NEWSPAPER M any students find problems when they have to read
newspaper headlines. That’s because, in order to save
HEADLINES
Vocabulary CHANGES
Here is a list of the most common
words used in newspaper headlines
with their meaning:
AID – HELP
ALLEGE – MAKE AN ACCUSATION
AXE –CUT
BACK – SUPPORT
BAN – PROHIBIT
BID – ATTEMPT
BLAST – EXPLOSION
BLAZE – FIRE
BLOW – UNFORTUNATE HAPPENING
BOOST – ENCOURAGE
CLASH – CONFLICT, DISAGREEMENT
CLEAR – FIND INNOCENT
CON – TRICK, CHEAT OUT OF
CRASH – FAILURE
DEAL – AGREEMENT
DROP – FALL
EDGE – MOVE GRADUALLY
HAVOC – DISTURBANCE, CHAOS
HEAD FOR – MOVE TOWARDS
KEY – IMPORTANT
LOOM – THREATEN TO HAPPEN
MOB – ANGRY CROWD
PEAK – HIGH POINT
PLEA – CALL FOR HELP
PROBE – INVESTIGATION
QUIT – ABANDON
RAID – ENTER AND SEARCH
ROW – ARGUMENT, QUARREL
SPARK – CAUSE TO START
TOLL – NUMBER KILLED
VOW – PROMISE
space and to give a short, clear idea of what the news is
about, reporters use incomplete sentences, often
without verbs or articles. To complicate things further,
some of the words are not commonly used in everyday
English. These are some examples to help you try and
understand them better.
GRAMMAR CHANGES
Remember:
Remember: Newspapers,
Headlines often use a NOUN PHRASE, that is, a phrase
radio
radio and
and television
television are
are
without a verb: called: the (mass) media
called: the (mass) media
(plural
(plural noun)
noun)
Poor Service at Supermarkets
Best Strategies for New Tax Year / Thai Protesters Parade
There are also some VERB CHANGES. The simple tenses are
preferred to continuous or perfect forms and auxiliary
verbs are dropped in the passive:
Teachers Protest Pay Cuts (they are protesting)
Underground Strike Started Today (the strike has started
today)
AUXILIARY VERBS are dropped in the passive:
Robbers Judged at Big Trial Tomorrow (the robbers will be
judged at a big trial tomorrow)
Missed Child Found Safe (A child who was missing has been
found safe)
The INFINITIVE TENSE is used to talk about the future:
President to Open New Art Gallery
New Player to be hired by NBA
EXERCISE 1:
WRITE THESE HEADLINES IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH, AS IN THE EXAMPLE:
TWO MEN CON OLD MAN OUT OF LIFE
SAVINGS: Two men have cheated an old man
out of all the money he had saved in his life

STRIKERS CLASH WITH POLICE MOB ABOUT TO LYNCH A MAN IN LINDBRORG

GOVERNMENT BACKED BY OPPOSTION PARTY EARTHQUAKE AREAS PLEA FOR FOOD HELP

BP BOOSTS GAS EXPORTS MINISTER QUITS AFTER SEX SCANDAL

INJURED PLAYER NEW BLOW TO THE TEAM REFEREE DECISION SPARKS RIOT

DEAL ON PAY RISE EXPECTED BY MONDAY FLOODS TOLL EXPECTED TO RISE

POLITICIAN CLEARED ON DRUGS CHARGES FURTHER ROWS OVER WAGE CUTS

COUNTRY EDGES TOWARDS ECONOMIC ARMED MAN CAUSES HAVOC AT SUPERMARKET

RECESSION

KEY EVIDENCE FOUND ON THE CASE

NEWSPAPER sections
In a newspaper you can find DIFFERENT SECTIONS depending on the information that they deal with. Some
of them are: Home news, foreign news, job adverts, sports section, editorial/opinion, business section,
weather forecast, TV guide, want ads, classified section, cartoons, crossword, gossip column, horoscope…

In Online newspapers you can also find blogs on different subjects as well as information about the latest news
on art, culture, cinema, music or, of course, computers and the internet. They also include a “have your say”
section where you can write your own opinion on a particular subject.

EXERCISE 2:
READ THESE SENTENCES AND DECIDE IN WHICH SECTION OF A NEWSPAPER YOU WOULD FIND THEM:
“Rather cloudy with patchy rain or occasional “Stieg Larsson and the mystery of the lost
showers” manuscript”

“Across 13: A condiment, an herb” “That 70s sound influencing female solo singers”

“Arsenal edges Southampton 1-0”
“Man shot dead in garden attack”
“Former banker leads race to be M & S chairman”
“Iran to start up nuclear reactor”
“We don’t need these new speed cameras”
“Scorpio: Are you waiting for an invitation to say what
you want to say?”
“City binge-drinkers spark crisis in 999 ambulance
callouts”
“Rivals set for Australian election”
“Drew Barrymore lights up Going the
distance premiere”
“Senior Marketing Manager £45,000-£65,000 plus
bonus and benefits Hemel Hempstead Interim 6
month contract”

“NHS spent 313m pounds on consultants”

 Types of newspapers
EXERCISE 3:

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEWSPAPERS.

