Article writing
IGCSE
BY
Sana Majid
An article is a piece of writing written for a
large audience. The main motive behind
writing an article is that it should be
published in either newspapers or magazines
or journals so as to make some difference to
the world.
The topics usually given for this exercise are
easy enough that you can come up with
points right there in the exam, but it is good
if you read upon various issues from around
the word (obesity, technological influences,
environmental issues, animal welfare,
teenager issues etc).
Plan
Before you start it is a good idea that you come
up with a plan. Use the blank space below the
question to make your plan, in pencil. In your
plan write down the answers to these
questions.
he audience: this will be specified in the
question (it is almost always a school
magazine). So when you write, keep in mind
that you need to write to that audience.
Your language, tone and vocabulary should
reflect this.
Is my article going to be two-sided or one-
sided? If you know a lot about the topic and
can weigh up the pros and cons, then go for
two-sided. If you’re not too knowledgeable
about it, stick to one-sided.
How do I introduce the topic? Start off by
saying what the topic is and how important
the topic is in today’s world. Why it is such a
problem? Or is it a problem?
◦ What’s in the body? Write down three points. (If
it’s two-sided write two pros and two cons). You
will develop your body based on these points. A few
points will be given in your question paper, and you
can use those!
◦ How will I conclude the article? You need to sum up
your points and give your final opinion (even if it’s
two-sided, give your final opinion on the matter).
Organize
Organise. By now, you’ve pretty much come up with the
contents of your article. Now organise your points into
paragraphs.
◦ One-sided Article:Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: First point with justification (or counter-argument)
Paragraph 3: Second point with justification (or counter-argument)
Paragraph 4: Opposing point which you contradict (here, you state a
point said by people who have a different opinion from yours and
explain why they are wrong. This is called argument and counter-
argument)
Paragraph 5: Conclusion- summary, (solution?), repeat your opinion
◦ Two-sided Article:Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Advantages/’For’
Paragraph 3: Disadvantages/’Against’
Paragraph 4: Conclusion- Summary and final opinio
Write. Use a variety of connecting words and argumentative phrases. Examples:
◦ Expressing opinions:I agree/ disagree with the above statement that
In my opinion
I believe that
I am in favour of
I am against the idea of
It seems to me that
I sympathize with
◦ Presenting and contrasting opinions: The main argument in favour/ against is
It is often said that
First of all I should like to consider
Apart from that
Even though
Furthermore
In addition
Moreover
Nevertheless
And
Or
But
Finally
Lastly
Despite the fact that/ In spite of
On the other hand
On the contrary
Whereas
What is more
What matters most in this case is
It is a fact that
Besides
After all
There is no doubt that
◦ Reasoning:Because of
As a result of
Owing to
Through
Due to
Consequently
On account of
Therefore
Hence
◦ Concluding:To sum up
To conclude
It can be concluded that
I believe that
Thus, I am of the opinion that
◦ Argumentative verbs (use these instead of say/tell):
Claim
Assert
Insist
Argue
Allege
Suggest
Point out
Maintain
Here’s an example of a one-sided article.
This is one-sided because, even though it
weighs up both ‘for’ and ‘against’ points, in
each paragraph it contradicts the ‘for’ points
and alludes to the same conclusion that zoos
should be abolished. This is called
the argument/counter-argument format.
Tips
Use your own points, words and phrases as far as possible.
The more original your content is, the better.
Give a suitable title
Keep to the word limit 150-200 words. Exceeding a little over
200 is not a problem.
Always have an introduction and conclusion
Always organise your points into paragraphs. One para for
each point (one-sided) or all advantages in one para and
disadvantages in another para (two-sided) is the ideal format.
A final opinion has to be given.
Punctuation, spelling and grammar is very important. Check
your writing once you’re done.
