WT4: Articles
Writing newspaper and magazine articles - mastering headlines, structure, and journalistic style.
📋 What Makes a Good Article?
Definition: An article is written for publication in a newspaper, magazine, or online platform. It informs, persuades, or entertains a specific audience while following journalistic conventions.
Key elements of effective articles:
- Eye-catching headline that draws the reader in
- Engaging opening that hooks the reader
- Clear structure with subheadings if needed
- Appropriate tone for the publication and audience
- Strong, memorable conclusion
Article Formula:
Catchy headline + Engaging opening + Clear structure + Relevant content + Strong conclusion = Effective article
Catchy headline + Engaging opening + Clear structure + Relevant content + Strong conclusion = Effective article
📰 Article Structure
1. The Headline
Your first opportunity to grab attention - make it count.
Headline Techniques:
- Use alliteration: "Baking Ban Begins"
- Ask a question: "Is This the End of Free Speech?"
- Make a bold statement: "Our Schools Are Failing"
- Use a pun or wordplay: "Storm Brewing Over Tea Tax"
- Create intrigue: "The Hidden Danger in Your Home"
Example Headlines
Persuasive article: "Why Every School Needs a Garden"
News article: "Council U-Turn on Parking Charges"
Feature article: "The Teenagers Changing Their Communities"
2. The Opening Paragraph
Hook the reader with your first few lines.
Opening Techniques:
- Start with a dramatic statement
- Use a rhetorical question
- Begin with an interesting fact or statistic
- Open with a brief anecdote or scenario
Example Opening
"Every year, 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans. That's equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the sea every minute. The question is: what are we going to do about it?"
3. The Main Body
- Present your points in a logical order
- Use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph
- Include evidence, facts, and expert opinions
- Use subheadings to break up longer articles
- Maintain reader interest throughout
4. The Conclusion
- Summarise your main argument
- Leave the reader with something to think about
- End with a powerful final statement
- Include a call to action if appropriate
📝 Types of Articles
News Articles
Report factual information objectively.
- Answer: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
- Use inverted pyramid structure (most important info first)
- Include quotes from relevant sources
- Maintain objective tone
Opinion/Comment Articles
Express and argue for a viewpoint.
- Clear opinion from the start
- Use persuasive techniques
- Include evidence to support your view
- Address counter-arguments
Feature Articles
Explore topics in depth, often with a human interest angle.
- More creative, engaging style
- Can include personal stories and interviews
- Longer, more detailed exploration
- Strong narrative element
Article Opening Examples
News: "Local councillor Jane Smith has announced her resignation following allegations of misconduct."
Opinion: "It's time we faced the truth: homework is doing more harm than good."
Feature: "When 15-year-old Aisha Patel started her recycling campaign, she never imagined it would reach national headlines."
✍️ Journalistic Style
| Feature | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Short paragraphs | Easy to read, visually appealing | 1-3 sentences per paragraph |
| Direct quotes | Add credibility and interest | "This is unacceptable," said resident Tom Green. |
| Factual language | Builds trust and authority | Specific statistics, dates, names |
| Active voice | More engaging and direct | "The council decided" not "It was decided" |
| Varied sentence length | Creates rhythm and maintains interest | Mix short punchy sentences with longer ones |
Top Tip: Articles are meant to be read quickly. Use short paragraphs, clear topic sentences, and subheadings to guide the reader through your argument.
🎯 Audience and Publication
Adapt your writing style to suit your target publication and audience.
Publication Examples
School newsletter: Informal but respectful, focused on school community
Local newspaper: Semi-formal, community-focused, accessible language
Broadsheet newspaper: Formal, analytical, sophisticated vocabulary
Teen magazine: Informal, engaging, relatable, contemporary references
Key Questions to Ask
- Who will read this article?
- What publication am I writing for?
- What tone is appropriate?
- What level of vocabulary should I use?
