CHAPTER 12

EFFECTIVE WRITING SKILLS:

Sunokpera Abdul
Department of English
Kwara State University, Malete

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The focus of this chapter is to discuss how one can write effectively. Writing as a skill

of language is crucial not only to the academic but also to other people in various professions.

Because of the importance of the written medium as a means of communication, the need

therefore arises for teaching the various ways and strategies by which writing can be

effectively actualised.

It is difficult and almost impossible to write effectively without the basic knowledge

of the principles guiding effective writing. Effective writing is that which explicates exactly

what the writer wishes to say in a clear and understandable language. Ineffective writing on

the other hand is clumsy and distracts the reader’s attention.

1.2 WRITING AS A PROCESS

Before dwelling on the general principles of effective writing, it is crucial that we first

consider the series of activities that go in the process of writing. Writing is not a single act; it

is a process, it is a series of steps that result in a composition whether a term paper in history

or a job application letter that is well thought out, carefully organised, and technically correct

(Page & Merivale 2001, P.5). The steps in writing as a process should include the following.

• Prewriting – getting ready to write.

• Writing – putting down a rough/first draft.

• Revising – improving the first version.

• Editing – correcting errors.

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 • Rewriting – copying the find draft.

These series of activities are represented in the diagram below.

Figure 1. Diagram on the Writing Process

We shall now consider each of the stages identified above, in turns, in order to make explicit

the activities involved in writing as a process.

1. Planning:

In everything we do, whether within or outside the field of academic, planning comes

first. As the saying goes, we plan to fail if we fail to plan. It is, therefore, germane to have a

workable plan ahead of any writing task. Failure to plan one’s writing before the actual

writing exercise results in poor presentation of material (Alo & Ogunsiji 2004, P.248).

As part of the planning, it is critical that the writer chooses a topic based on their goal

and it must, by necessity, be of interest to them. Besides choosing a topic of interest, the

writer must bear their audience in mind. What is perhaps more important to be borne in mind

by the writer is their relation with the target audience. Parts of the sub-activities of the

planning phase include:

2. Choosing and narrowing a topic

It is sometimes the case that rather than being given a topic to write on by your

lecturer, you are required to select a topic on your own. In doing this, several factors

must be put into consideration. As mentioned somewhere in this section, you must

first ensure that you have sufficient interest in the chosen topic. Next to this, is the

possibility of finding enough materials on the topic you have chosen. Another issue

that also needs to be addressed in this regard is whether your personal observations,

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 interviews etc. will result in being able to gather the required information (Adegbija,

1989, P.262).

Another question that needs to be answered in choosing a topic is how much experience you

or those around you have in the area that the topic covers.

After choosing the topic, it is important to narrow it down a bit in order to have a

sharper focus. The bane of many students especially while choosing a research topic for their

long essays is their inability to narrow down their topics in order to have a meaningful and

sharper focus. Adegbija (1989) identified subject-matter, place, and time as some possible

basis for narrowing down a topic as indicated below.

1. Subject-matter: Communicative Intensions in Selected Political Speeches of President

Muhammadu Buhari.

2. Place: Communicative Intensions in Selected Political Speeches of President

Muhammadu Buhari in the Tribune.

3. Time: Communicative Intensions in Selected Political Speeches of President

Muhammadu Buhari in the Political Rallies of May 2015.

If a topic is broad, it becomes very difficult to manage. In order to achieve a focus

therefore, the writer must seek ways of delimiting or narrowing down the scope (Alo &

Ogunsiji, 2004, P.250).

3. Brainstorming

Once a topic has been chosen, the need arises for the writer to brainstorm for ideas on

the chosen topic. Brainstorming, literally, implies storming or ransacking your brain until

fresh and original ideas begin to flow out naturally from it (Adegbija op.cit). It requires

thinking over whatever topic one has chosen, pondering on it, examining its different facets

and even imagining what thoughts others may have about it. While brainstorming, you come

up with many ideas very rapidly before considering some of them more carefully (ibid).

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Brainstorming affords us the chance to think over our topic, jot down every idea that comes

to our mind and ultimately discriminate between different ideas in order to separate the

relevant from the irrelevant ones.

4. Reading and making notes

No writer is an infinite custodian of knowledge, to write well and effectively too, one

needs to read extensively in order to search for information relevant to one’s chosen topic.

We can search for information from text books, journals, periodicals, encyclopaedias or the

internet. As you read different materials carefully, you should also make useful notes. Notes

provide you a summary of the texts that you have consulted. Your notes should be brief,

accurate and well-organised.

