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Choosing a topic can be extremely difficult—even more difficult than deciding which Ben & Jerry's flavor to try next. No, scratch that. Nothing w...
No busque una palabra negativa. Sino una palabra que pueda ser positiva. Tales son "no se caiga", " no molestes a tus maestros" "no se coma toda...
Reading repetitive essays can bore teachers to death because the essays repeat the same ideas repetitively. You don’t want your teacher to get bo...
Without a thesis statement, you don't have a paper. Watch this video, and get the inside scoop on how to write a killer thesis statement.
We recommend carrying a copy of your outline with you wherever you go. You never know when someone will ask you to organize your thoughts.
If you copy this video description in its entirety and paste it somewhere else on the Internet, we will be none too pleased. And trust us—we will...
This video talks about transitions—why are they important for your essay? What do they do? What are the two major types of transition?
As much as everyone compliments you on your dead-on Al Pacino impression, your college application is neither the time nor the place to let it out....
Conclusions are key. Without them, we feel incomplete, unfinished, and lonely. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but you get the idea: everyth...
This video covers the top ten things to definitely not do in an essay and provides some tips for how to avoid them. Plagiarism and disorganization...
Because the world is working hard to make sure that your brain hurts, there is more than one way to cite an outside source within an essay. You can...
To find similarities and differences between two topics, just compare and contrast. This video explains the difference between comparing and contra...
Cause: You watch this video. Effect: You’ll be our best friend 4EVA. (We promise we don’t say that to everybody.)
There are some tricks of the trade you can use when trying to bring readers around to your point of view. And none of them involve dangling a watch...
When presenting an argument in an essay, you may want to play devil’s advocate. Don’t play it with the devil himself, though. That guy always w...
Transitioning smoothly from one sentence to the next can be tough. With a little bit of our help, your teacher will be calling you Mr. or Ms. Suave...
We'll teach you how to create a touchy-feely first sentences that'll capture your reader from the get-go, but don't get too carried away. You don...
This video offers some rules of thumb for writing a good introduction. It covers everything from tone (confidence is key!) to phrases and clichés...
Even the best essays can go wrong in the conclusion—this video covers what not to do in a conclusion to help avoid any essay-ending problems. The...
You want to be as picky with your citations as Goldilocks was with her porridge—not too many, not too few... juuust right. You want to prove that you did your homework but that you're also capable of forming original thoughts.
Want even more deets on wordiness? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.
Want even more deets on tenses? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.
Want even more deets on Run-on Sentences? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.
Want even more deets on Sentence Fragments? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.
Want even more deets on Sentence Types? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.
This video defines parallel structure and analyzes what makes it powerful (spoiler alert: sticking to a consistent part of speech, like infinitives, gerunds, or adverbs). How do you spot parallel structure and how do you fix it if something’s not quite right?
We'll teach you how to get your thesis statement to stand on its own two feet instead of wobbling around like a newborn Rudolph. No stumbles allowed, but glowing noses are certainly encouraged.
You should probably know what kind of essay you're writing before you actually start writing it. Just like you should probably know where you're going before you start driving. But shhh…don't tell Dad.
How do you make an essay sound narrative? Check out this video for some helpful advice on everything from point of view to tone to conflict. With these tips, anything can sound exciting and engaging.
This video gives key tips for writing punchy concluding sentences, plus advice on when to use them. Making a joke, taking a step back, and bringing your argument full circle can all be great ways to conclude a paragraph—and they’re all discussed in this video.
The London Bridge may be falling down, falling down, falling down....but your essay will be one stalwart structure that stands the tests of time.
We like to say that the first step toward asking a good question is marinating in your thoughts. Uncle Bob's BBQ chicken isn't any good unless it has spent some time juicin' up—what makes you think your thoughts are any different?
No, this video will not teach you how to imitate the fashionistas struttin' down the streets of South Side. But you will learn the tools you need to get in tight with those trendy intellectual types.
Well, if you're crafting a formal exposé on the accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln, you probably shouldn't use first-person pronouns. You don't really belong there. However, writing about your latest hike up Mt. Everest might be difficult without a few I's and me's.
This video discusses clichés, overused sayings that should be avoided at all costs when writing your college application essay (and most other things too). It also gives tips for rephrasing so you can communicate the same idea without resorting to those pesky clichés.
Despite their differences, most stories follow the same basic outline. Yep, even works of fiction such as Twilight and The Odyssey can be compared and contrasted according to plot structure. We can't fathom why you would be asked to write such an essay, but you get the point.
If five paragraphs is simply not going to cut it, then take six and throw in that extra example You'll want to ask your teacher first, but how many do you think will actually deny you the right to put in more effort?