The Language of Headlines
The headline is the title given to a news item or a newspaper article. The main function of the headline is to inform the reader briefly of what the news that follows is about. Composing headlines is a real art requiring considerable creativity on the author’s part. Headlines are usually written in a sensational way in order to evoke the reader’s curiosity. As headline writers try to catch the reader’s eye by using as few words as possible the language headlines use is jocularly called Headlinese. This sublanguage has a number of style-forming features. The most important ones among them are the following:
(1) concise syntax presented by different kinds of sentences:
- full declarative sentences (“ Allies Now Look to London ”);
- interrogative sentences (“ Do You Love War? ”);
- rhetoric questions (“ The Worse the Better ”);
- nominative sentences (“ Gloomy Sunday ”);
- elliptical sentences:
(a) with an auxiliary verb omitted (“ Initial Report Not Expected Until June ”);
(b) with the subject omitted (“ Stole Luxury Cars by Photos ”);
(c) with the subject and part of the predicate omitted (“ Still in Danger ”)
- complex sentences (“ Senate Panel Hears Board of Military Experts Who Favored Losing Bidder ”);
(2) specific use of grammar:
- simple verb forms used (“ Queen Opens Hospital Today ”);
- sentences with articles omitted (“ Royal Family Quits ”);
- phrases with verbals:
(a) infinitive standing for “going to happen” (“ President to Visit Russia ”);
(b) participial and gerundial constructions expressing present time (“ Keeping Prices Down ”, “ Speaking Parts ”);
- use of direct speech (“ Who Oils the Wheels of Industry? ”);
- emotive syntax and vocabulary suggestive of approval or disapproval;
- allusive use of set expressions and sayings;
- the deliberate breaking-up of set expressions (“ Cakes and Bitter Beer ”);
- deformation of special terms (“ Conspirator-in-Chief ”);
- use of stylistic devices producing a strong emotional effect (“ And What About Watt? ”).
Exercises
Exercise 1.
Match the headlines designated with figures with their respective topics designated with letters.
Headlines:
1. PM BACKS PEACE PLAN
2. MP SPY DRAMA
3. SPACE PROBE FAILS
4. QUEEN GEMS RIDDLE
5. STAR WEDS
6. KEY WITNESS DEATH THREAT
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Topics:
(a) marriage of famous actress; (b) royal jewels are stolen; (c) person who saw crime is in danger; (d) proposal to end war; (e) satellite is not launched; (f) politician sells secrets to enemy.
Exercise 2.
Read the headlines taken from American and British newspapers and identify the means employed to make them expressive and stylistically marked.
- GOVERNMENT TO SLASH HEALTH EXPENDITURE
- MUCH ADO ABOUT MOZART
- $2M GEMS STOLEN
- PC SHOT IN BANK RAID
- THE GOLDEN EGG IS READY TO BE HATCHED
- ALL THE WORLD’S IN LOVE WITH SHAKESPEARE
- $3M DRUGS SEIZED AT AIRPORT
- WOMAN QUITS AFTER JOB ORDEAL
- TYPHOID SCARE IN SOUTHWEST
- WHY JEOPARDIZE THE INNOCENT? OTHER WAYS EXIST TO FIGHT CRIME
- MONEY LAUNDERING PROBE FOCUSES ON TWO SWISS COMPANIES
Exercise 3.
Newspaper headlines use a lot of distinctive vocabulary. They prefer words that are usually shorter and generally sound more dramatic than ordinary English words. Read the following correspondences between newspaper words and their meanings (noting that the words marked with * can be used either as nouns or verbs) and do the tasks that follow.
Aid* - help; axe* - cut, remove; back – support; bar* - exclude, forbid; bid* - attempt; blast* - explosion; blaze* - fire; boost* - incentive, encourage; boss*, head* - manager, director; clash* - dispute; curb* - restraint, limit; cut* - reduction; drama – tense situation; drive* - campaign, effort; gems – jewels; go-ahead – approval; hit – affect badly.
Task 1
Match the newspaper words designated with figures with their respective meanings designated with letters.
Newspaper words:
(1) key; (2) link; (3) move; (4) ordeal; (5) oust; (6) plea; (7) pledge; (8) ploy; (9) poll; (10) probe; (11) quit; (12) riddle; (13) strife; (14) talks; (15) threat; (16) vow; (17) wed.
