The Good News About “The”
May 14, 2021
In a recent post, we discussed how indefinite article a/an introduces a singular count noun for listeners/readers who are NOT expected to be familiar with it yet:
I bought a bicycle yesterday.
Such a first mention of a noun often starts a story or description:
A: I bought a bicycle yesterday. The bike is built for long-distance riding, so it’s really sturdy. I plan to take trips with it on country backroads.
… or a conversation or written exchange:
A: I bought a bicycle yesterday.
B: Really? How much did the bicycle cost?
After introducing “a bicycle,” we can switch to definite article the, since the bicycle is now familiar in context. This use of the – for mentioning a noun in context for the second time, after the first mention – is quite common in English.
Here’s some good news: the is used in the same way for singular, plural & noncount nouns, so you don’t have to worry about grammatical number:
A: We saw two eagles in Central Park. (plural)
B: Wow! What were the eagles doing? (plural)
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A: I gave my nephew some advice. (noncount)
B: Oh yeah? What was the advice about? (noncount)
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And no worries about grammatical gender, either — no feminine, masculine, or neuter forms to keep track of (as in French, where the-equivalents la & le apply to feminine & masculine nouns, respectively). Thankfully, in modern English, the is always just the!
More good news: the is similar to its “th-cousins” this, that, these, those, which helps us understand WHY we use it. All five words point at specific nouns or definite concepts, and their th– spelling suggests a close relationship. This, that, these & those point more emphatically at their target nouns than the, but all five words’ pointing function — indicating something specific or definite — is similar.
So it can be useful to consider the a short form of this, that, these, those. Notice the meanings of this, that & those in the dialogs below are nearly identical with the preceding the-versions:
A: I bought a bicycle yesterday.
B: Really? How much did this bicycle cost?
(“this bicycle” is more emphatic, but very similar to “the bicycle”)
————————————————–
A: We saw two eagles in Central Park.
B: Wow! What were those eagles doing?
(“those eagles” is more emphatic, but very similar to “the eagles”)
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A: I gave my nephew some advice.
B: Oh yeah? What was that advice about?
(“that advice” is more emphatic, but very similar to “the advice”)
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However, sometimes the is not exactly equivalent to this, that, these, those. This happens when we refer to generally understood concepts/institutions or nouns that listeners/readers are expected to be familiar with.
For example, if I say I’m going to “the bank” today, I usually mean “some branch or other of whatever bank I use”; “one of those places we call ‘bank,’” NOT “this bank” or “that bank.”
This leads to more good news: you can use the the first time you refer to nouns in such ways — no need to worry about first vs. second mention! Here are some examples:
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a) Unique or ubiquitous nouns:
The sun is about 93 million miles from the earth.
I love the night sky when the air is clear and the stars are bright.
The weather is getting warmer as the environment is changing fast.
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b) Common/familiar concepts, types of places & institutions in everyday life:
In the morning, I plan to go to the post office and the library.
Would you rather live in the city, the suburbs or the country?
I’m dying to go to the beach: I love gazing at the ocean.
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c) Nouns referred to generically (general, abstract meaning):
The giraffe is known for its long neck, and the elephant for its long trunk.
Was the harpsichord an early version of the piano?
Tech companies plan to further miniaturize the smartwatch and implant it in the human body.
One interesting note: this meaning of the can sometimes be conveyed by a/an in its generic meaning of “any”:
The unicycle is a one-wheeled, pedal-propelled vehicle. = A unicycle is a one-wheeled, pedal-propelled vehicle.
As definitions of “unicycle,” these two sentences are interchangeable. They both express “unicycle as a concept; any unicycle.”
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d) Nouns immediately understood in context (in a particular situation or given scenario):
What’s the problem?
Pass me the dictionary, please.
Turn off the lights and come down to the lobby.
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If you can enjoy understanding & using the, then here’s some final good news: it’s the most commonly occurring word in English — so that’s about a thousand bits of enjoyment in an average English-speaking day!
An earlier version of this article appeared as a post on NYU’s English Language Institute blog on May 13, 2021.
A/An, Anyone?
April 30, 2021
Look at these little words:
a
an
any
one
Notice any similarities? These common old words are closely related, and they’re literally Old English: the earliest form of English spoken in the centuries before the language was transformed by an infusion of Latin (via early French) starting about a thousand years ago.
