write an essay on the mechanics of writing

English Mechanics 101: What Are Writing Mechanics? (Definition and Examples)

If you want to learn more about English mechanics, this is the article for you. You'll learn what the main aspects of mechanics are, how to use them in your writing, and why you should.

• English Mechanics are the rules that govern written language. They tell you how to write in a way that is coherent and standardized.

This article is part of our free online Grammar Book .

The Main Parts of English Mechanics

English mechanics provide a way to standardize writing so that you may get your message across effectively. They're the rules you look to when you're unsure which punctuation to use or whether to capitalize a word, to mention just a couple of examples.

In other words, they cover the technical aspects of writing in English. It's like when you have a car. You may know how to drive it, but there are mechanics involved, too, if you want to keep your vehicle on the road. Do your tires meet the legal requirements? Do you have the right level of oil? How should you position your seat? These mechanical aspects ensure you can drive your car safely and according to legal standards.

• Knowing about English mechanics accomplishes the same thing: it ensures your writing meets the standard rules.

So why should you care about English mechanics? Well, I think it's safe to say that when you write, you want to be understood by your readers, right? You don't want to be misunderstood, do you? That's what understanding mechanics will help you to do. It ensures you express yourself with accuracy.

The four main aspects of English mechanics include:

Capitalization

Punctuation.

Let's take a look at these one by one.

Word order, also known as sentence patterns, tells us which order we should place the words in our sentence. You can't just place words wherever you like, as this affects the sentence's meaning. In order to communicate effectively, you must know that certain parts of speech must be placed in specific parts of the sentence.

The most basic sentence pattern is:

[Subject] + [Verb]

That could look like this:

I am sleeping. 

You might want to add other parts of speech to make your sentence more complex. There are sentence patterns for these cases, too. For instance, if you want to add an adjective, you should remember to always place it before the subject. And objects come after the subject and verb.

Here are some more example sentence patterns:

[Subject] + [Verb] + [Adjective] + [Noun] I used brown sugar.  [Adjective] + [Subject] + [Verb] + [Adverb] The excited puppy barked loudly. [Subject] + [Verb] + [Direct Object]  I study English mechanics.  [Subject] + [Verb] + [Indirect Object] + [Direct Object]  We sent everyone an invitation.

These are just a few of the possible combinations. If you'd like to learn more, check out our blog on sentence patterns .

Knowing whether or not to capitalize or word can be tricky business. Also, different style guides might advocate for slightly different practices.

• Capitalizing a word means you start it off with an uppercase letter.

There are seven instances when you should use a capital letter at the beginning of a word, and those are:

• The first word of the sentence You look fantastic tonight!
• Proper nouns Is it ok if we bring our dog, Rex ?
• The pronoun 'I.' It's high time that I get my own place.
• The first word after a colon (if it's a complete sentence) You must keep track of your main goal: You need to graduate with a scholarship.
• The first word of a quote (if it's a complete sentence) As Gandhi said: " Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
• Most words in titles Have you ever watched The Shawshank Redemption?
• Titles and honorifics (if followed by the person's name) I'd like to introduce Sir Paul McCartney.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you spelling is a major aspect of English mechanics and is essential in getting your message across accurately. One big reason for this is that English words don't tend to be spelled the way they sound, so you'll need to be familiar with spelling conventions in order to avoid errors.

As well as this, there are homophones to content with: words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Getting the spelling right for these words is key so your reader knows what you mean.

Look at the following words, for example:

• 'Ware' vs 'wear'
• 'Isle' vs 'aisle'
• 'Sow' vs 'sew'

The spelling makes all the difference here because when you hear them out loud, they sound like the same word, but when you write them down, you see they are different.

Of course, a spellchecker can always help with this, and we're lucky to live in an age where these are available, so we can ensure our writing is error-free before publishing/handing it in. But it's good practice to familiarize yourself with the different spelling rules over time so that you're not entirely relying on your spellchecker.

To learn more about the spelling rules, check out our article on the topic.

Without punctuation, our writing would just be a jumbled-up mess of words; it would be impossible to make any sense of it.

There are three different types of punctuation:

• punctuation to end a sentence
• punctuation to mark a pause
• punctuation for quotations
• punctuation to edit words

Punctuation to End a Sentence

Exclamation points , question marks , and periods are the three kinds of punctuation you can use to end a sentence. They help the reader know if you're expressing emotion, asking a question, or simply making a statement.

Here's an example sentence for each of these:

Oh wow, that's great news! What's your name? Sorry to hear that you lost your job.

Punctuation to Mark a Pause

Most kinds of punctuation are intended to mark a pause or separate a piece of information from the rest of the sentence. Some of the most commonly used ones are commas , colons , semicolons , and parentheses .

Let's take a look at what these look like in a sentence:

I'd like a blueberry muffin, a flat white and a glass of water, please. Today we're going to be discussing a topic dear to my heart: English mechanics.  She's skipping movie night ; she isn't a big fan of the action genre. Everything I set out to do today (clean the house, fix my car and eat a nourishing meal) was a complete and utter success.

Punctuation for Quotations

This category's pretty straightforward: it's the kind of punctuation that allows you to demark quotations in your writing. These are called quotation marks . You can use either single or double quotation marks. The former tends to be more common in countries that use British English, and American English-speaking countries prefer the latter.

You can use quotations to directly quote what someone said, report dialogue , mention titles of works, or set words apart from the rest of the text.

Here are some examples:

" In three words I can sum up everything I've learned in life: It goes on ." — Robert Frost She asked, "Do you know anyone here?" John Donne's poem "No Man Is an Island" really resonated with me. He was nicknamed "The King of Pop".

Punctuation to Edit Words

The English language is very versatile. Though it contains a wide variety of words, we'll often use the same word in different ways to mean something different. That's where apostrophes and hyphens come in.

Apostrophes allow you to contract a word or form possessive nouns:

I've never been so happy to see you in my life. The young girl's speech was very moving.

Hyphens can be used to create compound words, connect a word with its prefix, and for numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine:

We live in a fast-paced world and it can be difficult to slow down. They host a bi-annual gala. In my class of thirty-six students there are only three boys.

Other Types of Punctuation

There are other kinds of punctuation that don't fit into the aforementioned categories but that still perform an essential role in English mechanics. Slashes and brackets are two examples.

Slashes are used to show a contrast or a connection between two things:

Dear Sir/Madam. Do you take sugar/milk?

Brackets allow you to add edits, comments, or further explanations for something you have said:

My mom always says "Carpe diem [ seize the day]"

To learn about the other punctuation marks not discussed here, visit our Grammar Book. We have an entire section on punctuation.

Other Aspects of English Mechanics

We've covered the main aspects of English mechanics, but there are others too. Many grammarians disagree on what constitutes mechanics vs grammar , so what you're reading here is just our take on what constitutes the building blocks of English mechanics.

But don't worry; there's no need to get stuck on semantics. The important thing is that you're familiar with all the rules, whether mechanics or grammar, and this is something you'll accomplish over time just by practicing and reading all our Grammar Book articles.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are shortened versions of words. They're not typically used in formal writing, but you will see them around, so it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with them. Plus, you can also use them in your writing to shorten your text/save time.

Here are some different examples of abbreviations:

Did you see that ad on TV for the new iPhone? He's from the FBI. They're raising money for UNICEF. I honestly had to LOL when he said that.

To learn more about abbreviations, check out our article on the topic .

Prefixes and Suffixes

• Prefixes are added to the beginning of words to change their meaning
• Suffixes are added to the end of words to change their form.

Most prefixes and suffixes are standardized, so learning about them can mean you'll be able to decode a word's meaning, even if you've never seen the word before. How cool is that?

For example, here are some prefixes that give the word its opposite meaning:

• de declutter deficient
• in inexpensive inadequate
• dis disadvantage disagree

Here are some examples of common suffixes that change a word into a noun:

• -acy private → privacy
• -ism optimist → optimism
• -ance maintain → maintenance
• -er train → trainer

If you want to learn more about prefixes and suffixes , we've got an article that covers everything you need to know. Check it out here.

Singular vs Plural

Nouns can be either singular or plural. Their basic form is singular; to pluralize them, you must follow a certain set of rules.

Sometimes it's as simple as adding -es  to the end of the word, like for words ending in  -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, or -x.

• bus → buses
• pass → passes
• church → churches

Sometimes you'll have the option to add either -es or -s , like with words ending in  -o.

• piano → pianos
• volcano → volcanoes
• hero → heroes

And other times yet, you'll need to change some of the letters in the word first. That might look like adding a -z and then the plural ending:

• quiz → quizzes

Or changing the - v  to an  -f:

• wife → wives

So yes, the rules are a bit more complex than simply adding an  -s  or an  -es , like many would like to believe. I would like to believe that myself, as it would make life much easier!

To learn about pluralization rules in more depth, check out this article .

Concluding Thoughts on English Mechanics

That concludes this article on English mechanics. I hope you found it helpful.

Let's summarize what we've learned:

• English mechanics exist to help us express ourselves accurately in writing.
• The four main aspects of English mechanics are word order, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
• Important aspects also include abbreviations, prefixes and suffixes, and pluralizing nouns.

If you found this article helpful and would like to learn more, check out our Grammar Book , a free online database of grammar articles just like this one.

Learn More:

• Singular and Plural: Understanding Singular and Plural Forms in English (Examples)
• Confusing Words: 51 Commonly Confused Words in English (Examples)
• Periods: When to Use Periods in Writing (Examples)
• Exclamation Points: When to Use Exclamation Points in Writing (Examples)
• Commas: When to Use Commas in Writing (Examples)
• Semicolons: When to Use Semicolons in Writing (Examples)
• Colons: When to Use Colons in Writing (Examples)
• Parentheses: When to Use Parentheses in Writing (Examples)
• Brackets: When to Use Brackets in Writing (Examples)
• Ellipses: When to Use Ellipses in Writing (Examples)
• Slash: When to Use Slash in Writing (Examples)
• Language Register in English Writing: Definition, Meaning, and Examples
• Hyperbole: What is Hyperbole in English? Definition and Examples
• Onomatopoeia: What is Onomatopoeia? Discovering Sound Words in English (Examples)
• Curse Words: What Are Bad Words in English to Call Someone? (Examples)

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Effective Writing Mechanics: Essential Guide & Tips

1. get to know the basics, grammar rules, punctuation guide, proper capitalization, 2. build your vocabulary, explore thesaurus, learn new words, use vocabulary apps, 3. write regularly, set writing goals, join writing groups, use writing prompts, 4. edit your work, proofread for errors, use editing tools, hire a proofreader, 5. learn from others, read quality writing, take writing courses, follow expert bloggers, 6. experiment with styles and tones, try different writing styles, adapt various writing tones, write in different genres, 7. engage your readers, use interactive content, respond to comments, create engaging titles, 8. stay motivated, set personal goals, celebrate small wins, keep a writing journal, 9. practice mindfulness, meditate for focus, practise mindful writing, stay present while writing, 10. reflect and improve, get feedback, analyse your progress, plan for improvement.

Have you ever pondered about the question: "what is mechanics in writing"? If so, you're in the right place. Writing mechanics are the nuts and bolts of language that make a piece of writing clear, fluid, and enjoyable to read. It's the underlying structure that holds your words together and gives them meaning. This blog aims to help you navigate the realm of writing mechanics with practical advice and actionable tips, making the complex simple and the daunting achievable. Let's start with the basics.

Learning the fundamentals of writing mechanics is like building a strong foundation for a house—it ensures everything else you build will stand strong. With a firm grasp of grammar rules, proper punctuation, and correct capitalization, you'll be able to express your thoughts accurately and impressively. Let's dig a bit deeper.

Grammar is the rulebook of writing—it's what helps us make sense of language. Here are a few key things to remember:

• Understand the eight parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
• Ensure your subjects and verbs agree. If your subject is singular, your verb should also be singular.
• Use correct verb tenses to express time accurately.

Remember: even the most interesting ideas can lose their appeal if they're tangled in grammatical errors. So, give grammar the attention it deserves.

Punctuation is like the traffic signals of writing—it guides the reader through your words, indicating when to pause, stop, or expect more. Here's a quick guide:

• A period (.) signals the end of a sentence.
• A comma (,) indicates a pause or separates items in a list.
• Colons (:) and semicolons (;) can be used to connect related sentences or divide complex lists.

Tip: Punctuation misuse can lead to confusion or misunderstandings, so it's worth taking the time to learn the rules.

Capitalization helps distinguish specific words, like proper nouns, from the rest of the text. Here are some capitalization rules:

• Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
• Capitalize proper nouns, which include names of people, places, organizations, and sometimes things.
• Do not capitalize common nouns unless they're at the beginning of a sentence.

Note: Incorrect capitalization can be a distraction to readers, so keep these rules in mind as you write.

Getting the basics right is the first step to understanding what mechanics in writing is all about. Once you've nailed these, you're ready to tackle more advanced aspects of writing mechanics.

Expanding your vocabulary is like adding more colors to your palette—it allows you to paint more vivid, precise pictures with your words. Let's look at some effective ways to build your vocabulary.

A thesaurus is a treasure trove of words. It's an invaluable tool to help you find synonyms (words that mean the same thing) and antonyms (words that mean the opposite). Here's how to make the most of a thesaurus:

• When you come across a word you're overusing, look it up in the thesaurus. You'll find a list of alternatives to add variety to your writing.
• Use a thesaurus to learn new words, but make sure to also learn their definitions to use them correctly.

Tip: While a thesaurus can enhance your writing, remember that simplicity often trumps complexity. Don't use complicated words when a simpler one will do.

Just like a chef needs to know a variety of ingredients to create different dishes, a writer needs a vast vocabulary to express diverse ideas. Here's how:

• Read widely and diversely: Books, newspapers, magazines, and even websites can be rich sources of new words.
• Use a word of the day calendar or app to learn a new word every day.
• When you encounter a word you don't know, look it up. Try to use it in a sentence to help remember it.

