Tips to fight writing anxiety

by Ayesha Mirza

Many of my students shy away from writing in English which is quite understandable. English is not their mother tongue. Some of them never wrote so much as a small paragraph on their own. Hence, all this fuss about writing. I keep encouraging them to write while giving them tips for making this task easier. Here is a list of tips for my students that I have compiled over the years:

1. Make an outline This helps you organize your answers in a better way. While using an outline, you can make sure you have written down all the important points. It is also the best way to avoid repetition in an essay.
2. Write short sentences There are more chances of making grammatical mistakes while writing long sentences. Therefore, try to make short and simple sentences. Instead of saying, ‘John, since he was a strong man, managed to lift the rock with ease’, say, ‘John lifted the rock with ease because he was a strong man’. This will help you avoid mistakes while conveying your message with clarity.
3. SVO/SVC Remember, each complete sentence has got a Subject and a Verb in it. But in most cases, Subject and Verb are followed by an Object. In some cases, we use a Complement instead of an Object. My students study the sentence structure as a part of their syllabus. It is therefore easy for them to keep this principal in their minds while writing.
4. Use the same tense throughout the essay or paragraph Look at the question for cues. If the question is “Why did Lorna ask John to leave?” the answer has to be in the past tense. When once you have decided which tense to use, stick to the same tense throughout the answer.
5. It is better to use indirect speech While narrating an event, it is better to use indirect speech. This will help you avoid unnecessary use of punctuation marks.
6. Active voice Instead of writing “the apple was eaten by me”, write “I ate the apple”. It is simple, and it sounds better. Passive voice should only be used if it is needed.
7. Don’t rush Instead of taking 10 minutes to write an answer, take 15. Do your work carefully. These few minutes of careful work will save you a lot of frustration and embarrassment.
8. Read as much as you can Reading is the key towards improving your writing skill. It helps you learn new vocabulary items and grammatical structures.
9. Mistakes are not bad In fact, they are good. Don’t ever shy away from writing because you are afraid of making mistakes. Learn to learn from your mistakes.
10. Write, write and keep writing This is the best way to improve. You can learn to drive well only if you drive. Writing needs practice. So write at least something daily. You’ll be surprised to see how much you have learnt without actually realizing that you have been improving.