This is a good question we got asked by someone in our private Facebook group (Feel free to join). “What rules are important for writing?”
These are not rules as such but pieces of advice I give my students and they are especially relevant when it comes to IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT etc.
1. Know who you are writing to. If you are writing to your boss, don’t write to them as if they were your friend.
2. Don’t use gimme, wanna, gonna etc. If you are whatsapping; fine. If you are writing something for university, IELTS, etc, do not use them.
3. Check your work. I remember handing in an essay at university without checking it. I got called in by my tutor to read it back to him and it was load of nonsense. It doesn’t matter if you are writing in your native language or not, reread it and edit it.
4. Don’t overestimate yourself. Most people think that they write well, but in reality, most people are very poor at writing. This is because we don’t write much any more. Get someone to read what you have written. It will save you so much time.
5. Plan. Planning is so underrated. People skip it, don’t bother and think it is a waste of time. It is the key to writing well.
Do you have any more ideas? Put them in the chat if you do.
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