Remember: Language is continuously evolving, and so should your vocabulary. Challenge yourself to learn new words regularly.

In today's digital age, learning new words is as easy as tapping on your smartphone. Vocabulary apps like Magoosh, Vocabulary.com, and Anki can make learning new words fun and convenient. Here are some benefits:

• Most vocabulary apps feature a word of the day, flashcards, quizzes, and progress tracking.
• They allow you to learn at your own pace, whether you have a few minutes or an hour to spare.
• They make learning interactive, which can help improve retention.

Note: While apps can be helpful, they should supplement—not replace—reading as a means of building your vocabulary.

Building a robust vocabulary not only helps you express your ideas more precisely but also understand others better. It's an integral part of what mechanics in writing is all about.

Writing, like any skill, improves with practice. The more you write, the more you'll hone your mechanics in writing. Let's dive into some practical ways to write regularly.

Setting goals can give your writing practice direction and purpose. Here's how to set effective writing goals:

• Start with small, achievable goals like writing 200 words a day. Once you're comfortable with that, gradually increase your word count.
• Be specific about what you want to achieve. Instead of "I want to write more," say "I want to write a 500-word blog post every week."
• Hold yourself accountable. Track your progress, and celebrate your achievements—no matter how small.

Remember: The goal is not just to write more, but also to write better. Always strive to improve your writing mechanics.

Writing may be a solitary activity, but that doesn't mean you have to do it alone. Joining a writing group can provide support, feedback, and motivation. Here are some benefits:

• Writing groups can provide constructive feedback to help you improve your writing.
• They can offer encouragement, especially when you're feeling stuck or uninspired.
• You can learn from other writers' experiences and techniques.

Note: You can find writing groups in your local community or online. Choose one that aligns with your writing goals and interests.

Writing prompts can kickstart your creativity when you're feeling stuck or uninspired. They can be a word, a phrase, a situation, or even a picture. Here's how to use them:

• Choose a prompt that interests you. Don't feel limited by the prompt—let your imagination run wild.
• Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write without stopping or editing. This can help you get into the flow of writing.
• Use prompts to explore different genres, styles, and tones. It can help improve your versatility as a writer.

Tip: You can find writing prompts in books, websites, or even writing apps. Use them as a tool to practice and experiment with your writing.

Writing regularly is like exercise for your brain—it strengthens your writing muscles and improves your writing mechanics. So, grab your pen or keyboard and start writing!

Editing is a crucial part of writing mechanics. It's the stage where you refine your work, clarify your ideas, and eliminate errors. Let's delve into some ways you can effectively edit your work.

Proofreading is the process of checking for and correcting mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting. Here are some tips:

• Take a break before proofreading. Coming back to your work with fresh eyes can make it easier to spot errors.
• Read your work aloud. This can help you catch awkward sentences and misplaced punctuation.
• Use a spell-checker, but don't rely on it completely. It can miss homophones and context-specific errors.

Remember: Proofreading is not just about finding errors—it's also about making sure your writing is clear, coherent, and engaging.

Editing tools can help you catch errors and improve your writing. They can check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, as well as readability and style issues. Here's how to use them:

• Choose a tool that suits your needs. Some popular options include Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and ProWritingAid.
• Use them as a guide, not a rulebook. They can offer suggestions, but you're the one who knows your voice and message best.
• Don't forget to proofread even after using an editing tool. No tool can catch every error.

Note: While editing tools can be useful, they're not a substitute for understanding writing mechanics and editing skills. Use them as a complement, not a crutch.

If you're working on a big project or you want a professional touch, consider hiring a proofreader. A proofreader can provide a fresh perspective and catch errors you might have missed. Here's what to consider:

• Look for a proofreader who specializes in your type of writing. A proofreader experienced in academic writing might not be the best fit for a novel, for example.
• Be clear about your expectations. What do you want the proofreader to focus on—grammar, formatting, style, or all of the above?
• Remember to budget for this. While it can be a worthwhile investment, professional proofreading services do come with a cost.

Tip: You can find professional proofreaders on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or even LinkedIn.

Editing is like polishing a rough diamond—it can transform your writing from good to great. So, embrace the editing process and see your writing shine!

Learning from others is a crucial aspect of understanding what mechanics in writing is all about. It's about observing, understanding, and implementing the styles, techniques, and strategies of successful writers. Let's explore how you can learn from others to improve your writing mechanics.

Reading quality writing is a powerful way to learn. It exposes you to different styles, tones, and effective uses of language. Here are some strategies you can adopt:

• Read a variety of genres. From novels by Stephen King to research papers by Albert Einstein, different genres offer different lessons.
• Analyze what you read. Look at how the writer structures sentences, builds paragraphs, and uses punctuation. This is an excellent way to learn practical writing mechanics.
• Take notes. If a piece of writing impresses you, jot down why. Did they use a clever metaphor? Was their argument well-structured?

Remember: Reading is not just about consuming content—it's also about understanding how effective writing is crafted.

Writing courses are a structured way to learn writing mechanics. They can offer guided lessons, practical exercises, and expert feedback. Here's how to go about it:

• Choose a course that suits your needs. There are courses on everything from basic grammar to advanced narrative techniques.
• Engage fully with the course. Complete the exercises, ask questions, and take advantage of any feedback offered.
• Don't forget to apply what you learn. Practice is key to improving your writing mechanics.

Note: You can find a wealth of writing courses online, on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and even YouTube.

Following expert bloggers can offer insights into successful writing. You can learn from their style, their engagement strategies, and their content. Here are some tips:

• Choose bloggers who write about topics you're interested in. This will make your learning process more enjoyable.
• Take note of how they engage their readers. Do they use humor? Do they ask questions? Do they use storytelling?
• Try implementing some of their strategies in your own writing. Remember—it's not about copying, but about learning and adapting.

Tip: Some popular bloggers who are known for their excellent writing include Seth Godin (marketing), Maria Popova (culture), and Tim Urban (science and philosophy).

Learning from others is like standing on the shoulders of giants—it gives you a higher vantage point from which to improve your writing mechanics. Embrace the journey, and see your writing skills soar!

One of the best ways to understand what mechanics in writing truly means, is to experiment with different styles and tones. By varying your style and tone, you can discover your unique writing voice and learn how to adapt it to different contexts. Here's how to go about it.

Writing styles are like the clothes that language wears - they can completely change the perception of your words. Exploring different styles can teach you a lot about writing mechanics. Here are some steps to take:

• Explore styles across genres. Write a short story one day, a business report the next, and maybe a poem after that.
• Imitate the styles of writers you admire. This can help you understand the mechanics behind their writing.
• Experiment until you find a style that feels authentically yours. Your unique style is your trademark as a writer.

Remember: Trying different styles isn't about being inconsistent, but about understanding the vast possibilities of language.

Tone is the mood or attitude conveyed by your writing. Adapting your tone to suit different contexts is a key part of mastering writing mechanics. Here's how to get started:

• Write the same content in different tones. Try writing a cheerful blog post, a serious academic essay, and a satirical commentary.
• Take note of the words, sentence structures, and punctuation that set the tone in different pieces of writing.
• Practice adjusting your tone based on your audience and purpose. A speech for a wedding will have a different tone than a speech for a business conference.

Note: The right tone can make your writing engaging, persuasive, and memorable. So, don't be afraid to play around with it!

Writing in different genres can help you explore new perspectives and challenge your writing mechanics. Here's how to do it:

• Choose a genre you're unfamiliar with. This could be anything from science fiction to journalistic writing.
• Research the conventions and expectations of the genre. What makes a crime novel different from a romance novel?
• Write a short piece in your chosen genre. Remember, it's not about producing a masterpiece, but about learning and growing as a writer.

Tip: Writing in different genres can also help you discover new interests and expand your writing horizons.

Exploring different styles, tones, and genres is like a fun adventure in the world of writing. So, get ready to experiment and learn, and watch your understanding of writing mechanics deepen and evolve!

Writing is a two-way street. As you explore what mechanics in writing is, remember that a significant part of good writing involves engaging your readers. Here are a few strategies to help you connect with your audience better.

Interactive content is a great way to engage your readers and make your writing more memorable. Here's how you can incorporate it into your work:

• Use quizzes, polls, or surveys to encourage reader participation.
• Include infographics or interactive diagrams to explain complex concepts.
• Add a comments section where readers can share their thoughts.

Remember: Interactive content not only makes your writing more engaging but also helps you understand your readers better.

Responding to your readers' comments is an excellent way to build a community around your writing. Here's how to do it effectively:

• Thank your readers for their comments, even if they're critical. This shows that you value their input.
• Answer questions and provide additional information where necessary.
• Use readers' feedback to improve your writing. Their perspectives can help you understand the mechanics of writing from different angles.

Note: Responding to comments can take time, but it's worth it for the connection you'll build with your readers.

Engaging titles can draw readers in and make them eager to read your content. Here's how to craft compelling titles:

• Keep your titles short and clear. Avoid jargon and complex phrases.
• Make your titles intriguing but not misleading. The content should deliver what the title promises.
• Use powerful words that evoke emotion or curiosity.

Tip: A great title can make the difference between your content being read or ignored, so spend time perfecting it!

Engaging your readers is an art in itself, and mastering it can take your writing to new heights. So, as you explore the mechanics of writing, don't forget to keep your readers at the heart of your work!

Writing can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, but staying motivated is key. Even as you grapple with the question, "what is mechanics in writing?", maintaining your enthusiasm for the craft is crucial. Here are some ways to keep your writing spirit high.

Personal writing goals can help you stay focused and motivated. Here are some tips on setting effective goals:

• Set both short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal could be writing a certain number of words per day, while a long-term goal could be completing a novel in a year.
• Make your goals achievable but challenging. This can help you push your writing skills to the next level.
• Track your progress. Seeing how far you've come can be incredibly motivating.

Remember: Setting personal goals is like creating a roadmap for your writing journey. It keeps you on track and makes the destination seem achievable.

Celebrating small wins can boost your motivation and make the writing process more enjoyable. Here's how:

• Celebrate each completed chapter, blog post, or poem. These small victories are stepping stones to your larger goals.
• Share your accomplishments with others. Whether it's a supportive friend, a writing group, or your social media followers, sharing your progress can be motivating and rewarding.
• Give yourself a small reward for each achievement. This could be as simple as a cup of your favorite coffee or a walk in the park.

Tip: Celebrating small wins can make the writing process more enjoyable and keep your motivation levels high. It's all about enjoying the journey, not just the destination.

Keeping a writing journal can be a great source of motivation and a way to track your progress. Here's how you can use a writing journal:

• Record your daily writing achievements, no matter how small they may seem.
• Write down your thoughts, ideas, and inspirations. They could be useful for your future writing projects.
• Reflect on your writing journey. This can help you see how much you've grown as a writer.

Note: A writing journal is more than just a record of your writing—it's a tool that can help you stay motivated and inspired.

Staying motivated as you navigate the world of writing mechanics is key. With these strategies, you can keep your writing spirit high, no matter the challenges you face.

As you continue to explore "what is mechanics in writing", it's important to stay grounded and focused. Practicing mindfulness can bring clarity to your writing process and instill calmness in your practice. Here's how.

Meditation can help you clear your mind and focus on your writing. Consider these steps:

• Before you begin a writing session, take a few minutes to meditate. This can help clear your mind and prepare you for focused writing.
• Focus on your breath or a calming word or phrase during your meditation.
• Try to make meditation a part of your daily writing routine for maximum benefits.

Keep in mind: Meditation isn't about achieving a certain state—it's about being present and focused. This can greatly enhance your writing practice.

Mindful writing involves being present and focused while you write. Here's how to practice it:

• Before you start writing, take a moment to become aware of your surroundings. Notice the feel of the pen or keyboard under your fingers, the sound of your breath, the words forming in your mind.
• As you write, stay focused on the present moment and the words flowing from your mind to the page.
• When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your writing.

Remember: Mindful writing can help you write more clearly and creatively. It's about enjoying the process, not just the end result.

Staying present while writing can help you write more effectively and enjoy the process more. Consider these tips:

• Try to stay focused on your writing, without worrying about the past or the future.
• If you find your mind wandering, gently bring it back to the task at hand.
• Take regular breaks to rest and refocus.

Note: Staying present while writing isn't always easy, but it's worth the effort. It can bring a new level of depth and enjoyment to your writing practice.

Practicing mindfulness can bring calmness and clarity to your writing practice. As you continue to explore the mechanics of writing, remember to stay present and enjoy the process.

Understanding "what is mechanics in writing" is a journey that involves continuous learning and improvement. Here's how you can reflect on your progress and plan for improvement.

Receiving feedback is a powerful way to improve your writing. You can:

• Ask friends, family, or fellow writers to read your work and give their opinions.
• Consider their feedback and decide which suggestions can help improve your writing.
• Apply these suggestions in your next piece of writing.

Don't forget: Feedback is not about criticism, it's about growth. Every piece of advice is a step towards becoming a better writer.

Tracking your writing progress can help you see how far you've come and where you can improve. Here are some ways you can do this:

• Keep a record of the pieces you've written, noting the date, word count, and any feedback you received.
• Every few weeks or months, review your progress and note any patterns or improvements.
• Use this information to guide your future writing efforts.

Tip: Analysing your progress can help you appreciate your growth and inspire you to keep improving. It's a way of saying "look how far you've come!"

Once you've analysed your progress, it's time to plan for further improvement. Here's how:

• Identify areas where you'd like to improve. This might be grammar, vocabulary, or a specific aspect of writing mechanics.
• Create a plan to work on these areas. This might involve setting aside time for study, joining a writing group, or taking a course.
• Stick to your plan and review it regularly to ensure it's helping you reach your goals.

Remember: Improvement is a journey, not a destination. As you continue to learn about the mechanics of writing, celebrate your progress and always strive to do better.

Understanding "what is mechanics in writing" is a lifelong journey. By reflecting on your progress and planning for improvement, you can continue to grow and develop as a writer. And remember, every step you take is a step towards becoming a better writer.

