Writing Development Strengthen your writing skills by learning about thesis statements and organizating and developing your ideas.

Writing Development Exercises

1. Writing strong paragraphs [RTF]
2. Understanding the writing process [RTF]
3. Writing Clear and Creative Introductions [RTF]
4. Building strong topic sentences [RTF] Answer Key [RTF]
5. Integrating and Citing Quotations [RTF]
6. Checking Essay Coherence and Unity [RTF]
7. Writing Interesting Conclusions [RTF]
8. What is the JEPET? [RTF]
9. Using transitions to connect words and ideas [RTF]
10. Writing effective thesis statements [RTF]
11. Outlines [RTF]

Writing Development Websites:

Understanding Tone & Voice: http://toolsforwriters.org/cwo/principles/thinkingrhetorically/Voice,%20Tone,%20and%20Persona.htm

This website from Tools for Writers gives an in-depth lesson on the different types of tone that writers can use in their papers. The site also offers advice on creating voice in a paper, as well as how to use different personas in your writing.

Understanding Audience: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/audience.html

The University of North Carolina has put together a nice synopsis of the academic audience, and how to effectively write for an academic audience. The site includes a distinction between the academic audience and the instructor, tips for appealing to an academic reader & how to identify what your audience expects of your paper.

Identifying Your Writing Purpose: http://www.aucegypt.edu/academic/writingcenter/writeresources/purpose.html

Ever have trouble figuring out the purpose of an assignment? If so, check out this site by The American University of Egypt because it gives a detailed guide to finding out the purpose of each assignment. The site also offers a section on certain words in an assignment denote different purposes.

Eliminating Wordiness: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/nova/nova8.htm

Do you find that your sentences are overly wordy? If so, practice your skills with Villanova University grammar guide.

Summarizing: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/summary.html

Want to know more about summarizing? The Literacy Education Online website has all the info you need including how to write, edit & revise a summary. The site also provides a detailed guide on how to read summaries. 

Thesis Statement: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

Have you been told that your thesis is too broad or that your paper doesn’t have a thesis? If so, you have to check out Indiana University’s website on how to improve your thesis. Indiana University provides you with the steps to generating a brilliant thesis for any paper topic, and, also, gives you many examples of winning thesis statements, so that you can see what a makes a good thesis. 

Using Evidence to Support Your Argument: http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~english/evidence.htm

As a college student, you are constantly being told to “use evidence to support your claims.” The John Jay College of Criminal Justice has built a website that tells you how to use evidence in your paper.

Structuring Paragraphs: http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/para.html

This site has resources on how to structure a paragraph including: topic sentences, supporting sentences, the concluding sentence & how to add supporting details to a paragraph.

Organizing Paragraphs: http://www.english-zone.com/writing/para-strctr.html

If you are looking for a template to write your paragraphs, check out this site by English-Zone because it provides you with a graphic organizer that you can model all your paragraphs on.

Transitions: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/transitions.html

If you are looking to improve your transitions, make sure you check out the University of North Carolina’s page on transitions. This site includes: models for how to use transitions, lists of transition words & a guide to the different meanings of transitions.

Introductions: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/introductions.html

The University of North Carolina maintains an excellent guide for structuring your introductions. Make sure to check out the sections on strategies for writing an effective introduction, proofreading introductions & the sections on ineffective introductions.

Writing an Argument with Clarity: http://www.wheaton.edu/learnres/writectr/Resources/clarity.htm

Wheaton University maintains this web site about how to write a clear & concise argument. The site includes info on how to check your assumptions, supporting your position & on how to check your diction.

Writing with Clarity in a Sentence: http://www.writingwithclarity.com/writing/tips.asp

This site includes ways to expand your vocabulary, the distinctions between similar words & info on common comma errors.

Writing Conclusions: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Conclusions.html

If you are having trouble with Conclusions, check out these tips from the faculty at Harvard University. They offer advice on how to start a conclusion, different ways to wrap up your conclusion & a list of things you should NEVER do in a conclusion. 

Paraphrasing: http://library.duke.edu/research/plagiarism/cite/paraphrase.html

Not sure about how to paraphrase? Check out Duke University’s site on how to paraphrase correctly in MLA, APA & Chicago style. The site offers examples in each style, as well as tips on how to improve your paraphrasing.

Avoiding Plagiarism: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml

Indiana University has put together a wonderful site on how to avoid plagiarism in your writing. Make sure you not only check out the helpful hints, but, also, the examples of incorrect citation.

Pre-writing using Brainstorming and Listing: http://www.strategictransitions.com/idea%20maps.htm

If you want help learning how to brainstorm by listing, check out this site from Strategic Transitions. The site is full of examples on the different ways you can use listing to brainstorm.

Pre-writing using Freewriting: http://www.humboldt.edu/~tdd2/Freewriting.htm

Humboldt State University has put together a comprehensive guide on how to use freewriting to stimulate your essay development.

Pre-writing Strategies: http://www.osmania.ac.in/e-Education/Study%20Guides/rough_drafts.htm\

University of St. Thomas offers the ultimate guide to all pre-writing strategies! The site includes, examples, graphic organizers & strategies using each pre-writing strategies.

Practice with Topic Sentences: http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/topic.ht

The University Toronto provides a web site that focuses on effective strategies for constructing topic sentences. Make sure you check out the section on where a topic sentence is places in a paragraph.