The Most Helpful Resources Available for Proofreading, Grammar, and Writing

Can't seem to get the grades you want on your papers? Don't get discouraged. Writing takes practice and time. Compiled below are the best resource guides both on and off the Internet on proofreading, grammar, and writing. Before beginning your next paper, take a moment to puruse these sites. By simply learning some basic tricks of the trade, you will be far better off when tackling your next assignment.

Proofreading Guides

BBC has a fantastic resource for aspiring proofreaders that includes an introduction to proofreading and how to avoid common mistakes, printable practice worksheets, and a proofreading quiz to test your knowledge.

Colorado State University has a section on its website entitled Proofreading Strategies. It covers how to conquer problem areas, provides a proofreading checklist, and has a sample.

Common Proofreading Symbols lists, as the title suggests, common proofreading symbols. This can be incredibly helpful for students who get papers back marked up in red ink and can't decipher the teachers' seemingly foreign language.

Purdue Online Writing Lab has compiled perhaps the best proofreading resource on the Web. It has general strategies, sections on proofreading for errors, proofreading for suggestions, revising for cohesions, and steps for revising. It also has excellent suggested resources.

Quick and Dirty Tips' Grammar Girl gives excellent and concise advice for anybody looking to improve their proofreading skills quickly.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a great proofreading page that includes tips, advice on editing for structure, clarity, and style, and additional resources.

The University of Wisconsin – Madison has a fantastic page sponsored by its Writing Center that gives students advice on proofreading, including preparation that should be done before students begin proofreading and easy tips to follow when proofreading.

Virginia Tech offers a page on proofreading that goes over tips, common mistakes, and easy solutions to said mistakes.

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Grammar Guides

Capital Community College Foundation publishes its own grammar guide that covers word and sentence structure, coherence, tone, formatting, parts of speech, and frequently asked questions.

The Online Grammar Guide provides you with a list of confusing grammatical issues. By clicking on one, it will provide you with a quick summary of the official rule.

Schoolhouse Rock – Alright, it may sound silly, but Schoolhouse Rock is actually very helpful. The songs cover a great deal of grammar basics that can help you understand more complex issues. Plus, they're fun. If you want more than simply the lyrics, type in "Schoolhouse Rock" to YouTube and you should get a plethora of results.

The University of Chicago has probably the best grammar resource guide on the Web. If you truly need some in-depth answers to grammar questions, this is the place to start.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a fantastic grammar handbook for its students. It covers the parts of speech, phrases, clauses, sentences and sentence elements, and common usage problems. It is an excellent resource for any student.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has a great grammar guide that covers comma use, formatting, dangling and misplaced modifiers, subject – verb agreement, and fragments and fused sentences. It offers plenty of examples.

The University of Ottawa has a great resource for its students. It covers the parts of speech, punctuation, pronouns, verbs, modifiers, building phrases, clauses, and sentences, spelling, and even diction.

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Writing Guides

Bowdoin College Writing Guide is an excellent source for those looking to improve their academic writing. While its focus is specifically for history majors, the concepts it covers can apply to any number of subjects. It covers reading primary and secondary sources, how to make good observations, research papers, and structuring essays properly.

Colorado State University has a writing guide that provides information on conducting research, planning, drafting, and organizing, revising and editing, and different writing genres.

The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing is published by Washington College and covers style, structure, mechanics, and conclusions of papers.

The Ultimate Style Guide Resources for MLA, APA, Chicago, and CSE has arguably the most comprehensive list of good style guide links on the Internet at present time. If you are confused about a certain style, this is the place to check with first to get the right information. Further, the list also has several links to free style guide generators.

World Wide Web boasts the tag line, "Michael Quinion writes on international English from a British viewpoint." Although the site can be a bit difficult to navigate, the articles, reviews, questions and answers, and other word fun Quinion dabbles with are intriguing and delightful to read.

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Proofreading and Grammar Books

Barron's Painless Grammar (Barron's Painless Series) uses humor and easy-to-understand examples to appeal to the younger generation. As the title suggestions, this book will make grammar seem painless.

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation clearly presents grammar rules. It includes exercises for practice, tests, and many straight forward tips.

Grammatically Correct is a great guide for anybody who values correct grammar (and all of you should). In the book she tackles such grammar puzzlers as lie versus lay, and quotes from popular individuals like Woody Allen, Mark Twain, and Vikram Seth.

McGraw-Hill's Proofreading Handbook is a fantastic book for anybody hoping their documents are flawless. Written by Laura Anderson, an experienced editor and proofreader, the book takes you through the proofreading process in an easy to understand and follow way.

On Writing Well is an essential book for anybody who fancies himself a writer. He covers style, grammar, business writing, technical writing, sports, and humor.

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