English Writing Masterclass (Improve Your Writing!)

Summary

In this video by Maddie from Poc English, seven essential tips are shared to elevate your English writing skills. The tips are grounded in the IELTS band descriptor, emphasizing the importance of grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and style coherence. The video suggests using adjectives and adverbs to add emotion to sentences, utilizing linking devices for coherence, dividing ideas into clear paragraphs, adopting an evidence-based tone, and the crucial final step of revising your work. These strategies aim to enhance the quality of writing, whether for IELTS preparation or general improvement.

Takeaways

• 📝 Improve your English writing skills by focusing on grammar and vocabulary, which account for 50% of the IELTS writing score.
• 📚 Start with learning general English knowledge rather than just IELTS exam techniques for a solid foundation in writing.
• 🎨 Choose vocabulary and writing style that matches your audience and purpose, and maintain coherence throughout your text.
• 🖋️ Add feelings to your sentences with adjectives for nouns and adverbs for verbs to convey different messages and emotions.
• 🔗 Use linking devices to connect sentences and form paragraphs, enhancing coherence and cohesion in your writing.
• 📑 Divide your ideas and arguments into different paragraphs, ensuring each has a clear central topic for clarity and focus.
• 🧐 Adopt an evidence-based tone by starting sentences with phrases like 'research shows that' to sound academic and authoritative.
• ⏱️ Revise your text to catch grammar mistakes, improve vocabulary choices, and adjust tone and style for a polished final piece.
• 📈 The IELTS band descriptor serves as a valuable guide for evaluating and improving the quality of your writing.
• 📝 Cohesion and coherence are crucial for a high IELTS score, with 25% of the writing mark dedicated to these aspects.
• 🔑 Subscribe to Poc English for summaries of lessons and receive PDFs to enhance your learning experience.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to provide seven tips to improve English writing skills, with a focus on using the IELTS band descriptor as a basis for the tips.

Why are grammar and vocabulary important in writing according to the video?

Grammar and vocabulary are important because they play key roles in improving sentences, which are the building blocks of every text, and they account for 50% of the IELTS writing skill mark.

What does 'grammar range' refer to in the context of the video?

'Grammar range' refers to the variety of grammatical structures used, such as different tenses or complex sentences.

What does 'accuracy' mean in the context of grammar?

In the context of grammar, 'accuracy' means the correct use of grammar and avoiding mistakes.

Why should students not start by learning IELTS exam techniques according to the video?

Students should not start by learning IELTS exam techniques because the first step should be improving their general English knowledge, including vocabulary and grammar.

What is the significance of choosing the right vocabulary and style of writing?

Choosing the right vocabulary and style of writing is significant because it ensures that the writing is coherent and appropriate for the intended audience or purpose.

How can adjectives and adverbs be used to enhance sentences?

Adjectives can be used to describe nouns and adverbs to describe verbs, adding feelings and depth to the sentences, thus changing their meaning and emotional impact.

What is the role of linking devices in writing?

Linking devices are used to connect sentences and form paragraphs, contributing to the coherence and cohesion of the text.

What does 'coherence' mean in the context of writing?

'Coherence' in the context of writing refers to how well the ideas are linked and connected throughout the text.

What does 'cohesion' mean in the context of writing?

'Cohesion' refers to how well each sentence is connected to the one before and after it, ensuring a smooth flow of ideas.

Why is it recommended to divide ideas and arguments into different paragraphs?

Dividing ideas and arguments into different paragraphs helps to present a clear central topic within each paragraph, which is a criterion for higher band scores in IELTS.

What is the purpose of using phrases like 'research shows that' in academic writing?

Using phrases like 'research shows that' adds an evidence-based tone to the writing, making it sound more academic, firm, and authoritative.

Why is revising the text an important step in the writing process?

Revising the text is important to catch and correct grammar mistakes, improve vocabulary choices, and adjust the tone and style, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of the writing.

How can viewers receive a summary of the lesson and other lessons posted on YouTube?

