How to Write Articles for the FCE

How to Write an Article

·         Focus on the purpose of an article. Remember that  an article must entertain the reader and, almost always, it must  recommend “the things” we are talking about.

·         Language: In general, an article is more informal than an essay, although it will depend on where it is supposed to be published (an international magazine, a teenage magazine, a college magazine, an online blog, a newspaper, etc.). However, the most common case is that we must write a text in an informal or colloquial style. For this reason, our tone must be relaxed, making use of contractions, phrasal verbs and other colloquial expressions. Besides, it is recommended to use rhetorical questions and exclamation marks to engage the reader. You should also address the reader directly in the second person (you, your)

·         Structure: Articles must always have a title. If possible, this must be catchy and witty so as to engage the reader. Then, each paragraph must address a single idea, to which you must add the introduction and the conclusion, where you are usually expected to make a recommendation. It is also a good idea to end your article with a rhetorical question, especially if it is going to be an online article where people could (in theory) leave a comment.

·         Giving your opinion: An article is almost exclusively about giving your opinion, so feel free to do so throught the whole piece of writing. As you are normally asked to write about something you like or enjoy, opinions are expected to be generally positive. You can speak in the first person as much as you like. 

       Useful Expressions to Write an Article

      If you want to know how to write an article, it is very important to have a repository of useful expressions ready to use. So here are some which can come in handy:

• Rhetorical questions:
• Have you ever…?
• Do you ever wonder…?
• What do you think about…?
• Are you a… like me?
• Are you one of those people who…?
• What would you say if I told you that…?

• Introducing new ideas:
• Firstly,
• First,
• In the first place,
• To begin with,
• The coolest thing about
• What attracts me most
• One thing to consider is
• Another consideration is
• Secondly,
• As for
• As to
• Also,
• As regards
• In addition,
• In addition to that,
• Moreover,

• Concluding the article:
• In conclusion,
• On the whole,
• To sum up,
• To conclude,
• All in all,
• … you will not regret it!