What you'll learn
- How an article is different from a speech, letter or essay.
- How to build an article from headline to final statement.
- How to sound opinionated, persuasive and controlled.
- How AQA rewards article writing through AO5 and AO6.
Where articles appear in GCSE English Language
In AQA GCSE English Language 8700, article writing usually appears in Paper 2 Section B: Viewpoint Writing. Paper 2 lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and is worth 80 marks, which is 50% of the GCSE.
The Section B writing task is compulsory. It is worth 40 marks: 24 marks for AO5, which rewards clear communication, ideas and organisation, and 16 marks for AO6, which rewards vocabulary, sentence structures, spelling and punctuation.
Viewpoint writing
Viewpoint writing is non-fiction writing where you express a clear opinion about an issue and try to shape how the reader thinks or feels.
Form
Form means the type of writing the question asks for, such as an article, letter, speech or leaflet. Form affects how your writing looks, how it opens, and how you speak to the reader.
What is an article?
An article is a piece of non-fiction writing usually written for a public audience, such as readers of a newspaper, magazine or website. In GCSE Language, it is normally opinion-led, meaning your viewpoint should be clear from early on.
Audience
The audience means the people your writing is aimed at. For an article, this might be students, parents, local residents, newspaper readers or the general public.
An article does not need an address, date, “Dear Sir/Madam”, or “Good morning everyone”. Those belong to other forms.
Article basics
A strong GCSE article usually has a headline, an engaging opening, a clear viewpoint, organised paragraphs, relevant examples, persuasive rhetorical devices, and a memorable final statement.
This diagram shows the usual shape of a GCSE article, from headline to final statement.
The headline
Headline
A headline is the title of an article. It should quickly suggest the topic, angle and mood of your piece.
A good headline is usually short, focused and interesting. It can use a question, contrast, alliteration, or a bold phrase — but it must still fit your argument.
Weak headline: “An Article About Volunteering”
Stronger headline: “Teen Volunteers: the Community Force We Keep Ignoring”
Creating a focused headline
Suppose the task is to write an article arguing that teenagers should have more chances to volunteer.
- Identify the topic and stance: the article is about teenagers, volunteering, and the belief that this should happen more often.
- Choose the angle: the article will present teenagers as useful, overlooked citizens, not as lazy or selfish.
- Shape it into a concise headline: “Teen Volunteers: the Community Force We Keep Ignoring”. The colon creates a punchy split, and “force” suggests energy and power.
Using the task as the headline
Do not simply copy the exam task as your title. A headline like “Write an Article About Homework” does not sound like a real article and shows little control of form.
The engaging opening
Hook
A hook is an opening technique that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to keep reading.
Your opening should not begin with “I am writing this article to…” That sounds flat and artificial. Instead, begin with something that draws the reader into the issue: a short anecdote, a vivid image, a surprising contrast, or a direct question.
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short example or mini-story used to make a point feel real and relatable.
Building an engaging opening
Suppose your article argues that schools should teach money management.
- Begin with a relatable situation: “You get your first payslip, open your banking app, and suddenly the numbers feel less like freedom and more like a puzzle.”
- Widen the issue: “Yet many young people leave school knowing how to solve equations but not how to budget for a normal month.”
- State the viewpoint clearly: “Financial education should not be an optional extra; it should be a basic part of preparing us for adult life.”
A clear viewpoint and controlled tone
Viewpoint
A viewpoint is your opinion or position on the issue. In an article, the reader should quickly understand what you think.
Tone
Tone means the attitude or voice of your writing. It might be serious, humorous, urgent, thoughtful, angry or hopeful.
For GCSE article writing, the best tone is often opinionated but controlled. This means you sound confident and passionate, but not rude, childish or aggressive.
You can be forceful without ranting. Use words like must, should, need to, and cannot ignore to show conviction. These are called modal verbs, which are verbs that express possibility, necessity or certainty.
Turning a rant into controlled argument
Original rant: “Anyone who thinks exams are fair is completely clueless.”
- Remove the personal insult because it makes the writer sound unreasonable rather than persuasive.
- Add a concession, which is a brief recognition of the opposite view: “Of course, exams can reward discipline and revision.”
- Return to the main argument with a reason: “However, they are too often treated as the only measure of intelligence, ignoring creativity, resilience and practical skill.”
Improved version: “Of course, exams can reward discipline and revision. However, they are too often treated as the only measure of intelligence, ignoring creativity, resilience and practical skill.”
Sound passionate, not furious
If your sentence attacks people instead of ideas, soften it. A controlled article challenges beliefs, systems or decisions — not the reader personally.
