Boosting your writing

When was the last time you wrote or typed anything different from text messages in English? Long ago, right? Do not sweat, nowadays, it is common to write without keeping in mind spelling, punctuation, and even grammar structures. Can you listen to English but when you try to write is impossible? Do not worry about it, Boosting your writing is here to help. Now, I will share with you some tips to consider when writing professionally. After all, if it is not written down, it did not happen.

If you are still reading, it means you are interested or at least curious about what is coming up. I would like to start by asking what you think the best way to improve your writing skills is. I do not expect that question to be solved here, but providing some useful ways to find your own answer instead.

Do not translate

How do you say “dirigir un negocio” in English? Some people might think the right way to say it is ‘direct a business’, however, the correct option is “run a business”. According to Cambridge Dictionary, a collocation is “a word or phrase that is often used with another word or phrase, in a way that sounds correct to people who have spoken the language all their lives, but might not be expected from the meaning”. This is the first tip to improve your writing, the use of collocations will make you sound more natural and easily understood. Here there are some examples of collocations in English, the underlined word or words refer to the correct option:

How do you say “tomar una decisión” in English?

Make a decision

Take a decision

How do you say “poner la mesa” in English?

Put the table

Set the table

How do you say “ganar o aprobar el nivel” in English?

Win the level

Pass the level

How do you say “causar una buena impresión” in English?

Make a good impression

Cause a good impression

How do you say “irse al extranjero” in English?

Go to a foreign country

Go abroad

Conoce: English for life

The second tip is boosting your vocabulary. But how do we do that? Well, an excellent option is writing down synonyms, i.e., using a variety of words with similar meanings. Moreover, this helps you to avoid repeating the same words. Just take a look at the following examples:

Happy

Thrilled: I was absolutely thrilled with my interview result – I was thrilled that so many people turned up to the party.
Delighted: We are delighted that you are able to preside over this important meeting – Pat was delighted to lead the new project approval team.
Overjoyed: You must be overjoyed that you enrolled in the English course.

Beautiful

Stunning: A stunning view over the bay of Santa Marta.
Exquisite: a vase of exquisite workmanship – Look at this exquisite painting – an exquisite piece of China.
Attractive: They are an attractive family.- Being a bilingual CSR is an attractive offer.
Breathtaking: The breathtaking view of Earth from space – She is the most attractive woman I’ve ever seen, and her smile is breathtaking.

Good:

Top-notch: The new conference center has top-notch facilities. That restaurant’s really top-notch.
Superb: There is a superb bibliography of published primary and secondary sources – The result is a superb record of the wildlife of the world’s remotest inhabited island group – He is a superb dancer.
Exceptional: The company has shown an exceptional growth over the past two years. – An exceptional student/learner/instructor/teacher/professor/team

Difficult:

Tough: The company is going through a tough time at the moment – We’ve had to make some very tough decisions. – We’ve had to make some very tough decisions. – when the going gets tough, the tough get going
Demanding: That was a demanding task- I’m trying to learn Chinese, and I find it very demanding.

Lee: Tips To Upgrade Your Writing In The Workplace

It is time to share the third and final tip. Do you use social media? If you do so, you have such a great tool to write professionally. Start following academic and news profiles of your preference. Remember that you must enjoy what you are following to make it an enjoyable process. Twitter is a social networking and online microblogging service that allows users to send and receive text-based messages or posts of up to 140 characters. I strongly recommend this social networking to start not only following but sharing your own ideas. In fact, sharing your thought will make you expand your vocabulary being that you will be forced to communicate well – being understandable.

To sum up, there are many ways to boost your skills, just make sure you are consistent. Hopefully, you find useful the fact of including collocations, synonyms, and social networking as part of your improvement. It is your call and any method you choose will be perfect as long as you enjoy it while boosting your writing.

Gregory Nevado

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