Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
You can dramatically improve your English writing skills by revising paragraphs written in short, simple sentences so that they reflect a deeper understanding of your subject. You can do this by combining and connecting previously written simple sentences into longer complex sentences which communicate more information and display a firm grasp on written English. A few compound and complex sentences express a more nuanced thought than a whole paragraph of shorter sentences with limited meaning. I’ll give brief examples of how you can incorporate compound and complex sentences into your everyday writing.
Compound sentences
The easier of these two structural styles to grasp is the compound sentence. Compound sentences essentially link together two independent simple sentences, often by adding a coordinating conjunction such as “but,” “and,” “so,” “yet,” or “for”. Though grammatically correct, it looks strange when two short sentences that address the same idea follow each other in a paragraph. Compound sentences work to unite short sentences into a coherent long thought that addresses several aspects of the same main idea. Below are a few examples of simple sentences transformed into compound sentences. I’ve underlined the coordinating conjunction in each compound sentence.
Simple sentence: I won tickets by calling the radio station. The DJ told me to invite along all my friends to the show!
Compound sentence: I won tickets by calling the radio station, and the DJ told me to invite along all my friends to the show!
Simple sentence: Mary said she could come to the show. She got sick the day before.
Compound sentence: Mary said she could come to the show, but she got sick the day before.
Complex Sentences
Complex sentences link together an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses and contain multiple verbs, thus explaining much more information in one sentence than a string of related simple sentences. The independent clause and dependent clause are typically linked by a relative pronoun (that, which, who, whose, etc.) or a subordinate conjunction (when, because, since, although, so, etc.).
The best way to think about the difference between independent and dependent clauses is that independent clauses make grammatical sense on their own, independent of anything else in the sentence. Dependent clauses, on the other hand, depend on the independent clause to make grammatical sense -they can’t stand by themselves. The following are examples of complex sentences with the conjunction underlined and the dependent clause in bold.
Complex sentence: We sold our quota faster than the team that walked because we biked.
Complex sentence: I ate the cookies that you left out.
Complex sentence: Jeff said he thought he compiled more data than I did.
Complex-Compound Sentence
A little more difficult than the previous two sentence types, the complex-compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses, usually linked by a dependent clause. These sentences can communicate several big ideas about the same subject without breaking the thought for a new sentence. Below are a few examples of complex-compound sentences with the linking dependent clause underlined.
Complex-Compound sentence: Although Frank enjoyed cooking, he always forgot to buy groceries ahead of time, so he usually went out to eat for dinner.
Complex-Compound sentence: I started eating an apple every day at lunch, but George, who loves his junk food, continues to eat chips.
Complex-Compound sentence: Jessie didn’t care about the weather before, but since the storm, he’s made a point to bring his umbrella everywhere.
Compound sentences
The easier of these two structural styles to grasp is the compound sentence. Compound sentences essentially link together two independent simple sentences, often by adding a coordinating conjunction such as “but,” “and,” “so,” “yet,” or “for”. Though grammatically correct, it looks strange when two short sentences that address the same idea follow each other in a paragraph. Compound sentences work to unite short sentences into a coherent long thought that addresses several aspects of the same main idea. Below are a few examples of simple sentences transformed into compound sentences. I’ve underlined the coordinating conjunction in each compound sentence.
Simple sentence: I won tickets by calling the radio station. The DJ told me to invite along all my friends to the show!
Compound sentence: I won tickets by calling the radio station, and the DJ told me to invite along all my friends to the show!
Simple sentence: Mary said she could come to the show. She got sick the day before.
Compound sentence: Mary said she could come to the show, but she got sick the day before.
Complex Sentences
Complex sentences link together an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses and contain multiple verbs, thus explaining much more information in one sentence than a string of related simple sentences. The independent clause and dependent clause are typically linked by a relative pronoun (that, which, who, whose, etc.) or a subordinate conjunction (when, because, since, although, so, etc.).
The best way to think about the difference between independent and dependent clauses is that independent clauses make grammatical sense on their own, independent of anything else in the sentence. Dependent clauses, on the other hand, depend on the independent clause to make grammatical sense -they can’t stand by themselves. The following are examples of complex sentences with the conjunction underlined and the dependent clause in bold.
Complex sentence: We sold our quota faster than the team that walked because we biked.
Complex sentence: I ate the cookies that you left out.
Complex sentence: Jeff said he thought he compiled more data than I did.
Complex-Compound Sentence
A little more difficult than the previous two sentence types, the complex-compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses, usually linked by a dependent clause. These sentences can communicate several big ideas about the same subject without breaking the thought for a new sentence. Below are a few examples of complex-compound sentences with the linking dependent clause underlined.
Complex-Compound sentence: Although Frank enjoyed cooking, he always forgot to buy groceries ahead of time, so he usually went out to eat for dinner.
Complex-Compound sentence: I started eating an apple every day at lunch, but George, who loves his junk food, continues to eat chips.
Complex-Compound sentence: Jessie didn’t care about the weather before, but since the storm, he’s made a point to bring his umbrella everywhere.
This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Non-native English speakers often think of native-like English as the end goal of their studies, when all aspects of their English from pronunciation to punctuation will be perfect. However, there are common grammatical problems even native speakers face, and that ESL students taking classes online or in any formal program should be aware of as well. Here, several common problems of native English speakers are discussed, and suggestions offered for how ESL learners can avoid these pitfalls.
One problem is that of speech errors such as eggcorns, mondegreens, spoonerisms, and malapropisms.* These errors occur often in natural speech, even for native speakers. Word choice errors such as malapropisms and eggcorns are particularly common, and occur in both speaking and writing. When unsure of word choice, use a dictionary or other reference to select the most appropriate term. Asking for clarification and written examples can also help make sure that new vocabulary items and phrases have been heard accurately, and used appropriately later.
Many aspects of written English are particularly problematic for native English speakers, and may be for English language learners as well. One such problem is misuse of common homophones. Confusion of “to,” “two,” and “too;” “there,” “they're,” and “their;” “your” and “you’re;” and “its” and “it’s” are seen in all kinds of writing, even at the college level. To avoid these errors, become familiar with common homophones, and make sure to use the correct one when writing.
Another common writing error that native speakers often encounter is that of sentence fragments, incomplete parts of sentences that are punctuated like whole sentences. Typically, fragments fail to include all the components required in a complete sentence. To avoid sentence fragments, check each sentence carefully to make sure that it expresses a complete thought, and to make sure that each one includes a clear subject and verb.
Run-on sentences represent the opposite problem. Run-ons are created when at least two different sentences are joined together without a proper connector. One of the most common types of run-on sentence is a comma splice, where two independent sentences are joined with just a comma. Repairing this problem requires either adding a conjunction or separating the two clauses into two different sentences. To avoid problems with run-on sentences, English language learners should become familiar with proper use of commas and conjunctions. Practicing this knowledge through proofreading can greatly reduce sentential errors such as run-ons and fragments.
Native speakers of English also struggle with other nuanced grammar rules. Most college essays written by native English speakers include some misplaced modifiers, dangling participles, and stranded prepositions. As a matter of fact, many native English speakers are unaware of what these terms mean. This is because native speakers tend to rely more on intuitive knowledge of English than on rules they learned in grammar classes. For non-native speakers, paying close attention to grammar rules and thinking consciously about the grammar being used in writing assignments will help minimize these kinds of errors.
The errors outlined above are common occurrences for both native and non-native English speakers, but can be avoided by focusing on a few key techniques. First, be aware of these types of problems, and consciously focus on avoiding them when writing. Second, try to keep a dictionary and a good grammar reference handy in order to clarify any problematic areas. Finally, always proofread written work carefully, and repair errors as needed. English language learners should remember that native speakers' English isn't always the best English.
* Speech error glossary:
Eggcorn: consistently incorrect use of a similar-sounding word, like saying “elk” instead of “ilk.”
Mondegreen: mishearing the sounds of a word or phrase so they form something else, as in “also into cats” instead of “oh so intricate.” This commonly occurs with song lyrics.
Spoonerism: mixing up the sounds within a word or phrase, as in the famous example of saying “queer old dean” instead of “dear old queen.”
Malapropism: the accidental substitution of a similar-sounding word.
One problem is that of speech errors such as eggcorns, mondegreens, spoonerisms, and malapropisms.* These errors occur often in natural speech, even for native speakers. Word choice errors such as malapropisms and eggcorns are particularly common, and occur in both speaking and writing. When unsure of word choice, use a dictionary or other reference to select the most appropriate term. Asking for clarification and written examples can also help make sure that new vocabulary items and phrases have been heard accurately, and used appropriately later.
Many aspects of written English are particularly problematic for native English speakers, and may be for English language learners as well. One such problem is misuse of common homophones. Confusion of “to,” “two,” and “too;” “there,” “they're,” and “their;” “your” and “you’re;” and “its” and “it’s” are seen in all kinds of writing, even at the college level. To avoid these errors, become familiar with common homophones, and make sure to use the correct one when writing.
Another common writing error that native speakers often encounter is that of sentence fragments, incomplete parts of sentences that are punctuated like whole sentences. Typically, fragments fail to include all the components required in a complete sentence. To avoid sentence fragments, check each sentence carefully to make sure that it expresses a complete thought, and to make sure that each one includes a clear subject and verb.
Run-on sentences represent the opposite problem. Run-ons are created when at least two different sentences are joined together without a proper connector. One of the most common types of run-on sentence is a comma splice, where two independent sentences are joined with just a comma. Repairing this problem requires either adding a conjunction or separating the two clauses into two different sentences. To avoid problems with run-on sentences, English language learners should become familiar with proper use of commas and conjunctions. Practicing this knowledge through proofreading can greatly reduce sentential errors such as run-ons and fragments.
Native speakers of English also struggle with other nuanced grammar rules. Most college essays written by native English speakers include some misplaced modifiers, dangling participles, and stranded prepositions. As a matter of fact, many native English speakers are unaware of what these terms mean. This is because native speakers tend to rely more on intuitive knowledge of English than on rules they learned in grammar classes. For non-native speakers, paying close attention to grammar rules and thinking consciously about the grammar being used in writing assignments will help minimize these kinds of errors.
The errors outlined above are common occurrences for both native and non-native English speakers, but can be avoided by focusing on a few key techniques. First, be aware of these types of problems, and consciously focus on avoiding them when writing. Second, try to keep a dictionary and a good grammar reference handy in order to clarify any problematic areas. Finally, always proofread written work carefully, and repair errors as needed. English language learners should remember that native speakers' English isn't always the best English.
* Speech error glossary:
Eggcorn: consistently incorrect use of a similar-sounding word, like saying “elk” instead of “ilk.”
Mondegreen: mishearing the sounds of a word or phrase so they form something else, as in “also into cats” instead of “oh so intricate.” This commonly occurs with song lyrics.
Spoonerism: mixing up the sounds within a word or phrase, as in the famous example of saying “queer old dean” instead of “dear old queen.”
Malapropism: the accidental substitution of a similar-sounding word.
This is a guest post by Marina Salsbury. Marina planned on becoming a teacher since high school, but found her way instead into online writing after college. She writes around the Web about everything from education to exercise.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Do you know which the two key pillars are when studying English (and any language in general)? Speaking and writing. And today we’d like to present you this free e-book that will reveal all the secrets and tips for a successful English writing.
The main goal of this e-book is to give you a clear view and procedure to improve you English writing skills. It is divided in five sections that will show you some very handy techniques and tips that you can put into practice to start writing properly in English once for all!
This e-book is absolutely free and you can download it from any of the following links:
“How To Stop Struggling With English Writing”:
Download this e-book from Scribd.com
Download this e-book from Box.net
The main goal of this e-book is to give you a clear view and procedure to improve you English writing skills. It is divided in five sections that will show you some very handy techniques and tips that you can put into practice to start writing properly in English once for all!
This e-book is absolutely free and you can download it from any of the following links:
“How To Stop Struggling With English Writing”:
Download this e-book from Scribd.com
Download this e-book from Box.net
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Another technique I find very effective when writing in English is doing it fast, and without much consideration of correctness and style! While being a perfectionist generally isn’t a bad thing, there are times when you have to suppress the desire within you to be perfect.
In other words, you need to write a quick draft which is going to form the main body of your letter, memo, e-mail or essay. Don’t take me wrong though; writing a draft doesn’t automatically mean twice as much time spent in the process than if you were to write it all spotlessly from scratch. Why?
First of all, don’t forget how much time you just wasted just sitting and staring at the monitor unable to produce any text whatsoever! Even if you do spend additional time correcting your own mistakes after the draft has been written, you should see merit of this technique in that it allows you to write a concrete piece of text. Regardless of its quality, it’s a tangible result and it can be improved upon.
Secondly, correcting a piece of text that’s been spewed out without much thinking is much easier and quicker that you may think! I’ve always found that my mind works best when it’s not limited by conscious considerations regarding English grammar and style. Remember – it’s less time consuming to fix those five spots in five paragraphs that don’t sound right than spending five minutes on each of them trying to make it all perfect from the beginning!
What’s surprising about writing drafts is that sometimes you’ll find there’s very little to correct when you go back to finalize the piece of English text. Personally I do quite a lot of writing in English and I have days when it’s harder to gather thoughts and speak, so the writing process is also slightly hindered. When I proofread an article, however, I often find it sounds very well and there’s nothing to add or take away! So it may happen to you if you let creativity take over and just write fast and without much thinking!
After you’ve produced the draft, read the piece of text aloud. Don’t just scan it as mistakes will escape your attention. You have to read it aloud and surprisingly enough you’ll spot most of awkwardly sounding bits that you didn’t notice when writing the draft!
When you write the draft fast and without much thinking, you are the creator of the content. Yet when you go back and check what’s written you’re not involved anymore in the process of creation. You adopt an observer’s role and now you can spot any grammar or style mistake much easier than during the process of writing.
So here are the three steps of the draft writing technique:
In other words, you need to write a quick draft which is going to form the main body of your letter, memo, e-mail or essay. Don’t take me wrong though; writing a draft doesn’t automatically mean twice as much time spent in the process than if you were to write it all spotlessly from scratch. Why?
First of all, don’t forget how much time you just wasted just sitting and staring at the monitor unable to produce any text whatsoever! Even if you do spend additional time correcting your own mistakes after the draft has been written, you should see merit of this technique in that it allows you to write a concrete piece of text. Regardless of its quality, it’s a tangible result and it can be improved upon.
Secondly, correcting a piece of text that’s been spewed out without much thinking is much easier and quicker that you may think! I’ve always found that my mind works best when it’s not limited by conscious considerations regarding English grammar and style. Remember – it’s less time consuming to fix those five spots in five paragraphs that don’t sound right than spending five minutes on each of them trying to make it all perfect from the beginning!
What’s surprising about writing drafts is that sometimes you’ll find there’s very little to correct when you go back to finalize the piece of English text. Personally I do quite a lot of writing in English and I have days when it’s harder to gather thoughts and speak, so the writing process is also slightly hindered. When I proofread an article, however, I often find it sounds very well and there’s nothing to add or take away! So it may happen to you if you let creativity take over and just write fast and without much thinking!
After you’ve produced the draft, read the piece of text aloud. Don’t just scan it as mistakes will escape your attention. You have to read it aloud and surprisingly enough you’ll spot most of awkwardly sounding bits that you didn’t notice when writing the draft!
When you write the draft fast and without much thinking, you are the creator of the content. Yet when you go back and check what’s written you’re not involved anymore in the process of creation. You adopt an observer’s role and now you can spot any grammar or style mistake much easier than during the process of writing.
So here are the three steps of the draft writing technique:
- Just get it all out on a piece of paper or text processing software
- Proofread and correct the text you just produced.
- Use spellchecker to ensure you haven’t missed any grammar mistakes.
Guest post from English learning enthusiast Robby Kukurs. Robby writes about improving spoken English on his blog EnglishHarmony.com. He also regularly posts videos about improving English fluency on his YouTube channel.
Friday, 27 May 2011
As my previous post about how to express condolence, it is possible to say out sympathy in words, flower, donation or letter. If we want to express condolence in letters, here is a sample condolence message that is written on a very light tone:
Letter of condolence 1
Dear............,
I am sure you are missing (name of deceased) everyday. I do miss him too. If he could talk right now, I’m sure he will rib me on what a crybaby I am.
This is just to let you know that you are in my thoughts, and I am free this Friday evening. If it’s ok with you, I can drop by and bring pizza and pasta for you and the kids. I’ll be keeping in touch soon.
Another sympathy message example:
Letter of condolence 2
Dear.............,
I am sorry to hear about...........’s death. We are still in shock, especially that we just had the hiking trip last weekend. I remember that we were already planning for the next hiking trip, and he already had more people in mind to take to the trip.
I cannot imagine the pain of losing a spouse, much more at the peak of his career. We will definitely miss him. Our colleagues are also extending their deepest sympathies to you and your family.
I have inserted some of our weekend hiking photos with............ I hope his smiles will somehow bring back good memories.
You and your family will always be in my prayers.
Note: this letter to express condolence are take from condolencewords
Letter of condolence 1
Dear............,
I am sure you are missing (name of deceased) everyday. I do miss him too. If he could talk right now, I’m sure he will rib me on what a crybaby I am.
This is just to let you know that you are in my thoughts, and I am free this Friday evening. If it’s ok with you, I can drop by and bring pizza and pasta for you and the kids. I’ll be keeping in touch soon.
Another sympathy message example:
Letter of condolence 2
Dear.............,
I am sorry to hear about...........’s death. We are still in shock, especially that we just had the hiking trip last weekend. I remember that we were already planning for the next hiking trip, and he already had more people in mind to take to the trip.
I cannot imagine the pain of losing a spouse, much more at the peak of his career. We will definitely miss him. Our colleagues are also extending their deepest sympathies to you and your family.
