Six Key Areas in English a Writer Needs to Pay Attention to

Below are six key areas in English every writer needs to pay attention to:

1. Subject-verb agreement/Concord

One defining characteristic of a good writer is one who has command of subject-verb agreement, not necessarily one who flaunts "big" words. Start from the basics – they are, she is, we were, etc. – and build on them. Get a good grammar book and learn the rules of concord, or click here to learn the rules of concord. The life of good writing depends on this!

2. Tenses

Tenses tell the times that certain events happened. As a good user or writer of the English language, you should be able to describe past, present, and future events in their appropriate tenses. There are several quality grammar books you can master tense and aspects from.

3. Punctuation

A good writer knows that punctuation is as important as the brakes, clutches, and accelerators of cars. You miss their right usages and you risk your life. Know where to place commas, periods, apostrophes, hyphens, colons, etc. A misplacement of these marks would result in different meanings and structures.

READ: How punctuation marks affect your writing

4. Vocabulary

To be able to express yourself very well in written language, one needs a rich vocabulary. A “rich vocabulary” does not necessarily mean a plethora of "big" words. By “rich vocabulary,” we mean the appropriate words or phrases to describe thoughts, actions, people, situations, etc.

5. Idioms

Idioms add colour and condiments to one's language. They make one's writing sweet and pleasant to hear. Idioms transform ordinary writing into an excellent one. Get a stash of idioms and use it in your writing. With time, these idioms will form part of your style of writing.

READ: How to be a good writer

6. Spelling

Clarity in the spelling of words eases the understanding of writings. Once you miss the spelling of a word, it ceases to be the word you intended. Every writer should note this. If you can't spell a word, don't write it. You can always double check the correct spelling of words from a trusted dictionary.

© Eric Nuamah Korankye (Hamlet)