An article can:

  1. • describe an experience, event, person or place
  2. • present an opinion or balanced argument
  3. • compare and contrast
  4. • provide information
  5. • offer suggestions
  6. • 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:

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

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.

UNITY

To ensure unity in a paragraph, it is necessary to group sentences around a main idea. This means that it is necessary to begin by finding a theme or Topic Sentence which sums up the main idea of the whole paragraph. The best position for this sentence is normally at the beginning of the paragraph, but it need not always be there. Sometimes there is no Topic Sentence, but only a topic or main idea around which the paragraph is written. However, it is preferable when writing an article to place the Topic Sentence at the beginning to help the reader to quickly comprehend the topic of the whole paragraph and minimise the likelihood of losing the theme altogether.

PLANNING (example)

It can now be seen that in order to write a good article you need first to find the theme or topic sentence which summarises what you are going to write about, and then make a plan. This strategy will enable you to write quickly and clearly, help you think of a title more easily and your work will have cohesion.

Using this method gives the topic sentence of each paragraph and connects it to the other paragraphs. These topic sentences can be made into one paragraph and then developed to form a whole article. Conversely, these topic sentences, when taken together, can be used to cut down the entire article into a one-paragraph summary of the whole piece.

Imagine you have been asked to write the following article:

Have you studied abroad?

Have you spent time studying in another country? We invite you, our readers, to submit an article on your experiences in that country, to be included in our forthcoming series on living and studying abroad. Share your experiences with us. Tell us what you studied and about any difficulties you faced while you were there. Have you changed as a result of this?

Write your article.

First think about: • Where is the article going to appear? (In a magazine.) • Who are the intended readers? (Probably a fairly wide 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. ) Paragraph 2 – Education, friends and language skills.

MAIN BODY

Paragraph 3 – Various problems.

CONCLUSION

Paragraph 4 – Result – independent and self-confident.

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.