Articles, reviews and speeches

Articles, reviews and speeches are written for real audiences. Before you write, think about FAP: the form (what kind of text), the audience (who will read or hear it) and the purpose (why you are writing). They decide your layout and your tone.

Key facts

  • A newspaper report has a short headline, often a standfirst (one sentence under the headline), the key facts (who, what, where, when, why) in the third person, and quotations from witnesses.
  • A feature article or blog post can be more personal: a catchy title, subheadings, the first person and a chatty tone for a blog.
  • A review names what it is judging, gives a short summary without spoilers, offers an opinion with evidence and ends with a recommendation or a star rating.
  • A speech greets the audience (⟦Good morning, everyone⟧), speaks to them directly as ⟦you⟧ and ⟦we⟧, uses rhetorical questions, repetition and a list of three, and ends memorably and with thanks.
  • Headlines are short and punchy: strong verbs, the present tense and no small words: ⟦Hikers Saved From Fog-Bound Mountain⟧.

Worked examples

Example 1

Which kind of text is this? ⟦Good morning, everyone. I stand before you today to ask one simple question.⟧

  1. It greets a listening audience.
  2. It speaks to them directly, so it is a speech.

Answer: a speech

Example 2

Which is the better headline for a report about pupils clearing plastic from a beach? ⟦Durban Has a Beach⟧ or ⟦Pupils Clear Two Tonnes of Beach Plastic⟧

  1. A headline should tell the main point of the story.
  2. The second one says who did what, with a strong verb.

Answer: ⟦Pupils Clear Two Tonnes of Beach Plastic⟧

Example 3

What should a review of a film include?

  1. The reader wants to decide whether to watch the film.
  2. So give a taste of the story, your judgement and a recommendation.

Answer: a short summary without spoilers, an opinion with reasons and a recommendation