Writing
Find useful exercises on different aspects of writing: handwriting, punctuation, sentence types, transitional words/phrases, and paragraphs.
8 Tips to Improve Your Writing Style
Writing Topics/prompts for Students
The Simple Sentence
Compound Sentences (Using Conjunctions)
Coordinating Conjunctions
Simple and Compound Sentences
Complex Sentences
Transitional Words and Phrases
Handwriting Worksheets
Punctuation
– Capital Letters
– Commas
– Full-stops (Periods)
– Question Marks
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8 Tips to Improve Your Writing
To become a good writer, you need to know how to express yourself directly and clearly while putting your own signature on your writing. Follow her eight writing tips below to improve your writing.
1. Be honest.
Good writing is clear and concise. Avoid filler words such as unnecessary adverbs and prepositional phrases. These simply take up space and add weight to the sentence. Be as direct as possible and say exactly what you mean.
2. Choose your words carefully.
There are many ways to write and you can choose different words to convey the same idea. Always choose the simpler of the two words. Use familiar vocabulary rather than fancy English words. Simple language is more direct and easier to understand for all readers. If you need help finding alternative words or easier ways to express something, use a dictionary or look for synonyms.
3. Use short sentences rather than long sentences.
A story loses momentum when it becomes redundant. Shorter sentences are easier to understand and are more appreciated by readers. Don’t put too much content on one line. Each sentence should contain a thought or idea.
4. Write short paragraphs.
Keep paragraphs short and manageable. Each paragraph should consist of sentences that support the main idea. Short paragraphs are easier to understand. You can also make your page layout more visually appealing. Academic writing often consists of long paragraphs because more information is needed to support each topic. For less formal writing, short paragraphs are common.
5. Use the active voice.
Use the active voice and follow the subject-verb-object sentence structure. This is the most direct way to express your point of view. In the active voice, the subject does something more exciting than in the passive voice. Although the passive voice may be grammatically correct, it produces long, complex sentences and is a weak way to express information. You need to learn the situations in which the passive voice is more suitable than the active voice.
6. Review and edit your work.
Proofreading your first draft should be the first step in the editing process before handing off your story to a professional editor. Tighten your writing, review your word choice and sentence structure, refine your voice, and improve your style.
7. Use a natural conversational tone.
Your writing style is based on your own unique voice. Communicate in a comfortable environment. In other words, write how to have a conversation. Use your original thoughts and voice to shape your ideas, and do your best to avoid clichés. Your writing style should reflect your personality.
8. Improve your writing by reading.
When you pick up a Mark Twain book, you can tell it’s by him just by the tone of the story and the words he uses. Great writers shape their writing with an unmistakable style. Learn how other authors create their style. Then do the same with your own writing.