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There is no way to improve writing skills and grammar once and forever. Both ENL and ESL students struggle to write better, write deeper, write with fewer mistakes. More of it, every great writer you admire had an editor after all. Becoming better in writing is a road worth taking, but it is also not an easy road. Today, we want to share tips on the necessary steps to take if you’re going to see gradual improvement both in the quality of your writing and your grades for essays and other academic assignments. Some of these tips will sound familiar. We bet you have heard them many times, but don’t discard them for this. For tips to work, you need to actually implement them, not just hear about them.
ways to work on your grammar and writing skills
Read more. From the moment you receive your first essay assignment to the moment you write your Ph.D. dissertation, you will receive this advice from teachers and professors, writers, editors, authors of such articles as this one. Reading makes you a better writer for several reasons. First, you learn new phrases. You see how words are written and which words are used in which context. Second, you broaden your horizon and have more associations, which means your own essays become richer in sense and context.
Make notes when reading. While we tend to rely on our memory, the amount of information we have to face every day makes us dumber in remembering things and recalling them at needed times. That is why if you stumble upon some valuable idea, interesting phrase, useful reference — note it down immediately. In ten minutes, your mind will be already preoccupied with something else. You can keep notes both in digital and hardcopy form — whatever is more convenient for you. If you have some ideas while reading, use a voice recorder, it is faster and saves your ideas unedited and pure.
Don’t ignore grammar manuals. It may seem that you know theory in detail, and you only need to practice. But you cannot remember all the grammar rules, and it is a good idea to go back to grammar manuals once in a while. While there are lots of good websites, heavily printed guides can still take a valuable place at your work table.
Pay attention to your previous assignments. It is very difficult indeed to go back to the assignments, especially when they are not favorably marked. It is not pleasant to see your mistakes and comments made by a professor. Unfortunately, it is one of the best ways to improve your writing skills and grammar. There are so many rules and so many mistakes, but you will see patterns inherent only to you if you keep reading previous assignments. Start improving them, and you will see how your grades get better along with your writing.
Read every abstract out loud. It may seem a little strange, but it is a great way to find mistakes and weak sentences. Reading loud, we see text differently. We also hear it, which gives a better, fuller understanding. Track your breaths — one sentence should not require more than one not too deep breath. If you feel like you lack air in the middle of a sentence, it is time to cut it in half or more.
Write in your leisure time. Writing should not be just an annoying obligation. Once you manage to make it a part of your leisure time, you will get better in it. Writing for fun, don’t edit, don’t check for mistakes even — focus on writing as a process. The habit is built with hours you spend doing something day after day. It can be a blog, a diary, morning pages, letters, not messages, to friends and relatives, etc.
Find a writing partner. A writing partner is more than a pen friend. You can make brief calls to discuss the assignments, draft some ideas, share the most interesting and up-to-date sources, even proofread each other’s papers sometimes. Having a writing partner can help you to stay motivated and beat a writer’s block once in a while.
Plan your writing, use outlines. Spare an hour on Friday to plan your writing routine for the next week. This way, when the week starts, you will not lose time. Also, plan the papers themselves using outlines. They are not required for essays, but it is good to have them as a firm base.
Work in timespans. Don’t trick yourself into thinking that you can just write for eight hours in a row. Maximum semi-efficient working days lasts 6 hours, 4 of which you actually can concentrate on quality writing. But this is not it. You also cannot work 4 hours in a row. To keep your attention span intact and not to lose productivity too fast, work in smaller timespans. The best technique is the Pomodoro technique. You work 25 minutes, make a 5-minute break, and then work another 25 minutes. Once you are done with four periods, get a 20-minute rest. Even if those rests at first seem like a waste of time, you will appreciate their effect rather soon.
How not to give up on getting better in writing?
Improving writing skills and grammar is a process, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will result in better grades right away. That’s why, not to get overwhelmed and give up, you need to think about delegating some of your writing tasks. Choose a reliable yet affordable essay writing service, such as CheapWritingHelp.com, place an order, and get a quality composed paper before the deadline. You can also use the received paper for the primary goal — getting better in writing. Analyze the text, its structure, used terms and wordings, note down some well-stated arguments and sources you can use later. Quality writing services hire experienced writers, and learning from the best, and the brightest can serve you well.
