When it comes to English reading and writing it is important to have a well-balanced classroom setting to explore the many different aspects of the English language that can affect your success in reading and writing. For instance, one of the beginner English language classes available at Computer Systems Institute is focused on the specifics of formatting, rather than grammar and content, to ensure that you’ll learn the necessary skills to succeed in your future endeavors. This is important because papers required in college are not only going to be graded on grammar, but also the specifics of formatting. This means you may not get any feedback on the details of your writing, but you may get a lower grade if the paper isn’t correctly formatted per MLA standards.

Tips to Improve Your Writing

While many of these tips will be covered through our General Writing Course, we thought it would be beneficial to highlight a few areas where writers of all levels can improve.

  • Read as Much as You Can[1] – Some of the best writers are also the most avid readers. Read as much as you can and pay attention to sentence structure, grammar, word choice, and simply how the material flows.
  • Write as Much as You Can[2] – In the same way that reading incessantly can improve your writing, repetition can as well. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and this is definitely true when it comes to writing.
  • Use Outlines[3] – While many people neglect to create outlines, they can greatly improve the quality of your writing. By having a firm outline and sticking to it, you’ll have a more organized and thought-out finished product.
  • Participate in a Writing Program – Participating in a writing program is a great avenue for you to get exposure to other writers and have people who will hold you accountable to help you improve your writing skills.

What Is a General Writing Course?

The General Writing Course helps you develop your basic writing skills. This way, you will lay the foundation of your content and grammar knowledge as a base for more focused elements later on in your college career. Once you have developed general writing skills, it is much easier to be able to place your focus on things like writing citations correctly and creating hanging indents. If you plan to have any success in business, college, or just basic communication through email, writing skills are paramount.

General writing instruction helps you identify areas in your writing where you struggle. Even professional writers can benefit from these courses, because they help writers recognize structural errors and issues with punctuation. This type of instruction can be as beneficial to seasoned writers as it can be to students just beginning to master the English language.

[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-king-on-how-to-write-2014-8

[2] https://blog.bufferapp.com/6-of-the-most-important-aspects-of-successful-writing

[3] http://nybookeditors.com/2013/09/outlining/