Part One: Understand your audience

You should ask yourself some questions before you writing:

  • Who are you writing for?

    friend/colleague/teacher/manager/examiner/etc?

  • What are you trying to achieve?

    • Give someone information?
    • Convince somebody of your point?
    • Entertain somebody?
    • Give someone advice?
    • …

  • What does your reader want?

    Why your reader spent his/her time to read what you have writen?

Part Two: Plan your writing

You’d better to list some important information before your writing.

  • What ideas are you going to include?
  • What ideas are you going to leave out?
  • How are you going to organize your ideas?
  • Write your ideas down.

Deciding what to include:

  • Think about your goals.
  • Think about your reader’s needs.

Part Three: Organize your ideas into clear paragraphs

It helps your reader see where you’re going and why, and it helps you to stay focused on your plan and reaching your goal.

Using paragraphs:

  • One main idea per paragraph
  • Don’t try to do too much in one paragraph
  • There’s no minimum length for a paragraph

Part Four: Cut empty words and sentences

Write as little as possible:

  • Don’t use two words if you can use one word.

    very tired –> exhausted

    as a result –> consequently

    on the other hand –> nevertheless

    This will improve (get better) in the future.

Part Five: Use short, simple sentences where possible

  • Short sentences are easier to read and understand.
  • 10 words is a good target
  • 20+ words could be dangerous
  • Don’t use the passive voice unless you need to
  • Put your subject at the start of the snetence
  • Don’t use relative clauses unless you really need to
  • Consider breaking longer sentences into shorter ones
  • and, or, but …
  • Use longer, more complex sentences only if you can’t express your idea in a simpler way.

Recerence

How to Improve Your English Writing - English Writing Lesson