The Practice Test for Typing and Data Entry

English Typing Test Paragraphs

Stimulate your mind as you test your typing speed with this standard English paragraph typing test. Watch your typing speed and accuracy increase as you learn about a variety of new topics! Over 40 typing test selections available.

If you don't like a test prompt, you can get a different (random) prompt with the "change test" button - or select a specific paragraph to type from the list below. To find out how fast you type, just start typing in the blank textbox on the right of the test prompt. You will see your progress, including errors on the left side as you type. In order to complete the test and save your score, you need to get 100% accuracy. You can fix errors as you go, or correct them at the end with the help of the spell checker.

Personalized Feedback

This feedback graph will follow you from page to page for your typing session. You can see more details by mousing over the graph. The session is reset when the tab on your browser is closed.

Type this... CHANGE TEST

Test begins when you start typing..., check your wpm typing speed here.

To find out how fast you type, just start typing in the blank textbox on the right of the test prompt. You will see your progress, including errors on the left side as you type.

You can fix errors as you go, or correct them at the end with the help of the spell checker. If you need to restart the test, delete the text in the text box. Interactive feedback shows you your current wpm and accuracy.

In order to complete the test and share your results, you need to get 100% accuracy. You can review your progress for this session with the feedback chart. Just hover over a dot to see what your average speed and accruacy are for that key.

Letter Drills

A | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z.

Basic Data Entry Test

Select a Specific Typing Test:

Click on a topic to use it as your test prompt. Selections are ranked according to difficulty from '*' (easiest typing tests) to '*****' (most challenging typing tests). For more details, check the difficulty key at the bottom of the page.

Short typing tests for beginners: (1 - 3 minute typing test at < 30 wpm)

  • Virtual Assistant (38.4 words) ****
  • Closed Captions (56.2 words) **
  • Teachers (70.2 words) ****
  • Business Casual (74 words) ***
  • Paralegals (76.4 words) *
  • Web Designers (77 words) ***
  • Medical Transcription (82.6 words) ***
  • Thumbing (83 words) ***
  • Engineers (84.4 words) ****
  • Translation (88 words) ***

Intermediate typing tests: (3-6 minutes at 40 wpm)

  • Proofreaders (90 words) **
  • Typing Styles (91.8 words) ***
  • Typing Speed in WPM (100.4 words) ***
  • Keyboard Shortcuts (104 words) *
  • Buffer Method of Typing (105 words) **
  • Transcription Service (107.4 words) ***
  • Data Entry Clerks (112.4 words) **
  • Hunt and Peck (128.2 words) **
  • Touch Type (132.2 words) **
  • Sales Methodologies (135.4 words) ***
  • Invention of Touch Typing (147.4 words) ***
  • Typing Speed Records (166.8 words) ****
  • Comparing Typing Speed and Methods (169.2 words) ***
  • Pharmacists (172.4 words) ***
  • Editing (175.2 words) ***
  • History of Flight (175.4 words) ****
  • HR Management (177.4 words) ****
  • Transcription Services (187.4 words) ****
  • Motivation (192.4 words) ***
  • Freelancers (194.6 words) ***
  • Average Typing Speeds (195.2 words) ****

Hard typing tests for advanced typists: (over 4 minutes at 60+ wpm)

  • Word Processors (203.8 words) ***
  • Class Reunion Report (211 words) ***
  • Financial Reporting (221.2 words) *****
  • Biking Story (233.6 words) *
  • Event Description (233.8 words) *
  • New York Stock Exchange (234.6 words) **
  • Career Choice Article (236.6 words) *
  • Self Confidence Article (244.8 words) ***
  • FDA Article (246.8 words) ***
  • Competitive Typing (250.4 words) ***
  • Academic Success Article (256.6 words) **
  • Emotions Article (272.8 words) **
  • MBA Article (276 words) ****

If you have a topic that you would like to see added to the list above, please feel free to contact us with your suggestion for a new paragraph typing test.

Typing Test Difficulty Levels

Our typing tests are ranked on level of difficulty. The algorithm to calculate difficulty depends on the average word length and how many special characters like capitals, numbers and symbols are included in the text. Most standard pre-employment typing tests will be in the normal range. You should expect to get higher wpm scores on easier tests and lower wpm scores on the more difficult tests.

  • * Very Easy Typing Test
  • ** Easy Typing Test
  • *** Normal Typing Test
  • **** Difficult Typing Test
  • ***** Very Difficult Typing Test

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Tips for Typing an Academic Paper on a Computer

Tips for Working on the Computer

  • Writing Research Papers
  • Writing Essays
  • English Grammar
  • M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
  • B.A., History, Armstrong State University

The teacher requires you to write your paper on the computer, but your skill with the word processor needs some work. Sound familiar? Here you'll find tips for using Microsoft Word, a guide for setting up your workstation, advice for citations and bibliography, MLA styling, and more.

Using Microsoft Word

You'll need to use a word processor to type your paper on the computer. Microsoft Word is one of the most commonly used programs of this kind. Once you start your computer you'll need to open Microsoft Word by double-clicking on the icon or selecting the program from a list.

Common Typing Problems

Did your words just disappear? There's nothing like typing away on a paper, only to find that you're not actually typing what you thought you were typing! There are several problems you can encounter with a keyboard that can drive you nuts. Especially if you're on a deadline. Don't panic! The solution is probably painless.

How to Double Space

Double spacing refers to the amount of space that shows between the individual lines of your paper. When a paper is "single-spaced," there is very little white space between the typed lines, which means there is no room for marks or comments.

In-Text Citations

When you quote from a source, you will always need to provide a citation that is created using a very specific format. The author and date are stated immediately after the cited material, or the author is named in the text and the date is parenthetically stated immediately after the cited material.

Inserting a Footnote

If you're writing a research paper, you might be required to use footnotes or endnotes. Formatting and numbering of the notes are automatic in Word, so you don’t have to worry about spacing and placement too much. Also, Microsoft Word will automatically re-number your notes if you delete one or you decide to insert one at a later time.

Your teacher might require that your paper is formatted according to standards of MLA style, especially if you are writing a paper for literature or English class. This picture gallery-type tutorial provides some sample pages and other advice.

