Students visiting the Writing Center frequently ask for help with grammar issues, such as sentence fragments and subject-verb agreement.
If you need help with grammar, Writing Center tutors can help you by…
- helping you identify the grammatical error or errors you commonly make—tutors often do this by reading your paper with you, and doing so slowly.
- showing you how to locate and correct your most common errors.
- asking you to identify sentences or phrases that sound awkward to you as we read together.
- consulting reference books and/or online resources.
- offering suggestions for proofreading your papers on your own, including reading it aloud yourself or someone else.
- giving you time to proofread your paper on your own. Many students are able to work alone to fix errors once they know what to look for.
- providing help sheets for common grammatical mistakes.
As a reminder, tutoring sessions typically...
- last 30 to 45 minutes.
- focus on one or two writing issues.
- help to develop and focus ideas as you talk one-on-one with a tutor.
- identify aspects of the paper you need to improve on your own.
- conclude with a short evaluation form.
- respect the confidentiality of your visit; a tutor will send a report form to your instructor only at your request.
Written by: Chris Taylor
More Writing Help
The Kathleen Jones White Writing Center provides tutoring services, workshops, and writing resources.
Tutoring
- In-Person: 203 Stabley Library
- Online Tutoring: Use the online writing center.
Workshops
- Instructors: Request a workshop for your class.
- Students: Attend a Wednesday-night workshop.
- Online Workshops: APA Documentation, MLA Documentation.