ENGLIGH

ASSIGNMENT

On

WRITING SKILLS

Submitted By:
Deewakar Golyan
A2315809030
B.Tech-Civil
Writing Skills
“Before You sit Down to write, Know This”

Many people are intimidated by writing. Even so, there are times
when writing is the best way to communicate, and oftentimes the
only way to get your message across.

The Importance of "Style"

Some of the most basic tips to remember when writing include:

• Avoid the use of slang words

• Try not to use abbreviations (unless appropriately defined)
• Steer away from the use of symbols (such as ampersands
[&])
• Clichés should be avoided, or at the very least, used with
caution
• Brackets are used to play down words or phrases
• Dashes are generally used for emphasis
• Great care should ALWAYS be taken to spell the names of
people and companies correctly
• Numbers should be expressed as words when the number is
less than 10 or is used to start a sentence (example: Ten years
ago, my brother and I…). The number 10, or anything
greater than 10, should be expressed as a figure (example:
My brother has 13 Matchbox cars.)
• Quotation marks should be placed around any directly quoted
speech or text and around titles of publications.
• Keep sentences short
How to Write Effectively
To successfully write correctly, you will need to understand it
systematically as a process.

Writing can be as easy as making a phone call. You could just pick
up a pen and jot down whatever pops in your head. Or it can be as
difficult as learning a new language.
The secret to writing effectively requires you to understand your
situation. In other words, what are you writing about? Who are you
writing to? Why are you writing in the first place?
Your subject is whatever you are writing about. This can range
from widely general to very specific. Whatever your subject is,
make sure you mention it in your introduction.

The subject of your choice will depend on your situation.

Experienced writers know how to prioritize ''writing for the
occasion".

If you work for a tabloid/magazine company, most likely you

won't be writing about something that happened 50 years ago. A
company like that would probably be looking for something hip,
fresh, and most importantly...new. Choose a subject that is suitable
for your mental capacity but also appropriate for the situation.

You'll need to write to those who can relate to your subject,

understand the importance of your topic and mostly be able to
follow your argument from the words you recorded. Incorporate
the correct mood and style into your entire paper to set up a
distinct reading environment for your audience.
Your purpose is the reason you have decided to write. Knowing
why you are writing is not only the catalyst to help you complete
your work but also serves as your guide for writing successfully.
``PARAGRAPH WRITING

1. Writing a Paragraph Before Starting

Definition:
A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a
single topic.

General guidelines:
1. Before writing, think of an idea that you want to state in a
paragraph;
2. Think of possible support that can develop the idea;
3. Try to outline the topic sentence, support, and conclusion.

Tips on writing a paragraph:

1. A paragraph doesn’t always have to include a topic sentence,
or a transition sentence. It depends on the situation and your
writing style.
2. If you are feeling lost, write down all the facts and thoughts
concerning the paragraph idea. You can later get rid of
unnecessary information.

2. Writing a Paragraph Qualities of Good Writing

Definition:
 A good paragraph always takes several tips for success into
consideration.
 

General guidelines:
A paragraph has to be:

1. United – focused on a single thing;

2. Coherent - easily understandable to a reader;
3. Adequately developed;
4. Neatly structured.

Tips on writing a paragraph:

• Long paragraphs aren’t always of high quality, and vice versa.

The length of paragraph writing depends on how good a topic
is unfolded.

3. Writing a Paragraph. The Topic Sentence

Definition:
The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph.

General guidelines:

1. Introduce the main idea of the paragraph;

2. Catch reader’s attention.
Tips on writing a paragraph:

• Some journalists say that a good topic sentence is made of

five words. Five words are quite enough to state a problem.
4. Writing a Paragraph. Main Body

Definition:
These sentences give evidence.

General guidelines:

1. Share an idea with your reader;

2. The more sentences you add to a paragraph, the more your
ideas are developed;
3. Move from general, abstract ideas to specific qualification of
an idea;

Tips on writing a paragraph:

• State facts and opinions separately.

5. Writing a Paragraph. Closing Sentence

Definition:
The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph.

General guidelines:

1. Restate the main idea of your paragraph.

2. Use different words for restating.
Tips on writing a paragraph:

• Restating is not the only way to end a paragraph. Transition

words and jokes are good instruments, too.

