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1、How to improve your English writing2004-7-1 WhetherforbusinessorforanEnglishtest,KenofferssuggestionsonhowtoimproveyourwritingInschoolsandcollegesinChina,studentslearnthetraditionalstyleofChinesewriting.Thisstyleisliteraryandpoetic.InEnglishspeakingcountries,wehaveadifferenttradition.Thestyleofwriti
2、ngtaughtinourschoolsislesspoeticandmoredirect.Iseethedifferenceveryclearlyamongmystudents.SometimestheymixtheChineseliterarystylewithEnglishwords,andendupwithastrangemixofliteraryChinglishwhichisquiteunsuitedtobusinessandpracticalmatters.WhatcanthelearnerofEnglishdointhissituation?Thekeytogooodbusin
3、esswriting:KeepitsimpleInbusinesswriting,twothingscomebeforeallelse:clarityandbrevity.(Claritymeansbeingclear;brevitymeansbeingbrief.)Goodwritingisvigorousandtothepoint,sokeepyourwords/sentences/paragraphsshort.Shortsentencesandparagraphsaregenerallyeasiertounderstand.Separateyourideasintoshortparag
4、raphs-paragraphsofjustoneortwosentencesareperfectlyokay.Ialsosuggestthatyouavoidusingbigwordsandgrandexpressions.Peoplesometimesuseexpressionslike,atthispresentpointintime.Whattheyactuallymeanisnow.Theythinkthatlongexpressionssoundimportant.Theydonot.Infact,longexpressionsaremorelikelytoconfusethere
5、aderthantoimpresshim.Thewordcurrentlyisalsocommonlyused(oroverused)asawaytosaynow.Avoidcurrentlywheneverpossible.Anotherwordthatisoverusedistherefore.Veryoftenitismeaningless:Weneednewcomputers.Therefore,weshouldgotothecomputerstore.Doesthemeaningsufferifwetakeawaythewordtherefore?Notatall.Asagenera
6、lrule,alwayspickshorter,clearerwordsratherthanlongerones.Avoidtoomanyadjectivesandhighlydescriptivepassages-goforbrevityandclarity,notpoetry.Theyareevenmoreimportantthangrammar-ifyouorganizeyourideasclearlythereaderwillunderstandthem,eveniftheycontaingrammaticalerrors.OmitneedlesswordsLookatthissent
7、ence:Iwouldjustliketopointoutthat,frommyownpersonalperspective,IthinkweshouldconsiderhiringGeorge.20words.Actually6wordsareenough,IthinkweshouldhireGeorge.EvenbetterwouldbeWeshouldhireGeorge.Herewehavereducedthewordsby80%andmadethepointmoreclearly.Wedidthisbyomittingneedlesswords.Nevertellthereadert
8、hatyouaregoingtopointsomethingout-justpointitout.Andtrytoavoidtheobvious:ifsomethingisobviouslyyouropinion,whywriteinmyopinion?Again,theseexpressionsdonotmakeyourwritingsoundimportant.Instead,theymakeitsoundweak.Writeandre-writeProfessionalwritersspendhourseditingandimprovingtheirwork.Afteryouveomit
9、tedneedlesswordsandseparatedyourideasintoshort,mangeblesentences/paragraphs,gothroughitagain.Checkforclarityandcutoutanything,anything,thatisnotnecessary.Letmegiveyouafewexamplesofsentencesthathavebeenedited:ImtryingtolearntherulesforplayingthegameofchessImlearningtherulesofchess.Readcarefullyoverwhatyouhavewrittenandlookformistakes.Editformistakes.Thefirstthingwehavetodo,beforewedoanythingelseisto.First.Owingtothefactthat.Because.Intheeventthat.If.Ibeleivethereisanarttowritingclean,simpleEnglish.Tome,thatisbeautiful. Editon2004-7-92:26:22BykaienEditon2004-8-1613:04:06Bykai
