Advice and Articles > English as a Second Language (Page 6 of 7)

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are an integral part of the English language. If used properly, they can improve almost any type of writing. Conjunctions help create better sentences. However, using them incorrectly, or not using them at all, can create choppy and incoherent writing. This article will explain what conjunctions are and how to properly use them in your writing.

ESL Writing Tips

You are a professional and are very proficient at academic writing in your first language, but when it comes to translating your work into written English, suddenly you don't know your "ifs" from your "ofs." This is natural in professional ESL writing, because writing in another language is a lot more complicated than speaking it. However, here are some helpful tips to improve your ESL writing.

Using Dashes: En Dash, Em Dash, 2 Em Dash, or 3 Em Dash?

If you’re confused about the various types of dashes and when to use them, you’re not alone. Figuring out whether to use an en dash, em dash, 2 em dashes, or even, gasp!, 3 em dashes can be confusing. Let’s take a look at the different types of dashes and when to use these little punctuation marks.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay

Have you been assigned to write a persuasive essay and don't know where to begin? Our editors explain what a persuasive essay is and how to write one.

How to Use Exclamation Marks

The exclamation mark is arguably one of the most controversial pieces of English punctuation. Some writers love them; others hate them. The editors at Scribendi.com offer advice on when to use exclamation marks and when to avoid using them.

Plural Possessives

Do you struggle with plural possessives? If so, don’t feel bad; you’re not alone! Knowing when and where to add the apostrophe to possessives can be tricky. Further complicating matters is that the correct usage sometimes looks and sounds wrong. We hope that by the end of this article, you’ll have a better grasp of plural possessives and how and when to use them.

Ligatures: A Guide to their Proper and Improper Use

In writing and typography, a ligature is two or more graphemes that are joined to make a single glyph. More simply put, a ligature is a single character that is created by joining several characters.

How to Use Brackets

Writers, have you ever found yourselves with a great deal of important information that you want to include in a sentence, but have difficulty finding a spot for all of it? Fitting everything into a sentence can be tricky—this is where brackets are useful. Brackets (parentheses) are punctuation marks used to include information within sentences that is not essential to the main point.

The 10 Most Common ESL Mistakes

Scribendi.com's editors outline the ten most common mistakes made by ESL students.

Punctuation Marks

In “Understanding Punctuation,” we covered some of the most common punctuation marks used in English writing. Now, let’s look at a few more punctuation marks in further detail.

Which vs. That

Contrary to popular belief, "which" and "that" do not function in a similar capacity. Although "which" and "that" are both pronouns, they are not interchangeable. "Which" is used for non-restrictive phrases and "that" is used for restrictive phrases.

Adjectives or Adverbs?

Are you constantly confusing adverbs and adjectives? Scribendi's editors will help cure your confusion for good.

Acronyms and Initialisms

Scribendi provides tips to help you use initialisms and acronyms correctly in your writing.

What is an Adjective?

Are adjectives causing you aggravation? Are you unsure of the difference between adjectives and adverbs? Perhaps you are asking yourself “What is an adjective?” Whatever the case, this article will help you make sense of these descriptive words.

What is a Verb?

When it comes to constructing a sentence, the verb is widely considered to be one of the most integral elements. In the simplest of definitions, a verb is an action. Drink, walk, talk, drive, and dive are all verbs. But as with everything English, it can't possibly be this easy, can it?

Using Articles—A, An, The

Put simply, an article is a word that combines with a noun. Articles are actually adjectives because they describe the nouns that they precede. In English, there are only three articles: the, a, and an.

Adverbs: What You Need to Know

The adverb belongs to a large class of words that add information by qualifying or modifying a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a preposition, or a clause, indeed anything except nouns and pronouns (which are modified by adjectives). Confused? Don't be! After we provide some examples of adverbs, you will have a much better understanding of this mystifying modifier.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is one of the most serious offenses within the literary, academic, and professional world. The act of plagiarism violates both academic and professional integrity, and often comes with very serious consequences for any individual caught doing it.