Guidelines to help you write an article in English as a Second Language. This will help you to tackle the writing part of Cambridge and Trinity ISE, both C1 and C2 exams.

1. HOW TO WRITE AN ARTICLE
Mª Ascensión Villalba Varona – varonasinstitute.com avillalba@varonas.com

2. DEFINITION
PURPOSE
CITATIONS
VISUAL EFFECTS
TONE
FORMAT
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
AND ARTICLE AND AN
ESSAY

3. What is an article?
1. An article is written to share factual information, comment, recommend or give
opinion about a particular topic.
2. The article can be written is a formal or informal style depending on the target reader
and the purpose of the article.
3. Articles are usually published in a newspaper, magazine, newsletter or blog.
4. In academic articles, contractions, abbreviations, or colloquial language cannot be
used.
5. The main purpose is to engage the reader and keep their interest until the very end,
so the opening paragraph should catch the reader’s interest.

4. STRUCTURE
TITLE 1. Grab the reader’s attention with a catchy title
INTRODUCTION 1. Start with an attractive opening line to hook the
readers.
2. Introduce topic
3. Use rethoric questions
BODY PARAGRAPHS 1. Use subheadings to break up the text.
2. Develop ideas: one main idea per paragraph.
3. Easy to read.
CONCLUSION 1. Sum up the main points and possibly give an
opinion or recommendation
2. Give the reader something to think about (ask
question, call to attention, food for thought).

5. TITLE
• Draw the attention of readers with an attractive title
and indicate the main topic of the article.
• A way to attract the reader is using extreme
adjectives or dramatic words that cause an interest in
the reader.
How to… ” How To Change Your Life For The Better – 33 Things You Can Do”
Identify/Solve
problem
“6 Instant Confidence Boosters”
Statement “Before you buy an electric car: 21 Things You Should Know”
Note Of
Controversy
“Which One Deserves To Die?”
Shorter Titles “No Cellphones – By Law”
Ask Questions “Are You Too Clever For Success?”
“Intrigue” Style “Father Goes For Kidney Treatment – Leaves Hospital As A Women”
Finality “This Blog Post Will Make You More Money Guaranteed”
Top List “5 Ways to Make More Money Online – Even If You’re Just Starting Out”

6. INTRODUCTION
1. Attract the reader’s attention with a sentence that gives a general
presentation of the topic.
2. Reader should understand the content of an article after reading
through the first paragraph.
3. Use different resources such as questions such as Can you imagine…?
Did you know that…?
Imagine Imagine you have been asked to speak at an event of ……
Question Do you feel the need to be more organised and more productive?
Quote “To be or not to be, that’s the question” (Shakespeare)
Definition In ancient Greek, the term eu thanatos meant “easy death.” Today’s euthanasia generally refers to
mercy killing…..

7. The main body paragraphs
1 The body of the article is where the majority of the research and content are located.
2 It should be divided into sections based on the author’s primary points.
3 Each section should contain one or more paragraphs, and each paragraph should begin and end with
transition sentences to segue from the previous section and into the next.
4 Between these transitional elements, the body paragraphs should do the following:
• Introduce the support for the author’s argument
• Demonstrate how the support is relevant to the topic
• Provide research and citations which outline the support
5 The body should, as a whole, flow well from the beginning of the article introduction to its conclusion,
giving the reader a good overall grasp of the topic as well as a specific understanding of the author’s
argument. This can be accomplished in a number of ways.
6 Many writers choose to begin with more general points, gradually transitioning to expressing more
specific points they wish to address.
7 You should create a detailed outline of the article body before writing a rough draft.

8. CONCLUSION
1. End with a quotation that looks
back or looks forward
Give your reader more of what you’ve been doing in the article —
ending with a little poke in the ribs.
2. Invite the reader to go in a different
direction
The most powerful ending neatly wraps up the article and gives the
reader something new to think about.
it’s good to leave the reader with a growing curiosity about the topic.
3. If you must summarize, do it with
style
The conclusion of the article should summarize or restate much of
the information in the introduction.
4.- Food for thought The article conclusion should be designed to stimulate the reader’s
thoughts, so that they’re interested in learning more about the topic.

9. 5 HINTS TO WRITE A GOOD ARTICLE
1. Keep in mind where the article will appear: A newspaper, magazine, a
blog or a website?
2. Who is the target group? An article is like a direct conversation with the
reader. The exam question might tell you who your readers are. It may be
formal or informal, depending on the target group
3. What is the purpose of the article? To advise, suggest, inform, compare,
contrast describe, etc. It may contain funny stories, experiences, and
descriptions.
4. Organise your ideas carefully in paragraphs. each paragraph should
provide a clear topic sentence. It should express opinions and thoughts, as
well as facts
5. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Does it call the attention of the reader?
2. Are the topic sentences in the body paragraph interesting?
3. Is it easy to read?
4. Has it got a good ending?

10. Specific vocabulary
Agreeing partially
This is partly true…
To (an) (certain) / (some) extent…
In some cases …
Up to a point …
While it can not be denied that …
While it is true that…
Qualifying Statements
There is a tendency to…
A large number of the times…
Usually, they are inclined to…
Generally speaking…
Sometimes/Usually/Often/Generally…
Things appear to be…
In a large number of cases…
In some instances…
Summary / Repetition / Exemplification
In brief…
On the whole…
Overall…
In short…
In other words…
To be sure…
For instance…
In fact…
In any event…
Opinion
In my humble opinion
To the best of my belief
My way of thinking is
It seems to me that
What comes to my mind is
I dare say
I have a feeling
I assume
From where I see it
I get the impression
To the best of my knowledge
I guess
As I see it

11. Task: " You are a student at an international college. Your tutor has
asked you to write an article for the college website on ways
students can improve language skills outside the classroom. In your
article, you should suggest ways in which students can make
contact with English-language speakers. You should also assess
whether the most effective way of improving language skills is to
make friends with speakers of the language"

12. A fun way to learn English (give your article a title)
(State your main idea in the first paragraph)
In today's intercultural society, no one can deny the importance of learning a second language, especially English. In
our college we believe that major action should be taken to guarantee that all of us, the students, are given the chance
to practice this ability to communicate with people from all over the world. This task will require working with a
holistic approach and will imply the participation of a very committed group of people willing to help each other. So,
are you ready? (use a question to motivate readers)
(organise your text into paragraphs)
Our first idea is to use the Internet. For young people surfing the net is as easy as pie and we all have access to it. We
suggest getting in touch with other students from around the world. Some highly recommendable sites include a wide
range of social networks as Facebook and Twitter. It is also a good idea to encourage students to chat via Skype or
Zoom with people from English speaking countries.
A second idea is to organise reading or conversation clubs, which can have monthly gatherings in different spots in the
city. Needless to say, this will be a very effective way to learn while making friends and having a blast. There are
several attractive places in town such as parks, art galleries, cafés, and social artistic venues where students and
professionals can give a boost to their social and language skills.
A final idea is for the college to create a web page. With the support of this effective tool, our students can have
blogs with a variety of engaging tasks and games. We can have fun getting familiar with collocations and structures
that can be shared as part of an exercise on our creative website. It will definitely be highly engaging for students
regardless of their backgrounds and specializations, they will find an enjoyable site where they can put language into
practice, as they will be well-connected and comfortable with the cutting-edge technology.
ARTICLE SAMPLE

13. Diference between an article and an essay - Pedia
10 Article Headline Examples – Incomediary
How to Start and Article – Alexandra Cote blog
What should the Article Body Contain? Science Issues
Five Powerful Ways to End your Article – Writing Blossoms
CPE Sample Writings – Samplewritings
How to Write an Article CPE – ENGXAM
Five Things you Need to Nnow about Writing Articles – Examenglish
El Mejor Artículo para el Nivel C1 Fiends Miles Away
Cómo Escribir un ‘Article’ – Idiomium
Collaborative Writing Activity – Writing an Article – Cristina Cabal Blog
References and retrieved from

14. Mª Ascensión Villalba Varona – avillalba@varonas.com
Sep 2021