The similarities in spelling and meaning of a, an, any, and one help explain how to use our indefinite article a/an. Consider these three simplified uses:
-1- a/an = one
— I bought a bicycle yesterday = I bought one bicycle yesterday
-2- a/an = any
— A bicycle is great for getting around the city = Any bicycle is great for getting around the city
-3- a/an = one/any
— I’d like to get a bicycle for long-distance riding = I’d like to get one/any bicycle for long-distance riding
So a/an means one, any, or a blend of one & any!
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-1- a/an = one
— I bought a bicycle yesterday = I bought one bicycle yesterday
“I” am aware of my new bicycle, but I know you’re not: you’re hearing/reading about it for the first time. Even so, you immediately understand that it’s one particular bicycle, NOT just any bicycle.
Such first-time references to singular count nouns that listeners or readers are not yet (or not fully) familiar with are usually introduced with a/an.
More examples:
— We saw an eagle in Central Park = We saw one eagle in Central Park
“We” know something about this eagle, but you’re NOT expected to know anything about it, so the first time we mention it, we introduce it with an.
— My cousin works for a web design company = My cousin works for one web design company
This is one of many web design companies, NOT any web design company: it’s a certain web design company that goes unnamed here. The phrase “a certain” often conveys this meaning of a/an = one — “a particular one; one of many possible ones”:
— My cousin works for a web design company = My cousin works for a certain [unnamed] web design company.
So useful! A/An is extremely efficient when you want to introduce a quick reference to a particular noun without bothering to name or describe it specifically in the same sentence.
— Spinach is a leafy green vegetable = Spinach is one leafy green vegetable
Spinach is defined here as one type of leafy green vegetable. There are many varieties of “leafy green vegetable,” and “Spinach” is just one of many. Here, a/an = one means “a type of; one type among many possible types within a particular category.” This reference to type is more abstract than our previous examples, which indicated one actual individual among many, but it still does NOT mean any type.
__________________________________
-2- a/an = any
— A bicycle is great for getting around the city = Any bicycle is great for getting around the city
Here, “A bicycle” is an abstraction, a generic concept of any bicycle. This is not about “a certain” or “a particular” bicycle; it’s the general idea of the pedal-powered two-wheeled vehicle we call “bicycle.”
More examples:
— You should try a unicycle: it’s even more fun to ride = You should try any unicycle …
I’m NOT thinking of a particular unicycle for you; I’m just making a quick remark about any member of the category of pedal-powered one-wheeled vehicles we call “unicycle.”
— I’d rather learn how to ride a horse = I’d rather learn how to ride any horse
For the purposes of this sentence, any horse will do. No need to discuss particular horses or types of horse. Here, horse means “horse in general; the concept of horse.”
__________________________________
-3- a/an = one/any
— I’d like to get a bicycle for long-distance riding = I’d like to get one/any bicycle for long-distance riding
This sentence blends the general idea of any bicycle and a degree of concreteness in the sense of one bicycle I could own in the future: a potentially particular bike! It’s not one actual bike yet, but it’s not just any bike either: only certain types of bike will suit my purposes.
More examples:
— We’re looking for a new apartment = We’re looking for one/any new apartment
One apartment? Yes, of course: one is all we need, but we haven’t found the right one yet. Any apartment? Not exactly; we’re interested in size X, location Y, and price range Z. But we’ll consider almost any apartment fitting our X/Y/Z description.
— You should send her an email about that = You should send her one/any email about that
This is the mere thought of a hypothetical (any) email + a suggested actual (future one) email with a certain type of content. So “an” has a blended one/any meaning here.
— I take a bath every evening = I take one/any bath every evening
This one-bath-per-evening is a recurring one, not a particular/individual one, so as a conceptual bath, it has a spirit of any. It’s the idea (abstraction) of one of this type of NOUN (bath) per recurring time (any given evening).
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A quick review of the three simplified meanings of a/an:
-1- a/an = one = a certain; one particular; an actual/tangible individual; one among many; a type of
-2- a/an = any = generic concept of; general idea of; abstract/hypothetical vision of
-3- a/an = one/any = a potentially particular; hypothetical (any) but actualizable (one); a future one; a recurring one
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An important point: a/an is for singular count nouns only. Plural nouns can’t use it, since it refers to one, not more than one. Noncount nouns can’t use it, since they can’t be counted with one or any other number.
