LibGuides: Tutoring Center: English Tutoring

Indiana University-Bloomington

Writing Resources

Indiana University Writing Guides Center
Avoiding Palgiarism
What it is and how to recognize and avoid it?
How to Write a Thesis Statement
This link will offer you help in writing a thesis statement for your paper.
Proofreading Grammar
Learn to proofread for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Proofreading Spelling
Learn how to avoid common spelling errors.
Using Evidence
Learn strategies for supporting your claims and persuading your reader with evidence.
Using Outlines
Learn to organize your ideas when researching and writing.
Writing Conclusion
Learn to explore the implications of your topic or argument in a strong ending paragraph.

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) Resources

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.
MLA Guide
APA Guide

Troy University Writing Center Resources

Troy University Writing Center
The Writing Center is a part of Instructional Support Services (ISS), the division of the University which provides assistance to students in areas of science and math, reading, and writing.
MLA Documentation Guide
APA Documentation Guide
Thesis Statements

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Resources

Writing Center
This link will provide you with some more help with writing papers and other related items.
Thesis Statements
This page describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.
Introductions
This page will explain the functions of introductions, offer strategies for creating effective introductions, and provide some examples of less effective introductions to avoid.
Conclusions
This page will explain the functions of conclusions, offer strategies for writing effective ones, help you evaluate conclusions you’ve drafted, and suggest approaches to avoid.
Paragraph Development
This page will help you understand how paragraphs are formed, how to develop stronger paragraphs, and how to completely and clearly express your ideas.
Passive Voice
This page will help you understand what the passive voice is, why many professors and writing instructors frown upon it, and how you can revise your paper to achieve greater clarity. Some things here may surprise you. We hope this handout will help you to understand the passive voice and allow you to make more informed choices as you write.

Using Tutoring Services

When you enter the Tutoring Center, use the QR code located near each door to sign in for services.

Word of the Day

The Word of the Day can also be found in the following places:

Courtesy of WordGenius.com, Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster.com, or OED.com (available through AVL)

Quote of the Month

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep" - Robert Frost

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. - Robert Frost

MLA Citations

MLA Home
How Do I Cite...
This page is setup like the Directory to the MLA Works Cited models located in the Writer's Reference (9th edition) that the English instructors at CVCC recommend having for class.
Located here you'll find the following:
- General Guidelines for Listing Authors
- Articles and Other Short Works
- Books and Other Long Works
- Websites and Parts of Websites
- Audio, Visual and Multimedia Sources
- Government and Legal Documents
- Personal Communication and Social Media
Video Tutorials for MLA
These videos are courtesy The Nature of Writing's YouTube channel.
Scribbr's MLA Citation Generator

APA Citations

APA Home
How Do I Cite...
Located here you'll find the following:
- General Guidelines for Listing Authors
- Articles and Other Short Works
- Books and Other Long Works
- Websites and Parts of Websites
- Audio, Visual and Multimedia Sources
- Personal Communication and Social Media
Video Tutorials for APA
These videos are courtesy The Nature of Writing's and Western Michigan University Libraries' YouTube channels.
Scribbr's APA Citation Generator

Types of Academic Essays

Essay Type	Description
Exposition	an essay that attempts to inform the reader about something important or explain something to him/her (a process, a set of rules, the benefits of an activity, etc.). Common expository writings: business or technical writing, process writing, compare and/or contrast essays, reaction essays, response essays, and often research-based essays.
Narration	writing that tells the reader about a particular event(s) that took place. Common narration writings: personal essays, short stories, novels, poetry.
Description	writing that uses vivid language to describe a person, place, or event so that the reader can picture the topic clearly in his/her mind. Fiction and poetry often use large amounts of descriptive writing, and sometimes only attempt to serve this descriptive purpose.
Argumentative (Persuasion)	writing that takes a stand on a principle (oftentimes a controversial issue) and attempts to persuade the reader to adopt a similar mindset. At the collegiate level, persuasive writing assignments are quite common. The most common persuasive essay is the argument paper. The reason for this is because writing an argument essay involves incorporating critical thinking and often the use of outside sources. Many papers written in disciplines other than English are a variation of the argument paper and should be treated in a similar fashion (ex-an analysis essay for literature that defends a particular form of literary criticism for the literary work).

