How can We Improve our English Writing Skills?

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Do you want to polish your English writing skills in order to produce more engaging articles, pamphlets etc.?

Well then, this article is for you. Writing is a complicated process that, like any other art, needs a lot of practice to achieve mastery. This article will focus on how to improve English writing skills in particular. You all know that English is a worldwide commercial language. If you want to advance your career in the global job market, you need to be able to read and write well. Professional writing, such as policy recommendations, emails, commercials, news releases, and applications, necessitates exceptional writing skills. This becomes a little demanding for non-native English speakers like me. As a solution, I’ve put together all the tips you might need to improve your English writing skills in this post.

Don’t get confused; read the entire post to learn about many writing techniques and tricks.

1. Groundwork for Writing:

 Planned writing is the foundation of each successful piece. Plan ahead to increase your chances of success with your writing, just as you would with any other assignment. These are some questions to ask yourself while you plot out the article:

• Ask yourself why you’re writing? – With this conversation, what do you hope to accomplish?
• Who exactly is this for? – What will the audience gain from this write-up?
• How will you communicate? – What will be the mode of communication like an email, a letter, memo, press-releases etc.

Your writing will take form as you respond to these questions.

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2. Think Before You Write:

One of the best ways of organizing your thoughts is mind mapping techniques. Creating a Mind Map is a simple method for generating ideas in an unstructured, free-flowing manner.

A Mind Map can help you write letters, memos, job applications, manuals, policies, or reports. It helps you get your ideas out of your head, find relevant details, and prepare to write.

3. Just Use Plain English:

Professional authors advocate for the use of plain English in writing. The use of plain English has several advantages. To get your idea across, use terms and phrases that are easy to understand. Using plain English ensures that everyone can understand what you’ve written.  This means that your content will be better received and less likely to be misunderstood.

The question now is how to write in simple English language.  To achieve this, follow the rules given below.

Using simple language shows that you value both your readers and your intelligence. Enhance your English writing skills by switching to a plain language. What’s more, it doesn’t take much effort to master; all it requires is some time and effort.

4. Start Putting Your Thoughts On Paper:

How much writing is left? You shouldn’t concern yourself with that at all.

Use some of these strategies:

Make a list with bullet points.

Don’t be shy about making an outline or rough version first.

Focus on finishing the current paragraph as much as possible before moving on. Give yourself space between tasks to reflect and break the writing into manageable portions. Bear in mind that you can always edit your post again afterward.

Get your thoughts down on paper, and the rest will follow.

Even the best writers sometimes use a draft as a place to start when they are writing about a new subject or a long piece.

5. Discover Your Reading’s Natural Rhythm.

The beginning and end of a document receive the majority of the reader’s focus. The reader will scan or browse the page in search of what it is you want them to do, important points and summaries, or specific pieces of information that are pertinent to them. Never overwhelmed your readers with lengthy paragraphs and sentences.

Reading something out loud is an effective method for evaluating its level of readability. Pay attention to the way the document flows and how it sounds as you read it to decide whether it is easy to comprehend and simple to read. If you find that you are using vocabulary and technical terminology while reading that you would not say to someone sitting alongside you, then you should avoid writing those words and terms.

6. The Manner In Which The Message Is Conveyed.

Every kind of written communication possesses its own distinct body language. The presentation of the text can either entice the reader to continue reading or create barriers that prevent effective communication from taking place.

The layout, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and tone of the article are all elements that contribute to its overall body language of an article.

Documents with short paragraphs, headers, lists, and plenty of white space are much easier to understand and read. Whereas those with long paragraphs, hard words, and no headings or lists are difficult to comprehend.

7. Maintain A Dictionary Of The English Language:

You’ll be able to look up terms to better understand their meaning and learn antonyms and synonyms to avoid repeating the same words or phrases, all of which will help improve your English writing skills.

 Several AI-based tools, including the spell check function in your word processor or Grammarly, can help you find and fix simple spelling and grammar mistakes. Any writer, no matter how seasoned, can get something from trying out these resources. However, none of these methods are 100% reliable. Keep track of all the highlighted terms. Write them down so you can avoid making the same mistakes again. This way it will help you learn and improve your English writing skills.

8. Watch Out For These Frequent Grammar Mistakes:

Active voice

Make use of the active voice as much as you can so that your work comes alive for the reader. Writing in the passive voice might cause your reader to become disinterested, sluggish, and confused. To improve your English writing skills, use active voice as much as possible.

