Table of Contents
What do we do when we need to express our opinion on a subject or share information we have with someone else? If they are near, we can talk to people about it. But what when we need to communicate the same with a larger audience? Jobs like content writing, blogging and journalism have the objective of sharing information with a large-scale audience. Especially in this digital era, authors need to be more careful about the content and structure of their writing. Good article-writing skills come into play here. Articles have a distinct format and structure. Authors should comply with these rules to present their ideas in a well-structured and understandable manner. Read further to learn more about the basics of article writing. Read on to learn how to write an article.
An article is a piece of writing. It is written to publish to a large audience via newspapers, blogs, magazines or even journals. The objectives of writing an article can be the following.
- To express the opinion of the general public or specific demography on a contemporary issue.
- To influence the general opinion about a current issue.
- To inform the readers about newsworthy events.
- To bring exposure to or market the latest products in the fields like technology, fashion, health etc.
Whatever the objective is, some general rules apply to all forms of article writing. We need to know more about different types of articles first.
Types of Articles
A list of different kinds of articles is in the table below. It is important to understand the type of article before you learn how to write an article.
| Type of Article | Explanation |
| Persuasive article | The objective of this article is to convince the readers of a specific idea or point of view. |
| Descriptive article | This article will give the readers a comprehensive explanation that helps them visualise the details of the thing described. |
| Narrative article | In this type of article, the writer has to author or narrate it in a story-like manner. |
| Argumentative article | Here the writer tries to bring an issue to the notice of readers and suggest solutions for that problem. Then they try to bring in points that justify their opinion about the particular topic and solution they have given. |
| Expository article | An article of this type has an author trying to give information on a specific subject without adding personal opinions. |
Format of an Article
1: Which of the sentences below is grammatically correct?
An article should be in a standard format to increase the readability of the material. The piece must be able to catch the attention of the readers as well as hold it until the end. The basic and most followed format of an article is as given below.
- Heading or the title: The title is what a reader sees first when she looks for or looks into an article. So make sure that it is eye-catching, concise and has words that a possible reader might seek. It should not have more than 5 or 6 words in it. It should also be a signboard to what a reader can expect from that article.
- By-line or the name of the author: After the title, there is the by-line which states the article writer’s name. This way a publisher can give credit to the deserving author.
- Introduction: This paragraph should present the main point of the article. It needs to be in such a way that makes it capable of attracting attention and encouraging the curiosity of the reader.
- Body: The body paragraphs contain the main content of the article. You can divide this part into as many paragraphs as you may like according to the ideal length decided by the author or prescribed by the editor. This is the part in which the author discusses relevant information, gives opinions and arguments etc. All the information in these paragraphs should be well-researched and fact-checked.
- Conclusion: This is where we end the article by giving a call for action or a suggestion for the future for readers. Here we reinforce the ideas presented and try to make the audience consider them.
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Now that we know the standard format for writing an article we should also learn how to plan, outline and write an article. The steps for writing an article are given below.
- Choose a topic. Make a list of topics and use the elimination method to find the one that is most relevant and suits your interests best.
- Learn about the targeted audience. This is especially important when you are writing intending to market a product. The demography targeted will help you choose the topic as well as decide the voice of the writing. Here we should consider the readers’ age, educational background, annual income, political views, buying habits etc.
- Collect data and other information essential for writing the material. Note them down in a notebook and assemble them in the best sequence.
- Outline the article. Decide in which order and in which part of the article you want to share particular information.
- Always keep in mind the purpose for which you are writing the article.
- Write the rough draft according to the planned outline. Make sure to discuss different aspects of the subject in different paragraphs for more clarity.
- Fact check, Proofread and edit the article. Use writing tools on the internet if necessary to identify grammatical and spelling errors. Change sentence structure if required so that the article has a better flow. Read aloud if it will help you understand the errors and lack of fluidity in writing. Correct any issues that you come across while reading aloud.
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Sample of an Article
My Favourite Piece of Art
In this world of the internet and AI-created images works created by the hand of human artists hold a different kind of meaning. It could be anything, a painting, a statue, a song, a dress or even a much-loved recipe prepared in your family for holidays. And to find a favourite among them is indeed a difficult task to do.
My favourite piece of art ever created is ‘The Starry Night’. It is an oil-on-canvas painting done by Vincent van Gogh. He was a post-impressionist painter. The premise of the creation of this art is as interesting as the art itself. It is said that van Gogh painted ‘The Starry Night’ during his stay in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole lunatic asylum where he voluntarily admitted himself after having a mental breakdown resulting in him mutilating his left ear. I saw this painting for the first time in a children’s general knowledge magazine. The book’s main subject of the week was Vincent van Gogh’s life and works. The technique and the combination of the colours made it look dreamy, almost like a hallucination. It makes me think that this piece of art symbolises every artist’s dream of finally becoming one with the world they are trying to portray in their works.
I like this painting because the melancholy in the artist’s mind was merged with the hope the vision from a window gave him in this. This symbolises that there is beauty in life even with all the suffering it may bring. And that is what should do. Give hope and consolation to the wandering souls of this earthly realm.
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Tips for Writing an Article
Check out the points to help you improve the quality of the articles. The table shows the dos and don’ts of article writing. This is a summary of the answer to the question “How to write an article?”.
Do’s |
Don’ts |
| Check punctuation and grammatical errors | Write convoluted sentences |
| Set word count and time limit for writing | Not dividing the article into paragraphs |
| Keep the language simple. | Create ambiguous meaning |
| Use appropriate vocabulary according to the intended audience | Repetition of ideas through several sentences |
| Use quotes and facts accurately. Give credit to the source for authenticity. | Usage of self-made words |
| Use keywords if published digitally. | Usage of too-formal or too-informal tone |
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The article above have answered the question “How to write an article?” quite clearly. The above article reminds us of the fact that article writing is a skill that should be perfected with diligent practice. Make sure to follow the format and tips given above to create new articles for your needs.
FAQs How to Write an Article?
- What is the ideal format for article writing?
Heading-> By-line-> Introduction-> Body-> Conclusion
- What is By-line?
The author’s name written under the title of the article