ESSAY WRITING

An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the
same no matter what. You may be writing an essay to argue for a
particular point of view or to explain the steps necessary to
complete a task.

Either way, your essay will have the same basic format.

If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the essay
almost writes itself. You will be responsible only for supplying
ideas, which are the important part of the essay anyway. Different
ways for improving essay writing are:

The Question

Analysing the question is the most crucial part of the essay writing
process. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Set time frames for specific tasks
2.Read the essay question carefully
3. Underline the key words and check their meaning
4. Highlight the action words
5. Mindmap the essay question
6. Establish a structure
7. Reread the essay question.

Information Gathering

According to the time you have allocated for this task, follow the
following steps:

1. Access a variety of resources

2. Read effectively and make clear notes
3. Record details to include in references

Planning

The planning stage of the process involves buiilding on the

mindmap you created when you analysed the question. Here are
the key steps:

1. Mindmap your research

2. Refine your essay structure
3. Re-read the essay question
Writing
You should have allocated a large amount of time for this part of
the process and it should occur well before the due date.

1. Use your mindmap and essay plan.

2. Expand each idea into a paragraph.
3. Arrange the paragraphs logically.
4. Write the introduction and conclusion last.

Editing
The time allocated to this final stage in the process is often the
difference between a pass and a distinction; or a pass and a fail. If
possible the editing should occur in the week prior to the due date.

1. Check that all parts of the question have been answered

2. Check the structure is there a clear beginning, middle and
end?
3. Check that each paragraph is linked.
4. Check that the conclusion fulfils the promise you made in the
introduction.
5. Check grammar and spelling.
6. Reference using the required format.

NOTETAKING
Notetaking is the practice of writing pieces of information, often
in an informal or unstructured manner. One major specific type of
notetaking is the practice of writing in shorthand, which can allow
large amounts of information to be put on paper very quickly.
Notes are frequently written in notebooks, though any available
piece of paper can suffice in many circumstances—some people
are especially fond of Post-It notes, for instance. Notetaking is an
important skill for students, especially at the college level. Many
different forms are used to structure information and make it easier
to find later. Computers, particularly tablet PCs and personal
digital assistants (PDAs) are beginning to see wide use as
notetaking devices.

Professional Notetakers provide access to information for people

who cannot take their own notes, in particular Deaf and hard of
hearing people. Manual notetaking requires pen and paper and
Electronic Notetaking (or Computer-Assisted Notetaking) requires
laptops with special notetaking software. Professional Notetakers
most frequently work in colleges and universities but also in
workplace meetings, appointments, conferences, and training
sessions. They are usually educated to degree level. In the UK they
are increasingly expected to have a professional notetaking
qualification, such as that offered by the Council for the
Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP).

Charting
Charting means that one creates a table with rows and columns.
This is a useful method for facts and relationships

Outlining
While notes can be written freely, many people structure their
writing in an outline. A common system consists of headings that
use Roman numerals, letters of the alphabet, and the common
Arabic numeral system at different levels. A typical structure
would be:

I. First main topic

A. Subtopic
1. Detail
2. Detail

B. Subtopic

II. Second main topic

A. Subtopic

However, this sort of structure has limitations since it is difficult to

go back and insert more information. It is possible to simply leave
large spaces in between, but another common alternative is a mind
map. (See Category:Outliners for more about application software
that supports outlining)

Mapping
Here, ideas are written with lines connecting them together in a
tree-like structure. Mind Maps are commonly drawn this way, but
with a central point, many colors, little graphics and anything that
helps to visualize the information easier. The Mind Map starts with
a purpose or goal and then identifies all the ideas that contribute to
the goal. It is also used for planning and writing essays.

Problems that arise from note taking

Unfortunately, it is often the case that while students are busy
taking notes, they do not pay sufficient attention to what the
professor is actually saying or explaining. This fact justifies the
use of handouts and concepts printed out in advance and given out
to each student. The flip side of this is that note taking makes
learning "active learning" as opposed to "passive learning." When
students have nothing to do but listen to the lecture, it is difficult
for them to stay alert and attentive all of the time.

With the exception of the above visual and hearing problems have
been an hindrance to note taking especially in African Countries
that do not have sufficient equipments to accommodate the
disabled such as the deaf.