there are tons of great resources out there as you study for the sat! the sat writing section can be difficult to study for—especially the essay section. here are tons of online tools you can use to set you on that road to your ideal score!
1) writer’s digest
writer’s digest has tons of great articles with loads of valuable writing tips. it even has a “2nd draft critique workshop”—editing services which give you feedback on your writing. though this service has a price, it can be great if you’re looking for some constructive criticism. it also has writing tutorials, free webinars, and a great community where you can submit questions. though much of the website is geared more towards fiction writers, it is still a valuable resource for anyone looking to hone their prose.
2) the american scholar
what better way to improve your writing than to read good writing? the american scholar contains tons of amazing articles, academic essays, and fiction writing. if you expose yourself regularly to quality writing, then some of it will ultimately sink in. this doesn’t have to come in the form of this one website, either! try browsing through other academic journals or top newspapers like the new yorker or the los angeles times.
3) grammar book
this website is basically god’s creation. it is beautiful. it contains basically every grammar rule and even covers punctuation! it contains free online quizzes for those of you who need help with the nitty-gritty rules. you know it’s reliable because the author of the website, jane straus, has even published a #1 bestselling book: the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
4) grammarly
what! another grammar website?! why, yes! you can never have enough grammar when it comes to the sat writing section. this website is a proofreader. it checks for all your grammatical errors, and it’s really pretty neat.this can really come in handy if you’re practicing writing essays and want grammatical suggestions on your writing. just copy and paste your essay into the text box..and voila! automatic feedback is generated.
5) grammar girl
yet another grammar site!
all of these sites, however, have something a little different to offer, so i do not regret it. grammar girl has tons of awesome articles on grammar, but they’re written in a very easy-to-understand, fun way. in comparison to grammar book, grammar girl is a bit less formal.
6) paper rater
paper rater, well. rates your papers! like grammarly, this is a great way to get feedback on your writing. it’s free and provides writing suggestions, while also checking for grammar and plagiarism. how much better can this get?!
7) mit opencourseware
mit has some great online writing courses for free! explore rhetoric, expository writing, general essay-writing, and much, much more all under top professors. the website format makes it easy to access course materials and reading. and in your free time, you can also explore all the other courses, which range from mathematics to business to the social sciences.
8) owl purdue
okay, so i snuck another grammar website on to the list. this one’s absolute gold, though. teachers love this resource, so chances are, you’ve already happened upon this one in your english class. “owl” stands for “online writing lab,” and it houses tons of writing resources and lessons covering punctuation, grammar, rhetoric, essay-writing, etc. it even has tons of “vidcasts”—dozens of videos covering lessons in an easy-to-understand manner.
9) udemy writing course
this particular course on udemy has over 200 ratings and an overall 5-star score. udemy has tons of awesome courses, and this one in particular seems like a great one for writing. though it costs money, it can be a worthwhile investment. taught by cathy presland, an experienced author and entrepreneur, the course contains over 19 lectures in 1.5 hours of material. though a lot of the material here is geared more towards fiction writers, it is still very relevant to essay writers. after all, good writing—no matter the topic—often traces back to quality storytelling. a lot of the writing rules covered are universal.
10) wordpress
the best way to improve as a writer is to write a lot. it sounds obvious, but “practice makes perfect” is a platitude many people overlook. a great way to start practicing your writing regularly is by starting a blog. you don’t have to be a brilliant writer to start one, and it can be a lot of fun, especially if you gather a following. you’ll be gradually improving your writing even while it seems like nothing more than a fun hobby. wordpress is the most popular blogging/website platform on the internet, and it has a great community. try it out!
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