As the name indicates, a thank-you note is a “note”, not a letter. A note is a brief communication. Thankfully, you don’t have to write more than a few words.
What should go into this note?
[1] The salutation: the “Dear so-and-so” or a simple greeting.
[2] Saying “thank you.”
[3] Identifying the gift or the service – more than the receiver of the note, it is you, the sender must be sure you are than
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17
Jan
2012
We saw the first three points in the instant check-list for essay writing. Let’s find out the rest.
(4) Have you checked the tense of the verbs used? Throughout the essay, is your analysis done in the literary-present tense? Ex: The author prepares his setting with facts from history and places his characters in suitable spots.
(5) Does the essay sound like a string of quotations with nothing of your thinking? [T
15
Jan
2012
A request came for a checklist for the final drafting of an essay. “What should I be looking for in the essay to get good grades?” was the question.
Here is the answer. It is in no way complete, but how many can you remember for a quick check-up?
Before you run through the check-list, there are two things you need to do:
[1] Revise. Never be lazy about this. I complete my stories at night, and revise them in th
After a long time, I’ve decided to take up a specific question in writing. It’s about the length of a sentence.
Oh, yes, we know a sentence – not the ones awarded in a courtroom – can be just one word: “Stop!”
It could have two words and so on. But that is not the bug-bite here. It is the other end of the limit.
How long is too long? When do we pause while punching in to say,
4
Jan
2012
Posted Under - For Parents, For Teachers, General, Good Writing, Let's Talk
What next?
[1] What I do. Read through the writing several times. Does it read easy? Can your reader follow your thought through each sentence?
Cut down the length of the sentences. Mix long and short ones judiciously. Use simple words. Put them in direct sentences. Why do you write – to reach your readers or to show off your vocabulary list?
“Pomposity and long-windedness tend to obscure meaning, or reveal the
3
Jan
2012
Last week I was invited to speak to a group of people who had paid to learn about the basics of writing well. I faced a heterogeneous group aged 10 to 60 so my advice had to be very general. Some were journalism students, others were bloggers, a couple of them were students who wanted better grades, some others were home-makers who wanted to write better letters…, well, it was a mixed group.
These are the tips th
I am thrilled to start off the New Year with a quiz, that too on usage. 2011 was a great year for new words, new phrases, new expressions. Remember “We are the 99 percent”? “1 percent”? The 9-9-9 theory? Didn’t “occupy” acquire a whole new meaning?
So here is a usage quiz. Find out that one word in each of these sentences that is way off the mark for the context. The sentences are from the New York Ti
30
Dec
2011
Posted Under - Good Writing, Grammar 101, Quiz Time
My “Blog Fodder” file is getting larger. Why do writers (across the world) make so many errors in grammar and usage? Isn’t error-free writing important any more? Isn’t an eye for accuracy – for content and language – a part of the qualifications for being a writer? Is sloppy writing ok?
Find your own answer. Meanwhile, take this quiz. I copied and pasted these sentences during my
27
Dec
2011
Posted Under - For Parents, For Teachers, General, Good Writing, Let's Talk
When it comes to spelling, we have three problems we find difficult to conquer.
[1] There are some words we seem to spell wrong always – even after it has been pointed out as wrong. One classic example of this is “benefit”. I’ve heard people say that they had a “benefit” handicap, spelling it “benefit” and thinking they got it right.
[2] Inability to discover errors in spelling – you read on even
24
Dec
2011
We’ve reached the last leg.
[1] Finally, don’t pad your essay. Write concisely. Write what is relevant to the topic, germane to the issue at hand. And as I said before, avoid the temptation to write the same thing in different ways. Treat every point as a stand-alone one, with its own importance.
Check. Does it read well?
[2] Above all, don’t panic. I am familiar with that odd feeling rising from the
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- Diversity in the classroom – 3 11:29 am, January 26, 2012
- Diversity in the classroom – 2 8:05 pm, January 23, 2012
- Diversity in the classroom 9:54 pm, January 21, 2012
- Check-list for essay writing – 2 10:56 pm, January 17, 2012
- Check-list for essay writing – 1 9:38 pm, January 15, 2012
- What is wrong with this? 11:28 am, January 13, 2012
