WHAT ARE ARTICLES?
Articles are written to give information or express opinions. They can either be formal or informal depending on the audience (target reader) they are addressed to and the topic they deal with.
A good article consists of:
- an eye-catching headline which suggests the topic of the article that follows;
- an interesting introduction;
- a main body consisting of two or more paragraphs in which the topic is presented in detail; and
- a conclusion which gives an appropriate ending to the article.
- Decide on the style of the article before you start writing.
- Always think of a short, clear, appropriate title which attracts the reader's interest.
- Each paragraph should deal with one aspect of the topic. You can use linking ideas or time expressions to join your ideas or introduce paragraphs.
- Avoid using simplistic adjectives (good, nice, bad, etc.). Always try to use more sophisticated vocabulary instead. (splendid, gorgeous, awful, etc)
- Address the reader in the second person (you) if the topic of the article and the style you have adopted permits this.
- The first paragraph should have references to the title.
- Avoid questions, but if they are extremelly necessary, make sure you answer them.
- The conclusion should conclude all points you have covered. It is not the place for new information.
- Make sure you exemplify, explain reasons as well as cause and consequence whenever possible.
- Articles usually have four to five paragraphs.
Is short and contains a clear summary of the information presented in a newspapre article.
BREAKDOWN:
1 . TITLE - eye-catching and interesting
2. PARAGRAPH 1 - Introduction - explain what the topic you are discussing is, referring as much as possible to the words in the title. Describe about the present scenario, if applicable a reference to the past or future.
3. PARAGRAPH 2, 3, 4 - Main Body - describe in detail the topic and your opinions, exemplifying and giving reasons and consequences of each point made.
4. PARAGRAPH 5 - Conclusion - comments and feelings on the whole topic and conclusion of the idea which was discussed. DO NOT ADD ANY NEW INFORMATION.
MODEL
Facing face-to-face communication.
Some people call it old fashioned but others see it as the best means of communication. Nowadays with the advent of new technologies such as SMS messages, e-mail, mobile phones, to name a few, face to face communication has become less comfortable for some people.
To start with, teenagers are the ones who suffer the most owing to the fact that they were born into this technology. It is difficult for them to interact with other people because they are used to interacting with a machine and they miss the real meaning of gestures, looks, facial expressions. A recent research shows that teenagers with mobiles each send and receive 2,272 text messages a month on average. As a consequence they probably don't even know the people they are chatting with in the first place.
Moreover, some people believe that texting makes kids stupid but I really do not agree with that statement. For one thing, they improve their sequencing and discourse management in writing. What I do believe is that being hooked on this digital gadget eventually isolates them from society and reality. For example, many of the recent mass murders in America were perpetrated by teenagers who were isolated from society and spent most of their time in virtual relationships.
However, there are circumstances in which having a virtual relationshipcan be valuable on the grounds that it strengthens the bonds among family members when they are apart. Some people argue that the time when their family most talked with each other was the time when they were abroad and communicated through skype, for instance.
To put it briefly, we have to strike a balance between real and virtual communication. Though face to face communication is in my point of view the most effective one, still digital communication can also be beneficial in some special circumstances.
