Self-publish English-language Teaching Materials Online If you are like me, you probably have a creative drive to self-publish your own language teaching materials online. Plus, you probably want to make a little extra income. For over 30 years, I’ve been an English-language educational writer and classroom teacher. I written nine commercial textbooks with major publishers. I’ve …
Learners’ Common Writing Mistakes It’s no fun making mistakes, especially in important situations. It’s one thing dropping your ice cream. It’s much more serious writing poorly when your reputation is at stake. Let’s revisit writing mistakes that non-native English speaking language learners often make. In a previous post, I looked at the misuse of the …
Introduction Good paragraph organization is a key part of an outstanding text in a business or academic context. Well-crafted paragraphs include a topic sentence. What is an effective paragraph? Good paragraphs usually have three parts: a topic sentence with a controlling idea supporting details a concluding sentence Let’s look briefly at these three parts of …
Quote reliable sources Whether you are writing a business report or an academic paper, you should quote reliable sources properly. Why quote reliable sources? You could get kicked out of your school or you could damage your professional reputation if you don’t. Here are are five good reasons to use quotations when you are writing. 1. Protects …
Revise documents: A step not to miss One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple. Jack Kerouac An important document, such as a business report, must be unified in all its aspects. When you revise documents, you look at paragraph unity, development, and coherence. You need to review the …
Vladimir Horowitz, the famous pianist, once said, If I skip practice for one day, I notice. If I skip practice for two days, my wife notices. If I skip for three days, the world notices. Writing–just like playing the piano–is a complex task. But you can develop your English writing skills with practice. One trick …