How to Improve Your Writing Skill: Top Resources and Some Tips. How to improve your writing skills Mutual assistance in learning a language

This page contains exercises that will help you develop good personal letter writing skills in English.

Before completing tasks, remember again the following fundamentally important rules:

First, strictly adhere to the length of the letter. You must remember that a letter that does not reach the lower limit is not checked at all and is immediately scored 0 points. If a letter has an excessive number of words, then the excess number is cut off, and the letter is checked as it appears after cutting off the excess. So your luxurious letter can easily lose the final part, which will not have a positive effect on the scoring of points.

Secondly, strictly adhere to the topic of the assignment. For example, if you are asked to answer the question about what sports people prefer to engage in in winter, then you do not need to go into discussions about the importance of sports in principle. Just answer the question posed.

Third, don't skip questions that you are expected to answer. If your pen pal asked you three questions, then please answer all three. This is important, since the expert, when checking, takes into account the fact that all questions have been answered without exception.

Fourthly, when answering questions, avoid incompleteness and reticence. When checking letters, experts often find themselves in difficulty as to whether the author of the letter has disclosed the required point or not: after all, something seems to be written, but at the same time it is streamlined and unclear. Thus, if you are asked “Tell me please if there are any problems between your parents and you?”, then begin the answer so that it is clear that you began the answer to this question: “There are no problems between my parents and me but...”

Fifthly, do not forget about the format of the letter: address in the upper right corner, signature at the bottom, division into paragraphs, etc.

Sixth, use means of logical connection and various clichés: As to (as regards)…, The thing is (the point is that)…, Moreover (moreover)…, It turned out that (it happened that)… and many others.

In conclusion, I would like to say that no matter how valuable advice and recommendations are, only practical tasks lead to real changes. Pay attention to the following exercises for writing a personal letter in English.

One way to improve your English is to improve your writing skills. This has long been confirmed by various studies. Everyone at school or universities was forced to write essays, but they did not really explain why this was necessary. And for 90% of people, the least favorite thing about English is essays. (Well, not counting retellings) But, in fact, writing as much as possible in the language you are learning is a very useful practice. Try it yourself!

How can writing help?

Writing helps you remember things better. If you read, listen, speak and write down, you will remember information much better. Therefore, it is important to use all these skills in lessons.
Writing helps you practice new skills. Every time we learn new information, you can reinforce it by speaking or writing.
The letter provides time to think about the wording. Have you ever had trouble expressing yourself when speaking in a foreign language? Writing allows you to come up with the perfect wording that you can later use in your speech.

7 Fun Exercises to Practice Writing Skills

1. History from dictionary words

Do you have a dictionary where you write down unfamiliar English words?

Write a story using as many vocabulary words as possible. Try to include a minimum of 10-20 words, depending on how much time you have for this exercise. Try to make the story as interesting and funny as possible.

What will you learn? This exercise will help you understand words better.

By using words in sentences you will understand how best to use them.
It's easier to remember words in context. And again, the funnier the story, the easier it is to remember the vocabulary.

2. Story based on the picture

Take the first magazine you come across and choose a random picture. Describe it in great detail. But don't just write what you see. Try to imagine yourself in this picture and describe what you feel, what smells you hear, etc.

What will you learn? In our daily life we use descriptions all the time. “I'm tired.” “Her dress is so stylish.” “This coffee tastes amazing.” With this exercise you will learn more adjectives and how to describe your feelings and perceptions.

3. Structured summaries

Think about the last book you read or movie you watched. Write a short summary using the given formula:

“wanted...but...so...”

Here's an example:

“Bruce Wayne wanted to save Gotham but supervillains were trying to destroy it, so he trained hard and became Batman.”

To use this formula, follow the following structure:

Somebody: Who is the main character?
Wanted: What is the main character's motivation? (What does he want?)
But: What stands in the way of the main character? What's stopping him?
So: What does the character do to overcome his circumstances?

You can also add one more part:

Then: What happens after the main character overcomes difficulties?

One more example:

“Little Red Riding Hood wanted to visit her grandmother but when she got there she found a wolf instead, so she yelled for help and a passerby came to her rescue. Then everyone lived happily ever after!”

What will you learn? This way you will learn to talk about everything briefly. At first, it will be quite difficult to describe an entire book or movie in a few sentences and still convey the essence. But this is the most important part of this exercise. Learn to convey complex ideas in simple sentences.

4. Devil's Advocate

Do you have something you feel strongly about? For example, you believe that every person should learn at least one foreign language. Write about it from the opposite point of view. In this case, about why a person should not learn another language.

What will you learn? By doing this exercise you will learn how to express your opinions in English. It can also force you to use words you wouldn't normally use.

5. Stories with idioms

Idiom- this is a combination of linguistic units, the meaning of which does not coincide with the meaning of its constituent elements. For example, " it"s raining cats and dogs" does not mean that animals fall from the sky. (it means it's raining heavily)

Cliche- this is a worn-out expression or a hackneyed phrase that is used so often that over time it loses its originality.

Write a story using idioms and clichés. Try some of the following first.

What will you learn? Sometimes learning English feels like you're “bit off more than you can chew.” A good way to boost your confidence is to know phrases that you can use in different situations. Plus, when you hear them in English speech, you will know exactly what these idioms or clichés mean.

6. The story of my life

Think about something you did in the past, such as playing the piano. Write about it. Your story should begin in the past and end in the future. For example:

“I started playing the piano when I was five, but I stopped only two years later. Right now I can’t play anything, but I hope to start learning again in the future.”