If you're eager to improve your writing skills and learn more about the art of storytelling, be sure to check out Jessy Moussallem's workshop titled ' Scriptwriting '. This workshop provides valuable insights, tips, and techniques to help you craft compelling scripts and elevate your writing abilities to the next level.

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The Mechanics of Writing Composition

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

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• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , writing mechanics are the conventions governing the technical aspects of writing , including spelling , punctuation , capitalization , and abbreviations . Getting your main points together can be a challenge, and one solution is to put together a draft of main ideas before writing. Some writing textbooks also include issues related to usage and organization under the broad heading of mechanics. Here are the basics of writing mechanics for students and writers.

Writing Mechanics

"Teachers using a traditional, product-oriented approach tend to focus on the formal mechanical and technical aspects of writing while paying little attention to the individual writer's communicative purposes. Thus with this approach there is a danger that, for many children, writing will become an exercise in formal mechanics divorced from personal content and intentions." Joan Brooks McLane and Gillian Dowley McNamee,  Early Literacy . Harvard University Press, 1990

In written language,  spelling  is the correct arrangement of  letters  that form  words . To improve spelling skills, you can use a memory device known as mnemonics . This memorable phrase, acronym or pattern can come in handy for remembering something like the spelling of a word. You can also increase your reading skills, make a list of common words you often misspell or mark words in a dictionary that seem to give you trouble repeatedly.

Punctuation

Punctuation is the set of marks used to regulate  texts  and clarify their meanings, mainly by separating or linking words,  phrases , and  clauses .

" [R]evision  involves  critical thinking  about content, with secondary consideration to mechanics and neatness. This does not mean that technical aspects of writing can be ignored but that introductions to a revision that seems to privilege rote application of rules and neatness over critical interaction with text (however brief it may be for beginners) conveys entirely the wrong message to young authors. As children learn the cognitive processes involved in revision, they acquire the inclination to monitor and revise their work in all areas." Terry Salinger, "Critical Thinking and Young Literacy Learners." Teaching Thinking: An Agenda for the Twenty-First Century , ed. by Cathy Collins and John N. Mangieri. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1992)

Capitalization

Capitalization is the practice of using  capital letters  in writing or printing. Proper nouns , key words in  titles , and beginnings of  sentences  are generally capitalized . You will also want to capitalize the letter "I" under all circumstances.

"Capitalization and punctuation are the mechanics of writing. They are not simply rules that we must memorize and follow; they are specific signals to the reader. These mechanics are used to determine the meaning and to clarify intent. It is possible to change the connotation  of a sentence by altering punctuation and/or capitalization." ​ Maureen Lindner,  English Language and Composition . Career Press, 2005

Abbreviations

An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase, such as "D.C." for "District of Columbia."

"Mechanics, in theory, includes matters such as usage and spelling, as well as  hyphenation  and the use of  italics . Essentially, mechanics refers to a set of conventions—how to abbreviate and when to capitalize, for example." Robert DiYanni and Pat C. Hoy II,  The Scribner Handbook for Writers , 3rd ed. Allyn and Bacon, 2001

• revision (composition)
• Editing and Proofreading Marks in Composition
• Definition and Examples of Periods: Full Stop
• Best Practices for the Most Effective Use of Paragraphs
• Conventions of Editing House Style
• What's the Preferred Way to Write the Abbreviation for United States?
• 10 Tips for Using Abbreviations Correctly
• Writing Dates in Spanish
• 6 Traits of Writing
• What Is an Abbreviation?
• When To Capitalize Letters in Spanish
• Focusing in Composition
• The Difference Between Revising and Editing
• Abbreviations and Acronyms for English Learners
• How to Form a Balanced Sentence
• What is Copyediting?

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Writing Mechanics: The Secret to Effective Writing

In this article

Conveying your thoughts effectively in written form isn’t the easiest of things to do. It’s frustrating, not being able to get your point across because the reader can’t follow the flow of your sentences. This is where knowledge of the proper writing mechanics comes in.

Following the appropriate rules of writing is a tried and tested way of improving reader comprehension.

At our  content marketing agency , we review and compare the best writing apps and MasterClass classes so that you don’t have to. In this article, we’ll outline these rules, and the ways each one can be used effectively in your work. Before we begin though, let’s give you a bit of an idea of what writing mechanics actually are.

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What Are Writing Mechanics?

Writing mechanics are the established rules that should be followed when writing sentences. They go hand in hand with grammar as the standards to follow when writing and are an important way to effectively communicate ideas.

By consensus, the rules on grammar and writing mechanics have become the official standard. They aren’t set in stone though but using them as a guide is still a good idea.

#1: Parts of speech

The classifications of parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives among others is one of the most important things to know if you’re a writer. Knowing the difference between a verb and an adverb, or a preposition from a conjunction, plays a big part in being able to communicate effectively. It’s not really necessary to be familiar with the definitions of each, but knowing how to use them properly is.

#2: Parts of sentences

There are no hard and fast rules about making sentences.

This is actually a good thing, as it allows you a lot of leeway to exercise your creativity. Knowing the parts of sentences such as subjects, objects, phrases, and clauses helps to give your sentences cohesion.

Being able to observe harmony while being creative with sentence structure is the sign of a good writer.

#3: Sentence errors

Sometimes, even sentences that seem to be correct may still not follow proper writing mechanics.

Run-on sentences, dangling participles, and faulty parallelism among others, are easy to miss if you aren’t familiar with them. The only way to actually spot these errors is to know what to look for. Ultimately, you should be aware of these types of sentence errors to avoid committing them yourself. At our  content marketing age ncy , our writers use Grammarly to follow the appropriate writing mechanics.

#4: Subject-Verb agreement

Subject-verb agreement is easy to miss, especially for novice writers. Knowing the proper or singular forms of verbs and then matching them to the subject as is required makes your sentences easier to understand.

Subject-verb agreement also makes your work more enjoyable to read. Incorrect subject-verb agreement can be grating to a reader, especially if committed often in a single work.

#5: Capitalization

Improper capitalization may not exactly affect the meaning behind the words that you use, but it does help keep your sentences organized. Capitalization signals to a reader the important details in a sentence.

People, places, and ideas that are capitalized give them a hint as to the significance of that word. Capitalization also helps your sentences and paragraphs flow better as it signals the beginning of each sentence that you use.

#6: Punctuation

There’s a joke that can easily convey the importance of proper punctuation. The difference between ‘Let’s eat, Fred,’ and ‘Let’s eat Fred’ is a simple comma, but it changes the meaning significantly. One is a dinner invitation, the other is cannibalism!

Using the correct punctuation gives you the ability to convey your ideas to the reader exactly as you intended. Punctuation may be a small part of the sentence as a whole, but it definitely has a big impact.

#7: Spelling

No one really wants to see bad spelling, certainly not a discerning reader. Improper spelling takes away from your work and gives a reader fewer reasons to finish it.

Fortunately, most modern text programs have spell checkers that can identify errors. You really shouldn’t be too complacent though. Even spell checkers can miss words that are spelled correctly but used improperly.

#8: Abbreviations

Never use abbreviations that aren’t familiar to your readers unless you’re trying to hide the meaning intentionally. The best practice would be to use the full title first, followed immediately by the abbreviation.

Once this is done, you could use the abbreviation instead. Familiarize your reader with the abbreviations that you use, don’t let them have to wonder what they actually mean.

#9: Homonyms, homographs and homophones

This is a part of English speech that can easily confuse a novice writer. A lot of words in the English language sound alike or are spelled alike but have different meanings. The words ‘ there,’ ‘their,’ and ‘they’re,’ or ‘you’re’ and ‘your’ come easily to mind. They sound the same but are significantly different.

Words like leaves can have different meanings depending on the context. It may be the singular present tense of leave, or the plural of leaf. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the difference.

#10: Eliminating redundancy

Using synonyms, and antonyms of words reduces redundancy in sentences. It’s not a thing that would really affect the ideas that you want to convey, but it can be off-putting to a reader. Try to limit using similar words, at least in the same sentence or paragraph.

If you must repeat words, try to space them out so that they don’t seem too jarring. If you run out of synonyms, you could always use the negative of an antonym to convey the same idea. Additionally, with an AI writer , the possibilities for creating engaging and persuasive content are endless.

The Proper Mechanics of Writing: A Summary

Let’s go over some of the most important mechanics of writing that you need to be familiar with before you get started on your masterpiece.

• Mastering the proper usage of quotation marks.
• Ensuring that both grammar and spelling are correct. Knowing grammar rules is extremely vital.
• Mastering punctuation.
• Knowing how, where, and when to use apostrophes.
• Creating a concise topic sentence or thesis.
• Being able to form coherent sentence structures and avoiding sentence fragments.
• Ensuring that capitalization is used properly.
• Having a mastery of the English vocabulary.
• Knowing how to formulate concise paragraphs that are not too wordy.

Hopefully, this article has enlightened you on the proper use of grammar and writing mechanics to improve your overall writing skills .

Effectively conveying your thoughts on paper is admittedly much easier when both the writer and the reader understand each other. If you still have questions about the topic, feel free to contact us for more information or read our review on the best grammar checker.

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Unit 4: Writing Mechanics

Writ course learning outcomes (lo) addressed.

• COMPOSE complete sentences and paragraphs using effective vocabulary  (LO 6).
• EXPRESS a clear written argument (LO 7).
• PROVIDE evidence in support of arguments (LO 8).
• APPLY basic principles of quotation and/or paraphrase integration (LO 9).

Rubric Spotlight

• Errors that are absent or minor
• An assured and sophisticated command of grammatical structures, punctuation, mechanics, usage
• Language use that enhances your message

Putting the Pieces Together Copyright © 2020 by Andrew Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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9 Getting the Mechanics Right

“correctness” in writing.

Many students assume—or fear—that college writing is judged primarily on its grammatical correctness. Ideas, evidence, and arguments matter more than the mechanics of grammar and punctuation; however, many of the rules of formal writing exist to promote clarity and precision which writers much achieve in order to effectively convey ideas, evidence, and arguments. In addition, texts that observe the rules of formal written English tend to be more persuasive by making the author appear well informed and careful. Writing replete with errors does not make a great impression , and most educators want to help students present themselves well. Correctness, then, isn’t the most important thing, but it does matter.

Another common assumption among students is that one is either good at grammar or not good at grammar, and that such is one’s immutable fate. Not true. Once you master a particular rule or practice, it becomes second nature, and then you can focus your attention on mastering another. I finally nailed down commas and semicolons in college and some finer points of grammar in graduate school. I do a lot of formal writing in the course of my career, and I still look things up in a writing handbook from time to time. You can master the practices of formal written English, and college is a great time to use the feedback from your professors to identify your common errors and learn to correct them.

In thinking about correctness, it’s important to recognize that some rules are more important than others. Joseph Williams helpfully distinguishes three kinds of rules. [1] First, there are rules that are basic to English, such as “the car” not “car the.” For example,

INCORRECT: I thought whether true claims not.

CORRECT: I hadn’t thought about whether the claims were true.

If you’ve gotten most of your formal education in English, you probably observe these rules routinely. If your writing has mismatches of number (singular/plural) or tense, it might be due to haste or carelessness rather than unawareness. Similarly, capitalizing the first word of a sentence and ending with appropriate punctuation are basic rules that most people comply with automatically when writing for a professor or in other formal situations.

Williams’ second category is comprised of rules that distinguish standard written English from the informal variants that people use in their day-to-day lives. Most students with middle-class and non-immigrant backgrounds use informal vernaculars that closely parallel standard written English. Students with working-class or more modest backgrounds or who are members of transnational and multi-lingual communities may use informal variants of English in their everyday lives that are quite different from standard written English. It’s an unfortunate reality of social inequality that such students have to expend more effort than their middle-class English-speaking counterparts to master the standard conventions. It’s not really fair, but at least the mechanics and rules of formal writing are documented and unambiguous. Learning to communicate effectively in different social contexts is part of becoming an educated person.

Some examples:

INFORMAL:We ain’t got no more of them cookies.

FORMAL: We don’t have any more of those cookies.

INFORMAL: My coat, my phone, and my keys was all lock in the car.

FORMAL: My coat, my phone, and my keys were all locked in the car.

INFORMAL: u shd go 2 café b4 wrk bc coffee

FORMAL: You should go the café before work to get some coffee.

The informal versions are clearly English, and they’re widely understandable to others. The first and second examples contain choices of tense, number, and punctuation that are inappropriate in standard written English even though they don’t actually impede communication . Most students already understand that these first two categories of rules (rules fundamental to English and the rules of standard written English) are obligatory for formal writing.

There is a third category of rules that Williams notes and enthusiastically criticizes; he calls them “invented rules” because they usually arise from busybody grammarians rather than enduring patterns of customary language use. Some invented rules Williams calls “options”: those that your reader will notice when you observe them and not care if you don’t. Here’s an example of the fabled don’t-end-a-sentence-with-a-preposition rule :

OBSERVING THE RULE: With which concept can we analyze this problem?

IGNORING THE RULE: Which concept can we analyze this problem with?

Some grammarians would claim that only the first version is correct. However, you probably have the (accurate) impression that professional writers are much more likely to choose the second version. This rule does not reflect real-life customary practice, even in standard written English. That’s why Williams calls it an “invented rule.” Most of your professors are fine with the second version above, the one that ends a sentence with a preposition.

Similarly, there’s this murky idea out there that one should not split infinitives ; that is, one should not have any words between “to” and the verb that follows. Here’s an example:

OBSERVED: to go boldly where no one has gone before

IGNORED: to boldly go where no one has gone before

Again, while some grammarians have argued that conscientious writers should avoid splitting infinitives, most professional writers have ignored that claim. The second version, which puts the adverb (“boldly”) within the infinitive (that is, between “to” and “go”) makes for a perfectly clear and pleasing phrase. The invented rule about splitting infinitives is an attempt to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. If you want to give your writing more of a scholarly air, you could observe some or all of these optional rules. But, unless your professor has a particular penchant for one of these invented rules, you can safely ignore them.