I have inserted some of our weekend hiking photos with............ I hope his smiles will somehow bring back good memories.
You and your family will always be in my prayers.
Note: this letter to express condolence are take from condolencewords
Monday, 18 April 2011
Speaking to yourself and putting it down on paper isn’t enough if you want to be able to compose fast and efficient letters, reports or do some creative writing. You still may find yourself in a limbo of dead ends when your thoughts seem to be constantly shifting and you can’t maintain a consistent writing style.
This is when planning comes into action, and believe me – it does wonders to your writing speed and clarity of thoughts!
What I’m talking about is a short, about five bullet-point long list of things you want to tell about in your piece of writing. You may have a very clear general idea about what you have to say, but when it comes to the actual writing, having a more detailed action plan is crucial in order to produce a logical and well-structured story. You will also avoid jumping from subject to subject and returning to things you’ve already discussed if you have a nice blueprint of all the main points in a logical sequence!
Planning also helps you to add substance to your story. Not having enough to say was probably one of the reasons you dreaded writing essays and reports at school, am I not right in saying that? You can write all you have to say on half a page and your flow of thoughts is exhausted!
Of course, not all types of writing need to be long and comprehensive. Sometimes your goal might be quite the opposite – to put all information into a short and concise piece of text. A typical example of such writing would be an e-mail including instructions for a project partner. You don’t need to write it as long as an essay as it would only inhibit the recipient’s perception and your instructions might become dubious.
Still, a clear idea of what exactly you want to say in your e-mail in a form of a short list is going to make a big difference in your writing time and clearness of thoughts while you write.
Let’s have a look at a bullet-list I drew up before I started to write this article:
- Speaking as you write is not enough!
- Planning as a crucial element of the writing process;
- Planning helps adding substance;
- Planning example;
- Planning aids perception.
Bear in mind as well that planning adds not only substance to what you write, it also helps structuring the text which aids the perception of the reader. You can’t forget that on most occasions you don’t write only for yourself. There’s almost always a person who the written message is created for so you have to keep in mind that you have to make your writing a pleasant and easy reading as well!
Guest post from English learning enthusiast Robby Kukurs. Robby writes about improving spoken English on his blog EnglishHarmony.com. He also regularly posts videos about improving English fluency on his YouTube channel.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
English writing is not a big issue if most writing you have to do is work-related. Sending e-mails describing various issues and communicating with your colleagues and superiors is pretty straightforward and you don’t have to be creative to pull it off.
When it comes to writing something more specific – like doing college tests, writing letters or even a short story, things can get on top of you and you can suddenly start feeling as if you’re required to write in a certain way, but you just can’t delivered that writing style!
The key to successful English writing is as simple as it might sound a bit confusing to some – you have to speak first, and then write!
To write successfully in English you need to have a clearly formed thought in your head, and it’s not a surprise anymore that so far you haven’t been able to write good enough. When we think, we don’t have clearly formulated sentences floating in our minds. All we have is abstract concepts, flash-like notions and work-chunks. There’s not much to write if want to duplicate your mind’s content on paper!
You need to create meaningful English content even before you start writing something, and that simply means to speak first, and then put it down on paper. It may sound childish at first, but remember that your aim is to be effective and if you can achieve 100% improvement of your English writing skills, should you really care about how it’s achieved?
And here’s another factor why we, foreign English speakers, find it a bit more difficult to write in English. When we think, there’s much of our own language’s content in our minds. Speaking the words out helps us to create meaningful English sentences, simple as that!
When I write articles for my blog, I always speak during the process to help myself write the actual sentences. I’d come back later to correct mistakes, change words and proofread the article; in the first draft I don’t care so much about the article’s technical quality.
So when you create a piece of written English material, your task number one is to verbalize your thoughts into a sentence, and number two – put it down on a paper or a word processing software on a computer.
You don’t need to speak very loud; all you actually need to do is speak quietly at yourself so that you can focus your mind! You probably wouldn’t believe that such a simple technique would result in a radical English writing improvement; nonetheless, it works very well for those who’ve always perceived writing to be something special.
The reality is that you have to perceive English writing as a tangible form of spoken language and all of a sudden it will become much easier to produce a nice, easy-to-read piece of English text!
Guest post from English learning enthusiast Robby Kukurs. Robby writes about improving spoken English on his blog EnglishHarmony.com. He also regularly posts videos about improving English fluency on his YouTube channel.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Whether you’re studying English individually or you randomly meet with a group of students, there are many tips you can take and practice to improve your communication skills.
They say that the first impression is a lasting impression. Grammar imperfections are not acceptable and give off a sloppy understanding of the person’s knowledge of the language. The wrong idea can get across causing an erroneous belief of something. Here are some suggestions to help you sweep away those haunting errors and improve your grammar skills.
First things first, there’s nothing like studying home alone because you have absolute concentration. Some people may find this boring but if you’re taking English lessons in Toronto, learning the language alone has its benefits. You should use a good grammar book and mark yourself daily lessons. As you go through each lesson take notes of particular inquiries that may come up and use today’s best learning tool, the Internet, to help clarify your doubts.
Some common mistakes in grammar are using “your” versus “you’re”. “You’re” is the contraction form for the words “you are” and “your” shows possession of something. Go online and search for examples of ways these words or any other words you have questions about, are used. You can then exchange notes online with students taking Spanish classes in Washington and compare your comprehension of the language.
The most important obstacle to overcome when adapting a new language is identifying everyday bloopers and learning not to repeat them. When you’re searching the Internet, look for regular mishaps other students like yourself do and accustom yourself not to repeat them. Eventually you will come to realize not to reuse that word or phrase when you have to write or communicate orally with someone. Practise makes perfect so the more you practise that better you’ll get your thoughts across.
Make sure the grammar book you are using has the answers in the back unit. This is a great item to use for self test and checking. After you’ve gone through a lesson, make yourself a checklist and go over each skill you’ve learned. Then use the answer key in the back of the book to put your apprentice to test. This is very self-satisfying and rewarding. You can also take advantage of online exercises and quizzes.
