Writing Help for AP English III

This information is mostly useful for the AP English III students, but it could be helpful to English II also. As I have told many of you, I’m happy to look at revised outlines and rough drafts as you work on your argumentative essays. The best way to do this is to send me your work electronically (via email or Google Doc) or give me a hard copy to mark-up. Then, I can give back the draft with comments, or we can meet to discuss it. I can give you the best feedback if I have time to read your work carefully. It is also very helpful if you have specific questions or alert me to specific challenges you are facing, e.g. having trouble with the conclusion or transitions, you’re not sure you have adequate explanation of evidence, etc… This will help me help you.

My email address is jg239 [at] duke [dot] edu. I generally won’t answer any work- or school-related emails after 7 pm. Also, because I am a graduate student and have assignments of my own to complete, do not send me your work the night before it’s due and expect me to drop everything to get you same-day feedback. On rare occasions I may be able to do this, but don’t plan on it!



Helpful writing resources for you: 

UNC Writing Center: This website has loads of helpful handouts that can help you with many aspects of the writing process, from grammar issues, to specific parts of a writing assignment, to writing for specific academic fields. http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/ 

Purdue OWL: Website run and updated by Purdue University. This is a great reference for styles, such as the MLA style we use in our course, and it also has resources similar to the UNC writing center above. I cannot recommend this site enough; I still refer to it every time I have to write a paper for graduate school. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Grammar Girl: Simple, clear explanations of common grammar and usage quandaries. Don't depress your teachers; if you don't know the right way to punctuate something or the right word to use, look it up! If you're still not sure, ask us! http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl