writing tip: using your phone to record notes and reminders

(March 2023)

To keep up with life’s increasingly fast pace, I think it is great to use your cell phone or smartphone to keep up with what you have to do on a weekly basis. It is an excellent way to practice your short form writing as you make both lists and reminders of what you need to do. Whether it is a grocery list, a to-do list, or a person’s name or number, most phones today come up with a ‘Notes’ application to jot down what you need to make life easier.

While not the most flashy or engaging application, it is a great way to practice your English writing by making these notes in order of when they were written. I, as a native English speaker, use my Notes application daily as it helps to remember anything I need to remember to do, to follow up on, or who to contact. The good thing about your cell phone is that the texting keyboard is faster to write than it is to use a notepad to put your thoughts down with pen on a piece of paper.

For these ‘Notes’ applications on cell phones, you can erase words, bold them, make the ‘bullets’ or ‘dashes’ to formalize it, and they can just be basic sentences to complete paragraphs. You can choose the length, formality, and the kind of note you are leaving. It is an excellent way to practice your English writing and if you want to mix it with some speaking practice, I believe it is possible to use a voice note in the application where the AI will dictate it onto the note itself in written form.

Whether you use written notes for daily life or just to keep track of a kitchen recipe or are practicing some English sentences for your lessons, using the cell phone’s ‘Notes’ application is a very useful tool for English writing. Make sure you use the application every day and for different purposes to get the most out of it as well.

writing tip: The Double meaning with Prepositions - Example #1 (With / At)

(January 2023)

When it comes to English prepositions, they can sometimes be used in the same sentence as substitutes for each other yet still carry the same meaning even when they sound different to the reader. Do not be afraid to mix and match when writing prepositions as there are substitutes for some prepositions so you should know that there is more than one option when it comes to jotting them down on paper.

The 1st example I would like to focus on in this writing tip when it comes to double meaning for two separate prepositions are with / at. Let’s take a look at the sentences below and see if the meaning is the same or different with both prepositions:

• She is angry at me.

• She is angry with me.

Now, it is a simple written sentence but the meaning of both sentences overlap and are the same despite the actual preposition being different. When you are angry or upset at someone, the focus is on that person and that is also true when you’re angry with them. With has another meaning in that ‘she’ and ‘me’ could both be angry at the same time regarding a person or another cause but primarily in English, it is used to describe when you’re angry towards that person in particular, similar to ‘at.’

In this case, I believe the best preposition to use when directing anger or another emotion would be ‘at’ when it is directed to someone else but there are preposition substitutes in English that can be used without confusion. Instead of ‘at’, you can use ‘with’ in written sentences like the one above and it would make grammatical sense. Do not be afraid to look at preposition substitutes since a lot of English sentences will come with alternative ways to write them out and still be correct. Make sure you use the example above to help you think of other prepositions you can use and still carry the same meaning.

There will be other writing tips in the future focusing on this topic because ‘prepositions’ in English are commonly used and it’s going to know when and where these substitutes can be used and in which context.

writing tip: daily notetaking to keep track of errands or to make to-do lists

(november 2022)

It’s important to emphasize consistent writing practice in the English language. While it is important to work on longer pieces of writing in terms of essays, articles, reports, or short stories, it is also important to keep track of your daily errands and activities. The best way to do this for organization and lifestyle purposes is making lists each day depending on what you are focusing on. It will only take 5-10 minutes of your time but is key practice to expanding your vocabulary, staying on task with your to-do list, and being able to master note-taking in English.

Whether it is a groceries list, other errands to do over the week, or ideas for your business or company, daily lists of any kind are a great way to practice your shorthand style of writing in English. Because of technology, you don’t need sticky notes or a calendar or even a notepad to do so. If you feel more comfortable typing on your laptop or desktop computer, there are different web or mobile applications for ‘Notes’, where it is much easier to track the different notes you have and organize them each day.

In addition, many work computers these days have these ‘Notes’ application so you can track your taskers or to-do items for completion, color code them based on urgency or type of work that you do, and also depending on which day you need to complete them by. Writing notes in English on a daily basis will really help you become more proficient in the short-hand style of writing for which is easier but is also more challenging as you have to be concise, to the point, and order them correctly. I highly recommend in addition to writing essays, articles, and blog posts that your English practice include daily notes, whether on your laptop or on your notepad.

writing tip: Write about daily or weekly observations of the world around you

(September 2022)

An underrated tip to make writing in English more interesting is to document your daily life or your daily or weekly observations. You can get a better sense of your written vocabulary when you push yourself to observe what you did on a daily basis or what you observed when you’re out in a public. You can take notes about the people you see, the wildlife or nature you encounter, or anything else that comes to mind. These can be handwritten notes or on your laptop or on your notepad. I believe it is important to capture those events you observe in real-time so you won’t forget and you can also test your memory, your knowledge of English vocabulary, and how to put sentences together in written form of what you observe.

Being a good observer of the world around you will make you a better writer and improve your knowledge on different kinds of vocabulary that perhaps normally you would not use in conversation. In addition, you can make basic sentences, a paragraph, or even an essay length work based on your daily or weekly observations. As long as your consistent in writing about these observations each day or each week rather than focus primarily on the length of your written word, that is what is most important when it comes to this writing tip. You can’t learn if you do not practice your writing consistently especially if you would like to get better on your observational awareness of your own life or what is going on around you in your life.

It is an entertaining form of writing that can force you to practice as you observe the world around you. From observing the nature in your local park or to the comings and goings of people grabbing their morning coffee, you can be as creative as you want as an English writer by mixing it up by journaling your observations. You can also choose to focus inwards on yourself and what you did in your day or in your week to remember it better or to channel your thoughts through writing on what you did and why you did it.

writing tip: How to address someone in an email

(June 2022)

A good way to endear yourself in an electronic message (e-mail) to someone is to know who is your audience and to what you are going to be writing to them about. Similarly to letters or other written correspondence, email message can be either formal or informal in their language. It also depends on if you know the person / people you are writing to or not.

If you do not know them at all and are writing to them for the first time but you still know their name but would like to be formal about it, it is best to use the following ways to address them in an email:

Dear Mr. (Mister) ______________, (Last name)

Dear Mrs. (Missus) _____________, (Last name)

Dear Ms. (Miss) _______________, (Last name)

Traditionally, if you know the woman is married, you would use Mrs. but you may not know their marital status at all but in my view, I would use ‘Mrs.’ as the default way to address a woman rather than Ms. (Miss) so as to not appear to be too informal.

If you do not know who the person or people are or what gender they are, it is best to address someone / a group as:

‘To Whom It May Concern,’

If you are on more familiar terms in the email message and you know the person pretty well having met them in person or exchanged at least a few email messages back and forth, I believe it would be prudent to switch to a more informal way of addressing him or her.

‘Dear (Person’s Name),’

‘Hello (Person’s Name),’

‘Hi (Person’s Name),’

If it is a group of people and they happen to be from work or from school or those who are your friends, you can change your way in an email of addressing them by going with these options:

‘Dear Friends,’ (Social)

‘Dear Colleagues,’ (Work)

‘Dear Classmates,’ (School)

You can also substitute ‘Dear’ in an informal email for ‘Hi, Hey, Hello’, etc. but don’t forget to write ‘colleagues’ for work associates or 'classmates’ for those people in your class. For your friends, you could also write ‘Dear Buddies / Pals / Mates’ as well.

The most important part of this tip in addressing someone or some people correctly in an email is to know who your audience is, how well you do or do not know them, and whether they should be addressed formally or informally in your message.

writing tip: Writing out Times

(March 2022)

Writing times is part of basic writing especially when it comes to being able to track your appointments, obligations, or important meeting that are to come up in your life. Whether it is for school, for work, or for personal commitments, you have to be able to write out times correctly in English in order to be proficient as a writer. It takes both practice and experience but it is a basic skill of writing worth mastering similarly to writing out numbers and dates as discussed in previous writing tips.

Here are some sample times to be aware written in the 12-hour format (U.S.) and the 24-hour format (U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand). Please note that the 12-hour format uses AM (before 12 in the afternoon) and PM (before 12 at midnight) to differentiate between light and dark during the 24-hour cycle.

Sample Times

•4:30 PM (12-hour)

•12:20 AM (12-hour)

•1:45 PM (12-hour)

•6:15 AM (12-hour)

•15:20 (24-hour)

•21:00 (24-hour)

Numerical and Written Format for Times

How do we write them out beyond just the numbers indicate for times in English? Well, I’m glad that is mentioned because it’s quite simple really. Here are examples of how to write out times in English with words rather than in just the numerical format seen above:

•1:15 PM – One fifteen in the afternoon

•12:30 AM – Twelve thirty at night

•22:00 – Ten o’clock at night

•8:00 – Eight o’clock in the morning

• A quarter past (:15),

• A half past (:30),

• forty five past (:45) for Time intervals throughout the hour.