Reading out loud is a great way to not only rehearse your writing skills but also to help your memory. It’s important to hear yourself speaking out loud because it’ll help you identify if you’ve structured a sentence incorrectly. Reading silently what we’ve written helps us mentally picture what we’re trying to communicate but speaking out loud helps focus on the idea we’re trying to get across. The more you repeat things the more you’ll register these grammar points and they’ll come out of you naturally in future conversations.
If you have the chance to talk with a native speaker of the language, great! Meet at a nice coffee shop and conversate in English or whatever language you’ve decided to learn, and have them listen and identify your speaking habits. If you don’t know of any native speakers you can always join forums or chat rooms and talk to someone online. This is a great possibility because you can be tested on your writing and oral skills if you speak through Skype. Most importantly, you should have fun learning a new language. The more comfortable you feel with the language, the more flexible your learning habits will become.
Guest Post written by Ivana. Ivana is a freelance writer who specializes in Languages. Her passion for writing has given her the chance to write for blog spots in a variety of subjects.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
If you look back at your school years, you’ll realize that you’ve been lead to believe that writing is something special. You’ve been under impression ever since that to write well you need to use very formal and literal language otherwise you just won’t be able to produce anything better than a piece of gibberish.
When you started to learn English you probably took on board the same attitude towards writing. I’m not saying it definitely applies in your situation, but still there’s a big likelihood that your assertion of poor English writing skills is based on nothing more than shifting sand.
It’s something you believe to be true because you can’t write like Shakespeare or Hemingway. In real-life however, normal people aren’t required to produce pieces of literature gems, all you need to do is explain your point clearly on a piece of paper or a computer screen!
And here’s what it all boils down to – to stop struggling with English writing you need to change your mindset first! You have to stop perceiving writing as art or as something that is going to be scrutinized by your teacher. For normal daily situations our English writing needs to be to the point and has to clearly describe the essence of the topic, that’s it.
Also bear in mind that unless you’re writing a novel in English using rich and sophisticated language, you have to avoid using long, difficult words. Don’t fall for the misassumption that native English speakers would think that your English writing skills are poor if you use simple, most commonly used words and phrases to explain your point.
Even native English speakers write the same way, and that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it! And please don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying you have to neglect grammar and ignore word order in sentences or not use punctuation marks. The point that I’m trying to make here is that you don’t have to make your piece of writing sound like a poem!
Whether you write an e-mail to your English speaking friend on Facebook, or a report for your divisional manager, you have to take it for what it is, don’t be fooled into thinking that you have to write plenty of meaningless sentences just to fill the space and make the text look bigger.
Instead just imagine that you speak to that person. What would you say to them? What is the main topic or the main issue you want to tell that person about? You simply have to put it all down on paper or computer screen – and forget about boring essays you used to write at school just because you had to!
Guest post from English learning enthusiast Robby Kukurs. Robby writes about improving spoken English on his blog EnglishHarmony.com. He also regularly posts videos about improving English fluency on his YouTube channel.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
There are some words that sound exactly the same, but mean different things. These are known as homophones. Recognizing homophones is essential when it comes to gaining a better understanding of the English language, as there are several commonly used words that sound the same but have entirely different definitions and usages. To ensure that you are using these homophones correctly, you must first learn to recognize them.
Homophones are straight-forward due to the fact that numerous homophones are spelled differently, even though they may be pronounced the same. For example, while "knight" and "night" sound the same, the word "knight" refers to a warrior from the European Middle Ages, while the word "night" refers to the time of day when the sun is no longer present. Another example of homophones are the words "wave" and "waive," where the word "wave" refers to either the action of sweeping your hand back and forth or a swell on the water surface, while the word "waive" refers to the act of surrendering something. In both of these examples, the words are pronounced the same, but mean entirely different things. Some other common homophones to keep in mind are these:
"There," "they're," and "their" are often confused and misused. To keep yourself from using the wrong term in your sentence, remember what each of them mean. The word "there" indicates place and location, such as in the sentence "The bus is over there." The word "they're" is a contraction of the words "they are" and should only be used when you want to use those two words, such as in the sentence "They're waiting for the bus." Finally, the word "their" indicates possession and ownership, such as in the sentence "Their bus is late."
"Its" and "it's" are two other commonly confused and misused terms. Remember that "its" indicates possession and ownership, such as in the sentence "The dog chases its tail." On the other hand, the word "it's" is a contraction of the words "it is" and should only be used when you want to use those two words, such as in the sentence "It's chasing the ball."
Another thing that English learners should recognize is the homonym, which is a special type of homophone where the words not only sound the same, but they also are spelled the same. For example, the word "fawn" can either mean a baby deer or the action of behaving in an excessively doting manner. In both cases, they are pronounced and spelled identically, yet still have differing definitions. To deal with these, you simply need to look up the word that you are unsure about in the dictionary and apply the most relevant meaning of the word to the sentence. This way, you will better understand what the text is saying.
Some good resources for lists of homophones and homonyms include a Michigan State University study webpage, and an Earlham College webpage.
Having a good grasp of homophones is essential in effective English communication. Knowing different homophones will allow readers to accurately recognize the meaning of English texts in pamphlets, books, signs, and other reading materials. In writing, knowing different homophones will allow writers to use the correct words in the sentences they are constructing so that the correct meanings are conveyed. Memorizing the correct usage of common homophones like the ones mentioned in this article is a great way to tackle tricky homophones. Another tactic that can be used to understand homophones is to simply look up different words in the dictionary to ensure that you are using them correctly.
This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topics of online degree programs. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: anna22.miller@gmail.com.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Do you remember Babbel? No? Babbel is an excellent online resource to learn new vocabulary with an attractive and very easy-to-use interface.
The first time we mentioned Babbel it had 62 vocabulary modules, now it has 79 modules to learn new vocabulary in English by using a methodology that really helps in the absorption of new words.
However this is not what we wanted to talked about, but the fact that Babbel has added new services and features that will help you in your learning of English. The most interesting are:
- Ten-minute tutorials: very enjoyable and quick and from which you can learn and practice grammatical rules for much or many, if-clauses, quick or quickly, among others.