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why It's Wrong | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Boring headline | Won't attract readers | Use techniques like alliteration, questions, or bold statements |
| Weak opening | Readers won't continue | Start with a hook - fact, question, or dramatic statement |
| Long, dense paragraphs | Difficult to read | Keep paragraphs short - 2-3 sentences |
| No clear structure | Reader loses track | Use subheadings and clear topic sentences |
| Wrong tone for audience | Feels inappropriate | Match style to publication and readers |
📊 Mark Scheme Guidance
AO5: Content and Organisation (24 marks)
- Engaging headline and opening
- Clear structure appropriate for article format
- Consistent tone matched to audience
- Effective use of journalistic conventions
AO6: Technical Accuracy (16 marks)
- Varied sentence structures
- Appropriate vocabulary for publication
- Accurate spelling and punctuation
- Correct use of quotes if included
Examiner's Tip: Spend time crafting your headline - it's your first impression. A good headline can boost your mark. Make it catchy, relevant, and appropriate for your target publication.
❓ Practice Questions
Q1: Write three different headlines for an article about school uniform using different techniques.
Q2: What is the "inverted pyramid" structure and when would you use it?
Q3: Write an opening paragraph for an opinion article about social media.
Q4: How should article style differ between a teen magazine and a broadsheet newspaper?
✅ Answers
- Examples: "Uniform Uproar" (alliteration), "Should We Ditch School Uniform?" (question), "The Hidden Cost of School Uniform" (intrigue), "Uniform: Unfair and Unnecessary" (bold statement).
- The inverted pyramid puts the most important information first, then supporting details in decreasing order of importance. Used for news articles to ensure key facts aren't cut if space is limited.
- Your opening should hook the reader with a dramatic statement, surprising fact, or rhetorical question about social media.
- Teen magazine: informal, relatable, contemporary references, conversational tone. Broadsheet: formal, analytical, sophisticated vocabulary, serious tone.
🎯 Exam Tips
- Craft a catchy, relevant headline
- Hook the reader in your first sentence
- Use short paragraphs - they're easier to read
- Include facts, statistics, or quotes for credibility
- Match your tone to the target publication
- Use subheadings for longer articles
- End with a powerful, memorable statement
📝 Exam Technique
Article Writing Exam Strategy: You have 45 minutes (40 marks: 24 AO5 + 16 AO6). Articles must look and read like articles — headline, short paragraphs, and journalistic style.
- First 5 minutes: Identify your target publication and audience. Plan: your headline, hook, 3-4 key points, and conclusion. The headline is worth spending 2 minutes on — it's your first impression.
- Writing time: Write the headline first. Open with a hook. Use short paragraphs (2-3 sentences). Include facts, statistics, or quotes. End with a powerful closing statement.
- Mark allocation: AO5 (24 marks) rewards engaging content with journalistic conventions. AO6 (16 marks) rewards tone matched to publication, varied sentences, and accurate SPaG.
- What examiners look for: A headline that grabs attention. Short, punchy paragraphs. A clear journalistic voice. Evidence and facts that build credibility. A conclusion that leaves the reader thinking.
⚠️ Common Errors
Watch Out!
Students often write a bland headline or skip it entirely. Wrong: "An Article About Social Media" — this tells the reader nothing and shows no creativity. Correct: Use a technique — "Screen Time or Scream Time?" (alliteration/pun), "Is Your Phone Stealing Your Childhood?" (rhetorical question), or "The £1,000 Lie We Tell Our Children" (intrigue).
Students often write long, essay-like paragraphs instead of short journalistic ones. Wrong: A single paragraph of 8-10 sentences that looks like a wall of text on the page. Correct: Break content into 2-3 sentence paragraphs. This is how real articles are structured — it makes the piece visually appealing and easier to read quickly.
Students often forget to match tone to the target publication. Wrong: Writing for a teen magazine in the same formal, academic tone you'd use for a broadsheet newspaper. Correct: Adapt your tone — for a teen magazine, use a conversational, engaging voice with contemporary references; for a broadsheet, use formal, analytical language with sophisticated vocabulary.
✍️ Model Answer
Full-Mark Response
40 marks: Write an article for a school newsletter arguing that the school day should start later.