  Remember to practice both the written form of times in English as well as the numerical format because both forms are likely to be used for clocks, timetables, or for calendar planning in English. Don’t be shy in practicing this basic form of writing as it will serve you well in both your personal and professional life.

Writing Tip: consistent practice as in writing ten sentences per day

(January 2022)

When English as a Second Language students think about what kind of consistent practice with writing would be best, I always like to recommend writing ten unique sentences per day. These ten sentences could be about any topic each day or about a specific topic each week or just about ten different topics per each sentence; the main key is to put pen to paper and write those sentences consistently.

The beauty of this consistent kind of practice is that it’s not too much where it will take you an hour or two each day to do but rather you can probably accomplish ten sentences in about 30 minutes or so. You shouldn’t exert yourself too much with daily practice but enough so that you are putting your vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure knowledge to the test.

You should make sure to journal these ten sentences you are writing in a notebook or diary to look back and see if you have fixed your mistakes or are writing cleanly without errors. It is important to track your progress day by day, week by week, and to challenge yourself to go from basic to intermediate to complex sentences over time. If you can write about a variety of topics too rather than just the same one, you’ll get a lot more out of this consistent practice and be proud of your writing abilities and skills.

Do your best to get someone to check on your work as much as possible and to get a teacher, colleague, or a friend to fix your errors and also instruct you on how to not repeat them in the future. You should always try to get feedback on sentences to improve over time and to not be shy in seeking out help. Please try to write 10 sentences every day and I promise you’ll start to be a better writer over time and it will help you as well to write more succinctly and with greater confidence.

Writing Tip: Form a small writing group to meet and practice together

(november 2021)

A really great way to practice your English writing is to meet every week or biweekly with a group of friends or even just fellow writers who are non-native speakers to practice writing together. You can start off with a topic like poetry, short stories, articles, reports, etc. that you want to focus on as well as if the writing topic for that week will be fiction or nonfiction.

I think that any good writing group should meet for at least an hour in a public place like a library or a community center or even in a park if the weather is nice out. The ideal meeting time would be 90 minutes or two hours in total with 45-60 minutes of solid writing time involved. You would like to start out by introducing the topic for the writing group that particular meeting followed by some free writing time and then ending with each person in the group giving their feedback to each other on a rough draft or at least the writing outline for the article, poem, etc. that each group member is working on.

Don’t forget to make the group between 2-8 people ideally and remember to try to make it as often as possible. You can also allot time for editing and revision between writing group members so that each person can get help on a piece of writing. It is especially important for members to attend consistently and perhaps it is a good incentive to offer pizza or cake or just some soft drinks to get members to attend each week or every other week.

Informal or formal writing groups help put our English writing skills to the test and allow non-native English learners to get the additional feedback they need to improve their sentence structure, vocabulary usage, or overall grammar syntax. Do your best to find a group out there that caters to English writing and if you can’t find one near you, perhaps you can join a writing group online or start your own! Just remember to find a good location to meet and to not forget to bring the pizza or cake every now and then for your groupmates.

Writing tip: The basics of Writing a Report

(October 2021)

What is a report and why is it important?

A Report is a type of writing designed to inform the reader based on examining issues and topics that have been investigated or researched using correct facts and figures. The findings and conclusions can be drawn from physical research being done out in the field to compliment your studies or by studying the research work that others have done. The purpose of a report is to inform the reader and the overall audience about the subject that you are writing about through unbiased research and/or reporting.

What question(s) should you be asking in order to write a report?

Every report should start out by addressing the question that you hope to answer through your previous research and for which you can give an answer to the audience by the end of the report. Each report will be slightly different from the next but what will make yours stand out is your writing style, the credibility of your academic sources or otherwise, and your ability to present facts based on your research. A Report is an advanced type of writing, but which will be useful in an academic or professional setting as an English learner.

What tips should you keep in mind when writing up a report?

•Be able to write your own response to a similar question.

•Remember to write a good title for your report.

•Divide your writing into sections with good headings,

•Write an introduction and a conclusion.

• Each section should have a body paragraph as well to explain your subject(s).

•Use a semi-formal to formal style depending on what subject(s) or issue(s) you are addressing.

•Always do your research, scientific or otherwise, and state facts to backup your answer.

Writing a report is a good way to take your English writing to an advanced level but before you begin drafting a written report, it is important to keep these pieces of advice in mind to help make your report as good as it can be.

Writing tiP: Write in those places that inspire you

(August 2021)

A key difficulty of writing especially in a language that is not your native tongue is to be able to overcome writer’s block especially when you are not 100% comfortable with the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of what you are writing about. Writer’s block can be difficult to overcome especially when you are also unsure of the subject(s) you are writing about. I do think there are ways to overcome being hesitant about writing in English as a Second Language and one way to be better with sitting down and writing without a block is to choose locations or places that inspire you.

Inspiration comes in different forms for writers but it can also come in different places depending on who you are, what your background is, and what kind of settings put you most at ease and make you feel comfortable. Every writer is different especially in where they write English as their 2nd or 3rd or 4th language but every writer also has a favorite place for writing that they can reply upon to draft an essay, an article, or another piece of written work.

It’s going to be difficult for you to know which place you are most comfortable with writing in unless you try out a few places first to see where you have the best results. You cannot measure which place to write is the best first without trying out a few. It would be great to make a short list of five places to try out and then go to write in each of these options to see where you feel the most creative, the most inspired, and the most productive.

Right now, I can think of five great places to try your writing out when you’re not at school or work. I would try them each out at least once for an hour or two to see if inspiration strikes you. Let me list them here for you all at home:

1. The Local Library

2. The Co-Working Space

3. The Coffee Shop

4. The Nearby Park

5. Your Backyard / Patio / Balcony / Roofdeck

I chose these five options because in every major city or even large town, they tend to have all five or at least a few of the options to try out. I also recommend for those people who are very extroverted to write in coffee shops because of the energy there and seeing other people around whereas introverts may prefer writing at a quiet library that has more solitude. Definitely, it is valuable to have an outdoor space of yours to write at like a backyard, patio, balcony, roofdeck, etc. so that you can have the sunlight on you, to feel the breeze blowing around, and to have some scenery around you while you write for a while.

I did not put ‘The Home Office’ as an option because it can be a little redundant and you would also be mixing work or school with your writing, which may be personal or creative and not related to either venture. I also think it could get tiresome to look at walls when you’re writing and it’s better to go somewhere that has a little bit more energy, some sunlight, perhaps some music, and a good cup of coffee available for a longer writing session.

There are a ton more places that I did not mention in this tip that would be good to consider writing at but I will leave it up to you, the writer, to make your own list of places, but I think the five listed above would be the best to choose from beyond your own home, your own school, or your own workplace. Writing is a fluid art and it’s important to find your personal inspiration wherever you can. Inspiration may change from time to time but it’s important to rotate your places of writing when things get stale, when the scenery gets old, or the scene does not fit you anymore. Good luck and happy writing from new places!

writing tip: Making journaling a daily habit

(June 2021)

When it comes to improving one’s writing, sometimes you have to take the initiative and be consistent with it. Instead of writing an essay for school every now and then or typing up your average memo or email at work, you should challenge yourself to do more writing on a daily basis. From my experience and from what I have heard from others, journaling is a great hobby to pick up and it will further your abilities as an English writer.

You can write about a number of experiences you have in life or to use your imagination and make up a story that you would like to try out as a fictional effort. If you want to try out an article or another kind of essay, you can write up your rough draft in the journal before you show it to the world. It is a great chance to try out your writing skills on your own and to even edit or revise your work before finishing up your final draft.

The key to making your personal journaling successful in the long run is to be consistent about it. If you can write in your journal every day, you are definitely going to improve your writing abilities. It does not have to be a long entry and you are going to feel self-conscious about writing in it at first but the more often you write for personal reasons, the better off you’ll be for school or for work when you have write in English then.

Journaling is freeing because it allows you to write about what you want when you want without needing someone to look over it. If you would like someone to look over it, you can copy it to your laptop or to a seperate piece of paper if you do not want your writing to remain private. However, a journal is usually meant to keep private and for your own review and revision.

I believe many English writers benefit from having a journal because it allows them to practice freely without judgment and in a private way. You can write as little as you want or as much as you want. You can make mistakes and cross words out if you want. I recommend fixing those mistakes and getting someone to read your journal writings if you permit them to but you should feel comfortable revising your own journal and improving your grammar in the meantime. If you really want to get to the next level as a writer, make sure you keep a personal journal to write in each day of the week. I promise you will see a lot of improvement after a month or more of journaling.

Writing tip: Find some time in your busy day to write (morning, Afternoon, or Night)

(April 2021)

People usually fall into two categories: they are usually early risers or they are night owls. A person will usually like to be up early in the morning and somebody else may enjoy burning the midnight oil (staying up late in the evening). This kind of unwritten rule of daily life tends to be true when it comes to the act of writing.

