No matter how old I get, I will never stop writing, whether it be in the form of an essay, story, or persuasive prompt. As I got older, I realized the importance of expanding my vocabulary to express my ideas more effectively, which helped me get better marks in school. As a high school student, I learned to write, proofread, and write again, and it is the only way that has helped me improve my marks in school
I have compiled a list of websites and tips below that you can use along your learning journey, but it is by no means exhaustive. Throughout my journey in middle school, I learned these tricks, and I hope that they can benefit you in some way:
Word Hippo
Word Hippo is a spectacular website that has it all! Definitions, synonyms, sentences, anything! Whenever I am writing and cannot think of a proper synonym, I search it on Word Hippo and it gives me a list of alternatives I can use. I can even search up phrases like “all over the world” and it will recommend synonyms such as globally, worldwide, internationally, etc.
Grammarly
I am sure you have seen the ads, but Grammarly helped me fix my grammar and sentence structure. I got the free version, which works on Google Docs, so whenever I had a writing assignment, I would type it up in Docs, let Grammarly fix it, and then paste it in Word.
Anki App for Flashcards
AnkiApp Flashcards is an app that is free on all iOS devices, but unfortunately, it is not available on Android devices (sorry Android users). This app lets you make flashcards that you can carry with you wherever you go. I have used this app to write down new words I would come across while reading, then I would write the definitions later. A bonus is that it can also help you with other subjects! You can make flashcards for vocabulary, scientific terms, or even math equations!
Trick
A trick that I learned in the summer was to borrow a thesaurus from the library to enhance my vocabulary. Every day, I would flip to a random page and pick 2-3 words on it. I would try to study the synonyms and use them that day in a sentence during a normal conversation. By the end of the summer (2 months), I probably learned 100-150 new words.
Tip!
Make sure you know how to use these new words properly in a sentence. Do not replace regular words with big words in your writing thinking it will make you look smarter unless you know how to use it. It may have the opposite effect on your reader. Trust me, I have done this before and my teacher was really confused!
Closing Comments
Lastly, proofread your writing. Do not hand it in thinking it is perfect because we have all got a little while to go until we can write like J.K Rowling (although it’s not far from reach). Have it read by your parents, older siblings, and even your teachers (if it’s not for a school assignment.) As they say, two heads are better than one!
As Louis L’Amour once said, “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on”. As an aspiring writer (or as someone forced to write for school), it never hurts to learn new words once in a while. Remember, practice makes perfect. I hope that these tips will help you as you go through your school journey because we all have to write something every once in a while.
Edited by Ally Chan.
Zainab Majid is a high school student attending John G Diefenbaker High School in Calgary, Alberta. She enjoys painting and reading and has developed a love-hate relationship with writing over the years.
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