Williams calls the second sub-category of invented rules “folklore.” They’re invented rules (like “options”) in that grammarians think writers should observe them, but, in reality, no one does. Williams gleefully lists instances in which the very grammarians who propose these rules go on to unselfconsciously violate them. [2] You may have heard of these rules, but they’re widely considered absurd.

For example, some grammarians are dismayed that people use “that” and “which” interchangeably, and they argue that writers should use “that” to indicate restrictive elements and “which” to indicate non-restrictive elements. A restrictive element is one that makes a necessary specification about something; a non-restrictive element is one that simple adds extra information. Consider these two examples:

The party that Alex went to was shut down by the police.

The party which Alex went to was shut down by the police.

For almost all readers, versions 1 and 2 are saying the exact same thing. For the persnickety grammarian, version 1 is specifying the party that Alex went to, and not the party that, say, Jordan went to, while version 2 is simply inserting extra information about Alex’s attendance at the party. According to these grammarians, “that Alex went to” adds critically needed information (restrictive) while “which Alex went to” adds bonus information (non-restrictive).

As Williams and some others explain: it’s bullshit . Professional writers use commas and carefully chosen words to do the job of distinguishing restrictive and non-restrictive elements, and they choose whichever relative pronoun (“that” or “which”) sounds better in context. You could observe the distinction between that and which if you like, but no one would notice. More importantly, observing this invented rule wouldn’t necessarily make your writing any clearer, more concise, or more graceful.

There is one rule that Williams calls “folklore” that you probably have to observe in college papers nonetheless: that is, the rule that you can’t start sentences with But, And, So, For, or Yet (or other coordinating conjunctions) . I’m sure you could browse through assigned readings and articles published in major newspapers and magazines that violate this so-called rule. Here are two examples that took me about 10 minutes to find:

From the front page of the New York Times January 7, 2014 : [3] “But since the financial crisis, JPMorgan has become so large and profitable that it has been able to weather the government’s legal blitz, which has touched many parts of the bank’s sprawling operations.” And a little further down we see, “Yet JPMorgan’s shares are up 28 percent over the last 12 months.”

From a news article in Science , December 21, 2007 : [4] “Altered winds blew in more warm air from the subtropics only in models in which mid-latitude oceans warmed as observed; apparently, the warmer oceans altered the circulation. And that ocean warming is widely viewed as being driven by the strengthening greenhouse.”

If you’re writing a paper for my class, feel free to begin sentences with conjunctions. As the above examples show, it’s a concise way to support clarity and effective flow. However, I suspect most instructors still hold to the old rule. Thus, you shouldn’t start sentences with “And,” “But” or other coordinating conjunctions unless you’ve been specifically invited to.

There are countless other rules that I don’t discuss here. The point of these examples is to show that you don’t have to observe every little rule you’ve ever heard of. There are some elements of mechanics that you have to master; I summarize some common ones below. These practices will gradually become second nature. It’s sometimes hard to know at the outset which rules are standard, which are options, and which are folklore. With the help of a good handbook and your instructors, you’ll learn them over time. The larger point I want to make here is that that observing rules isn’t about traversing a minefield of potential errors; it’s just about learning and adopting the practices appropriate to your audience, which is one of the first rules of writing well.

Elements of punctuation and language you must master

If you’ve gotten most or all of your formal education in English, you’ve mastered the vast majority of the real rules of grammar. Most of the students I work with just have to nail down a few additional practices to produce appropriate academic writing. There isn’t any great secret to learning them; they’re learned through repeated practice and feedback.

1. Comma usage

I didn’t really master correct comma usage until my college years. There was a year or so in which I constantly checked my work against a style guide, but since then I haven’t often had to think about commas. Here’s a brief run-down of the rules of comma usage that I see many students violating.

A. Use a comma to join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction:

CORRECT: Her misdeed was significant, but the punishment was excessive.

ALSO CORRECT: Her misdeed was significant but justified by the circumstances.

In the first example, the comma is telling the reader that one clause (her misdeed was significant) is ending and another (the punishment was excessive) beginning. The second example does not use a comma, because the words that follow “but” (justified by the circumstances) do not add up to an independent clause; they make a dependent clause that could not stand alone as a sentence.

Note: “Because” is NOT a coordinating conjunction. It’s a subordinating conjunction. Therefore, it does not use a comma:

INCORRECT: Conspiracy theories can be compelling, because many people distrust the government.

CORRECT: Conspiracy theories can be compelling because many people distrust the government.

“Because,” like other subordinating conjunctions (such as “although,” “unless,” or “until”), is meant to knit together one indivisible thought; hence, no comma. Including a comma weakens the connection in the mind of your reader.

B. Use a comma to mark the end of an introductory element

CORRECT: While we were eating, the baby crawled out of the room.

CORRECT: Alongside the road, we found the perpetrator’s gun.

CORRECT: Because many distrust the government, conspiracy theories can be compelling.

The first example would be comically confusing without the comma. The second example shows how the comma helps your reader separate the introductory element from the part that followed. The third example might be confusing. The sentence from part A, above, beginning with “Conspiracy theories” does not use a comma, but in this example, a dependent clause is serving as as an introductory element.

Learn these rules, and if you hate them, learn to love them. In college, writing stops being about “how well did you understand fill-in-the-blank” and becomes “how professionally and strongly do you argue your point.” Professionalism, I have found, is the key to the real world, and college is, in part, preparing you for it. If you do not learn how to write in a way that projects professionalism (i.e. these rules), then expect to get, at best, Cs on your papers.

Kaethe Leonard

C. Use a comma to set off non-essential information (so-called non-restrictive elements)

Both of these sentences are correct, but they convey different ideas:

EXAMPLE 1: Gathering places vital to their communities are worth the investment.

EXAMPLE 2: Gathering places, vital to their communities, are worth the investment.

The first says that only those gathering places that are vital to their communities are worth the investment (implying that some are not vital and therefore not worth investing in). In that first example, “vital to their communities” is a restrictive element. In the second example “vital to their communities” is extra information. The sentence implies that gathering places in general are worth the investment (ostensibly because they’re vital to their communities). The commas mark the phrase as non-essential information, which is a non-restrictive element. In writing the second sentence, you might enclose the non-essential information in parentheses instead.

2. Use punctuation and coordinating conjunctions to avoid sentence fragments

At some point, you were probably instructed that all sentences must have a subject (which includes a noun) and a predicate (which includes a verb) and that they must be written to stand alone. Consider this example of a sentence fragment :

INCORRECT: When you go to the supermarket. You don’t often think about the work behind the scenes.

It has a subject (you) and predicate (go to the supermarket), but the “when” indicates that the sentence is incomplete. When people write sentence fragments, they usually have the missing elements in the preceding or following sentences, so it’s really a punctuation error.

CORRECT: When you go to the supermarket, you don’t often think about the work behind the scenes.

ALSO CORRECT: You don’t often think about the work behind the scenes when you go to the supermarket.

In the first version the dependent clause (the part that couldn’t stand alone) comes first, necessitating a comma. In the second, the main clause (the part that could stand alone) comes first, so no comma is used.

3. Use punctuation and coordinating conjunctions to avoid run-on sentences and comma splices

A run-on sentence (one that smooshes two sentences together) may be incorrectly connected with a comma, which is then called a comma splice. This error is easily corrected with punctuation and some coordinating words.

INCORRECT (run-on): The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest literary works it had a major influence on Mesopotamian culture.

INCORRECT (comma splice): The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest literary works, it had a major influence on Mesopotamian culture.

Clearly, the writer wants the reader to see these two sentences as connected. He or she has three options to show their reader how the sentences relate.

CORRECT OPTION 1 (semi-colon): The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest literary works; it had a major influence on Mesopotamian culture.

The semi-colon is an elegant and underutilized option. By joining two sentences with a semi-colon, the writer can subtly tell the reader that the epic’s earliness and influence, together, make it important.

CORRECT OPTION 2 (comma and coordinating conjunction): The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest literary works, and it had a major influence on Mesopotamian culture.

The use of “and” in this option also tells the reader to put the two claims together. A more specific conjunction—such as “but,” “so”, or “yet”—is usually a better choice than “and” or a semi-colon because it would provide more information about how the two claims relate.

CORRECT OPTION 3 (separate sentences): The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest literary works. It had a major influence on Mesopotamian culture.

If you don’t want your reader to consider the two sentences closely related, you can convey that by choosing separate sentences. With the Gilgamesh example, you might choose this option if the paragraph is mostly about the influence of the epic on Mesopotamian culture but you have a good reason to include a sentence about how early it is. These two sentences would function well as the first two sentences of an introductory paragraph.

4. Use colons correctly for lists, quotations, and explanatory information

INCORRECT: We packed: clothes, camping equipment, and a first-aid kit.

CORRECT: We packed the essentials: clothes, camping equipment, and a first-aid kit.

For lists, use a colon when the part before the colon can stand alone as a sentence. Otherwise, leave the colon out (“We packed clothes, camping equipment, and a first-aid kit”).

INCORRECT: Mitchell explains that: “Part of the fascination of Gilgamesh is that, like any great work of literature, it has much to tell us about ourselves.” [5]

CORRECT: Mitchell explains the power of the epic: “Part of the fascination of Gilgamesh is that, like any great work of literature, it has much to tell us about ourselves.” [6]

You can use a colon to introduce a quote if the parts before and after the colon can stand as complete sentences. A comma is an option here as well. Introducing a quote with your own complete sentence and a colon is another underutilized trick in student writing. Recall from Chapter 5 that you have to use source material within your own analytical thread. Introducing a quote with your own complete sentence can make it immediately clear why the quote you choose is important to your argument.

5. Use modifiers clearly and precisely

Modifiers are words and phrases that add information to a sentence. They specify the meaning of (that is, they modify) a noun or verb. Sometimes the modifier is misplaced, ambiguous, or not clearly pertaining to a noun or verb (a so-called dangling modifier). These problems can lead the reader to wonder what exactly you’re claiming.

MISPLACED: The ski-jumper looked sleek in his new suit weighing only 140 pounds.

CORRECT: The ski-jumper looked sleek wearing a new suit and weighing only 140 pounds.

The suit didn’t weigh 140 pounds (one hopes); the ski-jumper did.

AMBIGUOUS: When formal rules and day-to-day practices differ, they should be changed.

CLEAR: Formal rules should be changed to match day-to-day practices.

CLEAR: Day-to-day practices should be changed to match the formal rules.

In the first version, it’s not clear what should be changed. The two clear versions make it obvious what the author is arguing.

DANGLING: Walking down the street, the houses glowed pink in the sunset.

CORRECT: Walking down the street, she saw houses glowing pink in the sunset.

The first version suggests that the houses were walking down the street. The pronoun to which that first phrase refers (“she”) is missing. The second version corrects that by bringing in the needed pronoun.

6. Choose correct words

Many wrong-word errors that I see seem to be artifacts of the spell-checkers built into word-processing programs. For example, I often see “costumers” where students meant “customers,” “defiantly” instead of “definitely” and, somewhat comically, “martial” instead of “marital.”

Other wrong-word errors come from homonyms, two or more words that sound the same, such as the there/their/they’re or your/you’re errors. In college writing, another common one is the misuse of effect/affect. Use “effect” if you’re talking about the result of a cause as a noun, and “affect” if you mean influence or talking about emotion in psychology (in which case it’s pronounced AF-fect).

CORRECT: The effects of the conflict have been long-lasting.

CORRECT: The conflict has affected everyday life throughout the country.

CORRECT: Research shows that the presence of living plants impact both cognition and affect.

“Effect” can also be a verb, in which case it means to bring about:

CORRECT: The conflict effected major international policy changes.

That sentence is saying that the conflict brought about policy changes. If you wanted to say that the conflict influenced (but did not itself cause) policy changes, you would write that the conflict affected policy changes.

The dilemma of gendered language in English

What to do about gender with an unspecified subject? In the past, the consensus was to always use “he” and readers were supposed to understand that the subject might be female. As you know, that’s no longer accepted . The culture of formal academic writing hasn’t settled on a widely supported solution yet, which creates a pervasive problem for the student writer.

Informally, using “they/their” as the neutral singular is becoming a common practice. For example, if a Facebook friend hasn’t specified a gender, Facebook used to exhort you to “write on their timeline” for “their birthday.” I hear this more and more in spoken language as well. For example, most people who hear this sentence spoken wouldn’t note a glaring problem: “A doctor who makes a mistake is often too scared to admit their slip-up.” However, in an academic paper, that sentence would be considered a pronoun-antecedent error because “doctor” is singular and “their” is still considered plural. Most of your professors still don’t accept they/their as a gender-neutral singular possessive. Hopefully in coming years, academic writing will come to accept this perfectly reasonable solution to the gendered language problem, but we’re not there yet.

My first semester in college, it was my standard practice to rotate back and forth between the male and female pronouns. I did not want to appear sexist and was unsure how to avoid doing so. Referring to the same hypothetical person in one of my papers I wrote, “When one is confronted by new information that does not fit tidily onto her personal map…” Later in the paragraph I referred to the same individual by saying, “This new information demands that he forsake the world of the Cave in which he had been raised.” Obviously, in retrospect, that was confusing and certainly not the best option. But it illustrates the point that this can be a challenging dilemma. Thankfully for you, three more appropriate solutions are provided in this chapter.

Peter Farrell

So what to do? Here are three possible solutions.

• Choose plurals when possible . For example, “Doctors who make mistakes are often too scared to admit their slip-ups.”
• Write “he or she” or “his or her” if it’s not too repetitive . You don’t want to have more than two or three such “ors” in a paragraph, but a couple wouldn’t be tedious for the reader. For example, one might write, “A doctor who makes a mistake is often too scared to admit his or her slip-up. He or she might be forbidden from doing so by hospital attorneys.”
• Consider whether a real-life example is better than a hypothetical subject . Long passages about hypothetical people and situations often lack argumentative force. If you’re writing a paper about medical errors, you might do better to replace hypothetical claims like the above example with real-life examples of physicians who have made mistakes but were reluctant or forbidden to acknowledge them. Better yet, discuss the results of studies of medical errors and their outcomes. In addition to solving the gendered language problem, real examples are more persuasive.