The 8am Start is Failing Our Students — And Science Proves It
Every morning, across the country, teenagers drag themselves from bed at 6.30am, stumble through a fog of exhaustion, and arrive at school by 8am — just as their bodies are biologically programmed to be at their least alert. We wouldn't run a factory with broken machinery. So why are we running a school system with sleep-deprived students?
The science is clear. Research from Oxford University found that adolescents' circadian rhythms shift by up to two hours during puberty, meaning that a teenager's brain is not fully awake until around 9am. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called early school starts "one of the most modifiable public health risks" facing young people. Yet here we are, ringing the bell at 8am sharp, wondering why concentration levels are low and behaviour issues are high.
And the consequences go beyond sleepy mornings. Sleep deprivation in teenagers is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and obesity. A study of 30,000 students across the US found that schools starting after 8.30am saw a 70% reduction in car crashes among teen drivers. The evidence is overwhelming.
I understand the logistical challenges. Bus schedules, working parents, after-school activities — all would need adjustment. But schools in the UK that have moved to later starts report improved attendance, better concentration, and happier students. The Edstart Academy in Brighton shifted to a 9.30am start last year and saw GCSE results rise by 12%.
The question isn't whether we can afford to start later. It's whether we can afford not to. Our students' wellbeing, achievement, and safety are at stake. It's time to let the evidence — not tradition — set the timetable.
Mark scheme: AO5 (21-24/24) — Engaging headline using alliteration and bold claim; strong opening hook with a rhetorical question; well-structured argument with scientific evidence; counter-argument addressed (logistics); powerful final statement. Short, punchy paragraphs throughout. AO6 (14-16/16) — Wide vocabulary ("circadian rhythms", "modifiable", "overwhelming"); varied sentences including rhetorical questions, short emphatic statements, and longer evidence-carrying sentences; accurate SPaG; appropriate tone for school newsletter — formal enough to be credible, accessible enough to engage parents and staff.
📊 AO Deep Dive
Assessment Objective Analysis
AO5 — Content and Organisation (24 marks): For article writing, this AO rewards your ability to adopt journalistic conventions. At grade 5 (Level 3, 9-12 marks), students may produce content that reads more like an essay than an article — no headline, long paragraphs, and a generic tone. At grade 9 (Level 6, 21-24 marks), the article is "convincing and compelling" with a catchy headline, a strong hook, short journalistic paragraphs, and a distinct voice appropriate to the target publication. The key difference is form: a grade 9 article looks and reads like a real article, while a grade 5 article could be any piece of writing with an argument in it.
AO6 — Technical Accuracy (16 marks): Article writing requires tone adaptation. At grade 5 (Level 3, 9-12 marks), the tone may not match the target publication, and vocabulary may be too formal or too informal for the audience. At grade 9 (Level 4, 13-16 marks), the vocabulary and tone are precisely calibrated to the publication — a teen magazine gets conversational energy, a broadsheet gets analytical sophistication. Short paragraphs, varied sentences, and accurate SPaG complete the professional impression.
📝 Exam Technique
Article Writing Exam Strategy: You have 45 minutes (40 marks: 24 AO5 + 16 AO6). The headline and opening are crucial — they're your first impression.
- First 5 minutes: Identify the target publication and audience from the question. Plan your headline technique, opening hook, 3-4 key points, and closing statement.
- Writing time: Write a catchy headline first. Open with a hook (dramatic statement, rhetorical question, or surprising fact). Use short paragraphs and subheadings if appropriate. End with a powerful final statement.
- Mark allocation: AO5 (24 marks) rewards engaging content, clear structure, and appropriate tone. AO6 (16 marks) rewards technical accuracy, varied sentences, and vocabulary matched to publication.
- What examiners look for: A headline that grabs attention. Short, punchy paragraphs. A tone that matches the target publication. Evidence of journalistic conventions (quotes, facts, direct address).
⚠️ Common Errors
Watch Out!
Students often write a bland headline or skip it entirely. Wrong: "An Article About Social Media" — tells the reader nothing and generates zero interest. Correct: Use a headline technique — alliteration ("Screen Time Scandal"), question ("Is Your Phone Ruining Your Sleep?"), or bold statement ("Social Media Is Rewiring Our Brains").