5. Preparing an out-line

As mentioned in the earlier section of the chapter, planning is necessary for any

effective or successful writing. Writing an outline especially at the preliminary stage of the

writing process is a good step to achieving our desired goal in the end. An outline is a

statement of relevant points to the topic before the actual writing is done (Alo & Ogunsiji

2004, P.253). It provides the skeleton of the entire essay and helps to keep the focus of the

essay in intact. There are two types of outlining namely;

a. Scratch or Informal Outline

b. Formal Outline

Scratch or Informal Outline:

A scratch outline is just a brief list of details got through brainstorming which is mostly

written either in words or phrases. Before the actual writing, it is advisable to jot down

your points, ideas and thoughts that would be developed to meet the objective of the

writing task. Before the writing task commences, certain ideas or points come through

thinking and brainstorming. When these ideas are jotted down, we should go further to

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 arrange them orderly following a logical pattern. This type of logical arrangement

ultimately presents the main themes and sub-themes and, by extension, provides the

writer with a working guide.

Citing Adegbija (1989), Alo and Ogunsiji identify the following rules for preparing an

outline.

1. The title should not be numbered.

2. There should be a constituent numbering of all the major headings and sub-headings.

3. Parallel grammatical forms should be used for all main headings and sub-topics.

4. The outline should be clear, logical and consistent.

5. Keep to one form of outline.

6. Avoid vagueness and lack of specificity in the outline.

In the writing process, it is important that we first prepare a preliminary outline which

should indicate a detailed plan of our essay and also provide an organisational plan for our

writing. After preparing a preliminary outline, we should go on to analyse our data in order to

discover more about its various components, its nature and features. Below is an example of

a scratch or informal outline.

TOPIC: The Falling Standard of Education in Nigeria: The Way Forward.

a. Government factor

i. Poorly developed curriculum

ii. Insufficient textbooks in schools

iii. Poorly equipped libraries

iv. Inadequate laboratories

b. Parent factor

i. Lack of parental motivation

ii. Poor parental guidance

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 iii. Poor parental care

iv. Influence of domestic violence

c. Teacher factor

i. Lack of professionalism

ii. Indiscipline among teachers

iii. Poor delivery method/technique

iv. Poor teacher-student ratio

d. Student factor

i. Indiscipline among students

ii. Peer pressure among students

iii. High rate of students absenteeism

iv. High rate of examination malpractice

Solution

a) Adequate school funding by government

i. Provision of text books in schools

ii. Provision of a conducive learning environment

iii. Building and equipping laboratories and libraries

b) Parent-school relationship should improve.

i. Attending parent’s forum regularly

ii. Monitoring the academic performance of students by parents

ii. Provision of the necessary learning materials by parents

c) There should be improved teacher education program

i. Provision of in-service training programs by government

ii. Encouraging professionalism in teaching

iii. Improving teacher-student ratio

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Formal Outline:

This shows the sequence and relative importance of ideas. It has a conventional system of

indented letters and numbers (Chinwe & Ifeyinwa 2011, P.58).

A formal outline differs from a scratch outline in that the former is written in complete

sentences and each of these sentences can serve as the topic sentence of a paragraph

which other supporting details will develop. The latter on the other hand is not written in

complete sentences. Below is an example of a formal outline.

Thesis: Teaching is regarded as the most prestigious profession.

I. Teachers occupy high social status

A. They earn a lot of money

1. They have a special salary scale

2. They engage in other National assignments

3. Students send them a lot of gifts in appreciation

B. Politically, they are very privileged

1. Teachers are appointed in lucrative ministries

2. They enjoy a lot of public respect

3. Their promotion is usually rapid

II. Teachers are very sympathetic

A. They render selfless service to humanity

1. They give both academic and parental services to students

2. They mould the lives of the young ones

3. They act as counsellors to both students and parents

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6. Drafting

Drafting consists of series of activities. This is because it involves writing the first

draft, revising and proofreading it before writing the revised or final draft.

Drafting is putting down our thoughts or ideas about a chosen topic as they come to

mind spontaneously. While preparing our first draft, we need not bother ourselves about the

correctness of grammar and spellings, such things can always come later. When writing the

first draft, release all the ideas incubated within you (ibid). One is, therefore, expected to

write as freely and smoothly as possible. The notes and the outline earlier explained hereby

come handy when writing the first draft, we should, therefore, make reference to them in the

course of writing the first draft.

