最近在想Essay要怎麼寫，除了看完一本MBA Adimissons Strategy外，恰好在PTT上看到這篇TOP 10 Mistakes in English Writing: Advice for Improving Your Essays分享，很多原則都和GMAT 修辭要求的一樣，所以對於申請商學院的人，應該感到熟悉不過。
Author: Ernest Chen, JD/MBA
1. In formal English writing, you should never use contractions. 在所有正式文件中，永遠都要避免使用縮寫，使用縮寫會讓人感覺不專業以及作者很懶。I'll, I'd, don't, won't 都要寫成I will, I would, do not, will not。
2. In formal English writing, you should never start the first word of a sentence with a conjunction.句子的開頭不應該使用連接詞。連接詞包含And, But, However, Because, Or, (要看更多請按此) 都應該是用來做兩個短句表達因果，對等或轉折關係的連結性，所以連接詞要用在句中，而不是句首。
NG句示範 ：Because I worked so hard, I received a promotion. And I did it with great care.
修改句1：Since I worked so hard and did it carefully, I received a promotion.
修改句1：I received a promotion because I worked so hard and did it with great care.
3. Ending a sentence in a preposition is never grammatically correct. 介係詞放在句尾永遠都會造成文法的錯誤。介系詞是用來表達名詞與動詞、形容詞或另個名詞的關係，如果把介係詞放在句尾，句意表達不完整。
NG句示範：I studied hard so my scores went up" or "We traveled for three kilometers, so it showed the teacher how far we came from" or "There is no other class which it compares to."
修改句：I studied hard so my scores increased" or "We traveled for three kilometers, so it showed the teacher from how far we came" or "There is no other class to which it compares."
4. One major complication in English is homophones.同音字，字義大不同，使用前如果感到不安請先查字典，像是weather, whether, witch which.
5. You need to have parallel sentence structure. GMAT最愛考的平行結構重點，請注意時態一致性，除非要強調動作的先後順序
6. Another common problem is noun/verb agreement. 注意主詞單複數與動詞是否一致。
7. Even if you have no page or word limits for your essay, it is always better to be concise.精簡精簡精簡!這個也是GMAT很要求的表達重點。
NG句示範：Today, after working hard to study all day without stopping my progress, my scores went up a lot.
修改句示範：After continuously studying hard today, my scores increased significantly.
從18個字精鍊到9個字，依舊保留原句意，essay有字數限制，所以請用在刀口上。
8. To promote your confidence, it is better to state sentences in absolute terms rather than conditional terms. 直接表達，而非條件式，表現自己的自信。在GMAT也是不使用"should"這個字，要就要，不要就不要，沒有在那邊應該不應該的。有自信的申請者也讓審查委員相信你是個有抱負有決心以及會成功的人。
NG句：I believe I can be the best at your school…
示範句：I can be the best at your school…
9. In formal writing, you should avoid using "passive voice" which are verbs preceded by words such as "have, had…" 使用主動語態，避免被動語態。
10. Finally when writing essays, especially for those related to your statement of purpose, always try to describe your experiences and what you learned from them. 除了描述自己做過哪些事，工作，活動，更應該進一步分析出自己學到甚麼，體驗到甚麼，例如我在XX公司經手過五個跨組織的專案，so what? 要進一步寫出自己在這幾次專案中，學到了組織能力和溝通能力，並且更駕輕就熟blah blah...。
上面都只是寫essay的技巧，現在叫我煩惱的不是沒有故事沒有經歷可以寫，而是要怎麼組織出溝通主題和要說哪些故事......。
