Deborah Said:

My History and English teacher says I need ti improve my writing skills?

We Answered:

If you want to improve your writing skills, you don't need to practice writing - you need to READ. Try reading anything in The New York Times. Read, read, and read some more. Read GOOD books. Read Ulysses and Catcher in the Rye or anything by Ernest Hemingway. If you don't enjoy the so-called classics, read John Grisham and Tom Clancy - there's a reason those guys have so many best-sellers.

The more you read good writers, the better your writing will become.

Referencing is just a matter of being familiar with the MLA or APA handbook, and having the disciple to correctly document all of your sources.