My grammar sucks!!! Can anyone help me?

Question

Im 15 and i really want to know how i could expand my vocabualry. i suck at writing essays because my vocabulary is so limited. I mean i know what i want to write and i'll always uinderstand the questions im being asked its just i dont know how to write it out. could any one help me???? im tired of looking like a retard.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY =)

Answer 1

Since you have an immediate problem, I will address that first before trying to fix 15 years of poor vocabulary.

If you are taking a test in essay format, answer the essay question in your head as if you are discussing it with a friend. Imagine they are picking apart your arguments, and you respond. Sometimes, reading your paper aloud can help you pick up on sentences that don't make sense or that could probably be expressed in a clearer fashion. Practice this at home, and make it realistic by giving yourself a time-constraint.

One thing that helps make your essay read better is by picking up on redundancy. If you find yourself repeating the same words or phrases, start thinking about synonyms for these words and incorporate them into your writing. Invest in a thesarus. If the essay is an assignment at home, make use of the word processing program's thesarus.

Like everyone has said before, reading will improve your knowledge of words, and looking them up will too, but until you start using them in your daily life, they can't help you in a test situation. If you decide to learn a word a day, make it a point to actually use it at school and with your friends. Give your friends a warning because springing a new vocabulary word on them might guarantee a weird look or two.

Listen to how your teachers and friends express themselves.. Read other student's essays.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN WRITING!

Answer 2

Congratulations!! Realizing that you need help is the first step to recovery no matter what your problem is!!

My advice to you is: Read. Find a subject that you enjoy and pick books that deal with that subject matter. The more you read, the more you will get used to seeing different words used in certain contexts.

That's way more fun than doing vocabulary tests, although a little bit of that doesn't hurt either. Also, get a thesaurus. It helps you find the word your looking for. Microsoft Word has one built in, learn to use it. It helps!!

You are definitely on the right track. Your question is already way better than a lot of these patheticly worded questions on here. Most of the errors I see in your question are probably more related to typing rather than a vocabulary or spelling problem.

Kudo's to you having the desire to better yourself!!!

Answer 3

As everyone so far has pointed out, reading is definitely a top choice. You can also read the dictionary (before you roll your eyes, listen). It's proven that most valedictorians started very early and read and memorized at least one word a day since early elementary. Besides improving your intelligence, it also will help with vocabulary and writing skills.

Cross word puzzles will also introduce you to words that you may not normally run into (try to avoid the celebrity ones).

Good luck!
(FYI - pick a best answer and you'll stop getting responses.)

Have a blessed day!

Answer 4

One thing you could do to help with your vocabulary is to get a dictionary and thesaurus. When you're writing things down, you can use the thesaurus to look for other words to use that have the same meaning, and you can double check precise meanings with the dictionary. And practice with these often - the more often you do it, the more vocabulary you'll pick up and the easier you'll find it.

Another thing that I used to do was pick a "word of the week" out of the dictionary and tried to use that word as often as possible over the course of the week. That method can be a bit more fun in my opinion :)

Answer 5

Years ago, every household had a Readers Digest magazine and kids were forced to read the vocabulary pages. Also there was a Bible and dictionary in the house, filled with strange and wonderful words. If you didn't know a word, Mother would say, "look it up" and we did. Vocabulary building takes practice, keep at it. Don't give up, you've got plenty of time.

Answer 6

Hi, TOUTATIS has got a pretty good suggestion to read the dictionary and thesaurus together to expand your word-knowledge. You will come across words and by understanding the meaning you will know how to use it. That will hopefully help you to express yourself in your essay writing.. The key to essay writing is to keep the idea simple and write in simple sentences so that you can follow your essay central theme.

The other thing to do is to find an English grammar book to learn and understand how to string words together to form sentences, and also to know the proper use of the sentence syntax.

Main thing is to understand what you are learning, cause by understanding, it will be easier to learn.

Answer 7

If you want to get into college, you should improve your writing as soon as possible. Write 10 minutes everyday and don't worry what it's about. Have a thesaurus and a dictionary next to you so you can look up words easily. Play word games with your friends or family. If your friends think you are weird, screw em because they will still be flipping burgers after you graduate college.
My writing skills are horrible and in college I had to take the WPE twice. If you do not pass it, you do not graduate.
Good luck to you.

Answer 8

Read more. Some of the most intelligent people in the world spend their time reading.

I hated to read, but here's a little program that I've started up and it works well for me. Here's how it goes...

Monday - Friday:
Read 15 minutes a day minimum from a book.

Saturday
Read for 30 minutes minimum from a book.

Sunday
Read for 30 minutes minimum from a book.

Try this for two weeks and see how this works for you. If it doesn't, then don't do it, if it does, then keep up with it. HOpe this helped.

Answer 9

Hiya--look, this is easy to answer with the age old "read-a-book" type of thinking.

Try Scrabble...yes the game. You can play it online in several places, Internet Scrabble Club , Isc.ro, Very basic visuals...hard playing members. There are others with easier to use interfaces.

The point is this, it is a competitive atmosphere...sometimes that is an easier method for learning, as it allows for the more primal needs to be stoked. Get a Scrabble players dictionary too....

Just a thought, good luck in your continuing education.

Answer 10

Read! you learn words by reading words. When you write an essay and write really boring words like run and talk. Make them more exciting like sprint, jog, yell, scream. Decide how they are doing whatever they are doing and describe EVERYTHING. Don't just say he was running say he was sprinting for his life with this wild look in his eye. If you are answering a question and you don't know how to answer it then say it over in your head and out loud. It may help you if you actually hear it, rather then just thinking it. I hope this helps, good luck.