I am illiterate, i can't write a proper essay. How can i improve my writing skills?

Question

I am illiterate, i never did all my homework in high school and now it's comming back to hunt me for the rest of my life on this Earth.

How can i write a good eassy? What can i do to help me? Would writing a essay every week help improve my writing skills? What techniques are able to improve that skill?

I've been reading more but that doesn't seem to help my writing skills, it did improve my reading skills, dramatically.

I am currently in a Community College at the moment just taking basic course, which makes me feel like a freaking loser.

I need to improve on my concrete writing skills before i enroll in a college level English class and make a fool out of my self.

Answer 1

You are not illiterate and going to a community college does not put you in the loser category. At least you are doing something!

The best way to improve your writing skills is to write. Buy a notebook and start writing down thoughts. What you write about is up to you. In the beginning, it is just for you to see. Once you feel more comfortable with that, allow a trusted friend or family member to critique your writing. Listen to the things that they tell you and try to work on improving one thing at a time.

When you feel like you are starting to get better. Start putting your writing into the simple five paragraph format. If you want an example of that you can email me ([e-mail]).

Don't let the fact that you are a struggling writer stop you from enrolling into a college. English corses in college are not all about writing and if a professor knows that you are not a good writer, they will work with you. Professors want you to succeed.

Answer 2

That's a really good question to ask, and I think it's great that you're looking to improve your talents. :) One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read good writing. Ask a few English teachers for some suggestions of good essays to look at or examples that he/she has saved from previous classes. If possible, I would try to schedule a conference with the English teacher to ask for any tips she has to offer. I'm sure she'd be thrilled that you're asking for help and would love to talk about your style of writing. One of the things that people have a lot of trouble with is transitioning within a paper. After you write something, try to do something else for a while. Then come back and read it again after you have been away from the writing for a bit. Pretend that you're reading the essay for the first time, and note any problem spots a first-time reader would have. Was anything hard to follow or did the focus seem to suddenly change directions? Another problem is often organization. Try writing outlines before you start papers. Do a lot of brainstorming and drafting to make sure you know exactly what you will be talking about. I like to use markers to make outlines because then it seems a bit fun... Haha. Sometimes, tenses are a bit confusing. Normally, you should be writing in the present tense, so pay attention to your verbs and be consistent. Ask your family to read through your essays and give you any suggestions. Sometimes suggestions are not very helpful (depending on if the reader knows how to constructively criticize), so you'll need a few people to read through the essay. Taking a paper to your teacher before the assignment is due will help you understand exactly what she wants for the final copy. I hope these suggestions help :)

Answer 3

First of all don't feel stupid. The most important thing is that you are trying to educate yourself now and that you are seeking help. But you have to know that there is no easy way...remember you took the easy way out before and now its come back to haunt you.

You should practice writing every day. It would be helpful if you could find someone to help you. A good way to learn is to use what is called the imitation technique. By the way kudos on reading more that is the first step. Select some sentences from your readings and copy them from the book on to a piece of paper then try to imitate the structure of the sentence with your own words right under the sentence you copied from your book.

You are also best to pay attention and try to learn as much as you can in your class. If you are having difficulties following along with the class then you need to address your issue and speak to the teacher or seek out a some assistance, perhaps a fellow student. If you really can't find anyone, maybe you can find someone on line that you can send your writings to proofread and give you suggestions.

The most important thing for you to know is that it is perfectly ok to make mistakes. I've read plenty of published articles by "journalists", presumably college graduates, riddled with poor grammar, improper structure and just incredibly hard to follow. So, don't be so hard on yourself.

Answer 4

Practice writing and reading everyday. Reading helps improve writing by teaching the proper grammar and practice helps as well. There is nothing wrong with taking basic courses at a community college, what matters is that you are trying to improve yourself and continue learning. Learning continues throughout life.

Answer 5

here are a few more tips:

try to 'study back the basics'. learn better grammar and vocabulary.

try to browse 'reader's digest' once in a while, they give food for thought and vocabulary words. then go on towards reading articles inside.

level two is to try to study synonyms. idiomatic expressions, lingo's. this makes you a better writter; even the street slang can spice up your writing.

learn to express yourself better, instead of saying 'its hot today' you could say, 'its warm as the day i went sun bathing'.

you should always remember that writers are artists

you can do it !

Answer 6

Yes i agree. just write small things everyday, multiple times a day, and write something big about once a week, but dont drowned yourself in papers. I write poems and things like that is it has helped me. and i almost always have a dictionary with me (nerdy, i know) but it did improve my vocab. good luck.

Answer 7

Well, unless you had someone else post this for you, technically you aren't illiterate. (Er... It would help you a lot if you'd get out of the bad habit of typing "i" for "I".)

Try this link. It seems to have some good advice:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/74657/write_a_better_college_paper_tips_to.html

Answer 8

Just a taking a shot blindfolded here but why not just ask your teacher or something? That could help.

Answer 9

write something everyday
make sure you and someone else proofreads everything
boost your vocab
look at other essays as examples--dont plagerize

Answer 10

We reap what we sow.