Meanings:
(a) investigation; (b) push out; (c) essential, vital; (d) conflict; (e) promise; (f) election / public opinion survey; (g) clever activity; (h) marry; (i) connection; (j) leave resign; (k) step towards a desired end; (l) promise; (m) mystery; (n) painful experience; (o) danger; (p) request; (q) discussions.
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Task 2
Find dictionary definitions of the following words (arranged alphabetically). Try to anticipate their meanings in newspaper context.
A: alert.
B: BA, blow, bolster, boom, BR, brink.
C: campaign, cash, charge, City, claim (pay claim), clear, Commons, con, crash, cutback.
D: deadlock, demo, dole, due.
E: edge, envoy, EU.
F: flak, flare, foil, fraud, freeze.
G: gag, global, go for, goal, gun down.
H: hail, halt, haul, head for, hike, hitch, hold.
I: in (the) red, IRA.
L: landslide, lash, launch, lead, leak, leap, life, loom, Lords.
M: mar, mercy, mission, mob, MP.
N: nail, net.
O: odds, opt (for), out to.
P: pact, PC, peak, peg, peril, PM, push (for).
Q: quiz.
R: rap, rift, rock, row, rule out.
S: sack, saga, scare, scrap, seize, set to, shed, slam, slash, slate, slay, slump, soar, spark, split, spree, stake, stun, surge, swop.
T: toil, top, trio, troops.
U: Ulster, UN, urge.
V: VAT.
Task 3
In the headlines below substitute the words in brackets with the words from the introductory part of this exercise and tasks 1 and 2.
- AMERICA (supports) BRITISH PEACE MOVE
- NEW PRICE (restriction)
- NEW TRADE (connection) WITH PERU
- SIX DIE IN HOTEL (fire)
- JAIL BREAK (three people) RECAPTURED
- DEFENCE POLICY (changes)
- BIG RESPONSE TO (appeal for help) FOR FLOOD AID
- DOCTOR (is found innocent) OF DRUGS CHARGE
- SCOTTISH ROAD PLAN GETS (approval)
- (step) TO (encourage) TRADE LINKS WITH JAPAN
- DOCTORS (criticize) NEW MINISTRY PLANS
- JAPANESE WOMEN IN NEW EVEREST (attempt)
- TORIES AHEAD IN (election)
- MODERATES (are driven out) IN UNION ELECTIONS
Exercise 4.
Review the vocabulary from the previous exercise and do the following tasks:
Task 1
Find synonyms to the verbs in bold face. You may need to use more than one word.
Example: PM TO CURB SPENDING limit
1. CHANCELLOR CUTS INTEREST RATES
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2. BOMB BLASTS CENTRAL LONDON
3. PM PLEDGES BACKING FOR EUROPE
4. PRESIDENT HEADS PEACE MOVES
Task 2
Explain what the following headlines mean in ordinary English.
Example: SHOP BLAZE 5 DEAD five people died in a fire in a shop
1. MOVE TO CREATE MORE JOBS
2. GO-AHEAD FOR WATER CURBS
3. WOMAN QUITS AFTER JOB ORDEAL
4. POLL PROBES SPENDING HABITS
5. BID TO OUST PM
6. PRINCE VOWS TO BACK FAMILY
Exercise 5.
The use of ellipsis frequently results in ambiguity of headlines. Comment on ambiguous meanings of the following headlines:
1. FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE
2. IRAQI HEAD SEEKS ARMS
3. ENRAGED COW INJURES FARMER WITH AX
4. EYE DROPS OFF SHELF
5. SQUAD HELPS DOG BITE VICTIM
6. KILLER SETENCED TO DIE FOR SECOND TIME IN 10 YEARS
7. HOSPITALS ARE SUED BY 7 FOOT DOCTORS
8. NEW VACCINE MAY CONTAIN RABIES
9. NEW STUDY FOR OBESITY LOOKS FOR LARGER TEST GROUP
10. TYPHOON RIPS THROUGH CEMETERY, HUNDREDS DEAD
11. RED TAPE HOLDS UP NEW BRIDGE
Part 3
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