Lessons behind the Brown Paper

Last time, our English teacher gave a list of some errors; some of us did in our blog entries. I had a nervous feeling when a sheet of brown paper was given to us. I was hoping that I do not owe any errors listed. Well, thank God I do not. Truth is, almost all of us found the errors quite funny. Many people have problems with grammar and grammar, struggling to use the correct words when writing. This applies to people of all ages, nationalities and prestige. Most errors were misused of some words, troublesome in using the tenses and many other more. But knowing the errors would be a great help! I would be able to distinguish what is correct from not. So, it would not be embarrassing to present my article next time I write. Knowing the correct grammar is really important not only in speaking but also in writing. There are some ways to improve grammar skills. English as a second language can be picked up for its' grammar by making a list of all the common contractions. It is better to have and use a dictionary and write in a notebook all the forms and study it daily. Internet is not only about facebook, twitter, myspace, tumblr etc. There are also lots of sites that would be a great help in improving one’s grammar skills and vocabulary. For example on this site, http://www.chompchomp.com; included in this site are interactive activities, grammar rules and hand-outs for students and teachers. It is called Grammar Bytes and is for late primary and intermediate classrooms. So when bored on facebook, why not try checking out this site!

Many people have a basic grasp of writing concepts, but want to learn to be better writers. To be a good writer, I think one must also be a good reader. There are lots of things we could learn from reading books. Reading authors that I love and learning from them encourage me to read and learn more. Understanding what I like to read will help me to understand what I like to write, and writing about what I love will usually be creating my best work. When done writing any article for the school newspaper, I let my uncle or an older trustworthy friend to evaluate my work. I always ask them to be honest in their opinions. Criticism may be the best way to open a room for improvement. I listen carefully to their suggestions. Listening does not mean I have to take every piece of their advice and change entirely my whole work. It means, keeping in mind and heart their opinion. I also watch American movies instead of watching the “Tagalog” ones. It helps improve my vocabulary.

Another thing is some experts suggest that habitual writing is the best way to improve writing skills and make a person a better writer. This is so true! Practice makes perfect.