Bibliography Makers

Citing your work is an essential part of any research paper. Yet, for some students, it is frustrating and tedious work. There are many interactive web tools designed to assist students when it comes to creating citations. For most of the tools, you simply fill out a form to provide the necessary information and select your preferred style. The bibliography maker will generate a formatted citation . You can copy and paste the entry into your bibliography.

Creating a Table of Contents

Many students try to create a table of contents manually, without using the built-in process in Microsoft Word. They quickly give up out of frustration. The spacing never comes out quite right. But there is a simple fix! When you follow these steps, this is a simple process that takes a few moments, and it makes a world of difference in the look of your paper.

Be Mindful of Repetitive Stress

After you've typed for a while you may notice that your neck, back, or hands are beginning to ache. This means that your computer setup is not ergonomically correct . It's easy to fix a computer setup that can damage your body, so be sure you make adjustments at the first sign of discomfort.

  • Turabian Style Guide With Examples
  • Formatting Papers in Chicago Style
  • What Is a Citation?
  • MLA Sample Pages
  • What Is a Bibliography?
  • What Is a Senior Thesis?
  • How to Double Space Your Paper
  • APA In-Text Citations
  • Bibliography: Definition and Examples
  • MLA Bibliography or Works Cited
  • MLA Style Parenthetical Citations
  • Preventing and Recovering Lost Documents
  • When to Cite a Source in a Paper
  • What Is Plagiarism?
  • Title Page Examples and Formats
  • How to Organize Research Notes
  • International edition
  • Australia edition
  • Europe edition

fountain pen handwriting

Handwriting vs typing: is the pen still mightier than the keyboard?

I n the past few days you may well have scribbled out a shopping list on the back of an envelope or stuck a Post-it on your desk. Perhaps you added a comment to your child’s report book or made a few quick notes during a meeting. But when did you last draft a long text by hand? How long ago did you write your last “proper” letter, using a pen and a sheet of writing paper? Are you among the increasing number of people, at work, who are switching completely from writing to typing?

No one can say precisely how much handwriting has declined, but in June a British survey of 2,000 people gave some idea of the extent of the damage. According to the study, commissioned by Docmail , a printing and mailing company, one in three respondents had not written anything by hand in the previous six months. On average they had not put pen to paper in the previous 41 days. People undoubtedly write more than they suppose, but one thing is certain: with information technology we can write so fast that handwritten copy is fast disappearing in the workplace.

In the United States they have already made allowance for this state of affairs. Given that email and texting have replaced snail mail, and that students take notes on their laptops, “cursive” writing – in which the pen is not raised between each character – has been dropped from the Common Core Curriculum Standards, shared by all states. Since 2013 American children have been required to learn how to use a keyboard and write in print. But they will no longer need to worry about the up and down strokes involved in “joined-up” writing, less still the ornamental loops on capitals.

This reform prompted lively controversy. In an editorial published on 4 September 2013, the Los Angeles Times hailed a step forward. “States and schools shouldn’t cling to cursive based on the romantic idea that it’s a tradition, an art form or a basic skill whose disappearance would be a cultural tragedy. Of course, everyone needs to be able to write without computers, but longhand printing generally works fine […] Print is clearer and easier to read than script. For many, it’s easier to write and just about as fast.”

Some states, such as Indiana, have decided to go on teaching cursive writing in school. Without this skill, they assert, young Americans will no longer be able to read birthday cards from their grandparents, comments by teachers on their assignments or the original, handwritten text of the constitution and the Declaration of Independence. “I have to tell you, I can’t remember the last time I read the constitution,” countered Steve Graham, a professor of education at Arizona State University.

This minor revolution is causing quite a stir but it is by no means the first of its kind. Ever since writing was most likely first invented, in Mesopotamia in about 4000BC, it has been through plenty of technological upheavals. The tools and media used for writing have changed many times: from Sumerian tablets to the Phoenician alphabet of the first millennium BC; from the invention of paper in China about 1,000 years later to the first codex, with its handwritten sheets bound together to make a book; from the invention of printing in the 15th century to the appearance of ballpoint pens in the 1940s.

So at first sight the battle between keyboards and pens might seem to be no more than the latest twist in a very long story, yet another new tool that we will end up getting used to. What really matters is not how we produce a text but its quality, we are often told. When we are reading, few of us wonder whether a text was written by hand or word-processed.

But experts on writing do not agree: pens and keyboards bring into play very different cognitive processes. “Handwriting is a complex task which requires various skills – feeling the pen and paper, moving the writing implement, and directing movement by thought,” says Edouard Gentaz, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Geneva. “Children take several years to master this precise motor exercise: you need to hold the scripting tool firmly while moving it in such a way as to leave a different mark for each letter.”

Operating a keyboard is not the same at all: all you have to do is press the right key. It is easy enough for children to learn very fast, but above all the movement is exactly the same whatever the letter. “It’s a big change,” says Roland Jouvent, head of adult psychiatry at Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris. “Handwriting is the result of a singular movement of the body, typing is not.”

Furthermore pens and keyboards use very different media. “Word-processing is a normative, standardised tool,” says Claire Bustarret, a specialist on codex manuscripts at the Maurice Halbwachs research centre in Paris. “Obviously you can change the page layout and switch fonts, but you cannot invent a form not foreseen by the software. Paper allows much greater graphic freedom: you can write on either side, keep to set margins or not, superimpose lines or distort them. There is nothing to make you follow a set pattern. It has three dimensions too, so it can be folded, cut out, stapled or glued.”

An electronic text does not leave the same mark as its handwritten counterpart either. “When you draft a text on the screen, you can change it as much as you like but there is no record of your editing,” Bustarret adds. “The software does keep track of the changes somewhere, but users cannot access them. With a pen and paper, it’s all there. Words crossed out or corrected, bits scribbled in the margin and later additions are there for good, leaving a visual and tactile record of your work and its creative stages.”

keyboard typing

But does all this really change our relation to reading and writing? The advocates of digital documents are convinced it makes no difference. “What we want from writing – and what the Sumerians wanted – is cognitive automaticity, the ability to think as fast as possible, freed as much as can be from the strictures of whichever technology we must use to record our thoughts,” Anne Trubek, associate professor of rhetoric and composition at Oberlin College in Ohio, wrote some years ago. “This is what typing does for millions. It allows us to go faster, not because we want everything faster in our hyped-up age, but for the opposite reason: we want more time to think.”

Some neuroscientists are not so sure. They think that giving up handwriting will affect how future generations learn to read. “Drawing each letter by hand substantially improves subsequent recognition,” Gentaz explains.

