This presentation provides techniques to improve writing. It discusses using descriptive words like adjectives and adverbs to make writing more interesting. It also recommends using literary devices like similes, metaphors and personification. The presentation advises varying sentence structure and length for effect, and avoiding repetitive sentence structures. It encourages using a variety of vocabulary, connectives, sentence openers and punctuation. Different types of writing are outlined, along with their purposes and conventions.

1. Improving Your Writing
In this presentation you will learn
different techniques you can use to
help improve your writing.

2. Language
 Adjectives and Adverbs. Using descriptive words can help to make
your writing a lot more interesting. For example: He sat at the table.
This is a simple sentence. Compare this to Wearily, he sat down at
the old, worn table.
 The use of an adverb and adjectives have expanded the sentence
and made it more effective and exciting.
 Similes, metaphors and personification cause your writing to become
more attention-grabbing. A simile is a figure of speech that compares
one thing to another thing using the words as or like. For example:
 My mother is as gentle as a lamb
 A metaphor compares two things by saying one thing is something
else. For example:
 The road was a ribbon of moonlight ( taken from the Highway Man
by Alfred Noyes)
 Personification is when an object is described using human
characteristics. For example:
 The flowers begged for water.

3. Sentence Structure
 It is important to try and vary the length of your sentences as you
write. If you have been writing fairly long and complex sentences
and the suddenly change to very short, simple ones this can
show sudden fear.
 My breath caught in my throat as a shadow fell over me.
Reluctantly, I looked up. It was him.
The short sentences have
helped build suspense and
tension.
Starting your sentences with words like ‘I’, ‘we’ ,‘they’
and ‘it’ can become boring and repetitive. Listed
below are some good sentence starters which you
should try and incorporate into your writing.
-However -Although -Despite this
-Eventually - As a consequence -To conclude
-Meanwhile -In addition -Moreover

4. VCOP
Whenever you are writing check for each of these, make sure
you have used a good variety of each!
 Vocabulary – anxiety, speculation, apparel, formidable,
yearning, outspoken, timidly, unfortunate, thunderous…
 Connectives - even though, nevertheless, contrary to,
because, despite, while, after, besides, also, however…
 Openers – first, then, due to, as time went on, sometimes…
 Punctuation - . ? ! … ( ) ; : “”
Words you could use to replace ‘said’
- Gasped, replied, whispered, exclaimed, shrieked, urged,
laughed…
Words you could use to replace ‘nice’
- Superb, excellent, magnificent, breathtaking, lovely, amazing
Thesauruses are useful
if you want to replace
common, boring words
with intriguing,
complex ones.

5. Types of writing
 You will be asked to write different forms of text over the course
of the academic year, it is important that you are aware of the
many types there are and what is expected of you when you write
them.
 Writing to inform – have a clear sense of purpose and target a
specific audience. Use bullet points, headings, subheadings,
colour, pictures, different font sizes and styles, tables, charts and
graphs.
 Writing to persuade - use the following devices: emotive
language, repetition, rhetorical questions, emotive language
counter argument, assertion and evidence.
 Writing media texts – you could be asked to write a leaflet,
advertisement, magazine or newspaper article.
 Writing a letter – use standard English, don’t use slang or
conversational language, try not to be aggressive or over familiar
in your tone.
 Writing to review – you could be asked to review a book, film, TV
programme or an exhibition.