Improve Your English Writing Style
With Organization

One of the most serious problems my students have with producing a good English writing style is the lack of organizing the work before the "writing" is started. Some think of this process as so simple and basic that it can easily be skipped. The problem is that the results of missing this step clearly show up in the final product.

The facts are that having your ideas well thought out and a planning a good structure takes very little time and are as important as the bones in your body. It's possible that you may look good without a skeleton and with everything mixed up inside but getting the "body" of the writing to do what you want may be very difficult. When you learn the simple techniques and use them regularly, the results will be clear to you and your readers.

• First

Brainstorm

The process is very simple, begin by thinking of all of the ideas you would like to write about. If you have been given a writing assignment with a topic, think about the various ideas that you have on the subject.

As the ideas come to you, write them down. Don't worry about the English writing style, the quality of the ideas or the difficulties in writing about them, the goal here is to let your creativity work for you.

The next step is to edit your list. Be objective and realistic when you review your list. Eliminate the bad choices, those that will be too difficult, or boring, or not suitable for the assignment. Consider who will be your reading "audience" and what will be interesting for them.

When your list is short enough, choose the most interesting as the main idea for your writing. When you have the main idea, continue the brainstorming and develop a list of ideas that can be a part of the main topic. Once again, edit the list down to fit both the purpose and length of your planned writing.

Click Here for More Tips and Techniques on Writing Brainstorming

• Second

Outline

This is the point where you must make your plan to communicate most effectively. Look at your list of ideas and determine what to say and when.

If you are writing a narrative (telling a story) or a process analysis (how to do...) the plan can be simple, start with the first event in the story and continue to the end.

When being informative with a definition or description the best place to begin may be with the information that will give the best, most general understanding of your chosen main idea.

The essay form for giving your opinion and being persuasive will usually require some additional thought and making some judgments about your reading audience. How are your examples, arguments and reasons for believing the way you do going to impact your reader? Whether you are writing one paragraph or a long essay, the best English writing style is to finish with the strongest, highest impact idea.

Beginning with the least effective and then building to the most persuasive point at the end is the surest way of convincing your readers that they should think carefully about your opinions and perhaps believe as you do.

Click Here For More Information On Writing Outlines

• Third

Write

Then...if you have the time and motivation to make it better, rewrite if you think you can improve.

Look at Some Tips for Your Writing Style and "Personal Voice."

• Fourth

Proofread and Edit

Do this yourself if you have to but better still is to rely on a friend, another student or a teacher who is willing to help find errors that may have crept into the writing unnoticed and share their thoughts on what you have produced. Another "set of eyes" will almost always help your English writing style.

Also, please feel free to send us questions and your writing for proofreading and editing by going to our Ask a Question page or the
Free Proofreading page.

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