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how to write like a pro
Adriana Yazmín González Ramírez
Created on February 19, 2022
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Transcript
How to write like a pro in english
don't be too informal
Capitalization: English VS spanish
Punctuation matters
The art of proofreading
tenses are tense
missing subjects
What about contractions?
Using contractions depends on the type of text you're writing. For essays and projects (academic writing), you should avoid them. Also, avoid using expressions like "gonna" instead of going to. Other words to avoid: "gotta" instead of got to "u" instead of you "tbh" "btw"
Quick practice
Beware of comma splits and run-on sentences
The rules of commas
Practice
Do's and don'ts
Adriyaz3
Practice
And stop giving your teachers a headache
it is what it is
Subject-verb agreement Practice
Be consistent
Read your text again and again.
Connect your ideas properly
Make sure it looks and it sounds pretty
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Punctuation helps you organize your ideas, so they can be easily understood by the reader.
English loves some words more than Spanish does.
You shouldn't write the same way as you speak.
Always double check before handing your work in.
Respect the tense of your sentences.
Don't forget the pronouns.
+info
+info
Kahoot
+info
+info
+info
+info
Don't time travel
- Switching tenses - "Gracie! Get down here right now!" Nana yelled. Nana was a fierce drill sergeant and is always nagging me about punctuality.
- Consistent tense -"Gracie, get down here right now!" Nana yelled. Nana had been a fierce drill sergeant and always had nagged me about punctuality.
- First, is Nana dead or alive? Is she an active sergeant or a retired sergeant? If she's alive and well, and still on active duty, the word "was" would be wrong. Instead, the word "is" would be correct. If she's alive and well, but no longer a drill sergeant, you'd need to say that she "had been" a fierce drill sergeant.
- Also, note the change in tense again from the word yelled (simple past) to "is always nagging" (present continuous). This bit of text would do well to remain in the same tense as the other verbs in the passage.
Practice (only 10)
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Stop applying the rules of Spanish when you're writing a text in English. Some things just don't work the same in different languages.
Wait for your teacher's instructions.
Spanish does not capitalize the following, but English does
- Days of the week: Monday- Friday
- Months: October, January
- Languages: English, Spanish
- Nationalities: Chinese, Japanese
- Religions: Catholic, Buddhist
- The first word in Geographical names: Mount Everest
Avoid using phrases like: "and stuff like that" "and the such" "or so" "it's like boring" "it's kind of important" "and, you know..."
One common mistake when writing long sentences in English is forgetting to repeat the pronouns (subjects) that carry out the differente actions (verbs) mentioned. This problem is heavily influenced by the grammar structure of Spanish. Unlike Spanish, English requires you to repeat the subject of the sentence when different actions are being mentioned at different times in the text, even when it's the same subject. Look at these examples:
- I went into the kitchen and (I )made a cup of tea.
- He travelled to London but (he) didn’t visit any tourist places.
- You should either phone him or (you should) send him an email.
- First I tasted the chicken and then (I) decided on the beef.
Sometimes, people write the same way they speak. In everyday speech, it's easy to slip up and utter a word in the wrong tense. Chances are that the person with whom you are speaking will figure out what you mean. But, when you are writing, it is important to avoid the mistake of switching between the present and past tenses. After all, the written word lives on forever.
Proofreading: the process of finding and correcting mistakes in a text before it is printed or put online. In other words, double check your text to fix and polish any problems of spelling, grammar, typos, repetitive phrases, format, etc.
Have this information in mind next time you have to write a paper in English.
Look at the following sentences. What's the mistake? Learning how to write properly is important because is a way of reflecting your English level. Learning how to write properly is important because it's a way of reflecting your English level. Is interesting to know all of this rules It's interesting to know all of these rules.
Look for the meaning of "language register" on the internet. Write the definition and provide a few examples of register.
One of the best ways to confuse your readers is with inconsistent verb forms. This verb tense error involves using a verb tense that is not correct within the sentence or larger context in which it is used.
- inconsistent verb usage - We were on the way to school. Suddenly, the sky turns dark. ("Were" is past tense and "turns" is present tense, so the verb tense is inconsistent.)
- consistent verb usage - We were on the way to school. Suddenly, the sky turned dark. (Both "were" and "turned" are past tense forms, so the verb tense is consistent.)
Useful links and connectors for your essays and academic papers.