WRITING TIPS
Welcome to the writing tips session!
Remember to read the task in your activity book carefully and make sure you answer the questions proposed and cover the topics asked.
Below you will find some useful information that will help you write an article.
Article
What is the objective of an article?
To inform the reader about a topic and
express an opinion.
What language should you use?
The language in an article can vary a lot. Articles for
magazines and websites, for example, tend to be less
formal than academic articles.
A successful article should…
- engage and interest the reader;
- inform and entertain at the same time;
- have a short, interesting title;
- develop the ideas clearly;
- inform the author’s opinion.
ORGANIZE YOUR TEXT!
A well-organized text is much more pleasing to read and easy to understand.
An interesting title
First paragraph → An introduction that states the topic and engages the reader, usually with a rhetorical question.
Body → 2 to 3 paragraphs to develop ideas.
Last Paragraph → Wrap up the discussion and invite the reader to reflect.
LEARN THE RIGHT LANGUAGE
START WITH A QUESTION
Starting your article with a question or even a call for reflection can be a very efficient way to grab your reader’s attention right from the start. Structures like “Imagine you are…”, “What would you do if…?”, “Have you ever…?” or “How do you feel when…?” tend to work really well.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE FUNNY
The language and the general atmosphere of articles is more relaxed. It is OK to loosen up a bit and tell interesting anecdotes. The best way to do that is to describe some interesting experiences you have had.
GIVE YOUR OPINION
Your reader wants to know what you think about the subject. Remember to vary the expressions you use. Some of the expressions that work well are:
My point of view is…
It seems to me that…
The way I see it,…
If you ask me,…
USE A COUPLE OF FANCY WORDS
Even if it is less formal, written language is very different when compared to spoken language, so make sure you add some colorful expressions here and there and also replace a few of the most usual words with their more sophisticated cousins. For example:
It was absolutely incredible.
I was amazed by the…
However, we must remember that…
More importantly, it was…