As for a vs. an — for smooth pronunciation, article a partners with nouns beginning with a consonant sound, and an with nouns beginning with a vowel sound. One tricky consonant issue is the hidden y- sound in some words beginning with the letter u, as in university (yu-nih-VER-sih-tee). Remember to say “a university” and “a union.”
And watch out for silent initial h: words like honor begin with a vowel sound (for example, ah in honor or ow in hour). Say “an honor” and “an hour.” Finally, a couple of initial h words may be pronounced in different ways, like historian: a historian (with consonant h- sound) and an historian (with silent initial h) are both acceptable.
If you’re wondering, “Hey, what about the — the other article in English?” link to my post on that topic here: The Good News About “The”!
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An earlier version of this article appeared as two posts (part 1, part 2) in NYU’s English Language Institute blog on April 22 & 29, 2021.
Requests for Favors: Getting to the Point
April 17, 2021
Small talk plays an important role in American culture, as we discussed in a recent post. However, too much of a good thing can backfire: that is, produce the opposite of the intended (good) effect.
When we have a special request or favor to ask of someone, starting with a little small talk is natural, but if we do NOT have a close personal relationship with that someone, it’s often useful to limit initial chitchat to 2-3 exchanges, and then introduce our request with minimal context … and ASK!
Let’s strategize about small talk first, and then the request. Why strategize? Because we’ll probably be a little nervous: asking for help from people outside our closest social circle can be psychologically demanding. This isn’t something we do every day, so choosing the right words and the right way to say them can be challenging.
If you intend to ask a favor of an acquaintance, associate, colleague, or anyone else who is NOT a close friend or relative — and especially if you haven’t spoken to this person in a long time — try to limit small talk to one minute or less (unless your partner keeps it going by asking YOU some questions).
This little bit of foresight may help you AVOID a one-sided “exchange”:
A: Hi! Long time no talk! Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you! How have you been?
B: [short response]
A: Did you go anywhere for the holidays?
B: [short response]
A: So how is everything? Are you still teaching at the university?
B: [short response]
A: How’s your wife doing? Is she still in the fashion industry?
B: [short response]
A: Oh wow, that’s great! And your parents — how are they doing?
…
If you find yourself driving this kind of “interrogation,” cut it short: your partner will be relieved! Notice this example includes a couple of “dead-end” yes/no questions likely to elicit yes- or no-only responses.
But there’s an even more serious problem here: the question content may be unwelcome. Your partner may not be in the mood right now to discuss work, wife, or parents — especially if your relationship is not close. Imposing such questions could even affect how the other person responds to your eventual request.
Now let’s consider how you might structure your request. Expect to feel a little anxious (it’s normal) and do your best to push through it. Express your purpose in two very short parts — CONTEXT (essential background information, condensed into one sentence or phrase) and REQUEST:
CONTEXT: Well, the reason I’m calling you today is that I’m looking for a job and …
REQUEST: … I was wondering if I could ask you for any suggestions you might have about …
Note that the CONTEXT does not tell a long story. Long-story-SHORT — extremely short! — is our goal here.
And notice the REQUEST features indirect words to soften its impact:
I was wondering: common introductory softener; signals that a request (or other special/sensitive remark) is coming, alerting the listener to a “turn” in the conversational flow.
if I could ask you: “if” conditional, with the burden of action on the speaker “I” asking, not the listener “you” giving (NOT: “if you could give me …”); this additional signal gently & politely announces, “Incoming question!”
any: meaning “any possible” or “if you happen to have any”; the speaker does not assume the listener has suggestions to offer, which lowers expectations and helps lighten a request.
might: conditional modal, with an implied “if”: if you happen to have ideas, if you can think of anything spontaneously, if you would be willing to share your thoughts.
In most routine situations in the USA, you’ll probably receive warmer and more thoughtful responses to your requests if you limit small talk, get to your point relatively quickly, choose words that burden YOU instead of the other person, and soften your wording with a few “if”s, “might”s & “any”s!
This article is a revised version of an earlier post that appeared in NYU’s English Language Institute blog on April 16, 2021.
What’s the Big Deal About Small Talk?
April 8, 2021
“I see you’re wearing a Yankees cap. Are you a baseball fan?”
This is small talk: a useful conversation-starter, or just an add-on to “Hi, how are you?” Notice the comment (“Yankees cap”) + question (“you a fan?”) structure — we’ll come back to that soon when we discuss techniques.
But first — why bother reading about small talk? After all, you probably do it naturally with people you want to interact with. That’s great … but remember those awkward times when you wanted to interact with someone but couldn’t think of the right thing to say?
