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Writing Help

The Resource Center is a free service offered by GradeSaver. Each resource has been written and compiled by Adam Kissel, a Harvard-educated GradeSaver editor, in response to questions and editing problems.

The GradeSaver Resource Center is always looking to expand its offerings. If you have any suggestions for new resources, please let GradeSaver know!

HomeWriting Help
  • What Makes a Good Essay?

    Writing a good essay may sound like an intimidating task, but it doesn't have to be. Adam Kissel's article on What Makes a Good Essay gives you the advice you need to win over your reader and improve your chances of writing a successful essay. Whether you need to write an admission or scholarship essay or an academic essay for a high school,...

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  • Academic Essays

    Academic essays require a specific topic, writing style, and essay structure. In this article, Adam Kissel shows you step-by-step how to write a successful high school or college essay that will help you create a logical, compelling argument with detailed supporting evidence. It's easy to become a better academic writer by learning how to pick...

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  • Admission Essays

    Writing a successful college admission essay can be stressful. After all, it's your one chance to make a first impression to the college or university of your choice. It can be the deciding factor in your admission status. Don't let poor writing skills stop you from getting into your first choice school. Learn the art of writing a successful...

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  • Scholarship and Award Essays

    A college scholarship essay is different than an academic or admission essay. First, you must understand what the sponsoring institution or organization values, then you need to write your essay to conform to those values while meeting the strict scholarship essay requirements. In this article, we'll help you understand and follow the rules of...

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  • Essay Writing: First-Person and Third-Person Points of View

    People approach essay writing in so many different ways. Some spend a long time worrying about how to set about writing an informative piece, which will educate, or even entertain, the readers. But it is not just the content that's the issue; it is also the way the content is - or ought to be - written. More may have asked the question: what...

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  • Elements of a Successful Research Paper

    Writing a successful research paper is not easy work. There are no shortcuts to be taken as one sits down to choose a topic, conduct research, determine methodology, organize (and outline) thoughts, form arguments or interpretations, cite sources, write the first draft, and, finally, apply the necessary revisions.

    But there's no need to be...

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  • Removing Redundancy: Writing Clearly and Concisely

    There will sometimes be a strong tendency for most of us to clutter up our writing, with a host of unnecessary words or phrases in the text. This is especially true when writing to a set word count perhaps, in which sometimes a little "padding" will assist. It doesn't change the negative impact that the clutter of redundant words and phrases...

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  • Avoiding Commonly Misused Words

    When we talk to other people, they get to hear the tone and inflection of our voice. We are also able to judge their body language, their facial expressions and their hand gestures, and therefore we normally get the correct understanding of the intended message from that person.

    The written word, however, can often leave us with no idea of the...

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  • Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

    What are the differences between passive and active voice? When do you use them? Is there an advantage in using one over the other?

    Choosing the "voice" of verb for a research paper – or for any form of writing – can be a tricky task. Voice in grammar, after all, can affect the way the verbs inflect, as well as where points of emphasis,...

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  • Choosing an Effective Essay Topic

    The choice of essay topic is crucial to the end result of any form of essay writing. While it is great to be able to choose a topic that one cares passionately about, there won't always be freedom to do so. It doesn't mean, however, that one cannot choose an effective essay topic when specific instructions have to be followed.

    Remember that...

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  • An Overview of Literary Genres

    What are the main literary genres? Under which genre does your literary composition fall? Before answering these questions, it is important to clarify the meaning of the word "genre". "Genre" comes from an old French word, "gender" – or "gender" as we know it. "Genre" has since been used to describe the style or category of art, literature,...

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  • What Makes Classic Literature Classic?

    According to Dictionary.com, the definition of the adjective classic is "an author or literary work of the first rank, especially one of demonstrably enduring quality."

    How many times have you finished a great new book and told your friends that it was classic? How many times have you sat down with them to discuss Shakespeare only to have them...

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  • Determining Your Writing Style

    Writing style can refer to many things: the pace at which a written story is told, the imagination – or the pragmatism – inspired by a piece of text, the choice of verbs, the preferred narrative point of view or the even the vocabulary range used by a writer. All these combine to make a unique writerly voice, one that can effectively...

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  • APA vs. MLA: What Style Guide Do I Use?

    APA versus MLA: what style guide do you use?

    The American Psychological Association (APA) style is, originally, a set of rules that authors use when submitting papers for publications in the journals of the APA. Established in 1929, the style has since been used to guide research writers and help them achieve – through the use of established...

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