need to improve english...

Only through usage, really.

You cannot make a language your own unless you're able to think in that language, and, just off-hand, i'd say that you're doing well enough in that department.

The problem that you'll encounter is that the spoken language and the written language are radically different.

Perhaps if you establish this thread as a place to which you can bring what you've written to have it corrected and critiqued. I would warn you than no one here is going to want to write your essays for you. However, i think that if you brought texts which you have already written, people here would be willing to do some proofreading, and to make suggestions on style.

Just as one masters a spoken language only be speaking it, and plunging into a milieu in which it is spoken, so it is necessary for you to read, read and read some more to get the feel of the written language. Plays written in England and the United States (as well as Canada, Australia, etc.--the other English-speaking countries) in the period from about 1930 to the present would help, as this will give you some feel for both the written and the spoken language. In the effort to improve my command of French, i used that method, and found it helpful.

pyko- Actually, Able2Know is a great way to improve your English. Just keep writing, writing, writing, on every subject in which you are interested. You will find, after awhile, that the words come easier.......you won't even have to think about it.

I went to college when I was in my thirties. I had not written an essay since I was 17. One English instructor that I had wanted us to write about what we had read the week before.........no rules, no space constraints. In that one term of writing, I made up for all those years that the most I had written was a letter or a grocery list!

I'd add, you can improve your language through reading. This means reading books, newspapers and magazines that are more difficult than average. That is:

* The New York Times or Washington Post rather than The New York Post, Washington Times or Boston Herald.
* Smithsonian, National Geographic or even Sports Illustrated rather than People. The examples I've given are well-written and SI in particular has excellent symbolism. There are other well-written magazines out there, of course; choose whatever appeals to you.
* Classics of literature or at least well-written works (think Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy or even newer books such as Harry Potter, believe it or not, rather than a sports biography as told to some hack Hollywood writer). These don't have to be boring. Pick something that you like and read about it - science fiction, history, sports, mysteries, etc.

Read, read, read. And remember what you read, so select something that interests you and something to which you'll pay attention. Just skimming isn't going to cut it; you're going to have to spend some time on details. I'm not suggesting doing book reports on any of these things, but I am suggesting sitting down and really focusing (no radio playing in the background). The summer is a great time for this. Take a chair to your back yard, slather on some sunscreen and spend some time reading.

Some basic stuff from your post:
* punctuation - love it or hate it, it gets across mood, emphasis and meaning (we're versus were). You need to use it.
* capitalization - you're typing as if you're chatting, and school isn't like that. You need to capitalize sentences, names and titles.
* spelling - this goes along with paying attention to what you're reading. Everyone makes typos and that's understandable. Don't beat yourself up over those. However, you should spend a little time proofreading what you write. This doesn't just mean using a spell-checker; it also means rereading what you write in order to be sure that it's correct. Have a friend help you. Even a friend who isn't so good in English may be able to point out basic instances wherein what is written doesn't make perfect sense or look like a word. Also check dictionaries. If you don't have one at home, use www.dictionary.com.

Two other things
* meaning - this goes along with rereading what you write before submitting it, whether online or in a school essay, etc. Make sure you're getting across what you want to get across. A trick I use is to read what I've written out loud. If what I've written is something I stumble on when I read it aloud, that tells me that the structure is awkward.
* symbolism - you mentioned this, so I take it you are learning something about metaphors and the like. This will partly come from reading, but it will also come from usage, as Setanta says. If you find yourself saying things like CDs are like boomerangs - they always go back to their starting points, you're speaking metaphorically. You may find it lame to say that (hey, cut me some slack, I just made it up) but if you begin to think of the similarities between things, people, expressions, etc., that's half the battle.

Best of luck to you - good English writing is a skill that will stand you in good stead in nearly every white-collar profession.

Pyko, First, welcome to a2k. You've gotten good advice from the folks who have posted here. I want to add just a bit more.

I truly believe that one of the keys to good writing is good thinking. By this I mean that you should give careful thought to what you plan to write. Don't try writing until your ideas are crystalized. You may find it helpful to make a list of points you want to cover, but always remember your focus.

I reiterate what Setanta said. If you post things you've written, we would be happy to help you.

Are you sure that you want your writing to contain symbolism? Or by school English, do you mean finding symbolism in what you read and then writing about it?

beautiful stuff i don't think i need to add anymore.Like everyone said read read and read once again try to write also what u read keep like a journal and write you're thoughts and feelings about what you have written that will help a lot it helped me.

Yes, I mean by finding symbolism in what we read and then write about it.
Most of these books we have read, and analysed in class
Last year: Macbeth, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Animal Farm.
This year: An Angel at My Table, Oresteia(Agamemnon), A Doll's House and (haven't studied yet) Tess of the D'Urbervilles

For example, we have just studied "A Doll's House" and I worte an essay on symbolism and how they effectively capture the significant beliefs, attitudes and values of the play. (one of the questions we got to chose from)

I found it alright to find the different symbolisms as we have already studied them in class (though I would never had realised them if we didn't), but the hardest was showing how they effectively captured the significant beliefs, attiudes and values, and also putting my thoughts and ideas onto paper.

I've always been given the suggestion to read more, and I have and it works!...but I recently, I never seem to beable to find the time to read anymore .
Thank you all for the advice

Finding symbolism in what you read is, indeed, school English. And figuring out what something means beyond its surface meaning is also school English. It's always helpful to get some guidance from the teacher.

I suggest you finish reading what's been assigned. Then think back about what you've read. Were there things that came up more than once? Were there things that seemed unusual?

I've read the books you were assigned. The one I remember best is To Kill a Mockingbird. Two things come to mind. Unusual? Atticus's children called him by his first name. And the character Boo Radley was an unusual person. Any thoughts on these things?

Ah, time to read. :-D You may need to schedule it (sounds corny, but it works).

I went out with (egad, nearly 20 years ago) a guy who read for one hour every day while in Law School, which isn't exactly a place with no reading. Anyway, the one hour a day was for pleasure and then classes and some four hours or so every night for studying. He finished the complete works of Shakespeare and then some. The point I'm making is that it can be done, even if you're really busy.

There's also the ever-popular reading in bed. Even just fifteen minutes will move you along in a story.

THANK YOU for all your wonderful advice:D
I will try and arrange my time so I will have about an hour or so each day to read. Are there any good books anyone can suggest?
thank you again

Pyko, There are lots of great books to recommend. It would help if we knew your approximate age. And what kind of things you enjoy reading about.

Ok, well, I'm currently 16yrs old, and I find adventre/mystery books interesting.

Some books I've really enjoyed are:
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Fire Dancer by Victor Kelleher

Thanks

You can learn a language by being exposed to it and having to use it, cos that is the only way you can communicate.
Example --- I spent some time in Israel many years ago in a group of 30 or more people. All spoke English either cos it was their native language or as in the case of the Dutch and Germans because they learnt it at school. We were joined by a Frenchman who couldn't understand a word of English. He very quickly picked up the basics of day to day speech and within a fairly short time he became quite fluent, to the point where he could understand English whether spoken by an Englishman, American, Aussie, Dutch, German or Israeli. It was a case of learn or get left out of things.

Ah mysteries. Have you read any of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries? They are very interestingly put together (yes, they're fairly old stories, but good writing stays fresh, no matter what its age is).

Pyko, welcome to A2K. I noticed that you studied To Kill a Mocking Bird. When you are looking for symbolism in a novel, look at the title. Why do you think Harper Lee used that title? Good essays are best developed by using an outline of the points that support your ideas and then developing them in a logical way. I do hope that your teachers encourage creative thought.

pyko, WELCOME to A2K. Reading is the best teaching tool, because you see how sentences are constructed, and how ideas are conveyed. c.i.

Pyko,

So you like these books.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Fire Dancer by Victor Kelleher

Have you tried other books by the same authors? When I find a book I like, I usually seek other books by the same author.

Jespah is right about Sherlock Holmes. The stories are wonderfully written, and good writing is good no matter how long ago it took place.

Another good mystery writer, and someone who could easily scare you silly, is Edgar Allan Poe. He didn't write novels; he wrote short stories. I loved his work when I was your age--and I still do.

I don't recall reading them myself, but I think that you might want to investigate the works of Hinton. Can anyone provide some info on these for Pyko?

Everyone here has such wonderful advice!
I hate to modify it at all, but I have to say that writing
has also helped me quite a bit.

I bought one of those blank books, a hardcover book with lines in it,
that is supposed to last for 400 years.
The little ones are puny. The big ones are just right.

Whenever I think of something that's going on, something I want to figure out,
or that makes a big impact on me then I just write.
It helps me think. It helps me get clear. Symbols appear out of nowhere.
And I end up with a diary of sorts, like a photo album of that moment in time!

I end up writing about a book a month. No one else reads them,
heck I don't even read them, and they don't do anything at all.
They just stack up on my shelf, like so much wood saved for the winter.

Reading is great, but those are the words of other people.
Be sure to find your own voice, and if no one is around to hear you
just keep writing and writing and writing, whatever you like.

Codeborg, Great suggestion.

Firstly, THANK YOU ALL for your wonderful advice - I'll start reading/writing more.

Ok, I studied To Kill a Mockingbird last year, but I still remember some of it as I enjoyed reading it.

The reason I think Harper Lee used the title is to show how Tom Robison (the innocent Mockingbird) was unjustly killed.