称心常识网提起英语作文是很多学生的薄弱项，可以说，英语写作是学生面临考试时较难的题型之一，英语写作考查的是英语综合运用的能力。英语考试中，作文里如果有一些用词准确、观点具体、论证到位、紧扣主题的句子，对整体的分数提高是很有帮助的，一起看下七种提高英语写作技能的方法，学习一些好的表达和词汇。
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to English with Lucy.
大家好，欢迎回到”跟着露西学英语”。
Today, I’ve got a video that I’ve never really done before.
今天这个视频的题材我以前从未涉及过。
I’ve never really spoken about writing, as far as I know.
据我所知，我从没真正讲过有关写作方面的内容。
So, this one has been highly requested.
因此，大家都强烈要求我讲讲写作方面的内容。
I know a lot of you are doing your IELTS exams, so I have got seven top tips that are going to help you improve your writing.
我知道你们中的许多人正在准备雅思考试。所以，我准备了7个技巧来帮助你提高写作水平。
Let’s get started with the lesson.
让我们开始上课吧。
So, my first tip for improving your writing is keep it simple.
那么，提高写作技能的第一个技巧是保持简洁。
Now, I know this seems really, really obvious, but I always say to my students simple done accurately is better than complicated done inaccurately.
我知道这个道理大家都懂，但我还是不厌其烦地提醒我的学生：简洁准确胜过复杂不准确。
In other words, it’s better to keep things simple and do it well, rather than over-complicate everything and do it badly.
换句话说，言简意赅胜过冗词赘句。
So, in English writing exams, you want to show off your English, but you want to show off your accurate English, not all this English that you don’t know or haven’t learnt yet.
因此在英语考试中，你想展现一下自己的英语功底，但你要展现的是准确的英语，而不是那些你不知道或没学过的英语。
Now, that leads me on to point number two.
说到这儿，就得谈谈第二个技巧了。
In order to avoid making mistakes in your writing, it’s a really, really good idea to have a collection of set phrases and keywords that you can use in that exam.
平时积累一些考试可以用的固定搭配和关键词以免在写作时犯错误。
So, my tip number two is prepare key phrases.
因此，我的第二个技巧就是准备重点词组。
Now, you do have to be careful with this.
现在，你必须要注意了。
You don’t want to rehearse what you’re going to write, but you do want to have a nice selection of things that you could possibly say if the time arises.
你不应该提前准备好考试要写的内容，但你应该准备好一些可供选择的内容，这样到了考试时或许可以用上。
Now, especially on the IELTS exam, and I know a lot of you are studying for this but this really goes for any academic writing exam, you want to have linking words and key phrases prepared.
尤其是在雅思考试时，我知道你们许多人都在准备这个考试，但是，这个技巧适用于任何考试，即你应该提前准备一些连接词和重点短语。
Now I’m going to give you a list with two examples for each point.
现在我要给你一个清单，每点举两个例子。
It doesn’t cover everything that you need to know, but if you study everything in the list, you will be much, much more prepared for your English writing exam.
你需要知道的并不止清单中的这些内容，但假如你把清单中的内容掌握了，那么你的英语写作考试会顺畅许多。
So, pay attention, and if there’s any point that you think, “I really could expand on that,” go and do your research, and prepare yourself.
因此，注意了，如果对其中的任何一点你觉得可以扩展一下，那么自己好好查阅一下，为自己做好准备。
You want to make sure that you have a variety of different ways.
你希望有不同的表达方法。
To compare: “in the same way,” “at the same time”. 比较：in the same way，at the same time。
Contrast: “on the contrary,” “however”.
对比：on the contrary，however。
Give examples: “for instance,” “to illustrate”.
举例：for instance，to illustrate。
Give your opinion: “from my perspective,” “from my point of view”. 表达你的观点：from my perspective，from my point of view。
Generalise: “overall,” “all things considered,”
概括：overall，all things considered。
To express certainty: “undoubtedly,” “of course”.
表达肯定：undoubtedly，of course。
To express partial agreement: “in a way,” “to some extent”.
表达部分观点：in a way，to some extent。
To show cause: “owing to,” “due to”.
