Articles, news reports & reviews Notes

Writing To Inform And Persuade

1. These text types test whether you can combine information with opinion or analysis.
2. They require structure, voice, and audience awareness.

Articles

1. Purpose, Audience & Register
   1. Purpose: Inform, engage, or persuade readers on a specific topic.
   2. Audience: General public, specific interest groups, or magazine readers.
   3. Register: Semi-formal to informal, depending on publication and audience.
2. Layout & Conventions
   1. Engaging headline that captures attention.
   2. Byline with author name.
   3. Introduction that hooks the reader.
   4. Body paragraphs with subheadings (optional but common).
   5. Conclusion that leaves an impression or call to action.

Key Features

1. Tone: Personal, engaging, conversational but controlled.
2. Vocabulary: Varied sentence structures, rhetorical questions, direct address to reader ("you"), descriptive language.

How to Write an Article

1. Hook immediately: Start with an anecdote, question, statistic, or bold statement.
   1. Bad: "In this article I will discuss social media."
   2. Good: "At 3am last Tuesday, I checked my phone for the fifteenth time. Sound familiar?"
2. Use paragraphs strategically: Keep them short (3-5 sentences). Long blocks of text lose readers.
3. Show personality: Your voice should be present. Use "I" where appropriate, address the reader as "you."
4. Balance information and opinion: Give facts, but don't be afraid to take a stance or share perspective.
5. End memorably: Don't just summarise. Leave readers thinking, questioning, or motivated.

News Reports

1. Purpose, Audience & Register
   1. Purpose: Inform readers about current events quickly and accurately.
   2. Audience: General public seeking information.
   3. Register: Formal, neutral, objective.
2. Layout & Conventions
   1. Headline: short, factual, attention-grabbing.
   2. Lead paragraph: answers who, what, when, where, why, how.
   3. Body paragraphs: most important information first (inverted pyramid structure).
   4. Quotes from witnesses, officials, or experts.
   5. Concluding paragraph with context or future implications.

Key Features

1. Tone: Objective, factual, neutral.
2. Vocabulary: Third person only, precise verbs ("announced," "revealed," "confirmed"), attribution ("according to," "stated"), time markers ("yesterday," "on Tuesday").

How to Write a News Report

1. Lead with the essential: The first sentence should contain the core news.
   1. Example: "The school board announced plans to extend the academic day by 30 minutes starting next September."
2. Use the inverted pyramid: Structure information from most to least important. If the article were cut from the bottom up, readers would still have the key facts.
3. Attribute everything: Never present claims as absolute truth. Use "according to," "officials say," "witnesses reported."
   1. Bad: "The new policy will improve results."
   2. Good: "The new policy will improve results, according to the principal."
4. Include multiple perspectives: Balance requires showing different viewpoints, especially on controversial topics.
5. Keep it factual: No opinions, no emotional language, no personal commentary.
   1. Bad: "The disappointing decision has upset many students."
   2. Good: "The decision has drawn criticism from student representatives."

Reviews

1. Purpose, Audience & Register
   1. Purpose: Inform potential consumers and provide critical evaluation.
   2. Audience: People considering experiencing the item being reviewed.
   3. Register: Semi-formal, may be conversational depending on publication.
2. Layout & Conventions
   1. Headline often includes item being reviewed.
   2. Introduction stating what is being reviewed.
   3. Summary or description (without major spoilers for films/books).
   4. Evaluation with specific criteria (acting, plot, value, quality).
   5. Final recommendation or rating.

Key Features

1. Tone: Evaluative, balanced, authoritative but accessible.
2. Vocabulary: Descriptive adjectives, comparative language, evaluative phrases ("falls short," "exceeds expectations," "struggles with").

How to Write a Review

1. State the basics clearly: Title, creator, genre, release date, price (whatever is relevant).
2. Describe without spoiling: Give readers enough context to understand your evaluation, but preserve key surprises.
3. Evaluate multiple aspects: For a film: plot, acting, cinematography, direction. For a restaurant: food quality, service, atmosphere, value. Choose 3-4 criteria.
4. Support judgements with specifics: Every claim needs evidence.
   1. Bad: "The performances were excellent."
   2. Good: "Margot Robbie brings unexpected vulnerability to the title role, particularly in the third-act monologue about femininity."
5. Balance strengths and weaknesses: Even positive reviews acknowledge flaws. Even negative reviews find something worthwhile.
6. Make a clear recommendation: Help readers decide if this is worth their time and money.