A famous American writer like Ernest Hemingway was renowned for his ability to write for hours on end but usually before the breaking of dawn and just before the sun rose. He liked when the world was quiet and all the noise of daily life had not commenced yet. Hemingway preferred to write with the birds singing, the crickets chirping, and the wind blowing in the breeze especially before it got too hot and humid in Cuba in the afternoon at his resident villa. As a side note, Hemingway would relax in the afternoon after writing in the early morning with an adult beverage as he fished for marlins, flounder, and other seafood.

Very few writers are like Hemingway in terms of their discipline and their drive to write each morning for a few hours straight with just a cup of coffee to keep them going. There are other writers like me who are night owl’s who enjoy when the world is quieter too but because it is darker out and there’s not much else to do. Everyone’s circadian / daily rhythm is different but if a person has a day job and works straight 8-9 hours but still wants to write, your choices are limited to early morning or a bit late at night after supper.

I encourage you, dear reader, when you are focusing on your English writing to choose to write in the early morning or late at night. You should write during those hours that you feel most comfortable with and that won’t interfere with your daily errands or your daily work obligations. I also believe you should be consistent by writing each day and even on the weekends at the same time and at the same place. Consistency in your approach to writing will help you a lot as you become well-versed in the English language and how it is structured.

If you are a known night owl, don’t try to write in the early morning because that might be a change of habit too difficult to accomplish. It is best not to force you writing time but rather focus on an open period of time in your daily schedule that you’ll be mentally acute and able to write for at least an hour straight. Lastly, if you do not work during the day or if writing is your full-time job, perhaps it would be best for you to write for 2-3 hours straight after lunch. When your day job is writing and you earn a living off of it, it would then be best to you to apply your trade during working hours especially after breakfast or after lunch depending upon which meal is lighter for you.

The key point to take away from this tip is to set a strict time(s) during your day to write if you would like to become a better English writer. Try to stick with that new writing routine for at least a week or a month and see how you feel doing it. Don’t give up, don’t quit early, and try to start out your writing by journaling privately about what is going on with your life. That kind of idea should give you enough material to begin with. I can promise you that.

writing tip: get an outside opinion from a classmate, colleague, or professor (First Read-Through)

(March 2021)

Whether you are a student, a professional writer, or even just an amateur blogger, I believe a key step to improving as a writer is to get a 2nd opinion. You may not need to ask for them to edit your written work as a peer review would encompass but rather have them read through your written piece for you. I think the 1st step in the editing process for a writer is to have a friend, family member or if they make themselves available to you; a professor, teacher, or professional colleague who will read through your writing before you begin to make your 1st edits.

One of the reasons this read-through lookover of your writing is so effective is because they will be able to pick up on any careless spelling, grammatical, or formatting errors you may have overlooked. There have been a number of times where I thought I had spelled every word right and had not made any careless formatting errors for a friend or classmate to pick them out for me right away. A good writer will put their personal ego aside to have a fellow colleague or a professor / teacher in the school context to read through your work and highlight certain errors to be fixed.

Once this initial readthrough is done, I would not have them do the edits for you. You should always be doing the 1st round of edits to your own writing after you find out where these errors are within the written piece. You can only get better as a writer and as an editor when you can edit your own work and fix your own errors. Relying on others to edit you work all the time after they took some time already to point out your errors does not make a lot of sense.

However, you should definitely have someone read through what you just wrote as much as you can so they can see if it makes sense, if it’s legible, and what glaring errors you missed that they were able to pick up on and highlight. You can also go back to them later after the 1st round of edits are completed by you so they can look at it again and see if any errors remain in a peer edit or a final edit if they are available to do so.

When you are a writer, you automatically have that self-bias and a bit of ego involved when you think you can’t possibly make silly errors or mistakes but that assumption is false. You will make errors and you will miss them so getting a professional or scholarly opinion whether for your work or for your schooling will do wonders for your writing and for your collaboration efforts with other peers in your academic or professional field.

writing tip: writing out names

(January 2021)

It is important to keep in mind how to write out people’s names in English especially when done in a formal and informal manner. You want to make sure you are using people’s titles if they have earned them and also addressing them properly in an email message or a letter. If you know someone well enough, you can address them informally and I am going to show you how best to write to them if you need to.

Let’s begin with some formal ways to address people in English:

Mister - Mr. _______________ (last name)

Miss - Ms. _________________ (unmarried woman —> not really popular or accepted as much today)

Missus - Mrs. ________________ (woman who is older or more likely to be married; however, it is common to address a woman you don’t know with Mrs. to be considered proper)

Examples:

Dear Mr. Jackson,

Hello Mrs. Thompson,

Good Evening Ms. Timmons,

Now, when a man or a woman’s full name is already known, you can put Mr. or Mrs. in front of the full name instead in a letter or another piece of writing addressed to him or her.

Dear Mr. Joe Jackson,

Dear Mrs. Tina Turner,

Although less common, if you know the person already in a formal setting and want to be a bit less formal, you can put their first name there when you address them.

Now, when a man or a woman has earned their doctorate degree (PhD) or their medical degree / license, it is important to address that man or woman as a doctor even if this isn’t in regards to their official role.

He or she should be addressed as ‘Dr’ first. The same would be said for someone who has earned their (JD) or law degree albeit this is not as popular to use. You would want to put Esq., short for esquire after their last name.

Here are some examples:

Hello Dr. Stein,

Dear Dr. Smith,

For both a man and a woman, it is the same (Dr.) regardless of their gender and the same would be for a man or a woman if they are lawyers. The Mr. or Mrs. have to go in front of their names and the Esq. would come at the end.

Dear Mr. Whitter, Esq.

Hello Mrs. Harris, Esq.

Lastly, for a friend or a family member or for someone you know relatively well, in writing, it is best to just address them by their first name.

Dear Tommy,

Dear Stephanie,

Hi Jane,

Good Afternoon Jack,

You should not have to refer to a friend or a family member by their last name since they are likely to know who you are already when they read your letter when you put your full name or just your first name by the end of the letter or written piece.

writing tip: put in the effort to be published

(December 2020)

A big step for any writer is to try and be published. This is especially a noteworthy achievement when you are able to be published in your non-native language. It can be a real boost to one’s own self-confidence and work ethic when you are rewarded for your good writing by being published.

There are different ways to be published but I think it is best to start small with a guest article or blog post and then work your way up. It is much easier to be published on a friend’s blog or website than it is to make it in to a major academic publication. Like anything with writing in English, you should start with something more simple and work your way up.

Once you know if your English skills are good enough to be published in a newspaper, a blog, or a website, you can start to write and edit longer pieces for an academic or professional setting. Being able to get published is a big honor that can help you in your career or your business pursuits. Your confidence can only skyrocket once you know your writing skills in English are good enough to be published and it could also mean you are ready to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree any only use your English for it.

The biggest stepping stone would be to get your Masters thesis or doctorate or long-form academic article published in a journal or other official publication. That kind of effort takes months or even years and if you’re able to use the right vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, you will know that your English writing level is almost to the point or at the point of being the same as a native English writer. Like anything with learning a new language, it takes hard work, effort, and perseverance, but being published is a challenges that you should want to pursue if you want to become a great writer with English as your second language.

writing tip: making your opinion known to the reader

(October 2020)

When you are writing a persuasive essay or an opinion article, it is important to let your personal thoughts and views be known clearly to the reader. If you are making an argument, are trying to persuade someone of your viewpoint, or just want to state a general opinion, there are a variety of ways to do that in the English language. The key thing to keep in mind when you are writing your opinion or your argument is to be both clear and concise and to leave no ambiguity behind in terms of what you meant.

You should want to be definitive in your vocabulary and in your writing especially with the sentence starters that you create to express your opinion. You should want the reader to know up front where you stand and why you have this opinion or point of view. In the introduction, it should be stated within the first sentence or two followed by supporting evidence and examples to back up your claim.

You do not have to keep stating your opinion in the body paragraph(s) but it should definitely be re-stated in your conclusion to remind the audience of where you stand after discussing your examples / case studies / evidence in each body paragraph. However, the kind of written language you use to describe your views should be stated clearly throughout your essay.

Introduction:

-My opinion is that ………………………… because …………………….

-My views on ……………………….. are that …………… due to ……………

-It is my opinion………..

-I would make the argument of ………………………..given……………………..

-I will make the argument that ……………………….because………………….

Body Paragraph(s);

Based on the evidence……It is clear………………………….

These examples show that my argument is……………………………

I believe that…………………….

I know that……………………………….

I can make the case that……………………………

Due to these examples, we can see that……………………………….

Conclusion:

Once again, my opinion is ………………….. given the examples / the facts that I have laid out.

It is my unchanged view that……………………..

My point of view remains that………………………………..

My argument continues to be………………………………………….

My views have not changed and continue to be………………………………….