Marieke Longchamp and Jean-Luc Velay, two researchers at the cognitive neuroscience laboratory at Aix-Marseille University, have carried out a study of 76 children, aged three to five. The group that learned to write letters by hand were better at recognising them than the group that learned to type them on a computer. They repeated the experiment on adults, teaching them Bengali or Tamil characters. The results were much the same as with the children.

Drawing each letter by hand improves our grasp of the alphabet because we really have a “body memory”, Gentaz adds. “Some people have difficulty reading again after a stroke. To help them remember the alphabet again, we ask them to trace the letters with their finger. Often it works, the gesture restoring the memory.”

Although learning to write by hand does seem to play an important part in reading, no one can say whether the tool alters the quality of the text itself. Do we express ourselves more freely and clearly with a pen than with a keyboard? Does it make any difference to the way the brain works? Some studies suggest this may indeed be the case. In a paper published in April in the journal Psychological Science , two US researchers, Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer, claim that note-taking with a pen, rather than a laptop, gives students a better grasp of the subject.

The study focused on more than 300 students at Princeton and the University of California, Los Angeles. It suggested that students who took longhand notes were better able to answer questions on the lecture than those using a laptop. For the scientists, the reason is clear: those working on paper rephrased information as they took notes, which required them to carry out a preliminary process of summarising and comprehension; in contrast, those working on a keyboard tended to take a lot of notes, sometimes even making a literal transcript, but avoided what is known as “desirable difficulty”.

On the basic issue of handwriting France has chosen to take the opposite course from the US. In the early 2000s the ministry of education instructed schools to start teaching cursive writing when pupils entered primary school [aged six]. “For a long time we attached little importance to handwriting, which was seen as a fairly routine exercise,” says school inspector Viviane Bouysse. “But in 2000, drawing on work in the neurosciences, we realised that this learning process was a key step in cognitive development.”

“With joined-up writing children learn words as blocks of letters, which helps with spelling,” Bouysse explains. “It’s important in a country where spelling is so complex! However, the ornamental capitals in the patterns published in the 2013 exercise books have been simplified, with fewer loops and scrolls […] They are important, though, because they distinguish proper names or the start of a sentence.”

Some handwriting advocates regret the disappearance of these ornamental effects. “It’s not just a question of writing a letter: it also involves drawing, acquiring a sense of harmony and balance, with rounded forms,” Jouvent asserts. “There is an element of dancing when we write, a melody in the message, which adds emotion to the text. After all that’s why emoticons were invented, to restore a little emotion to text messages.”

Writing has always been seen as expressing our personality. In his books the historian Philippe Artières explained how doctors and detectives, in the late 19th and early 20th century, found signs of deviance among lunatics and delinquents, simply by examining the way they formed their letters. “With handwriting we come closer to the intimacy of the author,” Jouvent explains. “That’s why we are more powerfully moved by the manuscript of a poem by Verlaine than by the same work simply printed in a book. Each person’s hand is different: the gesture is charged with emotion, lending it a special charm.”

Which no doubt explains the narcissistic relationship we often entertain with our own scrawl.

Despite omnipresent IT, Gentaz believes handwriting will persist. “Touchscreens and styluses are taking us back to handwriting. Our love affair with keyboards may not last,” he says.

“It still plays an important part in everyday life,” Bustarret adds. “We write by hand more often than we think, if only to fill in forms or make a label for a jam jar. Writing is still very much alive in our surroundings – in advertising, signing, graffiti and street demonstrations.” Certainly the graphic arts and calligraphy are thriving.

Perhaps, in their way, they compensate for our soulless keyboards.

This article appeared in Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material from Le Monde

  • Neuroscience
  • Higher education
  • Work & careers
  • US work & careers

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When You Write

Best Essay Writing Software: 16 Apps That Can Help You Write Perfect Essays

Nowadays, we have apps for almost anything. Writing apps though, are really unique and serve several practical purposes, such as essay writing for example.

Writing an essay isn’t as simple as typing a bunch of words and arranging them as paragraphs. Writing a perfect essay entails planning, maintaining structure, writing clear and impactful sentences, and using good grammar.

That’s why we have writing apps. So in this post, I’m going to cover all the best essay writing software tools that are available now.

Okay, let’s get into it!

Our Top 3 Essay Writing Software at a Glance

Prowritingaid, the 16 best essay writing apps.

Best Book Writing Software.

Scrivener is a book-writing software program developed—13 years ago—by an aspiring writer Keith Blount.

Scrivener is what you get when you combine a typewriter, ring binder, and a scrapbook and make a book writing software tool.

It has so many useful features that take your book or any other writing project from the outline to a finished draft. We’re talking of features like corkboards, pre-set formatting, templates, file importing, metatags, automated document listing, and a bunch of other important capabilities.

Scrivener can be used by novelists, scriptwriters, academics, lawyers, translators, journalists, and students.

Pricing: Scrivener for macOS costs $49, iOS is $19.99 , and Scrivener for Windows costs $45.

Best Grammar Checker.

As far as grammar checkers go, there’s no app better than this.

It’s perfect for checking your text for typos, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. 

But it goes further than that; it has several editing features that tackle issues such as passive voice, lengthy or complex sentences, offers broader vocabulary options, et cetera. It also has a plagiarism checker and furnishes you with writing stats and readability scores.

Grammarly has a free version but reserves the best features for its premium plans.

Pricing: Free and Paid. Grammarly Premium starts at $11.66, and Grammarly Business starts at $12.50.

Excellent Tool for Self-editing

ProWritingAid is one of Grammarly’s fiercest competitors and pretty much gives you what Grammarly gives you.

Just itty-bitty shallower, BUT way more affordable.

If you want a proofreading and grammar checker writing app that has the potential of helping you improve the overall quality of your writing, this is it!

ProWritingAid refines your writing by checking important elements of your writing such as ambiguous sentences, grammar, transitions, abstract words, overused words, etc.

Over time, you start to notice improvements in your writing, especially the way it flows.

Pricing: Free and Paid.

  • Monthly – $20
  • Yearly – $79
  • Lifetime – $399 

Best note-taking tool for Students

Evernote is a simple but excellent writing app that uses the idea of virtual notes. The virtual notes can be used in several ways: making book shopping lists, writing down essay ideas, and making notes on researched information.