7. Revising

Revision is a process of making changes to improve both what the essay says and how

it is said (Kathleen 2003, p. 156). In any writing task, revision is necessary because it can

make a significant difference in how well a write-up achieves its purpose and how effectively

it expresses your ideas to the targeted audience. Revision, especially a thorough one, may be

a herculean task nevertheless it is worth the while because it produces results by way of

improving the standard of our essay.

Revision is particularly crucial in the writing process because each time we revise; we

add, delete or change the order of ideas or reword ideas. Revision in the writing process is,

therefore, not limited to changing errors of grammar or mechanics; it may mean adding,

eliminating or re-organising key elements within the essay.

Kathleen identified seven useful techniques of revision which include:

a) Allowing time between drafting and revision

b) Reading the draft aloud

c) Asking a friend to read your draft aloud to you

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 d) Seeking the opinion of your classmates

e) Looking for consistent problem areas

f) Marking your typed or printed copy

g) Preparing a readable copy

8. Editing

Very often, we read essays with fantastic ideas which later turn out to be ineffective

especially if their sentences are vague and imprecise or if their words convey inappropriate

tone and level of diction. To write effectively, therefore, we must carefully edit our work by

examining individual sentences and lexical items meticulously, to ensure that each of them

conveys our intended meaning accurately, precisely and in a fascinating manner. While

editing our work, our goal should be to improve our revised draft through the use of clear,

correct sentences and effective lexical choice or appropriate register. It should be noted that

editing and proofreading are the final steps in the writing process, therefore some measure of

attention should be given to them.

9. Writing the final draft

After editing and revising the first draft, the next task is to write the revised draft. At

this stage, there is still room for improvement. However good the draft of your essay may be,

it can still be improved upon especially in the course of writing the revised draft. When

writing the revised draft, particular attention should be paid to careless mistakes in spellings,

punctuation, grammar, logic and style (Adegbija 2004, P.269).

It is advisable to print out a clean copy of your essay specifically for proof reading

especially if you are using a word processor or computer. Avoid using a previously marked-

up edited copy or the one on a computer screen. Printing a clean copy will go a long way to

make your revision and proofreading more effective. The following are some suggestions

made by Kathleen (2003) to produce an error-free essay.

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 1. Review your paper once for each type of error.

2. Read your essay from the last sentence to the first.

3. Use the spell-check and grammar-check computer functions cautiously.

4. Read your essay aloud.

5. Ask a classmate to proofread your paper.

10. Documentation

Documenting our writing in the form of footnotes and endnotes and internal

referencing is important especially in academic writing. There is no effective writing that is

done in a vacuum. The ideas of other authors that are related to your work in one way or

another serve as a background to your own ideas and can add colour to your work when used

appropriately. When we use ideas of other people in our work in whatever form, we must be

honest enough to acknowledge them. It is crucial that we document every source that we have

referred to in our writing either internally or in our bibliography at the end of the essay or

paper.

A footnote is placed at the foot of the page in which the reference is made, while an

endnote usually comes at the end of the paper or chapter (Adegbija op.cit). The formats for

writing footnotes and a bibliography vary from one discipline to the other. You should, as a

matter of necessity, find out what the practice is in your own discipline. A course in Research

Methodology in your department will comprehensively address this issue.

After revising, proofreading, and satisfied that your essay is free of all manners of

errors such as keyboarding or typographical errors ensure that it is presented in an acceptable

manuscript format.

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 • Take the time necessary to choose a good
topic.
• Use a journal.
• Brainstorm with a friend.

• Use a branching diagram.

• Decide why you are writing.

• Decide which point of view would be most

• Free writing
• Mapping
• Brainstorming
• Group brainstorming
• Questioning
• Writing assertions
• Interviewing
• Using patterns of development
• Visualizing and sketching
• Researching your topic

Figure: 2. An Overview of the Writing Process: Adapted from Kathleen (2003)

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1.3 SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE WRITING

We have been exploring general or macro strategies for effective writing in the last

few sections, we shall now turn to the more specific or micro strategies. It is, however,

imperative to remind ourselves, at this point, that both the micro and the macro strategies are

a necessary requirement for effective writing. Therefore, as writers, either in the academic

circles or specific professions, we should endeavour to have a sound mastery of these

strategies in order to make a mark in our writing activities. Some of the micro strategies that

affect the finished product, that is our text, are discussed below.

i. Sentence construction

To write effectively requires making use of effective sentences as well. Effective

sentences have four important characteristics.