As these examples show, it is important to state your opinion and point of view in the essay upfront in the Introduction, highlight the evidence and examples and relating it to your opinion in the Body paragraph(s), and then re-state your opinion and those examples briefly in the conclusion paragraph. It is important to use similar vocabulary as I have used above to introduce your argument as well as your examples in the different essay parts. With this framework, you will be more easily able to make your opinion known to the reader and hopefully persuade them to agree or at least see where your argument is coming from but also see see it as a valid one and worth their consideration.

writing tip: dictation to combine speaking, listening, and writing

(August 2020)

A good way to put your English writing skills to the test is to have someone dictate to you a speech, a poem, or an original essay that they wrote and you must be able to write it after hearing from them. It is good to be able to sit down and try to write from the sound of someone’s voice and be able to have your written composition dictated to you. It is a challenging task but writing down what someone says and transcribing what they are dictating to you from a conversation or an interview is a great skill to have in writing.

Dictation requires adept listening and your full concentration when you are jotting down your writing. Whether it is notes from a lecture, the text of a speech, or a poem that should be memorized, hearing what someone is saying and getting the words down on a piece of paper is a key mixture of English skills. I believe dictation covers a number of main English skills including speaking, listening, and writing with the main goal being to become a better writer.

You can do an original piece of writing based on interpreting what someone is telling you or repeat word for word on paper what someone is dictating to you. You can write down sentences and phrases based on an audiobook you could be listening to or a song on the radio whose lyrics you want to remember by having them on paper. You can dictate based not only on what someone is saying to you but also by actively listening to someone using English with you.

This is also a great way to better understand English grammar and vocabulary by hearing the words, interpreting their meaning, and then writing down an article / an essay / or a story based on what you have heard. Sir Winston Churchill was famous for having his words and his ideas dictated to his speechwriters for them to get down on paper and would actively have them listen to him for hours at a time as he got his thoughts together. They would draft an eventual speech for him and he would edit it to make sure it carried his message that he wanted to get across to the British people.

Being dictated to when English is not your first language is a hard skill to learn but it really is an excellent way to advance your writing immeasurably and to get to the next level in your proficiency and in your understanding of the language. Be sure to get a friend, a family member, or even a work colleague to dictate a sentence or a paragraph or more to you at a time so you can write what you hear and then explain the meaning of what you have written by listening to them to make full sense of your written piece. While this is one of the hardest skills in writing to master, I highly recommend giving it a try to improve not only your writing but your listening and speaking skills.

writing tip: the basics of email etiquette

(July 2020)

Writing cohesive yet concise emails is a key professional trait to be successful at as part of your overall English writing skills. In order to write good emails for your professional pursuits or for your career, you need to be able to understand the proper etiquette that comes with this kind of writing. If you are able to master the etiquette of emails, you will be able to do a good job in working well with others, being cooperative, and being considered a team player.

The Introduction: Email etiquette starts with the introduction of any email message so if you do not get it right from the beginning, the rest of the email will suffer. I believe it is important to remember that how you introduce your email depends on if you know the person or not. If you do not know the person, you should begin your email with the following: ‘To whom it may concern,’ ‘Dear Sir’ (for a man but without a known name), Dear Madam (for a woman without a name known). These three ways are both formal and proper in terms of addressing someone at work or for business if you do not know who they are.

You can also say the purpose of your email in that first paragraph by stating your clear purpose up front by something like:

            I am emailing you today because _______________.

            The purpose of my email is to __________________.

            I am messaging you today in the hopes that _______.

            This email is to inform you that _________________.

The Body Paragraph(s): There is not too much to keep in mind when it comes to formality in body paragraphs but make sure you use formal words like ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘if you could’, ‘it would be great if…’, ‘we would be appreciative of…’, etc. The main thing to keep in mind is that you are using sir or ma’am throughout the paragraph(s) and to add in a Mr. ______, Mrs. _________ every now and then. If you need to ask something or request a few items of need, always use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ for any major thing that you are asking for business purposes.

The Conclusion: The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to email etiquette in this part is to thank them above all else for their time and their attention to your message. Whatever the ask was in the body paragraph, you should thank them formally for their consideration and that you hope to hear from them soon.

You also want to say that you hope to stay in touch and to leave your contact information with them including your work phone, your best email address, and what time(s) of the day are best to be reached. It does not hurt to also say that you are hoping that they are doing well or if it’s a Friday, ‘to wish them a good weekend’, if you are writing the email before a holiday, it’s nice to also ‘wish them a good holiday’ but only best to do so when it’s a non-religious holiday rather than assume they are of a certain religion, of course.

The following closings are good ways to end the email according to proper etiquette:

-‘Best,’

-‘Sincerely,’

-‘Warm Regards’,

-‘Kind Regards’,

-‘Regards,’

-‘Best Wishes’,

-‘Warm Wishes’,

‘Thank you,’

‘With gratitude’,

-‘Many thanks,’

From the opening salutation to the closing wish, your email etiquette must be consistent and clear for whoever is reading it. Be sure to use your best judgment, edit it before sending, and be patient in waiting for a reply. Do not be afraid to make a few mistakes because emails are sometimes hastily written, and you may fudge a word or two but that should not stop you from forgetting your overall etiquette with that person with whom you are corresponding. Writing the first draft of any email is the hardest part but once you got that part down, you will be well on your way to becoming a great English email writer.

If you would like to learn more about email etiquette, please feel free to read our blog post on ‘Proper Email Etiquette’: https://www.englishfromatoz.com/blog/proper-email-etiquette.

writing tip: permanent paragraph practice

(May 2020)

You may be wondering when you read the title of this tip; does he really want me to be permanently practicing writing paragraphs? The answer is yes, yes I do. One of the best ways to practice your writing of English in a concrete way is consistently be writing longer forms of expression such as a paragraph. I would recommend at least one paragraph per week if you may be busy and you can choose a different topic each week to focus on.

For example, one week you could write a paragraph about the weather of the city in which you live and the next week you could write a paragraph about your favorite sports team and how you came to root for them. The idea behind writing paragraphs each week on different subjects is that it keeps the act of writing fresh and allows you to focus on different topics as well as the different vocabulary words that you will encounter by mixing it up each week. It is not only about writing paragraphs but you also want to edit them for grammar and spelling mistakes afterwards.

The writing and editing process will not take you too long and you may be able to do this writing activity in just an hour or two. In all of the hours that we have available to ourselves due to free time, I think an English learner should be able to spare an hour or two to write about topics that they care about. If you cannot do a paragraph per week, try to do a new paragraph each month and make sure you spend extra time editing it and getting a friend who may be a native speaker or an English teacher to help you out. If you want to get extra practice, try doing two paragraphs per week or even do a paragraph each day of one week to really see if you make steady improvements in writing.

I really believe this writing tip to be an underrated one because you are really emphasizing a method of self-practice and holding yourself accountable. You have to be consistent in building up this habit, which will allow you to make further gains in your writing outside of your English class or private lesson. I believe that by practicing consistently over weeks, months, and even years with paragraphs or even essays over that period of time, you will definitely advance in your writing skills but make sure you work on editing and revising these paragraphs to get the full benefit of this type of practice.

Writing tip: writing out times

(April 2020)

Time is of the essence and this is often the case in English-speaking countries where the culture of these places emphasizes timeliness in terms of official appointments, meetings, and even parties. You may be asked to write out times in English during your learning journey so it is important to be able to know how to do so in both the long and short forms.

It is also necessary to familiarize oneself with the types of time that exists along with examples of how they can be spelled out or written in numerical form as well. Here are some of these examples to be aware of:

•4:30 PM (12-hour)

•12:20 AM (12-hour)

•1:45 PM (12-hour)

•6:15 AM (12-hour)

•15:20 (24-hour)

•21:00 (24-hour)

You should always remember that this form emphasizes the hour first followed by the amount of minutes. The AM / PM is only used in the 12-hour system and the AM references the morning hours up to 12 PM of midday and then 12 AM at midnight, for which each begin the respective cycle of these 12 hour days.

If you want to write out the times in a long-form and in a formally written manner, you will have to follow the following examples to see how it is done:

•1:15 PM – One fifteen in the afternoon

•12:30 AM – Twelve thirty at night

•22:00 – Ten o’clock at night

•8:00 – Eight o’clock in the morning

•A quarter past (:15), A half past (:30), forty five past (:45) for Time intervals throughout the hour.

As you can see, these written forms follow our previous topic of ‘writing out dates’ as there are two ways to do them. We can write out times both numerically and written formally and it just depends on your preference. It is also important to be aware of the ways it can be written for :15/:30/:45 quarters of each hour when it comes to the written form as shown above. Time intervals may not come up very often but if you want to explain what the time is in a story or an article, you need to be familiar with vocabulary words such as ‘quarter past’, ‘half past’, and’= ‘forty five past’ to be able to write out times in English proficiently.

writing tip: writing out dates

(March 2020)

Another part of getting better with basic English writing is to be able to write out dates whether that’s for upcoming meetings, important appointments, or for scheduled vacations. Especially in the work setting, this will come in handy and show that you are both competent and organized when it comes to managing the details and the less glamorous aspects of the job.

Writing out dates can be very menial but in order to memorize days, months, and years, you should know how they are written out especially when it comes to the DD / MM / YY format or the MM / DD / YY format (U.S.). This is also true when it comes to your resume, cover letter, and other necessary documents, you will need to have the right date to make sure it’s updated and so employers know that you’re serious when you are applying for a job as well.

Here are some ways that you can see below in specific examples how dates can be written out and for holidays and important days of the calendar year too:

•Thursday, Friday, Saturday (Days of the week)

•November, December, January (Months of the year)

•2010, 2011, 2012 (Years) – Two thousand ten, Two thousand eleven, Two thousand twelve

•Important Dates: Christmas, New Year’s, Birthday(s), Wedding Anniversary

•December 25th, 2019

•January 1st, 2020

•July 4th, 1776 (America’s Independence Day – Holiday)

You may also be wondering how do we write those dates out officially rather than just in numeric format, well, here you have examples of how you change from numeric to the written format which is more formal:

•December 25th, 2019 – The twenty fifth of December, two thousand and nineteen.

•January 1st, 2020 – The first of January, two thousand twenty.

•July 4th, 1776 - The fourth of July, seventeen seventy six.

•October 31st, 1993 – The thirty first of October, nineteen ninety three.

•November 6th, 1860 – The sixth of November, eighteen sixty.

Now that you know of the reasons for writing out dates as well as how it’s done in the numeric and written form, try to do so at home with a clean sheet of paper to practice what you have learned in this writing tip. With practice on a daily basis, you will get better and better until it becomes an automatic thing for you to do whenever you’re writing something in English.

writing tip: writing out numbers

(January 2020)

When you are first starting out in writing, it’s important to get the basics down and one of those basics is being able to put together basic numbers in numeric and written form. It takes time to do but if you want to conquer the beginner level of your English proficiency, you will need to be able to produce written numbers that are done correctly.

When you are writing out a check, calculating your latest bill, or figuring out basic math, you should become familiar with numbers and how they are written. There are numerous practical uses for English numbers and I hope that the following examples will be able to make it easier for you to remember how to write them in different forms and avoid any awkward mistakes.

Sample Numbers

•2

•5

•19

•234

•2,519

•48,107

Numeric —> Written Form

•1 - One 10 - Ten

•2 - Two 9 - Nine

•3 - Three 8 - Eight

•4 - Four 7 - Seven

•5 - Five 6 - Six

More Examples

•35 —> Thirty-five

•648 —> Six-hundred forty eight

•22 —> Twenty-two

•1,920 —> One thousand nine hundred twenty

•24,531 —> Twenty-four thousand five hundred thirty one

•Ones, Tens, Hundreds, Thousands, Millions, Billions, etc. (Key for Writing out Numbers in English)

Writing Ordinal Numbers - Some Examples

•First (1st)

•Second (2nd)

•Third (3rd)

•Fourth (4th)

•Fifth (5th)

•Sixth (6th)

writing tip: how to write a good report

(november 2019)

A Report is a type of writing designed to inform the reader based on examining issues and topics that have been investigated or researched using correct facts and figures. Findings and conclusions can be drawn from physical research being done out in the field to compliment your studies or by studying the research work that others have done. The purpose of a report is to inform the reader and the overall audience about the subject that you are writing about through unbiased research and/or reporting.

The following are really good steps to keep in mind when you write a report for the first time and even afterwards:

•Be able to write your own response to a similar question.

•Remember to write a good title for your report.

•Divide your writing into sections with good headings.

•Write an introduction and a conclusion.

•Use a semi-formal to formal style depending on what subject(s) or issue(s) you are addressing.

•Always do your research, scientific or otherwise, and state facts to back up your answer.

Every report should start out by addressing the question that you hope to answer through your previous research and for which you can give an answer to the audience by the end of the report. Each report you write up will be slightly different from the next but what will make yours stand out is your writing style, the credibility of your academic sources or otherwise, and your ability to present facts based on your research. A Report is an advanced type of writing, but which will be useful in an academic or professional setting as an English learner.

writing tip: create a new sentence every day

(October 2019)

Regarding practicing your writing, I find that it is key to get some daily practice in every day. Instead of making this more complicated than it needs to be, I think it would be best to focus on quality over quantity. In order to have good quality, I recommend creating a new sentence each day. This activity should only take five or so minutes but will help a long way to improving your writing.

Trying to create five or more mediocre sentences instead of one really good sentence should be considered a waste of time. I think it would be best to take your time to craft a sentence that is both grammatically correct and that has the relevant vocabulary. You will have to be aware of the verb tenses, what the subject is, and what the purpose of the sentence is. You will have to dig deeper in order to go a good job, which is why a sentence a day of writing might be the best way to become a better English writer.

While you may want to write multiple sentences and even paragraphs at first, I think it would instead be better to focus on one at a time to improve. You may not believe it now but consistent practice each day is better than only focusing on your English language writing one day per week. A little bit of practice on a daily basis will do much more for you than a lot of practice on just one day per week.

If you need to get help for your sentence writing, do not be afraid to do so. Take the time to ask a colleague, a friend, a family member, or even a tutor to review your daily sentences even if it has to be on a weekly basis. If you can review seven sentences each time you meet the peer editor then you are definitely on the right track and will go far with your English writing proficiency. Remember: A sentence a day will help you find a way to become a better English writer.

writing tip: using rhetorical techniques to your advantage

(September 2019)

Rhetorical techniques are used in English writing to convey a meaning or a sentiment that the reader understands and is able to relate to emotionally or otherwise. A technique like a metaphor or a simile is used to persuade a reader to consider the topic being addressed from a different point of view(s). There are numerous techniques out there but I would like to focus on the most important ones that come up the most in English writing.

•Metaphor - a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that is not literally applicable.

Ex: He is suffering from a broken heart.

•Cliché - Not an original thought, an opinion or a sentence that has been used many times before.

Ex: They really lost track of time when they were studying for the test.

•Pun - A joke that plays on the possible meanings of a word or a fact.

Ex: “I asked my French friend if she wanted to play video games. She said Wii.” (Oui)

•Euphemism – A polite or indirect word, expression that is a substitute for something more blunt or severe.

Ex: My grandfather passed away last year sadly. (died)

•Alliteration – The occurrence of the same letter and/or sound at the beginning of closely connected words.

Ex: Alice’s aunt ate apples and almonds.

•Simile – A different figure of speech in which two different, unlikely things are compared to one another.

Ex: Her smile is like the shining sun.

•Analogy – Making a similarity between the features of two things or people and which a comparison can be made.

Ex: “Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer.”

•Allegory – A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to have a hidden meaning.

•Irony – A state of events that seem deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing or bewildering as a result.

•Sarcasm – The use of irony to mock someone or show contempt.

Being effective and measured with your rhetorical technique use will make you stand out from other English writers. Having the ability to use some of these techniques will help you flourish in expressing yourself creatively and making your perspective known to your audience. While there are dozens of rhetorical techniques in English, these are among the most popular and useful. I hope that you can better put them to good use and understand the scenarios in your writing in which they can come in handy.

writing tip: Having a call to action

(July 2019)

When you are writing a particular kind of essay whether it’s a persuasive essay or an op-ed article in a newspaper, your conclusion should have a ‘call to action.’ Now, you may be asking what do I mean by a call to action? Well, you need to establish your point of view and where to go from here to leave the reader understanding where you are coming from. You need to sum up your argument again and to re-state what you’re arguing for or arguing against at the end of the conclusion paragraph. As you previously stated in the introduction, you will need to bring it up again at the conclusion to remind the reader of what your point of view is.

If you are trying to convince the reader, regardless if the topic is about promoting environmental conservation or opposing red light cameras, you need to state what others should do and why this issue is a big deal. You need to convince the reader to do something about the issue and also explain to them why it is important in the first place.

The reader will know why you think it is important by the time they get to the conclusion but you as the writer will want to re-state why it is important and how the reader can get involved. Instead of them being a spectator, you would like them to care about how the issue you wrote about affects their lives and how they can make an impact in their own way to change the issue in some measurable way. The ‘call to action’ is powerful because you’re bringing the reader into the essay and you’re making it feel ‘real’ to them which it likely is if you are writing about an issue of some actual importance to the community or to the society or to the world as a whole.

writing tip: brainstorming your ideas on paper

(June 2019)

Every good idea in this world started with a simple thought. As I mentioned in a previous tip, you should only write about those ideas that you actually care about and are worth pursuing. Writing, especially in a foreign language, takes serious effort and hard work. Because of that, you’ll want to focus on those ideas that you can actually put pen to paper for and for which will hold your attention.

