Writing an articleWriting an article

C1 2015-2016

Writing an article

Write an article for …

your local newspaper/the school magazine/ a travel guide …

adventure holidays/ healthy eating/ cycling lanes …

on the topic of …

Examples

What the examiner will consider ….

AUDIENCE

What language is appropriate?

Is it formal or informal?

Is the content interesting?

Is it relevant?

What the examiner will consider ….

GENRE

What form of writing is necessary?

What features would you expect to find?

Do you need a headline?

What the examiner will consider ….

CONTEXT

Where is it going to be read?

Does it need to be catchy and lively?

Does it need to have a logical and clear structure?

The real thing

• Punctuation• Grammar• Genre• Organization• Content

A successful article …

captures the reader’s attention

Catchy title or introduction

attracts the reader into the world of the article

Make the opening sentence intriguing and lively. Give an outline of the facts, i.e.,What? Who? Where? When?

is lively and interesting A mix of short and long sentences

Clear paragraphs with a topic sentence that gives, in a nutshell, what the rest of the paragrapg is going to explore.

Vocabulary

Using synonyms

Rich vocabulary

Try not to repeat the same words or phrases too often.

Try to use adequate and precise vocabulary

Structure

Clear paragraghs

Use discourse markers to link points and arguements.

Steps to take

1. DRAFT your article

A brief introduction which refers to the overall topic

A body of two or three paragraphs.

A conclusion, which refers back to the introduction and

expresses your own viewpoints.

Steps to take

2. EDIT your article

Cut out any irrelevant or repeated information

Make sure it is the right length

Double check your article for grammar, spelling, punctuation

and register mistakes.

3. CHECK your article

A Closer look example 1

The clown is no longer funny; the joke is now a sinister threat.

Donald Trump has long been treated as a laughable absurdity, the generator of the occasional Twitter storm, a “only in America” caricature who simply could not be taken seriously. Yes, polling makes him the decisive Republican frontrunner with only two months until the first primary; in Iowa – one of the first states to choose – he has a 13-point lead.

But surely a campaign fuelled by idiocy, chauvinism and bigotry is doomed. Surely, as some speculate, he is a spoiler (consciously or otherwise) to help his friend Hillary Clinton …

Catchy first sentenceContent is clear

Short and long sentencesVocabulary

The Race Relations Act was passed 50 years ago, outlawing the racist discrimination that was the daily experience of migrants from the empire. No longer would signs of “no blacks, no Irish, no dogs” be allowed and it was made illegal to refuse service or job opportunities on the basis of skin colour. The act was an important step in reducing the prejudice that ethnic minorities faced, which are unimaginable for many of us now.

A Closer look example 2

Catchy first sentence

Content is clear

Variety of structures

Vocabulary

I remember, growing up, that there were chalk marks outside my primary school directing people to National Front meetings, and in secondary school there were sporadic “raids” by skinheads from the next door estate who would run round trying to intimidate the “darkies”. But this was the closest I ever came to encountering far-right racism, and was a long way from the experiences of an earlier generation, who had to navigate attacks as part of their daily life.

Racist attacks are still common in the UK today, and increasing, but there has nonetheless been a clear shift in the culture …

Autumn Pasquale loved to ride her BMX bike.

On Saturday, she headed to a nearby park to enjoy the paths and hills as she often did.

Police say that passion likely led the 12-year-old to a brutal death.

Two teenage brothers lured the girl to a nearby home on the premise of buying bicycle parts and then dumped her body in a recycling bin, according to authorities.

A Closer look example 3

Our life, our planet. Over 70% of the earth's surface is water. However, most of it—98%--is salt water. Only 2% of the earth's H20 is fresh water that we can drink, and of this, almost all is trapped in frozen glaciers.

You are not just what you eat; you are what you drink.

This is why water is so important to your health.

A Closer look example 4

Some handy expressions

Rhetorical questionsIntroducing your point of

view

Have you ever ........?  Are you one of those

people who thinks that ......?

Are you one of those people who .......?

What would life be like if ......?

 First of all The first thing to

consider is One thing to consider is To begin with

Some handy expressions

Introducing some points

Introducing your final opinion

Another consideration Yet another

consideration  Another thing to

consider is  Added to that Apart from that  In addition to this

In conclusion To conclude To sum up

 In my opinion Personally I believe that  In my view To my mind My personal opinion is

The difference between good writers and bad writers

Now it’s your Now it’s your

turn!turn!Turn to pages 32 and 33 in your books!!!