Article Writing Skills Guide
Article Writing Skills Guide
Title
The title can be a single word, a phrase or may be three to four words. It should be descriptive, catchy and
thought provoking, illustrating the central theme.
BY LINE: Writer's Name under the title towards the right from the centre
Body
• The body of an article is structural and directional. By structure we mean that it has a distinct
beginning, middle and a conclusion.
• An article will be directional if all the words and sentences, paragraphs and thoughts naturally and
logically lead to the objective of writing it.
• It is written in paragraphs and each paragraph deals with one main idea.
Purpose of writing
In examination, nothing is written purposelessly. All writing tasks have specific purposes. Before writing an
article, make sure whether you are writing to inform people, to persuade them, to entertain them or to
convince them.
• Begin with a striking opening sentence to grab readers’ interest in the topic.
• Introduce a new point at the beginning of each paragraph that follows to strengthen
your ideas.
• Present a strong argument for your ideas supporting it with evidences or elaboration.
• Develop your ideas as much as you can to make them interesting and substantial.
• Time yourself.
• Use linking devices (however, therefore, although, even though, in order to…)
to make the composition appear a whole and appealingly effective.
• Use simple, short sentences and lay emphasis on flow and connectivity.
• Make your article as interesting as possible. Keep in touch with the latest happenings
around you.
Conclusion
• The article ends with a prediction or warning which is the opinion of the writer. Conclude with your
strongest point, with a hope, a warning, an appeal or a call for an action.
MARKING SCHEME
Q1. Write an article in 120-150 words on, ‘Democracy in India’ to be published in the School Magazine of
your Vidyalaya. You are Vivek / Vaishali
Democracy in India
--Vivek
Democracy is a system of government that allows the citizens to cast a vote and elect a government of
their choice. India became a democratic state after its independence from British rule in 1947. It is the largest
democratic nation in the world.
Democracy in India gives its citizens the right to vote irrespective of their caste, colour, creed, religion
and gender. It has five democratic principles – sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, and republic.
Various political parties stand for elections at the state and national levels periodically. They propagate
about the tasks accomplished in their previous tenure and also share their future plans with the people. Every
citizen of India, above the age of 18 years has the right to vote. The government is making continuous efforts
to encourage more and more people to cast their votes. People must know everything about the candidates
standing for the elections and vote for the most deserving one for good governance.
India is known to have a successful democratic system. However, certain loopholes need to be worked on.
Among other things, the government must work on eliminating poverty, illiteracy, communalism, gender
discrimination, and casteism in order to ensure democracy in the true sense.
Q.2. Emotionally as well as intellectually, a woman is a good as a man if not better. Yet we don’t allow her
the same status as man enjoys in society. Write an article in 120-150 words on, ‘Status of women in India’.
You are Narendra / Nakshatra
The status of women in India has undergone significant changes in recent years, but many challenges and
inequalities persist. In ancient India, women were traditionally viewed as inferior to men and often relegated
to a subordinate role. However, during the Vedic period, women enjoyed a higher status and were afforded
more rights and freedoms than in later periods.
In modern India, women still face several challenges and inequalities. Despite the constitutional
guarantee of equality, women continue to be disadvantaged in many areas, including education, employment,
and health care. One of the most significant challenges women face in India is gender-based violence.
Domestic violence, sexual assault, and acid attacks are all common forms of violence faced by women in
India. In addition, the country has one of the world's highest rates of female infanticide.
Women's participation in politics and public life in India is also limited. While there have been some
notable female political leaders in India, such as Indira Gandhi and current president Droupadi Murumu,
women are still underrepresented in positions of power. Overall, the status of women in India has improved
in recent years, but significant challenges and inequalities remain. Efforts to address these issues, including
education and increased public participation, will significantly promote gender equality in India.
Q3. You are Shivam/ Siya. You love travelling and now you want to tell people about VIRTUAL TOURS.
Write an Article on the topic – The Rise of Virtual Tour. Word limit- 120-150 words.
In recent years, technology has revolutionized the way we experience the world around us. One particular area
that has seen a significant transformation is the concept of travel. With the advent of virtual reality (VR) and
augmented reality (AR), a new era of exploration has emerged, allowing individuals to venture into uncharted
territories without even leaving their homes.
Virtual travel offers an immersive experience that transports users to distant lands, historical sites, and
natural wonders. Through VR headsets, users can stand atop the Eiffel Tower, dive into the Great Barrier
Reef, or walk through the bustling streets of Tokyo. The level of detail and realism in these virtual
environments is astonishing, creating a sense of presence that enables users to feel like they are truly there.
One of the most significant advantages of virtual travel is accessibility. For those who face physical
limitations, financial constraints, or time restrictions, virtual travel opens doors that were once closed.