表示原因：owing to，due to。
To show effect: “for this reason,” “consequently”.
表示影响：for this reason，consequently。
To mark time: “to begin with,” “following this”.
表示时间：to begin with，following this。
To add information: “furthermore,” “moreover”.
进一步解释：furthermore，moreover。
To express condition: “unless,” “provided that”.
表达条件：unless，provided that。
And to conclude: “in summary,” “in short”.
表达结论：in summary，in short。
So that’s just a very brief list showing you exactly what you need to study to be fully prepared for any English writing exam.
以上就是一个很简洁的清单，告诉你为英语写作考试做好准备需要知道些什么。
Now, point number three, and definitely, definitely, definitely for academic writing, i. e. English tests or university pieces, do not use contractions.
第三个技巧，不要使用缩约形式，适用于学术写作，即英语考试或大学写作。
Or is that don’t use contractions?
do not 缩写就是 don’t 啦。
So, cannot to can’t, do not to don’t, shall not to shan’t, I am to I’m. 因此，cannot 对应 can’t，do not 对应 don’t，shall not 对应 shan’t，I am 对应 I’m。
These are all examples of contractions, and in your writing exams you want to avoid these.
以上就是全部的缩约形式，在你的考试中要避开它们。
I know that you guys really, really, really want to keep your word count down because you are restricted, and you want to show off as much as you possibly can.
我知道你们真的很想减少字数，因为考试有字数限制，你们又想尽可能展示出自己的英语功底。
But I’ve got lots of tips for reducing your word count coming up, so make sure that you do not feel tempted to include contractions in your academic writing.
但我已经为你们准备了好几个可以减少字数的技巧，因此一定不要在学术写作中使用缩约形式。
So, tip number four, reduce your word count.
那么第四个技巧：减少字数。
Use as few words as possible.
尽可能减少字数。
Completely contradictory, because I’ve just told you that you should not use contractions.
完全矛盾了，因为我刚刚说了你们不该缩写。
But I’ve got some really, really good mini tips within this big tip to help you keep your word count down and your English level up.
但针对这个技巧我又想出了一些非常有用的小技巧，可以减少你的字数，同时又提升你的英语水平。
The first one is avoid these dead weight words like “very,” “so,” “a lot,” “really”.
第一点：避开诸如 very，so，a lot，really 这样的冗词。
I have mentioned this before in a video, but if you want to show off your English, avoid these.
我在之前的视频中提到过这一点，如果你想展示自己的英语实力，不要用这些词。
They’re pointless. They are empty calories in English.
它们没什么意义，只是英语中没多少价值的赘词而已。
Replace them, instead, with a strong word.
用鲜明饱满的词汇代替它们。
So instead of saying “really happy,” I would say, “I am elated”.
用 elated 代替 really happy。
Instead of saying “so scared,” I would say “terrified”.
用 terrified 代替 so scared。
Okay?
明白吗？
So, by using strong words and avoiding these boring words, you can reduce your word count by a fair bit.
用鲜明饱满的词汇代替无聊的赘语，你就可以大大减少你的字数了。
Now, another way to really reduce your word count but really improve the quality of your writing is avoiding “there is” and “there are”.
另一种能减少字数同时提高写作质量的方法是不要使用 there is 和 there are。
We want everything to be as clear as possible, and sometimes “there is” and “there are” can act as fillers; they add extra words to our sentences.
我们想让一切都尽可能清楚，但有些时候，there is 和 there are 不过是用来凑凑字数而已，它们使句子变长了些。
So, I’m going to give you an example so you can see this and bear it in mind next time you’re doing an academic piece of writing.
我要给你们看一个例子，看过下次学术写作时就会记得了。
Sentence one: There are many problems that we may encounter. 句子一：There are many problems that we may encounter.
There are many problems that we may encounter.
我们可能会遇到很多问题。
Sentence two: We may encounter many problems.
句子二：We may encounter many problems。
We may encounter many problems.
我们可能会遇到很多问题。
The first sentence has eight words.
第一句有八个单词。
The second sentence has five words.
第二句有五个单词。
You have reduced your word count, and you have increased the quality and the clarity of your writing.
