In today’s podcast, we’ll give you some useful tips so that you can improve your writing and take it to the next level.
Max from Argentina sent us a link, Speaking of writing well:
Do you remember my audio message some episodes ago? When I told you about Borges… well today I found this article, so I must share it with you! I hope you find it interesting.
Voice message from Juan from Argentina
Juan has passed the C1 exam
The podcast has stood him in good stead
How can you write better in English?
https://www.englishcraig.com/
How to write better English
Write (and read) regularly in real life – a variety of genres and styles: creative writing, factual writing (e.g. forums), formal English (e.g. emails asking for information, emails to a newspaper), informal English (e.g. emails to friends/penpals, emails to magazines/clubs/interest groups, , Facebook groups, forums organized around your hobbies, blog posts, etc.)
Analyse the writing of your favourite English authors. What makes their writing so engaging?
If you’re writing in reply to instructions or in reply to another person’s correspondence, make sure you address all the relevant points and answer any questions or doubts.
Always plan what you’re going to write before writing the final version. To help generate content, ask yourself questions to cover in your writing: what, why, where, who, when, how, etc.
Always be aware of who the target reader is (supposed to be). This should inform your choice of register (formal/informal/serious/funny/technical/simple/etc.)
Expand your vocabulary and use some less common words.
Avoid repetition and use a variety of collocations, adjectives, which could have many possible synonyms, idioms and expressions to keep your writing interesting. Use a thesaurus like https://www.thesaurus.com/
Get feedback (ideally from a teacher, or from peers, forums and AI tools)
Edit and revise your writing with a critical eye. Modify or omit unclear or unnecessary phrases. Writing less but including all the information is harder and takes more effort than using lots of words, but will stop your target reader/examiner from getting bored.
“I would have written a shorter letter to you, but I didn’t have time.” – Hemingway
Perfect your grammar and proofread your writing for spelling and punctuation. Use AI tools like Grammarly https://www.grammarly.com/ ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com/ and Cambridge’s AI website https://writeandimprove.com/ but don’t rely on them. Always double-check AI suggestions with different sources.
Develop a writing habit/routine (diary, journal, blog)
Don’t confuse writing with speaking. We rarely write the way we speak.
Develop a Unique Voice: Find your own writing voice. It’s the distinctive way you express yourself that sets you apart.
Read your writing aloud: Reading your writing aloud can help you identify awkward phrasing, clunky sentences, and areas that need improvement.
Use rhetorical questions to engage your readers and make them think.
Use metaphors and similes to make your writing more vivid and memorable.
Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas and make your writing flow smoothly.
…and now it’s your turn to practise your English.
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Welcome to our new Patreon supporters who have joined us this month:
Pau Romero Ruiz
Fátima
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Annie
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Juan Carlos Rodado
In next week’s episode: Expression with BEAR
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The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’