First, sentences should be clear and concise, second, sentences should be varied and

should not all follow the same pattern; also, sentences should contain elements and parts that

are parallel. Finally, sentences should contain strong active verbs (Kathleen2003, P. 181).

Sentences that are concise convey their meaning in as few words as possible (ibid). To

achieve concision in sentences in the course of writing, Kathleen made the following

suggestions.

a. Avoid wordy expressions. That is we should do away with sentences with empty

phrases that contribute little or nothing to the meaning of a sentence, e.g.

‘In no distant time, another revolution in herbal transformation is bound to occur`.

This sentence is too wordy. The first phrase does not add anything to the meaning of

the sentence as such it should be removed and the sentence rewritten as; ‘Another

revolution in herbal transformation is bound to occur soon’.

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b. Eliminate redundancy. Redundancy is the unnecessary repetition of words or ideas.

Redundant sentences express the same thing or idea twice by using the same words or

different words that have the same meaning e.g.

`The idea to choose law as my profession will lead to steady, rewarding employment`.

This sentence could be rewritten as ‘Choosing law as my profession will lead to

steady rewarding employment’. We have eliminated redundancy in the second

sentence by avoiding unnecessary repetition.

c. Eliminate unnecessary sentence openings. There are some introductory expressions

or words at the beginning of a sentence that make the sentence awkward. Such

openings should be eliminated in our sentential constructions e.g.

`It is my opinion that every Cyber café should provide security for its customers`.

This sentence can be rewritten as ‘Every Cyber café should provide security for its

customers’.

d. Eliminate unnecessary adverbs. Using unnecessary adverbs can make our writing

boring. Adverbs such as extremely, really, very, so, too etc. known as intensifiers, add

little or nothing to the meaning of sentences. Rather, they sometimes weaken the

words they modify e.g.

`The athlete was very happy when he learned that he had won the race`. This sentence

could be rewritten as ‘The athlete was happy when he learned that he had won the

race`.

e. Eliminate unnecessary phrases and clauses. If there are many phrases or clauses in

our sentences, readers would find it difficult to find and comprehend the main point of

the sentence. This should, therefore, be avoided in our writing as much as possible

e.g.

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`The complaints of students on campus motivated the Vice chancellor to create additional

worship centres in the school`. This sentence can be rewritten as ‘The student’s complaints

motivated the Vice chancellor to create additional worship centres`.

ii. Varying our sentences

Variety is the spice of life, when we write; we should use a variety of sentences. That is,

we should mix simple sentences with compound, complex and compound-complex sentences

in order to achieve variety in our finished text. The length of sentences also has specific

effect on our writing. As we vary sentence types in our writing, we should also endeavour to

vary their length. Short sentences tend to be sharp and emphatic; they move ideas forward

quickly, creating a fast-paced essay (Kathleen 2003, P.187).

It is equally imperative to vary our sentence patterns as we write. That is we should

vary the pattern or structure of our sentences by changing the position of modifiers that limit

another part of the sentence. All of this goes a long way in making our writing effective.

iii. Parallelism in the Structure of Sentences.

Parallelism entails balancing words with words, phrases with phrases, and clauses

with clauses (ibid). If parallelism is used effectively, it will make our sentences flow

smoothly and, by extension, make our thoughts easy to follow e.g.

‘The girl is tall, has a skinny body and she is humorous’.

This sentence can be rewritten as follows:

‘The girl is tall, skinny and humorous’.

The second or rewritten version makes our thoughts flow smoothly and it also becomes easier

to grasp.

iv. The use of Strong and Active Verbs.

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 The use of strong and active verbs in our sentences is highly imperative in order to

make our writing effective. Strong and active verbs enliven our writing. This is in contrast

with linking verbs which are capable of making our writing dull e.g.

Linking verb: The boy looked frightened when he saw the lion.

Active verb: The boy trembled and clung to his father when he saw the lion.

Passive: The prize was received by the athlete.

Active: The athlete received the prize.

The effect created by the strong and active verbs in the second pair of sentences in each

example above is easily noticeable. The actions expressed in the second pair of sentences in

each case are not only vivid but also lively.

v. Appropriateness of Tone and Lexical Choice

Appropriateness of tone and lexical choice are essential elements to effective writing.

Tone refers to the attitude of the writer to their readers and how the writer feels about the

chosen topic. Our choice of words should be consistent with our tone.

There are three common levels of diction according to Kathleen. These are formal,

popular, and informal (ibid).

