More about good writing
Think about the points made on the previous page and also about the items you wrote in your list that were important for good writing. Now, choose one thing that you think is the most important feature in good writing.
Think about this:
Arguably the most important feature of good writing is that it is easy to read. Grand-sounding phrases and elaborate sentences do not make an essay or a novel impressive. Clarity and economy are what count. Such ease of reading is achieved at several levels. There are several key features that help make your writing clear and easy to read.
Grammar, punctuation and spelling
These contribute enormously to ease of reading. The whole point of punctuation is to help the reader approach your words in the right way, and the rules of grammar are what enable the reader to construct the sense intended by the writer. Mistakes in either make the reader stop to work out what is being said. Poor spelling can also cause frequent interruptions. Meanwhile, the reader ‘loses’ the thread of your meaning. There are several easy ways to overcome mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling. One is to enlist the help of a trusted proof reader, either a fellow student, friend or relative. The other is to take full advantage of the many features on decent word processing packages – they often have spell-checkers, grammar checkers, dictionaries and thesauruses.
Language
Your language should be direct rather than fancy. Don't strive for effect. You should always go for short and simple sentences where you can – especially when you are building up a basic essay-writing style. You can play with more elaborate words and grammatical structures later, when you have established a secure basic technique. Don't beat about the bush; pitch straight in to answering the essay question in a direct, purposeful way.
Fluency
Try to make your essays flow from one sentence to the next. This is partly a matter of structure (making sure your writing flows logically and clearly from one point to the next) and partly of signposting (giving your reader clues and information about what you are going to say next and why it is important).
Explaining
You need to be able to think of things from your reader's point of view. The reader cannot see into your mind so you have to explain your points quite fully and carefully. You need to give examples to illustrate what you are talking about and to justify what you say. In other words, you need a sense of your ‘audience’ and you have to work out how to ‘speak’ to these readers in the right ‘tone of voice’.
What next?
If you have enjoyed this taste of good writing why not try some free online courses in Additional resources.