Syllables, and writing an article

Syllables. A syllable is a single vowel sound in a word, a beat you can clap:

• tree (1);
• che-rry (2).

Clap these:

• moun-tains (2), grand-fa-ther (3), ten-der (2), dis-turbed (2);
• ca-ter-pil-lar (4), Hi-ma-lay-an (4), per-formed (2);
• in-ten-tion (3), slope (1), news-pa-per (3), fa-vour-ite (3).

Spelling can trick you. 'Disturbed' has eight letters but two beats, because the -ed adds no vowel sound. 'Slope' has five letters and one beat. Count vowel sounds, not letters.

Writing an article. An article is writing on one topic that shares the writer's own views. Articles appear in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and websites.

Layout: the title at the top; the writer's name just below it, as a byline.

Four paragraphs:

• 1. Introduce the topic and the main idea.
• 2. Give facts and advantages.
• 3. Give the consequences and disadvantages: what goes wrong if we don't act.
• 4. Offer suggestions, and end with hope, a warning, or a call to action.

An article always leads somewhere: to something the reader should think or do.

Example: 'Trees — Our Lifeline'. Trees are essential for life on Earth. They take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen, which reduces pollution, and they give us food, shelter, medicine, a cooler climate, and protection from soil erosion. Without trees, the air would be polluted and the planet barren. So trees are our true friends: protecting and planting them means a better future for everyone.