How to speed up your Business English writing

While active copying concentrates on getting it right, speedwriting focuses on getting something down on paper.

This technique helps you to painlessly get into the habit of producing writing in English so your brain no longer freaks out when it’s facing a blank screen.

Regular speedwriting can really boost your writing confidence and comfort levels – especially as you see the number of words you can write growing. Plus the little bit of time pressure pushes you to get moving.

So how does it work?

Quickly and easily:

Pick a topic
Write or type nonstop for 7 minutes
Count the number of words you’ve produced

And repeat often.

The goal is to keep the flow going so write without worrying about vocabulary and structures. While writing, don’t stop to look up any words or grammar. If you can’t think of the English word, write it in your language and carry on.

After you’ve counted how many words you’ve written – and noticed that this number is steadily increasing – then you can check any phrases you’re uncertain about and take a note of mistakes you’re always making, like those annoying articles and frustrating prepositions.

Finally, the secret to speedwriting success is to have a list of writing topics already prepared so that when you sit down to write you don’t lose time wondering what to write about.

Here are some suggestions:

The best thing about my work is …
My favourite client is …
I think online courses are …
I worry about …
In the future I want to …

Want more ideas? To get more topics, subscribe to The Trunk.

By the way, an excellent strategy to kick-start your Business English writing is to do speedwriting one day and active copying the next day. Using these two techniques in tandem means you’re writing fluently as well as writing accurately, which is exactly what you to need to do to build your writing competence and confidence.

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