Small talk can be a BIG challenge for anyone facing new or anxiety-inducing situations, including many key moments in our careers. And small talk can be a BIG deal in relationship-building: people prefer to socialize and do business with others they feel comfortable with, and this sense of comfort can be established & maintained through light conversation that feels natural and builds rapport.
So strengthening your small talk skills can enhance your personal & professional encounters. Here’s a simple formula that can remind us what small talk is, and what it’s for:
small talk = SHOWING INTEREST
You may ask: What if the person or situation is too new to make me feel “interested” yet?
I hear you! That’s why the key word SHOWING is helpful. Showing interest can come from (a) having genuine interest and expressing it … or (b) making an effort: finding something — anything — to comment on!
In the “Yankees cap” example, (b) is likely to apply to me, as I’m not a Yankees fan; I’m not even a baseball fan, and I have no natural interest in discussing baseball or baseball hats … but hey: I’m making an effort by noticing something and remarking on it!
You may ask: What if the person or situation is too intimidating or tense, and I feel literally frozen?
I know — I’ve been there too! Sometimes we have to “break the ice” before showing interest. (The “ice” in this idiom indicates the initial frozen state of a new social situation; the awkward paralysis of people together not communicating.)
One of the easiest ways to break the ice is asking about the weather. This works even for remote video-conferencing and phone calls:
“How’s the weather where you are?”
Notice this question doesn’t even require knowing where the other person is, which makes it very easy to use. It leads naturally to discussing where the other person is, where you are, and suddenly the “ice” is broken, the conversational stream is flowing, and now you can show interest!
“I heard you say you’re from Italy. What part of Italy are you from?”
That’s another example of the comment + question structure. Comments set context for questions, and sometimes even prompt them: I may say “you’re from Italy” without knowing what else to say … and “What part?” naturally emerges!
And by adding space between questions, comments create more comfortable pacing: focus on me (comment); then you (question); me; then you. And you, I hope, do the same! Asking questions only turns small talk into an interrogation, which can be unpleasant for your partner.
The “Italy” example features an information question (“What part?”), which unlocks more conversational potential than most yes/no questions do. Information questions — those beginning with who, what, where, when, why, which, how — elicit specific and often revealing responses. In contrast, yes/no questions may result in one-word answers: “Yes.” Or “No.” And nothing more!
As your small talk warms up, think of simple questions — especially information questions and yes/no questions with like — to follow up on what your partner says:
— “Did you like growing up there?”
— “Oh really? Why?”
— “When was that?”
— “Where was that?”
— “That’s interesting; and then what happened?”
— “Wow! How did you handle that?”
Follow-ups are short, easy to generate, and more fun to answer. Since they demonstrate you’re listening and showing interest, they encourage meaningful conversation and transform small talk into real engagement.
A version of this article appeared as a post in NYU’s English Language Institute blog on April 1, 2021.
A Good Time for Writing
December 4, 2020
With the current pandemic prompting restrictions on public gatherings and onsite classes, we’re all more physically separated from each other. Devising your own independent study activities can be a reassuring way to engage with the world … and keep your joy-of-learning flame burning.
Communicating at a distance means that writing is probably playing a more significant role in your life: you may be composing more text messages, emails, and written assignments than ever before. As your need to write increases, along with enforced time alone, consider refining your writing skills with the help of the best teachers: good writers.
Start from the source: books, stories, articles, and other texts that you find interesting and well-written. The “you” part here is important: allow your own preferences, feelings, and instincts to guide you. This is a chance to explore writing that is meaningful to you — NOT what someone else chooses for you or claims you “should” read.
Notice sentences that make an impression on you. Did you like one particular part of a piece you just read? Did the opening page of a novel have a mysterious or magical effect on you? Did your boss or teacher write something so useful or clear that you’d like to emulate their technique?
Re-read those sentences carefully. What did you like so much? Why do you think so?
The answers to these questions can lead directly to improving your own writing skills, but you’ll need to exert some energy. Are you ready?
If English is your second language, try a back-translation — a challenging but effective self-directed activity:
a) Translate several well-written English sentences or paragraphs into your first language.
b) Wait a few days (or longer) so you can forget the details of the original English.
c) Without looking at the original text, translate your translation back into English.
d) Compare your English translation with the English original, notice the differences … and learn from them!
