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This article was co-authored by Richard Perkins. Richard Perkins is a Writing Coach, Academic English Coordinator, and the Founder of PLC Learning Center. With over 24 years of education experience, he gives teachers tools to teach writing to students and works with elementary to university level students to become proficient, confident writers. Richard is a fellow at the National Writing Project. As a teacher leader and consultant at California State University Long Beach's Global Education Project, Mr. Perkins creates and presents teacher workshops that integrate the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the K-12 curriculum. He holds a BA in Communications and TV from The University of Southern California and an MEd from California State University Dominguez Hills.
This article has been viewed 96,900 times.
Are you getting low grades in English class and would like to get better? Well, then this article is for you!
Steps
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1Never forget proper punctuation and grammar. It really annoys a teacher, or anyone who is reading it. If you make a paragraph, don't forget to indent at the beginning of each paragraph. Also, don't forget to add commas and semicolons where you need them.
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2Make sure your printing is neat! If your teacher can't read it, you may have to redo it or it won't get counted for your grade. You can practice this with just a piece of paper and a pencil!Advertisement
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3Try reading more often. If you see a word, you don't know, look it up in the dictionary! You can even read a few pages in the dictionary.
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4Get some books. There's books like, "Wordly Wise", that you can buy, and they're really useful! You can learn new words and the meanings, and they make them for grades K-12. There's also printing and cursive books to practice your neatness.
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5Ask your English teacher for some book recommendations. You might end up finding a book you really like!
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6Look for educational software. There some programs you can buy that can teach you English. Instead of spending $500 on Rosetta Stone, you can get Instant Immersion for $50! It may still be a little pricy, but it's a huge difference compared to $500.
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7Score easy points with your teacher. While it's a good idea to improve your overall writing ability if you're looking for a better English grade in the long term, you can make big short-term gains by changing just a few of your writing habits. Most English teachers love the following things and will probably bump your grade up at least slightly if you start to use them:
- Use big words. A healthy vocabulary is every writer's best friend! Try to start using words like "ramifications" and "soliloquy".
- Use a serious tone. Your writing doesn't have to be stuffy - just serious. Try to avoid using silly or goofy words and expressions.
- Be neat. Keep your writing within the margins and avoid unsightly eraser marks. If you're typing, use a dignified font and follow your teacher's rules for indents and margins.
- Cite your sources. Whenever you use information that you didn't already know in your writing, give your source the credit it's due.
- Give your writing a good title. Snazzy titles are a big plus! Serious titles that accurately describe the contents of your writing are a good bet, as are clever, "snappy" ones (puns, references, and so on).
- To get the best grade on an English paper, you can follow the five and five rule.
- That means you should plan for five minutes before writing. A planned essay is infinitely better than an unplanned essay.
- You should review your work at the end. Look at your writing and ask yourself what works and what does not work.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat can I do to get to level 5A in English?
Community AnswerYour best bet is to read a lot, as much as possible. When you find a word you don't know, look it up. Make sure you know the rules of grammar and punctuation. When you have writing assignments for English class, make sure you understand the question(s) and if you don't, ask the teacher for help. Carefully proofread your assignments before handing them in. -
QuestionHow can I get a better vocabulary?
Community AnswerBy reading more books and articles from newspapers, or just any articles on the web. -
QuestionHow can I improve my grade in English?Community AnswerMake a regular study plan and stick to it. Pay attention in class and take good notes. Talk to your instructor if you have problems.
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Warnings
- Don't pay attention to the people who call you a nerd. You'll be the one laughing when you get a nice job and see them working on the side of the road! It will pay off in the future.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Don't stress yourself out about this. Don't make it your life! Make sure you still hang out with friends and family.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- If your hand starts to hurt or you get tired, take a break for a little while!⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Don't invest more money than you feel comfortable with. It shouldn't cost too much money at all.⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Paper
- Notebook
- Erasers
- Dictionary
- Some good books
- Wordly Wise
- Cursive Book
- Instant Immersion [optional]
References
- www.wordlywise3000.com
About This Article
Richard Perkins
Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator
This article was co-authored by Richard Perkins. Richard Perkins is a Writing Coach, Academic English Coordinator, and the Founder of PLC Learning Center. With over 24 years of education experience, he gives teachers tools to teach writing to students and works with elementary to university level students to become proficient, confident writers. Richard is a fellow at the National Writing Project. As a teacher leader and consultant at California State University Long Beach's Global Education Project, Mr. Perkins creates and presents teacher workshops that integrate the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the K-12 curriculum. He holds a BA in Communications and TV from The University of Southern California and an MEd from California State University Dominguez Hills. This article has been viewed 96,900 times.
Co-authors: 24
Updated: January 11, 2023
Views: 96,900
Categories: English
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