Articles: Difference Between an Article & a Letter – SS1 English Lesson Note (Third Term)

CONTINUOUS WRITING: POPULAR ARTICLES FOR VARIOUS READING AUDIENCES 

An article is a piece of writing about a particular subject in a newspaper or magazine.

Features Of A Newspaper Article

1. The Title: The first part of a newspaper article is the title. The title bears the topic of discussion in the body of the article.
2. The Introduction: After the title of the paper, the next is the introduction which must be interesting with a view to stimulating the interest of the reader into wanting to read the entire article.
3. The Body: The body is the part of the article that bears the message which the writer wishes to establish. The body is divided into many paragraphs with each paragraph possessing a main idea. The main idea of every paragraph is contained in a sentence called the topic sentence.

4. The Conclusion: The last part of the article is its conclusion. The conclusion gives a general summary of the article with emphasis on the theme which has been developed in it.

NB: The language of an article is usually formal. The sentences are varied and properly punctuated for clarity of expression.

Also, note that the features of an article are very similar to the features of a written speech. The information in their parts may be different because speech is written for oral delivery. Its introduction, for instance, may contain the protocol in which important dignitaries in the audience are recognized. Such protocol is not seen in an article.

Differences Between An Article And A Letter                                                                     

1. In letter writing, we have an address but there is no address in an article for a newspaper or magazine.
2. The address of a letter is followed by a date. The date is not included in the article.
3. A letter has a salutation such as “Dear sir ”but an article has no such salutation.
4. A letter has a complimentary close such as “Yours faithfully ”, and “Yours sincerely”. An article is written without a complimentary close, but like a letter, it bears the name of the writer at the end. The place from where the article is written may also come below the writer’s name.
5. The language of an article is always formal but the language of a letter may be either formal or informal, depending on whether it is a formal or an informal letter.

 ASSIGNMENT 

Write a good article on any topic of your choice that would be suitable for publication in your school magazine.