Academic Writing Guide by PapersOwl

If you are considering higher education, then one look at the names of the degrees may have been enough to confuse you. Regardless of whether English is your first or second language, you have probably wondered more than once "is it masters or mast...

Many writers and students have a hard time figuring out whether they should be using dispose or dispose of when constructing a sentence. This dilemma is easy enough to understand as, at a glance, the terms can seem exactly the same. However, when y...

If you have ever been confused about when to use is vs are you should know that you are not alone. This is a common enough mistake, considering that the two words do have a similar origin. Therefore, particularly when writing more complex sentences...

It is hardly surprising that most people have trouble using apart vs. a part in their sentences. After all, there is just a single space separating these two words from each other. However, although these words may look the same, they certainly are...

Have you ever agonized over lay vs. lie when writing, not sure which one you should use in that particular instance? Well, this is something that even native English speakers and experienced writers struggle with. After all, these words do look and...

It is quite difficult to imagine that beside vs besides are actually different from one another. After all, there is just a single letter distinguishing one word from another. It is these striking similarities that also make it quite difficult for ...

Have you ever mixed up the words affect and effect? If so, you certainly aren’t alone. This is a mistake that is made by both English speakers and foreign students alike. After all, these words do sound rather alike when spoken out loud. Not to men...

When two words have a similar root or origin, it can always get a little confusing. This is especially true for the terms historic vs. historical. Although these terms may appear overwhelmingly similar, they are actually used in very different ways...

There are quite a few people who use which and that interchangeably and it is easy to see how one might make such a mistake. This is particularly true for college students who are required to write academic essays and papers in English. Well, regar...

Even expert English writers have trouble with figuring out how to use a semicolon and colon. Therefore, it comes as little surprise to learn that foreign students have an especially hard time with it. While this may not be the easiest form of punct...