Future Tense

Simple Future– I shall/ will speak Future Continuous – I shall/ will be speaking Future Perfect – I shall/will have spoken Future Perfect Continuous – I shall/ will have been speaking

Double Negatives – Two negative words create a positive meaning, which may be just opposite of what you have intended to convey.

Wrong: I don’t have nothing to say.

Right: I don’t have anything to say.

Wrong: Tom couldn’t hardly believe what Jack said.

Right: Tom could hardly believe what Jack said.

Modifiers – Words that describe or limit other words are called modifiers. Adjective is a word or group of words that modifies a noun or pronoun, whereas Adverb is a group of words that modifies a verb, adjective or other adverb. Avoid misplaced and dangling modifiers.

Wrong: Thomas told her that he wanted to marry her frequently.

Right: Thomas frequently told her that he wanted to marry her.

Wrong: Nicole picked up a girl in a blue jacket named Agatha.

Right: Nicole picked up Agatha, a girl in a blue jacket.

Wrong: Walking across busy street, a bus almost hit me.

Right: As I walked across busy street, a bus hit me.

Usage – If you are going to use a word, you must know how to use it. Use simple words. Many people have tendency to use big, difficult words while writing. Avoid fancy words and phrases when simpler ones convey idea. Omit unnecessary words. A piece of writing, containing long words strung together in complex sentences, turn out to be poorly written and not impressive. You will have fewer chances for grammatical errors if you can cut a word out which can be cut out.

Stuffy: I will make modifications in document.

Simple: I will change document.

Wordy: You should remember to consult your watch in order to keep a person from waiting for you when you have decided to meet him at a particular time.

Translation: Be punctual.

To conclude, more you remember basic rules of English Grammar and practice good writing, better your writings will be. The process is simple and easy. Keeping a good dictionary is essential in searching for right word and finding out actual meanings that will help you in selecting right words. Usage of proper English Grammar and selecting right words will make it more likely that your writings stand out from rest. So, keep enjoying process and keep writing.

Following are some simple ideas for exploring poetry and using your own experience to create a poem. If you’d like in-depth technical information on form and poetry structure, there is a brief list of recommended books at end of this article.

* Practice using your voice by writing a poem about a life experience, a memory, a desire, or a belief.

* Write a poem about your name. You may do this in either a positive or negative light—whatever is meaningful to you. You may even pick a name you like and write a poem about that name, making it your own.

* Select a poem written by someone else; write your version of poem.

* Select two poems by different poets which contain same theme. Write a couple of paragraphs comparing poems.

* In your own words explain what you think makes a “good” poem.

* Pick a topic you dislike and write a poem about it.

* Try writing song lyrics. Compare your lyrics to a poem you’ve written.

* Read some material on different structures of poetry (iambic pentameter, rhyme, sonnet, etc.). Write a poem with same theme in each specific structure. Pick at least three different structures.

* Write a poem explaining poetic rhythm.

* Explore and write examples of lyric and narrative poetry.

Some books on poetry worth owning:

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver

In Palm of Your Hand by Steve Kowit

How to Interpret Poetry by Laurie E. Rozakis

The Poetry Dictionary by John Drury

Exploring ideas listed above may help open new doors for your writing. In addition to your poems being well crafted, they must be submitted regularly and extensively. Beat odds with strong writing COMBINED with a powerful and tenacious submission strategy.