- Writing exercises: a total of 27 writing exercises. You’ll be able to write about different topics and use a big variety of vocabulary in English. What you write will be later corrected by your friend in Babbel or some person in the community.
- Chat: chat in English with other users of the Babbel community.
Link | Babbel.com
Monday, 2 March 2009
Tired of studying English on your own? Would you like to find a person with whom you can do a language exchange? If so, SharedTalk can help you.
SharedTalk is a Web page made up of a community of people (social network) interested in exchanging and learning languages. You’ll be able to find that native speaker with whom you can substantially improve your level of English.
Some of the services offered by SharedTalk are:
- Find language partners.
- Communicate and practise with your partner via email. You write in English and your partner reciprocates in your native language. Find the perfect pen-pal friend.
- Practise and talk online with other members (with no need to install any additional software) through private chats or public chat rooms.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Busuu is a social network to learn languages (it’s possible to learn Spanish, English, French and German at present) with a very clean and easy to use interface.
This Web page is totally free and after the registration process and selecting your native language and the language(s) that you want to learn you can begin using it.
What can you do in Busuu.com?
One of the very first things would be to select some of the available units about different topics (About me, Daily life, free time…) that will allow you to practice different skills of your English. Every unit is made up of five sections:
- Vocabulary: the image-word association that speeds up the learning is used. You can also see a sentence where the new word is used in context.
- Dialogue: an English conversation is presented and then there are a couple of questions about the dialogue in order to test your comprehension.
- Writing: a variety of images is shown (the same images that were used in the Vocabulary section) and you have to describe what you see in the different images.
- Talking: you can make contact with an English native speaker that uses Busuu and practice the new vocabulary that you have just learned.
- Review: you have to do a small exam to evaluate what you have learned.
As a social network, Busuu.com promotes collaboration and interaction with other members. You’ll be able to chat, talk, review exercises of other members and make new friends.
Something attractive about Busuu is the section called “My busuu.com language garden”. It’s an interactive image that represents your knowledge of the languages. You’ll see that for your native language/s you have a large tree, whereas for the languages that you are learning, the trees are small and are subject to a process of growth. By completing the units and showing that you are learning, these trees will increase in size. Moreover, if you show effort and willpower, you’ll get “presents” for you garden, such as dogs, rains … However, if you give up learning the language, the tree will reduce in size once more.
You can see that my “English tree” is pretty stunted and I have to practice to make it grow.
As matter of interest, we would point out that Busuu is a spoken language in Cameroon – according to ethnologic study carried out in the eighties, only eight people are able to speak that language.
Busuu.com is a social network to learn languages focused to users with basic or intermediate level of English. If you are an advanced user you might not find it interesting.
There is a video in YouTube with a tour about this online resource:
Visit Busuu.com
Last comments: If you are looking for more social networks similar to Busuu, don’t hesitate to have a look to our section about social networks and especially to Livemocha (both websites have a similar style). If you are interested in improving your English and have a basic level of English, you can use our guides to learn English from scratch and get some useful advices and free resources to help you.
Monday, 21 July 2008
UsingEnglish.com provides a large collection of tools and resources with which to learn English. It has so much material that probably you won’t know where to start looking! Fortunately, the resources are well organised:
- English Language Reference: English Idioms, English Phrasal Verbs, English Irregular Verbs, Grammar Glossary.
- ESL (English as a Second Language) Tests: English Quizzes, Language Tests, Reading Comprehension, Language Polls.
- ESL Articles: Grammar Usage Articles, ways to improve your English, etc.
- ESL Teacher Resources: Teacher Handouts & Printables, PDF Lesson Plans & Worksheets, etcetera.
- ESL Discussion Forums: find answers to your doubts or ask new questions.
- More Tools & Resources: Text Analysis & Statistics, Essay Samples, Free Software Downloads, ESL Web Directory.
This web page contains very valuable material. What are you waiting for?!
Visit UsingEnglish.com
Thursday, 19 June 2008
This website is really good. It offers free online courses for learning different languages; at present: German, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Hindi, English, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian. What interests us is the English course.
The way to use this web page is quite simple; there are 4 courses for each language: 101, 102, 201 and 202. I enrolled on the intermediate level English course 202 (the highest one).
It’s not a wonderful way to become fluent, but if you only have a basic level you will see an improvement. Moreover, if you are thinking of learning Mandarin it will be of great benefit because you can do courses from 101 to 201 and at the end you’ll have a basic knowledge of this extremely complicated language.
Livemocha offers TOEFL preparation courses as well, and this can be interesting for many people.
Something very interesting about this web page is its “social” aspect. Exercises and tasks that we do throughout the courses are visible to other users (native speakers of English) who can correct our tasks and give us recommendations. We can help other members as well. There are prizes for the most supportive members. Let’s collaborate!
A 100 x 100 recommended web site.
Visit livemocha.com
Update: Livemocha has changed its platform and there are only two ways to be able to make its interactive courses: by paying or by actively helping other members of the community and earning mochapoints. If you’re looking for similar websites to learn English, you’ll probably find something that you like in our Social Networks section.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Product reviewing has attracted many blogger. Besides Pay per Click program, reviewing has appeared as top choice for blogger in earning online. Writing review is lucrative source for blogger. In one side, writing review can make rich content of the blog. Of course it has to be suitable or arranged to suit the niche of the blog. In the second side, blogger can get earning from that content.
Review is one of text genres. This classification of text types is commonly based on the structure which used by the writer to compose his text. Each text type will have different form of generic structure. As I said in my previous post, review text usually has generic structure as:
Introduction: it is the highlight of the general description about what will be reviewed. It can be product, services which want to be sold, or just a site which want to be known publicly. Then it will drive more traffic into the site.
Evaluation: the second phase is coming inside into the product in details. It states the parts, uniqueness, quality of the product which will be known publicly. However too much detail description will “teach” the will-buyer and it does not sound good. Evaluating as far as necessary for the targeted buyer is more genuine. The term of evaluation will not be far from simple word of good or bad. In this phase reviewer will apply much evaluative word, valuable, useful, worthy, etc.