The formal level is serious and dignified. It is very often written in the third person, and it

includes long sentences and multisyllabic words without contractions. It has a slow, rhythmic

flow and an authoritative distant and personal tone (ibid).

Popular or casual diction is commonly used in magazines and newspapers. It is more

or less conversational and personal in nature. It is characterised with contractions and short

sentences that are less varied.

Informal diction or colloquial language is used in every day speech and conversation.

It is friendly, casual and characterised with contractions and occasional use of slang.

Sentence fragments, first and second person pronouns are a common feature of informal

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diction. This type of diction should be avoided in essays and academic writing except when it

is part of a quotation or a block of dialogue (ibid).

vi. Appropriate Use of Imagery

Images whether concrete or abstract are the mental pictures that are conjured in the

mind of the reader. If we must arouse and sustain the interest of our readers in any writing

task, we should strive to be imagistic and symbolistic in the way and manner we convey our

thoughts to them. Appropriate use of imagery does not only make our writing effective but

also lively.

vii. The Use of Figurative Language

Figurative language as used in this chapter is not limited to figures of speech as may

be found in some literary texts. The context in which the term is used here covers any indirect

use of language that makes sense either imaginatively or creatively. The use of figures of

speech such as metaphor or simile, idioms and proverbs is regarded, by most scholars, as a

linguistic metaphor. When such linguistic devices are drawn to our service especially in

essays or other forms of academic writing to draw comparison, they create an especial effect

particularly to the reader. It is, therefore, worth the trouble to make appropriate use of

figurative language especially in academic writing tasks in order to make our essays stand out

among others.

1.4 PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT

Words combine to form phrases; phrases combine to form clauses while clauses in

turn combine to form different shades of sentences, sentences combine to form stretches of

discourse. The combinatory possibilities that obtain from word level to the level of discourses

require some measure of skill. The skill of effective sentence construction especially in varied

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patterns is also necessary in the organisation of larger stretches of utterances also called

paragraphs.

Paragraph development is an essential skill for both academic and professional

writing tasks. In this section, we shall examine the paragraph and the relationships between

sentences within the paragraph. A paragraph is a number of related sentences containing one

central idea (Alo and Ogunsiji 2003, P.258). A paragraph may also be described as the unit

above the sentence itself in language analysis.

Now, let us identify the items and topics that are important in the structure of a

paragraph. Egbe (1996, P.51) identified such items as:

a) Composite structures in the paragraph

b) Inter-sentential relationships

c) Beginning the paragraph

d) The middle segment-exemplification and elaboration

e) Concluding the paragraph

Other aspects that are worthy of consideration according to Egbe are; the transition

from one paragraph to another, arrangement of paragraphs in an extended discourse and the

appreciation of the role of the paragraph in a text.

We have a network of relationships in the paragraph as a discourse fragment (ibid).

For instance, we have relationships between words which ultimately results in the formation

of phrases and relationships between clauses which lead to the formation of non-basic

sentences. Our knowledge of all these levels of relationships is very relevant in the creation

of a good paragraph on the one hand and for the purpose of effective writing on the other.

The knowledge of a paragraph is enhanced by the following aspects if handled

competently:

a) Word forms

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 b) Phrase structures

c) Clausal structures

d) Systems of co-ordination and subordination between clauses in sentences, and

e) Sequential arrangement of sentences and the semantic interconnections between them

in the paragraph (Egbe 1996, P.55)

Egbe emphasises that when all these aspects are handled successfully, it will promote

efficient and effective communication.

1. The Structure of a Paragraph

When we talk about the structure of a paragraph, we are simply referring to the

devices that are usually associated with the paragraph as a unit. These devices include the

topic sentence and its amplification, the exemplification of ideas and the conclusion. But for

lack of space, each segment would have been treated in great detail with specimen examples

to illustrate them. We shall only discuss each of them briefly below.

The topic sentence is the central idea in a paragraph. Every other idea(s) revolves

around it. It could be placed either at the beginning, middle or the end of a paragraph. If the

topic sentence comes at the beginning of a paragraph, it must be briefly explained before

elaboration.

Support in the form of amplification is relevant in the structure of a paragraph. We

may support the topic sentence with examples, incidents or an anecdote. This kind of support

gives room for effective paragraph development. There are different methods of paragraph

development but we shall not dwell on this because of space.

It is significant to ensure that there are no spelling and punctuation errors in every

paragraph of our essay. We should also ensure the appropriate use of linking or cohesive

devices in each paragraph. The appropriate use of linking devices in a paragraph will not only

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bring about cohesion in the paragraph but also bring about coherence, which is an essential

ingredient of not only the paragraph but the essay as a whole.