Paragraphs that develop an argument
Paragraph
A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea. Paragraphs help the reader follow your argument.
Each body paragraph should do a job. It might explain one reason, give an example, challenge an opposing view, or explore a consequence.
Topic sentence
A topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a paragraph. It introduces the main idea of that paragraph.
A useful article paragraph pattern is:
- Point: make one clear argument.
- Develop: explain why it matters.
- Example: add a realistic example, anecdote or general evidence.
- Link: connect back to your overall viewpoint.
Counterpoint and rebuttal
A counterpoint is an opposing view you briefly recognise. A rebuttal is your answer to that opposing view.
Developing one body paragraph
Suppose your article argues that cars should be restricted near school gates.
- Choose one focused point: instead of saying “cars are bad”, focus on student safety.
- Develop the point by explaining the everyday problem: crowded roads, rushed drivers and poor visibility make the school gate a risky place.
- Add a realistic example and link it back: “When dozens of cars squeeze into the same narrow road at 8.30, pupils are forced to weave between bumpers just to reach the pavement. Restricting cars near school gates would not punish parents; it would protect children.”
Listing points instead of developing them
Do not write five tiny paragraphs that each make a new point but explain nothing. Fewer, deeper paragraphs usually score better for organisation and development.
Examples and evidence
Example
An example is a specific detail used to support your argument. It makes your opinion feel grounded rather than vague.
In an article, examples can include everyday situations, school experiences, local community issues, historical references, or broad social observations. You can use statistics, but avoid making up precise numbers that sound fake. A believable example is usually better than a suspicious “97.3% of people agree…” statistic.
For example:
- Vague: “Social media is bad.”
- Better: “When students are expected to reply instantly to messages, even homework time can feel like public performance.”
- Even better: “When students are expected to reply instantly to messages, homework time stops being private concentration and becomes another stage for comparison.”
Rhetorical devices
Rhetorical devices
Rhetorical devices are writing techniques used to influence, persuade or engage the reader.
Useful article devices include:
| Device | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rhetorical question | A question asked to make the reader think, not because you need an answer | “Why should young people inherit a problem they did not create?” |
| Direct address | Speaking directly to the reader using “you” | “You see the problem every time you walk through town.” |
| Triplet | A list of three words or phrases | “Cleaner streets, safer roads, stronger communities.” |
| Repetition | Reusing a word or phrase for emphasis | “We need action in our schools, action in our homes, action in our government.” |
| Emotive language | Words chosen to create feeling | “No child should feel invisible in a crowded classroom.” |
Devices need purpose
Rhetorical devices only help if they strengthen your argument. Do not overload every sentence with questions, exclamation marks and dramatic language.
Using devices without overloading
Plain point: “Libraries are important and should stay open.”
- Add direct address to involve the reader: “You may not use your local library every week, but someone does.”
- Add a triplet to show range: “For jobseekers, young readers and isolated older people, it is more than a building.”
- Finish with a rhetorical question that pushes the argument: “If we close the doors on libraries, what exactly are we opening instead?”
The final statement
Final statement
A final statement is the closing sentence or short closing paragraph that leaves the reader with your strongest message.
Your ending should not introduce a brand-new argument. It should bring the article together and leave the reader thinking. You might echo the headline, return to your opening image, or end with a call to action.
Writing a memorable final statement
Suppose your article argues that local parks should be protected.
- Return to the central value of the issue: parks are not just “green spaces”; they are shared spaces for health, play and community.
- Create a clear contrast: losing parks means gaining concrete but losing connection.
- End with a compact final statement: “A town without parks may have more buildings, but it has far less room to breathe.”
Ending with 'That is my article'
Never end by announcing that you have finished. Your final line should complete the argument, not comment on the writing task.
Quick article checklist
Before you write, think HAVE:
- Headline: does it sound like an article?
- Angle: is your viewpoint clear?
- Voice: is your tone confident but controlled?
- Ending: does the final statement leave an impact?
In the exam
- Spend a few minutes planning your headline, viewpoint and 3–4 paragraph route before you start writing.
- Make the article form obvious: use a headline, an engaging opening, clear paragraphs and a strong final statement.
- Aim for AO5 by developing ideas in a logical order, using examples and keeping the reader engaged.
- Aim for AO6 by checking sentence boundaries, commas, apostrophes, spelling and ambitious but accurate vocabulary.
Check yourself
- Can you explain the difference between an article opening and a speech opening?
- Does your article have a clear viewpoint by the end of the first paragraph?
- Have you used rhetorical devices to support your argument rather than decorate it?
