10 Best Ways to improve English writing skill

2019年4月28日 08:00

To improve my English writing, I started this blog. I researched that topic out of my curiosity, and I found 10 best ways. I checked 19 websites and 6 youtube videos which mentioned about the ways. This blog article is not my opinion neither my experience because I picked up the most mentioned 10 ways out of them. I know my writing is not good enough and I have no intention to teach something to my readers but I share this article for future commitment to myself definitely to practice these means.

1. Practice, Practice, and Practice

It takes 10,000 hours to master a skill, why not write every day?

2. Read, Read, and Read

Make sure you're reading what you like or a specific writing style you want to achieve.

3. Get Feedback

Use HelloTalk. But notice that a native speaker doesn't mean a good English writer.

4. Make the writing simple and clear

Keep a sentence and paragraph simple as much as possible. 10-20 words in one sentence is ok but over 20 words is dangerous. Also, eliminate meaningless adverbs and adjectives like very/a lot/ so/really.

Erica needed to get the key to the car and so she asked for the contact number of the person who was in charge of that department.

Erica contacted the Department Head to borrow the car key.

The sentences above mean the same. But the difference is massive.

5. Check the work after writing

proofread and revise it.

6. Show, don't tell

Make the writing precise and specific by using examples and rich vocabulary.

The great 19th-century Russian story-teller, Anton Chekhov famously advised: "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

7. Focus on the writing style you need

First, we should start by asking what kind of writing we need. Who is going to read my writing and what do I want them to achieve through it? Find the favorite writing style and imitate.

8. Use new words you recently learned, into the writing

Once you learn new words, use them into your blog. Or we can make a list of writing samples by Copying idioms and imitating examples.

9. Write like you talk

This doesn't mean using slang words. After finish writing, read it aloud. If it sounds natural, you did it.

10. Use active instead of passive voice