Below are six key areas
in English every writer needs to pay attention to:
1. Subject-verb agreement/Concord
One defining
characteristic of a good writer is one who has command of subject-verb
agreement, not necessarily one who flaunts "big" words. Start from
the basics – they are, she is, we were, etc. – and build on them. Get a good
grammar book and learn the rules of concord, or click here to learn the rules of concord. The
life of good writing depends on this!
2. Tenses
Tenses tell the times
that certain events happened. As a good user or writer of the English language,
you should be able to describe past, present, and future events in their
appropriate tenses. There are several quality grammar books you can master
tense and aspects from.
3. Punctuation
A good writer knows that
punctuation is as important as the brakes, clutches, and accelerators of cars.
You miss their right usages and you risk your life. Know where to place commas,
periods, apostrophes, hyphens, colons, etc. A misplacement of these marks would
result in different meanings and structures.
4. Vocabulary
To be able to express
yourself very well in written language, one needs a rich vocabulary. A “rich
vocabulary” does not necessarily mean a plethora of "big" words. By
“rich vocabulary,” we mean the appropriate words or phrases to describe thoughts,
actions, people, situations, etc.
5. Idioms
Idioms add colour and
condiments to one's language. They make one's writing sweet and pleasant to
hear. Idioms transform ordinary writing into an excellent one. Get a stash of
idioms and use it in your writing. With time, these idioms will form part of
your style of writing.
READ: How to be a good writer
6. Spelling
Clarity in the spelling
of words eases the understanding of writings. Once you miss the spelling of a
word, it ceases to be the word you intended. Every writer should note this. If
you can't spell a word, don't write it. You can always double check the correct
spelling of words from a trusted dictionary.
© Eric Nuamah Korankye (Hamlet)
© Eric Nuamah Korankye (Hamlet)
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