Many universities sponsor online writing labs (OWLs) that are available for public use. These OWLs contain free resources that help with English grammar and usage, as well as understanding how to write a formal essay. Many OWLs also offer more personalized help through online forums. Anyone can submit questions and then receive advice on language or writing through these online forums.
A classic resource that is still helpful is a writer's guide. These texts can cover everything from the basics of English usage to complicated grammar issues. Books such as "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk, Jr. and "On Writing Well" by William Knowlton Zinsser are good texts to have in a home library in order to look up language questions whenever they occur.
The "Oxford English Dictionary" has long been regarded as the authoritative resource for the pronunciation, etymology, usage, and definitions of words. The OED offers a historical record of how words were used in different eras. For a quick Internet-based dictionary, a site such as OneLook Dictionary Search indexes words from over 1,000 dictionaries.
Most instructors ask students to format English language and literature essays in the style created by the Modern Language Association (MLA). The "MLA Handbook" has specific instructions on how to format a paper, the proper way to cite sources, and how to set up a bibliography or list of references. The online resource EasyBib offers further help with correctly assembling a bibliography. A student enters source information and the site puts the sources in the correct format.
Project Gutenberg offers the complete texts of 33,000 books that are available for anyone to download. Included are many classic pieces of English literature, such as "Pride and Prejudice," "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," and "Great Expectations." These texts are available for free because they are in the public domain, which means their copyright has expired.
Written by Oxford and Cambridge University graduates, the Web site Bibliomania features literary study guides for students. It also offers resources for literature teachers and tutors. SparkNotes contains online study guides for many classic pieces of literature. Included on SparkNotes is a section called "No Fear Shakespeare." This feature places Shakespeare's language side-by-side with a translation into contemporary English, making the Bard's works easier to understand.