10 tips to write better

The terror of many students is the entrance exam essay. Often even objective questions scare people simply because they don’t feel confident when writing. But, for this, there are tips that can help you to write better, and put an end to this fear and make your texts a success. Check out:

1. Read a lot

It may sound cliché, but this is the most infallible tip. Those who read a lot have a good vocabulary and learn without understanding grammar rules. Read texts of different types, from entertainment magazines to technical books, novels and literary classics. Varying styles also helps to expand literary knowledge.

Furthermore, anyone who reads a lot learns new things every day, and to write a good text you need to be informed and have content.

2. Write about things you like

A very fun and light way to practice writing is by writing about what you like. Whether it’s about your day-to-day life, your favorite band or your favorite fiction series. Before starting to practice your entrance exam essays or trying to write a scientific article, practice your writing without commitment. The act of writing improves like any other activity: with enough practice, you will write better and better.

3. Write correctly on the internet

We know that on the internet the commitment to language is not taken so seriously, but sometimes we get used to writing in an abbreviated or incorrect way, and this reflects when we write. Writing correctly in any situation makes it natural, reducing your doubts and making writing something pleasurable and simple.

4. Keep a blog or diary

As I said in tip 3, writing about things we like makes the activity easier. You can create a blog, to talk about things you like to other people, or simply write a diary, talking about your day to day, what you did, what you would like to do, these are ways of exercising your writing ability in a way uncompromising and fun.

5. Be objective

A good text has no fluff, it doesn’t “fill up”. Speak directly about what you want, with content and presenting the information clearly. Don’t make too many citations, as this suggests that you have no content to present.

6. Don’t use difficult/far-fetched words

A good text is simple. Beautiful and completely unfamiliar words do not add value to your text, and make it difficult for any reader to understand.

The important thing is to have a broad vocabulary, to know several words with the same meaning to avoid repetitions, as they impoverish the text. However, they need to be words used in everyday life, which allow your text to make clear all the content it has.

7. Read your texts out loud

Sometimes texts may contain repeated words or unintentional cacophonies and rhymes. By reading aloud, you can hear all these possible errors and correct them. Furthermore, often when reading the text we realize that we can improve some points in it, and it becomes much simpler to correct the accentuation.

8. Practice punctuation and accentuation

A good text reads fluidly, and punctuation is crucial for this. Learning to use commas and periods helps a lot with the quality of your text. Accentuation is also extremely important. Many words in our language have different meanings with and without accent, so pay extra attention to these details.

9. Avoid excessive examples

As previously mentioned, objectivity is the greatest quality of a text. Therefore, filling your essay with different examples makes reading tiring and causes doubts about your knowledge. Give examples only when necessary and succinctly. This way, your text becomes fluid and pleasant.

10. Avoid foreign words

This is a problem of globalization times. With all the information circulating around the world, sometimes we adopt words from other languages, especially English, into our vocabulary.

However, this makes the text confusing and may catch some readers off guard. Always look for a word or expression in Portuguese equivalent to foreignism. Only use when there are no options.

These are simple rules that can improve the quality of your writing. Writing is like playing a sport or playing a video game: with enough practice, you can become an expert. Follow the tips and success!