How can I improve writing ability?

Go read a lot of books.

Do you mean how to set it up, or what topics, or how to break it into sections?

@msh Reading comprehension and short essay writing. I have a 65% score for my old mark. I want to beat my old score to see if my ability can improve. I have read all of the required reading.

Maybe this might help you a little-
Practice using a newspaper. Take some articles and read paragraphs of the reported stories. You always have Introductory Paragraphs and Conclusion Paragraphs – first/last. Right?
They tell you what subject is, before and what, then, you should now know when finished.
Go through with pencil or pen, and jot idea idea down beside each of the body of the article’s paragraph :about what the writer wants you to know in that paragraph overall. Just the quick idea. Once done, Re-scan article. Were they successfull? Did they ‘state it- prove it – finish it’? Each paragraph did what it should?
Try to do this more with less time reading and thought -so it becomes almost second nature.
This will help you get the idea of the content and also shows you what direction the author is taking you.
•General Information- direct, in order= you know subject et. al. when you have finished the article.
•Opinion Piece- popular in election and international reporting. They want to lead you to the conclusion and beliefs they want you to have. Without overtly saying so. ( You should… Is Not Used. It doesn’t go over well in sensitive areas like politics.)
•Informational Piece-similar to General, but can take more liberties with information to get you drawn in.
This helps you to understand literary pieces more easily by breaking sections of books or stories down.
Learn differences of Fact vs Opinion.
Literature tends to go one way vs the other.

“What is it the author is trying to tell you?”
In fiction and poetry, often the writer will use the reader’s experiences in life to help them understand what they, the author or poet is trying to show you.
Ex- poem about Love. If raining = tears= sad or = lonely. (Reader’s experiences helps idea being written of-)
Ex- fictional short story/ novel. Jack London wrote of outdoors. Man vs Nature. He makes you freeze in his stories of blizzards. You feel the fear as dangerous wild animals interact with characters. Lots of dogs in his works- he subtly lets you know why in each piece. Win or die situations.
Some writers and poets use characteristics of something to cover hidden thoughts or desires.
Ex- you’ve eaten strawberries. If not ripe= sour, not sweet. Not ready or ripe. If sweet, bursting with flavor, beautiful red color, lush, perfectly shaped. Red of fruit colors turns the lips red, plus fingers when eaten one x one. Now, compare that to love- a woman- seduction. Comparisons between things without saying “a strawberry is like my girlfriend…” Subtle, suggesting, and yet one’s thoughts compare and draw the desired match and conclusions.
Writing:
Easiest way for exams without drawn out method of special written work/ term paper, etc.
5 Paragraphs- Each with 3–5 sentences.( go for 5 sentences if possible)
1— Introduction. State subject. What are you wanting the reader to know. Come up with 3 things, ideas you will use to prove your subject. Write each in 1st paragraph.
* list three points you’re proving in Intro in the same order!
2— first point to prove subject you write of-
3— second point ””””””
4— third point to prove”””””
5-Conclusion. Restate what the idea you are proving through your paragraph work. Then briefly -3 pts. And final sentence.

Ex: 1st paragraph. ( I’ll use a goofy subject- to show how to look at how to prove idea or subject with three ideas to write of in 2,3,4 paragraphs)
P-1
Dogs are very important pets for homeowners to have live inside with them. Dogs are very useful if one knows how to use their talents. Dogs are a great means of security against break-ins or robberies. They also are excellent companions for you or your children. Dogs can even replace some instruments you use to clean your house and carpets. Dogs who live inside are an important asset for homeowners.
P-2 Dogs are very practical and smart for homeowners keeping their houses safe from crime…..prove it
P-3 Families and individual dog owners benefit from having a friendly dog in….prove it.
P-4 Dogs are an excellent means to stop using electicity for some appliances! They can clean dishes, and vacume a floor just by using their tongues….. Prove it.
P-5 When homeowners today are looking to make wise decisions in the running of their homes, they should seriously consider having an inside dog as a pet. (Then re-state 3 points why- don’t repete same wording of each point from Intro, reword- but keep order The Same as used! ).....because they make a safer household, they are good companions for you and your family, and….because,......Last Sentence of Conclusion: These animals have so many positive aspects as to why they should be that every home in the United States should come with a dog as part of the purchasing contract…..what you showed them.

Unless it says to give Your opinion- don’t us ‘I’ ....ever.
If q’s over given written work jot notes for good points in margin- or ask if you can write in test booklet/handout. If so- underline the heck out of it to help narrow down to ascertain the overall idea/s of the written work you are given.

Set up 5 paragraphs if short essay-

Intro- what subject, 3 points to show- list and then write in Same order.
P2— 1st pt
P3— 2nd pt
P4— 3d pt
Conclusion – restate ( diff words and no use of I, unless opinion wk) Then reword the three point you used. And final sentence: tie a bow on subject.
“Dogs are truly a homeowner’s best an most economical decision they could make for their family.”

Oh- and don’t write ‘ta-da’ at the end….
I’m Wordy- but I hope it helps.
Good luck.
Eat a peppermint as you begin test. Pls don’t ask- just put one in your mouth. No chewing it either! :)

Oops- sorry. • Short answer- same format only short-

Sir Arthur Cannon Doyle’s character of Sherlock Holmes was created with his odd personality and detatched demeanor as a means to present him in the same light as the cases that Holmes takes on to solve. He keeps his main character from becoming too overly familiar to the reader. Doyle wanted his readers to learn about Holmes as the book, and the mystery unfolds. Holmes’s character also becomes more clear as the work progresses also. Doyle also often used various times of the day in which to place his characters. Many of the major or important scenes are established during the night-time hours of ten p.m. to approximately four o’clock in the morning. It creates a more-sinister setting if placed in the middle of the night, or the quieter hours. One point Doyal always seems to throw into the mix of his Sherlock Holmes mysteries is that of Holmes’ almost egomaniacal pleasure when he announces his findings on the situation. Sir Arthur Canon Doyle always begins to pull back on the character of Sherlock Holmes by the end chapter or section of his novels. Doyal reveals the delight his character feels as he demonstrates to the ever present group, the who, the how and the why of the crime he has successfully solved. Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes always provides an interesting read for his audience, his main character as alluring as the mysteries themseves.

