5 writing tips from a veteran English teacher

Here are Campbell’s top tips for becoming a better writer.

1. Get your homophones right.

“Homophone” sounds like an alien word, but you use homophones every day, and often incorrectly.

Homophones are words that sound the same (homo—same, phone—speech sound) but have different meanings. Here are some common homophones that bloggers get wrong.

Ensure that you are using the right homophone.

2. Understand terse phrases.

Terse phrases are short punchy sentences to give your writing a sense of urgency. For example:

Favreau was blown away. How did this guy pull off such a feat? Was there anything this man couldn’t do?

“Using them in groups of three,” explains Ailsa, “as in the example above, gives a great sense of build-up.

“If you listen to Barack Obama, who is one of the greatest orators of the day, you will notice he often uses groups of three. This is not chance. He has studied it and worked at it.

“The use of three terse phrases was an oratorical trick taught by the ancient Greeks, to capture the audience’s attention and reinforce a point without making it tedious. Apply it to writing, too.”