The Elements of Good Writing

Not everyone is a naturally gifted writer. Writing is a skill that can be practiced and master. In many ways, it is like driving a car. If you have ever driving in another country, you know that some of the rules of the road may be different. Just as the rules for driving differ from country to country. The conventions for writing may change from language to language.

Writing in a different language involves more than mastering its vocabulary and grammar. Language, including written language, is a reflection of the thought patterns of native speakers. In order to write well in a different language, it is important to understand the way native speakers of organize their thoughts.

That is why it rarely works to write something in your native language and then translated into English the words may be in English but the logic organization and thought patterns reflect those of your native language.

To write effectively in English you must conform to the accepted patterns of organization practicing these patterns will put you on the road to becoming a better writer



Getting Ready to Write

Determining Your Attitude Toward Writing

Your attitude toward anything that you do in life greatly affect your success in doing it. Writing is no exception. Think about your attitude toward writing in your native language as you complete the following exercise:

A. Circle the appropriate responses to the following statements about writing in your own language.

Use the following scale:

1 = Strongly Agree

2 = Agree

3 = Neutral

4 = Disagree

5 = Strongly Disagree




a. I enjoy keeping a diary                                                                  1/2/3/4/5

b. I like to write letters to my family and friends                              1/2/3/4/5

c. Writing about my feelings helps me relax.                                    1/2/3/4/5

d. I enjoy working on reports for school and work.                          1/2/3/4/5

e. I enjoy writing personal essays.                                                    1/2/3/4/5

f. I like to write poems stories or songs.                                           1/2/3/4/5

g. I enjoy using email or other social media platforms.                    1/2/3/4/5

h. I like to write to my school or Town Newspaper.                        1/2/3/4/5

i. Writing is a creative outlet for me.                                                 1/2/3/4/5

j. I feel good about my writing ability.                                              1/2/3/4/5

Add up the numbers of each of your answers and put that number in the box.




B. Take the number from the box and divide it by 10. The final number is your average score for the 10 questions. Overall, it will tell you how much you like to write. The closer your score is to 1, the more you like to write. The closer your score is to 5, the less you like to write.

C. Based on your answers what general conclusions can you make about your attitude toward writing in your native language?

D. What kinds of things do you enjoy writing about?



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