Remember, it’s about precision and respect. Whatever you do, don’t just write “he” for doctors, attorneys, and construction workers and “she” for nurses, social workers, and flight attendants. You also shouldn’t just write “he” or “his” for everything, expecting your readers to mentally fill in the “or she” and “or her” themselves. Doing so seems lazy, if not actively sexist . Showing respect through precise language about gender makes you seem much more credible.

This chapter does not (and could not) provide a complete run-down of formal English language usage. You would do well to bookmark a couple good reference sources to consult when questions arise. If your writing usually has a lot of errors in it, don’t despair. Identify one or two practices to master and then learn them, using the feedback from your instructors as a guide. You can’t become a flawless writer overnight (and no one writes flawlessly all the time). But over the course of a few semesters, you can certainly produce more precise text that presents your ideas in their best light.

Exercises and other resources

• Purdue OWL offers excellent exercises in grammar and mechanics. If you keep getting dinged in your papers for misplaced apostrophes, for example, you can review a lesson and find exercises on that topic.
• Most college libraries subscribe to online reference sources for their students. Go to your library’s website and look for proprietary guides like the Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style . These are often of much higher quality than the first few hits you get on Google.
• In Andrea Lunsford’s The Everyday Writer 5th ed. (New York: Bedford-St.Martin’s, 2012) she includes a list of the 20 most common errors in student writing . This site, like Diana Hacker’s, also offers free online exercises in mechanics.
• The three types of rules are explained in Williams and Bizup’s Style . Williams first described invented rules in J.M. Williams, “A Phenomenology of Error,” College Composition and Communication, 32, no. 2 (1981): 152-168. ↵
• J.M. Williams, Phenomenology of Error ↵
• Peter Eavis, “Steep Penalties Taken in Stride by JPMorgan Chase,” New York Times , January 7, 2014, page A1. ↵
• Richard A. Kerr, “Global Warming Coming Home to Roost in the American Midwest,” Science 318, no. 5858 (2007): 1859. ↵
• Stephen Mitchell, Gilgamesh: A New English Version (New York: Free Press, 2004). ↵
• Ibid. ↵

Writing in College Copyright © 2016 by Amy Guptill is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

These OWL resources will help you with sentence level organization and style. This area includes resources on writing issues, such as active and passive voice, parallel sentence structure, parts of speech, and transitions.

Exercises relating to spelling can be found here .

Exercises relating to numbering can be found here .

Exercises relating to sentence structure can be found here .

Exercises relating to sentence style can be found here .

In this section

Subsections.

🌟 New Update: As of JAN 30, 2024, Experience enhanced grammar and punctuation detection! 🚀

Top 10 Mechanics of Writing To Improve Writing Skills

Grammar in writing isn’t about avoiding errors but providing strength to sentences. Learning all the grammatical rules is necessary if you want to be a good writer.

Not only will it upgrade your writing skills, but it will also help shape productive text. A firm grip on grammatical aspects conveys the content with utmost clarity. Understanding the grammatical rules is vital for applying them to the content.

Writing is one of the easiest ways of showing your ideas to the world. It provides you with the self-assurance of bringing your thoughts into reality. Yet, the most unfortunate thing is when a reader fails to understand your sentences. That’s where the need for writing mechanics steps in.

What is mechanics in writing?

Have you ever wished to improve your writing skills as a content writer? You might confuse over where you should begin. Let’s start our venture with the basics. Writing mechanics make a piece of text precise and correct.

It brings an alignment in the content. Also, it focuses on correcting the spelling, punctuations, sentence structure, and everything that’s wrong.  

These are the writing rules that every writer must follow while preparing reports. In this way, their research looks authentic, and they appear to be professional in the field. The ones who don’t mind writing mechanics get undesirable results. If the content looks clumsy, how would the reader get your message?

Research says that reporting without using writing mechanics is of no use at all. They’re the set standards but considering them is still a good idea.

Top 10 Writing mechanics: Are they worth it?

Even when we start learning the basics of writing, grammar is the very first tool that we’ve to get a command on. It is a language’s structure and tone.

Writing mechanics play a significant role in this cause. When you understand them, you’ll know the usage of words and how to put them within the report. We’ve appeared with the Topmost commonly used for a more detailing session. Read on to acknowledge them.

1. Capitalization:

Capitalization highlights all the vital details in a sentence. Be it a place or people, we’ve to capitalize them to notify the reader that we’re mentioning something important. Improper capitalization might not affect the meaning behind the word, but it can misalign the text. It gives a separate identity to every written paragraph and allows a smooth flow.

At first, the rules of writing capitalization appear simple. Every writer must know to capitalize the nouns and the first word of every sentence.

If we’re adding in any quotations as an example, then capitalization is a must as well. Usually, we don’t capitalize after a colon, but there might be exceptions. What can you do if you’re unsure whether something is a noun or not?

2. Punctuation:

Do you think punctuation isn’t worth learning in English writing? Every writer must know that writing is quite challenging to understand without punctuation. Using correct punctuation allows you to convey your ideas to the readers. Punctuation as a writing mechanic is to bring comprehension to a report.

For instance, the term ‘Let’s play, john’ and ‘let’s eat Fred’ doesn’t seem different. Yet, it affects the meaning of a sentence because of a comma.

Punctuation clarifies sentence structure by separating some texts and grouping others. It includes commas, semicolons, dashes, hyphens, apostrophes, quotation marks, and so much more.

A writer should consider all of them before switching their thoughts to a paper. It’s a tiny part of a sentence, but it is more impactful. They’ll get the message while extracting all the essential points out of it.

3. Parts of Speech:

If you’re a writer, you wouldn’t be unfamiliar with the parts of speech. Words are the vital elements of each sentence. Based on their functions, parts of speech classifies into eight categories.

These categories include nouns, adverbs, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, conjunction, and interjection. Knowing the difference between all of them is essential for effective communication. Learning the definitions is not necessary, but understanding and using them properly is the key. Let’s unfold the details together.

• Noun : 

It is the easiest among all the other parts of speech. It refers to persons, things, places, animals, and events. 

• Pronoun begins with a capital letter highlighting places, persons, or things.  
• Verb:  It refers to the state of being in an action of the subject. It is another central part of speech that provides completeness to a sentence. 
• Adverb:  It usually changes the verb and adjective. Often, it describes another verb.  
• Adjective:  This part of speech improves the existence of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. It adds more data about the size and quality. 
• Conjunction:  It makes each sentence interesting to read by connecting words, phrases, and clauses.  
• Preposition  refers to the words supporting a noun or a pronoun to show time, direction, and place. 
• Interjection:  It refers to the text showing some emotions.  

4. Abbreviations:

To abbreviate is to lessen an existing word. It’s fine to use them, but there’s a series of rules for words to shorten. Ideally, readers aren’t familiar with it unless you’re going for a technical write-up.

The best way of using it is to add a full title first, followed by an abbreviation. After doing it, you can use only the acronym throughout. Try familiarizing your readers instead of leaving them to wonder what you mean.

5. Spellings:

No reader wants to read wrong spellings within the content, not selective. Improper spellings remove credibility and damage your reputation as a writer.

It might happen, but no one pays heed to it. As long as you provide a flawless piece of content with spelling errors, they’ll stick to it. The arrival of an automated writing tool allows checking up on any spelling mistakes. Yet, you can’t rely on spellers entirely; instead, you must be attentive as well.

6. Parts of sentences:

The parts of sentences show how writers shape sentences from smaller pieces. You might confuse parts of speech with sentences, but they both function differently. The position of sentences forms the basic vocabulary of grammar. It would be better for your writing career if you took some time off to learn and understand them.

There’re no such rules for sentence structuring. Writers can go with the flow without designing it, but they must meet the requirements. Sentences allow you to outshine your creativity. Parts of writing, including subjects, objects, clauses, and phrases helps clarify your sentences. Showing cordiality with creativity in paragraphs is a sign of a good writer.

7. Eliminating Repeated words:

Using synonyms and antonyms of similar words reduces continuity in sentences. Generally, repeating the exact words within the content isn’t pleasing to the eyes as well. It wouldn’t affect your goals but indeed upset a reader. Often, the audience reads written reports to enhance their vocabulary and English skills.

What if they get to read similar words twice or thrice? Will they find your text informative or productive? They won’t. Writers must remember this writing mechanic to bring uniqueness to their works. If you’ve no other choice, try to use them distantly so that it wouldn’t look crowded. .

8. Homophones and Homographs:

Beginner writers quickly get confused with this part of English speech. We’re referring to homophones, in which many words in English grammar sound and are spelled similarly. However, the meanings are utterly different. For instance, words like ‘there,’ ‘their,’ or ‘your,’ or ‘you’re’ seem similar. It sounds the like same but used in a completely different way.

On the other hand, we have homographs, the texts with exact spellings but different pronunciations and meanings. For instance, words like “lead” can be applied in two cases, one as a noun and another as a verb, in a different sense.

9. Subject-Verb agreement:

Most writers aren’t familiar with subject-verb agreement, especially the newbies. Knowing the right forms of the verb and then mixing them with the subjects makes your sentences understandable. It’s a creative practice, and only experienced writers command it. However, by this writing mechanics into their content, beginners can reach the highest level of professionalism. The subject must always relate to the verb in writing, so this writing rule makes your content amusing to read. Readers find the incorrect usage of verbs quite offensive. 

10. Run-on sentences:

Often, it might just be an illusion that your sentences have followed proper writing mechanics. A run-on sentence occurs when independent clauses are misconnected. For instance, “I love to eat pies I would eat one every day if I got the chance.”

There’re two complete sentences combined in a single one. The writers, familiar with run-on sentences, must’ve got the absence of a comma between the sentences. It’s easy to miss it if you’re unaware of this writing mechanic. The only perfect way of spotting these errors is to understand them. Of course, you wouldn’t want your readers to judge you for such minor mistakes.

Pro tips for using Writing mechanics:

Now that you’ve already made up your mind regarding your next copy, we would suggest getting a hold on the following pointers.

• Significance of Writing mechanics:

Believe it r not, writing mechanics matter even in the texts and tweets. Let’s say you send in a blog post to a social side for consideration. Odds say that they’ll be going through a massive pile of submissions. If your report has multiple grammatical errors, it might end up in the trash. When trying to become a better version as a writer, it’s always helpful to strengthen punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

• Choosing the right words:

Every form of communication requires the proper choice of words. For this purpose, avoid using words that are unclear and difficult. Instead, opt for easier words with similar meanings. Depending on the terms you select, you’ll grab the audience’s attention right away, or bore them up, so choose your texts wisely.

• Writing Regularly:

The most efficient tip for improving your writing skills is regularly practicing them. Treat writing like a full-day job , take it seriously, and stay stick to one goal until you succeed.

• Reading consistently:

Professional writers suggest reading as much as possible. After all, can you write well if you haven’t done your research? Read biographies, mysteries, creative stories, science-fiction, and everything you’re interested in. Remember that reading is the key, regardless of whether it’s in your niche or not.

• Reviewing and revising:

In writing, you might assume that the finishing line is the completion of an article. However, revision is equally essential. Opt for effortless and less wordy paragraphs, the ones that readers efficiently finish within minutes. It is because preceding your content with hard-to-understand texts serves no real purpose. Writing involves a lot of revision to get it ready for publishing.

Final thoughts:

Just like a mechanic is someone whose job is to maintain and repair engines, especially for vehicles. He aims to make them flawless, so the user would comfortably travel in the long haul without any nuisance. Similar is in the case of writing mechanics.

Every reader wants to read without any inconvenience, but grammatical errors and other issues might distract. In this regard, the above-evaluated writing mechanics comes in handy. Not only would they make your report perfect, but they also help improve your writing skills. Not to forget, these are the writing rules that no writer can avoid in any case, or he’ll lose his credibility.

Free Grammar And Punctuation Check!

Grammarlookup uses artificial intelligence to check grammar and punctuation mistakes in your writing, eliminate spelling errors, and highlight 1000s of style issues to make your writing exceptional.

About The Author

Muhammad Ali Sheharyar

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• Matters of Grammar, Mechanics, and Style

For many students, the discussion of grammar, mechanics, and style is intimidating. There are rules, and lots of them. And when rules are broken, some kind of inquisition or punishment is bound to follow. Any student who has experienced an instructor’s editorial comments (also known as the red pen “blood” in the margins of a paper) knows what it feels like to be a hapless violator of the rules.

Rules Matter

In academic writing, it is your job to make sure that the people who read what you write (your instructor and classmates) understand what you are trying to say. If your thoughts are not arranged appropriately, your readers may get confused. If you do not acknowledge and employ the rules of grammar, mechanics, and style, you are at a distinct disadvantage as a communicator.

The Grammar Report

Being able to identify grammatical, mechanical, or stylistic problems that exist in your writing is one way to improve your writing. These problems may have been with you for some time, failing to be identified, researched, and remedied.

The Grammar Report assignments will assist you in not only identifying your problem, but also you help you seek out examples of the problem, research the rules related to the problem, and finally “reporting” on your experience to your classmates. Indeed, the process is not just about you addressing a writing problem; it is about sharing your experience and remedies, so that you can teach others to avoid writing errors.

Improving Grammar, Mechanics, and Style

There are a wide variety of resources to support your research. A good place to start is the free online textbook,  Successful Writing . You can use the find/search feature of your browser to look up particular topics and use the practice exercises to work through the process of identifying and correcting errors.

Here are some online resources that you may find useful, as well:

• Capital Community College’s Guide to Grammar and Writing
• Grammar Book
• Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL)
• Grammar Girl

At some point, you may find that you share the same grammatical, mechanical, or stylistic problems with others in this course. Take a moment to look at the  most commonly occurring grammar errors listed in the “Attending to Grammar” materials developed by the Dartmouth Writing Program. Of the top 20 grammar errors listed, consider which ones are common to you. Then make sure you make every effort to eradicate them from your writing.

