Writing and Learning Services

Writing is a process, and many students struggle to know where to start. The following resources can help you understand how to move forward during different stages of the writing process. This doesn't mean all steps must be followed chronologically, though! If you're like most writers, you'll find that you might need to backtrack and go back to do some more research after you've already started writing your first draft, or you may need to go back to rework your outline once you start revising your paper. Writing is fluid! 

Interactive Tutorial

The Writing Process

Quick Guide Handouts

Understanding Assignment Guidelines

Gathering Evidence

Brainstorming

Planning

Gathering Evidence

Developing an Outline

Drafting

Revising

Editing

Proofreading 

These resources help you better understand each part of the essay and the function it serves in your paper. 

Interactive Tutorial 

Anatomy of a Paper 

Quick Guide Handouts

Introductions

Thesis Statements

Complex Thesis Statements

Topic Sentences

Paragraph Structure 

Counterarguments

Transitions 

Conclusions 

Your instructor may have provided additional instructions in class, but the following are some general resources to help you get acquainted with some common essay types. 

Quick Guide Handouts

Deductive Essay Structure (Most Common!)

Inductive Essay Structure

Summaries

Annotated Bibliographies

Literature Reviews

Compare/Contrast Essays

Research Essays

Rhetorical Analyses

Pronouns in Academic Writing 

Declaring Pronouns

Let's Talk About Gender and Pronouns (created by MacEwan's Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity)