Writing an article

6.1

What an article is for

Syllabus

recognise that an article is written for a general audience to inform or entertain
choose a title and an opening that catch the reader's interest
keep the reader engaged with questions, examples and a clear point of view

Source: Cambridge International syllabus

An article 文章 is written for a magazine, a newspaper, or a website. Many people read it.

Purpose

An article informs 告知 or entertains 娱乐 a general reader.
You usually give your own view on a topic, with reasons.

Engage the reader

You must engage 吸引 the reader — make them want to keep reading.
A good title 标题 and a strong first line catch their interest 兴趣.
Ask the reader a question, or start with a surprising fact.

Three opening moves with examples: ask a question, surprise with a fact, or speak to the reader directly Three ways to catch the reader's interest in your first lines

Vocabulary Train

English	Chinese	Pinyin
article	文章	wén zhāng
informs	告知	gào zhī
entertains	娱乐	yú lè
engage	吸引	xī yǐn
title	标题	biāo tí
interest	兴趣	xìng qù

6.2

Writing a lively article

Syllabus

organise the article into an introduction, development and conclusion
use lively, varied language and a consistent tone
address the reader directly where it suits the topic

Source: Cambridge International syllabus

An article should sound interesting, not flat.

An article with labels: a question as the title, a strong first line that hooks the reader, middle paragraphs with one idea each that speak to the reader with you, and an ending that leaves the reader thinking The shape of a lively article: hook the reader, keep them, leave them thinking

Structure

Begin with an introduction 引言 that names the topic.
Develop your points in the middle, one idea in each paragraph.
End with a short conclusion 结论 that leaves the reader thinking.

Lively language

Use varied 多样的 words and sentence lengths to keep the energy up.
You can speak to the reader directly with "you".
Keep the tone friendly, but not too casual.

Useful language

A few flexible phrases 短语 let you hook the reader and glide between ideas.

To open with energy: Have you ever…? / Imagine you… / Last week, something odd happened to me.
To move between ideas: What's more… / On the other hand… / The truth is…
To speak to the reader: You might think… / We all know that… / Be honest —…
To end memorably: So next time you… / Perhaps the real question is…

Vary how you open sentences. Ten sentences that all begin "I think" feel flat 平淡; mixing your openings keeps the reader awake.

A model opening

See how one opening hooks the reader, then points forward.

Have you ever tried to sleep with a phone glowing beside your pillow? Most of us have — and most of us wake up tired. This article asks a simple question: could a good night's sleep be the cheapest way to feel happier?

The question pulls the reader in, the honest detail keeps them, and the last line promises where the article is going. That is a lot of work for three sentences.