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Established since 1993

STUDYING TIPS

(Copyright of Author:  Bibi Baxter)

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WRITING SKILLS

GENERAL & BUSINESS

THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

• Good Written English: What to omit

• Good Written English: What to include

• Business Letters

• How to consolidate new vocabulary

More Tips by Bibi Baxter

• Speaking Tips

• Listening Tips

• Reading Tips

• Writing Tips

• Exam Tips

• Grammar Overview

• ALSO:  

  • Free ESL/EFL Exercises & Vocabulary Lists by Bibi

  • Spelling Practice (Joke:  Proposed EU Spelling Changes)

(With gratitude to Frances English for pointing out an error on this page)

GOOD WRITTEN ENGLISH

WHAT TO OMIT

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1. DO NOT USE Phrasal verbs,  when other words are possible (eg: put up with = tolerate, etc.)

2. DO NOT USE Slang (eg: 'cool' meaning 'interesting', 'good', 'useful' etc.) 

3. DO NOT USE Contractions (eg: don't = do not, etc.)

4. DO NOT USE Overworked verbs, eg: 

• Use WALK, RUN, DRIVE,TRAVEL, etc. instead of GO (He went by car to London/He drove to London)
• Use FETCH, CATCH (an illness), UNDERSTAND (I don't get it), instead of GET, etc.

5. DO NOT begin sentences with SO, AND, BUT, BECAUSE.  These are conjunctions which should be used to join sentences (known as clauses).  

Examples:  

• The children were hungry, so they made some sandwiches. 

• The family went to the beach and looked for a comfortable spot to sit down.

• She found her bag, but her purse was not in it.

• He was angry with her, because she had told him a lie.

NB:  There is no comma before AND

5. DO NOT end sentences with prepositions (eg: He wanted to know who she was speaking to.  SHOULD BE: He wanted to know to whom she was speaking.)

6. DO NOT USE Symbols as opposed to words (eg: &/and)

7. DO NOT USE Short abrupt sentences with the same subject. The following example is grammatically correct, but not sophisticated enough for good written English:-

• A boy came in. His name was John. He was thin. His hair was curly.   BETTER TO WRITE:-

a) A thin boy with curly hair came in;  his name was John. or  b) A thin, curly-haired boy came in whose name was John. 

 

GOOD WRITTEN ENGLISH

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Good written English contains:-

1. A combination of passive and active sentences

(eg: When I arrived, the flowers were being watered, so  I watched the gardeners for a while.) 

2. Vocabulary of Greek and Latin origin in preference to vocabulary of Germanic origin where possible.  This is because, single syllable words are used to simplify sentences for children;  they are therefore considered "easy" vocabulary in contrast with multi-syllable words.  

For example:

• BETTER TO SAY:  We often visit the park IN PREFERENCE TO: We often go to the park.

* GO is a verb which is regularly over-used. (GET is another over-used verb) 

3. Certain French/Latin phrases used in accepted ways.  

Examples:- 

• The place had a certain:  Je ne sais quoi. (= something special)
• "Bon Voyage," she said, kissed him and left the port. (= Have a good journey)

4. Accepted Latin phrases (eg: ad hoc, ad lib, etcetera,) 

• Jennifer works on an ad hoc basis (= She works from time to time as required)
• The actor forgot his words, so he ad-libbed. (=He used his own words instead.)
• What are you taking on holiday? Socks shoes, swimming costume, passport, towels, pyjamas, etcetera. (=and so on)

NOTE:  A good dictionary will give a list of well-known phrases.

5.  Advanced constructions containing participle clauses and relative clauses, etc.  Examples:-

Participle Clause:-

• Knowing how dangerous the dog could be, she took a different route.

Relative Clause:-

• The woman from Scotland, who has already walked 100 miles for charity, intends to cover another 1000 miles.

BUSINESS LETTERS

In addition to the above section on good written English, Business English contains specifically worded sentences, many of which use the conditional tense for added politeness and mixed conditional constructions (see example 2).

Typical Examples:

1. I would be grateful if you would* please send me details of your product.
2. If you are able to provide a delivery date before the end of this year, we would be happy to place an order without delay.
3. Further to our telephone conversation, I (wish/would like) to confirm that my company would be pleased to negotiate a price with you.

*  IMPORTANT GRAMMAR POINT: In conditional sentences, IF should never be followed by WOULD.  Certain business English constructions are exceptions to this rule. (See example 1 above)

HOW TO CONSOLIDATE NEW VOCABULARY 

The more you use new vocabulary, the more it will become imprinted upon your memory.  Nevertheless, it is necessary to expand your use of the vocabulary gradually, so do not be too ambitious at first. 

 FOR EASY PRACTICE

• try creating the wording for:

·         short notes

·         advertisements

·         posters for shows, films, etc.

·       try

 FOR MORE CHALLENGING PRACTICE

• try writing:

·         Short stories

·         4-line rhyming verse

·         advertising jingles

·         an informal letter (about this website)

  FOR MORE DIFFICULT PRACTICE, TRYING WRITING:

·         Business Letters

·         Formal Letters

·         Reports (Business, Local Issues, International Issues, Descriptions of Events)

·         Lyrics to fit instrumental music  

USEFUL EXTERNAL LINKS

• Send a greetings card to your friends in English

• Corrections Online