← 📝 English as a Second Language
Articles, reports, reviews and essays
The features, layout and language of the main extended writing forms, and how to organise ideas clearly.
📌 Key points
- An article (for a school magazine or website) has an eye-catching title, an engaging opening and often speaks directly to the reader with 'you' and rhetorical questions.
- A report is formal and objective: it has a clear title, often uses headings, presents facts or findings and usually ends with recommendations.
- A review (of a film, book, place or event) describes what it is, gives your opinion with reasons, and ends with a recommendation.
- An essay presents ideas or an argument on a topic: an introduction, main paragraphs each with a clear topic sentence, and a conclusion that gives your view.
- In a discursive (balanced) essay, discuss both sides before giving your opinion; in an argumentative essay, argue strongly for one side.
- Every text needs clear paragraphs, each with one main idea, in a logical order.
- Use linking words to show the relationship between ideas: addition (furthermore, moreover), contrast (however, on the other hand), result (therefore, as a result) and example (for instance).
- Persuasive devices include rhetorical questions, direct address ('you'), the rule of three and emotive language.
- Follow the instructions on form, audience and word count, and use the prompts or comments given in the task as starting ideas, adding your own ideas too.
📖 Key terms
- Article
- A piece of writing for a magazine, newspaper or website that informs or entertains readers.
- Report
- A formal, factual text that presents findings, often with headings and recommendations.
- Review
- A text that describes and evaluates something and recommends it or not.
- Discursive essay
- An essay that discusses both sides of an issue before reaching a conclusion.
- Rhetorical question
- A question asked for effect, not expecting an answer.
- Recommendation
- A suggestion about what should be done or whether something is worth trying.
- Linking word
- A word or phrase that connects ideas, such as 'however' or 'as a result'.
✏️ Worked example
Task: Your head teacher wants a report on the school canteen, saying what students like and suggesting one improvement. How should the report be organised?
- Identify form and reader: a report for the head teacher, so the register is formal and objective.
- Give it a clear title, e.g. Report on the School Canteen, and an introduction stating the purpose: 'The aim of this report is to ...'.
- Use a heading such as Positive features and present what students like, with evidence, e.g. 'Most students surveyed said ...'.
- Use a heading such as Recommendation and suggest one improvement with a reason.
- End with a short conclusion. Answer: title, introduction, headed sections for findings and a recommendation, formal language.
Make sure the form is obvious: a report needs a title and usually headings, a review needs a recommendation, and an article needs a title and an engaging opening.
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