When it comes to essay writing, some words are especially powerful. I call them Power Words. I’m Tutor Phil, and in this tutorial, you’ll harness the power of four such words. What can power words do for you? Great question! Power words can help you: Get your ideas flowing Make a better impression on your… [Read More]
Three Simple Rules of Using Contractions You Must Know
The way you use contractions (e.g. “Do not” vs “Don’t“) tells your reader a lot about you. If you are not clear on how to use them, You may convey that you haven’t done a lot of writing in your life Your language may sound unnatural Your sentences may lose some of their power You… [Read More]
How to Write Subject-Verb-Object Sentences – Easy Tutorial
A sentence is a statement that consists of at least a subject and a verb. Optionally, it contains an object. The subject is what the sentence is about. The verb is what the subject does. The object is acted upon by the subject and the verb. I’m Tutor Phil, and in this tutorial I’ll teach… [Read More]
Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules, Common Mistakes, Examples
Subject-Verb Agreement is a rule that states that the verb must take the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be in plural form. In essay writing, subject-verb agreement can: Either make or break your grade or essay score Show… [Read More]
There vs They’re vs Their – Which to Choose? When to Use?
These words sound the same, but have totally different meanings. And if you keep confusing them with one another in your essays, then: Your grade will suffer Your professor will think that you didn’t go to a good school 🙂 It will be hard for you to make a good impression with your writing So,… [Read More]
The Easiest Way to Learn How to Use a Comma
A comma (,) is one of the two most commonly used punctuation marks (along with a period). It is also a source of a lot of frustration for the graders of essays and term papers. Why? A skipped comma may mean that the writer is in a rush A comma used in a wrong way… [Read More]
It’s or Its?
Many essays have suffered because of the improper use of the apostrophe after the word It. Since this word is very common, it is possible to repeat the same mistake many times throughout the essay, thus hurting the grade. Isn’t it about time your essays became free of this nasty little weed that grows without… [Read More]
Articles: How to Use A, AN, and THE
If you ever wonder what article to use in a particular situation, here’s a good way to remember How to Use Articles in the English language. First of all, a quick lesson in history. The English indefinite article A is a modern version of the word ONE. That’s it – A simply means one. And… [Read More]