Moreover, virtual travel allows individuals to embark on journeys without the need for costly flights,
accommodation, or extensive planning. Another benefit of virtual travel is its positive impact on the
environment. By opting for virtual exploration, travellers can reduce their carbon footprint, promoting
sustainable tourism and eco-friendly practices.
Furthermore, virtual travel has educational value. Schools and educational institutions can utilize VR
technology to offer students interactive and engaging learning experiences. History lessons can come alive
with visits to ancient civilizations, and geography can be experienced first-hand through virtual tours of
diverse landscapes. This immersive learning fosters a deeper understanding of various cultures, environments,
and historical events.
However, like any technological advancement, virtual travel comes with its challenges. While it offers
a sense of presence, it cannot replicate the spontaneity, cultural immersion, and personal connections that
traditional travel provides.
In conclusion, the rise of virtual travel has opened up exciting opportunities for adventure, learning,
and accessibility. While it cannot replace the magic of traditional travel entirely, it offers an innovative and
valuable supplement to the way we explore the world.
Q.4. The 21st century has seen an erosion of values in the society. Experts and educationists stress on value-
based education to meet the challenges. Write an article, in 150-200 words, on the need for value based
education. You are Amit/Amita.
Answer:
By Amit/ Amita.
It is rightly said: “values are priceless, while valuables are priced.” Values like love,
compassion, sympathy, empathy, tolerance, etc. lay the foundation for values like honesty,
discipline, punctuality and loyalty. Today’s fast paced competitive world has led man to compromise on
values, integrity and character. As a result, we see aggression, selfishness, rampant corruption, unlawful
activities and inhuman behaviour all around.
There is an urgent need to introduce value based education dealing specifically with
human values, to redesign the fabric of our society. Childhood is the right time and stage to
impart value education so that the right impressions formed in the child’s mind guide him
throughout his life. Schools provide an interactive and learning ambience where human
values can be easily introduced to a child by making him/her “experience” and “live” the
values. This can be done through workshops, seminars, camps and open forums since
values are ‘caught’ and not just ‘taught’. Nelson Mandela rightly said: “Education is the most powerful
weapon through which you can change the world”. Here, he talked about both academic education
as well as moral value education. And, value education has the power to change the world.
So the real onus lies on the elders to ensure that they preserve and promote values. The need of the hour is to
integrate value based education into our curriculum.
Q.5. Devmalya is a student of Holy Student School, Chennai. She reads a report on the miserable condition
of the Child Labour in India in the Times of India. She is moved and wants to express her strong feelings
against the widespread exploitation of children in an article. Using the hints given below in the input, write a
purposeful article on Child Abuse for the school-magazine in 150-200 words.
.
Child Abuse-a painful fact - children exploited – India a poor country – about 10 million
children employed in dangerous trades and industries – exploited – living and working in inhuman
conditions – Effective legislation against Child labour.
CHILD ABUSE
- By Devmalya
Childhood is the golden period of man’s life. Children need love and care for their growth and
development. However, child abuse is the tragic irony of Indian social life. About 10 million children are
employed in unhealthy and hazardous trades and industries. Bare footed, lean and thin children have to work
for 10 to 15 hours a day. They work in numerous shops, brick kilns, small factories and cottage industries.
Some risk their lives while selling newspapers on busy roads.
These child-workers are generally ill-fed and treated like bonded labourers. They are often underpaid.
Thousands of children work in fire- crackers and match-factories. Many of them get killed in accidents and
fires. The carpet industry in Uttar Pradesh employs many children. Children have to work in chemical
factories in hazardous conditions. In 2015, the country of India is home to the largest number of children
who are working illegally in various industrial industries.
Penury is the main reason that compels many poor parents to send their children for work. India has the
largest number of children working in most inhospitable, and inhuman surroundings. The Child Labour Act
should be enforced with all sincerity and more stringent clauses. Exemplary punishment should be given to
the defaulters and the defiant employers.
Q.6. Ragging has raised its ugly head again. A recent incident at a prestigious school
has shown that this evil has not yet come to an end. Write an article in 150-200 words
on 'Ragging, an evil'. You are Navtej/Navita.
Ans.
Ragging, an Evil
- By Navita
Ragging in India is a damaging form of interaction of the seniors in the college or school with the juniors,
new comers or first year students. Original aim was to teach the students respect for hierarchy thereby
enforcing traditions and discipline among them. As a result, practice of familiarizing beginners with their
seniors has now turned into a powerful tool for ill-treating and punishing juniors if they fail to obey their
seniors.
Under the pretext of fun, a poor student is often assaulted, sometimes even stripped and intimidated by his
seniors and this torture obviously leaves an indelible impression on his
mind. The chilling incident continues to haunt him and unknowingly he develops various
psychological disorders. Sometimes the situation turns so bad that it compels the ragged victim to commit
suicide. Recently, ragging has been declared a criminal offence. Still, ragging is prevalent in colleges and
hostels in secretive ways.
