Tips for Improving English

   Hello pretty people! I'm doing some posts in advance so my blog won't be dead during the busy holidays. Sooo, I just thought I would do some English tips because it seems fun! Hahaha! Some of you may think I'm crazy but I love English a lot. Secondary school really improved my English by leaps and bounds and I discovered a whole new level of writing that I never knew. If I'm not wrong, the English 'O' level examinations are coming soon, in October right? I remember it was around this time last year that I prepared for it too. (Okay, I think I really didn't prepare much lolol.)

  Numerous people have asked how is my English that good. I wouldn't say it's good because my grades weren't consistent. But, I can safely say that I didn't fail my English at all. For the overall grade anyway. Hahaha. And it's too tiring to tell everything all at once. Besides, I can't possibly remember everything so I decided to blog about this and do it bit by bit. Haha. Anyway, let's get started!

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am a student. I cannot guarantee that these will definitely help you but these are just some tips I had used which helped a lot. Your own effort is still the most important factor.

 

1. Read

  I'm not kidding, for those who dislike/hate reading. (How can you even dislike it??) Reading was what first sparked my interest in English (which I disliked) in lower primary and earlier years. I had always thought English was such a complicated language unlike Mandarin. Until I started reading. I completely lost myself in the world of books. It started with Enid Blyton, then Nancy Drew and I gradually found my favourite genre of books and stuck to it. Come to think of it, I must really thank my P2 teacher for introducing me to it.

Reading helps your mind to get used to the language, increases your range of vocabulary, and get new ideas for story compositions!! Hehehe. Most importantly, it is one of the methods to improve your English effortlessly. So start reading! Story books, online stories, magazines and newspapers like The Straits Times. ( The latter helps in factual essays for sec sch.) Start small though, like story books. :DD

2. Listen

   Expose yourself to more of English by listening. Now, listening is different from hearing because you hear and forget, but listen and understand. Some fun ways are to watch movies and dramas because they have a story for you to understand. Others are listening to the English radio like the BBC and 938Live because they're talk radios. It will also make it easier for you to understand English with time. I would recommend talk radios though.

 

P.s. The above two points helps with oral because they normally ask about current affairs.

3. Practice

   What's the point of doing the two above without practicing? As the old saying goes, "practice makes perfect" and prevents you from getting rusty. By practice I mean speaking and writing. Doing one of it naturally improves the other. Also, please do write regularly as it will be easier for you to let your ideas flow after writing in ink for so many times.

And here are some points to take note when writing essays.

1.We follow the British's Language

   All of you should have heard of your teachers telling you that Singapore follows the British way of English. Because our papers are sent to Cambridge to be marked. If they haven't, what kind of teacher is that? This is extremely important because you can go wrong in a lot of ways while writing.

Ever wondered why there are 'colour' and 'color', 'realise' and realize'? The differences in spellings?? Click here to find out.

2. Use different sentence beginnings

E.g. 1: I stood up from my chair and felt dizzy. I took a step forward and saw the whole world spin. I felt blackness trying to engulf me.

E.g. 2: I stood up from my chair and felt dizzy. The whole world spun as I took a step forward. Blackness was trying to engulf me.

  Which is better? Of course the second one. They make each sentence interesting and motivates the reader to continue reading.

 

  Some sentence beginnings for factual compositions are: firstly, secondly, lastly, in addition, furthermore, moreover, first and foremost

 

  Another point you all need to take note is that you cannot use conjuctions in sentence beginnings.

E.g.: And, as, but, because. (Kind of stupid but that is the way.)

3. Use a wide range of vocabulary

This phrase for example, 'put one foot forward'. We can write it in so many ways.

Hit: smashed, punched, collided with, came into contact with

Injury: Wound, cut, lesion, laceration
Where to find such words? Find synonyms of words in the dictionary. I'd still prefer reading though, because books use a lot vocabulary. 

They add spice to your writing and feels more realistic. Like, it makes people feel your writing, your story, what you're trying to tell them. It lets them visualise your writing better.

          4. Do not use contractions

                 This is very important because you will get penalised.

           I am sure all of you have known since primary school that you are not supposed to use them when writing essays right? Yes, never, and I really mean never use contractions in essays. What are they?

Basically, don't use those under the cross.

5. Use past tense
   This is my personal opinion, because not everyone agrees. Oh well, my English teacher said it before so I'm just gonna share it. Hehehe.
I find it easier to write in past tense rather then present. I guess that is because majority of the information we read are in past tense. Because they happened before. Therefore, I conclude that it's better and definitely easier to write in past tense. (If you ask me to write in present tense, I'll just revert back. Hahaha.) Honestly, I don't think I can write a story in present tense without a lot of mistakes. Plus, I find it more tedious to do so because I keep having to remind myself that it's in the now.

6. Use punctuation wisely.
Do not put more than three commas (,) in a sentence because it is too lengthy and will increase your chances of errors. (Trust me, I have experienced it many times. Use short sentences!)
Semicolons (;) can be used to replace full-stops or 'and'. Most importantly, they are used to join independent clauses. If you don't understand, then it is best to not use it. (Because I never did understand in secondary school. Hahaha. But I think I get it now.)

7. Every day and everyday is different.
Click here to find out.
If you are still unsure, then google it, or ask a teacher.


8. Use could and will.
The word 'could' helps in situational writing, when you want to suggest something in a more polite and professional way.

For example, "I could..."
And use 'will' rather than 'would' to convince them better.
However, use 'will' only when you're absolutely sure that it'll benefit your choice. E.g "Building a sports hall will allow more students to exercise and helps them to have a healthy lifestyle."

Hope this helps, for those of you reading. Hahaha. All the best! Break a leg. ;)