Here are some writing tips from Writing 101, by Claudia Sorsby, ISBN: 0-312-95975-3.

1. Be clear.
2. Be concise.
3. Be interesting.
4. Don't use pretentious or flowery language.
5. Don't use slang.

My tip: The three most important tips for a writer is:

1. Know your audience.
2. Know your audience.
3. Know your audience.

Know who your readers are. Are you writing a computer manual for beginners or advanced programmers? Are you writing an essay for a newspaper or a journal.

Identify your audience and write to their needs.

Your teacher,

Alan

Hi,

I am pleased with the initial writing assignments that I have received. Let's build upon this beginning. I want you to be more specific, to share more of your thoughts and experiences with me. 

The TOEFL test review suggests you break this composition into six sections:

• Advantages of a large university
• Disadvantages of a large university
• Advantages of a smaller university
• Disadvantages of a smaller university
• Your preference
• Why

The tester will give you 30 mins. to write your essay. They grade your essay as follows:

Score	Definition
6	Clearly competent
5	Competent
4	Minimal competence
3	Developing competence
2	Possibly incompetent
1	Incompetent

Passing grades are 4, 5, and 6.

When you write, do not be afraid to express yourself. Provide reasons for each opinion you state. 

Both compositions are short. I'm not sure if their is a minimum word count, but I personally want to see more thoughts and ideas in your compositions.

Don't be shy or be timid. There is no right or wrong answer. Be assertive. State your thoughts with confidence. Avoid words like, "I could say" or "I'm not sure." If you believe in something, say it and defend it with thoughts and facts.

You both have good foundations for an essay. Build upon them. I want your next version of your essay to have at least 300 words.

Your teacher,

Alan 

Write a composition about the following topic - "The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Large University". This question is from one of the TOEFL Test Preparation books that I have.

Your first sentence tells me your point of view. The following paragraphs defend and prove your point of view. Your closing paragraph summarizes your composition.

Please write your compositions in this blog.

I love reading! I want to share this love of reading with my students. I want to get them excited about reading - in English!

We read short one page articles in class. I ask them questions about the articles, define new vocabulary, and have each student read each article out loud to practice pronunciation.

I often thought about having the students read a book throughout the semester. It would improve their vocabulary, give them topics for writing, but most importantly, get them interested in reading. It would also be a great way to stimulate conversation.

I think the best way to begin is with children's books. The vocabulary is appropriate and the page count is not overwhelming.

Children's books are also an excellent way to introduce American history and culture. I've listed some children's books in the book list.

I'm reviewing some writing books to get some ideas for my writing class. The class will be a mix of grammar rules and creativity. Most of my students (adults) don't have a high school diploma so I need to review basic punctuation along with stimulating my students' creativity. I've listed many of the books I'm reviewing in the book list.

Writing Fitness contains a variety of grammar exercises. It covers capitalization, basic grammar, and word usage. This type of book works well with ESL classes. The traditional exercises, fill in the blanks, is a great learning tool. The students check their answers and get a sense of how well they are doing. It helps me see what topics I need to review.

Writing 101 is an interesting book. It lists and explains 101 topics that improve your writing. Some of these topics are:

• Be Clear
• Be Concise
• Be Interesting
• Avoid Fragments
• Avoid Run-On Sentences
• Break Up Excessively Long or Rambling Sentences
• Don't Rely on Your Spell Checker
• Make Sure Your Work is Neat and Easy to Read, and
• Find Your Own Style

This book is great for any writer. These are 101 rules you always want to remember.

Creative Visualization and Writing the Natural Way reflect the way I like to write. Grammar and structure are extremely important. I hate when people excuse bad grammar as being creative or that is my style.

I'm the type of writer that sees each written work as a journey. I have an idea of where I want to go. I previsualize and imagine the story. However, I'm not always sure of which route I may take, what all the events or who all the characters are, and sometimes, how the story will end.

This is also true for non-fiction. I know what I need to say or need to prove. However, I don't always know exactly how I want to prove that point or how I'll prove that point. I may begin with a cluster, an outline, or a synopsis; that is the beginning of the journey. How I get to the end is the unknown, the fun part, the best part.

It is like taking the backroads instead of a major highway. You don't know who'll you'll meet, you may take a side road to visit that beautiful town square people were talking about when you stopped for lunch, stop and reflect at the beautiful lake that the road circles, or find some mystery when you take an unexpected road because of a detour.

My students have beautiful thoughts. My job is to give them the tools to express them.

I have a two week break from teaching. The summer semester just ended. Besides relaxing and reading, I'll be busy putting together a writing program for my students.

I need to teach my students the four types of writing: narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive. Narrative, or narration, tells a story; descriptive writing descibes something; exposition provides an explanation; and persuasive writing persuades.

Over the next two weeks, I'll share a lot of my thoughts and writing ideas with you. For fun and for contrast, I'll also write the same story in each of the four different formats.

I found an interesting article about writing called 10 Myths About Learning to Write. It is worth reading.

Alan

What do you do when your teacher asks you to write a composition about "Why Soccer is the Most Popular Sport in the World?" He says he'll give you 5 mins. to write this composition. Don't panic. Here's a quick tip that will help you. It also helps you when you have to write a longer composition and don't know where to start.

Clustering is a great way to quickly generate some ideas. Write the word "soccer" in the middle of the page. Circle it. From this circle, draw a line and another circle. Write a word or words that describes a reason for soccer's popularity, for example, requires little equipment to play. Do this until you get enough ideas to start your composition (see picture "soccerCluster" in the ESL photo folder). You can also quickly list words and reasons on a piece of paper. I listed the following reasons: inexpensive to play, very little equipment, ball, markers for goal, and basic rules easy to understand.

What if I asked you to write about shoes? I created a quick cluster (see "Cluster" in ESL photo folder). I came up with the following reasons: different styles, leather, cloth, inexpensive, expensive, sneakers, boots, and dress shoes.

Creating a cluster or list of words is a quick way to jumpstart a composition.

Discipline is important for learning. Overachieve! Practice! Previsualize!

How do you prepare for that tough question your instructor asks you and gives you a minute to compose an answer? Imagine this scenario over and over again. Ask yourself questions and practice answers. Overachieve. Make those stressful situations become commonplace events!

Practice writing. Discipline is a writer's best friend. Write daily! Keep a journal. Use this blog to practice.

I force myself to write at least one entry every day in a blog. It makes me a better writer.

Exercise your brain!

I am currently reading the book, The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman (see book list on the right). This book talks about globalization and outsourcing. It is a very interesting book.

This is a good topic to write about. Everyone has an opinion. What do you think about globalization?

I'll share my thoughts later. However, as I was reading this book, I realized I'm part of globalization. By teaching online, I'm providing an outsourcing option for my students.

Sincerely,
Alan