When you think of a good idea when you’re driving, when you’re taking a walk, or even when you’re daydreaming, you should immediately jot it down especially if it is a topic that you would like to write about later. You do not want to run the risk that you’ll forget about the idea later if you haven’t taken the necessary time to write down the idea and brainstorm possibilities of how it could be written out.

Getting the ideas down on paper on your phone will help you to remember them later and will allow you to flesh out the main idea and the supporting ideas that will eventually make up your first rough draft. In addition, having multiple ideas on paper will allow you to continue you writing into the near and far future without running out of them. To spur on your creativity, put yourself in a place that is quiet, colorful, and relaxed. I, for one, believe that the best ideas for writing in any language come out in a public place such as a park, a forest, or in nature generally.

Your ideas may change, adapt, or look entirely different by the time that you put pen to paper but that’s the idea. The most important aspect of writing is the brainstorming phase so you can find out what you care about the most and what kind of topic(s) you will be able to write about in the present and in the future.

writing tip: branching out into fiction (Use Your Imagination)

(April 2019)

A key part of becoming a better writer is to try your skills out on different forms of writing. An underrated form of writing to focus on involves fiction. Fiction writing is different from non-fiction writing in that you are writing about events, people, stories that never happened in the real world. You have to be able to use your imagination and be creative as much as possible. Non-fiction writing could be considered easier in that you have real life events to draw upon as well as the usage of facts and research to develop your argument.

Fiction writing should be considered more advanced in that you have to think of new scenarios and unique events which you will have to build from scratch. Being able to create a setting where your story or novel will take place, giving the characters emotions, feelings, and motivates, as well as making the plot interesting and compelling are all facets of fictional writing.

If you have been able to complete and write with proficiency for non-fictional forms of writing such as e-mails, articles, and reports, you’ll be ready to move on to fictional writing. Regardless if the writing is fictional or non-fictional, you’ll have to brainstorm ideas, outline your story, and then create both the rough and final drafts in order to complete it successfully.

In order to become a proficient English writer, you’ll need to practice your skills at both fictional and non-fictional types of writing. It will take a lot of effort and hard work but being skilled at both types of writing will set you apart from other learners. In addition to improving your English proficiency, you’ll have a deeper sense of imagination and be able to exercise the creative part of your mind. Who knows? Perhaps your fictional story or novel will become famous and you could become a well-known and respected writer for your efforts. Give it a shot!

writing tip: have a good opening line (Grab the audience’s attention)

(February 2019)

In any piece of writing, especially where the attention span of your audience is bound to be rather short, you need to have a great opening line. It needs to be able to keep your reader intrigued and willing to read the rest of your writing. There are various ways to do this but I am going to cover the main three types of opening that I find to be most effective when it comes to an opening sentence. The key part of your writing whether it’s an essay, an article, or a story is to have a great opening line that will give you and your audience momentum as you go through the rest of the written piece.

1. A Quote

   Starting your writing piece off with a quote can work really well and set the tone for the rest of the content. The quote will heavily depend on the context of your writing so if it’s a story, it should be a quote from one of the main characters which introduces the plot or what is about to take place. If you are writing an article, especially an opinionated piece or a persuasive essay, the quote should be from someone who is an expert who is backing up your argument right off the bat and who you can refer to later on in the essay. Regardless of how you use the quote, it works as a great opening sentence as long as it is very relevant to the rest of the written content and which you can refer back on later in the piece.

   2. A Question

   Getting the reader or audience to think for themselves is a huge part as to why posing a question to them is a great opening sentence especially when you will be answering it later on. Rather than spell out your answer at the beginning, you can leave them guessing for a bit as to what the answer could be and where they personally stand about it. These questions can be either rhetorical, allegorical, or regarding factual information. Questions should be used in more specific contexts than a quote and they have to really fit the piece of writing you’re working on to flow seamlessly. An example of a good question would be: “What does it take for someone to learn a foreign language fluently?” This question is an open one and it leaves the answer open to interpretation but also allows you, the writer, to chime in with a written answer that fleshes out the details.

   3. A Statement of Fact or of Interest

   “China has the world’s largest population.”, ”The United States has the world’s largest economy.” “Russia is the world’s biggest country.” These are all interesting facts that would kick off a piece of writing well especially if it involved international relations. The point with using an interesting fact is that it gives the reader some idea of what you may discussing in the next sentences, paragraphs, or for the entire essay. These facts can deal with any number of subjects but the most important thing about them when opening the written piece is that they be interesting. The fact has to carry the reader’s attention and it has to relate to the next sentences. Facts, used especially in the first sentence, can back up your argument later especially in a persuasive or argumentative context.

A quote, a question, or a statement of fact / interest are three excellent ways to open your piece of writing up in the first line. There are numerous other ways out there but I find that these three in particular are easy to use and easy to write an essay around. Many writers struggle with holding the reader’s attention so by using a quote, asking a question, or by stating the fact, you’ll be more likely to have the attention of your audience for the rest of your written content.

writing tip: outline, outline, outline before BEGINNING

(NOVEMBER 2018)

In order to become a truly great writer, outlining what you intend to write about is a key aspect to developing both the ideas and the structure of the piece of writing that you intend to create. It can be beneficial to be spontaneous to create from scratch but depending on how complex the topic of your paper or essay is, it would be best to outline once or twice before beginning to write the rough draft.

How you would like to outline your paper or essay is up to you but the outline should focus on the sections or parts of your paper and the main themes / ideas that you wish to address. After constructing the outline, you should have a good idea on what questions you are going to answer with your paper and which page(s) of the paper will discuss which ideas.

Having an abstract of one paragraph or two paragraphs is also key to being part of your overall outline especially if it is for a research paper. If you are planning to use outside sources, it is also key to create your bibliography and correct cite the outside research and/or pieces of information used to supplement your paper’s argument.

There’s no certain length that your outline should be but if it includes an outline of your paper’s structure by detailing the sections and which page(s) would focus on which topics along with an abstract and a completed bibliography, it could be two to three pages in total length. The main thing to keep in mind with an outline is that it fits your needs as the writer and it helps to clarify what you hope to achieve in writing your paper whether its for research, for persuasion, or for scientific purposes. It should help you to express your ideas and your thoughts in a succinct manner before you even begin to write your introduction down. If you put serious effort into it, it’s likely that your paper will be better off and you will be more easily able to write it effectively.

Writing tip: Ask Questions of your professor, teacher, and/or mentor if you need help

(September 2018)

If you’re a student of the English language and you’re looking to get better at writing specifically, don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is a key tip because many students are shy about clarifying the details when it comes to a written assignment. As a student, you should be able to ask your professor, teacher, or mentor about any questions you may have about the writing process.

More than just the writing process itself, you should understand how many paragraphs, pages, etc. that your written paper or essay needs to be in order to meet the requirements of the assignment. Written assignments are varied in their requirements, the citations needed, and how to structure it. An academic paper will be different from a book review just as a research paper will be different from an argumentative essay.

It’s much better to speak up politely and even stay after your class to talk to your professor or your teacher one-on-one if you have any questions that you are not willing to ask in front of the rest of your classmates. Some teachers and professors depending on what kind of written assignment it is would even be willing to edit your rough draft and give you some useful feedback on how to improve your essay or paper. By taking the initiative and receiving edits from the teacher or professor from the rough draft, you’ll have a much better idea of what to change and adjust in your writing to do well on the assignment when you submit the final paper.

Another area where you should be clear with regards to any written assignment is how to cite your sources. If it’s not clear, then please be sure to ask questions and to get good answers from your professor, teacher, etc. whether outside sources for your written work is needed and how should these citations be placed within the paper, otherwise as footnotes or endnotes.

Being able to ask your professors questions ahead of a written assignment’s due date will be very useful in making sure you’re able to comply with all of the requirements in order to get a better final grade. In addition, if you’re polite and the questions make sense to him or her, then it’s likely you’ll form a better relationship with your professor and your teacher. They may even look to call on you more during class discussion to get your insight on whatever topic is being covered in the lecture / session. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and you’ll find that you’ll gain more confidence as an ESL student as a result!

writing tip: leave the reader wanting more from you

(August 2018)

As an English writer, you should want to do a good job of 'hooking' the reader in or 'leaving' them wanting more from you at the beginning or the end of your written work. It's one thing to be proficient with writing in English but it's an even more impressive feat to be able to hold the reader's attention for a long time and get them to invest in what you have to write about. There are different ways of doing this as an English writer but I find that it's best to be creative and try out various approaches to keeping the reader interested.

At the beginning of a paragraph, essay, or a formal paper, you may want to start out with a quote from a famous person or someone who has a relation to the topic of your writing. You also may want to tease the reader with a 'cliffhanger' sentence by introducing the story at a pivotal point in time and then going back to the beginning of the story before actually writing about the end of the story. In addition to a quote, the cliffhanger of a story, etc., you can also pose a rhetorical question to the reader that they may want to answer for themselves in their mind but for which you are going to address throughout the rest of the essay. 

