News Item

News Item :

 is factual text which informs the readers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

                 

Social function of news item is:

to inform readers, listeners or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

Generic structure:

  Newsworthy Event(s):  recounts the events in summary form

  Background Event(s):  elaborate what happened, to WHOM, in WHAT circumstances.

  Sources:  comments by participants in, witnesses to and authorities’ expert on the event.

Significant Grammar Features:

  Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline

  Generally using Simple Past Tense

  Use of Material Processes to retell the event

  Using Action Verbs, e.g.: were, run, go, kill, etc.

  Using Saying Verbs, e.g.: say, tell

  Focus on Circumstances

  Use of projecting Verbal Processes in Sources stages

There are some rules that can help to make newspaper headlines more comprehensible.

1.     The passive voice is used without the appropriate form of “be”.

Example:  build broken

Complete Sentence:  build is broken.

2.     It is unusual to find complex forms, generally the simple present form is used

Example:  earthquake destroys all of Aceh in December 2004.

Complete Sentence:  earthquake has destroyed all of Aceh in December 2004.

3.     The present progressive tense is used, usually to describe something that is changing or developing, but the auxiliary verb is usually left out.

Example:  President being confused because a problem

Complete Sentence:  The President is being confused because a problem.

4.     To refer to the future, headlines often use the infinitive.

Example:   President Of USA visit Indonesia

Complete Sentence:  The President Of USA is going to visit Indonesia.

5.     Headlines are not always complete sentences.

Example:  more problems in America

Complete Sentence: . more problems happened in America