Useful language and communication resources
Online dictionaries
You always need a good dictionary. These are available online:
Free online English dictionary from Oxford Dictionaries. Translate from English to Spanish, French, Italian, and German with bilingual dictionaries.
Collins offers a British English and an American English option on the same page. It is always a good idea to check whether you are using a word in an American sense (and an American spelling – which editors tend to pounce on).
American Heritage Dictionary Online
This is a definitive American English dictionary.
Style guides
Government Communication and Information Style guide
This guide gives good advice on using plain English. This is a good starting point if you don’t have a style guide.
Referencing guides
Harvard style:
University of Cape Town/Harvard Referencing guide
Augmented Harvard Method:
Guidelines for Referencing Source Material
Manual of Style (CMS) referencing styles:
MLA, APA and CMS Referencing (PDF)
This document gives you the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA) and the Chicago
General
George Orwell: "Politics and the English language"(PDF)
George Orwell’s article "Politics and the English Language" is a must read for anyone who cares about plain honest writing. Written in 1946, it is as valid today as it was then.
Grammar reference
Oxford Dictionaries Grammar Reference
There are many free English tutorials and aids online. The Oxford Dictionary offers its own grammar reference. This is a good place to start, because most South African publishers regard the Oxford University Press as their basic reference when their own style guide doesn’t cover something you need to deal with:
Other
Here are some other sites you may find useful:
Grammar-Monster.com
Better English Lessons
Daily Grammar Lessons
BBC Skillswise
