English Writing Resources

Your writing should be well organized and focused.  Here are some links that show you how to organize your writing, so that it stays on topic and your ideas are supported. The 4 Square Writing Method helps you make a  simple visual outline of your topic with supporting details.  It helps you put together your ideas and stay focused on your topic.  It also helps you see if you are supporting your ideas. It keeps you from getting off-topic and rambling on (too long and confusing).

4 Square writing method powerpoint


Here an example of the connecting words you can use to connect your paragraphs.

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Tips to Improve Writing

1. Do not use contractions 
2. Avoid there is/there are 
3. Avoid really, very, so, and a lot 
4. Use Active Voice instead of Passive 
5. Use Strong Verbs

Take a Quiz

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Writing Progress: Maria Jose

Last Writing
Emergency situations like a fire or a terrorist attack could occur in our work place. To prevent the effects there are some essential things that you can implement. 

First of all, devise an evacuation plan. In case you are forced to leave the building don’t use never lifts, don’t panic, take out your heels and run as quickly as you can towards the emergency exit. Be sure any colleague stay back in their office and never try to come back to take your personal objects because you could jeopardize the security of other people. Then walk through the plan several times. Everyone at work must know exactly what to do in case of real danger.

Finally, when you are outdoors go directly to the meeting point and figure out if there’s someone who could’ve been trapped in the building. Give information in depth to authorities about any detail you may remember.   Following orderly an evacuation plan can help you to get safe and negative effects can be minimized.

1st Writing
Two months ago I bought a ticket to Tenerife South, at the beginning the price was 160 € but, at last, it raised up till 300 €. At first, I could have never guessed that Ryanair was so expensive due to the fact that on entering their website in order to look for cheap flights, you can find low cost tickets, but the reality was another one.
First of all, the price was completely disappointing but, next, I had to pay an extra cost for a priority boarding in order not to queue for over an hour to get a good site in the plane. Then, I also had to pay for having a larger space in my seat since my husband has long legs. Finally, I thought there would not be more setbacks but when the time of arriving to the airport came, I discovered I had forgotten to print my boarding cards and, astonished, I had to pay another extra cost. In the end, I was penalised too for exceeding the exact dimensions, regarding size and weight, of my cabin baggage.
Looking back on it, I think next time I go to Tenerife I will fly with Iberia since I am convinced that it gives their customers better services and, over all, no surprises concerning additional prices.

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Writing Progress: Jose D

Last Writing
Hey Amy,
I am sorry to hear this news, I think You should try to talk him other time. If he continues with this attitude, you must forget him. Perhaps He isn´t your
soulmate. He is very insensitive if he don´t want to talk with you one minute. There are a lot of interesting men in your class, perhaps if you talk with other
man he become jealous. Good luck!!
Greetings
Tony

Dear Amy Karlson,
I read your email, I suggest you that You may not pressure some men, because there are a lot of men that They don´t react well to these ways. You should
take it easy these relationships and don´t fall head over heels. You should try to find some man similar you, Someone that are looking for a serious relationship.
I think if you follow my advices You probably find what you are searching.
Cordially
Dr. Dating

1st Writing
Ten Things I Can't Live without
Refrigerator: I think this is the most important appliance because It save the food and maintain in a good state.
Oven: It is very necessary to make the food
Washer: I need it to keep clean my clothes
Computer: It is very useful for me because I use it to find a job, to work, to play videogames and I download movies or series.
Mobile phone: I use it to comunicate with my family and my friends, I also use it to find a job.
Media Player: It is a hard disk portable, When I download movies or series I copy them in the Media Player and I can see them in my TV
TV: I don´t see the public o private programmes except the soccer or basketball matches because I prefer see my movies or series
Stereo: Although I listen music in my computer or in my mobile phone, I relax in my room listenig to music and reading a book or a comic
Iron: I don´t iron very often, but I think it´s important that the clothes seem arranged
Dishwasher: It is vey comfortable, but I think that is not very necessary because You can wash the dishes manually.

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Writing Progress: Hector

Last Writing
You don´t know when an emergencycan happen . It could be a natural desaster or medical emergency. In this way, it´s very important to have a prepared plan for to know how to do in each case. The most important thing is don´t doubt and avoid to involve panic. In the case of weather emergencies, it can occur in any country, and they are very difficult to prevent. As you never will know when will happen, it´s necesary to be preparer.

The first thing to do is to have food, drink and electric generator that it can to work without energy outside. A little first aid-kit it can be necesary, and it must incluided especial medicines if somebody has an especial diseases or health dependencies. The best advice is you think the worst thing, so nothing will surprise you when finally you can go out and to see the results of the disaster.

Take the time you need to preparer a kit of basic documents to keep with you, and another copy in one safe place. Is recommendable to include a map for to know where is the emergency points a helped hummanitary, the principal highways, hospitals, and personal documents, as mortgage, personal identify carnet, account. and any other paper you think you could need in the future.

The next steep is to decide what to do if it´s neccesary to leave home. I think the first decission should be to take things that had survivered to desaster and go to an principal point of information. If somebody needs a doctor, with our first aid-kit we could give them first treatment and then looking for special help. There are always Red Cross Center or out of the town.

This essay information will help us for to know what to do if the Mother Nature wants to show her strenght and the way the humans we are defenceless in reality. In summary, to have a kit emergency with medicines, special articles and electric system emergency; documents and to know where is the points of emergency.


1st Writing
Acording to oficials numbers from Spain´s National Stadistic Institute, the quantify of divorce grew in 2011 only 0,7% opposite the year before (2010). Specify, it was 110.651 ends of married, 30.000 less than years before the beginning crisis (for example, it was 145.919 in 2006). Experts considerer that people have now more economic´s problem, so they are not sure to take a important decision, and maybe the couples with problems try to solve them by another ways.

