Writing is more art than science and we have heard of fabulous writers from Shakespeare to R K Narayan, from Charles Dickens to V S Naipaul and from Paulo Coelho to Anita Nair. Writing manifests itself in several forms. The writers named earlier are ones who are associated with fiction writing. Fiction writing is written from imagination but non-fiction writing is about real situations and real life incidents.
There are several types of non-fiction writing, such as news reporting, biographies, autobiographies and magazine article writing. You would have your own favourite magazines such as India Today, Outlook or Week among the English magazines from India and Time, Fortune and Forbes among the foreign magazines. Within these favourite magazines you could also have your favourite writer.
[readmore]Writing non-fiction calls for a good grasp of the subject and a good knowledge of the language. The magazine article writer has to capture the interest of the reader with his handling of the subject and by writing it creatively. He should be able to convey to the reader the gist of what he wants to say but also give the reader sufficient space so that he can think about the subject and make up his own mind on what is being discussed.
Magazine article writing requires research to be conducted on the subject and may involve personal interviews. The writer then puts all that he has learnt into the article and lets the reader be the judge of what he has written. Just like any other kind of writing the magazine article must have a central idea. The article must lead into the central idea, expand on it in the middle and finally conclude with the reinforcement of the message that is being conveyed.
Getting the hang of writing a magazine article would help children in their future personal and professional lives. The quiz that follows helps you to understand the rudiments of magazine article writing.
1.
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Which statement is not true of a magazine article? |
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A magazine article is a work of fiction. |
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A magazine article describes an experience or an event. |
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A magazine article describes a person or a place. |
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A magazine article offers advice and suggestions. |
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2.
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A magazine article can do what? |
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Provide information. |
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Provide alternate viewpoints. |
[ ] |
Criticise. |
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All of the above. |
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3.
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Which of these four sentences is true of a magazine article? |
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A magazine article should leave out relevant information. |
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A magazine article should leave out irrelevant information. |
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A magazine article should not be well researched. |
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A magazine article should not be written in clear and understandable language. |
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4.
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A magazine article has to have a particular format. Choose the correct format from the following options. |
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The article's format should follow the sequence: introduction - title - body - conclusion. |
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The article's format should follow the sequence: title - body - introduction - conclusion. |
[ ] |
The article's format should follow the sequence: introduction - body - conclusion. |
[ ] |
The article's format should follow the sequence: title - introduction - body - conclusion. |
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5.
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Which of the following four descriptions would fit a magazine article most? |
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The article is written by a prominent personality with a good command of the language. |
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The article is written by a celebrity with a good command of the language. |
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The article is written by a subject expert with a poor command of the language. |
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The article is written by a subject expert with a good command of the language. |
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6.
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The following four options refer to a magazine article. Which of the four would you consider as the best suited for a magazine article? |
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The article is well written and well researched and contains references to the latest research reports and an interview with a renowned subject expert. |
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The article is well written and well researched and contains references to latest research reports. |
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The article is well written and well presented with lots of opinions. |
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The article is well written and contains references to research reports that are not the latest. |
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7.
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The following four options refer to a magazine article. Which of the four would you consider as the best suited for a magazine article? |
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The article is excellently written and well researched but contains no references to the latest research reports. |
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The article is well written and well researched and contains references to the latest research reports without citations. |
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The article is well written and well researched and contains references to the latest research reports with clear citations. |
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The article is excellently written and contains references to opinions of celebrities. |
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8.
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A magazine editor would be more likely to accept which of these articles for publication? |
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One which is tailored to suit the magazine's target readers and written in a style that the writer is known for. |
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One which is tailored to suit the magazine's target readers and written in a style that mirrors the style of the magazine. |
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One which is tailored to suit the raging topic of the day and written in a style that mirrors the style of the magazine. |
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One which is tailored to suit the raging topic of the day and written in a style that the writer is known for. |
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9.
