Advanced English Grammar: Ways to Boost Your Writing Skills

Good grammar makes your writing clear, accurate and easy to read. Whether you are writing an IELTS essay, a work email or a university application, these tips will help you write better English.

1. Read more, and read widely

Reading is one of the best ways to improve your writing. It shows you how good writers structure sentences and paragraphs, use punctuation and choose words. Try newspapers, novels and articles on topics you enjoy.

2. Write regularly

Like any skill, writing improves with practice. Keep a journal, write short summaries of articles you read, or practise exam essays under timed conditions.

3. Get feedback

Ask a teacher to correct your writing and explain your mistakes. Keep a list of the errors you make most often and check for them every time you write.

4. Choose the right level of formality

Academic essays and business documents need a formal style: avoid contractions (write do not rather than don't), slang and very casual phrases. Messages to friends can be informal. Think about who will read your writing and adjust your style.

5. Use punctuation precisely

• Full stop (.) ends a complete sentence.
• Comma (,) separates items in a list (apples, bananas and pears) and often comes before and, but or so when they join two complete clauses (I went to the shop, but I forgot my wallet.).
• Semicolon (;) joins two closely related complete sentences (It was late; everyone had gone home.).
• Colon (:) introduces a list or an explanation (We had three options: stay, leave or wait.).
• Apostrophe (') shows possession (Anna's book) or a missing letter (it's = it is). Note that its without an apostrophe means "belonging to it".

6. Keep sentences clear

Long sentences full of commas are hard to follow. If a sentence contains more than one main idea, consider splitting it into two. Use the active voice where you can: The committee approved the plan is clearer than The plan was approved by the committee.

7. Make subjects and verbs agree

A singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb: She works in London; They work in London. Be careful with phrases between the subject and verb: The list of names is on the desk (the subject is list, not names).

8. Use the present perfect correctly

Use the present perfect for past actions that are connected to now: I have lost my keys (I still don't have them). Use the past simple for finished actions at a specific time: I lost my keys yesterday.

9. Watch out for commonly confused words

• Affect / effect: affect is usually a verb (The rain affected my mood); effect is usually a noun (The rain had an effect on my mood).
• Its / it's: its shows possession; it's means it is or it has.
• Their / there / they're: their = belonging to them; there = a place; they're = they are.
• Fewer / less: use fewer with countable nouns (fewer students) and less with uncountable nouns (less time).

10. Proofread before you finish

Always read your writing again before you send or submit it. Reading aloud helps you notice missing words, awkward sentences and punctuation mistakes.

Take your writing further

Want expert feedback on your writing? Our IELTS preparation, Cambridge exam and Academic English Plus courses help you write accurate, well-organised English.