How to write and article

What is an article?

An article

• is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or journal.
• is written for a wide audience, so it is essential to attract and retain the readers’ attention.
• may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions.
• can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience.
• should be written in an interesting or entertaining manner.
• should give opinions and thoughts, as well as facts.
• is in a less formal style than a report.

An article can

• describe an experience, event, person or place
• present an opinion or balanced argument
• compare and contrast
• provide information
• offer suggestions
• offer advice

A realistic article should consist of:

1. an eye-catching title which attracts the readers’ attention and suggests the theme of the article. (Think about why you read a magazine or newspaper article recently - what made you read it?) Articles can also have subheadings before each paragraph.
2. an introduction which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps the reader’s attention.
3. the main body of two to five paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in detail.
4. the conclusion - summarising the topic or a final opinion, recommendation or comment.

REMEMBER

Before you begin writing it is important to consider:

• where is the article going to appear - in a newspaper or magazine?
• who are the intended readers - a specific group such as students or teenagers, or adults in general?
• what is the aim of the article - to advise, suggest, inform, compare and contrast, describe, etc.?

These three points are the deciding factors in the layout of your article, its style, language and level of formality.

Determine the information you are going to use and organize your ideas carefully into paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence.

The article could be formal, semi-formal or informal, depending on your intended audience.

Use vocabulary and descriptive language appropriate for the article. Linking words and expressions, and a variety of vocabulary will only improve your work and make it more interesting.

DO NOT use over-personal or over-emotional language or simplistic vocabulary.

DO NOT talk about yourself. You are writing for the general public, not a close circle of friends. Your opinions are only interesting to other people if you can make them amusing, justify them or explain them.

WRITING TITLES

A title is absolutely necessary when writing an article, and should be a concise summary of the information which is going to follow in the article. In other words, the main topic of the article should be stated in the title.

Stimulating the reader’s interest is also essential - if the title looks uninteresting, why would anyone read it? There are various ways to achieve this. For example, if you are writing a description of a place, using adjectives can enhance the attractiveness of the place, before the reader begins reading the article, e.g. “The Tranquillity and Peace of an Island that Time Forgot”. If the task involves proposing a solution to a problem or your opinion, and so on, you can address your audience directly, e.g. “What You Need to Do to Be Successful”, or use a question such as “Is Learning English Really Necessary Today?” for the title. In more formal articles, it is more common to just summarise the topic in a short statement, e.g. “Laughter Can Improve Our Health”. The title should not be too long and should mirror the style of the article - formal or informal.

A. Match the topics (1-10) below with the titles (A-K) on the next page. There is one extra title that you do not need.

1. A healthy diet. _____                                                 6. Genetic Engineering. _____

2. School Exams. _____                                                7. Drug-taking. _____

3. Eating out inexpensively. _____                                  8. An outdoor activity. _____

4. The Internet. _____                                                   9. How to attract a man. _____

5. A famous person. _____                                           10. A successful career. _____

a. How to Reach The Top                                           b. Do You Need To Be Connected?

c. The Crack In Our Schools                                       d. Mouth-watering Recipes

e. Is Jogging Bad For Our Health?                               f. An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

g. To Flirt or Not to Flirt? - That is THE Question

h. A Testing Time                                                        i. The Man Behind The Prime Minister

j. Would You Like To Be Cloned?                              k. Cheap and Cheerful Grub

B. Match the following first paragraphs with the titles on the next page.

1. It is now official that they are the reason man has AIDS. Scientists agree that although Chimps do not suffer from AIDS themselves, eating them, as is common and considered a delicacy in some countries, is the reason the virus is passed on to humans.
2. It is said that everyone has the ability or potential to write that blockbuster that will ensure our fame and fortune. Now a bus-driver from London has done just that and proved the point by writing a novel that has already been nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize.
3. After a hectic morning shopping, all my friend and I wanted to do was to sit down, drink a cup of tea and have a cigarette. Easy enough you might think, but not so. Every coffee bar, café and fast food restaurant we looked in, did not allow smoking. It seems us smokers truly are the pariahs of society.
4. Eco-friendly vehicles will soon be a fact of life. No more popping into the local garage for £5.00’s worth of petrol. Instead, we will be plugging a battery into a spare socket at home, filling up with water from the tap, or using whatever idea the scientists come up with. Great you might think. But is it really possible that no giant corporation will be making money out of us?
5. One of the most unusual places that I have visited on my travels around the globe is Petra in Jordan. Nicknamed ‘The Rose City’, as the colour of the rock changes throughout the day,  depending on the angle of the sun, it is also fascinating because every structure except one is built out of the rock of the mountains. The exception is a temple built by the Romans, who obviously did not have the instincts of the Nabataeans.
6. They are two famous film stars in their own right, who between them have been married seven times. After starring together in “Elizabeth”, they are now divorcing their respective partners to marry each other. They say it was an instant attraction that is much deeper and more intense than either have ever experienced before. So what makes this time different? I went along to see them both at the Hilton Hotel to discover their secret.
7. The British are said to be the most watched people in the world. Video cameras on nearly every set of traffic lights, on motorways, on street corners, car parks, football grounds and shopping centres - to name but a few - they cannot make a move without being seen. For a country of people that refuses to have Identity Cards as they consider them an invasion of privacy, why do they tolerate this?
8. They say there is nothing like a woman scorned, and after the exploits of Polly Metcalfe, they might just be right. Her partner left her not just for another woman, but a woman half Polly’s age and Polly was miffed, to say the least. What did she do in reply? Cut all his clothes in half and destroyed one of each pair of his shoes.

a SOCIAL OUTCASTS                                        b. Revenge Was So Sweet

c. Love At First Sight                                              d. They ARE carriers of HIV

e. The Future Of Oil Companies                              f. BUILDING SIGHTS

g. We All Have A Best Seller In Us                         h. Are They Intrusive?

ANSWER SHEET

Go over the introduction carefully with the students, making sure they understand the importance of an article looking like an article, and how necessary a title is.

NOTE: Most students will have done Article writing at FCE level. Their work just needs refining and expanding at this level.

WRITING TITLES

A 1. F 2. H 3. K 4. B 5. I 6. J 7. C 8. E 9. G 10. A

‘D’ is not used.

B 1. D 2. G 3. A 4. E 5. F 6. C 7. H 8. B