HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING SKILL

1

Write. 

It's as simple as that. To get good at something, you have to do it. You have to do it over and over and over. So write. Every day. It can be a diary entry, it could be your next bestseller; it doesn't really matter. Just put that pen to paper and get going.

• Keep it all in one place. Having a notebook or binder dedicated to your English work will keep you organized and motivated. The better you get, the easier it will be to see your progress. You can look back and marvel at how bad you used to be and how awesome you are now.

2

Get it checked. 

However, it's kinda pointless if you don't ever get it checked or corrected. You want to get better at the entire language, not just the language you're capable of right now. You have two options here:

• The Internet. It's amazing; it really is. Sites like italki.com and lang-8 can correct your work for free! Don't get off wikiHow just yet, but do keep those sites in mind.
• A friend. Obviously. But the great thing about writing is that you can email your friend and wherever they are, they can get it, correct it, and get it back to you. So whether they're a mile away or in the middle of Canada, progress can be had.

3

Add phrases to your vocabulary.

 If you write like a six-year-old, regardless of how correct your writing is, it still is going to sound like a six-year-old. The only difference between a six-year-old with good grammar and a 20-year-old with good grammar is their vocabulary. So whenever you run into a phrase you want to start incorporating into your writing (or speech), write it down. And then make a point to use it.

• A good idea is to start learning collocations. That's a fancy term for words that go together. "Get married" is useful, but "get married to someone" is even better -- that way you know not to say "get married with." If you said you "received a cold," you'd receive some funny looks -- but not if you said you "caught a cold." See how that works?

4

Don't forget the small stuff! 

While knowing a lot of words is all well and good, if you type like this,your writing isn't going 2 look very good u know? Painful. Make sure you have your spaces right, your punctuation right, and use capital letters when appropriate. That stuff matters too.

• Unless you are a 15-year-old girl texting her friends, text speak is not okay. "You" is "you," not "u." "For" is not "4." "2" means something very different than "to" or "too." You won't be winning any medals for writing like that.

5

Utilize the Internet. 

It has practically everything you've ever wanted. Practically. There are websites that have English games, easy-to-read English articles, and exercises to improve your skills in every domain. Here's just a few neat ones to whet your appetite:^[1]

• Anki is flashcard software. Similar things can be found on websites like Memrise, too. You can basically quiz yourself.
• OneLook is a type of dictionary that can find words for you, define them, andtranslate. You only need the, cough cough, one look. It also has a reverse dictionary where you can type in the concept instead!
• Visuwords creates word map visualizations, connecting the word you search with similar, associated words or words that collocate with it. Great way to expand your vocabulary!
• Similar to Visuwords, Merriam Webster has a "visual dictionary." If you type in "tire," it will show you a tire, with words pointing to every little detail of it from "tread" to "bead wire."
• Englishforums is a great place to pose questions and talk to speakers. It's basically message board after message board of English-related questions.

6

Always correct your writing. 

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And by that, we don't mean "get it checked," like stated above. We mean get it checked and then rewrite it. You want a beautiful, finished draft of perfect English created by you. If you just write it and get it corrected, you won't truly ingest what mistakes you made and how to fix them. And this way your notebook is a whole heck of a lot prettier.

• Once you've corrected a piece, try to write something the next day that builds upon the mistakes you've corrected. This way you can prove to yourself that you've improved and actually notice the mistakes you're not making anymore. You'll get better and build your confidence. Bonus.