If you want to leave the reader wanting more, the end of the essay, paper, etc. should leave the audience with something to think about. You should attempt to leave a few unanswered questions that they can do more research about and that they can check out more information about. The last thing to keep in mind is that you should want to leave the reader thinking about what you have written long after they have finished reviewing your work. If they never pick up your written work again, that doesn't mean your English writing isn't good, it's just that it wasn't that entertaining, interesting, or enlightening. 

Keep in mind the use of quotations, rhetorical questions, cliffhanger openings, thought-provoking sentences, as well as the use of interjections (wow!, huh?, ah...) to throw the reader for a loop by making your written work stand out more and get them to read your writing again for a second or third time. 

Writing tip: Focus on the topics that you care about or are interested in

(JULY 2018)

A key aspect that's not discussed often enough when it comes to trying out your writing skills in a foreign language is the idea of focusing on writing about topics that personally appeal to you. It doesn't help when you are first starting out to write about topics in English that don't excite you or where your vocabulary is lacking. In order to enjoy writing in a new language, it's best to choose those topics that are fun for you to write about or that which are easy for you to go into details about.

While you may receive writing assignments or take courses where you have to write about a specific topic for a grade, you should not let that discourage you from practicing your writing abilities in English in other ways. It's a really good habit to pick up where you take the initiative to write in English in your free time and because of that initiative, you can choose the topics that you actually want to practice writing about. When you are in a school, university, or general class setting, you often will not have the choice to write about the topics that you would like to.

Putting in the time practicing on your own will set you apart from other English writing students. When you're able to discipline yourself to write for an hour or two away from your school, university, or other kind of formal education, you will stand out from your peers. It will take willpower and dedication but forcing yourself to write about topics that you enjoy will make the writing process a lot easier to get a handle on.

If you really like sports, you should write a short essay about which sport you enjoy the most and how often you play it. Also, if you really enjoy reading books, you could write an essay or two about a few books that you really like and why you enjoyed them so much. The possibilities are nearly limitless when it comes to interesting topics that you can cover in your English writing. The key thing to remember is that you must be the one to take the initiative as an English student to write on your own time so that you will be able to choose the topics that you like to write about and better improve your written proficiency. 

writing tip: the purpose of the main idea followed by supporting ideas

(June 2018)

It's no secret that if you have been following this 'writing' tips section that it's key to have an introduction, body paragraph(s), and a conclusion to make up an essay or an article. In order for an essay to be complete, this basic structure needs to be in place in order for the reader to get the most out of it. 

However, once you have the essay structure down, it's important to be able to brainstorm the main idea of each paragraph followed up two or three key supporting ideas for that paragraph using evidence and/or examples to back up your main idea. Whether it is a research article, an argumentative or persuasive essay, it's key to remember that each paragraph especially the introduction and the body paragraphs should highlight the main idea and the supporting ideas. When it comes to the conclusion paragraph, you are basically going to re-state the main idea that you introduced in the opening paragraph while citing your supporting ideas once more to leave the reader(s) with. 

The introduction paragraph is used to 'introduce' your main idea followed by a brief tidbit about what your supporting ideas are going to entail. Depending upon how many body paragraph(s) you have planned, each supporting idea should be expanded upon in on body paragraph where the research and the evidence is cited through facts and details given. In the body paragraph(s), you can rehash what your main idea is but you should not give it too much of your attention. Listed below, I have detailed how the structure of each paragraph should play out along with an example of what a main idea would be along with three supporting ideas for a prospective essay topic. 

Introduction: Tell the audience what the main idea of the essay is along with an introduction to each of the three supporting ideas to be highlighted in the body paragraphs.

Body: Paragraph #1 - Supporting Idea #1 with Main Idea briefly discussed (evidence / research needed)

           Paragraph #2 - Supporting Idea #2 with Main Idea briefly discussed (evidence / research needed)

           Paragraph #3 - Supporting Idea #3 with Main Idea briefly discussed (evidence / research needed)

Conclusion: Re-state the main idea of your essay while discussing briefly your supporting ideas and why they should matter to the audience. No more evidence or research should be introduced into the concluding paragraph.

Example Essay Topic

Main Idea: There is too much plastic in the oceans.

Supporting Idea #1: Many sea mammals have been harmed or even killed by the plastic.

Supporting Idea #2: The plastic in the ocean is contaminating our food and even our de-salinization of water efforts.

Supporting Idea #3: The plastic is disrupting our oceanic ecosystems and causing coral reefs to be damaged. 

Whatever essay topic you choose to focus on, remember to make sure that you clearly have a main idea and at least two or even three supporting ideas to make the essay flow better whether it is persuasive, academic, or research-based in nature. 

Writing tip: make sure you do your research and use examples to back up your ideas

(MAY 2018)

An overlooked part to writing a good essay is the fact that you'll need to back up your main ideas with real examples. These examples can be more scientific or research-based in nature or they can be based off of your own personal experiences and background depending on what kind of essay you are writing. If it is an academic, scientific, or evidence-based essay, you'll need to use outside sources that are legitimate and directly related to the main ideas you're posing in each paragraph. 

For an academic essay or paper, you should not be using your own opinions and experience to count as doing research. When it comes to this kind of writing, you need to find research that is evidence-based, has been backed up by more than one source, and is able to be cited in either the footnotes or the endnotes. The examples for this kind of essay should be not your own but rather those of other authors in your field who came to a similar kind of conclusion. You can use quotations to cite the work that they've done and use their findings to supplement your ideas and add validity to your essay's argument. 

When it comes to an persuasive or opinionated essay, you won't have to do as much scientific or academic research, but you'll still have to use your own experiences and personal background to add to your essay. Also, there should be a mix in these essays where you use the experiences of other people to back up your main ideas and theses statement. Your experiences and background could be useful in developing one body paragraph but another body paragraph or two could be supplemented by those experiences of other people whether they are historical figures or friends and family of yours. 

Your research and outside examples should always be cited in the correct manner whether that is a quotation, a footnote, an endnote, etc. There are many different citation styles that can be used for various types of essays but choose the one that feels most comfortable for you to implement. Whether its Chicago / Turabian style being used for Business and History writing, MLA (Modern Language Association) style being used for the Humanities, or APA (American Psychological Association) style being used for Education and the Sciences, please choose one of the above citation styles that fit best for your essay. 

The main point to keep in mind is to always cite your research / findings in some way if it is not your own. You should always be careful in avoiding plagiarism or taking from another person's work without carefully citing their examples. Depending on the type of essay, you may also be able to use your own experiences, research, and background to make your writing great. Without any evidence, examples, or research to support your thesis statement and/or main ideas, your essay won't nearly be as complete or as appealing to the reader.

Writing Tip: Remember to use punctuation! 

(April 2018)

While having the correct grammar and vocabulary usage in your writing is key in order to do well as a writer, it's always important to remember to use punctuation and to do so correctly. A lazy writer will forget to use correct punctuation and therefore their essay, article, or letter will suffer as a result. Basic punctuation is one of the fundamental building blocks of a complete sentence in the English language. 

If we wanted to define what 'punctuation' is, a good definition for this concept would be that it is a collection of signs and symbols used by the writer for the reader's benefit. Punctuation is fundamental to constructing a written sentence and helps the reader to figure out how the sentence itself should be read.

In any written format, sentences are the building blocks on which essays, articles, and other forms of writing are created. In order to be fully functional, sentences must have proper pronunciation in order to make them complete. Punctuation helps make the meaning of the sentence clear and helps the reader with understanding its context. 

There are many different forms of punctuation but the most important ones for any sentence to have is to place a capital letter at the start and to establish a proper ending which could be in the form of a period (.), exclamation mark (!), or a question mark (?) to be put at the end of the last word. The basic sentence can only be complete with the capital letter at the beginning of the first word and a proper form of punctuation to be placed after the final word.

Different sentences are going to have various forms of punctuation but it is key to be able to use the correct forms of punctuation at all times. Punctuation can often be used incorrectly so it is important for the average English learner to understand the form, meaning, and usage of each kind of punctuation. 

The basic signs of punctuation include: the comma (,), the period (.), the exclamation mark (!), the question mark (?), the semicolon (;), the colon (:), the apostrophe ('), the quotation marks (" "), the hyphen (-), the brackets ([ ]{ }), and the slash (/ \). 

Please be sure to do your research on these different forms of punctuation and it is likely that this writing topic will be covered more in depth in the future as we go over each of these punctuations signs. Overall, remember to use them in your writing for each sentence you create in the correct manner!

writing tip: using peer review to your advantage

(March 2018)

In the past few months, I have stressed the importance of reviewing and editing your written work in order to make it better. Proofreading your work yourself, creating a rough draft or two before finishing it off with a final draft, and the last piece of the puzzle which is the need for peer review. 

