Does language change the way people think and see the world?
Get the answer with this podcast by Lexicon Valley.
ESL Writing STUFF
Helping English instructors teach better, plan faster and work smarter.
Writing With an Engine
Here is a writing style tip that helps ESL students write well.
This style tip is about engines and comes from Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer.
WRITING STORIES WITH QUESTIONS
Part 1
An engine is a source of energy that keeps something moving. In writing, the engine is a question which the reader finds interesting. Because the reader wants to know the answer, he or she will keep reading to the end.
What are some common questions that give stories an engine?
- Who did it?
- Guilty or not guilty?
- Who will win the race?
- Which man will she marry?
- Will the hero escape or die?
Writing Style Tips
Teaching ESL students how to write English stories and essays with style can be a challenge. What is style, anyway?
LEARN WRITING STYLE
Here are a few examples of how to write English with style. These come from Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. This style tip encourages writers to use four numbers to improve their style.
One
A single idea in a short sentence can make a great impact. For example:
- I have a dream.
- Just do it.
- “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
A Writer Talks About Teaching Writing
Here is an interview with an author who also happens to teach writing at a university in New York. He also wrote a book about his perspectives on teaching writing .Unless It Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing.