Catherine Said:

How to learn good English?

We Answered:

Learn a lot of fancy vocabulary. People can usually tell how educated a person is by the kind of vocabulary one uses. For example, a Harvard graduate will use completely different vocab when compared to a high-school dropout.

Kathryn Said:

Need Help In English?

We Answered:

Try this informational link to better your composition writing skills and remember to speak in an active voice, not a passive voice:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=active%…

Brent Said:

How to get through English Composition 1?

We Answered:

I think you will do fine in the class, as long as you don't try to cheat. Quick tip and be sure to tell your friends: there is software that teachers can use to find websites online where people sell essays and stuff so they can find out if your cheating. I'm not implying that you will cheat, because it sounds like you are going to have fun- I love teachers like that- but spread the word. This was news to me, and it might serve as a good warning to some of your classmates.

Anyways, thanks for being specific because there are very different writing processes for each type of essay- an informative essay is very different from an argumentative (persuasive) essay. The topic of alcohol is a good one, but it would probably work better in an informative essay (i.e. telling why alcohol is bad) because there is not much to argue in terms of "alcohol is a good thing". The argument would be one-sided. It is best to pick a topic that has two very evidently logical sides, which are both very arguable cases. That way you can be sure to refute, or overthrow the other sides arguments. (By the way, refuting the other sides arguments, also known as a rebuttal, is a very important part of persuasive essays.) It is also good to pick a topic you are passionate about, that way there will be more emotion and you might even be able to write better and longer. Political topics work well, such as abortion or homosexual rights.

What follows is a basic outline my English teachers have taught me. You can modify to fit your own purposes.

Start with a thesis statement, or what you belive. It is always very important to state which side you are arguing for at the BEGINNING of your paper, so your audience isn't confused. It also might help keep you on track. Throw in some interesting stat or scenario, too... my teachers call that a hook. It keeps the audience interested.

Next, start writing the body of your essay. It might help to jot down some bullet points before you start, that way you can get your major facts and opinions into an order that makes sense. Leave alot of space between these, because each one will be the main topic of a paragraph. Then it's important to add supporting details to each main point. If your teacher looks for length, as in # of pages, make that LOTS of supporting details.

According to my English teachers, the conclusion should only be one paragraph, but I don't know if that rule is set in stone. I do know that it should contain a restatement of your thesis, and some sort of closing argument or interesting fact to keep your audience thinking about it after they stop reading. (or you do). It also might be good if you summarized the main points of your essay, which I will do below in my thesis restatement.

Hope that helps! In case it was a little confusing for you, I'll give you a bare minimum outline as an example. This is what I would do if I were writing an argumentative essay on abortion.

Intro:
Thesis: Abortion is bad because it is murder.
Hook (horrifying fact): Millions of people are killed every year in the genocide called abortion.

Body:
Paragraph 1: A person's a person no matter how small
Supportiing details: -A fetus has its own DNA
- Recent studies show that fetuses have their own thought patterns.
Rebuttal to argument, "Thought patterns don't make a human":
-Then what makes a human? Does skin color make a human?"

Paragraph 2: Womens rights
Rebuttal to argument, "Women should have the right to do what they wish with their private issues.
- A right to murder? Since when was that a right in our country?

Conclusion:
Thesis restatement: We need to stop killing babies in America because they are people, which makes it murder.
Final fact: When millions of our own are killed each year and we do nothing to stop it, that makes us no better than Hitler himself.

Clifford Said:

How do I learn good English?

We Answered:

Lots of writing - write about anything and everything.
Lots of reading - the good stuff, not the garbage that is being published today. REad the classics. (see other answer here - she had a good list for you)
Talk a lot - and have a friend or two who will correct your English when necessary.
Now this seems to be very common sense, but the fact is, you are immersed here in English so you should be able to pick up on writing, reading and speech. You may want to take some public speaking classes to improve also.
Keep your objective - of wanting to write professionally (engineering stuff?) and do everything toward that objective. Going on a trip -take a book to read. Going to the supermarket - talk to the cashier.
Now granted, you aren't going to get the BEST of English just by picking out strangers to talk to, but it will help you communicate better with others.
One good source is listening to good newscasters, anchormen - they are supposedly trained in good speech and correct English.
Good luck - you seem to have a pretty good handle on your everyday writing

Joanne Said:

what's good English composition book for ESL student?

We Answered:

The Process of Composition by Joy Reid. I used it when I taught a college freshman composition course for ESL students. It goes through the whole writing process in a very clear way.