The notes are backed up on Evernote’s servers, and you get about 60MB of storage space per account.

Pricing :  Free and Paid. The Premium plan costs $7.99 / month, and the Business costs $14.99/person/month.

Focus Writer

Free Alternative to MS Word.

I haven’t used this free word-processing app yet, but I’d seriously consider replacing my beloved MS Word with it.

It’s a very good alternative to MS Word; in fact, not only is it free and sufficient, it is available on almost all major platforms— Windows, Mac, and Android.

If you’re a student, I’d recommend this software, and you won’t have problems using the documents from this app because they’re saved in Rich Text Format so that most word processors can read them.

Pricing: Free.

Excellent for the Creative Stage of Writing

Before you write a good essay, you need to build the idea behind the essay first.

You need to add fresh to the bones before bringing the beast (of an essay) to life.

This tool helps you expand your original ideas into sub-ideas and construct full-fledged essays by using expressive, powerful flowcharts, process maps, and other diagrams.

Pricing: Free and Paid. The Awesome Plan costs $5/month, and the Organisation Plan is at $8/member/month.

Top-Notch Open-Source Tool

Manuskript is a tool perfect for organizing and planning stages of writing. It’s an open-source tool—for writers including novelists, journos, and academicians—that uses the snowflake method of writing to help you build your idea into a finished book; by helping you create the story step by step.

It has features for helping you keep track of notes on characters, plot, event,  and place in your story. Manuskript’s features include:

  • The Outliner, which lets you organize your ideas and little pieces of your story hierarchically; 
  • The Distraction-free mode gets rid of all distractions; 
  • Personal goal-setting features;
  • The Novel assistant utilizes the snowflake method to help you develop your basic ideas into a coherent plotline or a full-fledged story.

Pricing: Free

LivingWriter

Fast Developing Tool

This is a different writing app altogether. It has a lot of features that are excellent for both fiction nonfiction writers. It has features that help with story elements, general notes, goals and targets, doc sharing, and stats.

Plus, you can also switch LivingWriter in and out of Dark Mode and focus mode.

One thing I like about LivingWriter is that it started with a single platform (web) but is now expanding rapidly.

It has iOS and Android applications, Full integration with Grammarly, Canva integration, and its desktop apps are 90% complete (according to the Living Writer Roadmap )

Yearly Plan – $96 billed once a year

Monthly Plan – $9.99 per month

Best Writing Tool for Apple Products

I don’t know about now, but Ulysses was big back then (like a dozen years ago or so).

The app is rich with features similar to the other word processing software. It comes with a Markup-Based Text Editor, a library for organizing notes and documents, features for setting writing goals, publishing capabilities, and many others.

Ulysses is perfect for both small essays and large academic ones.

Pricing : Ulysses has different pricing options for different regions but using the US plan, it costs $5.99 per month and $49.99 per year.

Hemingway Editor

An App Most Impactful Writing

The Hemingway Editor AKA Hemingway App is a simple tool for writers who want to write content that is easier to read but bold.

Hemingway does this by looking at elements of your writing such as adverbs, passive voice, phrases and words with simpler alternatives, hard-to-read sentences, very-hard-to-read sentences, and other “lexical atrocities.”

The web-based version is free, but the downloadable version (for Mac and Windows) is a paid tool.

Pricing: $19.99

Excellent Mind Mapping Tool

They used to call this app IMindMap. Ayoa is an essential tool in the planning stages of your essay writing.

You can create mind maps for your essays which help give direction when you start fleshing out your essay.

This mapping tool helps increase productivity because everything you need to write is already outlined. The fact every step is already planned and you know exactly what to write can also increase your daily word count.

Pricing : The Ayoa PRO plan costs $10/month and is billed annually. The Ultimate Plan costs $13/month and is also billed annually.

Best App for Multi-Lingual Essays

This is another incredible alternative to Grammarly.

For non-native English speakers, this is a pot of gold right here. It can check your text for grammar errors and translate Spanish, French, German. And many other languages.

As a grammar checker, the tool mainly looks at aspects such as verbs, adverbs, confused words, commonly misspelled words, etc.

Here’s a funny story about Ginger (Just happened today.) As I was using the web-based editor, I copied some texts on Ginger’s website and pasted them into the editor and the tool found one misspelled word. Their content writers must not have used Ginger.

I felt like Ginger’s content writers were like Drug dealers, you know, they followed rule number one of drug dealing. “ never get high on your own product.”   

  • Monthly Plan – $9.99
  • Yearly Plan – $74.88
  • Two-Year Plan: $119.76

Write Or Die

Best for Productivity Purposes.

This app has a name that sums up life for some of us.

Write or Die!

Write Or Die gives rewards, stimuli, and punishments if users set goals. This is what you need if you are a sloth like myself.

It gives you that needed push because the punishments—which include erasing current texts—can really scare the hell out of you and make you put an extra gear.

Pricing : Free and paid. $10 for macOS and Windows, and $1 for iOS.

Simplest Writing App

IA Writer is a distraction-free writing app that is more than perfect for writing short essays.

It has a very basic interface and uses plain text. As I said, there are no distractions because the IA writer also has a full-screen mode that fades out everything else but the line you are currently typing.

This minimalist writing app is available on Windows, Android, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Pricing : Paid (offers free trials).

macOS- $29.99. has a 14-day trial

iOS &iPadOS – $29.99. No Free Trial.

Android – $4.99 /year or $29.99 once. Has a 30-day trial.

Windows – $29.99. Has a 14-day trial.

Hubspot Topic Generator

Best for Generating Topic Ideas.

This is a whole different menu right here.

It’s very different from the tools that I’ve listed in this post. This is why… you’re not going to use it to write. Instead, you use it to automatically generate writing ideas.

It’s a very simple tool; you input three words, and it provides you with nouns to generate a topic idea that you can use on your next writing project.

If you’re going to use this tool, it’s going to be during the very first stages of your writing project.

Manuscripts

Best App for Academic Assignments

Manuscript (not to be confused with Manuskript from above) is an app for students and academics. This is a convenient tool that works with popular word processing apps, including Microsoft Word.

The reason why it’s perfect for academic writing is it excels at the referencing aspect of writing—citations, abbreviations, etc.

So, for class writing assignments and larger tasks like dissertations, this is the tool I’d recommend.

