Types of Articles

We need to understand that there are many types of articles. There are mainly four types of discursive writings. Each of these types has a distinct and easy structure, and once you know what sort of writing you are doing, the rest of the article almost writes itself. The four types of structure are: argument, explanation, definition, and description. So, as you think about writing your first paragraph, ask yourself, what sort of article you are writing. For example, this article that I am writing is of a descriptive nature.

These are your choices of types of articles :

• Argument: convinces someone of something, It lets the reader know your stand on a particularsubject. And convinces people to accept one particular conclusion as opposed to someone else’s.
• Explanation: tells why something happened instead of something else. It takes a look at a particular event or situation and then explains the situations that led to the culmination of that event.
• Definition: states what a word or concept means. You can define by many ways. By using only a word, or a phrase, or make a story as an example for the word or action you are trying to describe.
• Description: identifies properties or qualities of things. It provides information about an object, person or a state of affairs and will contain a series of related sentences.

These being the main categories, let us see how they commonly appear in the print media.

Filler Article

As the name suggests filler is a short piece or article, usually around 250 — 300 words which editors of print magazine use to fill space.

Feature Article

The feature article is a general term which covers a large number of types of articles, such as:

News —An in-depth article covering current affairs.

Service Article — An article reviewing a consumer product or service,

How-to Article — How-to articles provide step-by-step advice, guiding the reader about the procedure to follow, anything from cooking recipes, to help with computer programs

Self-Help Article — As the name suggest, these article contain advice for readers on a variety of life situations.

Human Interest or “True Life” — Stories which feature the experiences of real people or real events which hold an interest for the wider audience.

Personality Profile — A profile of a celebrated individual.

Interview — A question and answer with a celebrated individual.

Exposé or “Investigative Piece” An article which uncovers previously unknown facts, normally concerning business, politics or celebrities. Eg. Tehelka

Travel Piece — As the name suggests, are reviews of locations and destinations for business or vacation around the world which examines the sights, experiences, and services which can be found.Each of these types has their own style of writing and words that indicate the category that they fall into.