Book on Citations

A Writer's Reference with Writing about Literature with 2016 MLA Update by Diana Hacker; Nancy Sommers
Call Number: PE1408 .H2779 2015
ISBN: 9781319087074
Publication Date: 2016-06-25
THIS TITLE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE 2016 MLA UPDATES!

Our editorial team has updated this text based on content from The MLA Handbook, 8th Edition. Browse our catalog or contact your representative for a full listing of updated titles and packages, or to request a custom ISBN. This version of the best-selling college handbook includes a tabbed section called Writing about Literature, a practical guide to interpreting works of literature and to planning, composing, and documenting papers about literature. Students will find help with forming and supporting an interpretation, avoiding plot summary, integrating quotations from a literary work, observing the conventions of literature papers, and using secondary sources. Writing about Literature also includes two sample student essays -- one that uses primary sources and one that uses primary and secondary sources. The full primary texts are also included.

If you need help with MLA or APA citations, checkout our guides on both.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers by Joseph Gibaldi; Modern Language Association of America Staff
Call Number: LB2369 .G53 2009
ISBN: 9781603290241
Publication Date: 2009-01-01
Widely adopted by universities, colleges, and secondary schools, the MLA Handbook is the guide millions of writers have relied on for over half a century. The seventh edition, taken out of print by the MLA in spring 2016 upon publication of the eighth edition, provides the MLA's previous recommendations on documentation style for use in student writing. Please note that copies of the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook include a code for accessing an accompanying Web site. The Web site is no longer available.
MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America
Call Number: LB2369 .G53 2016, LB2369 .G53 2016 Copy 2
ISBN: 9781603292627
Publication Date: 2016-04-01
The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are published today in a dizzying range of formats. A book, for example, may be read in print, online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to in an audio version. On the Web, modes of publication are regularly invented, combined, and modified. Previous editions of the MLA Handbookprovided separate instructions for each format, and additional instructions were required for new formats. In this groundbreaking new edition of its best-selling handbook, the MLA recommends instead one universal set of guidelines, which writers can apply to any type of source. Shorter and redesigned for easy use, the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook guides writers through the principles behind evaluating sources for their research. It then shows them how to cite sources in their writing and create useful entries for the works-cited list. More than just a new edition, this is a new MLA style.

Tutoring Center

Contact Information

Hours of Operation
Mondays	8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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Wednesdays	8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursdays	8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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English Tutors
English Tutors can be reach at the email listed below.

Email: englishhelp@piratemail.cv.edu

English Tutoring Book Shelf

The link below will provide you with some books located in the Owen Hall Library and Learning Resource Center that you can use to help you with your English or writing questions.

English Tutoring Book Shelf

Writing Resources

Writing Tips

Writing Tips
Writing Tips for getting started trying to write.

Social Media Citations

Social Media Citations
Trying to cite any of the following:
- Tweet from Twitter
- Status update from Facebook
- Photo from Instagram
- Video from YouTube or
- Thread from Reddit

This link will help you cite all of these.

Other Citations

English and Communication Databases

Discovering Literature
Discovering Literature provides an immersive experience into five different historical periods of British literature, focusing on the social, cultural, and political context of iconic and lesser-known works. Featured as a section on the British Library’s main website, Discovering Literature is divided into five periods of British literature: the 20th Century, Romantics and Victorians, the Restoration and 18th Century, Shakespeare and the Renaissance, and Medieval literature. (Information courtesy: C&RL News, November 2020, Internet Reviews)
Literary Encyclopedia
The Literary Encyclopedia provides tons of resources on literature, history, and culture. Although you can view the entries without a membership, you do need one to view the articles in their entirety.
Open Library of Humanities (OLH)
The Literary Encyclopedia provides tons of resources on literature, history, and culture. Although you can view the entries without a membership, you do need one to view the articles in their entirety.
University of Oxford Text Archive
This archive is a catalog of electronic literary and linguistic resources. Although many are freely accessible, some texts have restricted access.