FEATURE WRITING

Maria Evelyn O. Won

II. REVIEW
Write T if the statement is TRUE and F if is FALSE.

T 1. Use universal symbols, those which can be understood at once by your

intended reader.

F 2. A lampoon is an exaggerated description, generally by sketching.

F 3. A caricature is a piece of malicious writing, a personal-written satire that

attacks and ridicules.

T 4. Translate your comment into coordinating, representative graphic

symbols (e.g. crocodile for corrupt officials and typewriter for press)

T 5. Keep your message clear to the intended reader, not only to yourself.

Ask the opinion of others.

T 6. Composition is the arrangement of all the elements of a good drawing to

produce the desired form and specifications.

F 7. Unity is the stability produce by even distribution of those elements with

respect to the whole

F 8. Balance is a condition of harmony. It is also the resulting singleness of

effect or symmetry and consistency of style and character.

T 9. Dwell on subject matters which are current and very relevant to the

readers and what they are thinking.

T 10. Select news stories of major continuing interest. The idea must be

done in good taste and should ‘say’ something.

III. PRETEST

1. B 7. A
2. A 8. D
3. C 9. B
4. C 10-11 C
5. A 12-13 B
6. B 14-15 A

III. PRETEST

Read each item carefully and circle the letter of the best answer.

1. The_______– has its origin in some minor happening that merits attention only because of
some dramatic, humorous, tragic, odd, or sensational angle caught by an alert imaginative
reporter.

a. interview article c. personality

b. human interest story d. news feature

2. The ________ – may be further classified according to purpose and emphasis.

a. interview article c. personality

b. human interest story d. news feature

3. The ___________ – instructs, informs, makes clear to the reader the background and
significance of social, economic, political problems and other problems of everyday life.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

4. The ________ is usually meant to inform. Occasionally, a how-to-do-it article is written as a

spoof and aims merely to entertain.

a. personality c. practical guidance

b. personal experience d. news feature

5. The ___________ – is presented from some new angle on an old theme or with some fresh
insight or information.

a. seasonal or holiday feature c. practical guidance

b. personal experience d. news feature

6. The __________ story – must deal with an unusual experience, unusual hobbies make good
subjects for the school paper.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

7. __________ brings out some distinctive trait or traits of a well- known personality.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

8. The __________ – takes its material from a subject of current interest.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

9. The _______ article is the most varied in scope, treatment, and purpose

a. sports c. news

b. feature d. editorial

10-15 Choose the letter of the correct answer from the box below. Statements below are
about the characteristics of feature article

10-11. (1) Well-organized – applies all principles of creative writing to achieve unity,

coherence and emphasis.

(2) Factual and requires reporting.

12-13. (1) There’s a definite form and style

(2) Usually more entertaining more often than it informs, instructs or advises.

14-15. (1) As a rule, the treatment of the feature is more informal than that of the

straight news.

(2) Usually strikes the keynote in the last sentence.

V. ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1: ANALYZE ME!

Read the sample feature article below and analyze the writer’s way of presenting her
thoughts, her own strategy and originality of making a feature article and its

effectiveness to the reader’s appreciation.

On Breaking Up and Moving On

by: Alexandrea Hernandez

as told to Lurenz Irene Salva

“…My life has never been easy. I may have lived, loved and laughed when I’m with

him, but I cried more.”

I was only 16 when I had my third boyfriend, the whole thing between us was supposed to
be a joke. A joke quite similar to a childhood game I should say; a joke that I thought I could
get myself out of in no time.

Up to now I really don’t know if we were on the right time and the right place when

we dove into it. What I only know is that we’re not on our right minds when we had it

because I was still in love with someone back then and he is too. We actually don’t

give a great damn about each other during that time; what we just know is that for

that moment we needed each other more than anything else in the world. We were

both bitter and broken hearted about the past and we chose to use each other to get over it.

There were no written agreements about ‘our game’. There aren’t enough talks

about it either. We were just mutual about it. We were just supposed to play it.

Nothing more and nothing less. But as hours turned into days and days turned into

weeks, what turned out to be a joke turned out to be something ‘quite’ real.

Soon we find ourselves exchanging hugs and kisses. And things like caring and
companionship were soon present in our relationship. Restrictions and

considerations about things shortly came after these things.

I played the game without knowing what it really was. I played it without even asking

about the rules and continued to fight more without even knowing when and how to

hold back. I reciprocated what was given and soon I found myself giving more than I

should give and taking less of what was supposed to be taken back.

The game took quite long. It lasted years actually. Though it had lots of pauses and

stops in between, it turned out to be fun and exciting; and hurting and degrading at

the same time.

During the first quarter, I thought that I was on the winning stage. I thought that I was

getting more from it. But what I didn’t see coming was the slow killing of my victory.  I

soon found myself being played, being fooled and being used materially, socially

and emotionally.

