Do your homework immaculately before writing an article

Articles in newspapers and magazines evoke thoughts in mind and arouse emotion in the heart of a reader. That is why a newspaper or magazine is known more for the quality of the articles carried in it than fame and fortune of its editorial team and the corporate houses which finance and control it. It means thought-provoking articles make the best parameter of excellence of print media. However, the task of writing such superb articles is pretty difficult. It is it not so easier as said to be.

Writing articles for the newspapers and magazines is a multifaceted task that considerably requires a beautiful combination of innovation, intuition, and investigation into a number of facts, figures and ideas. It is a beautiful art which needs to be honesty practiced and immaculately perfected. So if you want to succeed as a professional writer of articles you are required to master a string of writing rituals:

First, you must study newspapers and magazines thoroughly to know the following vital points -

1. The sorts of subject-matters on which they print and need articles.

2. About the quality and category of readers who read them.

3. The style and the standard of the language they use in their write-ups.

4. Taste and preference of a particular breed of editors.

5. Subjects they mostly prefer to publish the articles on.

6. Length of articles.

7. And how much they pay for your articles.

Besides, an article must be replete with information and wisdom for the readers. They say that for a writer nothing is more depressing than an article which smells of the stereotyped preaching or an ocean of obsolete information just like that of an Encyclopaedia Britannica. Obsolete information and outdated wits work as repellent for the readers.

So a writer must write an article which contains most updated and relevant information. They should be written on those subject matters which are still hot and fresh in the memory of the common masses. Contents must be crystal clear and flawless. They must also be free from any sort of ambiguity.

One more thing is very vital which needs to be kept in mind. Articles must be written in an easy and entertaining manner. While reading it the reader must have déjà vu feeling of that of smooth and majestic flow of water of a river. No hitch...no obstacle...so spontaneous... so natural... so calm...so cool... yet so greatly mesmerising both for the mind and the heart.

What a writer also must not forget is the fact that contents of the articles must not go above the heads of the readers. Otherwise they would be rejected outright. Following the afore-said norms religiously will make your article more relevant, highly readable and unbelievably usable for reference and record.

Choose the closest meaning of the words given in the capital letters -

1. Compeer

(A) comrade, a person of equal rank (B) immoral (C) whimsical

2. Impetuous

(A). rash, hasty (B) enormous (C) eternal

3. Glut

(A) Impromptu (B) passion (C) excess supply

4. Rancour

(A) preference (B) hatred (C) genuine

5. Seminal

(A) original, relating to semen or seed (B) serene (C) outstanding

6. Mucky

(A) rural (B) social (C) dirty

Answers: 1.A 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. A 6.C

Choose the word most nearly opposite to the words given in the capital letters

1. Rancid

(A) fresh (B) boring (C) encouraging

2. Clumsy

(A). dim (B) graceful (C) completely

3. Disciple

(A) dirty (B) leader (C) untruthful

4. Enlighten

(A) to pursue (B) to employ (C) to confuse

5. Enchant

(A) to evacuate (B) to bore, to tire (C) to finish

6. Primitive

(A) arrogant (B) cultured, sophisticated (C) approved

Answers 1. A 2. B.3.B 4. C 5. B 6.B

Words usually used in media

script - to record or write (The rural people are fast scripting the story of unbelievable successes in the IT sector, especially in the wake of globalization of the Indian economy.)

Scar - to have a permanent mark of wound or a cut (The Northeast states, scarred by years of insurgency, call for urgent action by the central government.)

Lethargy - the feeling of being lazy (The lethargy of the government in taking initiative to tide over the problem of unemployment has worsened the situation of famine in India.)

Heighten - to become more strong, to increase (The decline in the agricultural production over the past decade has heightened the fear among the people about worsening inflation crisis.)

Clout - power to influence other people's decisions (The bureaucrats' high-handedness in dealing with the matters of corruption cases displays nothing but their increasing political clout.)

Idioms

To prolong the agony – to cause a difficulty last longer (The failure of crops over the last five years in the country has prolonged the agony of the common masses.)

To come to pretty pass - to reach a state of bad condition (The boy kept on procrastinating preparation for the annual examination and now the situation has come to a pretty pass.)

Pyrrhic victory - the victory achieved at a very colossal cost (In this materialistic world people are hankering after money like a machine and finally lose health and balance of mind. Materialistic prosperity so obtained is nothing but Pyrrhic victory.)

To hold the purse string - to have control of expenditure (His wife started holding the purse string since the very day he got married.)

To touch someone on the raw - to upset someone by referring to a subject about which they are very sensitive (While speaking good orators always do their best not to touch the audiences on the raw.)

Phrasal verbs

To zip along - to move along at a fast pace (The cricket match started off at a very sluggish pace but after a few overs of power play it zipped along.)

To whip out - to take out or produce something with sudden movement (The robbers whipped pistols out of their pockets and asked the bus passengers to surrender their wallets to them.)

To give out- be broken or exhausted (Despite a series of failures in life he did not let his patience give out.)

To have a crush on - to love someone passionately but infatuatedly (It was really shocking for me to read a story of a very teenage girl who had had a crush on her teacher.)

To have a bearing on or upon – to affect or influence something (The demonetization step of the government will surely have some epoch-making bearing on the rate of inflation and standard of living of the poor segment of the society.)

Cuckold: Noun. An insulting term used for a man whose wife deceives him by having sex with another man.