1. Section B (Writing) Secondary 6
Magazine Articles
Section B (Writing)
Secondary 6

2. Introduction Today, you will…
Learn about the format of a magazine article
Learn about the language used in a magazine article
Take a look at a sample of a magazine article
Work on some pre-writing exercises

3. Content and Organziation
Write about a particular subject, person or event
Give personal opinions or offer suggestions for the topic
Include a headline for the article
Purpose: let the readers know what the article is about
Keep it short and eye-catching (e.g. My Life in England)
Formal or semi-formal language (depending on the subject and the target group of reader)

4. Content and Organization
Serious subject: formal language
Amusing subject: semi-formal language
Short phrases and short sentences: to keep the ideas clear and to-the-point
Direct speech: more real to life
Reported speech: a sense of objectivity

5. Language: Tenses
Simple present tense: describe the current issue or to present your viewpoints in writing articles.
It seems that gambling is a major problem. (Current issue)
There are no solutions to remedy the situation. (Personal viewpoints)

6. Language: Headline Headlines: not always complete sentences
Consists of noun phrases
Consists of a string of three to four nouns
More Tax Cuts
Hair Salon Opening Ceremony

7. Language: Headline
Headlines often leave out articles (a, an the) and the verb to be.
Thief Enters Royal Palace
Pianist Performing at Town Hall

8. Language: Headline
Simple present tense: headlines for both present and past events
Blind Man Catches Thief
Infinitives: headlines to refer to the future.
Museum to Build Next Year

9. Language
A colon (:) : to separate the subject of a headline from the details
Structure = Headline : Details
Plane Crash: No Survivors
Book Exhibition: 10,000 Books Sold

10. Organization: Introduction
Usually shorter than the other paragraphs
Introduces the theme of the article, which the other paragraphs will develop
Give an outline of your points made in the article

11. Organization: Introduction
You can make your introduction interesting by:
Start with a story
Refer to the quotation of famous person
Put forward a rhetorical question

12. Organization: Body
In the body paragraphs, provide support to your ideas by:
Giving details (e.g. examples, figures, statistics or personal experience)
Showing similarities or differences
(e.g. The Chinatown in San Francisco in many ways: business among Chinese is conducted in Cantonese. There are also hawkers at the road side.)
Describing a process (in the order of their occurrence)

13. Organization: Transition Markers
To show contrast:
Though
Although
Even though
On the contrary
Yet
However
Nevertheless
In contrast
To show results : So
Hence
Consequently
Thus
Therefore
As a result

14. Organization: Transition Marker
To add ideas:
As well
Moreover
In addition
Besides
Likewise
Furthermore

15. Organization: Conclusion
Summarize the points made in the article
Provide the result of the discussion in the body paragraphs
Forward-looking statements: Show our hope for the future development of the case
e.g. With your help, we will have a cleaner planet to live in.

16. Language: Body
Use simple past tense for actions completed at a definite time in the past, with the following adverbials:
A bank was robbed in Shatin yesterday [afternoon / evening / morning] / last [night / week / Monday].

17. Language: Body Sentences in active voice: to make them more direct
Use the passive voice: not so important who performed the action
Two men were arrested after the robbery.
The suspect is believed to be an illegal immigrant.
Three people are thought to have died in the accident.

18. Language: Body
Use non-defining clauses: to add extra information about the subject
Mr. Chan, who is in his early-thirties, was admitted to the hospital.

19. Sample Writing
Sample Writing: ..\..\S4_English\Reading & Writing_Sem 2\Lesson 9 - My Life in England.doc

20. Get ready for your writing assignment!