Despite of the many pains accompanying it, I still decided to play some more. I

thought it won’t hurt to try and reverse things and make it normal again. But I can’t

and I don’t have the capacity to do just that. Because there are two of us playing and

to do that requires just the two of us.

In the end I got hurt, got played and of course cried harder than my playmate. I

decided to end the game. I decided to pull myself back. I decided to accept defeat. I

had to choose between swallowing my pride and getting even, even if I didn’t know

how to.

I decided to swallow my pride instead. I can’t and won’t get even cause in the

process I learned to love him and just him. Hurting him and seeing him get hurt will

just hurt me more especially if I’m the cause of his pain. I’m like a martyr already for

Christ’s sake. But I realized, I can’t do it anymore. Ever since he revealed his true
colors, my life has never been easy. I may have lived, loved and laughed when I’m

with him, but I cried more. And the feeling is so not nice anymore.

During the last quarter of our game, he was the only one that seems to be enjoying

it. My days were always in clouds. I looked like a fool while he looked like the best

kid in town. I looked like his puppy following his orders and obeying all his rules,

while he looked like a king wanting to get more control and power over me and over

us. It hurt me to see myself this way.

I’m only human so even in the process of splitting, I am already crying. I’m such a

cry baby, I know. But I can’t help it especially if I know that it’s gonna be the end for

us both. After the breakup, I cried and I cried more until no more tears fall from my

eyes. I threw all his stuff that’s with me. I threw all his gifts and burned all the letters

he gave me. I threw all the things that would remind me of him. The broken promises

and flowery words that broke my heart had finally left with him. All that’s left is my

shattered heart and the memories both bitter and sweet.

I am now 21 years old, single but very happy with my work. Looking back on this

didn’t make me cry anymore. Instead it made me realize that I’m more important

than the most expensive and most precious jewel in the world and I have the right to

be happy just as any other living organism existing in this world.

I also realized that I’m prone to hurt but I can overcome it. Hurting me once won’t

break me but fooling me and using me would really shatter me into pieces. Putting

me back into pieces was never easy but helping myself to help me can do the trick.

It’s been years now since the breakup and what’s surprising is he’s wanting me

back. He said I was the greatest thing that ever happened in his life and he was

such a fool for hurting me. But I’m a grown up now. And I don’t fall for those things
anymore. I already learned my lesson and I know that by now, he also learned his.

I am not coming back anymore; no matter how many times he begs me even if he’s

on his knees, there won’t be us anymore. I had a good fight. He had his before. This

time, I know I won.

ANSWER :

Alexandrea Hernandez's feature article “On Breaking Up and Moving On” is a kind of
feature story of human interest, where we can notice which style elements are dominated in
this particular piece of writing to effectively deliver the intent of the author. First, by
making her original quote, the author begins her feature story, which also seems to be the
story's end.

We may conclude that the author was able to optimize the imaginative form of writing a
feature story and used it successfully to have the purpose of encouraging and providing the
moral of the story, which is one of the key goals of feature writing. In addition, the concepts
of creative writing were applied so that a well-organized story with unity, coherence and
focus was developed.

ACTIVITY 2: CREATE AND REACT!

Cut out a feature article from any newspaper where English is the medium and write a
reflection based on the technique used by the author in presenting his article, how effective
it is and its connection to the readers.

Yearender: PNP at the forefront of pandemic response

Published December 31, 2020, 2:41 PM

by  Aaron Recuenco  
When the government imposed a lockdown on March 15 to prevent the spread of the deadly
COVID-19, hundreds of policemen were poured at the borders of every town and cities in
Luzon to contain the unnecessary movement of people.

The number of police deployment ballooned to more or less a third of the 220,000 personnel
of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as cities and municipalities in the Visayas and
Mindanao also implemented their own community quarantine measures and as health and
security experts saw the need to make the presence of the police felt on every streets to
compel the people to behave towards protecting themselves at least via wearing of face
masks and observing physical distancing.
The Joint Task Force COVID Shield, then headed by Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar,
even went to the extent of deploying elite police commandos and soldiers on board armed
personnel carriers to force hard-headed people not to go out – an effective formula which
health experts acknowledged to be contributing factor in the reduction of COVID cases
which was later adopted in Cebu City when an upsurge of infection was monitored in the
middle of this year.

It was later described as two hits in one single shot.

As police aggressively rounded up quarantine violators that have so far reached more than
500,000, police presence in the community to force people to stay home led to an
unprecedented steep decline of criminal cases that peaked to more than 60 percent in the
second quarter of 2020.

This was coupled by almost 80 percent crime solution efficiency in the first nine months of
this year.

But the active involvement of policemen in quarantine rules implementation came with a big
price as almost 9,000 PNP personnel have been infected by the coronavirus, with 27 dying
of health complications.

