How to Write an Article - IGCSE English

by Ashmitha Anil

What is an article?

An article is a piece of writing intended for a wider audience. An article is usually written for magazines, journals and newspapers. The subjects range from public interest to current events to the writer's personal interests.

This question mostly appears in Paper 1 of your English Language and Literature question paper and in Paper 1 or 2 of your English as a Second Language question papers and for Cambridge IGCSE Lower Secondary.

How to Attempt the Question

  1. You will be given a reading booklet insert containing the passage for the article writing. Read through the passage carefully. The adjacent question will be provided in the question paper booklet.

  2. You would have to choose relevant points from the passage after having a thorough understanding of the question.

  3. Now, convert the passage's selected points into your own words. After that, you can start putting the points together in a cohesive manner in the form of an article.

Let’s take a look at an example on how to convert the selected points from the passage into your own words.

“Many parents will make the argument that they watched hours of TV every day while growing up and They turned out fine, but content and access have changed. Kids today can potentially see whatever they want, whenever they want, and can stumble on inappropriate content accidentally, unlike those in previous generations.”

Parents nowadays argue that they used to watch TV for many hours each day when they were young and are doing well now. But the world has changed now there are different contents on the internet and television available 24/7. Children could see whatever they desire at any place and time and could potentially stumble upon inappropriate content by mistake.

Can you see how I modified the sentence structure and words in the highlighted section without altering the paragraph's meaning? This is how it's done; it's not easy at first, but with practise, it will become easier.
  1. The title, introduction, body, and conclusion are the four main sections of an article. Let's take a look at how to tackle the four main sections effectively:
  • Title: It is important to choose an appropriate title for your article. The title chosen should be relevant and include the main concept of your article.

Consider a situation where you would have to write about the pros and cons of switching into an e-vehicle. The potential titles can be:

“Are E-vehicles a better choice?”
or
“Electric Vehicles - The new way of life”

  • Introduction: An effective introduction should begin with a query that entices the reader's interest. It should tempt them to continue reading. Then you can offer a short overview of the main topic to be discussed.

For example you can begin your introduction like:

“Do you think electric vehicles are safe? Electric vehicles are becoming more mainstream, and you’re likely not alone in wondering whether an electric car is right for you. There are concerns raised about the environment. But does it have the capacity to cater the needs of a common man with average wage? Let us see the advantages and disadvantages of both of these types of vehicles.”

  • Body: The body should compose of one or two paragraphs, The converted points should be included here. Begin the first paragraph with adverbial time phrases such as now, recently, in the past, ten years ago, and so on. After that, state your main point and substantiate it with evidence. When starting your second paragraph create a contrast with a different point of view compared to the first paragraph if the nature of the question is argumentative. Use joining points such as however, on the other hand, nevertheless, and so on to begin the second paragraph.

Here’s a model for how your body paragraph should look like:

“Recently, people are switching to electric vehicles due to many reasons such as cost cutting, environmental factors, the growing scarcity and high rates of fuels, maintenance and so on. Even though e-vehicles cost more compared to conventional gas vehicles they are a long term investment. There are studies showing the maintenance of an e-vehicle is less compared to a gas vehicle. There is no need for gas, no oil changes, no smog tests, and fewer moving parts to break or wear out. Automotive giants such as Volvo are voicing their commitment to converting to electric car-only production in the very near future; and even luxury electric vehicles like Tesla are offering more affordable options to the consumer, altering public perception of electric cars as something only approachable by the elite.”

  • Conclusion: When writing your conclusion always avoid summarising the points made in the introduction and body paragraphs. Conclusion can be your opinion on the matter, or you can begin or end with a rhetorical question to give the reader something to think about.

This is a model of how you can conclude your article:

“Personally speaking I'd rather have a hybrid any day, if you're stuck somewhere without access to electric charging, a traditional mode will come in handy, and once the crisis situation is averted you can switch to charging your vehicle. There are discussions on this happening all over the world. Some people support the revolution and are open to reform, while others are adamant in their ever so convenient way. What are your thoughts on this? Will we achieve 100% electric car usage by 2050”

Here’s the complete Article:

Q1) Are e-vehicles better for our environment?

  • Yes, I think it can help reduce pollution.
  • Not really, the cost and storage can be a major issue..

Write an article for your school magazine putting forwards your views and arguments.

Are E-Vehicles a better choice?

Do you think electric vehicles are safe? Electric cars are becoming more mainstream, and you’re likely not alone in wondering whether an electric car is right for you. There are concerns raised about the environment. But does it have the capacity to cater the needs of a common man with average wage? Let us see the advantages and disadvantages of both of these types of vehicles.

Recently, people are switching to electric vehicles due to many reasons such as cost cutting, environmental factors, the growing scarcity and high rates of fuels, maintenance and so on. Even though e-vehicles cost more compared to conventional gas vehicles they are a long term investment. There are studies showing the maintenance of an e-vehicle is less compared to a gas vehicle. There is no need for gas, no oil changes, no smog tests, and fewer moving parts to break or wear out. Automotive giants such as Volvo are voicing their commitment to converting to electric car-only production in the very near future; and even luxury electric vehicles like Tesla are offering more affordable options to the consumer, altering public perception of electric cars as something only approachable by the elite.

However, gas-powered cars remain relevant even as the EV revolution comes in full swing. Automakers can make proclamations about the robust future of EVs as much as they desire, but there are more than 100 years of history behind gas-powered cars. Which not even the biggest auto brands in the world, can just sweep under the rug. Electric cars offer advantages in a handful of ways, but they still have a long way to go to prove to the people that they’re better than gas-powered cars. The problem with electric cars, at least compared to their gas-powered counterparts, is that they're less likely to sustain that quickness because of the lack of a transmission to channel that power to higher notches. Gas-powered cars, on the other hand, don't have that problem.

Personally speaking I’d rather have a hybrid vehicle any day, if you're stuck somewhere without access to electric charging, a traditional mode will come in handy, and once the crisis situation is averted you can switch to charging your vehicle. There are discussions on this happening all over the world. Some people support the revolution and are open to reform, while others are adamant in their ever so convenient way. What are your thoughts on this? Will we achieve 100% electric car usage by 2050.

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