I.

Essential Writing Skills

1. Using Precise and Appropriate Vocabulary

Vocabulary selection can either elevate or hinder the clarity and impact of your writing. The
key is precision. Instead of using vague or overused adjectives, focus on those that convey
your ideas more accurately.

Example 1:

● Vague: "The movie was good."

● Improved: "The movie was captivating."

By choosing "captivating," the sentence communicates a more specific reaction. Words like
“good” or “nice” are too general to carry much meaning.

Tip:

● Synonym awareness: Be careful when substituting words using a thesaurus. Some

synonyms carry different connotations. For instance, "slim" vs. "skinny": "Slim" often
has a positive connotation, while "skinny" may imply undernourishment or frailty.

Example 2:

● Weak: "The weather was bad."

● Improved: "The storm was violent."

"Violent" is a much stronger and vivid adjective than "bad," allowing the reader to visualize
the intensity of the storm.

Additionally, mastering descriptive vocabulary and recognizing tone are essential in

advanced writing. Consider the impact of neutral, positive, and negative tones on how
your reader perceives the text.

2. Subject-Verb Agreement

This is a fundamental grammatical rule but often overlooked. The subject of a sentence must
agree with its verb in number and person.

Basic Example:

● Incorrect: "The team are playing well."

● Correct: "The team is playing well."
In the first sentence, "team" is treated as a singular noun even though it refers to a group of
people, so the verb "is" must be singular. Subject-verb agreement errors become more
frequent with compound subjects and complex sentence structures.

Complex Example:

● Incorrect: "The coach, along with the players, are planning to leave."
● Correct: "The coach, along with the players, is planning to leave."

In this sentence, "coach" is the main subject, and "is" must agree with it, not with "players."

Tip:

● Intervening phrases/dependent clauses: Be cautious of intervening phrases (such

as "along with," "as well as," or "in addition to") between the subject and verb. The
subject will always dictate the verb, not these added phrases.

3. Maintaining Tense Consistency

A common mistake is switching tenses without purpose. This confuses the reader and
disrupts the flow of your writing. Let’s break it down.

Simple Example of Tense Switching:

● Inconsistent: "She walks into the room, looked around, and notices the book."
● Corrected: "She walks into the room, looks around, and notices the book." (Present
tense)
OR:
"She walked into the room, looked around, and noticed the book." (Past tense)

When you begin in one tense (present, past, or future), you should continue in that tense
unless you have a logical reason to shift.

Complex Example of Tense Misalignment:

● Incorrect: "When she had finished her homework, she goes out to meet her friends."
● Correct: "When she had finished her homework, she went out to meet her friends."

In this case, "had finished" is in past perfect, so the following action should also remain in
the past tense.

Tip:

● Understanding the nuances of continuous tenses: Use continuous tenses to

show ongoing actions at a specific time.
○ Present continuous: "I am writing my essay now."
○ Past continuous: "I was writing my essay when you called."
○ Future continuous: "I will be writing my essay tomorrow afternoon."
Tense consistency becomes particularly important when you are moving between actions
that happen at different times but are connected in a story or analysis.

4. Spelling and Word Choice Pitfalls

Spelling mistakes are often overlooked, but they significantly affect the professionalism and
clarity of your writing. Certain homophones (words that sound the same but have different
meanings) and easily confused words tend to be frequent culprits.

Common Errors:

● Affect vs. Effect:

○ "The weather affects my mood."
○ "The effect of the storm was devastating."
● Lose vs. Loose:
○ "I always lose my keys."
○ "The dog is running loose in the yard."

Tip:

● Contextual proofreading: Don’t rely entirely on spell-checkers. Always read your

work in context. Spell-check will not catch the difference between "affect" and "effect"
if both are spelled correctly but misused.

5. Sentence Clarity and Conciseness

Students often write sentences that are overloaded with ideas, resulting in a lack of focus
and clarity. The key to good writing is conciseness—removing unnecessary words and
splitting up long-winded sentences.

Example of a Rambling Sentence:

● Original: "I went to the store, bought apples, oranges, bananas, and milk, and then I
met my friend and we went to the park to play soccer, and we stayed there for a long
time before going home."

This sentence contains too many unrelated ideas. Here's a clearer version:

● Improved: "I went to the store to buy apples, oranges, bananas, and milk. Then I met
my friend, and we played soccer at the park before heading home."

Tip:

● Avoid run-on sentences: Run-on sentences happen when two or more independent
clauses are incorrectly joined.
○ Run-on: "It was raining, I didn’t bring an umbrella."
○ Fixed: "It was raining, so I didn’t bring an umbrella."
 ● Use punctuation strategically: Periods, semicolons, and commas give your writing
breathing room and help guide the reader through your ideas.

6. Paragraph Organization

Each paragraph should focus on one main idea, and the flow of ideas should be logical.
Here’s how to structure your paragraphs effectively:

Paragraph Structure:

● Topic Sentence: Introduces the main point of the paragraph.

● Supporting Sentences: Provide evidence, explanations, or examples that develop
the main point.
● Concluding Sentence: Summarizes the main point and links it to the next paragraph
(if applicable).

Example of Disorganized Paragraph:

● Original: "Dogs are loyal pets. Cats can take care of themselves. Dogs are easy to
train. Both dogs and cats can be great companions."

This paragraph lacks focus. Here's a revised version:

● Improved: "Dogs are loyal pets. They form strong bonds with their owners and are
known for their devotion. Unlike cats, dogs rely on human companionship and can be
trained to perform tasks and follow commands, which makes them excellent
companions for many people."

Tip:

● Coherence and unity: Ensure that every sentence in your paragraph relates directly
to the topic sentence. Avoid introducing unrelated ideas within the same paragraph.

7. Creating an Outline Before Writing

Outlining is the backbone of clear writing. Without a roadmap, it’s easy for your thoughts to
become disorganized.

Steps to Create an Outline:

● Introduction: Include a hook and thesis statement.

● Body Paragraphs: List each point you plan to make and the evidence you’ll use to
support it.
● Conclusion: Restate your thesis and summarize your main points.

Example of an Essay Outline:

Topic: The impact of social media on communication.

1. Introduction:
○ Hook: Social media has revolutionized how we connect.
○ Thesis: While social media enhances global communication, it can also
contribute to miscommunication and superficial interactions.
2. Body Paragraph 1:
○ Point: Social media helps people stay in touch globally.
○ Evidence: Discuss the speed and ease of communication.
3. Body Paragraph 2:
○ Point: However, social media can cause misunderstandings.
○ Evidence: Misinterpretation of tone in written messages.
4. Conclusion:
○ Summarize the positive and negative impacts.

Tip:

● Reverse outlining: After writing a draft, create a reverse outline to ensure every
paragraph clearly supports your thesis. This helps in identifying tangents or weak
points in the essay.

8. Composition Skills and Essay Structure

Every essay is made up of three main parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. Each
section must serve a clear function:

● Introduction: Start with an attention-grabbing statement (hook), followed by

background information, and end with a clear thesis statement that outlines the
main argument or purpose of the essay.
● Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should contain one central idea, backed up by
evidence or examples. It’s important to use topic sentences and transitional
phrases to ensure a smooth flow between paragraphs.
● Conclusion: This is where you wrap up your argument, summarizing the main points
and restating the thesis in a new light. Avoid introducing new information in the
conclusion.