Realizing the health risks that his men face every day, then PNP chief Police Gen. Archie
Francisco Gamboa initiated moves to come up with their own COVID-19 testing facility,
explaining that putting up at least one would mean lesser burden for the government amid
criticisms of failure to conduct mass testing.

So far, two molecular laboratories are operational in Camp Crame in Quezon City which
could accommodate a maximum 420 tests a day while two more are expected to open – one
in Cebu City for Visayas cops and another one in Davao City for Mindanao PNP personnel.

Reflection:

This feature article is effective in connecting the readers, because it is easy to understand
and it is clear what the feature article all about was and because we see police men in every
check point area in our city. It is important for the readers to know why are the purpose of
the police men in their area and are they healthy and what was their superiors action if
they have the virus what was the safety precautions does they plan in order to not spread
the virus to the entire police men.

____________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY 3: Writing Your Feature Story!

Write two feature articles using different kinds of leads, apply an appropriate

introduction, a unique way of presenting the body and the conclusion and place a catchy

title. Your topic will focus on the NEW NORMAL.

ACTIVITY 4: NEWS or FEATURE?

Using Venn Diagram, compare and contrast the similarities and differences between

the news article and feature article.

News Article Feature Article

-Inverted pyramid Presents facts -pyramid structure

- often use summary lead - simplest to the most essential

-Uses limited number of words -more often uses novelty lead
-limitation is on the interests of
the learners

VII. POSTTEST

Read each item carefully and circle the letter of the best answer.

B 1. The_______– has its origin in some minor happening that merits attention only
because of some dramatic, humorous, tragic, odd, or sensational angle caught by an

alert imaginative reporter.

a. interview article c. personality

b. human interest story d. news feature

A 2. The ________ – may be further classified according to purpose and emphasis.

a. interview article c. personality

b. human interest story d. news feature

C 3. The ___________ – instructs, informs, makes clear to the reader the background

and significance of social, economic, political problems and other problems of

everyday life.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

C 4. The ________ is usually meant to inform. Occasionally, a how-to-do-it article is

written as a spoof and aims merely to entertain.

a. personality c. practical guidance

b. personal experience d. news feature

A 5. The ___________ – is presented from some new angle on an old theme or with

some fresh insight or information.

a. seasonal or holiday feature c. practical guidance

b. personal experience d. news feature

 B 6. The __________ story – must deal with an unusual experience, unusual hobbies

make good subjects for the school paper.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

A 7. __________ brings out some distinctive trait or traits of a well- known personality.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

D 8. The __________ – takes its material from a subject of current interest.

a. personality c. interpretive feature

b. personal experience d. news feature

B 9. The _______ article is the most varied in scope, treatment, and purpose

a. sports c. news

b. feature d. editorial

10-15 Choose the letter of the correct answer from the box below. Statements below

are about the characteristics of feature article

a. Only Sentence 1 is correct.

b. Only Sentence 2 is correct.

c. Both sentences are correct.

d. Both sentences are incorrect.

C 10-11. (1) Well-organized – applies all principles of creative writing to achieve

 unity,coherence and emphasis.

(2) Factual and requires reporting.

B 12-13. (1) There’s a definite form and style

(2) Usually more entertaining more often than it informs, instructs or advises.

A 14-15. (1) As a rule, the treatment of the feature is more informal than that of the
straight news.

(2) Usually strikes the keynote in the last sentence

VIII. REFLECTION

1. What is the most important thing you learned in this module?

As the writer can freely use elements in creative writing, the feature article is
written in an imaginative and most expressive way. This module provided some tips
and guidance on what makes most of the feature articles successful, so I hope I can
apply it to my own feature story.

2. Give at least 3 major takeaways from the topics presented in this module.

 In scope, treatment, and intent, the feature article is the most varied. It can
complement the news, it can entertain, it can clarify, it can amuse, it can evoke
compassion, or it can educate.
 Although news articles use formal or technical terms, arrange in inverted
pyramid and have a small number of words, on the other hand, feature articles
use flowery and imaginative words, arrange easy to complicated concepts, and
restriction depends on the readers' interest.
 There are many lead forms that include the lead of the news summary ('five
Ws'), the lead of the distinctive event, the lead of the quotation, the lead of the
quotation, the lead of the question, the lead of the comparison, and the lead of
the analogy.

3. What was most challenging or least interesting activity you performed?

 The most difficult job for me is to interpret a feature article because I have to
look closely at the writing style of the writer and how it successfully targeted the
appreciation of the feature story, while incorporating those modified techniques in
the feature article to build my own style.

4. What do you want to learn more about?

I want to learn more how to catch the readers interest by writing a news
article.

5. What can/should you do with what you learned?

In producing a newsletter, I will use all of the information and skills I learned
from doing this module. Furthermore, as a potential educator, if given a chance to
manage extra-curricular journalism practices, I can also use these experience and
skills to train students.