Pricing : Free

Simplenote is a note-taking tool that helps you keep all your notes in one place but accessible everywhere.

You can back up your notes, add tags, share the notes with collaborators, and publish your notes in Markdown format.

Supported Systems: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux.

Guide to the Best Essay Writing Apps in 2021

Things to consider when choosing essay writing software.

A good essay writing software has to do things that make your essay look delectable and sound convincing.

Here are some of the things that an essay writing software need to be able to help you with:

Organization

I already talked about organization at the beginning, so you already know how important it is. The essay writing app has to help you arrange your essay and ensure that it flows nicely. It needs to clear the chaos that would have existed had you not used that specific tool.

Grammatical correctness

This is crucial in any writing project. The essay writing software has to help you correct your grammatical and spelling errors.

Proofreading

The proofreading capabilities of a good essay writing app go beyond checking for grammar and spelling mistakes. It also has to excel at checking other aspects like overuse of adverbs, passive voice, run-on sentences, weak writing , and readability.

Writing software doesn’t have to cost an arm. Most of these apps have similar features and pretty much do the same things. A higher price doesn’t necessarily mean the app is good but in some circumstances, apps are pricey for a good reason.

What Features Should an Essay Writing App Have

So, to achieve the above requirements, what features does a writing software need to have?

Below are the most important features that a good essay writing software program MUST have.

Grammar and Spelling checker

To achieve the overall grammatical correctness of your essay, a writing app needs to have a grammar checking feature. If it doesn’t, being integrable with an efficient grammar checking tool is also convenient.

Sentence structure and flow reports

Again, I cannot overemphasize the importance of structure in essay writing. The structure should start from your sentences to your paragraphs and the whole essay. A good essay writing app needs to have features that check aspects of structure and flow.

Punctuation checker

We can’t have an essay littered with semicolons, commas, and hyphens looking like they’re lost. Punctuation might be one of the most underrated features but make no mistake, it’s essential for professional writing.

Plagiarism checker

A good essay has to be unique and original. Therefore, essay writing software has to make sure that the body of the essay does not contain any plagiarized content.

Writing Metrics

Stats like word count, words per minute, or the number of pages are important for tracking progress. School essays usually have a word or page count requirements, and writing software must be equipped with writing metrics so that the user is kept abreast of the distance covered.

Sentence quality checker

In the writing profession, Quality matters.  It doesn’t matter if you have reached the minimum word count but the essay is of poor quality.

Writing apps must be able to pick out sentences that need improving or deleting due to poor quality writing.

Why Should You Use Writing Software to Write Essays?

Writing software won’t write your essay for you, but the writing process is hard to manage and that’s what these tools do.

Here are the benefits of using writing software:

1. Planning and Outlining

Planning is an important element of a good essay writing process. Writing software tools come with features that help you plan before you start writing.

For example, Scrivener has a feature called corkboard, which is a good planning tool. It’s like a set of digital index cards, and each represents a section of writing.

With writing software, you can plan and outline before the actual writing starts, and you can go back to the outlines and notes while writing.

2. Productivity

Productivity is a big problem for most writers. Writers like myself just write without setting a lot of writing goals, so when we feel like writing, we need to be at our most productive levels.

For those that set daily goals, maintaining a daily word count is not easy.

For both kinds of writers, writing software can help increase productivity.

The software tools come with writing stats to help you keep track of your progress. They also have features for distraction-free writing.

Templates also help increase productivity. The templates make things easier and save you a lot of time (which would have been used setting things up).

3. Editing and Formatting

Writing software tools come with features that can flag spelling & grammar mistakes and other errors. They also offer solutions to these errors.

This is very important for your editing process—it makes the editing stage easier and faster.

This also helps in increasing productivity since editing is less laborious and speedy.

Usually when we write essays (especially academic ones), some formatting requirements come with them. Writing apps are furnished with most of the formatting rules and styles that essays (academic or otherwise) may require.

4. Organizing

Writing can be a messy process.

Most often than not, essays also require a lot of research. And again, we’re not saying that writing software will help you research.

But when you get all the bits of info needed for your essay, the apps will help you keep the researched content organized.

With these writing apps, you can have all of your research organized and easily accessible.

The thing about a disorganized writing process is that it is reflected in the flow and structure of the essay.

How to Effectively Use Essay Writing Software

Let me reiterate, essay writing apps won’t write your essays for you, neither will they be correct all the time.

To get the best out of them, you need to treat them as writing tutors or co-writers. If they suggest something useful, take it on board, and if you feel like the suggestion is a bit off point, disregard it.

What Is a Perfect Essay?

A perfect essay convincingly speaks to the reader. An essay is like an argument or a speech, and it has to have a readable flow or show direction.

Perfect essays must contain arguments, supporting ideas, and most importantly, evidence.  

To write a perfect essay, you need to:

  • Thoroughly plan the whole essay before you start writing.
  • Start writing your arguments using a clear structure.
  • Back up your points and refer to relevant sources if necessary.
  • Make sure that you infuse the information with creativity. There’s nothing exciting about a bunch of truths thrown into an essay using bland sentences.
  • Before you finish your draft, ensure that you’ve answered the question in your introduction and conclusion.

How can I write an essay on my phone?

Well, most of the apps listed here are available as mobile apps. If you feel it’d be okay to write on your phone, try out a couple of the apps on this list and see which one works better on mobile platforms.

I’d recommend using tablet computers as they have bigger screens than regular smartphones.

Final Words

There are just so many essay writing software tools nowadays that even though Scrivener and Grammarly top the list, stumbling on the best one for you is almost 1/1000 probable.

You have to try out these tools before purchasing them.

Just to say it for the one-thousandth time, essay writing apps won’t write your essays for you; YOU WILL.

Recommended Reading...

Best dictation software in 2024, scrivener vs word: which is the better book writing software, vellum vs scrivener: which is better for writing and formatting your book, write app review 2024: the best distraction-free writing app.

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

  • Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
  • Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
  • Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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computer typing essay

Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

  • Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
  • Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
  • Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
  • Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
  • Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

  • Returns to your thesis
  • Ties together your main points
  • Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

  • Including new arguments or evidence
  • Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
  • Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

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Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

  • An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
  • Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
  • A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

  • It gives your writing direction and focus.
  • It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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computer typing essay

Write great papers

Write great papers with microsoft word.

