Showing posts with label GENERAL TIPS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GENERAL TIPS. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 June 2021
Sunday, 24 February 2019
Sunday, 27 May 2018
Saturday, 10 February 2018
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Monday, 5 February 2018
Thursday, 25 January 2018
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WRITING ARTICLES AND THREE USEFUL SAMPLES TO FOLLOW
Five Things You Need to Know about Writing
Articles
In Cambridge First or Cambridge Advanced,
you might be asked to write an article. But do you know what makes an article
different from other types of writing?
1. The reader is identified
An article is like a direct conversation
with the reader. The exam question might tell you who your readers are. For
example, the students at a school, or the people living in a town or people who
are interested in sports. Everything you write must speak to that reader and
engage their interest right from the first sentence.
2. It has to get attention
If you're anywhere on the internet these
days, you'll be bombarded with articles with headlines that pull the reader in.
It's called "click baiting" and all the writer is trying to do is
make you open the page to read their article. You need to think like a
journalist when you're writing your article.
Look at the heading and the first line of
this article. How did I get your attention?*
3. It has to be interesting
For an article to work, it has to be
engaging enough to read all the way through. Remember how bored the examiner
must be after reading fifty exam papers. Make it easier for them to get a good
impression about your writing by entertaining them. Add humour, real life or
made up examples, or make up quotes.
4. It has to be easy to read
Use subheadings to break up the text and
make clear paragraphs. Write in a semi-informal, conversational style.
And make sure there is organisation to your ideas. The planning stage is vital
for this. Spend 5-10 minutes brainstorming ideas and choose the best
three or four. Think what your subheadings might be and then write a short
introduction that lets the reader know what to expect.
Keep in mind that you want the reader to
keep reading, so don't tell them exactly what they will read. This is not an
essay! In an essay you usually restate the question, explain how you will
answer it and maybe say why it's important. In an article, that will kill the
reader's interest.
Look back at this paragraph. What sentence
style have I used that makes it semi-informal and speak directly to the
reader?**
5. Write a good ending
In an essay you sum up the points that
have gone before and draw a conclusion from that. But in an article, it's
better to give the reader something to think about, perhaps by asking them
another question or giving them a call to action. Often, the best endings link
back to the starting point in some way.
Here are two endings I could use for this
article:
Look at your internet browsing history
from the last day. Which articles got your attention? Can you see how they did
it?
So, now you know how to write an article,
why don't you write one giving advice on something you know about?
Common mistakes students make in articles:
The language is too formal and more suited
to essays. Avoid words like: to sum up, some people say, nevertheless, on one
hand etc.
They don't use quotes or examples.
They either use not enough, or too many,
questions. The questions, called rhetorical questions because they don't
require an answer, shouldn't be more than one per paragraph. Good examples are:
Have you ever ……..?
What do you think about ……..?
Are you one of those people who thinks
that ……?
What would life be like if ……?
Will the future bring us ….. ?
* A title which makes the subject
immediately clear. For some reason, people like reading lists! And a direct,
rhetorical question in the first paragraph to make readers want to find out the
answer.
** I've used the imperative to give
instructions. E.g. Think… Keep in mind… Write… Spend…
SOURCE: www.examenglish.com
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Friday, 28 April 2017
WHETHER OR IF? TIPS AND TRICKS OF CONDITIONALS
[Infographic provided by Grammar.net]
IF OR WHETHER?
If and whether: indirect questions
We can
use if or whether to report indirect yes-no questions
and questions with or. If is more common
than whether:
Call the bakeries around town and find out if any of them
sell raspberry pies.
I rang Peter from the station and asked if I could drop in
to see him before going back or if he’d meet me.
We often
prefer whether in more formal contexts:
The teachers will be asked whether they would recommend
the book to their classes.
[from a
business meeting]
John read a letter that he’d written and the board discussed whether it
should be mailed.
We
prefer whether with or when there is more
than one alternative in the indirect question:
After the election, we asked whether the parties should
change their leaders, their policies, or both.
To express
an alternative, we can use or not with if and whether.
With whether we
can use or not immediately after whether or
in end position.
With if we
use or not in end position only:
I called Bill to find out whether or not he really did go
to Afghanistan.
I called Bill to find out whether he really did go to
Afghanistan or not.
I called Bill to find out if he really did go to
Afghanistan or not.
We
use whether and not if before a to-infinitive,
often when we’re referring to future plans or decisions:
I was wondering whether to go for a swim.
Some financial decisions, such as planning a pension, need to be taken as
early as possible. Others, such as whether to move house, can
probably only be made much later.
Whether not if
We
use whether and not if after prepositions:
Later I argued with the doctor about whether I had hit my
head, since I couldn’t remember feeling it.
Not: Later
I argued with the doctor about if I had hit my head …
The police seemed mainly interested in whether there were
any locks on the windows.
Not: The
police seemed mainly interested in if there were any locks …
I doubt if, I
don’t know whether
We
use if or whether to introduce clauses after
verbs of doubting:
I don’t know if I can drive. My foot really hurts.
I didn’t prune the rose bush this year so I doubt if we’re
going to have many flowers. (‘prune’
means cut back)
We’ll have plenty of photographs to show you but I’m not sure whether we’ll
be able to learn very much from them.
If, whether: typical errors
- · We use whether, not if, before to-infinitives:
I don’t know whether to buy the blue one or the red one.
Not: I
don’t know if to buy the blue one …
- · We use whether, not if, directly before or
not:
Can you tell me whether or not you’re interested in the
job.
