 Do
not give the impression that you are
an expert.
 Be enthusiastic
 Be convincing.
 Be interesting.
 Personalise. ( emphasise any points you
have in common with your readers.Try to
replace ‘I’ whenever possible with ‘we’.
The register in articles can vary. Some
can be written in informal register and
some others will need formal register.
 Title
 Introduction
 Body
 Ending
 Always
give the article a title and underline
it.
 Make sure your title is interesting.
 Compare the two following titles. Which one
is more interesting?
- How to Prepare for Exams
- Exam Nerves Cure
*In order to get some ideas for interesting
titles, read as many English newspapers or
teenage magazines as possible and take
note of the titles.
 TV: The
teenager’s Viewpoint
 TV: A teenage view
These titles are interesting because the
letters T and V have been used as an
abbreviation for television and then repeated
in the extended title.
 An
-
effective introduction often starts with
a question to involve the reader and
encourage him to continue reading. Here
are some examples:
Are you one of the many students with
exam nerves?
Are you a secret TV addict?
Are you a self-confessed couch potato?
 Are
you so busy working that you have
no time for sport?
 Do you long to finish your homework
quickly so you can collapse in front of
the TV screen?
 Are you fed up with all the arguments
you have heard against television?
 Are you dreading the thought of the
long, boring holidays?
Introductions using questions are often followed by a transition
sentence, which acts as a link between the introduction and the
body of the article by preparing the reader for what the article is
about. Here are some introductions from magazine articles, using
the question technique. The transition sentences are underlined.
-
Look, no stress!! Don’t we all wish we could say this every day of
our lives- and mean it? Nowadays stress seems to be the one word
that’s on everybody’s mind. ( An article on stress)
-
Looking dull and stressed? Well, don’t worry. You need not spend
the entire evening in the bathroom. ( An article on health and
beauty)
-
Want to experience the joys of the countryside? There is nothing to
beat a canal holiday to take you closer to nature. ( An article about
canal holidays)
 Before
you begin
The basic ideas for a serious or a friendly
article will be the same, but will need to
be adapted to the question according to
register. It will be helpful to consider
each topic and the different phrases
associated with different register before
the exam.
*The list of topic-related vocabulary and
ideas will be given to you soon.
A
school magazine article ending should
be fairly short and use the same
personal style and register as the
introduction and transition.
 The purpose of the ending could be:
- to summarise the article
- to express your own opinion
- to leave the reader with something to
think about.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Giving your view or opinion/ putting
forward arguments for and against.
Dealing with problems and solutions.
Giving advice/ making suggestions
Narrative - sometimes referred to in
the question as an account.
 Look






at the kind of question that has or
could come up:
The effects of modern science
The effects of cars on the environment
Single sex schools
Tourism
Compulsory competitive team sports at
school
The importance of appearance.
Write an article for your school
magazine about the effects of
tourism on your country, putting
forward your ideas.
 Let’s
look at a question based on a past
exam paper, which deals with the
apparently serious topic of pollution.
Many students hope to have their own
cars one day, but young people are well
aware of the problems, which cars cause
the environment. Write an article for your
school magazine explaining how drivers
can reduce the impact the car has on the
environment.
-
-
-
Possible topics
How to study for exams
The benefits of sport
The benefits of healthy eating
The dangers of watching too much TV
How to improve the school
The benefits of discipline at school
The benefits of school uniform
Write an article for your school
magazine giving advice and
suggestions on the best way to revise
for exams.
-
-
-
-
Begin with an introduction suitable for a school magazine
article but without a clear explanation of the topic( to get the
reader’s attention)
Write a transition sentence.
The two or three serious paragraphs should include advice
phrases and include we, for personalising, and perhaps
refer to teachers, other students or relevant incidents which
may add humour.
The ending should return to the school magazine article
style.
 You
may be asked to write a narrative (or
account) about the following:
- A holiday you have been on recently
- A school trip you went on recently
- A place you visited recently.
An account of a school trip or holiday will
be very successful if it is written in a
humorous, almost conversational style, as
if you are telling your friends about it.
You should include:
 An introduction which sets the scene by
giving an indication of:
1. the weather, the time of year….
(on a cold Saturday morning in November,
…on the last day of the summer term)
2. the number of students and teachers.
3. the type pf transport
4. the general mood or atmosphere




A selection of small, probably amusing
incidents with no consequenceinteresting but not important
A serious section describing the things
you saw/ places you visited.
References to members of staff and other
students to personalise.
An ending which says how enjoyable/
successful the trip was.