The students learn the English language from books, teachers, or class discussions. But when it comes to answering the examination questions, it is hard for the students to put forward their views. It may so happen that the students know the answers, but they are not able to frame them into words or even sentences. There is an element of knowing English and being able to write it. It may affect the performance and confidence of the students. Coaching by an English Tutor in Dubai may be beneficial for students to recognize their problems in writing and practice the necessary skills. Expert Tutor Online will assist students in improving their linguistic abilities through learning and practice. It is not that the students do not have sufficient knowledge of the English language. It is simply that the students need to learn how to present their knowledge coherently.
Why Students Struggle with English Answer Writing
Understanding and writing about a concept are distinct activities altogether. In reading, all the information has been laid out already for the students, while in writing, the students must have a recollection of the information, organize it, use appropriate words, and write an explanation all by themselves. There are several issues that may occur in writing.
1. Difficulty Organising Thoughts
There are students who grasp the lesson but do not have an idea of where to start their answer. They can think of many points but might end up putting the points out of order or even adding other points which are not necessarily the answer to the question. For instance, if asked to give reasons for the presence of pollution, one could give examples such as plastic, car emissions, and smoke from factories without giving the reasons why they cause pollution. It would be advantageous for students to know which is the major question and take note of two or three points before answering the question.
2. Limited Vocabulary
However, there are situations in which the student knows exactly what he wants to say, but cannot find the words to express himself. This is the main reason why students repeat words, make ambiguous statements, or give short answers. This is because the students know the meanings of the words, but they do not know how to construct sentences using them. Students can increase their vocabulary by reading books and writing paragraphs. The students should focus more on using the words and not select hard words to show off.
3. Grammar and Sentence Formation Problems
Errors in grammar might make a perfectly good answer incomprehensible. There are various factors behind these problems, like errors in verb tenses, articles, punctuation, agreement in subjects and verbs, structures of the sentence, and more. Wrong: “The students was preparing for their exam.” Correct: “The students were preparing for their exam.” This will be made possible by constant writing practice. Students don’t need to know all the grammar rules; they should focus on the common ones instead.
How an English Tutor in Dubai Can Improve Writing Skills
Students just need some assistance in how to practice not with grammar rules. The student should be able to understand how he or she should be reading questions, what exactly needs to be done, and how to answer them. This is when the service of an English Tutor In Dubai can assist the student in practicing.
1. Understanding Different Question Types
Another reason for loss of marks in an examination is due to misunderstanding of the question by students. They just write down all information regarding a subject matter without answering the exact point being raised in the question. Students must know about the following terms:
- Define: Describe the meaning of a term.
- Describe: State the important characteristics of something.
- Explain: Describe how or why something occurs.
- Compare: Point out likenesses and differences.
- Discuss: Bring forth relevant points with explanation.
This will enable the student to know what the question is asking for. It is important for the student to determine the key subject and highlight the instruction word before answering.
2. Learning to Build Clear Sentences
A good answer will depend on proper sentence formation. Students who find it difficult to link ideas tend to write incomplete sentences or a number of unrelated ideas in a single paragraph. Sentence formation exercises will assist them in becoming better at it. For instance, a student can start by saying, “Exercise is important.” They can then form it as follows, “Regular exercise is important since it keeps people active.” This sentence will provide a reason for the statement and convey the message more clearly. Students should practice the use of linking words such as “because,” “however,” “therefore,” and “for example.”
3. Practising Different Answer Formats
Short answers should be distinct from long explanations. The students need to know how much information is needed in answering the question. It is essential that there be comprehension questions, short answers, description paragraphs, and long answers as per the syllabus of the student studying in school. Relevance and clarity are the two main aspects to consider. It is important that the answer does not consist of any extra sentences.
Common Mistakes That Affect English Writing
Even after having a good understanding of the topic, there is still some part that affects the performance of responses among students.
Common mistake |
How to improve |
| Writing without planning | Note the main points before starting. |
| Repeating the same words | Learn and practise suitable alternatives. |
| Writing incomplete sentences | Check whether each sentence expresses a complete thought. |
| Ignoring the question | Identify the instruction word and answer directly. |
| Making frequent grammar mistakes | Review common errors after writing. |
| Adding irrelevant details | Keep every sentence connected to the main question. |
The students should not attempt to work on all of their weaknesses in a single day. The process becomes easier when they focus on a couple of recurring weaknesses at a time.
