{"id":14631,"date":"2023-02-19T09:09:52","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T16:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"<!-- wp:image {\"id\":14636,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/d3c1yyje0uguxm.cloudfront.net\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"How to impr"},"modified":"2023-02-19T09:13:28","modified_gmt":"2023-02-19T16:13:28","slug":"how-to-improve-your-written-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-your-written-english\/","title":{"rendered":"How to improve your written English"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"words-head\" id=\"words-1665716924\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5017566440575750\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5017566440575750\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3340569236\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/d3c1yyje0uguxm.cloudfront.net\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"How to improve your written English - wordscoach.com\" class=\"wp-image-14636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/How-to-improve-your-written-English-wordscoach.com_.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">How to improve your written English<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-red-color\">DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS? DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO WRITE CORRECT SENTENCES WITHOUT IT BEING A PAINFUL TASK?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Here are some tips for improving your written English:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">1. Read, read, read<\/mark><\/strong><br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re not alone. \u201cRead more\u201d is so often suggested for better writing because it works! Reading introduces you to new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/vocabulary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vocabulary<\/a>, interesting word choices and beautiful phrases that you can use in your own writing. Don\u2019t worry about what you \u201cshould\u201d read. The point is to read widely and often. Novels, non-fiction, blogs, news articles, magazines \u2013 if it\u2019s written (and written well), read it!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>2. Ban these words<\/strong><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To propel your writing into another world, ban these baddies from your work:&nbsp;<em>very, really, quite, good, got, stuff,<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>things<\/em>. You might wonder how deleting a few simple words could help your writing so much. Well, the fact is that these are useless words. They don\u2019t communicate strongly and without them, your text will mean the same \u2013 and read far better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bonus tip:<\/strong>&nbsp;Replace \u201cvery\/really + adjective\u201d with an \u201cextreme adjective\u201d.&nbsp;<em>Very hungry<\/em>&nbsp;becomes&nbsp;<em>ravenous<\/em>. To&nbsp;<em>run really fast<\/em>&nbsp;becomes to&nbsp;<em>sprint<\/em>.&nbsp;<em>Really dirty<\/em>&nbsp;becomes&nbsp;<em>filthy<\/em>. There are hundreds of these adjectives to use when writing.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">3. Use a thesaurus<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After you\u2019ve removed useless words from your writing, it\u2019s time to choose excellent replacements. This is where your new best friend, the thesaurus, comes in. Use it to exchange words you use too often for more interesting, suitable or advanced alternatives. (For example: cloth &gt; fabric; money &gt; cash; change &gt; alter; happy &gt; glad; decorate &gt; embellish; improve &gt; enhance.) Avoiding common or beginner\u2019s vocabulary individualizes your text and makes it sound more sophisticated. However, be careful not to go overboard! Your writing still has to read naturally and make sense to your chosen audience.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">4. Use and notice collocations<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Collocations are words which tend to go together even though other word combinations are also grammatically correct. Think of the English collocation \u201cheavy rain\u201d. Grammatically, you could use \u201cstrong rain\u201d \u2013 but it sounds strange to accustomed ears. Other collocations include weak tea (not feeble tea), excruciating pain (not excruciating joy), tall trees (not high trees), buy time (not purchase time), and fast cars (not quick cars) among&nbsp;<em>many<\/em>&nbsp;others. Becoming familiar with typical collocations makes your writing sound more natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To increase your awareness of collocations, begin with a base word \u2013 such as make, do, get, break, tell \u2013 and research associated collocations. You could also begin with a \u201ctype\u201d of collocation and memorize a few examples. Some types are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Adverb + adjective (completely satisfied, widely available, bitterly disappointed)<\/li><li>Adjective + noun (strong coffee, heavy traffic, severe weather)<\/li><li>Verb + noun (commit suicide, do your homework, make amends)<\/li><li>Noun + noun (a surge of anger, liquor licence, panic attack)<br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">5. Know your audience<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When writing, it\u2019s super important write&nbsp;<em>for<\/em>&nbsp;your audience. Think about it: You use different language when updating your CV than when writing a university essay or article for your personal blog. Essentially, the difference is your tone and choice of words. So before tapping out any old text, consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is your text more formal, such as a university application letter, employment cover letter or essay? These texts are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Usually complex, with longer sentences and more thoroughly explored points<\/li><li>Less emotional and not designed to move the reader<\/li><li>Typically written with expanded words (can not, would not have, television)<br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, you might be writing something informal, like a blog post, personal letter or marketing copy. In that case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>You can use simpler language and shorter sentences to break down your ideas<\/li><li>Include contractions and abbreviations (such as can\u2019t, wouldn\u2019t have, TV)<\/li><li>Use colloquial language and write as if you were speaking directly to the reader (this includes slang terms, figures of speech, asides and personal pronouns (I, you, my, your\u2026)<\/li><li>Experiment with empathy and emotion<br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">6. Prefer active over passive language<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For clearer, more concise writing, it\u2019s generally better to use the active voice rather than the passive. (Just look: \u201cThe shark bit the surfer,\u201d is clearer and somewhat more evocative than \u201cThe surfer was bitten by the shark\u201d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there are often good reasons to use the passive voice \u2013 such as when talking authoritatively (\u201cChildren are not allowed to swim without an adult,\u201d) or to tactfully avoid the subject (\u201cThe cause of the confusion was unknown\u201d), &nbsp;you should avoid using it in excess.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">7. Don\u2019t write in a vacuum<\/mark><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s extremely difficult to learn alone \u2013 so be brave and ask for feedback on your writing. Good proofreaders are native English speakers with an interest in writing and language, or non-native speakers with an advanced level. After your proofreader has checked your work, implement their advice and ask for a final review before submitting or publishing your piece.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS? DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO WRITE CORRECT SENTENCES WITHOUT IT BEING A PAINFUL TASK?<\/p>\n<p>How to improve your written English<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[251,26],"tags":[12329,12325,662,12326,12328,12322,12327,12323,12324],"class_list":["post-14631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing-2","category-english","tag-english-writing-skills","tag-how-to-improve-english-writing-skills","tag-how-to-improve-writing","tag-how-to-improve-writing-skills-in-english","tag-how-to-improve-your-english-writing-skills","tag-how-to-improve-your-written-english","tag-how-to-write-in-english","tag-improve-english-writing","tag-improve-your-english-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}