Secondary 1

English
Name:

___________________________

Topic/Component:

Factual Recount Newspaper Report

For your reference and files.

Newspapers (online or on paper) are vital sources of information.

Writing news reports is different from any other kind of writing.
You will need to think about:
i) style short paragraphs; short sentences; dramatic vocabulary; statistical information;
stacking of adjectives and descriptive phrases before the noun (e.g. The Japanese-owned
lightweight racing yacht Sunshine II..., Divorced former model and mother of two, Susan
Smith...)
ii) using impersonal expression (do not use I or We and do not give any opinions)
iii) using interview material and direct speech as well as reported speech dont quote
straight from the passage though; write your own to show that you understand what you have
read
iv) structure unlike normal chronological sequence, news reports begin with the very
recent past (usually yesterday); go on to fill in past background prior to the event; return to
the immediate present and how things are developing; then finally speculate about the future.

Success Criteria:
-First paragraph 4 Ws (follow the structure for success (right)
-Expert or witness comments included to give weight to the story
-Don't use 'I', stay objective and unbiased. Just report the facts.
-Given the events in order (latest to where-it-all-started). Use time connectives (first, later,
finally) to link paragraphs/events.
-Most events will be described in the past tense 'The man was stabbed 18 times'. However
this may change in the headline (Man dies of stabbing!) and the final paragraph, which looks
to the future (Police are investigating the incident and are appealing for any witnesses. They
will release the full coroner's report tomorrow).

READ SOME ARTICLES to understand the tone you need to strike:

http://www.independent.co.uk/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.nytimes.com/

Now youre ready to write one!

How to structure a newspaper article:

1.A catchy headline that captures the main theme of the story. (THIS WILL
PROBABLY BE GIVEN BY THE EXAM - if it is - USE IT!!)
2.First paragraph should tell the reader the main events (who, when, what, where).
3.Then tell the events in order (from most recent to the beginning).
Be factual. Be unbiased.
Include an eye witness quote.
Paragraph each new point.
Use time connectives (after, later that day, at the same time).
4.End with a prediction of the future,
e.g. police are now investigating /
They hope that next year will be even more of a success.

Key points to consider:

Report MAIN FACTS or INFORMATION About very RECENT and SPECIFIC
incidents.
Objective (more facts than opinions!)
Headlines are: Simple and straightforward. A summary of what happened.
You know what the incident/event is by just reading the headline.
Headline shows what the focus is (something specific, and something recent).
News reports have the WHO, WHAT, WHERE and WHEN at the start.
Expert or witness account in direct speech are often included to give weight to the article.
E.g: It has shown aggressive behaviour in the past, however, nothing led us to believe it
was appropriate to remove the goat from its habitat, park spokeswoman Barb Maynes
told the Associated Press.
Report events in sequence: what happened, what happened next; Makes use of TIME
connectives first, later, finally. Final paragraph focuses on the current situation and
what is happening next (predictions, future consequences, investigation etc).
The style is objective (not biased).
The reporter is just an observer. No I is present (unless it is in direct
speech/witness/expert account).
Most verbs to recount what happened is in the PAST TENSE except for headline and
final paragraph.
News reporters (except for in a direct speech) makes use of passive form when they want
to give the text more authority.
Active form
I noticed the fire starting in the factory and called the police, said John Widjaja.
Passive form
The start of the fire was noticed and the police were called. In a passive form, the
subject/doer is missing and makes the text sound more distant.

What were top sellers on iTunes in 2014?

By Mesfin Fekadu | Associated Press
The soundtrack for "Frozen" and Pharrell's viral "Happy" are the year's top-selling album
and song on iTunes.
Apple announced that Taylor Swift's "1989," just released in October, is behind "Frozen."
Rounding out the top 5 albums are Coldplay's "Ghost Stories," Sam Smith's "In the Lonely
Hour" and the "Guardians of the Galaxy" soundtrack.
"Frozen" is the year's best-selling movie. Season three of "Game of Thrones" is the top TV
show.
The top paid and free apps for the iPhone are Heads Up! and Facebook Messenger. The top
paid and free apps for the iPad are Minecraft Pocket Edition and YouTube.
John Green's 2012 novel, "The Fault in Our Stars," which had a film adaption this year, is
the top fiction book. "Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt" and "Private" are No. 1 for nonfiction and free books, respectively.
Apple also released an editorial list, naming Swift's "1989" best album of the year. Beyonce
earned top overall artist and Azalea's "Fancy" best song.
http://tweentribune.com/tween56/what-were-top-sellers-itunes-2014

Three people BANNED from a library - because they are too SMELLY
Dec 28, 2014 17:46 By Ian Murphy
The readers were stopped from browsing the shelves at the 189 million landmark building
in Birmingham because of personal hygiene issues.
Three people have been BANNED from Europes biggest public library for being too
SMELLY.
The readers were stopped from browsing the shelves at the 189 million landmark building
in Birmingham because of personal hygiene issues.
Another two people have been barred for indecent exposure while three were excluded for
aggressive behaviour towards staff.
The new figures show that workers across all of Birminghams community libraries have
been subjected to 46 separate physical or verbal attacks.
Brian Gambles, Director of the Library of Birmingham said: The Library of Birmingham is
a very busy public building and well over three million people have visited since we opened
in September 2013.
The vast majority of our visitors show great respect for our wonderful building, staff and
other visitors.
It is therefore extremely rare that we have to take the step of excluding someone from the
building.
It is something we do only as a last resort, usually when someone is contravening library
by-laws, and they are behaving in a way that has become intolerable, or even dangerous, for
other visitors or staff.
Earlier this month it emerged more than half of the staff at the new library are to be made
redundant as part of plans to cut 117million from Birmingham City Councils budget.
Opening times are also set to be slashed from 70 hours a week to just 40.
The Library of Birmingham was officially opened by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala
Yousafza in September last year.
It contains around a million books, access to a vast film and television archive belonging to
the British Film Institute and is also the new home of the second largest repository of
Shakespeares works in the world.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/three-people-banned-library---4885854

References:
Learner Guide: Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500. N.p.: Cambridge
International Examinations, 2013. PDF.
Miss Dingle. "News Reports, News Articles and Editorials." BBS IGCSE REVISION. BBS,
09 May 2013. Web.
"Newspaper Report." IGCSE Revision Site. N.p., n.d. Web.

Rubrics