I can't write sentences properly.. PLEASE HELP ME!

OP

OP, have a look at this website:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/punctuation/comma
I think it's quite clear, but you might find another website you prefer. Just be careful online that you're looking at British English grammar and not American English as there are some differences. I also have problems remembering the grammar rules so I always just check up again when I'm writing something formal. Doesn't matter how many essays I've written I just can't remember certain things. Send some of your essay writing via pm if you want and I can try to give you some pointers where you're going wrong.

Aww, how sweet of you :biggrin:

Reply 41

WutJob..

OP

19

Original post by Tian1Sky

No idea, I suggest asking an English teacher!

None of my English teacher's stayed for more than 6 months. Gulp!

Reply 42

yvmason

Original post by JustDoIt!

I can't explain it but whenever I am writing sentences they do not look right. Everyone says my essays make no sense. Do I need to read books or.. ( I've never read more than 3 books in my whole life)

Reading is a very good way in which to understand how sentences are constructed. You don't need to read books, however, in order to get a good picture of how other people write sentences. You can read websites, blogs, letters, magazines and all sorts of other types of texts. Just take notice of how other people are wording, punctuating and structuring them. You could also study websites such as BBC Bitesize (KS3 and GCSE) which have sections containing lots of great information on how to form and word your sentences.

Also, can you give us an example of a paragraph that you have written that apparently didn't make sense?

Hope this helps. :smile:

Reply 43

applesforme

15

Original post by Tian1Sky

Actually, for basic sentence structure and vocabulary, stuff like J. K. Rowling is fine

I don't agree and I think this is bad advice. From what I remember she didn't have a great grasp of the language, she trotted out hackneyed over-used metaphors and similes (it might be ok for a 7yr old who is hearing "cool as a cucumber," "smooth as glass," "black as night" for the first time), her vocabulary wasn't particularly expansive and her mythological allusions were just derivative without any new artistic life breathed through them (imo) - having said that I enjoyed the books as they were fun.

From what I've seen of OP's writing skills on this thread he isn't really going to learn anything he didn't already know from reading Harry Potter. I am not saying he necessarily needs to read some great cornerstone of Western literature, in actual fact children's/young people's literature could be a good idea if it's a good author. I'm thinking of people like E.Nesbit (Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (Secret Garden, but watch out for the Yorkshire dialect of Dickon), C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carol, Kenneth Grahame and Oscar Wilde's short stories for children. Michael Morpurgo might be a good one - he's a contemporary children's writer and is highly thought of, whereas the others I mentioned are a bit older.

Reply 44

WutJob..

OP

19

Original post by applesforme

I don't agree and I think this is bad advice. From what I remember she didn't have a great grasp of the language, she trotted out hackneyed over-used metaphors and similes (it might be ok for a 7yr old who is hearing "cool as a cucumber," "smooth as glass," "black as night" for the first time), her vocabulary wasn't particularly expansive and her mythological allusions were just derivative without any new artistic life breathed through them (imo) - having said that I enjoyed the books as they were fun.

From what I've seen of OP's writing skills on this thread he isn't really going to learn anything he didn't already know from reading Harry Potter. I am not saying he necessarily needs to read some great cornerstone of Western literature, in actual fact children's/young people's literature could be a good idea if it's a good author. I'm thinking of people like E.Nesbit (Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (Secret Garden, but watch out for the Yorkshire dialect of Dickon), C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carol, Kenneth Grahame and Oscar Wilde's short stories for children. Michael Morpurgo might be a good one - he's a contemporary children's writer and is highly thought of, whereas the others I mentioned are a bit older.

If I can write as half as good as you I'll die a happy man haha :biggrin:

.. I'm going to start reading books written by the authors you mentioned. Do you do any other activities which improves your writing?

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 45

Tian1Sky

15

Original post by applesforme

I don't agree and I think this is bad advice. From what I remember she didn't have a great grasp of the language, she trotted out hackneyed over-used metaphors and similes (it might be ok for a 7yr old who is hearing "cool as a cucumber," "smooth as glass," "black as night" for the first time), her vocabulary wasn't particularly expansive and her mythological allusions were just derivative without any new artistic life breathed through them (imo) - having said that I enjoyed the books as they were fun.

From what I've seen of OP's writing skills on this thread he isn't really going to learn anything he didn't already know from reading Harry Potter. I am not saying he necessarily needs to read some great cornerstone of Western literature, in actual fact children's/young people's literature could be a good idea if it's a good author. I'm thinking of people like E.Nesbit (Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (Secret Garden, but watch out for the Yorkshire dialect of Dickon), C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carol, Kenneth Grahame and Oscar Wilde's short stories for children. Michael Morpurgo might be a good one - he's a contemporary children's writer and is highly thought of, whereas the others I mentioned are a bit older.

To be honest, from what I've seen (which is admittedly not much) clear and correct grammar seems to be the main issue, for which Harry Potter is fine. For expanding his vocabulary, I agree that it's much better to read multiple authors.

Reply 46

Ethereal Consort

3

I recommend a simple book like this one https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/reference-books/help-your-kids-with-english/9781409314943 I think it's difficult to learn the rules passively through books without first knowing what they are.Good luck

Reply 47

applesforme

15

Original post by JustDoIt!

If I can write as half as good as you I'll die a happy man haha :biggrin:

.. I'm going to start reading books written by the authors you mentioned. Do you do any other activities which improves your writing?

Thanks for the compliment :smile:

I just tried something actually because of your thread - I looked at the opening paragraph of a book I like (it was the Railway Children by E.Nesbit) and I tried to work out the reasons why the author used commas and semi-colons where they did. I also write down words I like and make word lists so I don't forget them, but I still do forget what they mean. I have to do a lot of checking and re-checking. Teachers at school said to read a newspaper regularly...but I just can't manage it, much prefer novels or interesting non-fiction.