• Provided by : Lumen Learning. Located at : http://lumenlearning.com/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Authored by : Daryl Smith O' Hare and Susan C. Hines. Provided by : Chadron State College. Located at : http://www.csc.edu/ . Project : Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of red pen. Authored by : Daniel Silliman. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/9aZyfs . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Table of Contents

Instructor Resources (Access Requires Login)

• Overview of Instructor Resources

An Overview of the Writing Process

• Introduction to the Writing Process
• Introduction to Writing
• Your Role as a Learner
• What is an Essay?
• Reading to Write
• Defining the Writing Process
• Videos: Prewriting Techniques
• Thesis Statements
• Organizing an Essay
• Creating Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Editing and Proofreading
• Peer Review Checklist
• Comparative Chart of Writing Strategies

Using Sources

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting the Works Cited Page (MLA)
• Citing Paraphrases and Summaries (APA)
• APA Citation Style, 6th edition: General Style Guidelines

Definition Essay

• Definitional Argument Essay
• How to Write a Definition Essay
• Critical Thinking
• Video: Thesis Explained
• Effective Thesis Statements
• Student Sample: Definition Essay

Narrative Essay

• Introduction to Narrative Essay
• Student Sample: Narrative Essay
• "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell
• "Sixty-nine Cents" by Gary Shteyngart
• Video: The Danger of a Single Story
• How to Write an Annotation
• How to Write a Summary
• Writing for Success: Narration

Illustration/Example Essay

• Introduction to Illustration/Example Essay
• "She's Your Basic L.O.L. in N.A.D" by Perri Klass
• "April & Paris" by David Sedaris
• Writing for Success: Illustration/Example
• Student Sample: Illustration/Example Essay

Compare/Contrast Essay

• Introduction to Compare/Contrast Essay
• "Disability" by Nancy Mairs
• "Friending, Ancient or Otherwise" by Alex Wright
• "A South African Storm" by Allison Howard
• Writing for Success: Compare/Contrast
• Student Sample: Compare/Contrast Essay

Cause-and-Effect Essay

• Introduction to Cause-and-Effect Essay
• "Cultural Baggage" by Barbara Ehrenreich
• "Women in Science" by K.C. Cole
• Writing for Success: Cause and Effect
• Student Sample: Cause-and-Effect Essay

Argument Essay

• Introduction to Argument Essay
• Rogerian Argument
• "The Case Against Torture," by Alisa Soloman
• "The Case for Torture" by Michael Levin
• How to Write a Summary by Paraphrasing Source Material
• Writing for Success: Argument
• Student Sample: Argument Essay
• Grammar/Mechanics Mini-lessons
• Mini-lesson: Subjects and Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Subject Verb Agreement
• Mini-lesson: Sentence Types
• Mini-lesson: Fragments I
• Mini-lesson: Run-ons and Comma Splices I
• Mini-lesson: Comma Usage
• Mini-lesson: Parallelism
• Mini-lesson: The Apostrophe
• Mini-lesson: Capital Letters
• Grammar Practice - Interactive Quizzes
• De Copia - Demonstration of the Variety of Language
• Style Exercise: Voice

Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process.

• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida

Learn about mechanics -- the rules and conventions that inform written as opposed to spoken discourse.

What are Mechanics ?

Mechanics are the conventions or rules that govern written language , including

Capitalization

• Parts of Speech
• Parts of a Sentence

Punctuation

• Run-on Sentences
• Sentence Fragments
• Sentence Errors
• Sentence Patterns
• Sentence Structures

Mechanics are a socio-cultural-rhetorical construct. Mechanics evolve over time as communication technologies and discourse communities/communities of practice evolve.

Related Concepts: Grammar ; Register

Why Do Mechanics Matter?

Mechanics enable writers, speakers, and knowledge makers . . . to communicate with audiences .

Mechanics and grammar are the rules and conventions that inform communicative practices among members of a discourse community. Mechanics rules are for governing written language.

When writers violate conventions related to mechanics, readers are likely to be confused.

Mechanics vs Grammar

Mechanics and grammar are interrelated concepts. For some users, they are equivalent terms. Traditionalists make this distinction, however:

• Grammars govern the language patterns of oral discourse
• Mechanics govern the language patterns of written discourse.

While this distinction between mechanics and grammar is nice and tidy, it breaks down in practice. Some elements of language practice pertain to both written and oral discourse. This may explain why Grammar Handbooks and online websites (e.g., The Owl at Purdue University or Grammarly.Com or Wikipedia) disagree about whether or not some elements of discourse such as Modifiers , Parallelism (Parallel Structure) , Punctuation or Sentence Fragments should be indexed under Grammar or Mechanics.

Regardless, the takeaway here is that you need a firm grounding in grammar and mechanics in order to edit your work on the work of others.

Mechanics as a Socio-cultural-historical-Rhetorical Process

Mechanics evolve  over time as technologies empower new methods of composing . 

Related Articles:

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Understand the logic and cognitive science behind punctuation

• Joseph M. Moxley

Featured Articles

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

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TechBullion

Guide on how to write & what are the main types of essay.

Different professors may assign you different types of essays. Your problem may lie in the fact that you do not know how to write either of them. It is natural because there are a lot of essay types and all of them have specific requirements and writing guidelines. Thus, students usually need to spend a lot of time to at least understand the way the essay should be written, not talking about thinking about the content and looking for the appropriate literature.

You will not need to rack your brains over dozens of types of essays and how to write the specific type of essay that you need if you go to MyCustomEssay, which is the essay-writing company where specialist get paid to write essays . You can r ead more about this company here and buy the essay right now.

Main Types of the Essays

There are many different types of essays. Yet, the writers can write each of these types such as write my argumentative essay . However, there are seven main types which you may need to change your education. Here is the list of them:

• Narrative essays
• Descriptive essays
• Expository essays
• Persuasive essays
• Argumentative essays
• Compare and contrast essays
• Cause and effect essays
• Reflective essays

If you need to read more information about each of these essays you should better go to this web page and find out more about them. 

Additionally, essays may have different structures and formatting requirements. All this information should be obtained from your professor who has assigned you the essay writing task. Nevertheless, you should never be scared if you see the type of essay which you have never seen because there are even more types than the one we have mentioned above and here you can find out about 15 types of essays.

What are Custom Essay Writing Companies

Have you ever heard other students talking about buying an essay at the writing company? It is not possible to go to some shop such as Ikea, go to the shelves with different ready-made essays, and choose the one that fits your major and topic the most. 

In fact, students buy custom essays online. However, it is also not possible to choose an essay the same way as to buy the book online. The process of purchasing a custom essay is a little bit different.

Firstly, you need to go to an online essay-writing website such as MyCustomEssay. Then you should choose the type of essay you need help with and upload the instructions and requirements of your professor. Next, you need to include such order details as deadline, formatting style, and number of pages.

After that, the writer will be able to write my essay reviews according to your unique instructions. This is what it means to buy a custom essay, which is written by a specialist online and delivered at a specialized platform.

Why Do I Need a Custom Essay Writing Company

Many students need help with their essays. There are many reasons for that:

• Lack of time: students may need time to do all the other home assignments that they receive at school or college. Therefore, they wonder when should i write my college essay and find time to cope with all the assignments. In such a situation, ordering custom essays is a great solution for them. The expert can write my essay in 3 hours .
• Lack of expertise: sometimes professors decide to assign essays with complex requirements and the need for extensive research to support the arguments. However, the students may have bad research skills, lack critical thinking, and think I don’t know what to write my college essay about . 
• Lack of writing skills: some students simply do not have good writing skills and always have problems with such assignments as research papers and essays ans think they can ai write my essay , which is a bad idea. Therefore they use the services of professional writers regularly throughout their educational path. 

If you find yourself in one of these situations and feel that you may not have enough time or writing skills to cope with some essay you should better use the services of professional writers. Most importantly, your essay will be of the highest quality and will be assessed with flying colors.

Difficulties of Choosing an Essay Writer

Some students may find it difficult to choose an essay writer because they have never done this before and have only asked chat gpt write my essay . However, when you visit the professional writing website you will not be able to choose a specific writer and make an analysis of the skills of all writers and compare them. When you place an order the writer who has the most appropriate skills and knowledge will start working on it. It means that you will not even need to spend any time choosing the writer and the writer will be chosen for you.

What is the Safest Custom Essay Writing Service

The safest write my essay for me cheap US service is the one that has a great reputation and has been operating for more than 5 years. Additionally, you should better choose websites that offer many different services such as editing, writing, and proofreading if you think I don’t want to write my essay . Nevertheless, the safe writing services are the ones that offer free revisions and money-back guarantees for students who may need it in case they are not satisfied with the final result they receive.

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Gig workers are writing essays for AI to learn from

• Companies are hiring highly educated gig workers to write training content for AI models .
• The shift toward more sophisticated trainers comes as tech giants scramble for new data sources.
• AI could run out of data to learn from by 2026, one research institute has warned. 

As artificial intelligence models run out of data to train themselves on, AI companies are increasingly turning to actual humans to write training content.

For years, companies have used gig workers to help train AI models on simple tasks like photo identification , data annotation, and labelling. But the rapidly advancing technology now requires more advanced people to train it.

Companies such as Scale AI and Surge AI are hiring part-timers with graduate degrees to write essays and creative prompts for the bots to gobble up, The New York Times reported . Scale AI, for example, posted a job last year looking for people with Master's degrees or PhDs, who are fluent in either English, Hindi, or Japanese and have professional writing experience in fields like poetry, journalism, and publishing.

Related stories

Their mission? To help AI bots "become better writers," Scale AI wrote in the posting.

And an army of workers are needed to do this kind of work. Scale AI has as many as tens of thousands of contractors working on its platform at a time, per the Times.

"What really makes the A.I. useful to its users is the human layer of data, and that really needs to be done by smart humans and skilled humans and humans with a particular degree of expertise and a creative bent," Willow Primack, the vice president of data operations at Scale AI, told the New York Times. "We have been focusing on contractors, particularly within North America, as a result."

The shift toward more sophisticated gig trainers comes as tech giants scramble to find new data to train their technology on. That's because the programs learn so incredibly fast that they're already running out of available resources to learn from. The vast trove of online information — everything from scientific papers to news articles to Wikipedia pages — is drying up.

Epoch, an AI research institute, has warned that AI could run out of data by 2026.

So, companies are finding more and more creative ways to make sure their systems never stop learning. Google has considered accessing its customers' data in Google Docs , Sheets, and Slides while Meta even thought about buying publishing house Simon & Schuster to harvest its book collection, Business Insider previously reported.

Watch: Nearly 50,000 tech workers have been laid off — but there's a hack to avoid layoffs

• Main content

Opinion | Artificial Intelligence

What do we gain and lose when students use ai to write, by tony wan     apr 24, 2024.

VectorGenerator / Shutterstock

If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?

If a student uses AI to write and nobody notices, does it matter?

I’ll admit: the latter question is hard for me to ask, as a former journalist here at EdSurge who built a career on writing. But AI writing is proliferating across professions. Marketers use it for advertising copy; financial analysts for synthesizing information . More than 4 in 5 teachers have used ChatGPT. Even in industries with stringent standards for human originality, AI is making inroads. The winner of a prestigious Japanese literary award used ChatGPT to write a portion of her novel .

Just as the tech tools of the business world — laptops, smartphones and the internet — found their way into classrooms, so too has generative AI. And if one of the goals of school is to prepare children for life beyond, how do we get kids ready for this new world, especially while student writing proficiency remains worrisome? Last year, almost half of Texas fourth graders scored a zero on the state writing composition test.

When groundbreaking technologies enter schools, old skills and habits make way for new ones. Some we may not miss much, like cursive handwriting. Other conveniences come at a cost: Typing on keyboards has largely replaced writing by hand, even though research shows the latter is better for memory and learning (and for carpal dexterity). Reading in print improves comprehension more than digital text, even though our eyes are fixated on screens these days.

So what do we gain and lose when students use artificial intelligence to write?

Here’s one very real risk: they may start relying on generative AI to the extent that it wholesale replaces their thinking.

For many people ✋ writing is the most brutal exercise in thinking. It reflects and tests our assumptions, pushing us to refine our ideas and uncover new ones. It leads us down rabbit holes that we have to crawl back from. It requires us to connect the dots and think about what makes sense or doesn’t, to transition between ideas and evidence, and to consider what makes the cut and what doesn’t.

When AI is used as a shortcut, we lose some of these muscles, as painful as they are to build. For developing young writers, this can be a major setback.

Yet not every part of the writing process needs to be equally stressful. For students who are writing to develop their thinking, for example, style should be less a concern than substance. Often we worry more about how we want to say something before knowing what we want to say.

At Carnegie Mellon University, a team of English professors have proposed using the concept of “restrained generative AI” to develop tools for writing instruction. This approach involves building guardrails that help students focus more on higher-order thinking and the core of their arguments, and worry less about precise sentence construction. One feature, for example, converts students’ notes into rough prose without inserting ideas and opinions, such that the quality of the prose reflects the quality of the notes. It is a novel concept that has potential to help younger students if the “AI restraint” can be aligned to grade-level writing standards.

Each little metacognitive act of constructing a sentence, though, reflects valuable thinking. Knowing how to use conjunctions, for instance — the ifs, buts and therefores — is an important exercise in logical reasoning. How much should we outsource that to AI? Too much, and the writing experience may feel like a fill-in-the-blank exercise like MadLibs.

Mastering writing mechanics and crafting sound arguments takes not only practice, but also guidance. The most formative learning experiences come when teachers help students work through their knots and help them find those “aha!” moments when everything clicks. But time — or rather, the lack of it — naturally limits how much feedback they can provide, and how many cycles of writing they can go through.

