Grammar

For aspects of writing beyond sentences such as sentence linking and paragraphing, look also at the pages on writing.

Diagnostic Testing
A good starting point for grammar can be to check what you know and don't know.

You can find typical grammar labels at different levels from low to high level plus links to tests here https://www.grammar-quizzes.com/diagnosum.html

If you want to test your grammar with a reference to two books that explain grammar, this could be useful https://www.world-english.org/diagnostic_grammar.htm When you check the test, it refers you to pages from two well-known books on English grammar: Murphy, and Swan.

The British Council provide a free level test and the website generally has a vareity of practice activities https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-intermediate

Grammar activities
'''Many websites contain a variety of activities and are worth exploring. Below are a few examples of some of the best.'''

This website has detailed descriptions of grammar and practice activities http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/index.htm

You will also find many important categories of grammar covered in this section from Griffith University, whether the area is listed under grammar or academic skills. Note useful additional links on those pages to other sites.

The BBC have some fairly good English learning activities and provide grammar description and practice at different levels, e.g. upper intermediate here.

A website that has many video lessons explaining grammar and other elements relevant to English learning is https://www.engvid.com/

Specific aspects of grammar
There is a good list of typical issues in academic writing at University of Bristol with links to more detail. Also, University of Bristol has a page that explains some of the key grammar terminology.

As for what we think about in grammar terms when we think about academic style, you may find this useful https://academic-englishuk.com/academic-style

Punctuation
If you want to know how a full stop, comma, etc are used: https://www.lexico.com/grammar/punctuation

Clauses and joining to make compound and complex sentences
What is a sentence? There is an explanation here from Leicester University, which helps to understand the other building blocks and elements listed below. Bristol Universtiy include sentence analysis at item number 3 here http://www.bristol.ac.uk/academic-language/media/BEAP/ and also provides more detail on academic style.

Dependent and independent clauses from OWL at Purdue.

Relative clauses from Hong Kong Polytechnic

That clauses from Hong Kong Polytechnic and here from a site called Lexico

Common errors in sentence and clause usage include something called 'sentence fragments', which is when you have not completed the sentence. You can find more information on this youtube video from OnScreen academy.

Another type of error relating to sentences, clauses, and also punctuation is something known as a "run-on sentence". You can find examples and practice here https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/runonsentences and here http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/runons.htm

Voice - active and passive
Voice is interested in the relationship between an action and an agent e.g. the person who does it. http://writing.umn.edu/sws/quickhelp/style/activepassive.html provides an overview in relation to academic writing. University of Wisconsin, at the bottom of the page linked, provides a brief overview of the reasons for the choice of active or passive voice.

Hedging
A feature of academic writing is the need for responsibility - you need to be responsible for statements e.g. by providing evidence. Many disciplines work in a paradigm that makes it hard to speak in absolutes; evidence may suggest something but may not prove it as you might imagine in hard sciences. This leads to hedging. For a definition of hedging, see Wikipedia.

https://www.griffith.edu.au/international/englishhelp/hedging-and-boosting

Nominalisation
A common feature of academic writing is where verb phrases are eschewed in favour of noun phrases; this is called nominalisation e.g. instead of saying People moved increasingly into cities we could say There was increasing movement to cities. Here is some explanation and practice. http://aeo.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/Files/Nominalization/Nom%20LOC.html

It is + adjective + infinitive
Another common feature seen in academic writing is the "it is" structure e.g. It is important to understand... This is another option for depersonalising language as it would avoid an alternative phrase such as people have to understand... Further explanation and practice here https://www.grammar-quizzes.com/infinitive4.html

Verb patterns (verb phrases using, for example, verb + infinitive)
Gerunds: https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/gerunds.pdf

Typical errors and how to fix them
Sentence Fragments: https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/sentence-fragments-1.pdf

Subject-verb agreement: https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/subject-verb-agreement.pdf

Books
If you are currently a student at university, you may find some of these books in electronic version.

Bailey, Stephen. Academic Writing : A Handbook for International Students, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017