WRITING 3: ARTICLE

ARTICLE

Definition:

An article is a written composition in prose on a specific topic. It usually forms part of a book or other publication such as a magazine or newspaper.

USEFUL LANGUAGE

Questions to open your article with:
Have you ever…

Do you ever wonder…

Do you think that…

Introducing your ideas:
Firstly,…

First of all,…

To begin with,…

Secondly,…

Apart from that,…

So,…

In conclusion,…

To sum up…

Giving examples:

…such as…

For example,…

…like…

…particularly…

Endings:

It seems to me…

What I think is…

Personally,…

In my view,…

TIPS

• Make sure you give your article a title.
• Don’t just write any information on the topic; plan your article according to the points in the question.
• Use a variety of shorter and longer sentences to show you can use a range of structures.

PLAN

Paragraph 1

1. Get the attention of the reader.
2. Introduce the topic of your article.

Paragraph 2

3. Give the main information.

Paragraph 3

4. Add extra information.

Paragraph 4

5. Summarize and give your opinion.

 EXAMPLE

My favorite shop

Can you imagine a shop where you have an amazing variety of absolutely everything?  This is my ideal shop and it exists! The shop is called Peterson and it is in downtown.

Peterson is an incredible store – it has six floors and is a beautiful old building. Inside it has hundreds of departments selling everything imaginable, such as food, clothes, furniture, electrical goods and even pets.  There are also restaurants so you can take a break from shopping!

To begin with, I love it because it has feeling of luxury.  The shop assistants are really friendly but the only problem is it is quite expensive.  It is a very well-known store so sometimes when I shop there I can see famous people.

Some people think shopping is a silly activity but personally I like it because it is quite social and you can go with your friends and discuss things.  At the same time you can find out about lots of new products –and you don’t have to buy!

CHECKLISTS

Revising

	YES	NO
Did I follow the plan?
Did I write a title for my article?
Did I write a catchy introduction?
Have you linked your ideas with the correct words and phrases?
Did I write a good conclusion?

Proofreading

	YES	NO
Did I check spelling using a dictionary?
Did I include modals of ability?
Did I include modals of obligation?
Did I include modals of possibility?
Did I include a request?
Did I include a suggestion?
Did I use at least three new vocabulary words?