你已经减少了你的单词数量，并提升了写作的质量和简洁度。
So, make sure you apply this in your next exam.
所以，下一次考试一定要记得这点。
Number five, read the right documents.
第五，阅读合适的文本。
Read the right pieces of writing.
阅读对写作有帮助的文本。
I know many of you like to read in your spare time, you like to do it for fun, and a lot of you will read books in English, which is amazing for improving your spelling and improving your vocabulary as well.
我知道你们中的许多人喜欢在闲暇时阅读，你出于乐趣而读书，很多人都会读英文书籍，它们能很好地提高你的拼写能力和你的词汇量。
But if you’re trying to get a good score in an academic writing exam, you might not be reading the right kind of thing.
但是，如果你想在学术写作考试中获得好成绩，你读的部分书可能对你没什么帮助。
Look at the potential pieces of writing that they’re going to ask you to do.
思考写作考试可能会要求的文体。
Are they asking you to write article, reports, essays?
是文章、报告还是随笔？
Maybe they’re asking you to write all three.
可能三种都要你写。
If they are, read all three.
如果是这样，三种类型都读一读吧。
You need to go online or go to your library and read articles, read reports, read essays, read reviews.
你需要上网或去图书馆阅读文章、报告和评论。
Do everything you can to familiarise yourselves with all the styles of writing.
你要尽可能了解写作的各种文体。
Number six is one that you will have heard in school so many times.
第六个技巧你在学校会听到老师反复提起。
But, I’ve worked as a teacher for many, many years, and I get so frustrated with silly, stupid mistakes that I know that my students know.
但当老师好多年，每次看到我的学生犯这个愚蠢的错误，我都很沮丧，因为他们是知道这个错误的。
They don’t make these mistakes when they’re speaking, so why do they make them when they’re writing?
口语中他们不会犯这个错误，那为什么一到了写作就会犯了呢？
So many times I’ve gone and I’ve prepared a lesson because I’ve seen that there were some very clear mistakes in my students’ writing.
有好多次我备好了课，因为我发现我的学生的写作中有好多非常明显的错误。
And I prepare a lesson to correct this mistake, and when I go to teach it they say, “But teacher, we already know this; this is baby stuff”.
我准备上课纠正这个错误，但当我上课纠正这个错误时，他们说：”老师，我们早就知道了，这太小儿科了。”
And it’s because they don’t check their work.
他们之所以犯这个错误是因为没有检查。
I have a clear example of this. I used to work as a proofreader.
我举一个很好的例子。我以前做校对员。
I used to check through documents before they got sent off to publishers to make sure that they were all correct, that there was no spelling mistakes, there were no grammar mistakes, there was nothing, nothing wrong, they were all perfect.
我过去会在书稿送交出版商之前先校对一下，确保里面没有错误：拼写错误、语法错误，没有任何错误。
And I was amazing at doing this.
我很惊讶，我竟然能胜任这份工作。
I could get every single mistake.
我可以检查出任何一个错误。
Just by looking at a document from a distance I could pick out those errors.
远远看上几眼，我就能挑出里边的错误来。
However, if you follow me on Instagram, you will see that I make spelling and grammar mistakes all the time.
然而，如果你关注了我的 ins，你会发现我不断地犯各种拼写和语法错误。
Why?
为什么？
Because I don’t check.
因为我不检查。
I don’t check my writing.
我不检查我的写作。
I am a native English speaker, and I make spelling mistakes.
我的母语是英语，我会犯拼写错误。
Granted, many of them are due to auto-correct on my phone, which I am battling with.
当然，有许多是我的手机自动校正的，我正在克服这一点。
But a lot of them are my fault.
但是有很多是我的错。
And I don’t check them, so I don’t see them.
我不检查，所以没有发现。
I know when you finish an exam, you’re like, “Ugh, I’m done; I want to move on to the next question”.
我知道，当你答完某道题时，你觉得：呃，终于做完了，赶紧看下一题。
But you can avoid so many point deductions just by checking through your work, so please, please, please, make it your absolute priority.
但是好好检查一下，你可以少扣好多分，因此一定要把检查作为重中之重。
I personally think it’s much better if you write less and check more; fewer words, higher accuracy.
