for Common Word and Sentence Level Grammar Issues
Commonly Confused Words (similar in sound)
Conditional Sentences (real and unreal conditionals, if/then sentences)
Nominalization (changing a verb or an adjective to a noun)
Phrasal Verbs in Academic English
Uncountable Nouns in Academic English
Resources for Finding the Right Verb
Most Common Verb Tenses in Academic Writing
How to use Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA)
This resource is great for deciding whether or not to use an article, finding the correct preposition, and deciding if you are using a colloquialism correctly. This website will show you how to use the corpus, and give you examples of what it can do: https://dukewritessuite.com/coca-corpus-of-contemporary-american-english/
Resources for Common Paragraph Level Grammar Issues
Connectors (Conjunctive Adverbs and Subordinating Conjunctions)
Run-On/Fused Sentences, and Comma Splices
Semi-Colons, Colons, and Dashes
Clauses
Clause structures and Verb Patterns (an overview)
Proofreading
Everyone should have their own individualized proofreading list that contains their weaknesses. The following sources offer ideas on how to proofread and how to create your own proofreading list.
How to Proofread (Purdue Owl)
Editing and Proofreading (North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Example of a Proofreading list (use it as an example to create your own)