Webster's Word Power Better English Writing. Improve Your Writing Power PDF
Preview Webster's Word Power Better English Writing. Improve Your Writing Power
BETTER ENGLISH WRITING The aim of this book is to help you write clearer and more concise English – whether you are writing emails or writing a thesis. By the time you have finished this book, you will have learned tips and techniques to improve your written English and make it more readable and interesting. You will be able to write clearly and effectively, and to come across in a memorable and professional way. The book contains six main chapters. These are as follows. Better writing for every day This chapter gives you some general advice to help you write better English – whatever that type of writing is. It covers the importance of plain English, and will help you to apply the principles of plain English to your writing. We have provided some examples of how not-so-plain English can be converted into plain English! We also focus on the importance of editing and revising your writing in this chapter. Even the most professional and gifted of writers edit and revise their work. Writing for learning In this chapter the focus is on writing for learning. You will find out about research and how to tackle writing essays and theses. There are examples of each of these to give you an idea of what is expected. You can apply this information to writing assignments for all sorts of courses – whether you are at school, college, university or doing a distance learning course. Writing for work or business This chapter gives you the advice and support you need to be able to tackle all sorts of writing for work or business – from writing a CV or making a presentation to get the job, through to communicating with customers by email, letter or text. There are examples of each type of writing. Writing for the media Writing for the media involves learning specific writing techniques. If you are interested in writing articles or news items for newspapers, magazines, ezines, websites, TV or radio, then this chapter will help you to understand and apply these techniques. It also looks at interview techniques and house styles, and provides useful examples. Writing creatively This chapter provides an introduction to the different types of fiction and non-fiction writing, and their characteristics. It also gives you advice on composition techniques that you can apply to your own fiction and non-fiction writing. Again, examples are provided to illustrate these techniques. Keep reading and writing! One of the best ways to improve your own writing is by reading other people’s writing. In this chapter, we leave you with some suggestions for material that you should read every day. We also have some suggestions for how you can practise writing regularly – the more you write, the better you’ll get. We hope that you enjoy using this book, and that it will inspire you to produce clear, concise and memorable writing! CONTENTS BETTER WRITING FOR EVERY DAY INTRODUCTION PLAIN ENGLISH What is plain English and why is it important? How to apply plain English to your writing Think ahead – plan and structure your writing Talk directly to your reader – use ‘you’ and ‘we’ Use simple, straightforward words Words and phrases to avoid Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise Use lists to help you manage information Be active, not passive When passive can be useful Avoid nominalisation Tell it like it is! Examples of plain English and not-so-plain English Before After Before After Before After REVISING AND EDITING YOUR WRITING Why it’s essential to revise and edit your writing Leave it and go back to it Revise the big picture Edit the detail AutoCorrect, spellcheckers, grammar checkers and Google Translate – use with caution WRITING FOR LEARNING INTRODUCTION RESEARCH SKILLS What information are you looking for? Where can you find that information? Organising your information Acknowledging sources/copyright References Main text Bibliography Beware of cut and paste and plagiarism ESSAYS The process of writing an essay Planning your essay Structuring your essay Writing the introduction Developing the argument Writing the conclusion THESES/DISSERTATIONS The process of writing a thesis Planning your thesis Structuring your thesis Sections within the structure Title page Abstract Acknowledgements Contents page (can also include lists of tables, illustrations and figures) Introduction The literature review Materials and methods Results/Findings Discussion Conclusions References Appendices WRITING FOR WORK OR BUSINESS INTRODUCTION APPLYING FOR A JOB How to write an effective CV Personal details Education and qualifications Work experience Further information Interests Referees Example of a CV How to write an effective covering letter Role of the covering letter Do your research before you write Format Date Address Greeting Headings Main body of the letter Ending Enclosures Example of a covering letter for a job application How to write a reference Greeting Main body of the letter Conclusion Example of a reference Presentations EMAILS AND TEXTING IN THE WORKPLACE General approach Style and tone Text-speak? Good practice EMAILS AND LETTERS General approach Style and tone House style Good practice Writing emails to customers Example of an email to a customer Writing letters to customers Example of a letter to a customer REPORTS The process of writing a report Planning your report Structuring your report Sections within the structure Title page Contents page Executive summary Introduction Findings Summary and conclusions Recommendations Appendix Staying relevant, objective and factual PRESENTATIONS Planning a presentation Purpose Audience Venue Remit Structuring a presentation Introduction
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