Hello lizjmorrell!
How are you doing?
Here are some tips for improving vocabulary and the sophistication of writing in your essays.
Tips for improving vocabulary:- I would suggest that you keep a vocabulary book where you write down all the new words you come across, the meaning of that word and use that word in a sentence. This will help you consolidate your understanding of the word. After you have learnt a word, don't forget about it but instead revise over them and get a family member or a friend to quiz you on the words. You could be quizzed once a week or if you're feeling adventurous you could be quizzed on a few words a day.
- Use the words that you learn in everyday conversation where applicable. This will allow you to be exposed to the word numerous times so that the word and the meaning will stick in your mind.
- Also, reading books which have very fancy words is also useful as you can see how the words are used in context and then mimic that in your own writing. This will also allow you to develop your writing skills even more. You could also look at essays which have used sophisticated words and see how the author used it to create meaning.
- Do vocabulary tests and quizzes online. There are hundreds of short quizzes to test your vocabulary and you can do this anytime and anywhere. You could do this when you're taking a break from studying, waiting for the bus or just when you have spare time.
Tips for increasing sophistication in writing:- Slowly build up the sophistication in your writing. Gradually add new sophisticated words in where you see it fits in nicely. But DON't just chuck the fancy word in randomly because it 'sounds good'. The word has to be able to create meaning and help make your writing flow clearly so it's easy to understand. I remember when I was in year 10, I chucked in as many fancy words as I could into my essay (using thesaurus.com) thinking that it would score me more marks. But in the end, it did nothing but complicate the meaning and main ideas I was trying to get across. So don't fall into the trap of using complex words that serve no purpose in your writing as it won't do you any good. Instead, write in a way that speaks to you and is clear to you. Don't overthink it.
- Practice. As you practice using sophisticated words in your writing, you will become more confident and using sophisticated words will seem so natural.
By the way, are you doing Literature 1/2 or 3/4?
I hope these tips helped!
Feel free to ask any questions you have!
- Evolio
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