EnglishClub ESL Forums

I have just put up a blog article and video with useful tips on how to improve your writing. You can find it at https://www.advancedenglishlearning.com ... rning-Blog.
I hope you find it useful!
Dr Norman

Following are some points which could help you to improve your writing skill:

1. Don’t Repeat Same Word Again - It can diminish the attractiveness of your article. Try to use different words. If it is necessary to repeat any word, then try to find out its synonym and use it in your article. You can use WordWeb tool for this purpose.

2. Learn Grammar - Grammar decides the quality of post. If you are making too much grammar mistakes in your articles then no one wants to read it. So learn grammar to avoid any typos.

3. Don’t Change Tense in Between Sentences - Many writers make this mistake by changing tense in between the post. They write in simple present tense and immediately switch to past tense or future tense. It is sometimes grammatically correct but it is sufficient to confuse readers. Avoid changing tense and give clear picture by writing in simple language.

4. Remove Unnecessary Words if any - Proofread helps in deciding what to include and what to exclude. If you found any word which adds no value to the post then it is better to exclude that word from the post.

I agree with all the above, good advice.
Vary sentence length. Short sentences are important for beginners but longer sentences give variety to an essay or a paragraph if you feel you can write long sentences.
Always read over your work and read it aloud (I find that helps).
Keep a note of common mistakes you make and check regularly to see if you still make these mistakes.

I agree with all of the above posters. But, I would advise general knowledge as well. The more you know, the easier it is to write, speak, listen and read. Knowing about a topic can help you to write even when you are not fluent in a language. If the topic of the essay is Pluto (a sample TOEFL writing question I hear once), then the more you know about Pluto, the easier it is going to be to answer. Read, watch educational youtube videos, read Wikipedia whenever you have the chance. Watch some in English, but watch some in your own language as well. Your goal is to learn as much as you can about as many topics as possible. Then, if someone starts talking about a cavity magnetron, you know they're probably talking about microwave ovens. The more you know, the more you can guess.

DrNorman wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2016 5:30 am I have just put up a blog article and video with useful tips on how to improve your writing. You can find it at https://www.advancedenglishlearning.com ... rning-Blog.
I hope you find it useful!
Dr Norman

THANKS

Hi everyone
I’ve been looking for forums that can help me to improve my english language .. so i decided to register in this forum and this is my first post :)

I think to improve writing skills we should read more and keep practicing .

EnglishIrish wrote: ↑Mon Sep 25, 2017 3:11 pm I agree with all the above, good advice.
Vary sentence length. Short sentences are important for beginners but longer sentences give variety to an essay or a paragraph if you feel you can write long sentences.
Always read over your work and read it aloud (I find that helps).
Keep a note of common mistakes you make and check regularly to see if you still make these mistakes.

Yes, absolutely. It's always best to start with short sentences in the active voice. However, writing comes only after the learning process. Learning needs a strong foundation. The more intense, time-consuming yet effective way of learning is to work on the basics of grammar. But if one finds books and workbooks boring, many online courses expedite the process and increase the joy of learning. Coursera offers good grammar and writing programs. If one does not need a certification, courses are available for free. Once the learning gets better and confident, a writing habit needs to be developed. A daily dose of essay writing is necessary to apply the learning. During the writing process, online writing tools like Bartleby Write offer great help. They constantly act as checks and correct writing immediately that provides better insight. Diligent learning and a writing regime go a long way in improving English writing.