Students often write paragraphs that are too long and dense for article format. Wrong: A single paragraph stretching 150+ words with multiple ideas crammed together. Correct: Keep paragraphs to 2-3 sentences. Articles are designed for quick reading — short paragraphs create white space and make the piece visually inviting.
Students often write in the wrong tone for the target publication. Wrong: Using academic, jargon-heavy language in a teen magazine article, or slang in a broadsheet newspaper piece. Correct: Match your style to the publication — conversational and relatable for a teen magazine, authoritative and analytical for a broadsheet. Always note the target audience in the question.
✍️ Model Answer
Full-Mark Response
40 marks: Write an article for a school newsletter about whether homework should be abolished.
Homework: Help or Hindrance?
It's 9:47pm on a Wednesday. Somewhere across the country, a Year 11 student is staring at their fourth assignment of the evening, running on three hours of sleep and the fading memory of what a weekend feels like. Sound familiar?
Let's be clear from the start: homework is not going to disappear. Nor, arguably, should it. The question isn't whether we should abolish homework entirely — it's whether the amount and type we're currently assigning is actually doing more harm than good.
The case against homework is compelling. A 2023 study by the Education Policy Institute found that British secondary students spend an average of 7.5 hours per week on homework — the equivalent of an entire school day. The same research found a direct correlation between excessive homework and increased anxiety, with 68% of students reporting that homework was their primary source of stress. When homework routinely eats into sleep, exercise, and family time, we have to ask: what exactly is it achieving?
But here's the counter-argument, and it's one worth taking seriously. Used well, homework reinforces classroom learning, develops independent study skills, and prepares students for the self-discipline required in further education and work. The problem isn't homework itself — it's the quantity and quality. Twenty minutes of focused practice is worth more than two hours of repetitive worksheet completion.
So what's the solution? Many schools are already experimenting: "flipped" homework where students watch a video lesson at home and do practice in class; homework menus that offer choice and variety; and outright bans on homework during exam seasons when stress peaks. The evidence from Finland — where homework is minimal but educational outcomes are among the world's best — suggests that less can genuinely be more.
Perhaps the real question isn't "should we abolish homework?" but "can we finally make it work for students rather than against them?" The answer to that question will define the next generation's relationship with learning. And it's a question we can't afford to get wrong.
Mark scheme: AO5 (21-24/24) — Compelling article with catchy headline; engaging hook opening; balanced argument with evidence; counter-argument addressed; strong conclusion with thought-provoking final statement; tone appropriate for school newsletter. AO6 (14-16/16) — Short paragraphs suited to article format; wide vocabulary ("correlation", "compelling", "experimenting"); varied sentences; accurate SPaG; statistics and evidence integrated naturally; conversational yet informed register.
📊 AO Deep Dive
Assessment Objective Analysis
AO5 — Content and Organisation (24 marks): Article writing demands both journalistic flair and substantive argument. At grade 5 (Level 3, 9-12 marks), articles may have a weak headline, dense paragraphs, or a tone that doesn't match the publication. The structure may follow a generic essay pattern rather than article conventions. At grade 9 (Level 6, 21-24 marks), the article is "convincing and compelling" — the headline grabs attention, the opening hooks immediately, short paragraphs maintain pace, evidence supports each point, and the conclusion leaves the reader thinking. The key difference from grade 5 to 9 is form awareness: a grade 9 writer doesn't just write a good argument — they write a good article, using all the conventions of the form.
AO6 — Technical Accuracy (16 marks): For articles, vocabulary and tone must match the publication. At grade 5 (Level 3, 9-12 marks), vocabulary is "reasonable" but may not suit the target audience — it might be too informal for a broadsheet or too stiff for a teen magazine. At grade 9 (Level 4, 13-16 marks), the vocabulary is "wide" and appropriate — sophisticated enough to impress but accessible enough for the readership. Sentence variety is essential: short sentences for impact, varied openings to avoid monotony, and rhythm that maintains the reader's attention across the whole piece.
📝 Exam Questions by Topic
🎬 Video Resources
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