TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS
What language do you often hear or see on the internet? Most people will often see their native language, as in Indonesia we will often find Indonesian language on the internet. But speaking of international languages, English is the common language that you can find on the internet. The influence of English is so widespread all over the world, which makes other countries put English as one of the main studies in school, including Indonesia. People are trying to learn English by speaking more often to increase their fluency, but not only speaking is important to improve your English, writing is also one of the key factors to determine your English level. Therefore, to achieve a high English writing level, there are some tips that you can use to enhance your writing ability.
- Do some research before you start writing
First thing first before you start writing, it is better to search for some information before you begin writing an article or homework. Speaking of articles, doing a couple of research on the internet will need a lot of time, but it is better than just copying someone else’s work and undermining your credibility. It is recommended to search for some literature on the internet and then start to make your articles. Therefore, at least you know what you are going to write since you have some references with you.
- Use grammar checks to correct your writing
Some people said that using grammar checks is cheating as it may prevent you from finding out the mistakes that you made. Despite the cons, using a grammar check may help you to increase your accuracy in spelling and grammar. The suggestion given from the grammar check can help you to use a better word or phrase and revise the errors in your writing. There are many grammar checks that are free, so using those can help you improve your English writing skills.
- Try to read as much as you can
Even if you want to improve your writing skills, reading can help you to improve your listening, speaking, and also your writing skills. Reading helps you improve your structure and grammar as from reading you will notice the spellings of each word. Not only that, but also you can learn new words which can be useful if you want to make a professional essay. Reading can give you inspiration, especially when you read a biography or poem, you will find many words which will be useful in the future.
- Learn to make an organized paragraph
Making a structured paragraph can help your readers to understand better than reading a messy paragraph. How to make an organized paragraph? You can start with a topic sentence which explains what you are going to write. Then you can continue making the supporting sentence, which explains more information and supports your topic. Lastly, finish your paragraph with a conclusion and try to make a transition between paragraphs to build a connection with the next paragraph. This will help you to create well-organized paragraphs and can increase your score if you are writing an essay.
- Make an outline to help you fill in the paper
Staring at a blank paper may be terrifying and most people might feel that way. You need to think of something to be written on the paper, and before you start writing, you need to think of a concept. Before starting to write a paper, you can lay out an outline or a mind map to help you focus on the topic and help you to give ideas whilst you are writing. As stated above, you can start with an introduction then proceed to support sentences, and then close your paragraph with a conclusion.
- Keep your sentence simple and not complicated
Lastly, keeping your sentence simple can help readers to understand easy words and not complicated phrases. Maybe there are some people such as Shakespeare who can write with complex words, but for starters and for people who want to improve their writing skills, it’s best to focus on grammar and structure. If you want, you can vary your sentence length to build a nice flow in your sentences and paragraphs. But keep in mind that making your sentence simple can give you plus points as other people can read it without any misconception.
In conclusion, there are still many ways to improve your English writing skills. All you have to remember is that it will take time, and if you are willing to spend your time improving your writing skills, you can be an expert on it. You can even make a book of poems if you want to. So, keep trying your best and don’t give up on improving.
References:
Hertzberg, K. (2020, September 11). 15 ways to improve your writing skills dramatically. How to Improve Writing Skills in 15 Easy Steps | Grammarly. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-improve-writing-skills/
Cicerchia, M. (2018). How to improve writing skills in English. Touch-type Read and Spell (TTRS). Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.readandspell.com/how-to-improve-writing-skills-in-English
Wall Street English. (2017, June 15). Tips on how to improve english writing skills. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/blog/how-to-improve-english-writing-skills
Shewan, D. (2022, September 3). 16 Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills. WordStream. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/08/07/improve-writing-skills