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8 Grammar Rules For Newspaper Headlines

The document outlines eight grammar rules for writing newspaper headlines, emphasizing the use of present simple tense for past events and the omission of auxiliary verbs. It also advises using infinitives for future events, leaving out articles, and avoiding the verb 'to be'. Additionally, it suggests using punctuation to replace conjunctions and provides examples for each rule.

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61 views1 page

8 Grammar Rules For Newspaper Headlines

The document outlines eight grammar rules for writing newspaper headlines, emphasizing the use of present simple tense for past events and the omission of auxiliary verbs. It also advises using infinitives for future events, leaving out articles, and avoiding the verb 'to be'. Additionally, it suggests using punctuation to replace conjunctions and provides examples for each rule.

Uploaded by

M3xob
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

8 Grammar Rules for Newspaper Headlines

1. Use present simple tense for past events


The present tense (it does) is quick and current, and helps emphasise the action happening, rather
than its completion.
 Parliament confirms new stray dog policy
 Lion escapes zoo

2. Leave out auxiliary verbs


BE( is, are, was, were, am), Have, Do

 New policy decided by Parliament (New policy has been decided by Parliament)
 Lion escapes zoo – ten killed (ten people have been killed / were killed)
 Four stranded in sudden flood (four people have been stranded / were stranded)
 Temperatures rising as climate changes (temperatures are rising)

3. Use infinitives for future events


 Parliament to decide new policy tomorrow (Parliament is to decide / will decide a new policy
tomorrow)
 President to visit France for further talks (President is to visit / is going to visit France for further
talks later this week)

4. Leave out articles (a, an, the)


 Prime Minister hikes Alps for charity (The Prime Minister hiked the Alps)
 Man releases rabid dog in park (A man released a rabid dog in a park)

5. Leave out “to be”


 Residents unhappy about new road (Residents are unhappy…)
 Family of murder victim satisfied with court decision (Family of murder victim is satisfied…)

6. Leave out “to say”


 Mr Jones: “They’re not taking my house!”
 Bush on Iraqi invasion: “This aggression will not stand.”

Reported speech is usually represented by a colon, or a hyphen, with the subject introduced with
‘on…’. This includes leaving out other verbs such as comment, tell, argue, announce, shout – unless
the act of speaking needs emphasising, for instance to demonstrate a promise or official policy.

7. Replace conjunctions with punctuation


 Police arrest serial killer – close case on abductions
 Fire in bakery: hundreds dead

As with reporting speech, commas, colons, semi-colons, hyphens and so on can replace all
conjunctions, or some joining verbs, to join clauses. Commas may also be used to join nouns (more
common in American English).
 Man kills 5, self

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