Here’s one way AI can assist writing instruction: Shortening the amount of time it takes for teachers to give feedback throughout the writing process — planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing — so that students no longer have to wait days or weeks before knowing whether they’re on the right track. Some tools allow teachers to set a rubric that guides the grades and feedback delivered by AI. The idea is that AI can handle some basic feedback — on grammar, syntax, diction — so that teachers can focus on other important areas.

However, there are limitations: A recent study on ChatGPT found that it “can perform comparably to a human in assigning a final holistic score for a student essay, but it struggles to identify and evaluate the structural pieces of argumentative writing.”

This underscores the importance of teachers in the process. While AI may be able to give good feedback based on a rubric, great feedback takes into account broader context about a student’s background, knowledge and experiences — things that AI would be hard-pressed to know better than teachers.

AI poses many existential questions for education, and today it is reasonable to ask: “Was this assignment written by AI?” There are many instances of lazy copy-and-pasting, not just in homework and college admission essays , but in academic research as well. The reality at this moment is that our human AI bullshit detectors are already on full alert, with or without the help of digital AI detection tools.

But that question may soon be as anachronistic as asking whether someone used the internet for help.

“Why would a student use AI to write this?” is a better question for teachers to ask, as well as: “How did they interact with AI during the process?” Just as we want students to verify information they find on the web, they will need the skills and confidence to question, evaluate and refine what AI produces. This is the next frontier in media and digital literacy.

Teaching these skills will be an important task for teachers, and one they are well suited for. With their help, students can learn to incorporate AI in thoughtful ways that preserve human thinking and agency.

Tony Wan is head of platform at Reach Capital and the former managing editor at EdSurge.

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How to write better ChatGPT prompts in 5 steps

ChatGPT is the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that's taken the world by storm. While there's always the possibility it will simply make stuff up , there's a lot you can do when crafting prompts to ensure the best possible outcome. That's what we'll be exploring in this how-to.

In this article, we'll show you how to write prompts that encourage the large language model (LLM) that powers  ChatGPT to provide the best possible answers. 

Also: Have 10 hours? IBM will train you in AI fundamentals - for free

Writing effective prompts, known as prompt engineering, has even become its own highly-paid discipline . Who knows? These tips could help you build the skills to become one of those highly paid prompt engineers. Apparently, these gigs can pay from $175,000 to $335,000 per year.  

How to write effective ChatGPT prompts

1. talk to the ai like you would a person.

One of the more interesting things I had to get used to when working with ChatGPT is that you don't program it, you talk to it. As a formally trained programmer, I've had to leave a lot of habits by the wayside when engaging with AI. Talking to it (and with it) requires a mindset shift.

When I say talk to it like a person, I mean talk to it like you would a co-worker or team member. If that's hard to do, give it a name. Alexa is taken, so maybe think of it as "Bob". This naming helps because when you talk to Bob, you might include conversational details, little anecdotes that give your story texture.

Also:   How to use ChatGPT to write code

When talking to a person, it would be natural for them to miss your point initially and require clarification, or veer away from the topic at hand and need to be wrangled back. You might need to fill in the backstory for them, or restate complex questions based on the answers they give you. 

This is called interactive prompting. Don't be afraid to ask multi-step questions: ask, get a response, and based on that response, ask another question. I've done this myself, sometimes 10 or 20 times in a row, and gotten very powerful results. Think of this as having a conversation with ChatGPT.

2. Set the stage and provide context

Writing a ChatGPT prompt is more than just asking a one-sentence question. It often involves providing relevant background information to set the context of the query.

Let's say that you want to prepare for a marathon (for the record, I do not run, dance, or jump -- this is merely an example). You could ask ChatGPT:

How can I prepare for a marathon?

However, you'll get a far more nuanced answer if you add that you're training for your first marathon. Try this instead: 

I am a beginner runner and have never run a marathon before, but I want to complete one in six months. How can I prepare for a marathon?

By giving the AI more information, you're helping it return a more focused answer. Even with ChatGPT's help, there's no way I'm going to run a marathon (unless I'm doing it with a V-Twin motor under my seat). Here are two more examples of questions that provide context:

I am planning to travel to Spain in a few months and would like to learn some basic Spanish to help me communicate with local residents. I am looking for online resources that are suitable for beginners and provide a structured and comprehensive approach to learning the language. Can you recommend some online resources for learning Spanish as a beginner?

In this case, rather than just asking about learning resources, the context helps focus the AI on learning how to communicate on the ground with local residents. Here's another example: 

I am a business owner interested in exploring how blockchain technology can be used to improve supply chain efficiency and transparency. I am looking for a clear and concise explanation of the technology and examples of how it has been used in the context of supply chain management. Can you explain the concept of blockchain technology and its potential applications in supply chain management?

In this example, rather than just asking for information on blockchain and how it works, the focus is specifically on blockchain for supply chain efficiency and how it might be used in a real-world scenario. 

Also:  How to use Image Creator from Microsoft Designer (formerly Bing Image Creator) Lastly, let's get into how to construct a detailed prompt. 

One note: I limit the answer to 500 words because ChatGPT seems to break when asked to produce somewhere between 500 and 700 words, leaving stories mid-sentence and not resuming properly when asked to continue. I hope future versions provide longer answers, because premises like this can generate fun story beginnings: 

Write a short story for me, no more than 500 words. The story takes place in 2339, in Boston. The entire story takes place inside a Victorian-style bookstore that wouldn't be out of place in Diagon Alley. Inside the store are the following characters, all human: The proprietor: make this person interesting and a bit unusual, give them a name and at least one skill or characteristic that influences their backstory and possibly influences the entire short story. The helper: this is a clerk in the store. His name is Todd. The customer and his friend: Two customers came into the store together, Jackson and Ophelia. Jackson is dressed as if he's going to a Steampunk convention, while Ophelia is clearly coming home from her day working in a professional office. Another customer is Evangeline, a regular customer in the store, in her mid-40s. Yet another customer is Archibald, a man who could be anywhere from 40 to 70 years old. He has a mysterious air about himself and seems both somewhat grandiose and secretive. There is something about Archibald that makes the others uncomfortable. A typical concept in retail sales is that there's always more inventory "in the back," where there's a storeroom for additional goods that might not be shown on the shelves where customers browse. The premise of this story is that there is something very unusual about this store's "in the back." Put it all together and tell something compelling and fun.

You can see how the detail provides more for the AI to work with. First, feed "Write me a story about a bookstore" into ChatGPT and see what it gives you. Then feed in the above prompt and you'll see the difference.

3. Tell the AI to assume an identity or profession

One of ChatGPT's coolest features is that it can write from the point of view of a specific person or profession. In a previous article, I showed how you can make ChatGPT write like a pirate or Shakespeare , but you can also have it write like a teacher, a marketing executive, a fiction writer -- anyone you want. 

Also: How ChatGPT can rewrite and improve your existing code  

For example, I can ask ChatGPT to describe the Amazon Echo smart home device, but to do so from the point of view of a product manager, a caregiver, and a journalist in three separate prompts: 

From the point of view of its product manager, describe the Amazon Echo Alexa device. From the point of view of an adult child caring for an elderly parent, describe the Amazon Echo Alexa device. From the point of view of a journalist, describe the Amazon Echo Alexa device.

Try dropping these three prompts into ChatGPT to see its complete response. 

I've pulled a few lines from ChatGPT's responses, so you can see how it interprets different perspectives.  From the product manager identity:  I can confidently say that this is one of the most innovative and revolutionary products in the smart home industry.

From the caregiver identity:  The device's ability to set reminders and alarms can be particularly helpful for elderly individuals who may have trouble remembering to take their medication or attend appointments.

Also:   5 ways to explore the use of generative AI at work

And from the journalist identity:  From a journalistic perspective, the Echo has made headlines due to privacy concerns surrounding the collection and storage of user data.

You can see how different identities allow the AI to provide different perspectives as part of its response. To expand this, you can let the AI do a thought experiment. Let's look at some of the issues that went into the creation of something like Alexa:

The year is 2012. Siri has been out for the iPhone for about a year, but nothing like an Alexa smart home device has been released. The scene is an Amazon board meeting where the Echo smart assistant based on Alexa has just been proposed.  Provide the arguments, pro and con, that board members at that meeting would have been likely to discuss as part of their process of deciding whether or not to approve spending to invest in developing the device.  Feel free to also include participation by engineering design experts and product champions, if that provides more comprehensive perspective.

It's also good to know that making minor changes to your prompts can significantly change ChatGPT's response. For example, when I changed the phrase, "Provide the arguments, pro and con, that..." to "Provide the pro and con arguments as dialogue, that...," ChatGPT rewrote its answer, switching from a list of enumerated pros and cons to an actual dialogue between participants.

4. Keep ChatGPT on track

As mentioned above, ChatGPT has a tendency to go off the rails, lose track of the discussion, or completely fabricate answers. 

There are a few techniques you can use to help keep it on track and honest.

One of my favorite things to do is ask ChatGPT to justify its responses. I'll use phrases like "Why do you think that?" or "What evidence supports your answer?" Often, the AI will simply apologize for making stuff up and come back with a new answer. Other times, it might give you some useful information about its reasoning path. In any case, don't forget to apply the tips I provide for having ChatGPT cite sources .

Also:  My two favorite ChatGPT Plus features and the remarkable things I can do with them

If you have a fairly long conversation with ChatGPT, you'll start to notice that the AI loses the thread. Not that that's unique to AIs -- even in extended conversations with humans, someone is bound to get lost. That said, you can gently guide the AI back on track by reminding it what the topic is, as well as what you're trying to explore.

5. Don't be afraid to play and experiment

One of the best ways to up your skill at this craft is to play around with what the chatbot can do.

Try feeding ChatGPT a variety of interesting prompts to see what it will do with them. Then change them up and see what happens. Here are five to get you started:

• Imagine you are a raindrop falling from the sky during a thunderstorm. Describe your journey from the moment you form in the cloud to the moment you hit the ground. What do you see, feel, and experience?
• You are a toy that has been left behind in an attic for decades. Narrate your feelings, memories of playtimes past, and your hopes of being rediscovered.
• Write the final diary entry of a time traveler who has decided to settle down in a specific era, explaining why they chose that time and what they've learned from their travels.
• Imagine a dialogue between two unlikely objects, like a teacup and a wristwatch, discussing the daily routines and challenges they face.
• Describe a day in an ant colony from the perspective of an ant. Dive deep into the politics, challenges, and social structures of the ant world.

Pay attention not only to what the AI generates, but how it generates what it does, what mistakes it makes, and where it seems to run into limits. All of that detail will help you expand your prompting horizons.

More prompt-writing tips 

• Feel free to re-ask the question. ChatGPT will often change its answer with each ask.
• Make small changes to your prompts to guide it into giving you a better answer.
• ChatGPT will retain its awareness of previous conversations as long as the current page is open. If you leave that page, it will lose awareness. To be clear, ChatGPT will also sometimes lose the thread of the conversation without reason, so be aware you may need to start over from time to time.
• Similarly, opening a new page will start the discussion with fresh responses.
• Be sure to specify the length of the response you want. Answers over about 500 words sometimes break down. 
• You can correct and clarify prompts based on how the AI answered previously. If it's misinterpreting you, you may be able to just tell it what it missed and continue.
• Rephrase questions if ChatGPT doesn't want to answer what you're asking. Use personas to elicit answers that it might not otherwise want to give.
• If you want sources cited , tell it to support or justify its answers.
• ChatGPT custom instructions are now available to free users. You can  give ChatGPT a set of prompts that are always available , so you don't have to retype them.
• Keep experimenting.
• Consider getting the ChatGPT Plus subscription . You can then use your own data for powerful analytics . You can also pull data from the Web . 
• Try asking the same question of Gemini  (formerly Bard) or Copilot (formerly Bing Chat). Both will interpret your prompts differently and answer differently. This is effectively getting a second opinion on your prompt, and can give you alternate perspectives.
• Ask for examples. If you want to see how well ChatGPT understands what you're asking for, ask it "Can you give me three examples of how that works?" or similar questions.
• Ask it to repeat parts of your original requests back to you. For example, if you feed it an article to analyze, you can tell it something like, "Just to be sure you understand, please echo back the first three headlines," or "I want to be sure you understand what I mean, so summarize the main conflict discussed in this article." 
• Sometimes ChatGPT just fails. Keep trying, but also be willing to give up and move on to other tools. It's not perfect...yet.

What type of prompts work best with ChatGPT? 

Part of what makes ChatGPT so compelling is you can ask it almost anything. That said, keep in mind that it's designed to provide written answers. If you want a list of websites, you're better off talking to Google. 

Also:  How to use DALL-E 3 in ChatGPT

If you want some form of computation, talk to Wolfram Alpha . Give ChatGPT open-ended prompts, encourage creativity, and don't be afraid to share personal experiences or emotions. Plus, keep in mind that the AI's knowledge ends in 2021  for ChatGPT 3.5 and December 2023 for ChatGPT 4 in ChatGPT Plus.

How can I adjust the complexity of ChatGPT responses?

You can directly specify the complexity level by including it in your prompt. Add "... at a high school level" or "... at a level intended for a Ph.D. to understand" to the end of your question. You can also increase complexity of output by increasing the richness of your input. The more you provide in your prompt, the more detailed and nuanced ChatGPT's response will be. You can also include other specific instructions, like "Give me a summary," "Explain in detail," or "Provide a technical description."

Also:  How does ChatGPT actually work?

You can also pre-define profiles. For example, you could say "When evaluating something for a manager, assume an individual with a four-year business college education, a lack of detailed technical understanding, and a fairly limited attention span, who likes to get answers that are clear and concise. When evaluating something for a programmer, assume considerable technical knowledge, an enjoyment of geek and science fiction references, and a desire for a complete answer. Accuracy is deeply important to programmers, so double-check your work."

If you ask ChatGPT to "explain C++ to a manager" and "explain C++ to a programmer," you'll see how the responses differ.

What do I do if ChatGPT refuses to answer or I don't like its answer? 

