TYPES OF FEATURE

ARTICLES
Feature Article
 Is an article that deals with real events, issues, and
trends.
 It places emphasis on people involved rather than
on the facts of the news.
1. Human-Interest Feature

 Most common type of feature

article.
 Reports on someone’s success
in spite of great odds.
 Recalls a tragic predicament.
 Shares a continuing struggle
supported by hope/faith.
2. Personality Feature
 The subject may be famous or not but has done
something of great interest.
 Shows how a person gained recognition.
4. The How-To Feature
 Explains how to do something.
 Tells the reader why it is important
or beneficial.
 Explains the steps of the process in
detail.
 Includes a list of materials.
 Example: “How to Bake a Cake”
5. Past Events Feature
 Focuses on a historical event
or historical celebration.
 Provides human-interest history
lesson.
 May provide added emotional
impact on a historical event.
 Puts a “human face” on
history.
 Makes connections between
now and then.
7. “The Best” Articles
 The Courier-Journal has a column that publishes
reviews of the “best” products of all kinds.
 Includes the writer’s personal experiences with the
product.
 Includes proof and examples that the product is the
best of its kind.
 Includes information about where to get the product
and how much it costs.
 Has a catchy title.
6. Informational Feature
 Shows insightful coverage of a topic.
 Gives information focusing on one aspect of a given
topic.
 Refers to sources of research, but is not like an
encyclopedia report. Instead the writer makes a
personal connection to the subject and includes
his/her voice.
3. The News Feature
 Brings human-interest focus to breaking news.
 Adds personal involvement to current event.

Ex. Man with

double-arm
transplant
 Text Features
Used to attract the reading’s attention and to help the
reader understand the topic.
 Titles/subtitles
 Headings/subheadings
 Pictures/captions
 Graphs, maps, diagrams, and charts
 Interesting fonts (bold, italics, underlining, capital letters)
 Bullets/lists
 Text boxes
 Pronunciation guide/vocabulary box
Text Structures
Feature articles can be written in one of the following
formats:

 cause/effect
 problem/solution
 compare/contrast
 sequence/time line
Various Ways a Writer Includes
Details in an Article
 Anecdotes  Tables/Graphs/Charts
 Vignettes  Comparisons
 Descriptions  Contrast
 Snapshots  Pictures/Drawings
 Reasons  Quotations
 Flashbacks  Foreshadowing
 Examples  Expert of authority
 Facts
Various Ways a Writer Includes
Details in an Article
 Anecdote-short, entertaining account of something
happening
 Vignette-a short, delicate literary sketch
 Snapshots-written description of how something
looks
 Flashbacks-recalling something that has happened
in the past
 Quote-exact words spoken by someone
Various Ways a Writer Includes
Details in an Article
 Tables/Graphs-an arrangement of related facts,
figures, values, etc. usually in rows and columns
 Charts-a group of facts about something set up in
the form of a diagrams
 Foreshadowing- hints of what is to happen in the
future
 Expert authority- one knowledgeable about a
specific subject