Writing

Hi to all.

I am taking a very important exam this coming October. I feel that my writing skills are still not up to standard. My grammar is okay but my vocabulary needs much improvement. Also, I do not attend any writing courses or english tuition. Even my friend who has never outdone me in her compositions has catched up, she just attended a writing course not long ago and I can tell that she has improved a lot. She does not even need any reference books and can write her compositions with a lot of vocab. I envy her, yet I cannot do anything. Despite having read many books over the years, I do not know a wide range of vocabulary.

If possible, I would like to receive some tips on writing and some good vocabulary words/phrases to use during my exam.

My teachers have advised me to 'Show' and not 'Tell'. However, I do not know much vocabulary hence I cannot write out good descriptions. Is it possible for anyone to help me with this?

Thanks for your time.

Anna