Writing Lab
Location: 409 SSBThe Writing Lab, a division of the Department of English, is a friendly place to bring your essays, reports, resumé, or term papers for a critique. No appointment is necessary, and tutors are prepared to help all currently-enrolled University of Missouri-St. Louis students, both undergraduate and graduate, in any discipline. Some of the issues covered in the lab include organization, sentence clarity, development, grammar and usage. The Writing Lab tutors can assist you in achieving your best writing effort. A visit to the Writing Lab will give you the opportunity to receive feedback on any writing assignment for any course. Regular visits to the Writing Lab will help you maximize your writing effectiveness.
We offer one-on-one tutoring to help you improve your writing:
- No appointment is necessary; use the lab services at your convenience.
- We view writing as a learning process rather than a product, and will help you with any step in this process.
- Windows, MS Word and laser printers are available for your use.
- There is no charge for using the lab.
- We will show you how to correct grammar errors, but will not take responsibility for correcting every one. The paper and the responsibility remain yours.
The Online Writing Lab
At our My Gateway site, students can send their papers to our tutors, who will read them and send them back with suggestions. Students can also access SafeAssign, which identifies quoted material in their essays.
The links below provide help with problems many students encounter in their writing.
The writing process
- How to write a thesis statement http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_thesis.html
- How to outline: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_outlinS.html
- How to paraphrase http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_paraphr.html
- How to revise: http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/revise.html
- How to proofread:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_proof.html
Citing sources
- Quotation marks: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_quote.html
- APA style: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
- MLA style: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/06/
- Chicago style:
- Communications Dept.:Standards for Acceptable Submission
- Sample research papers: http://dianahacker.com/rules/model.html
- Annotated bibliography: htttp://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/annotated_bibliographies.html#top
- How to avoid plagiarism: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
Special writing projects
- Memos:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/01/
- Resume & cover letter: http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/resume.html
- http://www.ccp.rpi.edu/cover_letter.html
- Application essay: http://www.internationalstudent.com/essay_writing/index.shtml
- Abstract: http://research.berkeley.edu/ucday/abstract.html
Particular problems
- Commas: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_commaproof.html
- Apostrophes: http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/grammar/Apostro3.html
- Hyphens: http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/grammar/Hyphen3.html
- Affect/effect, Accept/except: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/4/24/
- Active/passive voice: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/01/
- Grammar Rules and quizzes: http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar
- Paragraph structure: http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/tips/paragraphs/
For ESL students
- Word lookup & grammar info: http://www.m-w.com/
- Word lookup for ESL students: http://nhdheinle.com
- Prepositions: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/01/
For creative writers
- Advice and encouragement: www.crayne.com
Note: These sites provide general information. Consult your instructors about their particular requirements.
For instructors: Click here for student Writing Lab Referral Form.
A checklist for writing assignment sheets: http://humanistic.mit.edu/wcc/resources/teachers/createwritingassignments
Elements of an assignment sheet, possible support materials, and rubric tips: http://www.engl.niu.edu/wac/assprc.html
Tips on assignment sheets
http://www.calstatela.edu/centers/write_cn/Index%20Files/Good%20Assignments%20A%20How-To%20Guide.pdf
Study results on the student’s perspective: http://mwp01.mwp.hawaii.edu/resources/wm1.htm
Fall 2010 hours - Aug. 23-Dec. 9, 2010
Hours subject to change.
| Monday | 10 a.m.to 7:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 10 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Saturday | CLOSED |
| Sunday | 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
Closed Labor Day Weekend Sept. 5 and 6.
Final Exam week hours TBA
Guides by Writing Lab Tutors
Departments' Preferred Citation Styles
Preferred Citation Style by Department
Meet the Writing Lab Tutors
To The Point, Fall 09 Writing Lab Newsletter
Writing Lab research project: Novelists' Careers