Back-translation is a simple idea, but doing it takes commitment and effort! So limit your first attempt to just a few sentences that really interest you: a short excerpt that struck you as useful, meaningful, or beautiful.
The final step — comparing your back-to-English translation with the original — will show you how you can improve your written English. You’ll notice differences in word choices, sentence structures, and punctuation & style elements that you can immediately apply to your next writing task. Pay special attention to aspects of the original that you did NOT include or incorporate fully in your translation: these oversights will show you what you need to learn, as opposed to what you’re already good at.
One rewarding aspect of this comparative analysis is that you choose the material and you manage the process yourself. The text is the key, the writer is your virtual teacher, and you are in the driver’s seat. Drive on … and enjoy the journey!
A version of this article appeared as a post in NYU’s English Language Institute blog on December 1, 2020.
Mastering American English Pronunciation
April 28, 2020
As you know, vowel sounds in English can be confusing: we have so many different ways to spell them! Consonant sounds can be challenging too. And stressing the right syllables in words is especially important in English.
Refining your pronunciation is a long-term process, and the older you are, the more modest your expectations of progress must be. Children can mimic and reproduce the sounds of second languages quickly and accurately, but if you’re past your teenage years, you’ll likely find pronunciation work a challenge. However, you can learn to make subtle adjustments that will improve the way you sound in English!
One exercise you can start with is reviewing SINGLE vs. DOUBLE vowel sounds — read ALOUD the words that begin with the same consonant (for example, “f“) on the LEFT side below … immediately followed by the word(s) that begin(s) with that same consonant on the RIGHT side:
Notice how the two vowel sounds on the LEFT side are added together for the blended double sound on the RIGHT.
Now read ALOUD the words in the charts below in the same way:
If you’re color-oriented, notice that the two primary colors on the LEFT side of each chart are the “ingredients” for the blended complementary color on the RIGHT side — this visual reference may help reinforce the skill you’re working on: blending two “pure” vowels into a double vowel (diphthong).
Here’s another single-to-double-sound chart for you to practice reading ALOUD:
How do you like working on your English pronunciation skills? It can be fun — like working on music or singing skills — and even more fun with an instructor, whether in person or remotely.
If you’re an adult second-language learner, keep your expectations for progress modest … and if you practice skills one by one (as illustrated above), you’ll find that gradual, modest progress is not only possible, but enjoyable!
If you’d like individual coaching/instruction on your English pronunciation, please contact me directly (see my “About Lloyd” page — link at top right of this page).
Enjoy learning!
~ Lloyd ~
Listening to Well-told Stories Online
April 27, 2020
With so much content on the internet to use for refining your English language skills, the choices can seem overwhelming! One site to include in your listening diet is The Moth (TheMoth.org), a public radio program / website / podcast dedicated to storytelling: people tell true personal stories in front of a live audience. Like moths drawn to a flame, we humans are powerfully attracted to stories told “around the campfire” (actual or proverbial), so a storytelling-focused site is likely to entertain and enlighten YOU … as you hone your listening skills.
Here are some tips on using Moth stories for language practice:
-1- Visit TheMoth.org and browse the most recent episode of The Moth Radio Hour (“See This Episode”), which usually includes 3-4 stories: scroll down to see titles, storytellers’ names, and one-sentence summaries. The length of each story is listed in minutes:seconds (e.g., 12:47). Browse other links on the site to find additional programs and stories.
-2- Some — but NOT most — stories offer a transcript, which can help you confirm your comprehension and study details like new vocabulary. When you use a computer and link to a story title, a “Read Transcript” link may appear below, along with the more common links “Listen Now” and “Add to Playlist.” You can also search the site for the key word “transcript” — a list of stories with transcripts will appear.
-3- Consider borrowing a “The Moth Presents” transcript book from the library, featuring full scripts of popular stories: the two latest editions are Occasional Magic (2019) and All These Wonders (2017). You can look over the first part of a transcript to identify a story you like, and then locate the audio at TheMoth.org. To vary your practice, listen to stories with — and without — the transcript.
-4- Listen to the first 2-3 minutes of a story to discover whether you like the content and speaker’s voice — if you’re not interested within 3 minutes, try a different story.
-5- When you find a story that interests you, listen to all of it … and then listen again for details you missed the first time. If possible, use a transcript to study new vocabulary in detail.
