Response/Directed writing- Article – Rules and Samples

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ______________________

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 semi-formal or slightly 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:
 an eye-catching title which attracts the readers’ attention and suggests the theme of the article.
 Articles can also have subheadings before each paragraph.
 an introduction which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps the reader’s attention.
 the main body of a few (for instance-two to five) paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in
detail.
 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.
 Make the opening paragraph short, sharp and interesting.
 Determine the information you are going to use and organize your ideas carefully into paragraphs. Each
paragraph should have a clear topic sentence.
 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.
 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.
 Write in columns or draw any picture
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  Give unselective or random details or make random paragraphs

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.
Match the topics below with the titles-
Topic Title
A healthy diet. How to Reach The Top
School Exams Do You Need To Be Connected?
Eating out inexpensively. The Crack In A Happy Life
The Internet. Cheap and Cheerful Grub
A famous person Is Jogging Bad For Our Health?
Genetic Engineering. An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
Drug-taking To Flirt or Not to Flirt? That is THE Question
An outdoor exercise Would You Like To Be Cloned?
How to attract a man A Testing Time
A successful career The Man Behind The Prime Minister

Make your article interesting

For an article to work, it has to be engaging enough to read all the way through. Remember how bored the
examiner must be after reading fifty exam papers. Make it easier for them to get a good impression about your
writing by entertaining them. Add humour, real life or made up examples, or make up quotes
Write a good ending
In an essay you sum up the points that have gone before and draw a conclusion from that. But in an article, it's
better to give the reader something to think about, perhaps by asking them another question or giving them a
call to action. Often, the best endings link back to the starting point in some way.
Here are two endings I could use for this article:
 Look at your internet browsing history from the last day. Which articles got your attention? Can you see
how they did it?
 So, now you know how to write an article, why don't you write one giving advice on something you
know about?

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 Handout – Article Writing- Examples

Example-1:
Question:
Have you spent time studying in another country? Write an article on your experiences in that country, to be
included in the forthcoming school journal series on living and studying abroad.
Share your experiences there. Tell-
 what you studied and
 any difficulties you faced while you were there
 Have you changed as a result of this?
Write in 250 to 300 words.

Planning-
First think about:
• Where is the article going to appear? (In a magazine)
• Who are the intended readers? (Probably your age group)
• What is the aim of the article? (To talk about your experiences, good and bad, while studying abroad.)
Then you need to decide:
• Which country have you studied in?
• How long were you there for?
• What did you study?
• What problems did you have while you were there?
• How have you changed?

Brainstorm your ideas and make notes of what you are going to include. Then, after some thought, you should
be able to think of a topic sentence which can be expanded into a paragraph. For example, a topic sentence
which could start an introduction is:
‘Studying abroad is an exciting experience, giving you the opportunity to learn more about the traditions and culture of the host
country and its people.’
This could then be expanded into the following paragraph:
‘Studying abroad is an exciting experience, giving you the opportunity to learn more about the traditions and culture of the host
country and its people. Apart from the excellent education I received during three years in England, I also made a wide circle of
friends and improved my language skills. I learned how to face and deal with various problems, and as a result, have become
more independent and self-confident.’
If we extract the ideas out of this one paragraph, it is possible to form a plan for the article, based on the
following topic sentences:

INTRODUCTION - Paragraph 1 - Exciting experience, learn about the host country and the people.
(MAIN BODY)-Paragraph 2 - Education, friends and language skills.
(MAIN BODY)-Paragraph 3 - Various problems.
CONCLUSION - Paragraph 4 - Result - independent and self-confident.

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With the above plan, it is now possible to proceed to write the article, simply by enlarging on each topic
sentence so that you can produce a paragraph about that idea. It is also easier to think of a title. Read the
following article based on the above plan.

LEARNING ABOUT LIFE

Studying abroad is an exciting experience, giving you the opportunity to learn more about the traditions and culture of the host
country and its people. Apart from the excellent education I received during three years in England, I also made a wide circle of
friends and improved my language skills. I learned how to face and deal with various problems, and as a result, have become
more independent and self-confident.

I studied English Literature and this, along with making many friends both at university and through the part-time job I had,
helped improve my English. Although I already spoke the language quite well, when I first arrived I had trouble understanding
some accents and the slang or colloquialisms that are in everyday use. Now I am a much more fluent and natural speaker, and
my writing has improved, too.

The biggest problems I faced were finding somewhere to live when I did not know the area well, getting the electricity and
phone connected and generally learning to look after myself. I had to get used to shopping, cooking and doing the housework, as
well as studying and working, so I quickly mastered the art of planning my time sensibly. Although adapting to living in a new
country is not easy, once the initial homesickness and missing the family has been overcome, learning to fend for yourself
certainly makes you a more independent person, and definitely more self-confident.

My time abroad helped me grow as a person and I feel I could tackle any problem now in a calm and confident manner, without
having to immediately ask someone for their help.
Example-2:
ECONOMY BLEEDS AWAY
Let sanity prevail over madness.
The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) has unveiled a report detailing losses sustained by the various sectors of
the economy over the past 30 days of political violence. According to it, the business sector as a whole has been suffering losses
to the tune of Tk.2,277 crore per day and the total loss stands at Tk.68,310 crore over the entire period, which is approximately
5 per cent of the GDP. Not a single sector has been spared the onslaught of violent confrontation between the BNP led 20-
party alliance and the government. The DCCI report merely reaffirms what had been suspected. It shows us which sector has
sustained how much loss over the last one month.

We remain at a loss as to why the economy that affects us all must pay the price of gridlocked politics. When will the carnage,
in terms of both human and property loss, stop? The statements coming out of both the government and the opposition remind us
of a dance between the matador and the bull in an arena where we, the people, are spectators. There can only be one winner in a
bull fight. The rest of us, including the economy, are apparently losers. Some 50 people have been burnt to smithereens, many
others continue to suffer in burn units of various hospitals, and hundreds of vehicles been torched. Neither the very young, nor
the old are spared. Have we lost both our humanity and sanity? Only when our political masters decide to sit down and talk
things through will we be delivered from this madness.
Editorial, The Daily Star, 7 February 2015

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