Writing Center | Student Guide | BYU-Idaho

# Writing Center

Take your writing to the next level with help from a tutor in the BYU-Idaho Writing Center.

## Schedule a Writing Center Tutor

Writing Center tutors offer suggestions on ways to improve your writing. Get help with writing assignments, resumes, cover letters, letters of introduction, and creative works for current academic coursework.

On-campus Students

Schedule an appointment with a Writing Center tutor through I-Plan. 
 
Schedule an On-campus Tutor

Online/Pathway Students

Schedule a Zoom appointment with an online tutor in I-Plan. 
 
Schedule an Online Tutor

Get Email Assistance

Get tutoring and feedback through email (for on-campus and online students). 
 
Submit Your Assignment via Email 
 
***This feature will be unavailable from July 23rd through September 15th.**

Questions About the Writing Center

Find out more about tutoring in the Writing Center and available services. 
 
Writing Center Questions

## Schedule Tutoring Appointments Through I-Plan

The Writing Center does not accept walk-in appointments. Please schedule an appointment through I-Plan.

Visit I-Plan

## Discover Your Writing Strengths

Explore your writing strengths by taking the ENG106 Placement Exam or completing an assessment.

Test Your Grammar Proficiency

Complete a self-assessment to find out what your strengths are as a writer and where you can improve. 
 
Take a Writing Assessment

English Placement Exam

Take this assessment to determine the appropriate English class for you to take. This assessment will determine whether you can register for English 106 (Basic Writing) or English 150 (Writing and Reasoning Foundations). 
 
Take the English Placement Exam

Video Tutorials and Handouts

Enjoy these mini-lessons about various elements of writing and how to improve your own writing. Download handouts and worksheets to supplement your studies.

Essay Development

Types of Writing

Grammar

Style

Essay Development

Types of Writing

Grammar

Style

Essay Development

Types of Writing

Grammar

Style

## Essay Development

Addressing Opposing Points of View

****Video****: "Addressing Opposing Viewpoints" 
****PDF Handout****: "Addressing Opposing Viewpoints"

Clarity

****Video****: "Write for Clarity" 
****PDF Handout****: "Clarity"

Development

****Video****: "Development" 
****PDF Handout****: "Development"

Focus

****Video****: "Unity and Focus" 
****PDF Handout****: "Focus"

Giving and Receiving Peer Feedback

****Video****: "Giving Peer Feedback" 
****PDF Handout****: "Giving and Receiving Peer Feedback"

How Reading Improves Writing

****Video****: "How Reading Improves Writing" 
****PDF Handout****: "How Reading Improves Writing"

Improving Style

****Video****: "Improving Style" 
****PDF Handout****: "Improving Style"

Integrating Quotations

****Video****: "Using Quotations in Writing" 
****PDF Handout****: "Using Quotations"

Introductions and Conclusions

****Video****: "Introductions and Conclusions"

Organization

****Video****: "Paper Organization and Outlining" 
****PDF Handout****: "Organization"

Outlining

****Video****: "Paper Organization and Outlining" 
****PDF Handout****: "Outlining"

Paragraphs

****Video****: "Paragraphs" 
****PDF Handout****: "Paragraphs" 
****Worksheet****: "Paragraphs"

Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting

****Video****: "Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation" 
****PDF Handout****: "Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation"

