EL P1 Article Writing Notes

ARTICLE WRITING Let’s learn how to use these 3 strategies to make your feature article more lively and engaging. For each of these strategies, you will see how an ordinary piece of writing can be transformed into a more appealing one. How about writing your own “improved version” after reading the suggested example? EXAMPLE 1: GCE O LEVEL 2015 You have seen an advertisement* for a writing competition organised by the holiday company, Go Travel, and you decide to enter the competition. In your article you should explain the reasons for your choice of holiday. Your article for the website must include the following content:  a title to attract readers’ attention  why the holiday appeals to you  the activities available on the holiday  what travellers will gain from the holiday experience. Write your article for Go Travel’s website in clear, accurate English and in a lively, engagingtone to encourage readers to visit the destination you have chosen. You should use your own words as much as possible. (2015 ‘O’ Level Paper 1 Section B) 1. Use imperatives Imperatives are basically “commanding verbs”, in that they compel the reader to do something. Some examples are “eat”, “pray” and “love”. You see marketing lines like this everywhere – on video or radio commercials, on online shopping sites and certainly on social media advertisements. Believe it or not, dropping phrases like “Enjoy a world of music at your fingertips” and “Snap a pair of airpods while stocks last!” does tempt you a bit more. Here’s how you can apply this in your feature article:

Original: When you visit Xian, China, you can witness life-size terracotta warriors and horses, which will give you a glimpse into China’s rich heritage. You also get to learn about old China from guides who are knowledgeable about local history. If you’re hungry along the way, there are local noodle houses and green tea prepared the Chinese way. Revised: Want a glimpse into China’s rich heritage? Visit Xian, China and witness life- size terracotta warriors and horses, and learn about Old China from guides who are well-versed in local history. If you find yourself hungry along the way, grab some traditionally made noodles, paired with green tea prepared the Chinese way! Notice that the phrases in bold like “When you visit”, “you can witness” and “You also get to learn” have been shortened to imperatives like “visit”, “witness” and “learn” respectively. The plain “there are” phrase has also been tuned into an action, “grab”. This keeps your writing clean and packs more punch. Want to up the ante? Use rhetorical questions! (which you’ve learnt in Visual Text!) AN example is found in the first sentence of the revised version: “Want a glimpse into China’s rich heritage?” 2. Use vivid descriptions You probably notice that other expressions have also been changed in the revised version of the above write-up. While you should be using your own words (e.g. synonyms), you need to use