There are some guardrails built into ChatGPT. It tends to shut down if you ask it political questions, for example. That's what's built into the system. While you might be able to tease out an answer, it's probably not going to provide great value. That said, feel free to keep trying with different phrasing or perspectives. 

You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter on Substack , and follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz , on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz , on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz , and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV .

More on AI tools

Google releases two new free resources to help you optimize your ai prompts, humane ai pin: what went wrong and how it can be fixed (before it's too late), how to get started with meta ai in facebook, instagram, and more.

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SpeedyPaper also offers free essay samples on a variety of subjects like Law, Psychology, and Finance, which is a real lifesaver if you’re trying to write a paper on your own and have some time to spare.

The general consensus online seems to agree that SpeedyPaper is reliable and steady—qualities you want in a professional paper writing service that handles your academic needs. They don’t try to dazzle with flashy gimmicks, they just consistently deliver solid work.

From my interactions, the importance of clear communication is clear. When you place an order, you’ll work directly with a writer. It’s crucial to give them all the details up front to ensure the final product meets your expectations. This can really smooth out the whole process.

And while there are loads of glowing reviews on their main page, take it with a grain of salt—no essay writing service online can please everyone, and it’s normal for there to be a mix of opinions.

But if you need a reliable service without over-the-top pricing, SpeedyPaper might just do the trick. They seem to manage well by hiring competent and experienced writers in regions where the cost of living is lower, benefiting everyone involved.

4.  EssayPro  — Best College Paper Writing Service

Good quality, great value for money;

Unlike other sites on this list, EssayPro allows you to choose the best essay writer yourself by browsing through dozens of writers’ profiles;

Direct communication with the chosen professional;

Free essay originality report available.

Finding an online essay writer for your task can be a time-consuming process.

I recently used EssayPro, an essay writing service that really stands out because of its commitment to quality and originality in everything from college essays to academic research. It’s a great help for students who need support with writing, rewriting, editing, or proofreading their assignments.

EssayPro is a cheap essay writing service that serves students across all academic levels, as well as professionals looking for quick, reliable results. Their team includes specialized professionals with diverse expertise, ensuring that every paper is expertly handled.

You can pick your own essay writer, chat directly with them, and place orders at reasonable prices. They promise a stress-free process with top-notch customer support and deliver quality work fast—sometimes in as little as six hours.

Additionally, EssayPro offers a range of services like case studies, dissertations, and business plans, among others. They provide unique perks like a free originality report, guaranteed anonymity, 24/7 support, and unlimited revisions.

From my experience, what really sets them apart is their transparent approach. You can view detailed profiles of their essay writers online and choose who you want to work with based on a flexible bidding system. This flexibility extends to their pricing, making it easier to work within your budget—unless you’re after the most sought-after professional essay writers, as their fees can go up with demand.

If you’re good at academic writing and looking for freelance opportunities, EssayPro might be worth considering. They manage to keep their rates competitive by handling a large volume of work.

The design of the website is clear and easy to navigate, with a pleasing aesthetic and a straightforward interface. It’s definitely a reliable choice for anyone needing academic writing help.

5.  ExpertWriting  — Best for Discounts and Bonuses

Reasonable price, good quality;

Great discounts for regular customers, good choice for resellers.

The company doesn’t clearly communicate the fact that some disciplines can cost more than others;

Customer service couldn’t be more responsive.

I’ve used ExpertWriting for various academic assignments, and I’ve found it to be a reliable service. This platform offers a variety of academic writing services, including essay writing, research papers, term papers, and coursework, as well as editing and proofreading to improve your essays.

The process is straightforward. You submit your assignment details, and they quote a rate. If you agree, you gain access to their pool of essay writers and editors who can assist with your writing needs. You’ll receive your completed work by the deadline you set.

ExpertWriting is known for being affordable, which is great for students on a budget. They are often recommended on platforms like Reddit as a cost-effective option without compromising on quality. They also offer discounts for bulk orders, which can help save even more.

I’d particularly recommend ExpertWriting if you’re pressed for time. We’ve all been there—needing to complete a solid piece of academic work in a rush. While their prices go up for tighter deadlines, they manage them well. For example, they can deliver work in as little as three hours, though for more complex papers, more time will naturally be required.

However, it’s wise not to expect miracles for extremely short deadlines, especially for lengthy papers. For a more realistic turnaround, an eight-hour deadline is doable for them without sacrificing the quality too much.

Pricing on ExpertWriting is reasonable. For a less urgent two-week deadline, you’ll pay around $11 per page, which can increase depending on the urgency, academic level, and length of your paper. This is pretty standard across most professional writing services.

Lastly, they don’t just handle essays. You can get help with almost any type of academic writing, including research proposals, creative writing assignments, cover letters, and literature reviews. It’s a versatile platform that can meet various academic needs.

6.  ExtraEssay  — Best Customer Service

Affordable prices and good quality;

Free, unlimited revisions for 10 days after order delivery;

Exceptional customer service, the customer support team is always ready to help anytime.

Sometimes ExtraEssay fails to meet customers’ deadlines.

I’ve been turning to ExtraEssay for my academic writing needs for a couple of years now, and they’ve been a reliable resource ever since they started up about seven years ago. Their focus is clear—they prioritize attention to detail, reliability, and professionalism.

They offer a broad spectrum of about 20 services, primarily catering to students. You can get anything from basic essays to more specialized documents like resumes and cover letters, all tailored to meet your needs.

What really sets ExtraEssay apart for me is their competitive pricing. It’s rare to find such affordable rates without compromising on quality. The essays and support you receive are absolutely top-tier. Speaking of support, their customer service is remarkable. I’ve had several interactions with their team, and each time they were exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable.

Navigating their website is a breeze too. The homepage is packed with useful information, making it easy for anyone to understand their offerings right off the bat. From a handy price calculator to detailed descriptions of the ordering process, everything is laid out to ensure a smooth user experience.

They don’t just cater to experienced users, and newcomers will find themselves comfortably making their way through the site. They’ve also detailed essential features like free revisions and continuous customer support, which have been lifesavers for me on more than one occasion.

With thousands of clients each year and an 85% return rate, it’s clear they’re doing something right. Their commitment to their customers really shows through in every aspect of their service.

7.  GradeMinders  — Best for Quick Turnaround

Reputable company, solid and consistent quality;

The fastest college essay service on the market (1-hour turnaround time available);

Finding a writer during crunch season might be time-consuming.

GradeMiners is more expensive than most essay writing sites in the industry.

I’ve been using GradeMiners for a while now, and I have to say, they offer a solid service at a fair price. A high school essay runs about $16 per page, and a college paper is $18 per page. They offer a wide array of professional academic writing services beyond just essays; you can get help with everything from presentations and book reviews to lab reports and dissertations.

The process is straightforward: you go to their website, pick your subject, set your deadline, and the professional writers take it from there. They assure that your paper will be completely original and plagiarism-free, which is crucial.

One of the standout features is their speedy delivery. If you’re pressed for time, you can get a college paper done within an hour—as long as it’s not too long. This frees you up to concentrate on other things that might need more of your attention or are more appealing to you.

8. EssayTerritory — Best New Essay Writing Company

Good quality, fair price;

Great loyalty program, good choice for students who are looking to use this site regularly;

Exceptional customer service.

No sample essays available;

Plagiarism report doesn’t come for free;

Expensive extras.

I recently tried out EssayTerritory, a new but promising college paper writing service. It was easy to find an essay writer that matched my specific needs, and the platform has a roster of over 800 active paper writers. They’ve already completed more than 1300 orders, which is impressive for a newcomer.

What stands out most about EssayTerritory is their 98% satisfaction rate. It seems they really know how to please their customers, as about 85% of users return for more academic papers. They offer a plagiarism-free guarantee like many top essay writing services, and they’ll give you a full refund if they miss your deadline or if your work contains plagiarism.

You can order various assignments from them—essays, research papers, case studies, term papers, dissertations, and even help with presentations or speeches if that’s what you need. They also provide proofreading and editing services.

Privacy and confidentiality are top priorities for them. They ensure that every “write my essay” request is kept anonymous and your personal details are secure. They have robust measures in place to prevent any data leaks. This level of security gave me a lot of confidence in using their essay writer service.

FAQs About Best Paper Writing Services

Should i trust essay writing service reviews.

Trusting essay writing service reviews can be tricky. Unfortunately, some companies that offer a custom essay writing service also operate fake review sites to maintain a positive online reputation. This means you need to be cautious about where you look for reviews.

For more reliable information, it’s better to use independent review platforms like SiteJabber and Reviews.io. These sites are generally more trustworthy because they’re not directly affiliated with any essay writing services.

However, even with these platforms, it’s wise to approach reviews with a critical eye. Some dedicated essay writing review sites might have biases or hidden motives, so take their recommendations with skepticism and always cross-reference multiple sources if possible.

How long does it take to have my essay written for me?

Essay writers generally focus on producing high-quality work, and the time it takes to write an essay largely depends on its length. For a standard 275-word essay, the average turnaround is about 3 hours. Most essay writing services strive to meet these deadlines consistently.

If you’re in a rush and your deadline is just a few hours away, you can opt for a premium service. This usually involves having several top-rated writers collaborate to deliver your essay in about half the standard time.

It’s worth noting that the best college paper writing services might experience delays during peak times when demand is high. Typically, they recommend giving writers at least six hours to complete an essay. If you’re willing to pay extra, your order can be prioritized to ensure a faster delivery.

For more complex assignments like thesis papers or extensive research projects, the process can take up to five days. Writers often submit a partial draft by the second day for client feedback, allowing any revisions to be included in the final submission by day five.

Will my essay be written by a professional essay writer?

Picking a reliable essay writing website is crucial for ensuring the safety, confidentiality, and quality of the service.

When hiring writers, most companies put them through a rigorous vetting process. They typically require that writers have native or near-native proficiency in the language they’ll be writing in, along with a relevant degree from an accredited university.

Once hired, these writers undergo further training on the platform to polish their linguistic and formatting skills. They only start working on actual assignments once their writing meets the company’s professional standards.

The best writing services take extra steps to maintain high-quality standards. For example, every piece of work is checked by a moderator before it goes to the client. Writers are also provided with ongoing opportunities to enhance their skills within the company’s supportive environment.

The person who is labeled as a premium paper writer often has more experience and higher qualifications, like a Ph.D., and at least two years of writing experience. While their services cost a bit more, the quality they deliver usually makes the investment worthwhile.

Is using a paper writing service confidential and safe?

The internet is a vast resource where people often share their knowledge, which is a huge help, especially for college students working on their homework. It’s also completely legal and secure to purchase essays and custom papers online if you need them. However, it’s crucial to choose a reputable provider to avoid issues like plagiarism or low-quality work, which could waste your time, money, and effort.

I’ve found that doing your homework on these services is essential. Make sure to look at the company’s refund policy in case you’re not satisfied with their work, and confirm that they’ll keep your school’s name confidential. It’s also a good idea to check reviews of their past work to see if it’s well-written and structurally sound.

From my experience, as long as you do this research beforehand, buying essays online can be a safe option that keeps your details private. Just be vigilant to avoid scams.

What if I’m not satisfied with my paper?

Most top-rated essay writing companies strive to deliver excellent quality, because they want their customers to come back. They have skilled writers who are well-versed in various academic tasks, including essays, lab reports, and research papers. They work hard to produce top-quality work.

If there are any issues with the finished product, these services usually offer free revisions until you’re satisfied with the quality. Client satisfaction is a high priority for these companies, driven by stiff market competition. The goal is to deliver a flawless paper that helps you achieve a high grade.

What are the main drawbacks of using essay writing services?

For many students, using essay writing services is considered a luxury, primarily because the reputable ones that offer great reviews, unlimited revisions, and maintain confidentiality tend to be more expensive. Opting for cheap essay writing services often means risking quality and reliability, especially when it comes to meeting deadlines.

Plagiarism is another serious issue. Both intentional and unintentional plagiarism can occur, particularly with services that don’t carefully vet their writers. Sometimes, clients don’t discover the plagiarism until it’s too late to rewrite the paper and meet their deadline.

Moreover, if an essay writing company lacks a quality control team, the work submitted by writers might be subpar, filled with typos and grammatical errors. Some writers might also resist feedback, making it hard to get the necessary revisions to ensure the essay meets your standards.

Who will write my work and what determines the price?

Your assignment will be handled by writers with diverse backgrounds. Some are full-time professionals dedicated solely to writing, while others are former academics who’ve embraced the flexibility of working from home. There are also those who write as a side job.

Regarding pricing, we’ve discussed the main factors in our article: the length of the assignment, its complexity, and the deadline. Another element influencing cost is the location of the company. Businesses based in regions like Eastern Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia often have lower rates because the cost of living is lower there, making the dollar stretch further.

Comparison of the Top Paper Writing Services

#1. paperhelp 🏅.

Academic papers written from scratch by writers with Ph.D. and Master’s degrees;

No need to provide any personal information;

Reasonable price, great quality, plagiarism-free papers.

#2. BBQPapers 🥈

Premium quality, best writers in the industry;

On-time delivery guarantee, even on rush orders;

Free revisions.

#3. EssayPro 🥉

Good quality at a reasonable price (ENL writers);

Free plagiarism report;

Good reputation.

Best Essay Services: Conclusion

Working with a professional essay writing service is important not only for the quality of the work you’ll receive but also for the security of your personal details. Many students turn to these services when they’re pressed for time and need to complete their academic tasks—there’s nothing wrong with this approach.

Today, numerous legitimate essay writing services uphold high standards of academic integrity and deliver plagiarism-free papers. These paper writing websites are generally affordable for most students, although there are some exceptions.

Before placing an order, it’s important to do your homework. Check the company’s reviews, find out if it offers a refund policy, and look into its track record on past projects. A reliable service will prioritize your confidentiality, which is a vital consideration.

The news and editorial staff of the Santa Cruz Sentinel had no role in this post’s preparation. This is a paid advertisement and does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, its employees, or subsidiaries.

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