Headline Vocabulary

Another way to conserve space in headlines is to use short words instead of long ones. In the example below notice the various ways the headline writer can shorten the headline «MP criticizes dishonest election plan».

An average newspaper uses about one hundred easily-learned short words in its news headlines. Here are a few of the most common.

Probe –investigate, investigation

graft –corruption

bid –attempt, offer

row –quarrel or disagreement

There are, of course, many more words of the same kind that you will get acquainted with in the exercises that follow. It will be useful if you make your own list of these words.

Postreading exercises:

as you have just learnt, certain words are very often used in newspaper headlines because they are short or sound dramatic. Some of these words are not common in ordinary language or are used in a different sense. Headlines also omit certain words and use colloquial expressions, abbreviations and different verb tenses,

e.g. STAR TO WED(A film star is going to get married)

Exercise 1 For each of the following headlines find the sentence below which expresses it as it would appear in an ordinary news announcement.

«POLLS RIGGED» CHARGES

TWO SOUGHT AFTER BREAK-OUT DRAMA

CABINET RESHUFFLE URGED

SERVICE CHIEFS GAGGED: TWO QUIT

GEMS HAUL SEIZED IN SWOOP

1 Allegations have been made that election results were falsified.

2 Police raided a house and took possession of jewellery stolen in a recent robbery.

3 Police are hunting two men who made a daring escape from prison by helicopter.

4 Senior officers of the armed forces have been instructed not to talk to the media and, as a result, two of them have resigned.

5 Strong appeals have been made to the Prime Minister to take changes in his ministers.

Exercise 2 Match each of the following words from the headlines above with its meaning below.

Читайте також:

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
HEADLINES	\|	CHIEF DRAMA RESHUFFLE GAG GEMS SEEK/SOUGHT SWOOP POLL(S) QUIT RIG HAUL

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