Avoiding Plagiarism

****Video****: "Avoiding Plagiarism" 
****PDF Handout****: "Avoiding Plagiarism"

Prewriting and Battling Writer's Block

****Video****: "Prewriting and Avoiding Writer's Block" 
****PDF Handout****: "Prewriting and Battling Writer's Block"

Proofreading

****Video****: "Why Proofread?" 
****PDF Handout****: "Proofreading"

Purpose and Genre

****Video****: "Purpose and Genre" 
****PDF Handout****: "Purpose and Genre"

Quotations and Plagiarism

****PDF Handout****: "Quotations and Plagiarism"

Revision

****Video****: "Revision" 
****PDF Handout****: "Revision"

Transitions and Coherence

****Video****: "Transitions and Coherence" 
****PDF Handout****: "Transitions and Coherence"

Understand Your Audience

****Video****: "Understanding Your Audience" 
****PDF Handout****: "Understanding Your Audience"

Voice and Tone

****Video****: "Voice and Tone" 
****PDF Handout****: "Voice and Tone"

## Types of Writing

Argumentative Essays

****Video****: "Argumentation and Persuasion" 
****PDF Handout****: "Argumentative Essays"

Personal Essays

****Video****: "Elements of the Personal Essay" 
****PDF Handout****: "Elements of the Personal Essay"

Letter of Recommendation

****PDF Handout****: "Letter of Recommendation"

Narrative Writing

****Video****: "Narrative Writing" 
****PDF Handout****: "Narrative Writing"

Research Paper

****PDF Handout****: "Research Paper" 
****Worksheet****: "Research Paper Outline"

Rhetorical Analysis

****PDF Handout****: "Rhetorical Analysis"

Synthesis Paper

****PDF Handout****: "Synthesis Paper"

Thesis Development

****Video****: "Thesis Development"

## Grammar

Apostrophes

****Video****: "Apostrophes" 
****PDF Handout****: "Apostrophes" 
****Worksheet****:"Apostrophes"

Awkward Sentences

****Video****: "Awkward Sentences" 
****PDF Handout****: "Awkward Sentences"

Capitalization

****Video****: "Who, What, When of Capitalization" 
****PDF Handout****: "Capitalization" 
****Worksheet****: "Capitalization"

Commas Rules (Part 1)

****Video****: "Comma Rules: Lesson 1" 
****PDF Handout****: "Commas" 
****Worksheet****: "Commas"

Commas Rules (Part 2)

****Video****: "Comma Rules: Lesson 2" 
****PDF Handout****: "Commas Continued"

Commonly Misspelled Words

****Video****: "Commonly Misspelled Words" 
****PDF Handout****: "Commonly Misspelled Words"

Confused Words

****Video****: "Confused Words" 
****PDF Handout****: "Confused Words" 
****Worksheet****: "Confused Words"

Hyphens and Dashes

****Worksheet****: "Hyphens and Dashes"

Parallel Structure

****Video****: "Parallel Structures" 
****PDF Handout****: "Parallel Structure" 
****Worksheet****: "Parallel Structure"

Passive Voice

****PDF Handout****: "Passive Voice"

Pronoun Problems

****Video****: "Pronoun Problems" 
****PDF Handout****: "Pronoun Problems" 
****Worksheet****: "Pronoun Problems"

Punctuation Marks

****PDF Handout****: "Punctuation Marks"

Run-on Sentences

****Video****: "Run-on Sentences" 
****PDF Handout****: "Run-on Sentences" 
****Worksheet****: "Run-on Sentences"

Semicolons

****Worksheet****: "Semicolons"

Sentence Fragments

****Video****: "Fragments" 
****PDF Handout****: "Sentence Fragments" 
****Worksheet****: "Sentence Fragments"

Shifts in Time

****Video****: "Shifts in Time" 
****PDF Handout****: "Shifts in Time" 
****Worksheet****: "Shifts in Time"

Verb Power

****Video****: "Verb Power" 
****PDF Handout****: "Verb Power" 
****Worksheet****: "Verb Power"

Wordy Sentences

****Video****: "Wordy Sentences" 
****PDF Handout****: "Wordy Sentences"

## Style

AP Styles

****PDF Handout****: "Styles in AP"

APA Style Guide

****PDF Handout****: "APA Style Guide" (for Student Papers) 
****PDF Handout****: "APA Style Guide" (Professional Version)

Chicago and Turabian

****PDF Handout****: "Chicago and Turabian"

Citing Religious Sources

****PDF Handout****: "Citing Religious Sources"

MLA Style Guide

****PDF Handout****: "MLA Style Guide 8th Edition" 
****PDF Handout****: "MLA 8th Edition Works Cited"

## Become a Tutor for the Writing Center

Be a part of another student's success by becoming a writing tutor. Hiring occurs three times a year at the end of each semester. Only on-campus students can be hired at this time.

Writing Tutor Requirements

- Receive an "A-minus" or better in ENG 150 and ENG 301.
- Must have a GPA of 3.2 or higher.
- Commit to work at least 10 hours each week.
- Score 90% or better on the grammar proficiency exam (a link is included in the application).

Apply to Be A Writing Tutor

Writing Center

MCK #220 
208-496-4288 
writingcenter@byui.edu