In the course of my Internet surfing I must have read thousands of articles written by Indians. Some of them are really written well, but most fall under the "acceptable" levels of written English standards. I know it takes a good amount of effort to compose something, frame it into an article and post it online, but if the written word isn't according to the language script, then it robs the reader of an uninterrupted flow, and most people will just decide to not read your article further. Besides, you can't master a language in a matter of days and expect to be a skilled writer. Does that mean if your written English isn't too good, you should be focussing on an alternate career? The answer is simply, No. You just need the right tools and employ the correct methodology and you can write a good piece even without great writing skills.

1. For most of us English isn't our first language. The result - we think in our own language and then translate the sentences literally from another language to English. This is perhaps the most common way of writing and in my opinion, the most incorrect one. Literal translation from any language into another misplaces the structure of the sentence. For instance, in Hindi you’d say ‘Aap kaise ho?’ and the literal translation would turn out to be, ‘You how are?’ Does that sound right? Also, most English words have alternate meanings depending on the context they are used in. The last thing you want to do is employ the incorrect meaning into the sentence.
2. An excellent way to treat this issue is to make use of Microsoft Word and use two tools in it – The spell check and the Thesaurus. The spell check tool will point out all spelling errors and in most cases also reflect grammatical/structural errors. Thesaurus is nothing but a dictionary that helps you figure out synonyms for a particular word. In many cases you’ll find that there alternate words which fit in better into your sentence. Most importantly, remember that Microsoft Word is just a tool and it can in no way substitute your own brain. Which means it can’t formulate an excellent article out of a shabby one.
3. If you are weak in English do not try to disguise it with the aid of fancy words or tougher vocabulary. Most people experience a severe fall when they try to employ words they think sound good and difficult. Just because you use words that others don’t understand doesn’t mean you’re a good writer. A simple worded article will provide you with a good understanding and learning of your own flaws and in turn prompt your readers to read you more often.
4. Writing in different niches is just as varied as painting is from sculpting or engineering is from dancing. You can’t employ the same tone and style in writing a prose of fiction as you would employ to write a technical article. Decide which niche you plan to write for and then learn the nuances of writing in that particular segment.
5. You will never be confident of your own articles if you are weak to start with. Always get feedback. There are hundreds of people, even online, who will willingly proofread your article, point out your errors and teach you how to fix them. Getting this feedback is essential for it’ll help you towards becoming a better writer.
6. Google search followed by Copy-Paste is perhaps the most favourite technique employed by most people. Trust me, a good eye can spot whether you’ve written something on your own or simply posted from another articles on the Internet. If you just want to get visitors to your post then I guess it works fine. But if you’d like to be a “real” writer, then you need to go the extra mile. No one’s stopping you from making a search. But after you do, write everything you’ve just read in your own words. Even if you must Copy-Paste exactly as is given, quote the articles and reference it. That not only gives you credibility but people will also know that your article has facts and has been researched properly.
7. Avoid fluff. I can say the same things in 500 words as I can in 3000 words. I can also say it in 50 words. The point is, infusion of too many unnecessary words simply to make your work longer isn’t required. Use crisp, short sentences. It gives a good flow to the article. More importantly, shorter sentences are likely to stick into the minds of the readers.

Hope you find these tips helpful. Any more tips that can be used to expand this list are always welcome.

• Written by Sanskriti Nagar.
• In category English Language.
• 14 years ago.

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