You may already use Microsoft Word to write papers, but you can also use for many other tasks, such as collecting research, co-writing with other students, recording notes on-the-fly, and even building a better bibliography!

Explore new ways to use Microsoft Word below.

Getting started

Let’s get started by opening Microsoft Word and choosing a template to create a new document. You can either:

Select Blank document to create a document from scratch.

Select a structured template.

Select Take a tour for Word tips.

Word new doc templates

Next, let’s look at creating and formatting copy. You can do so by clicking onto the page and beginning to type your content. The status bar at the bottom of the document shows your current page number and how many words you've typed, in case you’re trying to stay maintain a specific word count.

Word ribbon format text options

To format text and change how it looks, select the text and select an option on the Home tab: Bold, Italic, Bullets, Numbering , etc.

To add pictures, shapes, or other media, simply navigate to the Insert tab, then select any of the options to add media to your document.

Word automatically saves your content as you work, so you don’t have to stress about losing your progress if you forget to press  Save .

Here are some of the advanced tools you can try out while using Microsoft Word.

Type with your voice

Have you ever wanted to speak, not write, your ideas? Believe it or not, there’s a button for that! All you have to do is navigate to the Home tab, select the Dictate button, and start talking to “type” with your voice. You’ll know Dictate is listening when the red recording icon appears.

Tips for using Dictate

Speak clearly and conversationally.

Add punctuation by pausing or saying the name of the punctuation mark.

If you make a mistake, all you have to do is go back and re-type your text.

Dictate button in Word

Finding and citing sources

Get a head start on collecting sources and ideas for a big paper by searching key words in  Researcher in the References tab of your document.

Researcher button in Word

Researcher uses Bing to search the web and deliver high-quality research sources to the side of your page. Search for people, places, or ideas and then sort by journal articles and websites. Add a source to your page by selecting the plus sign.

As you write, Researcher saves a record of your searches. Just select My Research to see the complete list.

Keep track of all your sources by using Word's built-in bibliography maker. Simply navigate to the References tab.

First, choose the style you want your citations to be in. In this example, we’ve selected APA style.

Select Insert Citation and Add New Source .

In the next window, choose what kind of work you’re citing—an article, book, etc.—and fill in the required details. Then select  OK to cite your source.

Keep writing. At the ends of sentences that need sources, select Insert Citation to keep adding new sources, or pick one you already entered from the list.

Point to Insert Citation, and choose Add New Source

As you write, Word will keep track of all the citations you’ve entered. When you’re finished, select Bibliography and choose a format style. Your bibliography will appear at the end of your paper, just like that.

Make things look nice

Make your report or project look extra professional in the Design tab! Browse different themes, colors, fonts, and borders to create work you're proud of!

Illustrate a concept with a chart or a model by navigating to the  Insert tab and choosing  SmartArt . In this example, we chose Cycle and filled in text from the writing process to make a simple graphic. Choose other graphic types to represent hierarchies, flow charts, and more.

Example of a chart you can make

To insert a 3D model, select  Insert > 3D Models to choose from a library of illustrated dioramas from different course subjects and 3D shapes.

Invite someone to write with you

If you’re working on a group project, you can work on a document at the same time without emailing the file back and forth. Select Share at the top of your page and create a link you can send to other students.

Now, everybody can open the same file and work together.

Keep learning

Check out more Microsoft Word training and support

Microsoft paper and report templates

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Online typing lessons

Click on a typing lesson on the list below. The exercise will begin as soon as you press the first key.

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Some of these exercises are not fully supported by your keyboard layout and may behave differently from what is expected by the exercise description.

First steps lessons ?

First and very easy typing lessons for learning all key positions. Suitable for beginners.

  • Base position dynamic generic 7 signs
  • Home row dynamic generic 9 signs
  • Home row and top row dynamic generic 19 signs
  • Home row and bottom row dynamic generic 16 signs
  • All letters dynamic generic 26 signs
  • All rows dynamic generic 36 signs

Warm-up exercises ?

Easy typing lessons for learning all key positions. Suitable for beginners.

  • Top row dynamic generic 10 signs
  • Bottom row dynamic generic 7 signs
  • Number row dynamic generic 10 signs
  • Home row and number row dynamic generic 19 signs

Learn exercises ?

First easy exercises to learn touch typing step by step.

  • Base position [h4:h7] dynamic generic 2 signs
  • Base position [h4:h7:h3:h8] dynamic generic 4 signs
  • Base position [h4:h7:h3:h8:h2:h9] dynamic generic 6 signs
  • Base position complete dynamic generic 8 signs
  • Base position + [h5:h6] dynamic generic 10 signs
  • Home row dynamic generic 11 signs
  • Home row + [t3:b7] dynamic generic 13 signs
  • Home row + [t3:b7:t8:t4] dynamic generic 15 signs
  • Home row + [t3:b7:t8:t4:t5:t7] dynamic generic 17 signs
  • Home row + [t3:b7:t8:t4:t5:t7:b4:b8] dynamic generic 19 signs
  • Home row + [t3:b7:t8:t4:t5:t7:b4:b8:t9:b6] dynamic generic 21 signs
  • Home row + [t3:b7:t8:t4:t5:t7:b4:b8:t9:b6:t1:t2:t10:b5] dynamic generic 25 signs
  • Home row + [t3:b7:t8:t4:t5:t7:b4:b8:t9:b6:t1:t2:t10:b5:b3:b2:t6] dynamic generic 28 signs

Word exercises ?

Typing lessons with words that reveal more and more letters. Perfect to practice typing step by step.

  • Home row dynamic 12 signs
  • Home row + EN dynamic 12 signs
  • Home row + ENIR dynamic 14 signs
  • Home row + ENIRTU dynamic 18 signs
  • Home row + ENIRTUCM dynamic 18 signs
  • Home row + ENIRTUCMOB dynamic 20 signs
  • Home row + ENIRTUCMOBWYP dynamic 29 signs
  • Home row + ENIRTUCMOBWYPQVXZ dynamic 27 signs

Finger practice ?

Exercises with randomly placed letters. For users who wants to improve their finger skills.

  • Home row and right top row dynamic generic 16 signs
  • Home row and left top row dynamic generic 16 signs
  • Home and top row dynamic generic 21 signs
  • Home row and right bottom row dynamic generic 16 signs
  • Home row and left bottom row dynamic generic 17 signs
  • Home and bottom row dynamic generic 22 signs
  • Home and right number row dynamic generic 17 signs
  • Home and left number row dynamic generic 17 signs
  • Home and number row dynamic generic 23 signs
  • All letters dynamic generic 32 signs
  • All rows dynamic generic 44 signs

Hand practice ?