Having a second or third pair of eyes is absolutely key when it comes to becoming a better writer. There are going to be times when you are going to miss some mistakes during your own editing process. It's good to have somebody to catch those mistakes and correct them for you during the peer editing process. 

Whether there are changes to be made to your grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, or the content of the writing, a peer editor can help you in a number of ways and give their unbiased opinion. When you edit your own writing, you tend to be biased and think that you're a better writer than you are. It's a common blind spot where you believe you haven't made many or some mistakes when there are a few that you could have looked over.

When it comes to who you should be replying upon as a peer editor, it would be best to have someone who you trust and have confidence in to look over your writing. I would recommend a colleague from your job, a trusted mentor, or a classmate if you're going to school or university currently. If you have a close friend or family member who is reliable and you consider to be a good editor, it would be good to have them do the peer review. 

The most important thing to consider for peer review is that the person editing your written work is reliable. They will be able to make the edits for you in a consistent manner while not taking too long to get their suggestions back to you. When it comes to writing effectively, deadlines are important to abide by which is why you should rely upon a peer editor who is timely in their commentary. 

The writing process is never perfect but if you proofread your own work, write a few drafts before the final version, and utilize the help of a peer reviewer, then there's a good chance the final essay, article, or paper will be high quality. I hope you got out a lot of this particular tip and that it will serve you well in your English writing. 

writing tip: Create a rough draft or two 

(February 2018)

When it comes to becoming a better writer, it is integral to be able to write a rough draft before submitting your written work. Not only does it allow you to check for spelling and grammar errors but it will allow you to shape and refine your ideas in a more coherent way. When you write an essay, a letter, or an article for the first time, you're likely to miss a few things in the actual content of the writing that you're trying to get across. 

It's ideal in the rough draft to first write out what your main and supporting ideas are going to be on a separate piece of paper. You can use them as a guide when you're developing your introduction, body paragraph(s), and conclusion. Reading your first draft out aloud to yourself is a good way of seeing what needs to be changed, added, or deleted. 

The thing to keep in mind with making a rough draft is that you should not be making any edits to it as you write. The first rough draft should contain an outline of your ideas and the structure of the essay itself. A second rough draft is often necessary because you'll be able to edit your own work whether its' grammar or content related. Reading your rough drafts out loud to yourself is a key way to see what needs to be improved.

You should never submit your first written draft as your final draft. That would be a huge mistake to make especially if you are a submitting an important article or research paper. Depending on how important the written assignment / task is, you'll want to have a least two drafts before submitting the final version. Being able to edit your own writing is a crucial skill and will help you develop proofreading skills for yourself and others.

writing tip: The ART OF PROOFREADING

(January 2018)

If you would like to become a better writer in English, it's important to take your proofreading seriously. Proofreading encompasses not only good grammar but an understanding of what correct sentence structure looks like. You need to be able to study examples of good writing and try to incorporate it in your own writing pieces as much as possible. 

In order to become a good proofreader, you have to familiarize yourself with a dictionary to spell words correctly. When it comes to grammar, it's important to have a few resources such as 'The Elements of Style' by William Strunk, Jr. with you to help check your writing for accuracy and structure. Having a few good grammar resources will help you to develop as a writer and also know different grammatical concepts such as prepositions, idioms, verbs, nouns, etc. 

A good writer will look over his written work not just once but multiple times. You should be willing to proofread at least two times before submitting your writing whether it's an article, essay, paper, etc. You may miss the written mistakes you've made when you only check over your writing once so at a minimum, you have to proofread at least twice to correct the mistakes you may have made.

One last thing to keep in mind is that it's good to get the perspective of another proofreader so if it's possible, have someone else look over your writing for an unbiased opinion. If you can have a friend, a family member, or a colleague from work give you their opinion about your writing and correct your mistakes, it would help benefit you as an English writer. It's always best to get a second opinion after you've proofread your own work just to see if there's any error that you missed out on correcting. A true mark of a good writer is someone who's not afraid to get another perspective and is willing to make changes to become better at their craft.

Writing tip: Using Correct capitalization 

(December 2017)

Capitalization is one of the key parts of having correct punctuation with your writing. When you don't use capitalization correctly, it can ruin the flow of your words and sentences. For capitalization, you must make sure that the first letter is always in uppercase while the rest of the letters are in lowercase. There are over a dozen rules when it comes to using capitalization correctly in writing but for this weekly tip, I am going to focus on the top five rules to follow.

Rule #1: Capitalize the first word of any paper, article, essay, or other document in the first paragraph. You should also make sure to capitalize the first word after each period(.). 

Rule #2: Capitalize proper nouns and adjectives especially those that are more specific in terms of their location, organization, title, historical meaning, etc.

Examples: the Empire State Building, the United Nations, a Colombian dance, the Great Depression.

Rule #3: In most cases, do not capitalize the word 'the' before proper nouns. 

Examples: the White House, the Grand Canyon, the New York Times

Rule #4: You should always capitalize the first word in a complete quote, even if the quote occurs in the middle of a sentence. 

Example: Abraham Lincoln stated in the famous Gettysburg Address, "Four score and seven years ago..."

Rule #5: Do not capitalize prepositions, conjunctions, and/or articles unless they are the first word in a formal title such as for a movie, book, song, etc. 

Examples: 'Of Mice and Men', 'The Old Man and the Sea', 'From Here to Eternity', 'What a Wonderful World.'

While there are more than a dozen capitalization rules out there, these five rules in particular will give you a head start in becoming a better writer. 

WRITING TIP: HAVE AN INTRODUCTION + BODY PARAGRAPH + CONCLUSION IN YOUR ESSAY

(November 2017)

In order to become a better English writer, it's very important to have a structure in place when it comes to your essay or paper if you're writing one. You're going to want to make sure that you start with a beginning paragraph known as the 'introduction.' With the introduction paragraph, you're going to set the scene in terms of telling the readers what the topic of your essay is along with some supporting sentences discussing the topic(s) that are going to be covered later in the body paragraph(s). Your introduction paragraph should be between 3 to 4 sentences total and you should also have a thesis sentence laying out the main purpose of your essay and what you hope to get across to the audience. 

After completing the introduction, you should make sure to have a body paragraph or body paragraphs next where you discuss the topic in a couple of ways depending upon how many paragraphs you need to get your point of view or opinion across. 

For example, if you're discussing the topic of climate change, you'll need a couple of paragraphs in the body section to discuss why it's an issue, what can be done about it, and how should people work together to reduce the effects of climate change. In this particular example, you're going to have three body paragraphs total which should be between 4 - 6 sentences total. In the body paragraph(s), you need to make sure you're giving examples, statistics, or evidence to support the claims and ideas that you brought up in the introduction paragraph. The body paragraph(s) are the meat of your essay or article so make sure that it's convincing, detailed, and engaging to your audience. 

Lastly, you can finish up your essay or article with a 'conclusion' or concluding paragraph. The conclusion is similar to the introduction in that it is only going to be 3 - 4 sentences total and you're going to sum up the main points or arguments again that you want the readers of the essay to take from what you wrote. You'll want to restate your thesis from the beginning paragraph and make sure to leave your reader wanting more. It's important that you follow the introduction + body paragraph(s) + conclusion structure in order to have a truly great essay. The structure and formatting of an essay is really important so you have to make sure that it becomes a personal habit for yourself whenever you're writing in English. 

Writing tip: No Run-ON Sentences

(october 2017)

One of the key tips when it comes to writing in English is to limit or eliminate any run-on sentences. If you're writing a paragraph, essay, or an article, you'll want to double check yourself to make sure that there are no-run on sentences. 

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses, which are complete sentences are connected to each other improperly rather than being kept as separate sentences.

Complete sentences should only have one independent clause within them to make grammatical sense. Having a run-on sentence is a structural flaw in one's writing that will affect the flow of your paragraph or essay.

There's no issue in connecting two independent clauses together to be reflected in the same sentence but they must be connected with a conjunction word such as 'but, and, for, yet, nor, or, so.'  

Example: I wanted to go to the movies with Jake, but I had a lot of homework to finish last night.

Without a conjunction word in between the two independent clauses, you're likely to have a run-on sentence. Let us look at an example of a run-on sentence v. a regular sentence with the correct structure.

Example: My science professor graded my exam he gave me an A. (Run-on)

Example: My science professor graded my exam, and he gave me an A. 

What these examples show us is that it's important to have correct punctuation in order to avoid the mistake of having a run-on sentence. It's important to use a comma and a conjunction to connect the independent clauses together. In addition, the two independent clauses could be sentences on their own so you don't need to put them together if you do not want to. 

Example: My science professor graded my exam. He gave me an A.

As you can see above, by separating the clauses into independent sentences and making them shorter, you can also avoid having a run-on sentence. Correct punctuation, using conjunctions, and making simple sentences that express a singular thought are the best ways to avoid making a run-on sentence. 

If you want to be a better English writer, make sure you take this weekly tip to heart. It could mean the difference between a great essay or a poor one.