Articles, reviews and speeches all reach a real audience and all live or die by voice. Each has its own conventions, yet each rewards a lively, confident writer who knows exactly who is reading or listening.
Writing articles
An article informs and entertains. It needs a punchy headline, an engaging opening that hooks the reader, developed middle paragraphs and a memorable ending. A strapline or standfirst can add appeal.
- Open with an anecdote, question or surprising fact.
- Use subheadings in a longer feature.
- Keep a consistent voice suited to the publication.
Writing reviews
A review evaluates, giving an honest, balanced judgement with reasons. Describe fairly, then assess, then recommend to a particular audience. Avoid spoilers and support opinions with specifics.
Writing speeches
A speech is written to be heard. Direct address, rhetorical questions and repetition help ideas carry to a listening crowd.
Write for the ear, not the eye: if it is hard to say aloud, rewrite it.
- Direct address: "You know this feeling."
- Anaphora: repeating an opening phrase for rhythm.
- A strong final line the audience will remember.
Voice above all
Across all three forms, the writer's personality should shine through in tone, humour and rhythm. A distinctive, controlled voice is what lifts higher-tier writing from competent to compelling.
Three forms, three jobs
The marks here are for voice and structure, not for facts. Getting the form's conventions right is what separates the bands.
| Form | What it does | Its shape |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Informs and entertains | Punchy headline → hook → developed middle paragraphs → memorable ending |
| Review | Evaluates, with an honest and balanced judgement | Describe fairly → assess → recommend to a particular audience |
| Speech | Reaches a live audience | Built for well-controlled rhetorical effect |
Openings that earn the hook mark
| Technique | What it does to the reader |
|---|---|
| An anecdote | Pulls them into a real moment before the argument starts |
| A question | Makes them supply an answer, so they are already involved |
| A surprising fact | Unsettles what they assumed, so they read on to resolve it |
In a longer feature, subheadings keep a reader oriented — and a standfirst beneath the headline draws them in before the first paragraph.