7 Tips to Improve Your English Writing Skills
1. Read in English as much as you can.
In a similar way to how listening can improve your speaking, reading can also help to inform your English writing. By reading more in English, you will gain a valuable insight into grammar, vocabulary and proper sentence structure.
Whatever topic you are writing on, it is a good idea to read as many articles, blogs, books etc.. on that topic. For example if you want to write an article on technology, it would be a good idea to read as many tech blogs, magazines etc as you can.
2. Stop using useless words.
In English there are plenty of words that we use on a regular basis which are actually pretty useless. Words like, very and really and rarely actually contribute anything and instead serve only to clutter your writing. Instead of using really/very + adjective, try using extreme adjectives. For example I am very tired would become I am exhausted.
3. Work on your grammar
This one is a pretty obvious one, it almost goes without saying, Good grammar = better writing. This means always using the correct tenses along with punctuation. It is a good idea to proof read your writing at least once to spot for any silly grammar mistakes.
4. Practice writing on a topic
A great exercise if you are new to writing in English is to pick a particular topic and practice writing on it. For example, you could choose a topic like: Travel and set a timer for 5 minutes and write. It doesn’t matter if what you are writing is factually accurate or perfect, the main objective of this is to get you into the mindset of writing in English.
5. Get a native speaker to proofread your work
Believe it or not a lot of good writing comes down proofreading. Unfortunately after you’ve been working on a particular text for a few hours it can be quite difficult to spot errors and little mistakes you have made.
Whilst it can be helpful to leave your work for a day or two before doing a final proofread, it is always better to get a native speaker to have a look over your work for you. Native speakers not only can spot silly grammatical mistakes you have made, but they can also give you tips on how to make your work sound more natural and colloquial.
6. Go slowly...
This one is incredibly important, especially when you are just getting used to writing in English. Make a real effort to take your time in order to make sure that the grammar and phrasing are correct. As you write more you will eventually gain fluidity and be able to write quicker, however this comes with time so it is important not to be too impatient!
7. Join an Online Writing Community
Nowadays there are tons of websites where you can share your writing and receive feedback from other native speakers. One example of this is HelloTalk, on this website you can practice writing with native speakers from around the world.
Contributing to online message boards like Reddit for example are also a great way to practice your writing with other native speakers. Subreddits like r/EnglishLearning or r/IELTS will have tons of native speakers who are happy to proofread and offer feedback on your work.
I hope that you have found these tips helpful. Remember it is important to be patient if you are just starting out, you most likely won’t be a wordsmith overnight but with time you will start to see big improvements in your writing!