Viewers can receive a summary of the lesson and other lessons by subscribing to the email list on the website pocenglish.com, where they will receive a PDF of the summary for each lesson posted on YouTube.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Improving English Writing with IELTS Band Descriptors

In this paragraph, the speaker introduces the video's purpose: to share seven tips for enhancing English writing skills, using the IELTS band descriptor as a benchmark. The IELTS band descriptor is highlighted as a crucial tool for evaluating writing quality, with a focus on grammar and vocabulary constituting 50% of the writing score. The first tip is emphasized—improving sentences by enhancing grammar and vocabulary, which are fundamental to better writing. The speaker also points out common mistakes made by IELTS exam takers, such as prioritizing exam techniques over general English proficiency.

05:00

🎨 Choosing Vocabulary and Writing Style for Your Audience

The second paragraph discusses the importance of selecting appropriate vocabulary and maintaining a coherent writing style based on the target audience. The speaker uses three sentences with the same meaning but different styles to illustrate how the choice of words can affect the tone and suitability of the writing. The paragraph emphasizes the need to match the writing style to the audience, whether it's a friend, a formal publication, or an academic exam, and warns against mixing styles within a single piece of writing.

10:03

💬 Adding Emotions to Sentences with Adjectives and Adverbs

This paragraph focuses on the use of adjectives and adverbs to add emotional depth and detail to sentences. The speaker provides examples of how simple sentences can be transformed by the addition of descriptive words, altering the meaning and sentiment conveyed. The importance of using these modifiers to enhance noun and verb descriptions is stressed, encouraging viewers to experiment with language to evoke specific feelings in their writing.

🔗 Using Linking Devices for Coherent and Cohesive Writing

The fourth paragraph delves into the use of linking devices to connect sentences and form cohesive paragraphs. It explains the concepts of coherence and cohesion, with coherence referring to the logical flow of ideas throughout the text, and cohesion relating to the connection between individual sentences. The speaker uses examples to demonstrate how linking devices such as 'on the contrary' and 'moreover' can be used to create a smooth transition between ideas and maintain the flow of the writing.

📚 Structuring Paragraphs Around Central Topics

The speaker discusses the structure of paragraphs in this paragraph, emphasizing that each should contain a single central topic. It references the IELTS band descriptor, which indicates that a clear central topic is essential for a high score. The paragraph explains the logic behind starting a new paragraph when the central topic is exhausted, using the essay title 'How to Live Longer' as an example to illustrate how multiple ideas can be organized into separate paragraphs.

🔬 Adopting an Evidence-Based Tone in Academic Writing

In the sixth paragraph, the focus shifts to adopting an evidence-based tone in writing to enhance credibility. The speaker suggests using phrases like 'research shows that' or 'there is evidence to suggest that' to introduce factual statements, making the writing sound more academic and authoritative. The paragraph provides examples of how these phrases can be incorporated to strengthen the tone of the writing.

✍️ The Importance of Revising Your Writing

The final paragraph stresses the importance of revising written work to identify and correct grammatical errors, vocabulary choices, and stylistic inconsistencies. The speaker advises allocating time to review the text, preferably aloud, to catch any mistakes and improve the overall quality of the writing. This step is presented as a crucial part of the writing process to ensure clarity and effectiveness in communication.

Keywords

💡IELTS Exam

IELTS, which stands for International English Language Testing System, is a globally recognized test that assesses English language proficiency. In the video, it is mentioned as a standard for evaluating writing skills, with its band descriptors serving as criteria for what constitutes good writing. The script uses the IELTS band descriptors as a basis for the tips provided, emphasizing the importance of grammar and vocabulary in achieving a high score.

💡Band Descriptor

A band descriptor in the context of IELTS is a set of criteria that outlines the important elements of a well-crafted piece of writing. It evaluates aspects such as task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. The video script references the band descriptor to highlight its significance in improving writing skills, particularly in the areas of grammar and vocabulary.

💡Grammar

Grammar refers to the set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any language. In the video, grammar is emphasized as a key component of the IELTS writing score, with a focus on both range (variety of grammatical structures) and accuracy (correct use of grammar without mistakes). The script advises improving general English grammar as a fundamental step towards better writing.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary encompasses the entire set of words used in a language or known to a person. The video script underscores the importance of vocabulary, particularly in the context of IELTS, where it constitutes 50% of the writing skill mark. Expanding one's vocabulary and using it accurately can enhance the quality of writing and contribute to higher scores.

💡Lexical Resources

Lexical resources refer to a writer's ability to use a wide range of vocabulary appropriately and effectively. In the script, this concept is tied to the IELTS band descriptor, where it is a significant part of the writing assessment. The video suggests that enriching one's lexical resources can improve the quality of sentences and, by extension, the entire text.

💡Coherence

Coherence is the quality of a text being logically organized and easy to follow. In the video, coherence is one of the criteria in the IELTS band descriptor, where it is essential for a high score. The script provides examples of how to maintain coherence by ensuring that ideas are logically connected and relevant to the central topic of the paragraph.

💡Cohesion

Cohesion refers to the degree to which sentences in a text are connected and contribute to a unified whole. The video script explains that cohesion is vital for a high score in IELTS writing, as it involves linking sentences effectively so that each one relates clearly to the ones before and after it.

💡Linking Devices

Linking devices are words or phrases that connect sentences and ideas within a text to improve its coherence and cohesion. The video provides examples of such devices, such as 'on the contrary' and 'moreover', and explains their importance in forming cohesive paragraphs and maintaining the logical flow of writing.

💡Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs are parts of speech that modify nouns and verbs, respectively, to provide additional information or to express manner, degree, or quality. The video script illustrates how using these modifiers can add feelings and depth to sentences, thus enhancing the expressiveness of writing.

💡Paragraphs

A paragraph is a section of a text that consists of related sentences developing a single central idea. The video script discusses the importance of dividing ideas into different paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on one central topic. This organization helps in maintaining coherence and clarity in writing.

💡Evidence-Based Tone

An evidence-based tone in academic writing refers to the practice of grounding statements in research or evidence, making the writing sound authoritative and credible. The video script advises using phrases like 'research shows that' or 'there is evidence to suggest that' to add an evidence-based tone to writing, which is particularly important in exams like IELTS.

💡Revision

Revision is the process of reviewing and refining a piece of writing to improve its quality. The video script emphasizes the importance of revising text to catch grammar mistakes, adjust vocabulary, and ensure the tone and style are consistent. It suggests allocating time for a second read-through to enhance the final product.

Highlights

The importance of using the IELTS band descriptor as a standard for evaluating and improving English writing skills.

Seven tips are shared to enhance English writing, with a focus on grammar and vocabulary as key components.

Grammar range and accuracy contribute to 50% of the IELTS writing score, emphasizing the need to improve these areas.

General English knowledge, including vocabulary and grammar, should be the foundation before learning IELTS exam techniques.

The significance of choosing appropriate vocabulary and writing style based on the target audience.

Maintaining coherence in writing by using adjectives and adverbs to add feelings to sentences.

Examples provided to illustrate how adjectives and adverbs can change the meaning and feeling of a sentence.

Linking devices are essential for creating coherence and cohesion in paragraphs.

Understanding the role of coherence and cohesion in the IELTS band descriptor for higher scores.

The strategy of dividing ideas and arguments into separate paragraphs, each focusing on a single central topic.

The importance of an evidence-based tone in academic writing to sound more authoritative.

Using phrases like 'research shows that' or 'there is evidence to suggest' to strengthen academic tone.

The final tip emphasizes the necessity of revising the text to correct grammar, vocabulary, and style.

A call to action for viewers to apply these tips to improve their writing skills and share their thoughts in the comments.

An offer for viewers to subscribe to receive a summary of the lesson and future lessons via email.

The value of using linking devices such as 'on the contrary', 'moreover', and 'in addition' to connect sentences.

The explanation of how to use adjectives to describe nouns and adverbs to describe verbs for sentence enhancement.

The demonstration of how different sets of adverbs can convey different messages in a sentence.

Transcripts

do you want to take the ielts exam or

maybe you just want to improve your

english writing skill

it doesn't matter if you want to improve

your english writing skill dramatically

watch this video to the end

hello my name is maddie from poc english

and in this lesson i'm going to share

seven tips to take your english writing

skill to the next level but before we

start let me tell you something

one of the best standards of evaluating

your writing skill is the band

descriptor of ielts the band descriptor

is a list of criteria

which shows the important elements of a

good piece of writing so in this video i

will use the band descriptor of ielts as

the basis for my tips and suggestions on

improving your writing skill okay time

to start with the first tip

start with sentences this tip is very

obvious

as the building block of every text

is the sentence

so improving your sentences directly

means improving your text but how can

you improve your sentences here grammar

and vocabulary play key roles in fact

looking at the ielts band descriptor you

can see that 50 of your mark of writing

skill

is dedicated to grammar and vocabulary

or lexical resources when we talk about

grammar we're talking about range and

accuracy

what is grammar range well it is the

variety of grammatical structures you

use

using different tenses or using complex

sentences and what is accuracy

accuracy means the correct use of

grammar and avoiding mistakes so clearly

the first step towards better writing

skill is improving your grammar and

vocabulary in fact one of the biggest

mistakes students who want to take part

in the ielts exam make is to start by

learning the techniques of the ielts

exam however the first step should be

improving your general english knowledge

vocabulary and grammar so that was the

first tip improve your vocabulary and

grammar two improve your sentences tip

number two is about the choice of

vocabulary and style of writing

look at these three sentences

sentence one

shoes are designed to be destroyed one

day so that you will need to buy another

pair

sentence 2

the design philosophy of shoes includes

their short life span so as to create

the urgency of replacement

and the third sentence

it's part of company's scheme of planned

obsolescence to sell merchandise with

limited lifespan

all the three sentences have one meaning

so which one is better well you might

say the third one or the second one is

better than the first one right but it's

not that way all three can be good it

really depends on your audience who are

you writing for are you writing to a

friend of yours maybe you're writing for

a magazine or a newspaper or you want to

post it on a website or maybe you are

taking the ielts or toefl exam or any

other english exams depending on your

goal or your audience you can use any of

the three options however very important

point don't mix them up together

if you are writing to a friend of yours

stick to the friendly tone if you are

writing for a magazine or a newspaper

stick to the formal tone if you're

taking part in the ielts exam or toefl

exam in the writing section stick to

your academic tone so tip number two is

to keep the style and vocabulary

coherent

alright time for the third tip

give feelings to your sentences using

adjectives and adverbs let me give you a

very simple example look at this

sentence the driver drives

now

driver here is a noun and can be

described by an adjective

drive is a verb and can be described

with an adverb so instead of saying the

driver drives i can say the angry driver

drives angrily or

the careful driver drives carefully you

see the meaning of the sentence and the

feeling of the sentence changes

accordingly so try to use adjectives to

describe nouns and use adverbs to

describe verbs

let me give you another example of a

longer sentence look at this one

our hotel room in the city of venice had

a view of the sea

let's take a look at the nouns here we

have the hotel room

city

view and sea we have four nouns let's

use four adjectives to give some

feelings to this sentence

i can say magnificent hotel room i can

say exquisite city i can say

spectacular view and i can say beautiful

sea

let's read the sentence again

our magnificent hotel room in the

exquisite city of venice had a

spectacular view of the beautiful sea

you see

or here's another example with using

adverbs

he was walking and talking on the phone

so we have two verbs walk and talk let's

try to describe them using adverbs of

manner

he was walking calmly

and talking quietly on the phone

or in another way

he was walking fast

and talking angrily on the phone you see

the same sentence with two different

sets of adverbs

can send two different messages to your

audience

so tip number three use adverbs and

adjectives to give feelings to your

sentences tip number four

use linking devices to connect your

sentences and form paragraphs let's have

another look at the band descriptor of

ielts

25

of your writing mark is about coherence

and cohesion what are coherence and

cohesion coherence is how well your

ideas are linked and connected

throughout your piece of writing or your

text

if you are talking about the benefits of

exercise you might not want to talk

about how monkeys ate bananas

that's just irrelevant it's not coherent

the two ideas are not linked instead you

might want to talk about diet and

pairing diet with exercise and how that

can help to improve your health

what is cohesion cohesion is how well

your sentences are linked to one another

so cohesion means how well each sentence

