How To get better at writing

DAEDULUS

Im doing the JC this year and i need to get better at answering questions in exams,ive started reading some articles in the irish times to increase my vocab and started reading books again :E

any tips?

LoLth

for the JC, try reading poetry and shakespears plays. Gives you a sense for how a group of words should sound rather than just what they should mean.
difference between a good essay and a great essay.

I found milton very good for dramatic writing.
Julius caesar was great for alliteration and word play (probably not the best, but it's what I read).
I also read HP lovecraft's short stories. He has a way with words that creates a perfect scene without even seeming to try.

Your own tastes will differ. read lots. as wide a range of genres as you can. And above all, listen wel to what the other students say in class. The will teach you more than any notes or sample essays can.

ApeXaviour

I'll tell you something I found to work wonders in school. When I wrote a short story or essay and got it marked, I began to ask the teacher WHY it wasn't it an "A" standard and what could I do to make it that way. My teacher (bless him) was impressed and gave me tips on continuity, formulating non-repetetive sentances, keeping the plot interesting with twist etc. Just ask him/her when you have the oppurtunity. Wonders I tells ya

As LoLth said, expand your range of reading as much as you can too. Your end goal is always to keep the reader interested and different types of writing use different techniques to do that.

luckat

Write a lot. The more you write (and the more you read, and read intelligently, seeing why people write sentences, paragraphs, chapters and whole novels the way they do), the better you'll write.