Interpretation: after writing about the objective thing of the product, it is the time for reviewer to write about what he thinks or impresses on the product. Of course this phase can be done after getting enough evaluation on the product. It is personal idea about the product. Frequently to support and strengthen his idea or impression, a reviewer describes a comparison to other similar product. He states in which side the product has additional value or honestly admitted that the product lacks value in certain side.
Summary: this phase is recommending conclusion for reader of the product. After clearly explanation, a reviewer will make a final comment whether the product is valuable or not for targeted buyer. This phase is the worth of the review for reader.
Monday, 5 May 2008
The correct ways or method in communicating to reader will determine success or not of any writing text. If a writer wants to tell about story, what method will be used. If he wants to proof something, how he makes it. If he is a salesman, how he should communicate. These brief analogies are useful to determine what the most appropriate method to catch reader's attention. If a writer just wants to tell about something, it will be different from which he want to express idea. In the same way, it will differ from which he wants to convince others.
Narration
Describing is the most common way to communicating. It tells about something as it is. It focuses on detail item. Every item is explained referring the told thing. This type of method is called narration. It usually works with the question "What is it?". Answering such question will automatically describe or explain.
"It is a small village. It has four hundreds family members. It is located in the north side of the region. In the west is a bush area which is easily burnt. Last year it was on fire and catching the houses. Near fifty houses were burnt. Some of them are farmers and the rest works in match industry near the village"
Argumentation
When you are in discussion forum, commonly participant tends to agree or disagree. Argumentation is method way to release the idea. It will work with the question of "Why is it". Argumentation method will be clearly stated with "because". It explores opinion. It usually apply causality rule. " I think, according to the rule, based on the fact" will match to argumentation.
Persuasion
When a writer wants to convince the reader, the best way is applying persuasion. Its function is influencing. "How should it be?" will be best to start persuasion. Advertising text commonly uses persuasive material. Its target is to be admitted and followed.
Narration
Describing is the most common way to communicating. It tells about something as it is. It focuses on detail item. Every item is explained referring the told thing. This type of method is called narration. It usually works with the question "What is it?". Answering such question will automatically describe or explain.
"It is a small village. It has four hundreds family members. It is located in the north side of the region. In the west is a bush area which is easily burnt. Last year it was on fire and catching the houses. Near fifty houses were burnt. Some of them are farmers and the rest works in match industry near the village"
Argumentation
When you are in discussion forum, commonly participant tends to agree or disagree. Argumentation is method way to release the idea. It will work with the question of "Why is it". Argumentation method will be clearly stated with "because". It explores opinion. It usually apply causality rule. " I think, according to the rule, based on the fact" will match to argumentation.
Persuasion
When a writer wants to convince the reader, the best way is applying persuasion. Its function is influencing. "How should it be?" will be best to start persuasion. Advertising text commonly uses persuasive material. Its target is to be admitted and followed.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
In simple word, narrative text has generic structure as orientation, complication and resolution. This complication is the heart structure of narrative text. The complication will determine whether the text "lives" or not. If the narrative text consider as the "live" text, it will arouse the reader. It will intrude to the emotion of the reader. Commonly narrative text appears as story text. In literary term, the complication structure is called conflict. Basically, conflict is divided into three kinds. In any writing, each type will not take place with its own type. Each often combines to other type in building the story.
Physical conflict, or in other word as elemental conflict, is description of man's struggle to his physical word. It represents man versus nature force, difficulty and danger. How man survives from flood, exploding mount is clear example of physical conflict.
Social conflict is the second type. It will show the struggle of man against his society. It is description of struggle between man and man. Cinderella wants to go to party but her step mother and sisters do not permit her. She eagerly to have the opportunity to meet the prince but her step mother and sister try to block this opportunity and take it for them selves. It is a perfect picture of social conflict.
Internal or psychological conflict is a conflict which happens inside the participant. A man struggles against him self, his conscience, his guilty. He wants to steal money in the other hand he knows that stealing is not good. The fight of stealing money against having good deed is a psychological conflict
The struggle among these conflicts includes verbal and physical attempts. Narrative text will be perfectly composed by these kinds of conflict. Some time it will apply one type but it often combines these three kinds of conflict.
Physical conflict, or in other word as elemental conflict, is description of man's struggle to his physical word. It represents man versus nature force, difficulty and danger. How man survives from flood, exploding mount is clear example of physical conflict.
Social conflict is the second type. It will show the struggle of man against his society. It is description of struggle between man and man. Cinderella wants to go to party but her step mother and sisters do not permit her. She eagerly to have the opportunity to meet the prince but her step mother and sister try to block this opportunity and take it for them selves. It is a perfect picture of social conflict.
Internal or psychological conflict is a conflict which happens inside the participant. A man struggles against him self, his conscience, his guilty. He wants to steal money in the other hand he knows that stealing is not good. The fight of stealing money against having good deed is a psychological conflict
The struggle among these conflicts includes verbal and physical attempts. Narrative text will be perfectly composed by these kinds of conflict. Some time it will apply one type but it often combines these three kinds of conflict.
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Writing is actually the way we construct sentences. If we have a good ability to construct sentence, we will be easy to write anything. Commonly, we tend to make very long and complex sentences but they are not as clear as the length of the form. The worst, the sentences can not be pointed the meaning. Bellow is the common pattern to construct sentences. If we follow these pasterns, then it will be clearly seen that making sentence is simple.
Sentence is a combination of constructed parts of speech into meaningful point. The part of speech which is commonly applied to make a very simple sentence are: noun, verb, linking verb, adjective and adverb. These six parts of speech are the main element of simple sentence.