is connected to the sentence after and

before it look at these three sentences

people are really concerned about their

health sentence one

more and more fast food is being

consumed sentence two

our lifestyle is becoming less active

sentence three but what is the

relationship between sentence one and

two and between sentence two and three

well the first sentence talks about the

fact that people are worried about their

health oh we should stay healthy we

shouldn't do bad things we shouldn't eat

fast food we should be more physically

active

however sentence two says something

which is quite the opposite of sentence

one sentence two says that people are

eating more and more fast food

so clearly this is a contrast this is an

opposite idea how can i link the first

sentence to the second well i can use

the phrase on the contrary or however

people are really concerned about their

health

on the contrary more and more fast food

is being consumed now what is the

relationship between the second and the

third sentence the third sentence is

adding another idea to the second

sentence right it is in contrast with

the first one but it is an addition to

the second one so in order to link the

second and the third sentences i can say

in addition or additionally or moreover

more and more fast food is being

consumed moreover our lifestyle is

becoming less active

now you see that the three sentences are

linked together and they can form a

cohesive paragraph what are other

linking devices well we have linking

devices of contrast of purpose of

addition adding new ideas of resulting

consequence there are many many many

linking devices in english language i

will try to make another video on that

before you move to tip number five let's

have a break if you want to receive the

summary of this lesson and every other

lesson when i post them on youtube you

just need to give me your email address

how

go to my website pocenglish.com

type in your email address and click

subscribe the link to my website is in

the descriptions below you will receive

the pdf of the summary of every lesson i

post on youtube and your email address

and that's completely free

time for tip number five

divide your ideas and arguments in

different paragraphs

talking about paragraphs how do you know

when to finish one paragraph and start a

new one how do you decide on where to

start and end one paragraph what is the

logic well to understand the logic let's

have a look at the band descriptor

looking at the band descriptor under

coherence and cohesion for band score 7

you can see

presents a clear central topic within

each paragraph

a clear central topic within each

paragraph so

each paragraph should talk about one and

only one central topic not two not three

not four just one central topic so how

do you decide when to finish one

paragraph when your central topic is

over and you're going to talk about your

second central topic you shouldn't talk

about two topics in one paragraph so

basically you start a paragraph you

present your central topic and then you

support it you provide examples you talk

about your experiences maybe you provide

some evidence from research and then

that's it if you want to talk about

something else go to the second

paragraph imagine you want to write an

essay with the title how to live longer

you may have three ideas

exercise diet and stress management

three ways to live longer so how many

paragraphs can i have well i can have

three paragraphs with three central

topics first paragraph about the

benefits of exercising second paragraph

about the importance of diet third

paragraph about the necessity of stress

management

and tip number six

have an evidence-based

tone

what do i mean

look at this sentence

having a more active lifestyle

leads to better health

this is clear right it's a fact we all

know that if we do some physical

activity

we will be healthier right so instead of

just stating the fact try to sound

evidence-based you can use this phrase

in the beginning

research shows that so instead of saying

having a healthier lifestyle may or

might lead to a better health you can

say research

shows that

having a more active lifestyle will lead

to better health or research suggests

that you can also use this phrase

there is evidence to suggest that

now compare these three sentences

having a more active lifestyle

leads to better health

research shows or research suggests that

having a more active lifestyle leads to

better health

there is evidence to suggest that

having a more active lifestyle leads to

better health you see the second and the

third one sound very academic so you can

use this little technique try to add

these two phrases research shows that

research suggests that or there is

evidence to suggest that to the

beginning of your sentences which are

facts in this way you will sound firm

strong and evidence-based and it feels

more academic right

and the final tip which is a very simple

tip but it is often ignored

revise

your text

make sure you have enough time to go

through your text again by reading your

text for a second time and if possible

aloud

you will be able to recognize the little

teeny tiny grammar mistakes or maybe big

grammar mistakes you have made or to

correct some choice of vocabulary or the

tone

and style of your essay this stage is

very important make sure you have at

least five minutes to go through your

text for a second time and that's it

guys i hope you've enjoyed this lesson

make sure you use these tips to improve

your writing skill and let me know what

you think in the comments below

see you

you