Depending on the frequency of publication: Morning or evening newspapers, daily newspapers, weekly
newspaper and Sunday supplements

Depending on the size and contents: Tabloids or broadsheets. Tabloids are small papers which contain lots of
pictures and short, simple articles. Broadsheets on the contrary are large papers with serious reports and
articles.

Finally, although newspapers are supposed to be objective, they are also usually connected to some political
party or political ideals, so people consider some of them right wing or left wing newspapers.

THESE ARE LINKS TO SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR NEWSPAPERS IN BRITAIN. DECIDE WHAT TYPE
OF NEWSPAPERS THEY ARE: (you can’t see the actual size of the paper but in the online version you can
easily decide: when gossip news or news about celebrities cover most of the front page, you are usually reading
a tabloid. For political ideas, search on the wikipedia)

Daily Express http://www.express.co.uk/home Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/

Daily Mail Morning Star

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html ttp://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php

Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Sun http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/

Belfast Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Times http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/

Evening Standard Western Mail http://www.walesonline.co.uk/

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/
News of the World
Financial Times http://www.ft.com/home/uk http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/

Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Scotsman http://www.scotsman.com/

Independent Spectator http://www.spectator.co.uk/

http://www.independent.co.uk/
KEY TO THE EXERCISES:
EXERCISE 1: WRITE THESE HEADLINES IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH, AS IN THE EXAMPLE:
TWO MEN CON OLD MAN OUT OF LIFE SAVINGS: Two men have cheated an old man out of all the money he had saved in his
life

strikers clash with police - The strikers are having/ have had conflicts with the police

government backed by opposition party - The opposition party supports the government

BP boosts gas exports - BP wants to promote gas exports

injured player new blow to the team – The fact that a player is injured and unable to play, is a new unfortunate happening for
them.

deal on pay rise expected by Monday – A new agreement on a pay rise is expected by Monday

politician cleared on drugs charges – A politician has been found innocent after being accused of drug charges

country edges towards economic recession – The country is moving towards economic recession

key evidence found on the case – the police have found important evidence on the case

mob about to lynch a man in Lindbrorg - A group of angry people nearly lynched a man

earthquake areas plea for food help - Some areas affected by an earthquake ask for food help

minister quits after sex scandal - a minister has resigned after a sex scandal

referee decision sparks riot – the decision of a referee caused a riot

floods toll expected to rise – the number of people who died in the floods is expected to rise

further rows over wage cuts – There have been more problems because of the wage cuts

armed man causes havoc at supermarket – An armed man at a supermarket caused chaos

EXERCISE 2: READ THESE SENTENCES AND DECIDE IN WHICH SECTION OF A NEWSPAPER YOU WOULD FIND THEM:
“Rather cloudy with patchy rain or occasional showers” Weather forecast

“Across 13: A condiment, an herb” Crossword

“Arsenal edges Southampton 1-0” Sport section

“Man shot dead in garden attack” Home news

“Former banker leads race to be M & S chairman” Economy

“Iran to start up nuclear reactor” Foreign news

“We don’t need these new speed cameras” Opinion

“Scorpio: Are you waiting for an invitation to say what you want to say?” Horoscope

“Stieg Larsson and the mystery of the lost manuscript” Culture / Gossip

“That 70s sound influencing female solo singers” Music section

“City binge-drinkers spark crisis in 999 ambulance callouts” Local news

“Rivals set for Australian election” Foreign news

“Drew Barrymore lights up Going the distance premiere” Gossip

“Senior Marketing Manager £45,000-£65,000 plus bonus and benefits Hemel Hempstead Interim 6 month contract” Economy
“NHS spent 313m pounds on consultants” Home news

EXERCISE 3: THESE ARE LINKS TO SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR NEWSPAPERS IN BRITAIN. DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF NEWSPAPERS
THEY ARE:

Daily Express Conservative, middle-market tabloid

Daily Mail Tabloid, similar to Daily Express

Daily Telegraph Conservative broadsheet

Belfast Telegraph Northern Ireland’s leading newspaper

Evening Standard Evening paper for the Daily Mail

Financial Times Business and Political newspaper

Guardian Left wing serious paper

Independent Daily liberal broadsheet

Mirror Tabloid, traditionally supportive of The Labour party

Morning Star Daily left wing paper

Sun Tabloid, well known for its sensational headlines

Times Slightly conservative broadsheet

Western Mail Major Welsh newspaper

News of the World Sunday version of the Sun

Scotsman Edinburgh-based highly regarded daily

Spectator Conservative weekly newspaper