It is easy to write and speak English correctly. In fact, all that you need is 2000 words as part of your vocabulary. Does knowing 2000 odd words make us good writers? Well, not really. You also need to know where to place these words and how to use them correctly.
A good writer will favor smaller and familiar words. If your writing is full of big and unfamiliar words your readers may have a tough time figuring out what you mean. Remember that great writers and scholars have always used simple words. Dictionaries may be bloated with over 500,000 words, but you only need to learn a small fraction of this number.
Why good writing skills matter?
Good writing skills are essential to give the impression that you are professional and intelligent. As you probably know these two qualities are essential for success in the workplace. So how is any writer supposed to write that perfect document or sales copy? Well, the following tips will help anybody who wants to write better English.
Know the basics
Messy wordiness will destroy your reputation as a writer. Use short sentences with as many familiar words as possible. Use precise phrasing. If one good action verb is enough to convey the idea why use five adjectives? Also avoid redundancies such as “tiny little” or “annual payments per year.”
Avoid clichés
Clichés tempt all writers, but before you fall into this trap remember that clichés will damage your writing. Readers are often numb to these overused phrases and will skip right past them. If you feel the temptation to use a cliché, think about the message you want to convey with that cliché and try to rephrase it in a more personal way.
Always Proofread
Before you show your writing to the world, proof read it as many times as possible. It is an obvious point, but you will be surprised to find that many writers miss it. Go through your final draft to make sure that every word is spelled correctly, the grammar is perfect and the punctuation is impeccable.
Remember that a misplaced comma or a misspelled word is enough to ruin an otherwise good letter or report.
Use Grammar Corrector tools
Famous writers have human editors to proof read their writing. If you cannot afford that luxury, you should consider investing in a grammar corrector. With the recent developments in information technology, sophisticated grammar corrector tools are available. They may not spot every mistake in your writing, but they are still great writing aids. And by using a grammar corrector tool, you can save precious time spent on proofreading. What's more, these tools improve your overall writing skills. By detecting your mistakes a grammar corrector makes it easier for you to remember these mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future.