What will you learn? We like to talk about ourselves. Therefore, most of your dialogue is about yourself. With this exercise you will learn how to tell it correctly. This is a great way to practice using verbs in the correct form.

7. How to breathe?

If a question starts with “how,” then the answer should include a step-by-step description of how to do something. Most of these titles teach us something new, such as “how to bake a chocolate cake”, “how to use a new application on your phone”.

For this exercise you need to take something a little different. Think about what you do every day with little or no attention. Write about tying your shoes, checking your email, or even breathing.

What will you learn? This exercise will teach you how to structure your thoughts. And by using simple words to explain how something works, you'll learn common vocabulary.

Video from ed.ted on how to write dialogue

The skills of correct, beautiful and delivered speech in English are always the result of practice. You can study theory as much as you like, achieve a high level of knowledge of English (in the theoretical aspect), and then encounter a language barrier and have difficulty constructing even the simplest sentences. This scenario is not from the realm of fantasy; on the contrary, people have to face such problems every day, because the most important thing in learning English is regular practice. With the development of writing skills, everything is exactly the same.

Write in English as often as possible
You need to write for any reason and every day, at least a little. It is important that it becomes a habit and that you begin to take writing for granted. It may be difficult at first, but you need to keep trying, and over time the quality of the texts will improve. You can write about anything you like: from how your day went to fundamental philosophical discussions about the meaning of existence.
Communicate in English in writing
If you have a friend who speaks English well, then agree with him that from now on you will write SMS or email messages to each other only in English. This will allow you to get constant practice in live communication and writing at the same time. If you have a native speaker friend, that's even better.
Use the power of the Internet
You can sharpen your writing skills using the World Wide Web. It is important to remember that English-language chat rooms are not exactly what you need. If you do not have a goal to learn Internet slang, then we advise you to approach both the choice of a platform for communication and the choice of interlocutors extremely responsibly. Expressions like “C U later” (See you later) are hardly what you need to improve your English and learn to write beautifully. It is advisable to find English-speaking friends and negotiate with them to communicate without using online slang.
Read English literature and write an essay about it
Reading fiction is a great way to expand your vocabulary, get acquainted with beautiful speech patterns and non-standard grammatical structures. An essay based on reading, in turn, is a way to consolidate the material covered. Keep all your texts in one place so you can always return to them. This is a great way to monitor your progress as your writing gradually gets better. And, of course, don't limit yourself to just essays. Write essays about what is happening in your life or in the lives of your loved ones. If you are involved in the field of PR, advertising or journalism, then you can try writing press and post-releases in English.
Find the most comfortable time and place to write texts
Some people write better in the evening, others in the morning. At home, on the road or in a cafe - experiment with place and time, and find the combination that makes you most comfortable. Of course, this does not apply to SMS communication, which we mentioned above.

It is important to remember that writers are not born. Everyone can learn to write beautifully and interestingly. According to the American research group The Global Language Monitor, English became the first and so far the only language in which the number of words exceeded 1 million. This means that our freedom for creativity is almost limitless. At the American Club of Education, we'd love to help you develop your writing skills in the language of Shakespeare, Hemingway, and other great writers. Dear Friends, develop your writing talents, learn the language and enjoy life! Good luck!

18.09.2014

Excellent English writing skills come from constant practice and dedication. No one is born a great writer. It will take a lot of time and practice to learn to write well in English.

Anyone can become a writer if they are diligent and determined enough.

Each person has his own reasons for the need to improve his English writing. Maybe someone needs to improve the quality of texts for work, and someone needs to write regular essays in English at university.

Perhaps you want to start a blog about learning English or you need to answer emails in English.

Now attention!

1. Keep all your texts in one place

Buy a notebook or notepad, or start keeping an electronic journal. By keeping all your writing in one place, you can see how much your writing skills improve while also keeping your work organized.

2. Practice your English writing skills every day

It's important to write daily so you start creating a new habit. Writing texts in English every day will soon become natural to you. You won't see significant improvement unless you set yourself the goal of becoming a better writer. It goes without saying that no one can create great stories and articles if they have never tried. As they say, patience and work will grind everything down.

3. Choose a topic and write

Don't sit for long periods of time figuring out what to write about. You can write about anything. Write about what you do, hear or see, the news, or even make up your own story. If you are still stuck with choosing a topic, use blogs based on your interests.

4. Write more than one draft.

A draft is a preliminary version of a written work. Sometimes, your best work becomes even better with a little break and revision. When you revise (or rewrite) your work, you are able to convey ideas more clearly by thinking of something new.

A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end… but not necessarily in that order.

Jean Luc Godard

6. Think outside the box

Don't write about the same thing every day - you'll soon get bored. Try writing the same story from different perspectives or in different times. Don't present the material in an obvious way. Be creative!

7. You need a friend to edit your written work.

If you have a friend who knows English well and can edit your work, you are very lucky. Having another person proofread your work helps generate more ideas to improve your writing. You can edit everything or just the parts you're stuck on. Usually, another person quickly finds errors in your text that you did not notice due to the fact that you already noticed them.

8. Find a comfortable place to write texts

You should try writing in different places or at different times of the day. Maybe you get inspired at night; or vice versa, try getting up 15 minutes earlier and writing in the morning. Perhaps noise bothers you, then try writing in a quiet and comfortable place.

Experiment to find the right environment for you, one that will be conducive to expressing your thoughts in writing in English.

And remember, writing skills develop over time. The more you write in English, the better you will become and the better quality your work will be.