Solution lies in more practical steps like having an anti-ragging helpline that can take anonymous
complaints and act against the culprits or having awareness programmes conducted at a more specific level.
This menace, in any case, has to be contained and stopped.
Q.1. Taking selfies has become a craze and is a global phenomenon. It has cost us several
lives and also immortalized several moments. Write an article for a National Daily on
the trend of taking selfies and its impact on people. You are Aditi/ Aditya. (150-200
words)
Q. 2. By 2050, India will be amongst the countries which will face acute water shortage. You are highly
alarmed and terrified of the future world without water. So, write an article on save water- is we doing
enough? For the local daily in 150-200 words.
Introduction
• Conclusion
Q3. On the threshold of being a world super power, India does have a large young workforce but
unfortunately not many in this force are employable for want of necessary skills. Write in about 150-200
words, an article for a newspaper on the topic' Skill Development is the need of the hour'. You are
Anita/Arnav.
Introduction
• discuss why Indian education fails to develop employability skills among youth.
• describe how this deficit affects Indian economy, industry, business and people.
• suggest what can be done to develop these skills among the young people who are going to be in the
mainstay of the workforce of the future.
• Conclusion
Report is a written account of something that one has observed, heard, done or investigated.
There are different types of reports but two types which are asked in the examinations are: Newspaper report
and Magazine report. Newspaper report is one which is published in newspaper and magazine report is
generally written for a school magazine.
Marking scheme
● Format : 1 mark
● content : 2 marks
● organisation : 1 mark
● accuracy of spelling and grammar : 1 mark
Care to be taken while drafting the Content
● All the points about the event or the incident should be explained in detail.
● Should state the facts like time, duration, organisation, damage, loss, etc., given in the question.
● In the case of Newspaper report, it should avoid ornamental language and be written as an eye-
witness account.
Format of a magazine report
● Heading
● By line
● Opening paragraph
● One or two body paragraphs including event details
● Concluding paragraph
Format of the newspaper report
1. You are Shreyash/Shreya of Times NewsNetwork Pune. You have covered the Van Mahotsav
Celebrations at KV NDA Pune. Write a report on it in 120 to 150 words by using the following verbal input.
Marks 05
Ans:
Kendriya Vidyalaya NDA Pune holds a workshop on 21 st Century skills.
by Anandi
Kendriya Vidyalaya NDA Pune held a workshop on 21 st Century Skills for class 12th students, aiming
to prepare them to face the challenges of the competitive world, on the 1st August in the school auditorium.
The workshop was inaugurated by Mrs. Alka Gaikwad, Principal KV NDA Pune. The coordinator Mr
Satish Sharma expounded the objectives of the workshop and introduced the set of skills that would be
acquired. Mr. Ramesh Sathe, the District Director of Skills Development programme ,Pune presided over
the workshop.
The participants took part in different activities enthusiastically. They presented their views on
different topics that were taken up for discussion and enjoyed hands-on experience through real life
situations. The resource persons conducted the activities like debate, symposium, poster designing and
problem solving tasks where the students learnt and sharpened their skills - creative thinking, critical
thinking, collaboration and leadership qualities.
The best participants were congratulated with a certificate of appreciation. Speaking on the occasion,
the chairperson appealed to the students to meet the challenges of 21 century skills in order to grab the
opportunities at international level. In a nutshell, the whole effort proved quite productive and fruitful and
turned out to be a resounding success.A vote of thanks was proposed by Miss Anandi of class XII.
Q3. Your school, Vivekanand High School recently organized a week-long Literary Fest in order to foster an
understanding and love for literature and to inculcate the habit of reading in the students. As the editor of the
school magazine, write a report of the event in 100-120 words. You are Krishna Patel/ Krutika Patel.
The fest kicked off with an inspiring speech by the school principal, encouraging students to immerse
themselves in the world of books and words. Various literary competitions and activities were organized
throughout the week, providing students with a platform to showcase their literary talents. Enthusiastic
participants engaged in storytelling sessions, poetry recitals, and debates, demonstrating their impressive
literary prowess. In addition, there were book fairs and writing workshops that allowed students to explore
diverse genres and expand their literary horizons. The Literary Fest was graced by renowned authors and poets
from the local community, who shared their experiences and insights, motivating students to pursue their
passion for writing.
Vivekanand High School's Literary Fest was a grand success, leaving a lasting impact on the minds of students
and staff alike. Sharad Pathak, the principal of the school thanked all the guests, teachers, and participants for
making the event a resounding success. The week-long celebration achieved its objective of nurturing a love
for literature and encouraging the habit of reading among the young minds.
Q4. You are Ramchandran, staff correspondence, The Tribune. Write a report of a train accident that killed
70 people in Odisha. Use the given cues along with your own ideas to write a report about the same in 120 –
150 words.
