Recently, I'm reading English Skills with Readings. The following text is the reading digest.

Four basic principles you must learn to write effectively:

1. Start with a clearly stated point.

2. Provide logical, detailed support for your point.

3. Organize and connect your supporting materials.

4. Revise and edit so that your sentences are effective and error-free.

- Writing is a learned skill rather than a "natural gift".

- Writing is often a process of continuing discovery. Very often writers discover the direction and shape of a paper during the process of writing.

- A writer's voice can project one or more tones or feelings.

The sequence of steps based on the four principles

Prewriting (构思）

Freewriting, questioning (4W+H), Make a list, Clustering (brainstorming), Summarize

Writing a topic sentence and preparing a scratch outline (主题句与粗略大纲）

Writing a first draft

Revising

1. Set your first draft aside for a while. You can then come back to it with a fresher, more objective point of view.

2. Workf form typed or printed text, preferably double-spaced so you'll have room to handwrite changes later

3. Read your draft aloud. Hearing how your writing sounds will help you pick up problems with meaning and with style.

4. Write additional thoughts and changes above the lines or in the margins of your paragraph. Your written comments can serve as a guide when you work on the next draft. 

Verbs

Advance: Advance your ideas, advance my career

Write to sb (写给某人看）/ Write with sth (purpose, tool ) / Write on sth (写关于sth)

Appeal to: Appeal to the reader's senses and imagination.

Hint at: You will be given an assignment that explains or at least hints at that purpose.

Brainwash: They have brainwashed themselves into thinking that they don't have the natural talent needed to write.

We will not get something for nothing.

Read over the draft you wrote.

Phrases

On faith: Readers will not take your view on faith (不加怀疑地，单凭信仰地）

In support of: If you are writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in support of the new school budget.

Get into the habit of / Develop the habit of