Example-

Passive voice	Active voice
You had been warned of the danger by me.	I warned you of the danger.
Let the poor be helped.	Help the poor.
Let this work be done.	Do this work.

Increase your use of the pronoun ‘You.’

Using the first person in your communication will have a far greater impact. Use ‘I ‘and ‘you’ more and more in your conversation. The use of the pronoun ‘you’ throughout the document serves to emphasize that it is intended for the reader. Similarly, referring to your company as “we” puts you and your organization closer to the reader, which in turn increases communication between the two of you.

Example- 

Interested parties should confirm their participation through e-mail by 6.00 pm today.

If you are interested, please let us know via email by tonight at 6:00 pm

One concept in each sentence

It is preferable to limit each sentence to expressing a single notion or thought.

If you are having trouble getting your point across, it may be because you are using overly complicated and lengthy language. Simple, brief statements are produced by a clear mind. When attempting to convey complicated information, sentences that are shorter and more concise are preferred because they break the material down into chunks that are easier to comprehend. Maximum length permissible of a sentence is two lines not more than that. This kind of sentence develops English writing skills.

Reduce unnecessary words & phrases

In Place of	Try this
They came to the conclusion that	They concluded
We made the decision to	We decided
henceforth	from now on
herein enclosed is	I have enclosed

Jargon

Reduce the use of jargon and technical terms as much as possible. Until and unless it’s necessary, don’t use them.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Be careful with acronyms! If you explain an acronym the first time you use it in a document, for example, South Australia (SA), one of seven regions of Australia, it can be a great way to improve your English writing skills. You assume that your reader will get them, i.e. ABS (anti-lock braking system). Not all readers will be familiar with every acronym, even if many are in frequent use.

Questions & Answers

The reader approaches every document as if it were a puzzle, and yours will be no exception. To get ready for these questions, it can be very helpful to use a question-and-answer format.  Frequently-asked-questions section can be used for answering this question. This is especially important when telling the reader how to change a procedure or piece of software. It must be very clear what these changes will mean.

Punctuation

A stop is a useful tool for avoiding ambiguity in written communication. Punctuation refers to the usage of these commas, periods, and other marks. These punctuation marks are quite helpful to the readers. Effective usage of this tool improves readability.

9. Proper Formatting Of The Document:

Proper formatting is essential for a document to grab the attention of its readers. This can be achieved by following certain order.

Titles and subheadings

When you write something, you should always use headers and subheadings so that it is easier to understand what you have written.

Brief sentences and paragraphs

Combination of sentences and paragraphs that are short in length can be improve the readability of your content.

Uniform fonts

Use consistent fonts across the entire document, except for areas that need emphasis.

Don’t even out the right margin

Instead of justifying the right margin, leave it uneven; it is easier for the reader’s eye to follow an uneven margin.

Leave enough white space in the document

Improve the document’s readability by leaving enough white space. Margin adjustments, bulleted lists, and line spacing all contribute to a more readable document.

Create Tables

Tables are an excellent way of formatting. In both professional and casual forms of writing, tables can be useful organizational tools. You may use tables to format anything from essays to resumes. You can also use them to offer directions, make comparisons, and present intricate data.

Ex 1: A set of instructions for altering a password

Steps	Action
1.	Log onto your terminal
2.	Enter your old password
3.	Change your old password to a new one. It should be of 12 character. And must include 2 numeric and 2 special characters.

Ex 2: Instructions about using washing machine.

Do	Don’t
Classify colours and spot-treat spills.	Fill-up beyond capacity of your machine.
Make sure you read the labels on your clothing.	keep anything in your pockets.
Place delicate items in separate bags.	Overuse detergent.

Create List

It is much simpler to work with information that is presented in the form of bulleted or numbered lists.

Example–

Read the following paragraph: ‘When writing a report, consider what, why, how, who and where: Why are you choosing to write it, what exactly is the discussion about; What prior experience do you have with it; Who else might know of it; Where might one find information about this matter and how can you be certain that you have covered all the relevant information. ‘

And now read the same information in list form,

Consider the following questions while producing a report: why, what, who, where, and how:

• Why are you choosing to write it?
• What exactly is the discussion about?
• What prior experience do you have with it?
• Who else might know of it?
• Where might one find information about this matter?
• How can you be certain that you have covered all the relevant information?

The list is much easier to read, as well as to keep in mind.

Make use of a variety of fonts and formats

If you want something to stand out, try using a different font or a different type of formatting. If you want to draw attention to a particular part of the text, you can increase the size of the font, make it bold, italic, indented, or put it on a separate line.