It is important to remember that English sentence always have a "Predicate". It can be verb or linking verb. English sentences, at least, must consist of Subject and Predicate otherwise it is not a sentence. The following pattern is simple guide to construct sentences
Noun + Verb
• Wind blows
• The birds fly
• The dog barks
• A lamp burns
Noun + Verb + Noun
• A cat catches a bird
• This text confuses me
• The library supplies many books
• The beggar begs some money
Noun + Linking Verb + Adjective
• The baby looks healthy
• The food tastes nice
• The book seems interesting
• The music sounds loud
• His ambition becomes true
• I do not feel good
• The house gets haunting
• The girls are beautiful
Noun + Linking Verb + Noun
• My father is a farmer
• We are a student
• The room is empty
Noun + Verb + Noun + Noun
• He finds me a student
• Everyone considers him an engineer
• People believe the news a truth
• Police thinks the man a thief
• The fact proves the assumption a reality
• English calls it a dictionary
• My parents name me John
• People elect him a president
• The boss nominates him a manager
Noun + Verb + Noun + Adjective
• The student finds his class empty
• Police supposes the man guilty
• The data prove the accused innocent
• Her behavior makes me confusing
• She keeps me bored
The six patterns of sentence are guide to make correct simple sentence. It will look short and meaningful. If we do not like short sentence, we can combine that each pattern into one long complex sentence
Sentence is a combination of constructed parts of speech into meaningful point. The part of speech which is commonly applied to make a very simple sentence are: noun, verb, linking verb, adjective and adverb. These six parts of speech are the main element of simple sentence.
It is important to remember that English sentence always have a "Predicate". It can be verb or linking verb. English sentences, at least, must consist of Subject and Predicate otherwise it is not a sentence. The following pattern is simple guide to construct sentences
Noun + Verb
• Wind blows
• The birds fly
• The dog barks
• A lamp burns
Noun + Verb + Noun
• A cat catches a bird
• This text confuses me
• The library supplies many books
• The beggar begs some money
Noun + Linking Verb + Adjective
• The baby looks healthy
• The food tastes nice
• The book seems interesting
• The music sounds loud
• His ambition becomes true
• I do not feel good
• The house gets haunting
• The girls are beautiful
Noun + Linking Verb + Noun
• My father is a farmer
• We are a student
• The room is empty
Noun + Verb + Noun + Noun
• He finds me a student
• Everyone considers him an engineer
• People believe the news a truth
• Police thinks the man a thief
• The fact proves the assumption a reality
• English calls it a dictionary
• My parents name me John
• People elect him a president
• The boss nominates him a manager
Noun + Verb + Noun + Adjective
• The student finds his class empty
• Police supposes the man guilty
• The data prove the accused innocent
• Her behavior makes me confusing
• She keeps me bored
The six patterns of sentence are guide to make correct simple sentence. It will look short and meaningful. If we do not like short sentence, we can combine that each pattern into one long complex sentence
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
When I was in the 7th grade, I learned the secret to great writing. It had nothing to do with syntax, vocabulary, or sentence structure. The secret was one word,"describe".
When I was 13, I didn't quite understand the importance of my teacher's words when she said, "Don't tell me but show me." That, right there, is the key to great writing.
At some time, we've have heard someone tell a great story. We have sat straight up in our chair. We completely enthralled in his words and movements. With eager eyes, we followed the swing of his hand gestures and noted every swift change of facial expressions. We were like putty in his hands, eating up every word and ready to go wherever the story leds us.
Why does that story affect on us? Well, it's not so much the story itself, but rather the delivery of that story. Anyone can tell a story, but not everyone can make you relive it. A great storyteller puts you in the action of the story, turning a memory, an idea, or a dream into an interactive experience.
In writing, we don't have the option of physical gestures or facial expressions. Everything we do relies on words. Therefore, our words must be powerful enough to stand on their own. They must be strong enough to place the reader in the story; to make them feel as if they are in the very shoes of the one who wrote or experienced it.
As E. L. Doctorow says, "Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." This distinction is what separates writing from good writing. It is what produces an affect on your reader that cannot be easily shaken. Sure, anyone can tell them it's raining, but not everyone can make them feel it.
As a writer, my job is not to make you think of rain, or remember the last time you felt rain, but to have you experience a specific rain -- my rain. No, not the warm, gentle rain that lulls you to sleep at night. Not the cool and refreshing rain that sweeps in the crisp autumn air. The kind of cold rain that bitterly pecks at the back of your exposed neck like a hungry crane. Yes, that kind of rain.
Writing, in essence, is all about communication; and the clearest form of communication comes with detailed description. So if you want to be a good writer, don't just write for the sake of telling a story but write for the opportunity of sharing the experience. Use your words to make your readers feel and experience your story just as you have.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gina_Sare
When I was 13, I didn't quite understand the importance of my teacher's words when she said, "Don't tell me but show me." That, right there, is the key to great writing.
At some time, we've have heard someone tell a great story. We have sat straight up in our chair. We completely enthralled in his words and movements. With eager eyes, we followed the swing of his hand gestures and noted every swift change of facial expressions. We were like putty in his hands, eating up every word and ready to go wherever the story leds us.
Why does that story affect on us? Well, it's not so much the story itself, but rather the delivery of that story. Anyone can tell a story, but not everyone can make you relive it. A great storyteller puts you in the action of the story, turning a memory, an idea, or a dream into an interactive experience.
In writing, we don't have the option of physical gestures or facial expressions. Everything we do relies on words. Therefore, our words must be powerful enough to stand on their own. They must be strong enough to place the reader in the story; to make them feel as if they are in the very shoes of the one who wrote or experienced it.
As E. L. Doctorow says, "Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." This distinction is what separates writing from good writing. It is what produces an affect on your reader that cannot be easily shaken. Sure, anyone can tell them it's raining, but not everyone can make them feel it.
As a writer, my job is not to make you think of rain, or remember the last time you felt rain, but to have you experience a specific rain -- my rain. No, not the warm, gentle rain that lulls you to sleep at night. Not the cool and refreshing rain that sweeps in the crisp autumn air. The kind of cold rain that bitterly pecks at the back of your exposed neck like a hungry crane. Yes, that kind of rain.
Writing, in essence, is all about communication; and the clearest form of communication comes with detailed description. So if you want to be a good writer, don't just write for the sake of telling a story but write for the opportunity of sharing the experience. Use your words to make your readers feel and experience your story just as you have.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gina_Sare
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