Readings & Resources for Writers
One of the most effective ways to improve our own writing is to spend time reading the best writing of others. This collection of notable essays, speeches, and articles from the past 400 years offers some very good reading indeed. Also, learn more about grammar and composition from the best reference works, online writing labs, ESL sites, editors' blogs, Q&A pages, and much more.
Classic British and American Essays and Speeches
From the works of Francis Bacon and Daniel Defoe to those of Virginia Woolf and Martin Luther King, Jr.: 70 of the greatest essays and speeches by British and American writers over the past four centuries.
From the works of Francis Bacon and Daniel Defoe to those of Virginia Woolf and Martin Luther King, Jr.: 70 of the greatest essays and speeches by British and American writers over the past four centuries.
60 Essays: Contents of Essay Samplers
To help you find essays that match your own interests and concerns, the contents of the five Essay Samplers have been organized here by author, title, and theme.
To help you find essays that match your own interests and concerns, the contents of the five Essay Samplers have been organized here by author, title, and theme.
Essay Sampler: Models of Good Writing (Part I)
The authors of the twelve essays gathered here include the most famous American essayist of the 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and three of the finest essayists of the 20th century--Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and E. B. White.
The authors of the twelve essays gathered here include the most famous American essayist of the 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and three of the finest essayists of the 20th century--Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and E. B. White.
Essay Sampler: Models of Good Writing (Part 2)
A pair of essays by Mark Twain, an account of a prayer revival by H. L. Mencken, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech: these works and others vividly illustrate the principles of effective writing.
A pair of essays by Mark Twain, an account of a prayer revival by H. L. Mencken, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech: these works and others vividly illustrate the principles of effective writing.
Essay Sampler: Models of Good Writing (Part 3)
Read Zora Neale Hurston on "the eternal feminine," Jo Goodwin Parker on poverty, Lewis Lapham on the case for impeaching George Bush: another dozen essays and articles--most published within the past few decades, but one almost 300 years old.
Read Zora Neale Hurston on "the eternal feminine," Jo Goodwin Parker on poverty, Lewis Lapham on the case for impeaching George Bush: another dozen essays and articles--most published within the past few decades, but one almost 300 years old.
Essay Sampler: Models of Good Writing (Part 4)
Read Jack London's first-person account of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, George Orwell's advice on how to halt the decline of the English language, Gore Vidal's proposal for ending drug addiction in the U.S.--and nine other powerful essays by notable British and American writers.
Read Jack London's first-person account of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, George Orwell's advice on how to halt the decline of the English language, Gore Vidal's proposal for ending drug addiction in the U.S.--and nine other powerful essays by notable British and American writers.
Essay Sampler: Models of Good Writing (Part 5)
Our fifth and final essay collection includes classic pieces by Francis Bacon, Benjamin Franklin, and Virginia Woolf alongside works by such contemporary writers as Garrison Keillor, Steve Martin, and Stephen King.
Our fifth and final essay collection includes classic pieces by Francis Bacon, Benjamin Franklin, and Virginia Woolf alongside works by such contemporary writers as Garrison Keillor, Steve Martin, and Stephen King.
E.B. White's Drafts of "Once More to the Lake"
It's remarkable what a good writer can do with a seemingly dull subject--though it may take a bit longer than usual to complete the assignment. In this case, the good writer was E.B. White, and the essay that took more than a quarter century to write was "Once More to the Lake."
It's remarkable what a good writer can do with a seemingly dull subject--though it may take a bit longer than usual to complete the assignment. In this case, the good writer was E.B. White, and the essay that took more than a quarter century to write was "Once More to the Lake."
Ten Blogs for Writers
Visit some of the more popular and useful blogs hosted by (and designed for) editors, writers, and teachers of writing.
Visit some of the more popular and useful blogs hosted by (and designed for) editors, writers, and teachers of writing.
Grammar and Usage Advice Sites
For answers to questions about some of the finer and fussier aspects of the language, visit these three question-and-answer sites--all of them hosted by publishers of major style and usage guides.
For answers to questions about some of the finer and fussier aspects of the language, visit these three question-and-answer sites--all of them hosted by publishers of major style and usage guides.
Sites for Correcting Common Sentence Errors
The five websites described here focus on the most common errors in English: how to recognize those errors and (more importantly) how to correct them.
The five websites described here focus on the most common errors in English: how to recognize those errors and (more importantly) how to correct them.