Simple Exercises to Improve English Answer Writing
Through frequent and regular writing at home, the students will be able to achieve proficiency in writing. They will be able to practice putting across their ideas in written form without being completely dependent on memory.
Read and Summarise a Passage
Choose a small section from your textbook or any other suitable source. After reading the chosen section, write three to five sentences on what the section is all about. This activity will help the students understand how to get the key points in their reading material.
Answer Questions Without Copying
The students should, after completing one chapter, close their books and answer two to three questions concerning what they have learned in that chapter. Afterward, they will compare their answers to those provided in the book. Through this exercise, critical thinking will be nurtured, and the students will be able to test whether they can explain an idea.
Follow a Simple Answer Structure
For longer questions, students can consider the following format:
- First sentence: Put the answer in a straight line.
- Explanation: Explain why it should be that way.
- Example: Include an example for illustration, if necessary.
- Last sentence: Summarize everything by using a concluding sentence.
All of the four things are essential to answer any question. One or two sentences might be enough for shorter questions.
Review and Rewrite Answers
After having written their response, students should check if there are any spelling, grammatical, and punctuation mistakes as well as ensure that the response is relevant. It will help students detect recurring errors and refrain from making them in future responses.
Why Personalised English Learning Matters
Everyone has different learning needs. There are people who are highly knowledgeable in terms of vocabulary but lack grammar. There are also those who can form sentences using good grammar but lack the ability to formulate their paragraphs. There are also those who are good in comprehending the lesson taught but lack confidence in answering the questions. Individualized coaching will be able to discover the problems of these individuals and how they can help them.
The tutor may analyze the assignment and tell the pupil how it can be made better. Such an approach would be much more helpful to the students than just stating that something was wrong about their answers. There are many indicators besides the mark itself that can show progress for parents.
How Parents Can Help Children Improve Writing at Home
Parents will help to develop English writing skills if they ensure writing is incorporated into daily learning. Writing becomes simple when broken into little bits as compared to long writing. Let parents allow their children to write a few sentences on what they learned during the day in school. Make children explain their work in their own words before writing it. It will be helpful if parents read together with the children to improve vocabulary and sentence structures.
In checking the work, parents should not correct all mistakes without giving a reason for doing so. The following can be used to encourage constructive comments that will assist the child in knowing the error he or she made without destroying his or her self-confidence: “How do you explain this?” “Do you think your sentence answered the question?”
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the student may be a good user of the English language, he/she may fail to answer the question as far as writing is concerned because this process calls for several skills to function at once. There is a need for one to know how to organize his/her thoughts, use vocabulary, form good sentences, and give straight answers to the posed questions. All these competencies develop through continuous training and proper teaching.
If the right way of learning is used, the child will reach the stage when he/she won’t just memorize the answer but will be able to explain everything in his/her own words. This can be helped by the parents through reading, regular writing, and proper criticism. Expert Tutor Online can be a good choice in this case. By working on improving their writing skills through continuous practice and the help of an English Tutor In Dubai, students can try to succeed.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is it possible for students to understand English, but be unable to answer questions in English?
This might be due to the fact that the students do not have the capacity to organize their thoughts, remember the words, and form sentences. Constant writing will assist them in developing these skills.
2. In which way can students develop their skills in writing in English?
The students can engage in activities such as summary writing, rephrasing answers using their own words, learning vocabulary through context, and fixing grammatical errors.
3. Is there any way that reading can help the students answer questions better?
Yes. Through reading, the students will be exposed to various sentence patterns, vocabulary, and paragraphs.
4. What can parents do in order to assist their kids in producing well-written answers?
Parents may create daily writing activities, discuss lessons, and evaluate completed answers as ways to achieve this. Moreover, the child must be able to elaborate on those concepts instead of memorizing all answers.
5. When should one start thinking about English tuition for a student?
English tuition will be helpful for a student who finds it difficult to handle grammar and sentence structure, along with answering questions.