3 Strategies to Improve Student Writing Instantly Editor's Note: A version of this post first appeared on Techie Teacher and Character Coach. "But Miss Parrish, I can't think of anything to write!" Haven't we all heard similar lines in our classrooms? We see hesitant writers sit with a pencil in their hands and a paper on their desks, almost as if they have been handicapped by the task we asked them to do. How is it that some students have so much to say when talking out loud, but when a pencil is put into their hand they suddenly hesitate, struggle and have nothing to say? The answer is to simply have them produce "writing" without technically "writing" at all. Strategies That Work 1. Have your student stand up while you sit in his or her seat. 2. Identify a way that your students can audio record themselves "speaking" their essay rather than "writing" it. 3. Identify an app or tool that will transcribe speaking into text. Communication Before Craft How have you helped students write without putting pen to paper (or pixel to page)?
List Over 300 Ways to Say » 7 Tips for Formulating the Perfect Five-Paragraph Essay. Do you want to write a five-paragraph essay that makes your mama proud? In case you missed it, here’s the secret ingredient: structure. These seven tips will help you formulate the perfect five-paragraph essay. Start With an Outline Mapping out your essay before you begin writing helps you stay on point. Introductory Paragraph/Thesis StatementFirst ParagraphSecond ParagraphThird ParagraphConclusion Get to the Point In your first few sentences, hook your reader by telling her what she can expect to learn. Good: “Are you a culinary artist who dreams of having her cake and eating it, too? Bad: “First, find a recipe. The second example beats around the bush too much. Forecast Your Arguments in a Thesis Statement Conclude your introductory paragraph with a thesis statement that ties your essay’s three forthcoming arguments together. Good: “Owning your own cake decorating business can lead to artistic satisfaction, job security, and personal freedom.” The second example is too vague.
100 Exquisite Adjectives By Mark Nichol Adjectives — descriptive words that modify nouns — often come under fire for their cluttering quality, but often it’s quality, not quantity, that is the issue. Plenty of tired adjectives are available to spoil a good sentence, but when you find just the right word for the job, enrichment ensues. Subscribe to Receive our Articles and Exercises via Email You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! 21 Responses to “100 Exquisite Adjectives” Rebecca Fantastic list! Plain English writing tips These tips come from the specialists who run our Business Writing workshop.Come on our Business Writing workshop to learn more Consider structure, language, and layout Think about your reader and your purpose for writing. Use verbs to bring your writing alive By changing nouns and noun phrases to verbs, you make your writing shorter and more reader-friendly. Hint: watch out for words ending in '-ion', '-ment', '-tion', '-ance', '-ence', '-ancy', '-ency', ‘ism’, and '-ity'. Examples make provision for = provide give consideration to = consider make an application to = apply Back to top Edit wordy phrases Give every word you use a job to do. in order to = to in respect of = about for the purpose of = to am not in a position to = can’t on two separate occasions = twice pertaining to = about in light of the fact that = because in the course of = during Vary sentence length Aim for an average sentence length of 15–20 words. But vary the length of your sentences, or your writing will become boring.
15 unusual words that make writers swoon In a previous post, I wrote about the value of using simple words in place of complex words. Readers are not impressed by the use of complex words; they're frustrated by them. Though I strive to use simple, clear terms in my own writing, there are some words that I am just dying to use. Archaic, unusual words that I have stumbled upon in fiction. Words that have drawn me in. I like the ways these words sound. If I could only find a way to work them into my next article on surgical checklists. Vex. Example: You take delight in vexing me by deliberately using bad grammar. Portmanteau. Example: That portmanteau will not fit in the overhead bin and must be checked. Naught. Example: Her behavior tends to set propriety at naught. Foible. Example: She loved him in spite of his foibles. Parvenu. Example: He was treated like a parvenu at the country club dinner. Sentinel. Example: Bennett heard a strange noise and asked the sentinel to stay close. Moribund. Beslobber. Nonplussed. Loquacious. Forbear.
12 Useful Websites to Improve Your Writing by Johnny Webber 1. Words-to-Use.com – A different kind of thesaurus. 2. 3. 4. 5. 750words.com – Write three new pages every day. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 20 obsolete English words that should make a comeback | Matador Network | Page 2 Photo: Katherine Hodgson If we all start using them, these words can be resurrected. DURING MY UNDERGRADUATE studies as a Linguistics major, one of the things that struck me most is the amazing fluidity of language. New words are created; older words go out of style. The following words have sadly disappeared from modern English, but it’s easy to see how they could be incorporated into everyday conversation. Words are from Erin McKean’s two-volume series: Weird and Wonderful Words and Totally Weird and Wonderful Words. 1. Verb trans. – “To confuse, jumble” – First of all this word is just fun to say in its various forms. 2. Verb intr. – “To take one’s pleasure, enjoy oneself, revel, luxuriate” – Often I feel the word “enjoy” just isn’t enough to describe an experience, and “revel” tends to conjure up images of people dancing and spinning around in circles – at least in my head. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. For 10 more interesting obsolete words, go to the next page.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay (with Free Sample Essay) Edit Article1,505,774 views 177 Editors Updated 9 days ago Two Methods:Sample Persuasive EssaysWriting a Persuasive Essay A persuasive essay is an essay used to convince a reader about a particular idea or focus, usually one that you believe in. Your persuasive essay could be based on anything about which you have an opinion. Whether you're arguing against the death penalty for school or petitioning for a raise from your boss, the persuasive essay is a skill that everyone should know. Ad Steps Writing a Persuasive Essay 1Give yourself time. 8Proofread and edit. We could really use your help! Can you tell us aboutcar stereos? car stereos how to install a car stereo Can you tell us aboutastrology? astrology how to date a capricorn woman Can you tell us aboutwakeskating? wakeskating how to wakeskate Can you tell us aboutmind hacks? mind hacks how to scare yourself Tips Make sure you know your audience.
Dividing your work into paragraphs Good paragraphs divide up your assignment according to topics or major points. Each paragraph should discuss just one main idea and your reader should be able to identify what the paragraph is about. Each new paragraph should indicate a change of focus.Paragraphs often start with a topic sentence or part of a sentence – a statement which is expanded on in the rest of the paragraph. (Try reading only the first sentence of each paragraph of a newspaper article. You can get a flavour of the key points for the whole text.) Common mistakes Students tend to demonstrate poor paragraphing when they are unclear about what they are trying to say. A common mistake that students make when writing paragraphs is to put in no paragraphs – all of the ideas are jumbled in together and, once again, this leads to a lack of logical progression in the argument (see image below). Some make every sentence into a paragraph, making it a 'bullet point' essay.
40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays 17.7KGoogle +202 1702 2322 25 August, 2014 The secret to a successful essay doesn’t just lie in the clever things you talk about and the way you structure your points. To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. General explaining Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points. 1. Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.” 2. Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. 3. Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.