Easy typing lessons for each hand separately. Suitable for users who wants to train one hand.

  • Left hand - home row dynamic generic 5 signs
  • Left hand - home and top row dynamic generic 10 signs
  • Left hand - home and bottom row dynamic generic 11 signs
  • Left hand - home and number row dynamic generic 11 signs
  • Left hand - all letters dynamic generic 16 signs
  • Left hand - all rows dynamic generic 22 signs
  • Right hand - home row dynamic generic 6 signs
  • Right hand - home and top row dynamic generic 11 signs
  • Right hand - home and bottom row dynamic generic 11 signs
  • Right hand - home and number row dynamic generic 11 signs
  • Right hand - all letters dynamic generic 16 signs
  • Right hand - all rows dynamic generic 21 signs

Practical exercises ?

Practice-oriented typing of the most common english words. Perfect to prepare for real life.

  • Top 25 english words dynamic 18 signs
  • Top 50 english words dynamic 23 signs
  • Top 100 english words dynamic 24 signs
  • Top 200 english words dynamic 26 signs
  • Top 300 english words dynamic 29 signs
  • Top 500 english words dynamic 34 signs
  • Top 1000 english words dynamic 41 signs

Bonus lessons ?

More demanding exercises from all keyboard rows with special characters plus uppercase letters.

  • Phonetic alphabet dynamic 49 signs
  • Lorem ipsum dynamic 28 signs
  • Capitals of Europe dynamic 36 signs
  • Tongue twisters dynamic 29 signs
  • Sayings dynamic 29 signs
  • Written numbers dynamic 20 signs
  • The complete alphabet dynamic 53 signs

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As a registered user you can create up to 10 own lessons and thereby practice your keyboarding skills even more targeted.

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More than just simple typing practice

The typing lessons in our typing tutor are not just static texts. They are recombined in each exercise and adapt to your typing habits:

Dynamic typing lessons

All typing lessons marked as dynamic are reassembled each time you start a exercise in our typing tutor . This not only makes the exercises extremely varied, but also ensures that you don't memorize them by repetition.

Intelligent error analysis

Thanks to the intelligent error analysis in our typing tutor words and strings in which you often make mistakes will be repeated more frequently during your practice. This means that your personal weaknesses are trained directly and without any action on your part.

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Training objective

10 Words / min.

10% Error rate

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At TypingAcademy you can easily learn how to type with ten fingers. Our free online typing tutor helps you to practice touch typing in such a way that you can improve your finger technique noticeably in the long term and type faster and more comfortable. Thanks to the various typing lessons, you can learn how to type like in a course at school or in a coaching. And since our typing tutor runs as a web service directly online in the browser, you can use it on every platform.

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Typing Certificate Now Online

A certificate has been one of the most requested features, and we're happy to announce that a test with a printable certificate is now available! The certification test consists of 5 minutes of typing predefined source text in English. Read more..

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Essay on Computer and its Uses for School Students and Children

500+ words essay on computer.

In this essay on computer, we are going to discuss some useful things about computers. The modern-day computer has become an important part of our daily life. Also, their usage has increased much fold during the last decade. Nowadays, they use the computer in every office whether private or government. Mankind is using computers for over many decades now. Also, they are used in many fields like agriculture, designing, machinery making, defense and many more. Above all, they have revolutionized the whole world.

essay on computer

History of Computers

It is very difficult to find the exact origin of computers. But according to some experts computer exists at the time of world war-II. Also, at that time they were used for keeping data. But, it was for only government use and not for public use. Above all, in the beginning, the computer was a very large and heavy machine.

Working of a Computer 

The computer runs on a three-step cycle namely input, process, and output. Also, the computer follows this cycle in every process it was asked to do. In simple words, the process can be explained in this way. The data which we feed into the computer is input, the work CPU do is process and the result which the computer give is output.

Components and Types of Computer

The simple computer basically consists of CPU, monitor, mouse, and keyboard . Also, there are hundreds of other computer parts that can be attached to it. These other parts include a printer, laser pen, scanner , etc.

The computer is categorized into many different types like supercomputers, mainframes, personal computers (desktop), PDAs, laptop, etc. The mobile phone is also a type of computer because it fulfills all the criteria of being a computer.

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Uses of Computer in Various Fields

As the usage of computer increased it became a necessity for almost every field to use computers for their operations. Also, they have made working and sorting things easier. Below we are mentioning some of the important fields that use a computer in their daily operation.

Medical Field

They use computers to diagnose diseases, run tests and for finding the cure for deadly diseases . Also, they are able to find a cure for many diseases because of computers.

Whether it’s scientific research, space research or any social research computers help in all of them. Also, due to them, we are able to keep a check on the environment , space, and society. Space research helped us to explore the galaxies. While scientific research has helped us to locate resources and various other useful resources from the earth.

For any country, his defence is most important for the safety and security of its people. Also, computer in this field helps the country’s security agencies to detect a threat which can be harmful in the future. Above all the defense industry use them to keep surveillance on our enemy.

Threats from a Computer

Computers have become a necessity also, they have become a threat too. This is due to hackers who steal your private data and leak them on internet. Also, anyone can access this data. Apart from that, there are other threats like viruses, spams, bug and many other problems.

computer typing essay

The computer is a very important machine that has become a useful part of our life. Also, the computers have twin-faces on one side it’s a boon and on the other side, it’s a bane. Its uses completely depend upon you. Apart from that, a day in the future will come when human civilization won’t be able to survive without computers as we depend on them too much. Till now it is a great discovery of mankind that has helped in saving thousands and millions of lives.

Frequently Asked Questions on Computer

Q.1  What is a computer?

A.1 A computer is an electronic device or machine that makes our work easier. Also, they help us in many ways.

Q.2 Mention various fields where computers are used?

A.2  Computers are majorly used in defense, medicine, and for research purposes.

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How-To Geek

Keyboard typing wrong characters on windows 11 try these tips to fix it.

Fix your keyboard's input!