However; like with any strategy, using it too frequently can undermine its effectiveness. When used properly, these methods of presentation will guide the reader’s eyes effortlessly over the page. Nevertheless, an overabundance of tables and lists may cause the reader’s eyes to leap from one place to another, making the page appear cluttered.

10. Read On A Regular Basis:

As important as writing is, reading is revered even more. Maintain a daily reading habit of something, anything. In order to keep your mind active and your creativity flowing, reading is a fantastic activity. Find a reading strategy that works for your lifestyle. If you like paperbacks, that’s fine, too. The portability of eBooks and audiobooks makes them ideal for the perpetual traveler. Read similar documents or articles to get ideas for your own writing. In addition to enhancing your knowledge of a subject, this practice will also help you become a better writer in English.

11. Vocabulary:

A writer’s vocabulary is one of his or her most valuable tools. To get your point across better, you should use a vocabulary that is both broad and relevant. There are a lot of words that imply the same thing but have different connotations. If you have a strong vocabulary, you can pick the right words to express yourself and, which improves English writing skill.

For example:   Some yoga positions are complicated.

                        Rita’s story is difficult to believe.

12. How To Structure A Paragraph:

Paragraphs, like other types of writing, have a standard structure with a beginning, middle, and end. The topic sentence, the content development, and the conclusion make up these parts.

Topic sentences bring the reader to the central argument or point of the paragraph. Introductions in a paragraph shouldn’t give anything away. But they should make clear what the paragraph’s focus will be so that the reader knows what to expect from the rest of the piece.

The paragraph’s core is expanding and reinforcing sentences. There are usually two kinds of sentences in a paragraph: developmental sentences and supporting phrases. Developmental sentences give a more in-depth explanation of the topic. Whereas supporting phrases give facts, opinions, or other comments that back up or strengthen the main idea of the paragraph.

The final paragraph completes the idea, either by summarizing it or by leading into the next paragraph. You can choose to summarize or provide the last piece of supporting evidence in the final paragraph. You can also wrap up your notion depends on the sort of paragraph you’re writing.

13. Document Editing And Proofreading:

Document checking includes editing and proofreading. Rereading your manuscript for organization, paragraph structure, and content is part of editing. But proofreading involves rectifying errors, grammar, and linguistic faults.

Proofreading requires a concentrated eye to spot problems and make manuscript improvements. Proofreading is a systematic process. If you assume you’ll find all faults on the first pass, think again! Reading aloud helps you slow down and focus. So, split your manuscript into small parts. This will help you focus and make you feel less like the whole manuscript is too much. Always keep track of common errors. Knowing your mistakes will help you avoid them in future writing.  This entire process will improve your English writing skills to a great extent.

14. Enroll in English language Course:

If you want to become a proficient and independent writer in English, the English Writing Course by Henry Harvin is where you need to start. By the end of the course, you will be able to rapidly and efficiently write big paragraphs and sentences, having strengthened your skills and accelerated your reading ability. In order to learn the local language and accent, native speakers dedicate time to interacting with students. Exams like the TOBFL and IELTS can be daunting, but Henry Harvin is here to help.

A typical progression through the CEFR-based English writing course might consist of the following:

Basic English incorporates concepts such as sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation, and is covered in this level.

There is a lot of focus on grammar, sentence structure, and other such topics at the pre-intermediate level.

At the Intermediate English Language Learning Level, you will study more complex sentences and phrases.

At this point, you’ll have a good grasp of more advanced material, such as lengthier chapters and more complicated texts, and you’ll be able to carry on in English for increasingly extended periods of time.

In the final, most difficult stage, you’ll tackle elaborate speeches and written works. That means you’ll have a solid grasp of the language.

Advantages to Your Career by Henry Harvin

• To begin a profession, consider becoming an English instructor.
• Start a Career as a Content Maker or Writer for the Web
• Get an F-1 Visa
• Work with businesses located in English-speaking nations to improve your written English to the level of a native speaker.
• Create content for any of the countless companies located all around the world.
• Benefit from the chance to attend top schools in English-speaking countries.

Henry Harvin also offers a variety of other courses.

How to Improve English Writing Skills
Profitable Career Options after English Honours
Top 25 English Writing Tips

Wrapping Up

If you’re looking to improve your English writing skills, there are a few things you can do to help yourself. First, make sure that you’re writing in a clear and concise manner. Second, try to use simple language when possible. And third, proofread your work before you publish it or send it off to someone else. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better writer in no time.

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