ARTICLE WRITING

COURSE: ENGLISH I
What is an article?
An article is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspap
er, magazine or journal
• is written for a wide audience, so it is essential to attract and retain the readers’
attention
• may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions
• can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience
• should give opinions and thoughts, as well as facts
An article can
describe an experience, event, person or place
present an opinion or balanced argument
compare and contrast
 provide information
offer suggestions
A good article should consist of:
an eye-catching title which attracts the readers’ attention and suggests the
theme of the article. Articles can also have subheadings before each parag
raph.
an introduction which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps t
he reader’s attention.
 the main body of two to five paragraphs in which the topic is further dev
eloped in detail.
the conclusion - summarizing the topic or a final opinion, recommendati
on or comment.
THINK: why have you read a magazine or newspap
er article recently - what made you read it?
Article Writing: Descriptive
What is descriptive writing?
descriptive writing creates a picture of a pers
on, place, thing or event. Description tells wha
t something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or fe
els like.
How to Write a Descriptive Essay or rules of
writing a description article
There are following rules to write a descriptive article such as:
Step 1: Choose a topic
A descriptive essay will usually focus on a single event, a perso
n, a location or an item. When you write your essay, it is your jo
b to convey your idea about that topic through your description
of that topic and the way that you lay things out for your reader.
You need to show your reader (not tell them) what you are tryin
g to describe by illustrating a picture in their mind’s eye very ca
refully
Step 2: Create a statement
The next step is to create a thesis statement. This is a sin
gle idea that will be prominent throughout your article. It
not only sets out the purpose of the article, but regulates t
he way that the information is conveyed in the writing of
that article. This is an introductory paragraph that sets ou
t your topic framework.
Step 3: Get the senses right
Next, create five labeled columns on a sheet of paper, each one
having a different of the five senses. This labeled list will help y
ou to sort out your thoughts as you describe your topic – the tast
e, sight, touch, smell and sound of your topic can be sketched o
ut among the columns. List out in the columns any sensation or
feeling that you associate with the topic that you are writing abo
ut. You need to provide full sensory details that help to support
your article.
Step 4: Create an outline
next step is to create an outline listing the details of the discussion of eac
h paragraph. The standard five paragraph essay has a particular structure i
ncluding the introductory paragraph with the inclusion of a thesis stateme
nt, followed by three body paragraphs which prove that statement.
Step 5: Write the conclusion
Finally, the conclusion paragraph makes a summary of the entirety of you
r essay. This conclusion also needs to reaffirm your thesis (if necessary).
Your conclusion needs to be well written because it is the final thing to be
read by your reader and will remain on their mind the longest after they h
ave read the remainder of your essay.
Step 6: Finish it up
Finally, read your essay again very carefully and check for any grammar,
punctuation or spelling errors that are obvious within the essay. If you fin
d any clichés, be sure to delete them, they certainly do not belong in your
essay.
Article Writing: Narrative
What is narrative writing?
 narrative writing can broadly be defined as story writing. A narrative i
s a story (fictional or non fictional) which is told from a person’s point of
view. Sometimes there is a narrator, a character or a series of characters w
ho tell the story. Sometimes as with most non fictional the author himself/
herself is the narrator.
 Narrative - tells a story, usually from one person’s viewpoint.
 A narrative piece of writing uses all the story elements - a beginning a
nd ending, plot, characters, setting and climax - all coming together to co
mplete the story.
Characteristics of Narrative Writing
1. Characters:
There are many specific traits every piece of narrative writing should hav
e characters, also known as the people or subjects of the story. Usu
ally there are also specific types of characters needed in order to create a
developed story. For example, each story will often have a protagonist w
ho is the hero or heroine. This is the central character of the story. Often,
there is also an antagonist, which is a character who opposes the protago
nist. Overall, each story needs characters to push forward or react to eve
nts in the plot.
Characteristics of Narrative Writing
2. Plot:
In addition to characters, every story must have a plot, or events that
occur.
Characteristics of Narrative Writing
3. Conflict:
One of the most important components of a story is the
conflict. A conflict is any struggle between opposing forces.
There are two basic types of conflict: internal and external.
Internal conflicts are the struggles that occur within a character,
and external conflicts are the struggles outside of a character.
These can occur between two characters, between characters
and society, or between characters and natural events.
Characteristics of Narrative Writing

4. Setting:
The setting is another component of narrative writing. The setting is the time
and location in which the story takes place. These facts set the scene for the story
and can determine what kind of conflict occurs.
5. Narrator’s point of view:
One last component of narrative writing is point of
view. Point of view is the perspective in which the story is
told.
6. Outline the plot before you begin.
Where does your story start? Where does it end? Writing up a quick li
st of the major plot points in the story is a good way of making sure you
hit all the high points. Every story needs a beginning, a middle, and an
end.