For a lot of college students, narrowing down a research topic and developing a research question can be tough because it is something they never learned to do in high school. Identifying a highly focused topic, as opposed to one that is too broad or generic, makes it easier to write a good thesis statement […]

Most writers have a favorite book (or several) that contributed to their evolution as a writer and sometimes even served as a source of inspiration. Some choose to pay homage by including an epigraph—a phrase, a quote, or sometimes even a poem from those book(s)—at the beginning of their own book. Epigraphs serve a dual […]

The process of choosing a research topic can be a complex one, and it is important to adopt a flexible approach. The goal of a researcher should be to choose a problem that is specific in nature and focused on a limited time period. The topic, however, should not constrict the researcher’s ability to carry […]

What is MLA format? The MLA format is a popular style used to attribute information. It was founded in 1883. As of 2022, it is in its 9th edition. The MLA style is recommended by the Modern Language Association (MLA). This leading academic organization in the US provides its members with opportunities to share their […]

When you’re finished using Bartleby Write to research, draft, edit, and cite your paper, Bartleby Write will automatically generate an APA formatted title page for you to use with your final version. Quick Start Generating your APA title page is easy; just open the draft details form from the Essay Editor tab of Bartleby Write: […]

Whether you’re just getting started or already have a first draft, Bartleby Research can help you find relevant sources to strengthen your paper. Bartleby Research uses Machine Learning to search a proprietary database of publicly-available documents and find contextually-relevant sources. You can then save any of the suggested resources for further research and easily add […]

If you’ve finished revising your essay, you can now use the Print feature on Bartleby Write to generate a hard copy or PDF. Bartleby’s Print Feature uses your browser’s print dialogue to print to any available printer or to generate a PDF version of your essay. The printed copy will automatically include the title and […]

Bartleby Write now supports analysis of essays up to 12,500 words. This means that you can get help with plagiarism, spun-text detection, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and citation analysis on essays up to 50 double-spaced pages. Long-essay analysis is handled offline, and Bartleby Write will notify you when the results are ready. Here’s how it works: […]

There are many things applicants have to keep tabs on when applying to college. From submitting all the records on time to writing application essays, candidates may easily feel overwhelmed. The college application process, however, need not be all that stressful. By following the few simple steps listed below, it is possible to better prepare […]

What is a Supplemental Essay? A supplemental essay is an additional essay, besides the main one, submitted by applicants along with their college application. While the main college essay gives the admissions committee a peek into an applicant’s strengths and achievements, the supplemental essay provides more information on the applicant’s opinions, traits, and beliefs, based […]

“Well begun is half done” is an adage that holds true especially in the case of a college essay. The more compelling the opening statement of a college essay is, the more interested readers are likely to be in the piece.  Different types of essay introductions work differently. Depending on the type of the college […]

The college admission process grants students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, strengths, accomplishments, and beliefs, thus helping them build their personal brand. One of the quickest ways to get the attention of the admissions committee is by writing an impressive application essay. Since the essay can make or break the application, applicants should ensure […]

In the English language, all sentences and phrases need verbs. Verbs are words that refer to actions (doing things) and to states of being (how things are.) Eating, sleeping, crying, washing, etc. are examples of verbs. Verbs are critical in grammar, and there are many different types. Because of their ubiquity and importance, it is […]

What Are Negatives in Grammar? Words and phrases that represent negation are called negatives in English grammar. Negative words and phrases are commonly used in everyday speech and writing. “Never,” “nobody,” “nowhere,” “none,” “cannot,” “will not,” “did not,” “shall not,” “would not,” etc., are some commonly used negative words. It’s common to use contractions to […]

Adverbs and adjectives are two distinct word classes. Both are important parts of speech in English grammar, and both are used to describe something. The key difference between them lies in what they describe. Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. Adverbs describe verbs. In order to pinpoint the difference between adverbs and adjectives, two things require […]

What Is Syntax? The word syntax is derived from the Greek word suntaxis, which means “to arrange together.” In essence, syntax is the set of principles that dictate the structure of a sentence.  For a sentence to be grammatically correct, words, clauses, or phrases must be arranged in a specific order. It’s also important to […]

Plagiarism – a word that strikes terror into the hearts of the most intrepid writers everywhere – refers to the act of copying someone else’s work and passing it off as one’s own. It is a wrong and unethical practice and can have dire consequences for writers. In fact, it can get students expelled from […]

Plagiarism (copying someone else’s work and passing it off as one’s own) is not a new phenomenon in academia. The advent of technology has made it easier not only to plagiarize but also to bring instances of plagiarism to light. Not all acts of plagiarism, however, are alike. There are many types of plagiarism and […]

In college writing, a citation indicates a source of information. Its goals are to inform readers that certain material in the work came from an outside source and to help them identify and find the source of that material. A citation provides the following information: Author of the source material Title of the work Name […]

Plagiarism is the most common type of academic misconduct. It can be deliberate or accidental, but either way, it is a punishable offense. Although different educational institutions have different disciplinary measures to deal with plagiarism, it is still rampant for a variety of reasons.  Why Do Students Plagiarize? 1. Lack of Organizational Skills Students with […]

What Are Scare Quotes? Scare quotes are punctuation used to represent ironic, skeptic, or other nonstandard usage of terms. Although different writing style guides define scare quotes differently, the basic function of such quotes is to suggest that the words and phrases within the quotes mean something different than what they’re supposed to mean. Below […]

8:07 PM, You: Hey, what’s up? How’d the game go? Did you make any three-pointers, assists, or game-winning shots? 8:10 PM, Cameron: hey buddy the game went great we won i scored a ton of points and made a game winning three pointer at the end im happy with my performance !!! 8:11 PM, You: […]

For their size, commas are deceptively tricky. Even experienced writers still get tripped up by the measly comma, that little squiggly punctuation mark that inserts a mid-sentence pause after listed items, before conjunctions, in compound and complex sentences, and in a variety of other grammatical situations.  Even among those with a lot of writing experience, […]

We’ve all sent or received texts like these: 8:07 PM: I am hoping you will come pick me up after practice? 3:16 PM: Yes, will you be waiting outside. 3:29 PM: I will be. Coach just asked if I can stay after to help clean up? But what do all these texts have in common? […]

Stories and novels are largely shaped by concrete elements such as plot, theme, subject matter, and point of view. Another important characteristic of a piece of writing is its tone—the mood evoked by the author’s language or how the prose makes readers feel. Novice writers sometimes make the mistake of conflating tone and voice. An […]

Substitution and ellipsis are techniques used by writers to avoid repetition and improve their writing style without too much effort. What is Substitution? The English language has a number of words that can be used to replace others. They are known as substitutes. Commonly used substitutes include here, there, that, do/does/did, so, then, some, one/ones, […]

What is an Anecdote?  An anecdote is a narrative about a person or an incident that has an intent to convey a point that is amusing, intriguing, thought-provoking, and such. Anecdotes are not just a common part of everyday life, but they’re also used by fictional writers to make their writing more engaging. Most anecdotes […]

A sentence fragment is an incomplete clause that has been separated from the main clause or the rest of the sentence. To avoid them, it’s important to pay attention to basic aspects like grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and so on.  Characteristics of Sentence Fragments A hanging phrase or an abandoned clause—anything that is missing the […]