The accident took place around 7 pm when the Coromandel Superfast Express reportedly derailed and
its coaches landed on a parallel track. The capsized coaches were then rammed by Bengaluru-Howrah Express
which was coming from the opposite direction at Bahanaga, about 180 km from here. Going by preliminary
reports, the death toll could go well beyond 50. As news of the accident spread, hundreds of locals rushed to
the spot to rescue trapped passengers. Sources said more than 300 injured passengers have so far been rescued
and over 300 are still trapped. The Odisha government and Indian Railways mounted a massive rescue
operation but found it challenging to move the injured from the site to different hospitals in Balasore given
the rising number of passengers hurt in the incident. As many as 115 ambulances and 20 fire fighting teams
from Balasore and Bhadrak districts were pressed into service.
Speaking to media persons, CM Patnaik said, "Our first priority is to take injured persons to hospitals
and save their lives. I have just reviewed the situation about this truly tragic railway accident. I will be visiting
the spot tomorrow morning". The rescue operations were in full force when this report was being written.
Q5. You are Surbhi of Bharat Bharti Residential School Shalimar Bagh, Delhi. Your
school organized an inter-school science exhibition. Write a report to be published in a
local daily. (150-200 words)
Answer:
Exhibition Inaugurated
by Surbhi
New Delhi, August 07, 2019
A grand ten-day science exhibition was inaugurated at Bharat Bharati Residential. School. Forty schools
from different parts of Delhi participated in the exhibition. The theme of the exhibition was “Water
Purification and Conservation”.
Inaugurating the exhibition, Justice Chaudhari stressed on water conservation and need
of students’ participation in creating social awareness. The students put up some really
good exhibits for the exhibition. The students representing Progressive School, Sector
3 Noida stole the show by exhibiting four working models which were selected for
Regional Exhibition. The participants presented unique concepts for water purification,
power saving, garbage disposal and smart traffic signalling. The judges, guests and
media admired the exhibition and encouraged participation to popularize and strengthen
scientific temper among the masses. They all expressed rich kudos for the students who had put in their
untiring efforts to make this ten-day science exhibition a mega and memorable event.
The exhibition ended with prize distribution followed by blessings by the chief guest .The
school principal presented a vote of thanks.
Q6. Write a report to be published in your school magazine in 150-200 words on how
Independence Day was celebrated in your school. You are Amita Puri of class XII,
Modern School, Gondia.
Answer:
Students presented a rich cultural extravaganza charged with patriotic sentiments. First of
all students of class IX presented a skit highlighting the importance of educating a girl
child. The school choir sang patriotic songs which were followed by an encouraging
address by the chief guest. The chief guest spoke on the importance of independence and the sacrifice made
by our freedom fighters. He emphasized that students are future and hopes of the countries. He expressed
hope that India will soon become a super power since the generation next is progressing leaps and bounds.
The programme came to a resounding close with a thrilling folk dance performance
depicting valour and enthusiasm of rural youth from border areas of Rajasthan. The
school principal presented a vote of thanks. At the end all enjoyed light snacks and tea with the chief guest
and other invitees.
Q7. You are Tanvi/Jahan, the tour guide of Sai Tour and Travels Ltd. J&K based in Jammu. You had been
on tour to Leh area of J&K with 15 tourists on 5th August when the cloudburst and mudslide caused
massive devastation in the area. Write a report in about 150-200 words giving all the details you witnessed
about the calamity for a magazine.
Answer:
In the upper part of Leh, houses were badly damaged. According to Government sources around 200 people
were reported dead. Among the victims were Ladakhis, Tibetan refugees and Tourists. Around 1500 people
were badly affected by the calamity as hotels and tourist lodges were badly damaged. People were stranded
as there was no place to go. All the roads were blocked by debris. Chief Minister made an aerial survey of
the area. He said that rescue work
was likely to start within 48 hours. Local People were taking the injured to nearby makeshift hospitals.
People were looking for their dear ones amid the debris. Sources claimed that airports and roads could be
operational by Saturday for military planes.
Chief Minister announced compensation to the kith and kin of those who had died and the affected people.
For Practice
Q 1. A massive fire due to short circuit gutted 50 odd shops in the congested area of
Sadar Bazar in Delhi leading to loss of life and property. As a reporter with The
Tribune write the report for the newspaper.(150-200 words) 10 marks
Q. 3. With a view to create awareness regarding health St. Anne's school organized 'Health Mela' in the
school premises. Various charts, models, fitness equipments were displayed. Lectures, debates, discussions,
plays were organized. A workshop on low calorie cooking was also organised. Write a report in 150-200
words on the 'Health Mela' for the school magazine. You are Neha/Nikhil, Secretary of the Health Club of
school.
Suggested value points:
Types of Reports