Writing
How to improve your
writing skills
Anna Rothman, Nicolaiskolan, Helsingborg – www.lektion.se
Why do we write?
To communicate with friends (informal writing)
To communicate formally, e.g. with a company
To make our opinions known in a newspaper (letter to the editor)
To leave messages (note)
To tell a story
To keep a personal account of events (a diary, blog etc.)
To sell or publices something in a newspaper (an advert)
To show how to do something (instructions)
To put words to music (lyrics)
To present facts or opinions (essay)
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbleith/3803599149/
What kind of writing do you use the most?
What is important to
think about when it
comes to informal
writing?
What is important to
think about when it
comes to formal
writing?
No matter what kind of text you are going to write
you are expected to use appropriate language for
that king of text. Let’s look into this further.
Informal writing
Everyday language
Short sentences
Slang and colloquialism may be accepted
Use contractions (isn’t, I’d, we’re etc.) and abbreviations (asap)
Be personal
Use verbs in the active form
Use informal language both when starting and ending a letter or an e-mail (Hi Karen, Love Tim)
The message must come through immediately
Formal writing
Use a clear structure and divide your text into paragraphs
Use linking words
Use a varied vocabulary, with complete and varied sentences
Use full forms of words (I have, we are, I would, as soon as possible etc.
Use formal words (instead of using deep use profound for instance)
Be formal and polite
Always use formal greetings and expressions to end a letter or an e-mail (Dear Mrs. Green, Sincerely
yours)
Why is it important to write well?
Something you write becomes a part of yourself – Learning and
processing new knowledge develop your brain capacity.
Writing increases your vocabulary – Really knowing a word means being
able to use it in the correct context. (Passive vs. Active vocabulary)
Writing improves your grammar.
Writing helps you practise your spelling – Always use a dictionary when
you have the chance!!! – Why is spelling important? Find out here!
Spelling – Why bother?
• Spelling is important so that a reader can process the
communication as quickly and easily as possible.
• What happens if you don’t spell correctly? Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
• Have a look at the “spell chequer” here -> It plainly marques four my
Does it make
sense?
*Source unknown
revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a
word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar
write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw
it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew
How to come up with ideas for writing
• A common argument from students is ”I don’t know what
to write – I have no imagination”
 Tips!
 Look around yourself – what in your immediate field of
vision can trigger your imagination?
 Can you think of related things that have happened
recently to yourself or anyone you know of?
 Is the given topic something that does not interest you in
any way? Why?
 Make a mindmap with ideas.
Paella
Gazpacho
Tortilla
española
Flamenco
Real Madrid
Food
Football
SPAIN
ESPEE
Warm climate
Siesta
Sangría
Barça
Linking words
• Linking words are words you use to connect sentences or parts of
sentences. By using linking words you express yourself more clearly and
the reader finds it easier to understand your ideas. The more formal the
text is the more linking words are required.
• Here is a list of useful linking words you can use:
Group 1 – Result linkers (”so”)
Therefore
That is why
For this/that reason
Consequently
hence
Group 2 – Reason/Cause linkers (”because”,
”as”)
Since
As a result of*
In view of*
Because of*
Due to*
Owing to*
Thanks to*
* Must be followed by a noun, a pronoun or an ”ing-form” verb.
Group 3 – Concessive
linkers (”but”)
Though
Even though
Although
While
Whilst
Wheras
Yet
In spite of*
Despite*
Group 4 – Other linkers*
Above all
On the whole
Nevertheless
However
In fact
Still/even so
Otherwise
On the one hand
On the other hand
At the same time
Moreover
What is more
In addition
Besides
Apart from
Hardly
* These are just a few examples of linking words. Ask your teacher for more!
*These linkers should be followed by a comma if they come at the beginning of a statement. Sometimes if they come in the
middle of a sentence, we put commas both before and after.
• Tip! Do not confuse:
What’s more, moreover and in addition
with
Besides
•
What’s more, moreover and in addition add extra information.
Example: I reckon this is the car I should buy as it’s cheap enough and not really so
old. What’s more, it’s just been re-sprayed.
•
Besides adds another argument that is shown as being stronger than the other
ones mentioned.
Example: I reckon this is the car i should buy as it’s not so old, and it’s just been resprayed. Besides, it’s the only one I can afford.
•
Note that besides can also be used as a preposition, in which case it must take an
ing-form verb.
Example: Besides having the right price, what attracted me to the car was its new
re-spray.
