http://www.thinkib.net/englishalanglit/page/9671/8-writing-tips --------> link of the activity
Tip 1: don't use too many clauses at the beginning of a sentence.
With this tip, the corrected letter is easily to read, because it is more fluid, so at the same time it is more interesting because it hasn't an excessive number of clauses at the beginning of the sentences. So, in a short way, the ideas in the corrected letter are joined without the clauses that are not necessary, so they put all the ideas in one sentence.
Original Letter: "Over the past six years, each morning, as soon as my students walk in the door… I am so happy to see them again and see my classroom take on life again."
Corrected Letter: "Each morning for the past six years, I have been happy to see my students walk through the classroom door."
Without the clauses separated by comas ("as soon as") the reading is more fluid and easily to read, because the ideas are related without these clauses so we can understand them in overall.
Tip 2: Avoid 'it' as the subject of a sentence.
This tip is very important when you write a text. When the use of the pronoun "it" is reiterated, the text looses seriousness and formality. Also when "it" is repeated so much times, the text is weaker. So, without the reiterated use of this pronoun and the use of the noun, the text is stronger in terms of content.
Original letter: "It feels so natural to me to be a primary school teacher."
Corrected Letter: "Being a primary school teacher comes so naturally to me."
In this case the pronoun is not replacing a noun, but without the "it" the text acquires consistency and is stronger.
Tip 3: use the right verb tense
The correct use of the verb tense is fundamental, because it also makes the text stronger but, more important, the bad use of the verbe tense makes the text more diffcult to the reader to understand.
Original letter: "Yet for the past few months I am longing for and thinking about a new personal challenge"
Corrected letter: "Nevertheless for the past few months I have been contemplating a new personal challenge"
In the corrected letter the correct use of the verbe tense was used, which makes the sentence understandable. Also the words were changed, aspect which gives the letter a content with good words, "strong" words.
Tip 4: use (relative) clauses
The use of relative clauses makes the letter more fluid. With the reative clauses, the reading of this one is more continuos and its easier to the reader to connect the ideas that are linked by the relative clause.
Original letter: "..it is a relatively young international school and I would like to be a member of a pioneering and ambitious team."
Corrected letter: "it is a relatively young, international school, where I could be part of a pioneering and ambitious team."
In the corrected letter we can appreciate the use of the relative clause "where", linking two sentences. Also the change of the punctuation marks is important in the corrected letter, making a pause before linking the two
sentences.
Tip 5: watch out for wordy sentences
Sentences with a big number of words are gennerally boring, and make the reader loose his/her attention in the content of the sentences. Sometimes the wordy senteces are necessary to explain something, but also there are occasions that they are completely not necessary, and if is one of that occasions, don't use boring and wordy sentences!
Original letter: "Last, I value the fact that the experience of living in Amsterdam and the Netherlands are being used and added to within the multicultural setting of your school, as I think this city and also the Dutch culture have much to offer"
Correted letter: "I also like the fact it is a Dutch subsidised school with competitive fees and open doors to a variety of students."
The corrected sentence is summarized, so we can understand the point easily and no getting bored.
Tip 6: never start a sentence with "but"
Starting sentences with "but" can make the sentence loose seriousness. Taking the "but" out of the sentence make this one have more formality, and look stronger.
Original letter: "But in view of my university education, teaching secondary school students might be a future job possibility to me."
Corrected letter: "In view of my university education, teaching in the secondary school might be a future possibility as well."
The corrected letter, without the "but", has less contradictions and it is more "advanced" in terms of language, to say it in some way.
Tip 7: use parallelisms
Parallelisms are a good way for calling the attention of the reader. They are a stylistic device, so they make the text look more attractive and make the reading more sofisticated. Also, the parallelisms, as a stylistic device, make the
reader want to continue reading the text.
Original letter: "I am an open minded person with excellent social skills. I tolerate pressure easily."
Corrected letter: "As a colleague you will find that I have an open mind, good social skills and an ability to handle pressure easily."
The parallelism is in the way he lists the characteristics that he has. Firstly a quality and then the adjetive. This parallelism makes the reading more interesting and connected, not like the first sentence of the original letter. The parallelism connects the whole idea in one sentence so it is easier to connect the ideas.
Tip 8: use active verbs
Using active verbs, that is to say, the active form of a verb, makes the sentence stronger and centers the attention of the action in the one that is doing it. So the content of the sentence is much stronger.
Original letter: "..value would be added value to your organisation by..."
Corrected letter: "I would add value to your organisation."
So, in the corrected sentence the action is centered in the author, making emphasis on him, that would add value to the organisation. The active form captures the attention of the reader, not like the passive form.
So, in the corrected sentence the action is centered in the author, making emphasis on him, that would add value to the organisation. The active form captures the attention of the reader, not like the passive form.
Summarizing all, all of these tips help us to make the reading of our text more interesting and help us also to capture the attention of the reader, and keep him/her interested on the text. These tips help us to give more formality to the text, make the content stronger, etc. So, in other words, these tips improve our writing in general.
Remember these eight imortant tips in your writing activities!
No comments:
Post a Comment