Every couple has their own circunstances. The recently spanish divorce's law, known as "Divorcio express", allow to put finish a marriage in only three month after to wedding, and it´s no now necesary to separate as a previously condition. This regulation is the principal adventage to avoid a seriously problems about living together.

If a couple got wrong (a mistake) because they were too young, or not knowing about themselves, the "Divorcio Express" is  the best way for to avoid more problems. But there is another side. The process of divorce can be very hard in the case the couple had a children. Unfortunately they are the principal argument in front of judge to try convince him that you,re on the right side, you have the reason. Lawyers and psycologist agree that childs are who most suffering. The distance between the love and the worst hate is a thin line.

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Writing Progress: David

There are three important things you should do to be prepare for a weather emergency

Last Writing
It´s important to prepare for a weather emergency because every part of the planet has its own hazard. It might be hurricanes, floods, sand storms, monsoons, and so on. If you know what to do in that critical moment you can save your life and the lives of the people around you. And, also, you need to know what to do after the disaster.

First, you need to stock up on emergency supplies. Some food must be stored in case you need it. Of course, it has to be canned food or something non perishable. You can also have to prepare a medical kit with first aid medicines. Another important to prepare are clothes and blankets to keep warm outside.

In addition, you should keep important documents together in one place. In a weather emergency there is no time for searching for nothing. Having all this documents in a suitcase or similar can let you pick it up in a second. You can think documents are not important in an emergency but, afterwards, you will miss them if you loose them.

Finally, you should plan what will you do in case you need to leave your home. Where are you going to sleep? Where are you going to eat something? If you haven´t planned it before, perhaps, it will be late after the disaster. Family, friends or anybody you know outside your neighborhood or even your city might be a good chance to spend a couple of days before you can get back to your home.

You may think these emergencies always happen at the other side of the world. But you can never trust Mother Nature. It´s easy to follow the three things above. And it will help you a lot to think about it from time to time. There are only three steps between you and your salvation So, don´t be lazy or you will pay it.

1st Writing
Technology is not only the research of microchips, bits and bytes. Each age in human history has his own “technology”. The prehistoric human beings learned how to sculpt rocks to use them for hunting bigger animals or to defend their families. Later, at the Iron Age, metal devices were used to improve agricultural processes, hunting methods and war techniques. So, we can say, society has been changed by technology since the ancient times.
            Getting close to our times, the Industrial Revolution changed completely our lifes. The steam machine transformed the society. Lots of handmade works were transformed into industrialized processes. Cities grown up because of the exodus of rural people. Workers formed the Labor Unions to claimed for his rights and new political tendencies appeared (socialism, fascism,…) with two World Wars as a result. Industrial Revolution had the most important influence for the life style of the XXth Century.
            The computer research was as important as the Industrial Revolution. Computers have changed the way we work and recently, the way we interact with other people. Besides from making easier most of calculating tasks, computers have transformed our social skills. We can now meet someone who lives in the other part of the world and everybody can access to any information he desires. Everything and everybody is closer than ever, but, at the same time, we are getting far from each other with the excuse to communicate with more “new friends”. Our way of life in the XXIst Century will be determined by the future develop of the social networks. What will be the next step, 3D communications, holograms, teletransport,…? Who knows.

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Writing Progress: Elena

Last Writing
Tornadoes are one of the most common weather emergency situations that can happen. For that reason it is important to know how to act in a situation like that. Here are some useful tips you should take.

One of the most important things to do it is to be informed constantly about the weather conditions from your city. Also, it is really useful to be able to identify the first signs of a tornado. After that, you should devise a plan to act, which must follow these rules.

First of all, if you are at home, the best place to stay is the basement, but if there isn’t, you must go to the lowest floors. Smaller rooms are always a good option, especially bathrooms.

Second, you should have always prepared an emergency kit with medicines, a radio to be aware of the weather, a flashlight, food, water and blankets.

Third, if you are caught outdoors, you should avoid cars. They are extremely dangerous. You need to take shelter looking for a low place and try to protect yourself.

These are some useful tips for your own safety. If you follow them, you will not have any problem during this weather emergency.


1st Writing
My mother’s once told me a really funny story about a partner who she was working with. They have been very closed friends since there because they worked together for the same company during more than fifteen years. One day Isabel told my mother, a curious experience that she had had while she was younger. She was working for another company as a personal assistant but she really wanted to get a better job. After a couple of months there, she finally had the opportunity to make it possible. There were a few vacancies in the office to be part of the director’s team and of course she decided to apply for this job, but first she needed to pass an exam.

During the next weeks she started studying all the topics and subjects: economics, law... Apparently everything was fine, but when the big day was coming she was more and more nervous. That was very normal because it was the first time that she was making a proof like that.
Finally, the day had come. She was preparing everything for the text when her house mate, who she was living with, told her that it would be better if she took a tranquillizer just to be a little more relaxed during the exam. She accepted without a doubt because she wanted to be calm down.

After that, she took the subway, like everyday. There she started to fell a little bit tired and sleepy but continued going to the place where the exam was. She didn’t know how, but finally she arrived to the right place. Then she entered into a big class and sat down where an old man told her. The exam was given to her but before she could begin, she needed to clean her glasses first. She took them out from her bag and with a lot of calm and very, very relaxed, she started to clean them.
Isabel began to read the two or three first questions when the same old man said: “Ok. Time is over. Give me your exams in order, please”. She couldn’t believe these words. Time was finished and she hadn’t started to read just the first page yet. She was so relaxed that didn´t realize that she had spent at least 45 minutes just cleaning her glasses!! Of course, she didn’t pass the exam, but at the end she learned two very important things: Not to take any pill she doesn’t know from her friends and how to pass a good time just remembering this memorable story!!

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