UNIT 6
NEWSPAPER STYLE
1.Read the headlines taken from American and British newspapers and identify the means employed to make them striking.
2. Short words save space, and so they are very common in newspaper headlines. Some of the short words in headlines are unusual in ordinary language (e. g. curb, meaning ‘restrict’ or ‘restriction’), and some are used in special senses which they do not have in ordinary language (e. g. bid, meaning ‘attempt’). Other words are chosen not because they are short but because they sound dramatic (e. g. blaze, which means ‘big fire’, and is used in headlines to refer to any fire). The following is the list of common headline vocabulary.
Study the words consulting the dictionary. Try to anticipate their meaning in newspaper context.
3.In the headlines below substitute the words in brackets with the words from the box.
4.Very often use of ellipsis results in ambiguity in headlines. Consider the following examples:
5.Such misleading sentences are called Garden Path Sentences (the expression is derived from the corresponding idiom). Why are they funny? Is the ambiguity structural, lexical or pragmatic?
6.Make up brief news items to illustrate the headlines.
7.You are applying for a job of the headliner in Monday Weekly. You are to compose headlines using the themes below to demonstrate your skills. Be aware of the garden path sentences!