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You are writing an article on the subject of the Internet. Choose the title that will best attract the reader's attention. |
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The Internet has Many Pitfalls and Many Highs. |
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The Internet and its Advantages and Disadvantages. |
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The Pluses and Minuses of the Internet. |
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Do You Need To Be Connected? |
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10.
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A good magazine article should not do which of these options? |
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Over personalise. |
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Over emotionalise. |
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Extol the virtues of the writer. |
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All of the above. |
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1.
|
Which statement is not true of a magazine article? |
|
[x] |
A magazine article is a work of fiction. |
[ ] |
A magazine article describes an experience or an event. |
[ ] |
A magazine article describes a person or a place. |
[ ] |
A magazine article offers advice and suggestions. |
|
|
2.
|
A magazine article can do what? |
|
[ ] |
Provide information. |
[ ] |
Provide alternate viewpoints. |
[ ] |
Criticise. |
[x] |
All of the above. |
|
|
3.
|
Which of these four sentences is true of a magazine article? |
|
[ ] |
A magazine article should leave out relevant information. |
[x] |
A magazine article should leave out irrelevant information. |
[ ] |
A magazine article should not be well researched. |
[ ] |
A magazine article should not be written in clear and understandable language. |
|
|
4.
|
A magazine article has to have a particular format. Choose the correct format from the following options. |
|
[ ] |
The article's format should follow the sequence: introduction - title - body - conclusion. |
[ ] |
The article's format should follow the sequence: title - body - introduction - conclusion. |
[ ] |
The article's format should follow the sequence: introduction - body - conclusion. |
[x] |
The article's format should follow the sequence: title - introduction - body - conclusion. |
|
|
5.
|
Which of the following four descriptions would fit a magazine article most? |
|
[ ] |
The article is written by a prominent personality with a good command of the language. |
[ ] |
The article is written by a celebrity with a good command of the language. |
[ ] |
The article is written by a subject expert with a poor command of the language. |
[x] |
The article is written by a subject expert with a good command of the language. |
|
|
6.
|
The following four options refer to a magazine article. Which of the four would you consider as the best suited for a magazine article? |
|
[x] |
The article is well written and well researched and contains references to the latest research reports and an interview with a renowned subject expert. |
[ ] |
The article is well written and well researched and contains references to latest research reports. |
[ ] |
The article is well written and well presented with lots of opinions. |
[ ] |
The article is well written and contains references to research reports that are not the latest. |
|
|
7.
|
The following four options refer to a magazine article. Which of the four would you consider as the best suited for a magazine article? |
|
[ ] |
The article is excellently written and well researched but contains no references to the latest research reports. |
[ ] |
The article is well written and well researched and contains references to the latest research reports without citations. |
[x] |
The article is well written and well researched and contains references to the latest research reports with clear citations. |
[ ] |
The article is excellently written and contains references to opinions of celebrities. |
|
|
8.
|
A magazine editor would be more likely to accept which of these articles for publication? |
|
[ ] |
One which is tailored to suit the magazine's target readers and written in a style that the writer is known for. |
[x] |
One which is tailored to suit the magazine's target readers and written in a style that mirrors the style of the magazine. |
[ ] |
One which is tailored to suit the raging topic of the day and written in a style that mirrors the style of the magazine. |
[ ] |
One which is tailored to suit the raging topic of the day and written in a style that the writer is known for. |
|
|
9.
|
You are writing an article on the subject of the Internet. Choose the title that will best attract the reader's attention. |
|
[ ] |
The Internet has Many Pitfalls and Many Highs. |
[ ] |
The Internet and its Advantages and Disadvantages. |
[ ] |
The Pluses and Minuses of the Internet. |
[x] |
Do You Need To Be Connected? |
|
|
10.
|
A good magazine article should not do which of these options? |
|
[ ] |
Over personalise. |
[ ] |
Over emotionalise. |
[ ] |
Extol the virtues of the writer. |
[x] |
All of the above. |
|
|