Key Takeaways

  • Change the language input method. Go to Settings > Time and Language > Language and Region > Typing > Advanced Keyboard Settings. From the dropdown menu, select your preferred language input method.
  • Confirm that the issue isn't confined to a specific app, your keyboard isn't faulty, and you haven't remapped the keyboard keys.
  • Update or reinstall your keyboard drivers. If the problem persists, thoroughly scan your device for potential malware.

Is your keyboard typing different characters than the ones printed on its keys? This can happen when you switch the keyboard layout, but it can also result from app-specific problems, misconfigured language settings, outdated keyboard drivers, or other factors. Here are some solutions you can try.

Check for App-Specific Issues

If your keyboard is typing the wrong characters only within a specific app, but types correctly elsewhere, the issue might be limited to that application.

This problem could potentially be due to selecting a different keyboard layout in the app's settings, bugs present in outdated versions of the app, or interference from installed extensions or add-ins. So, check and reset the app settings, update the application, and remove any extensions or add-ins. Also, make sure the correct keyboard layout is selected.

However, if your keyboard consistently types the wrong characters across the entire operating system, that indicates a more widespread problem that requires further investigation.

Perform Some Preliminary Checks

If the issue is not specific to a particular app, start the troubleshooting process with some basic checks.

If you're using an external keyboard, disconnect it from your device and reconnect it—also, try plugging it into a different port. If you're facing this issue with a laptop keyboard, give your device a fresh start by restarting it.

Ensure that the app or software you use for typing does not automatically correct your texts, causing the input words to change. If this is the case, turn off the auto-correct feature. Additionally, turn off any keyboard management apps that may be in use.

If these initial checks do not resolve the issue, you can apply the remaining fixes outlined below.

Check Your Keyboard Layout Settings

Windows supports a variety of keyboard layouts to accommodate users with keyboards featuring a different layout other than QWERTY, or those accustomed to an alternative layout. If your keyboard is typing the wrong characters, you may have switched to a different Keyboard layout .

To confirm you're using the correct layout, check the number of language input methods in use and the corresponding layout for each method. Right-click the Start button, go to "Settings," and navigate to Time and Language > Language and Region.

Opening the language and region settings in the Windows Settings app.

Click on the three horizontal dots next to your primary language preference and select "Language Options."

Opening the language options settings of a preferred language in the Windows Settings app.

Scroll down, and you'll find the language input methods, such as US and Belgian, along with the corresponding keyboard layouts like QWERTY and AZERTY listed under the language input method.

Language input methods with their keyboard layouts written under them.

To check whether you are currently using a layout different from that of your keyboard, take the following steps: Go to Settings > Time and Language > Typing > Advanced Keyboard Settings. Here, choose your preferred language input method from the drop-down menu.

Switching the language input method in the Windows Settings app.

Pressing the Windows+Spacebar changes the keyboard layout. Ensure that you don't accidentally change it.

Changing the keyboard layout via shortcut from system tray.

Ensure It's Not a Hardware Issue

A hardware issue with your keyboard can impede its input operations, causing it to type a different character. So, it's crucial to rule out this possibility.

If you're using an external keyboard on a PC, disconnect and connect it to a different PC (if available). If the keyboard types the correct characters on the other device, this confirms that the issue is not with your keyboard.

To check for hardware issues with a built-in laptop keyboard, connect an external keyboard and start typing. If the external keyboard types correctly, it suggests a problem with your laptop's built-in keyboard, and you should have it inspected.

Check for Interference From Other Apps

If you use any key mapping software to modify keyboard keys and shortcuts or use manufacturer's software for key remapping, confirm that keys typing a wrong character aren't remapped. Additionally, if any of these software tools allow you to switch keyboard layouts, ensure that you haven't unintentionally changed the layout in the app settings.

Besides that, if you use any other keyboard manager software to customize controller settings for specific apps and games, temporarily disable them to rule out any potential interference with your keyboard operation. Continue applying the remaining fixes if you do not use such software.

Update Your Keyboard Drivers

An outdated or corrupted keyboard driver can also be a culprit for a keyboard typing wrong characters. To rule out this possibility, update your drivers to make sure you have the latest drivers installed. To do that, visit the manufacturer's website for your laptop or keyboard and download the most recent drivers available.

For executable driver files, run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install them. If they require manual installation, right-click on the Start button, open "Device Manager," expand the "Keyboard" category, right-click on your keyboard device, and select "Update Driver" from the context menu.

Updating keyboard drivers in device manager.

Select "Browser My Computer for Drivers," locate and select the downloaded file, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Reinstall Your Keyboard Drivers

If none of the above solutions work, you should uninstall your keyboard drivers and reinstall them from scratch. Uninstalling keyboard drivers renders the keyboard unusable. Before starting the uninstallation process, make sure you have a mouse nearby, especially if you're using a device that doesn't have a built-in touchpad. Otherwise, you may get stuck during the process.

To uninstall the keyboard drivers, right-click the Start button and open "Device Manager." Expand the "Keyboards" category, right-click on a listed keyboard device, and select "Uninstall Device."

Uninstall a keyboard driver in Windows Device Manager.

If you see multiple keyboard devices here, repeat the same steps to uninstall them. Then, restart your device, and Windows will automatically install new drivers.

Scan Your Device for Malware

A malware infection can also adversely affect the operation of system hardware, leading to unforeseen issues. It can also cause your keyboard to behave abnormally. Because of that, it's imperative to rule out this possibility. To do so, perform a quick malware scan using Microsoft Defender .

Type Windows Security in the Windows Search and click the "Windows Security" shortcut to open the app. Alternatively, navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security.

Opening the Windows Security app from Windows Settings.

Go to the "Virus and Threat Protection" tab on the left in the app and click "Quick Scan" to scan your system for malware.

Running the Microsoft Defender's quick scan from the Windows Security app.

Microsoft Defender will conduct the scan and show you the results. If it detects malware, take the recommended steps to remove it.

Hopefully, the tips mentioned above will help you identify the primary cause and resolve the issue of your keyboard typing the wrong characters. If the problem persists, we recommend seeking professional help.

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  24. Keyboard Typing Wrong Characters on Windows 11? Try These Tips to Fix It

    Key Takeaways. Change the language input method. Go to Settings > Time and Language > Language and Region > Typing > Advanced Keyboard Settings. From the dropdown menu, select your preferred language input method. Confirm that the issue isn't confined to a specific app, your keyboard isn't faulty, and you haven't remapped the keyboard keys.