Writing is one of the basic language skills. The ability to write confidently and naturally, using certain grammatical structures and vocabulary, has a number of advantages, such as the ability to score high on standardized tests such as FCE, CPE, CAE, IELTS, or TOEFL. Such exams usually include assignments for writing essays, letters, and reports. Good writing skills allow you to express more complex ideas concisely and fully, thus improving your communication skills.
There are different kinds of writing skills. With practice, each person can strengthen them. But if you don’t have much time for this and lack writing skills, you can pay for an essay online by Payforwriting.com. It is a great opportunity when you need to deal with paper writing. By using a writing service, you will learn how to cope with your writing assignments properly.
Why do students not like to write?
In order for you to love writing, you need to understand why you don't like it. More often than not, students consider writing tasks to be “difficult.” What is it, and why do they think so?
· Firstly, teachers often give homework assignments. It should be done on your own. And students just don't feel supported or helped by the teacher.
· Secondly, some topics of papers are considered frankly boring by students. Therefore, they are not interested in performing such a task.
· Another reason not to write is the feeling of failure when they are given a written assignment completely covered in red ink.
· The fourth reason is quite obvious. The writing task has no communicative purpose.
Writing essays or other types of writing is usually a prerequisite for formal exams such as FCE, which teenagers often perceive as stressful and failing. This is highly demotivating. And this is another reason why students don’t like writing.
It is not easy to write. Think about how often we have to write continuous impressive prose, especially when text messages and emails prompt us to write concise text. Therefore, it is not surprising that students do not like voluminous writing assignments.
These are just a few common reasons; however, each student may have a different one.
To create a really good text, you need to have different skills. Don't expect yourself to be able to write well right away. Your task is to break these skills into smaller ones and practice them separately. Football players work out shots on goal, dribbling, tactics, etc. They are not asked to just come to the match and play!
Here is what you need to learn so that you can skillfully write large texts:
· correct grammar
· wide vocabulary
· punctuation
· correct presentation of the text
· correct formatting
· spelling
· using different types of simple and complex sentences
· coherent speech
· imagination development
· text planning
· writing a draft
· editing
· communication through text.
Therefore, the tasks proposed below are aimed at developing these skills.
1. Postcards for new friends
You can write to your peer who lives in a distant exotic country. If you are interested in a particular region or city, such as London, adjust your geographic location accordingly. The easiest task is to write your new distant friend a short piece about yourself that will fit on a postcard. You can even make your own postcards in class.
This is a great opportunity to learn the basic openings and closings, which are a major component of almost any form of writing.
2. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is the ability to quickly reproduce sentences with a different grammatical structure and vocabulary while maintaining the meaning and content of the original sentence. The practice of paraphrasing contributes to a better understanding of the nuances of speech and the development of alternative ways of constructing sentences.
Find a sentence, and then capture the gist of what was said and reconstruct the critical elements in the sentence with a new structure.
3. Descriptions
Look at pictures of a busy street in a big city or a well-known landmark of historic architecture or landforms—anything that you are likely to know well. Write questions:
· Who?
· What?
· When?
· Why?
· How?
· How many?
· Where?
Next, write your own descriptions of the images to answer the questions. Some of them may not be suitable - for example, the answer to the question "who?" may not be obvious for a depiction of a deserted island. Come up with creative, out-of-the-box answers to this question.
Tips for improving your writing skills
Take the grammar tests
Even the most experienced writers have problems with grammar, so taking grammar tests or playing special online games is a great way to hone your spelling and sentence structure skills.
Know your audience
Practice writing the same prompt for different audiences and notice how your tone changes. Before you start writing, consider what your audience values and how you can use your word choice and sentence structure to grab their attention.
Read your writing aloud
As you edit, read the text aloud to spot errors you might not otherwise notice. Reading aloud will also help you hear awkward phrases and get an idea of your overall tone and effectiveness.
Change the sentence structure
As you write, try to vary the structure of the sentence to give it a rhythm of writing. The combination of short and long sentences with various literary devices can keep the reader interested and create a natural flow that will accompany them in your writing.
Practice daily
Even if you don't have to write every day at work, practice writing every day. Focus your time on the types of writing you need to improve the most. Give yourself written prompts and challenge yourself to try different skills.
Read regularly
One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read different writing styles daily. The more you become familiar with quality writing, the better you will be able to write great copy on your own. Reading helps to understand how to apply the acquired writing skills.
As you can see, creative writing is really important for developing language skills. And a few of the exercises and tips above will help you focus on the area of writing you need the most help with.