Better English Writing – What Are the 7 Rules That Can Help You Write Better?
Better English writing requires that you follow common rules that have been accepted universally. There are many such rules that you must follow . Though there are areas where flexibility is allowed, the rules enable better presentation and readability.
Some of the common and simple rules require you to:
1. Begin every sentence with a capital letter.
Wrong: the sheep jumped over the fence.
Right: The sheep jumped over the fence.
2. End each sentence with a punctuation mark.
Wrong: Do your children visit you
Right: Do your children visit you?
3. Use capitals for proper nouns.
Wrong: They are members of the golden sands resort.
Right: They are members of the Golden Sands Resort.
4. Avoid short form in formal writing.
Wrong: Please don’t overlook the importance of better English writing.
Right: Please do not overlook the importance of better English writing.
5. Ensure that each sentence represents a complete idea. It must have either a subject or a verb.
6. Use the comma correctly to join a sentence that is made up of two statements that cannot stand on their own.
Wrong: I called her there was no reply.
Right: I called her,but there was no reply.
7. Separate a list of items with a comma unless the list begins with a colon (:).
Wrong: Better English writing is made up of correct grammar spelling and punctuation.
Right: Better English writing is made up of correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Better English writing needs care and concern. You have to ensure that you proofread and check your written work. Have you followed all the rules that apply to your work? While the technical details are important, you must also pay attention to the overall quality of the document. How does it flow? Have your expressed your ideas in a clear and concise manner? Is it suitable for your reader or target audience?
You would be hard pressed to invest time in checking the overall quality of your written work if you are held-up by the technical details. What you need to do is to find enough time to check the overall quality of your work. How can you do this? Does this mean that you have to get someone else to do the routine checks? What are your other options? Learn about one option that has become increasingly popular even with those who are good at writing. Use the option for better English writing and your greater success.