Reading About Writing at About.com
Grammar & Composition is one of a number of sites at About.com that can help you to improve your writing skills. If you can't find what you're looking for here, consider visiting one or more of these other helpful sites at About.com
Grammar & Composition is one of a number of sites at About.com that can help you to improve your writing skills. If you can't find what you're looking for here, consider visiting one or more of these other helpful sites at About.com
The Lighter Side of Language at Grammar & Composition
Humorous, provocative, and sometimes bizarre stories about grammar, rhetoric, and the English language. Drawn from the blog of Grammar & Composition, here are some of the more notable linguistic occasions that have left us smacking our foreheads--in amazement, vexation, or unabashed delight.
Humorous, provocative, and sometimes bizarre stories about grammar, rhetoric, and the English language. Drawn from the blog of Grammar & Composition, here are some of the more notable linguistic occasions that have left us smacking our foreheads--in amazement, vexation, or unabashed delight.
Web Sites for Language Lovers
If you consider yourself a "logophile" (that is, a lover of words), these websites are for you. Crisscrossing the fields of linguistics, journalism, and lexicography, these sites offer insights into the English language from a variety of perspectives--all of them (we think) fascinating.
If you consider yourself a "logophile" (that is, a lover of words), these websites are for you. Crisscrossing the fields of linguistics, journalism, and lexicography, these sites offer insights into the English language from a variety of perspectives--all of them (we think) fascinating.
Daily Word Sites: Learn a New Word Every Day
Here are three of our favorite word-of-the-day sites: all are free and available through e-mail subscriptions.
Here are three of our favorite word-of-the-day sites: all are free and available through e-mail subscriptions.
Copyediting Terms
Copyediting is the work that an editor does to improve a manuscript and prepare it for publication. Here we reveal some of the jargon of the copyediting trade: 140 terms and abbreviations used by editors in their efforts to produce copy that is clear, correct, concise, consistent, and comprehensible.
Copyediting is the work that an editor does to improve a manuscript and prepare it for publication. Here we reveal some of the jargon of the copyediting trade: 140 terms and abbreviations used by editors in their efforts to produce copy that is clear, correct, concise, consistent, and comprehensible.
Five Extreme Language Blogs for Grammar Geeks
We're venturing here into the outer limits of language studies, to that point in cyberspace where prescriptive grammar turns into wacky obsession. Enjoy the ride.
We're venturing here into the outer limits of language studies, to that point in cyberspace where prescriptive grammar turns into wacky obsession. Enjoy the ride.
2008 Blog Archive for Grammar & Composition
Appearing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Grammar & Composition blog at About.com covers a wide variety of topics related to the English language.
Appearing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Grammar & Composition blog at About.com covers a wide variety of topics related to the English language.
Cliché Sites for Writers and Editors
Clichés are the enemy of fresh and engaging prose, but before we can eliminate clichés from our writing, we need to be able to recognize them. These web sites can help us to do just that.
Clichés are the enemy of fresh and engaging prose, but before we can eliminate clichés from our writing, we need to be able to recognize them. These web sites can help us to do just that.
Online Writing Labs
Many colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada host exceptional online writing labs (OWLs). Here are five of the very best.
Many colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada host exceptional online writing labs (OWLs). Here are five of the very best.
2007 Blog Archive for Grammar & Composition
Essay exams, sentence combining, participial phrases, Mr. Whipple, Bushisms, quote abuse, Mark Twain, spell checkers, Pink Floyd, wild apostrophes, lost hyphens, Monty Python, sprezzatura, Homer Simpson, and more: a roundup of blogs from Grammar & Composition.
Essay exams, sentence combining, participial phrases, Mr. Whipple, Bushisms, quote abuse, Mark Twain, spell checkers, Pink Floyd, wild apostrophes, lost hyphens, Monty Python, sprezzatura, Homer Simpson, and more: a roundup of blogs from Grammar & Composition.
Reference Works for Writers
Despite the ready availability of spell checkers, grammar programs, and online dictionaries and style guides, every serious writer still needs a few good reference books by her side.
Despite the ready availability of spell checkers, grammar programs, and online dictionaries and style guides, every serious writer still needs a few good reference books by her side.
Business Writing Sites
Business writers are often called on to compose special kinds of projects (such as memos, letters, reports, and proposals) that follow distinctive conventions. To learn more about those conventions, visit one of these outstanding web sites for business writers.
Business writers are often called on to compose special kinds of projects (such as memos, letters, reports, and proposals) that follow distinctive conventions. To learn more about those conventions, visit one of these outstanding web sites for business writers.
English as a Second Language Sites
Here are five superior web sites for students and teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL).
Here are five superior web sites for students and teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL).