Some Writing Resource Sites

• Purdue's Online Writing Lab - easily one of the best collections of resources for teaching writing. See the main site, materials for non-Purdue

  instructors  and their big list of handouts.

• Writing Resources page and the main writing page from the Colorado State University Writing Center. Writing guides, activities, links, exercises (you must sign up for this) and handouts.

How to Identify & Fix the Most Common Grammar/Mechanics Problems

The Twelve Most Frequent Errors in Grammar and Punctuation - Weinstein

From Weinstein, Larry (2001). Writing at the Threshold (56 ways to prepare high school and college students to think and write at the college level). Urbana, IL: NCTE, p. 78. 

Error

1. Sentence Fragment - definition and examples, exercises (and answers) from Purdue OWL.
2. Comma splice - definition and exercises (OWL); identifying splices, and fixing them (UToronto)
3. Comma missing between independent clauses (divided by and, but, or, or nor) - examples and exercises from the OWL
4. Misuse of the semi-colon or colon: how to correctly use a semicolon, colons, and question marks (OWL)
5. Comma missing to set off an interrupter (e.g., between subject and verb)
6. Comma missing with a non-restrictive clause—or comma inserted with a restrictive clause: OWL guidelines
7. Word choice
8. Apostrophe error - rules for using apostrophes, exercises. 
9. Quotation error
10. Lack of parallel structure: identifying and fixing, plus exercises (Penguin). See also OWL materials on parallelism
11. Lack of agreement between subject/verb, or noun and pronoun/verb that follows: subject verb agreement, and pronoun agreement (OWL), plus exercises. Also, advice from Bedfords
12. Misplaced modifier - OWL resources

To find explanations/definitions of each of these errors, and advice on how to fix them, see the following 3 sites (you can enter the name of the error from the list above in the search field on the site). All 3 sites are extremely useful for grammar and mechanics, as well as for many other aspects of writing.

1. Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) Resources http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/4/ 
2. Bedford St. Martins Writing Resources http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/easywriter3e/default.asp?uid=0&rau=0
3. University of Toronto Writing Resources http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/about-this-site/pdf-links 
4. Richard Nordquist's grammar and composition advice on about.com: http://grammar.about.com/ 

Bedford St. Martin's List of Common Errors with Links to Help

      1. Missing comma after an introductory element

      2. Vague pronoun reference

      3. Missing comma in a compound sentence

      4. Wrong word

      5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element

      6. Wrong or missing verb ending

      7. Wrong or missing preposition

      8. Comma splice

      9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe

      10. Unnecessary shift in tense

      11. Unnecessary shift in pronoun

      12. Sentence fragment

      13. Wrong tense or verb form

      14. Lack of subject-verb agreement

      15. Missing comma in a series

      16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent

      17. Unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive element

      18. Fused sentence

      19. Misplaced or dangling modifier

Citation/Quoting Sources & Style Guides - MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.

• MLA Documentation Guide by Glen McClish (from a fall 2013 session at the department conference on pedagogy) 
• Dennis Jerz (http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/mla-style-papers/) provides a useful guide for students to MLA, complete with examples and images and detailed instructions about margins, page layout, etc.
• OWL resources http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
• The Writer's Handbook, (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center) provides a wonderful resource explaining how and when to use the various documentation styles for citation, footnotes, bibliography, etc.
• How to quote sources: http://www.writingcenter.emory.edu/writing/quoting.html

Citing Online Sources

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/584/03/ 

ESL Resources

• ESL Teaching Resources - from CSU 
• Purdue's OWL has some good material: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/678/01/ 
• ESL Resources from University of Illinois http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/esl/