Short Answer/essay Same pattern as in long essay- abbreviated
Question repeated, three points, a sentence with each point to help prove, restate, exit sentence puts a bow upon the whole thing. Underline if it helps.
*I made this subject and material up- in my little head. Not based upon anything. (i think…)

Be concise.

You’ve taken the exams before.
What, specifically, did they ask you to do to show your English proficiency? If you gave us more specific information, we might give more specific advice.

Honestly, there’s not a lot you’re going to do in a couple of weeks to significantly increase your writing ability.

If it’s an essay question, you might do well to immerse yourself in excellent essays. Read them for comprehension until you can read no more. Take a break. Read more.

I advise you to avoid news and mass media as the standards there spotty at best, pure shit at worst. Whatever format you’re going to be expected to use, find prime examples and immerse yourself in them. There’s a cadence and rhythm peculiar to every genre and proficiency in that form is what the scorers will value.

Also

Start by proofreading your own question.

“Retaking” already implies “again”. Saying that you are “retaking … again” implies that you are either retaking an earlier retake … or that you’re just not re-reading and checking what you wrote in the first place.
——
“How” refers to method or process: “How can I …” or “How do I …” or “Do you know how to …”

When you want a list of things then you ask your “what” (or “which”) question: “Which methods do you use …” or “What is the best method …”

Your question should have been worded differently, but I’ll leave it to you to decide how.
——
Finally, since the verb “improve” did not lead the sentence in which it appeared, it should not have been capitalized.
——
You need to be as harsh in self-checking your writing as I have been here. I don’t normally tear into someone’s writing like I have done here, but you did invite it.

You need to read a lot, as @Mimishu1995 suggested, but you have to read critically: “Why is this writing better than some other writing?” “Why did the author use those words?” “Does the argument hold up (for essays), or is the plot sufficiently well described (for fiction) or does the narrative flow (for nonfiction, biography, etc.) or is the process detailed enough to comprehend (for technical writing).

If you have any political leanings, then I would recommend reading essays from another political side, one that you do not agree with. The reason for that is to improve your facility for criticism, which can help your self-criticism. If you read a writer who extols a political slant that you find abhorrent, then you will read more carefully to find where the arguments fall down, where comparisons are weak, what is left out of the discussion, etc. You’re more apt to look critically to “spot the lies” in the work of someone that you dislike before you do it in the work of someone you do like – or yourself.

It might also help to read really awful writing – it’s certainly not hard to find on the internet! – and simply rewrite it.

Mostly, if you want to write better you will probably need to write a lot. You will have to re-write even more.

Keep a dictionary and a spellcheck handy. Proofreading is a must.

Highlight as you read or take notes on anything that sticks out to you as central to the premise. I guess using that old hamburger model could be useful, pull out the thesis, controlling ideas and the examples that support that. Most academic work follows the same requirements as short essay writing so double win there.

Also actively ask or write down questions as you go. Make sure central question surrounding your essay can be answered.

Have a structure to the essay that you write. The most common structure, which I learned as a high school sophomore and still use, is to have a clear beginning, middle and end:

1. At the beginning very briefly introduce what you are going to talk about. If you are going to refer to other parts of the essay, mention them in the order they will be presented unless you have a really good reason for doing otherwise.

2. Present the body of the essay. Divide the body into conveniently sized chunks. If possible, provide a lead-in from one topic to the next.

3. Provide a conclusion. This will be similar to the introduction but can be more detailed or include additional points since the reader will now be familiar with what you had to say.

Congratulations on doing this!

Reading well-written fiction is a good place to start. Improving reading and writing skills can happen organically if you do it for fun. Definitely study your school material, but also read novels on the side. I also read and write * ahem * fanfiction for fun. Anything that surrounds you with the written word is a good start.

There are also specific skills that will serve you well in any English class. Nearly all basic school essays are structured the same way. Definitely follow the advice above, and maybe google something like “how to structure an essay” and read a few articles on it.

Learning literary analysis is also fun and rewarding. How to read literature like a professor is a great introduction to the subject. You can learn how to understand the subtext in nearly any piece of literature, and there is a lot of it. It will enrich your reading experience as well!

In my experience, it’s helpful to know about Greek/ Roman mythology and the most popular stories of Christianity. These pop up a lot in western literature. Then keep your eyes peeled for things that remind you of people, events, and things from these stories. Also keep your eyes peeled for diction (word choice.) For instance, a woman could be described as having an alabaster complexion, golden hair, and steely blue eyes, which would give you the impression that she’s cold, rigid, and emotionless. Or the same woman could have creamy skin, with a rosy blush on the apples of her cheeks, hair the color of wheat or cornsilk etc. All the warm, foody words make it sound like she is a warm, nurturing person.

I got my marks. For grade 12 English 14/50 written 33/70 machine scored. 38% final mark. Meh I’m angry that I can’t get ahead without the governments permission. So I ordered the books that I want to read from Amazon for $0.01 plus $6.49 shipping.

Could you explain your situation. Why do you need to take these tests? You graduated from high school and attended a university. How would things improve for you if you got higher scores? Do you also have to take a math test?