Not: Can
you tell me if or not you’re interested …
- · We use whether, not if, after prepositions:
[talking
about a trip to Australia for a year]
We’re not interested in whether we get great jobs and that
kind of thing, we just want to have a good time.
Not: We’re
not interested in if we get great jobs and that kind of thing …
Monday, 13 February 2017
Saturday, 21 January 2017
Thursday, 8 December 2016
WRITING A MAGAZINE ARTICLE: AN EXAMPLE AND SOME GENERAL TIPS
ENCONTRADO EN: learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR ITS RELATED ONLINE EXERCISES:
OTHER GENERAL TIPS ON WRITING A MAGAZINE
ARTICLE (EXTENSION):
STEP 1: SELECT YOUR TOPIC.
Choose a topic that interests you enough to focus on it for at least a week or two. If your topic is broad, narrow it. Instead of writing about how to decorate your home, try covering how to decorate your home in country style on a shoestring budget. That’s more specific and, as such, easier to tackle.
Choose a topic that interests you enough to focus on it for at least a week or two. If your topic is broad, narrow it. Instead of writing about how to decorate your home, try covering how to decorate your home in country style on a shoestring budget. That’s more specific and, as such, easier to tackle.
Then write a rough, rough draft, including
everything you can think of. Stay loose, avoid getting analytical, and enjoy
the process of sharing what you know. When you’re done, you’ll have the bare
bones of an article that only you could write. Then put it aside for a while.
STEP 2: ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE’S NEEDS.
Now, come back to your piece. Switch gears and imagine you’re the reader of this article. Pick three words to describe the audience you want to address (e.g., professionals, single men). As this reader, what questions would you like answered? You might not know the answers yet, but list the questions anyway; you’ll find answers in the next step.
Now, come back to your piece. Switch gears and imagine you’re the reader of this article. Pick three words to describe the audience you want to address (e.g., professionals, single men). As this reader, what questions would you like answered? You might not know the answers yet, but list the questions anyway; you’ll find answers in the next step.
STEP 3: RESEARCH.
Research will ground your article in fact. Good details to include with your how-to are:
Research will ground your article in fact. Good details to include with your how-to are:
- Statistics
- Quotes by well-known
people
- Definitions
- Anecdotes (short, illustrative stories about yourself or someone else)
- Quotes and examples from people like the reader or from popular books
on the subject
- References to other media (film, television, radio)
- Helpful tools, resources or products (if many, consider creating a
sidebar)
- References to local venues or events (if for a regional/local
publication).
Collect everything you have gathered and put it in a folder, an electronic document, a notebook or whatever you like. Don’t forget to keep track of sources in case you are later asked by an editor to verify them. You may want to sift through your research at a separate sitting from gathering it. Or just go ahead and sprinkle your research in right when you find it. It’s a lot like cooking—play around until you feel you have it “just right.”
STEP 4: TIGHTEN YOUR DRAFT.
Keeping your audience in mind, write a tighter draft incorporating the new supporting information you’ve collected. Sometimes what you’ve learned in Steps 2 and 3 may compel you to start over with a completely fresh draft. Or you may just want to revise what you have as you proceed, retaining a nice conversational tone by directly addressing your audience.
Keeping your audience in mind, write a tighter draft incorporating the new supporting information you’ve collected. Sometimes what you’ve learned in Steps 2 and 3 may compel you to start over with a completely fresh draft. Or you may just want to revise what you have as you proceed, retaining a nice conversational tone by directly addressing your audience.
This time when you read your draft, ask
yourself: Is it working? Is it too general, too lightweight, uninteresting,
unclear or choppy? If so, comb some of your favorite publications for how-to
articles. What techniques are those writers using that you might employ?
STEP 5: MAKE IT SPECIFIC.
Double-check to see that you’ve included every pertinent step in the process. How-to articles have to be thorough. You want your reader to walk away knowing exactly how to make that Thanksgiving dinner on a shoestring budget, execute that rugby tackle or locate great accommodations.
Double-check to see that you’ve included every pertinent step in the process. How-to articles have to be thorough. You want your reader to walk away knowing exactly how to make that Thanksgiving dinner on a shoestring budget, execute that rugby tackle or locate great accommodations.
If your narrative goes on and on, or off in too
many directions, break it down into key points indicated with subheads (as in
this article). Synthesizing complicated information and breaking it down into
steps is especially crucial for online writing, and is also a trend in print.
STEP 6: READ, REVISE, REPEAT.
Read the draft of your how-to article out loud to a supportive friend. Then, ask her a series of questions: Does she now understand the process? Are there any steps missing? Is there anything else she would like to know about the subject? Could she do the task herself? With your friend’s suggestions in mind, use your best judgment in deciding what changes, if any, need to be made.
Read the draft of your how-to article out loud to a supportive friend. Then, ask her a series of questions: Does she now understand the process? Are there any steps missing? Is there anything else she would like to know about the subject? Could she do the task herself? With your friend’s suggestions in mind, use your best judgment in deciding what changes, if any, need to be made.
Here’s a quick list to help you catch errors or
omissions:
- Did you adequately describe the ingredients/supplies needed in order
for the reader to complete the task?
- Did you include all the important steps?
- Is the order logical?
- Did you use words that indicate sequence: first, next, then?
- Did you warn readers of possible pitfalls?
Rewrite, read aloud, rewrite, read aloud, rewrite, find a proofreader and, only when you’re satisfied you’ve written an effective how-to article, submit your piece to an appropriate publication with a short cover letter.
ENCONTRADO EN: www.writersdigest.com
Friday, 11 November 2016
Monday, 10 October 2016
Thursday, 9 June 2016
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