我个人认为如果你减少字数多多检查会更好些，即简洁准确。
And I know normally I promote fluency over accuracy, but not in writing exams. In writing exams, you want perfection.
我知道一般我会强调流畅先于准确，但是写作考试中不是这样的，写作考试中，你必须不出任何差错。
Now, number seven is perhaps the most relevant and the most difficult of all, especially if you’re in really remote parts of the world.
第七个技巧可能是最切题的，同时也是所有技巧中最难的一个，尤其是当你生活在世界的偏远地区。
Number seven is write and get it checked.
第七个技巧就是写完后要检查。
Write and get it checked.
写完后检查。
And unfortunately, the getting it checked thing is a lot harder than it seems.
不幸的是，检查这件事可没有看起来那么容易。
You want to write as much as possible, checking it, of course.
你想尽可能多写一些，当然要好好检查一下。
It used to really annoy me when my students would come in with five essays.
每次我的学生拿着五篇随笔进来，（我看过后）都会很恼火。
I was so happy that they’d done that, but then I saw that they’d made loads and loads of stupid mistakes, and I just thought, “Ugh, why didn’t you check it? I’m just correcting the same thing over and over again”.
我很高兴他们写了这么多随笔，但当我看到他们犯了这么多愚蠢的错误后，我就想：呃，你为什么不检查一下呢？同样的错误我已经改了一遍又一遍了。
But write as much as you can, check it, and then see if you can find somebody to correct it.
不过还是要尽可能多写一些，然后检查，看看是不是能找人帮你检查一下。
Now, I’m not saying find a complete stranger.
我不是说找一个完全陌生的人。
It’s got to be in their interest to correct it as well.
也要看他们有没有兴趣帮你改。
I personally think it’s very unlikely that you’re going to find a random teacher on the internet that will be willing to check your writing for free.
我个人认为在网上随便找一个老师，他会愿意帮你检查你的写作，这几乎不可能。
However, there are lots of services and pen pal sites if it’s like a mutual exchange.
然而，在很多服务性或笔友网站上，你可以和人交朋友互帮互助。
If you find somebody who wants to learn your language and they can help you with your English, then you can do that.
如果对方想要学习你的母语，而他也正好可以帮你学习英语，那么你就可以让对方帮你检查了。
Or, like I mentioned, on services such as Lingoda, and you can just have a straight hour of analysing writing that you’ve already done and already sent them.
或者像我之前说的，可以去像 Lingoda 这样的网站看看，你可以花上一整个小时让人分析你提交上去的写作成果。
But I will say, especially to my younger viewers, really, really, really be careful when you’re contacting people online to practise your English.
但我要提醒你们，尤其是你们中的年轻人，当你在网上找人练习英语时千万要小心谨慎。
Make sure it’s a trustworthy person, because there are so many predators that want to talk to you, especially young girls, to “practise their English,” and it doesn’t actually turn out to be a English practise.
确保对方值得信赖，因为有很多侵犯者想借机和你搭话，尤其针对年轻的女孩子。这些人打着”练习英语”的名头妄图行不轨之事。
It turns out to be something quite different, so please, please, please be careful.
事实是这些人别有用心，图谋不轨，因此一定要小心谨慎。
If you’ve got the funds, and if you’ve got the time, get a proper teacher and pay them to help you.
如果时间金钱允许，你可以找个合适的老师，付钱请他们教你。
Is there any way that you’re going to be guaranteed the proper skills, and the proper qualifications, and also the proper incentive?
还有哪个渠道可以让你找到拥有货真价实的技能和资格并且居心纯良的人呢？
Why would a random stranger on the internet want to help you with your writing?
网上不认识的陌生人为什么要在写作上帮你呢？
What’s in it for them?
他们有什么目的呢？
Always think about that.
一定要好好想想。
Right, guys, that’s it for today’s lesson.
好了各位，今天的课就到这儿了。
Don’t forget to connect with me on all of my social media. I’ve got my Facebook, my Instagram, and my Twitter.
别忘了在我的各个社交媒体上联系我——脸书、ins 和 推特。
And I’ll see you soon for another lesson.
我们下节课再见。