-6- When you’re familiar with the content, use the story AGAIN for pronunciation practice by playing it phrase by phrase: PAUSE after each short phrase (a short sentence, or one part of a longer sentence), REPEAT it ALOUD … play the next phrase, PAUSE, and repeat!
-7- If you like The Moth and want to receive the latest programs and episodes on your smartphone, subscribe to the podcast version.
Although professional performers sometimes appear on The Moth, most storytellers are ordinary people who have compelling stories to tell: their “pitches” are screened by Moth staffers, and if they’re selected to perform, storytellers receive tips and coaching on effective ways to present their stories. The result for YOU is well-told tales that may make you laugh, cry, or both … and worthwhile content to help you enhance your own English language skills!
This article originally appeared as a post in NYU’s English Language Institute blog on March 18, 2020.
Public Radio Online: Listen and Learn
April 27, 2020
Near the end of my English language listening/speaking-focused courses, students often ask me, “How can I continue building my skills on my own?”
You’re probably already using audiovisual resources, but visual “eye candy” can consume so much of your attention that you don’t concentrate enough on language issues. Consider audio-only resources, which focus your mind on listening: you immediately notice aspects of vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, and grammar that demand your attention.
Try public radio sites like NPR.org (National Public Radio) and WNYC.org (NYC’s own station), which offer top-quality news and feature stories you can use to boost your language skills.
ACTIVE listening with NPR.org:
a) Search for key words of interest or particular shows — click the menu icon (with three short horizontal bars); shows like “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” offer new reports and stories every day, and archives of past shows. Most features are 3-8 minutes long; choose one.
b) Listen without pausing to get acquainted with overall content.
c) Listen again and pause as needed; notice things you missed the first time.
d) Read the transcript to see how well you understood everything. Transcripts offer immediate feedback on your listening accuracy. Research the meanings of unfamiliar words.
e) Listen again while reading the transcript to reinforce the content in your mind and focus your ears & eyes together on language issues.
f) Listen again, pause after each short sentence and in the middle of longer sentences, and repeat what you just heard. Imitate pronunciation & intonation to refine your speaking skills.
g) Each day, repeat these steps; follow your instincts, adjust as needed, and trust your judgment.
PASSIVE listening with WNYC.org:
a) Subscribe to the WNYC app or other podcast platform offering WNYC content.
b) Listen to live broadcasts while doing other things, like exercising, preparing meals, or washing dishes.
c) Don’t worry about missing content — you’re busy and cannot possibly catch all the words. You can miss 90% and still benefit from English streaming into your ears. And don’t worry about transcripts when listening passively — just allow quality audiocasts to become part of your daily routine.
This article originally appeared as a post in NYU’s English Language Institute blog on December 11, 2019.
Building Your Writing Skills
April 26, 2020
You’re not going to magically become a better writer just by reading. After all, would you expect to become a better speaker just by listening? If you want to build your writing skills, you have to do one thing: write! Doing assignments for a class is important, and revising after receiving feedback is especially important. But if you really want to improve your skills, challenge yourself to write regularly … not for class, but for yourself. Give yourself writing tasks:
Try a back-translation — a challenging but effective self-directed activity (follow the steps for this process outlined in my post “A Good Time for Writing”).
Keep a writing journal: Write for 15-30 minutes every day, no matter what. Write about anything that comes to mind; if nothing comes to mind, write about nothing coming to mind! It’s good language practice, and writing about “nothing” is still writing; after a few minutes, the very act of writing can stimulate your idea flow. Journal writing can improve your abilities to organize your thoughts and express yourself precisely, abilities that apply to both writing and speech.
Self-Dictation: Choose an article or story you enjoyed, and record your voice reading it aloud, and then play back the recording as a self-dictation. Write each sentence, pausing or replaying the recording in the same way a teacher delivers a dictation in class. Finally, check your spelling and punctuation against the original text. Regular dictations/self-dictations will improve your writing skills.
Copy good sample paragraphs and entire essays or other documents: Get deeply acquainted with a writer’s word choices and sentence structures. The text you choose serves as your “tutor” — it demonstrates good writing, and you absorb the lesson well because you’re doing it … not just thinking about it.