Try to learn as many linking words as possible! Use them
in writing as well as speaking. This will help you improve
your English instantly. The more you force yourself to
write academically with advanced language, the more
natural it will come to you and in the end you will not
even think about it!
Have a look at the following two sentences:
 She felt weak after her illness, but she turned up for the
exam and managed to pass.
 She felt weak after her illness; nevertheless, she turned up
for the exam and managed to pass.
Which one looks more professional to you?
WORKSHOP
Write a story about anything. Use one of the
phrases below to start off your text. Try to use as
many linking words as possible. In a normal
situation you might not use as many in one place,
but this is for practicing, so that you get used to
using them.
The day I found…
used to say…
My great grandfather always
When she opened the refrigerator…
finally…
After three years of searching ge
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomgauld/3397589927/ (Tom Gauld)
How to organize your text
Depending on what kind of text you write, there are different guidelines to
follow. But here are some basic rules that you are to follow in amost every case:
Title – Doesn’t have to be a full sentence.
Introduction – What is the main purpose of the text?
Divide the text into paragraphs – Each new paragraph deals with a new idea.
Summarise/Conclude the text before ending it .
What do we assess?
Contents - depth
Imagination – Variation
Idiomatic expressions
Linking words
Spelling
Grammar
Sentence structure – Basic vs. Use of subclauses etc.
Focus: Writing English A
Mål och bedömningskriterier enligt Kursplan 2000
Mål att sträva mot
Skolan skall i sin undervisning i engelska sträva
efter att eleven
• utvecklar sin förmåga att kommunicera och
• interagera på engelska i skiftande
• sammanhang kring varierande frågor och i
• olika situationer
• förfinar sin förmåga att uttrycka sig i skrift
• i olika sammanhang samt utvecklar sin
• språkliga medvetenhet och kreativitet
• utvecklar sin förmåga att analysera och
• bearbeta språket mot allt större tydlighet,
• variation och formell säkerhet
Betygskriterier
Mål som eleverna skall ha uppnått efter
avslutad kurs
Mycket väl godkänd
• Eleven skriver med sammanhang och variation,
• använder språkets ord och strukturer med säkerhet
• samt kommunicerar skriftligt med anpassning
• till olika mottagare
Eleven skall
• kunna formulera sig i skrift för att
• informera, instruera, argumentera och
• uttrycka känslor och värderingar samt ha
• förmåga att bearbeta och förbättra den egna
• skriftliga produktionen
Godkänd
• Eleven skriver med klart och tydligt språk, såväl
• personligt hållna meddelanden, berättelser och
• reflexioner som sammanfattningar som har att
• göra med egna intressen och egen studieinriktning
Väl godkänd
• Eleven skriver brev, kommentarer och sammanfattningar
• till inhämtat stoff på ett tydligt och
• informativt sätt och med anpassning till några
• olika syften och mottagare.
Bedömningsfaktorer vid skriftlig produktion
Följande faktorer är avsedda att vara till hjälp vid bedömningen.
•
Vilja och förmåga att använda språket
i skrift för att uttrycka ett innehåll
•
Innehåll
-
idérikedom/fyllighet
anpassning till ämne och innehåll
sammanhang, struktur och klarhet
•
Språk
-
flyt och ledighet
strategisk kompetens (förmåga att komma runt svårigheter) och flexibilitet
vokabulär, idiomatik och fraseologi (bredd och variation)
grammatisk kompetens
meningsbyggnad
stavning
Summary - Conclusion
Practise your writing a lot so that you improve your writing.
Try to use the tips in this lecture. This will force you to think a lot more about the way you write.
Have patience and remember that writing is a process. It takes time and you need to put an effort into
it!
A text is never finished . It can always be polished and revised so that the reader gets more out of it and
remember…
…it is not quantity that matters – it is quality!
Have fun while practising your writing skills 
Useful links
•
•
•
RMIT University,
http://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/4_WritingSkills/00writingskills.ht
m (A great page with lots of tips!)
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/
http://www.meredithsuewillis.com/writingexercises.html
List of references
Core English 2 (2009) Gustafsson, J., Hjorth, M., Kinrade, E., Bonnier
Utbildning AB, Stockholm
English your way – Student’s Manual, (1996) Aldeborn, E. & Ågren L.,
Ekelunds Förlag AB, Solna
Revving up writing (2002) Persson, L., Liber AB, Stockholm
Pictures are taken from www.flickr.com and licensed through Creative
Commons
Photography is private. (Anna Rothman)
Anna Rothman, Nicolaiskolan, Helsingborg – www.lektion.se