2. The Qualities of a Paragraph

The qualities of a paragraph include unity, coherence and emphasis. These three

ingredients are necessary for a paragraph to be effective. Unity as a quality of a paragraph

simply means that all the sentences in the paragraph directly support the topic sentence. If we

can identify one or two sentences that do not directly support the topic sentence in a

paragraph, such a paragraph is said to lack unity.

Coherence is another important quality of a paragraph. It is concerned with the

harmonious blending together of different parts of our sentences. Focus or emphasis on the

other hand concerns the ability of a sentence to draw attention to the central message through

the sentence structure (Adegbija 2004, P. 274).

3. Inter-sentential Relationships

The logicality in terms of the relationship that exists between/among sentences in a

paragraph is also crucial in determining how effective sentences are in a particular essay.

Inter-sentential relationships in a paragraph are concerned with the synthetic and semantic

links that should exist between sentences. In order to achieve this objective, attention should

be given not only to English phraseological habits but also to the manner in which the

language constraints the presentation of thoughts (Egbe 1996, P.56). Egbe identifies the

following aspects in the presentation of our thoughts inter-sententially in a text:

a) The logic of cause and effect, or action and reaction,

b) The methodological, unfolding of events using any consistent parameter, e.g.;

chronology, or geographical location, in a manner in which the logic is recognisable,

and,

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 c) The maintenance of a natural order in the evolution of ideas.

All these Egbe contends can be of great assistance in determining not only the sequence

of sentences but also the piece of information that should follow another (ibid).

1.5 WRITING EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPHS

Writing grammatically correct sentences that are free of errors of punctuation marks is

not enough skill to writing effective paragraphs. What is also important in this direction is the

ability to write well-developed supporting paragraphs in the body of the essay. A well-

developed supporting paragraph has a focused topic sentence and includes definitions,

explanations, examples, or other evidence that supports thesis of the essay. It must also use

transitions and repetitions to show how ideas are related (Kathleen 2003, P.126).

A paragraph that contains the elements identified above is regarded as not only

effective but also well-developed. An underdeveloped paragraph, on the other hand, only

contains several statements of opinion. It does not provide evidence in support of those

opinions. It neither contains well-focused topic sentences nor unified, specific supporting

details, transitions and repetitions to show how the ideas are related.

The Transition between Paragraphs

In any well-organised writing, we often have transition from one paragraph to

another. This is because a paragraph usually functions as a member of a group especially in

an extended discourse.

The task of the transition from one paragraph to another is shared by different parts of

the paragraph. Connectivity, irrespective of its form, is essential between paragraphs. This is

because it enhances coherence and, by extension, enables the reader to understand the

thoughts of the writer as they are presented in the essay.

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 Therefore, as we write, we should always strive to balance between inter-sentential

relationships within a paragraph and the transition between paragraphs.

CONCLUSION

Writing is a skill that must be taught and learned especially in the academic circles.

Effective writing is a special skill that is inevitable particularly for effective communication

in the written medium. We have, so far, discussed the nitty-gritty of effective writing skills in

this chapter in a way that would be understood by an average reader. We examined the

meaning of writing, writing as a process and the general and specific strategies for effective

writing. One can master effective writing skills if one devotes considerable amount of time to

different writing tasks. Practice brings about perfection; the best way to become an effective

writer is to keep writing. We should, therefore, combine the writing strategies discussed in

this chapter with others we consider valuable in order to increase our chances of becoming

great and effective writers.

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 REFERENCES

• Adegbija, E. (2004) (ed.). Language, Communication and Study Skills. Ota,

Ogun State: Covenant University Press.

• Adegbija, E. (1989). Mastering English Writing Skills: Ibadan: Y-Books, A Division

of Associated Books Makers Nig. Ltd.

• Alo, M. & Ogunsiji, A. (2004) (eds.). English language communication skills for

academic purposes. Ibadan: Louds Books Publishers.

• Chinwe, E. & Ifeyinwa, O. (2011). English for General Academic Proficiency.

Enugu: John Jacob’s Classic Publishers Ltd.

• Jack, P. & Jane, M. (2001). Checkpoints with Readings: Developing College English

Skills. Toronto Antorio: Longman.

• Kathleen, T.Mc W. (2003). Successful college writing: Skills, strategies, learning

styles. U.S.A: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company.

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