As a learning tool, copying is not taboo! If you consider a particular sentence, paragraph, or essay well written, analyze what makes it well written. If you want to learn to write like that, copy it! Copying is a natural way to learn any craft. Most human skills are acquired largely through imitation: artists copy masters to learn their techniques; musicians practice the works of other musicians and composers; babies learn to speak by imitating adults; second-language learners imitate first-language models. Unfortunately, the taboo against copying other people’s ideas inhibits many student writers from using copying as a tool for building writing skills. But this kind of copying is entirely different from plagiarism; private writing practice exercises are not the same as false public presentations of others’ ideas as your own. Copying is a natural way to boost your writing competence.
Follow Good Examples
Start noticing how writers write. When you like a piece of writing, examine it closely. What part did you like the most? Why? Did you like certain words/phrases, or the simplicity or complexity of a particular sentence? What kinds of sentence structures impressed you?
In addition to pieces by professional writers, documents written by your boss, your teachers, your faculty advisor — anyone whose writing you’d like to emulate — are worth considering. And be sure to examine published articles, brochures, websites, and reports that relate to your field or specialty. Such documents may serve as excellent models for your own professional writing. Imitate good models — not just by reading them, but by moving your fingers: respond to them in your writing journal, record and use them for self-dictations, or copy them!
Avoiding Writer’s Block
April 26, 2020
The Writing Process
Do you suffer from writer’s block — the inability to write when you desperately want or need to write? If so, you may be mixing your two distinct roles as creator and critic.
Writing requires creative efforts (planning and drafting) and critical efforts (reviewing, refining, checking, and changing). These two efforts complement each other when applied at different times, but compete with each other when applied at the same time. Writer’s block often results from trying to create and criticize simultaneously. It’s as if two parts of our brain were at war with each other!
Creativity is about “What if…” “How about…” “Let’s try…” “Maybe…” “Yes!”
Criticism is about “That’s awkward.” “Too simple.” “Doesn’t work.” “Not right.” “No!”
For a smoother, more enjoyable writing experience, and to help yourself produce your best writing, separate your creative efforts from your critical efforts. The next time you’re facing a professional, academic, official, or creative writing task, try this approach:
CREATE
-1- Plan
-2- Draft
Take a break!
CRITIQUE
-3- Refine
-4- Check
Here are some thoughts on each step in the process:
A. CREATE
1. Plan: Think, make notes, sketch, outline, or roughly map out your basic ideas. Focus on your purpose — why are you writing this particular document? What do you want the reader to understand? What is your main message? What are other key points you want your reader to know? If you’re stuck, try five minutes of freewriting.*
*Freewriting means writing whatever words and thoughts come into your mind — without editing at all. Such freestyle writing can be completely off the topic: irrelevant personal thoughts, disorganized sentences, even silly ideas. Sentences like “Well, I’m supposed to write but I have no idea how to start” are welcome. This technique helps some writers establish a connection between their natural thoughts and the artificial act of writing. After a few minutes, more relevant ideas will flow and the paralysis of writer’s block will be broken!
2. Draft. Focus on your goal and purpose. Don’t think too much about writing well — it’s too early in the process to worry about being clear, concise, courteous, complete, or correct. Let your ideas flow into your fingers spontaneously, roughly, awkwardly, messily, and quickly.
* * * STOP. Take a break. You need to relax your creative engine and let a calmer, more critical perspective return. Even a 3-minute break will help you see your rough draft with a fresh eye. Don’t mix the creative and critical processes. * * *
B. CRITIQUE
3. Refine: Review and revise. Move sentences, paragraphs, and entire sections. Take another break and do it again. Put yourself in your reader’s place and slowly read from the beginning: are the order and flow of your ideas logical and clear? Are your paragraphs easy to read? Are your sentences easy to understand?
If not, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite — several times, if necessary. Professional writers rewrite extensively, so how can you expect not to rewrite? Ask another person to review and comment on your revised draft.
4. Check: Only when you’re sure your latest revision is the best possible one, make final adjustments and edits. Finally, check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Discipline yourself to postpone this final check until the last possible moment. If you do it too early, you may be wasting your time, as your refining efforts (Step 3) may not be complete, and you may end up rewriting entire sections of your draft.
* * * * *
Try to apply this process to your next writing task. The most profitable part is the first one: planning. Most people want to get writing tasks done as quickly as possible, so they begin writing what they think will be their final version. If they’re wise, they begin to realize that what they’re writing is just a first draft, which will need refining and checking.
Planning allows you to discover, organize, and structure your ideas in advance to save time in drafting, not spend extra time! Give yourself the gift of planning, and know that your initial “writing” is really drafting — and you’ll immediately become a better writer.
Learn with Lloyd! 