Effective Writing Center Video Library | UMGC Effective Writing Center

Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Modifiers help to bring your writing to life, but if they’re not placed properly, they can cause more confusion. This short video helps you to make the most of your expression.

Distinguishing Homophones: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Some words are easily confused with others because they sound the same. This short video helps you to determine which word you need and when.

Eliminating 1st- and 2nd-person Pronouns: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

In much academic writing, pronouns like “I” and “you” should be avoided in favor of a more objective position. This short video will help you to deliver your writing from the right point of view.

Favoring Active Voice: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Learn about the value of the active voice (as opposed to the passive voice) in this short video.

Higher- and Lower-order Concerns: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Writing has many facets, and this short video will help you to determine where your focus needs to be when

Pronoun References: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

When your pronoun usage is unclear, your reader can struggle. This short video will help you to maintain clarity throughout your writing.

Punctuating Quotations: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Quoted material needs to be presented in particular ways in order to be understood. This short video will help you to integrate the work of others without losing your own voice

Sentence Structure Patterns: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Variety in your sentences is key to making your writing engaging. This short video will help you to consider your options when expressing your point.

Spotting Run-on Sentences: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

A run-on sentence can lose your reader’s attention and confuse your point. This short video will help you to identify and eliminate this common grammatical error.

Spotting Sentence Fragments: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Sentence fragments are incomplete thoughts; if your thought is incomplete, your reader will have difficulty following it. This short video will help you to identify and eliminate this common grammatical error.

Subject-Verb Agreement: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Subjects and verbs are partners in sentence-making, so they need to agree with one another to work effectively. This short video will help you to make sure that your sentences are operating at their peak.

Using Transitions: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Moving from one thought to another within your writing is key to helping your reader follow your argument. This short video will help you to transition like a champ

Using “that” and “which”: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

These two words might seem interchangeable, but deciding which to use in certain situations can improve your writing’s clarity.

Using “like” and “as”: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

These two words might seem interchangeable, but deciding which to use in certain situations can improve your writing’s clarity.

Using Commas: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Get to know the comma and its uses in this short video.

Using Colons: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Get to know the colon and its uses in this short video.

Using Apostrophes: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Get to know the apostrophe and its uses in this short video.

Using Semicolons: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Get to know the semicolon and its uses in this short video.

Writing Clearly: An Effective Writing Center 2-minute video

Your ultimate goal in writing is to communicate clearly. This short video will help you make sure your writing is as clear and understandable as possible.

Image Still for Video: Effective Writing Center: Two-Minute Body Paragraphs

Body Paragraphs: An Effective Writing Center 2-Minute video

Introductions and conclusions get a lot of attention, but your body paragraphs are where your argument develops substance and truly shines. This short video will help you to support your thesis with well-written paragraphs to make your work the best it can be.

Parallel Structure: An Effective Writing Center 2-Minute video

Whenever you write, the elements of your writing should match one another. This is called using parallel structure. In this short video, learn how to make sure that your writing achieves this important function.

UMGC Effective Writing Center Video Library