The ability to write articles is one of the most powerful tools for any writer. An article is a written work that forms an independent part of a publication. For example, a news article is a single piece of news within a newspaper or newsletter. To better understand articles, you’ll need to know the different types of articles that are commonly seen.

Type 1: the list item

“Top 10 Hawaii Honeymoon Destinations”

“5 Simple Ways to Protect Yourself from Flood Damage”

“15 Ways to Run Over Your Own Foot With a Lawn Mower”

“Natural remedies to cure toothache”

“How to eat 100 hot dogs in under a minute!”

“4 steps to installing your new flat screen TV”

What do each of these have in common? They are all articles that will give you advice or suggestions based on a list. These articles are typically structured in a numbered list format with supporting information for each numbered item.

The number one positive of a list item is clear organization. A structured list facilitates viewing and allows the reader to “skim” the author’s points. People like to learn things that require very little investment of time.

The two types of sub-articles in this category are the “Steps” and the “How To” article. These are also known as “process articles” because they explain to the reader how to accomplish something in steps.

“10 Easy Steps To Earn Over Ten Million Dollars Online… In One Week!”

People like to do things in steps. A step-by-step guide helps readers put your advice or information into perspective, and ensures they can put the advice in your articles into practice.

“How to accelerate global warming”

Many “How To” articles will also feature an organizing list style. People expect a “How To” article that gives them specific information on how they can accomplish the desired task, and there are usually steps or topic points that correlate to how to accomplish a task. “How to” articles may or may not be numbered, but are usually broken down into topic-specific points that are clearly marked.

List articles are a popular article type that you’ll find on the web and in magazines, but they’re also commonly found in brochures, newspapers, and newsletters, as well as many other unconventional publishing methods.

Type 2: Story Elements

“Man Injured in Accident”

“The dog eats the shoe of a teenager”

“Margaret Thatcher: Self-Made Millionaire”

Story items can be viewed in different ways. The story can be time sensitive (news), human sensitive (human interest story), or related to a particular business or product (a third person testimonial story). Each of these is a series of article writing courses on its own. However, we will focus on the basics of a news article to report a current and newsworthy event.

Reporting on an unfortunate person, event, or occurrence is most likely done through a history article.

The key to story articles is to grab the reader’s attention and keep them reading the story to the end. Unlike list articles, history articles generally have a more complex organization, and the reader will need to keep reading to get the full story (rather than skimming through a set of basic points).

The number one way to keep a reader reading is to start with a strong first sentence that engages the reader and tells the main details of the story. Something like “A Wasilla teenager was arrested for destroying an elderly man’s car with a baseball bat in a Wal-Mart parking lot early Monday morning” or “Margaret Thatcher, an 80-year-old woman from Detroit, is experiencing the joy of becoming a millionaire in less than 4 weeks”.

I want to know more about these interesting stories. A good main prize will give the reader something interesting to think about and will cause the reader to ask questions. Why did the teenager go crazy? How the hell did an 80 year old woman become a millionaire so fast?

History articles are found primarily on the web, newspapers, and magazines, but they can be found in many other advertising media as well, and are a powerful way to bring a human touch and relevance to your writing.

Type 3: Personal Experience Articles

“How I Stopped Drinking”

“Surviving 5 Children”

“Overcoming the Impulse of Speed”

A personal experience article focuses on your own experience to teach or inform others about what you have learned. The key to these articles is to make them about the reader, and not about the author.

If you’re writing how you survived 5 children, of course you’re writing about the stress of being a parent. And while you may have experienced your share of spills, yelling, fighting, and sleepless nights, you need to make sure you engage with the reader. What can you share to help your reader cope with the difficulty of raising children, or what can they learn or how can they benefit from your experience?

A personal experience article can be particularly helpful to your reader, since you are getting information from someone who lived through it.

While these types of articles are not published as often as history or list articles, well-written personal experience articles are found in a variety of publications.

Type 4: Fact Articles

“Paris Hilton Biography”

“Mating Habits of the Green-spotted Leopard”

“Cars Made in 1929”

A factual article is an article that tells the facts. Simple enough? When you think of a factual article, think of Wikipedia, or better yet, an encyclopedia. Fact articles present facts about a topic we want to know more about.

One key to a factual article is to reference quality sources. Where did you get your information? If you want to seem like an expert or authority on the subject, you’ll need to tell the reader where you got your information from. Using quality reputable sources will give you credibility. Also, stay as impartial as possible. A factual article that uses opinion words is not really a factual article. It’s an opinion piece. You wouldn’t say “Theodore Roosevelt was the greatest president of all time” or “It’s fun to watch the leopard pair” because that’s an opinion. You just want the cold, hard facts.

Factual articles are typically published in encyclopedias, web encyclopedias, or informational websites, but don’t be surprised if you find factual articles published in newspapers, newsletters, and brochures.

Type 5: Opinion or Analysis Articles

“Why do I hate Burger King advertising?”

“America is the land of the free…sometimes.”

“McCann should stay in jail”

Opinion articles give the author’s opinion on a particular topic. For example, if you’re outraged that a company is taking advantage of its customers, you might share your opinion on the matter to let other people know.

The best type of opinion pieces are those that use analysis to support their opinion. You don’t want to just give your opinion, you want to show why your opinion is correct. To prove your point, you will need to cite facts and clearly state what is being argued.

Unlike factual articles, opinion articles are often biased because they take a stance on an issue.

Opinion articles are usually published in newspapers and on websites. They are also found in magazines (think fashion articles). Be careful when acknowledging opinion pieces, because some of them are presented as fact.

Other types:

Because there are so many different types of articles, it would be impossible to go through each type. There are many ways to approach articles, and sometimes the author will choose to combine different elements from different types of articles. For example, some prefer to write their personal experience articles in an easy-to-follow list format. Below are some other types of articles that you may come across as a writer.

review items

“The New Bond Movie: Flop”

“The new restaurant is top notch”

“ten reasons [Insert product] it’s a good value”

A review article analyzes a company, a service, an event or a product. A review is biased because the author will quantify the value of what they are reviewing. The best reviews establish a criteria according to which the reviewed article is established. For example, consider the statement: “The company is number one in writing services because it has an award-winning staff, free online courses, world-class writing services, great resources for writers, and a community that is dedicated to improving writing.” the quality of the writings. word.” Now, of course, each of these would need to be tested, and the author should consider what other sites online are offering these similar services, and how they rank. That’s what a review article is all about.

Recommended (or not recommended) articles

“Why you shouldn’t eat at McDonalds”

“Hanes underwear is the best”

“BlueStart Hosting increased the sales of my business”

The key to a recommendation article is to inform the reader about 1) what you are recommending and 2) why you recommend it. If you’re recommending a service, business, product, or event, the key is not to turn it into a sales pitch. It should be informative and present the facts of why you are recommending that the reader do something. For example, if you are recommending why someone should choose Hanes underwear, you can reference other brands of underwear and how they are not made from the same quality, comfortable fabric as Hanes. Let others know your personal experience as to why you recommend or do not recommend a certain product.

Other less common articles you can write: cause and effect articles, compare and contrast articles, and medical articles.

Use these different article archetypes and watch your success as a writer skyrocket.