LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

I.D.D.

SEMESTRUL I

TUTORAT 2

FEATURES OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINE

LECTOR. DRD. RAMONA MIHĂILĂ

FEATURES OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINE

1
 The headline is the article reduced to a few words. To save space, newspapers
abbreviate article titles and use short terms which are understandable to native
speakers, but which may be unfamiliar to non-native speakers. The headline of a
feature should identify the subject and it must attract and inform. To attract attention
the headline needs to be active, so it must contain a verb. But:

A Better Match for Capital Markets

(International Herald Tribune, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p. 17)

High Returns for a Risky Business

(Daily Mail, Wednesday, November15, 2000, p. 61)

The headline needs to be brief, concise, to make a vivid impression, so that the
reader can absorb the information at a glance:

British Companies
(The Sunday Times, September 30, 2001)

In headlines great currency is given to words which are short and emotive.
Words such as “blast”, “slam”, “slate”, “hit”, “attack” are preferred to the term
“criticize”. Confrontation, agreement, disagreement, alliance are described as being
“clashes”, “rows”, “battles”, “fights”.
Surprise developments are referred to “blows”, “shocks” and “bombshells”.
The neutral words “increase” and “decrease” are replaced by “soar”, “rocket”,
“boom”, “slash”, “cut”.
An investigation is a “blitz”, a “probe”, a “swoop”, and power is physically
characterized as “punch”, “muscle”, “bite” and even ”teeth”.
From a lexical point of view, newspaper headlines use a lot of distinctive
vocabulary. They prefer words that are usually shorter and generally sound more
dramatic than ordinary English words.

The words marked can be used as nouns or verbs.

Newspaper word Meaning

aid help, assistance

alert warning to be on the lookout for
smb.
axe cut, remove
back support
bar exclude, forbid
ban prohibition
be off decrease, appear less than
expected
bid attempt
blast explosion
blaze fire
blow set-back disappointment
boost incentive, encourage
boss / head manager, director

2
 bug disease, infection, virus
call (for) demand
clash dispute
cop policeman
crook criminal
curb restrain, limit
cut reduction
dash hurried journey
deadlock failure to reach agreement
deal agreement
drama tense situation
drive campaign, effort
eye look at eagerly, as an objective,
or to investigate
envoy ambassador
fear anxious expectation
flee to run away from smth.
gems jewels
go-ahead approval
go to be knocked down;
sold (of property);
dismantled (of institutions)
haul quantity of smth which has
been
gained, stolen, seized or
gathered
hike, a hike increase, especially in costs
hit affect badly
hold to detain in police custody
horror horrifying accident
hurdle obstacle
jail to imprison
key essential, vital
kid child
killing incident of manslaughter,
murder
lag, a lag delay, slow down
lash to attack verbally
link connection
loom to approach (of smth.
threatening)
mob large gang, uncontrolled
crowd
move step towards a desire end
net to capture
no refusal, rejection
ordeal painful experience
oust push out
peril danger
plea strong request

3
 pledge to promise
ploy clever activity
plunge dramatic fall
poll election/public opinion
survey
press to insist on smth.
probe investigation
quit leave, resign
raid to enter and search
rap strong criticism, reprimand
riddle mystery, puzzling incident
row disagreement, argument
scare alarm, panic
seek to request, look for, try to
obtain
shock unpleasant surprise
slam to criticize severely
slash reduce, cut an extreme degree
smash to break up, destroy
snub to turn down, to reject
soar to increase dramatically
spark cause, initiate, like the beginning of a
fire
storm violent disagreement
strife conflict
stun to surprise greatly, to shock
talks discussions
threat danger
toll number of people killed
tragedy fatal accident ending in death
urge to recommend strongly
vow promise, threaten
wed marry
win to gain, to achieve
woo to try to win the favor of

Here is a list of headlines that illustrates the lexical particularities discussed above:

aid: Nine Months Later, Balkan – Aid Project Is Being Funded

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 29, 2000, p.2)

Swissair to Fly Again, With State Aid

(International Herald Tribune, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p. 1)

back: Evidence backs rate cut

(The Guardian, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p. 25)

bid: To Thwart a Rival, Quebecor, Fund Make a Bid for Videotron

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.5)

4
 Arago Bids for Takeover of Pick
(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p.27)

boost: Power Reform Boosts Scottish

(The Times, Tuesday, September 25, 2001, p. 14)

Japanese Survey On Businesses Helps Boost Yen

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 29, 2000, p.2)

curb: Brazil’s Central Bank Curbs Surging Currency

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 29, 2000, p.24)

cut: Bush Pledges Aid For Jobless and More Tax Cuts
(International Herald Tribune, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p. 1)

U.S. Airlines Are Offering Steep Cuts on Fares

(International Herald Tribune, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p. 1)

move: European Parliament Moves Closer to Echelon Inquiry

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 29, 2000, p.2)

pledge: Government Pledges Loan for Swissair

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p.1)

Bush Pledges Aid For Jobless and More Tax Cuts

(Herald Tribune, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p. 1)

vow: Blair reaffirms vow to reform public services

(The Times, Tuesday, September 25, 2001, p. 14)

Newspaper headlines often use abbreviations:

BBC for British Broadcasting Corporation

MP for Member of Parliament
PM for Prime Minister
IRA for Irish Republican Army
UN for United Nations

Headlines also use acronyms: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome),
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries)
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Central Organization)
UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s
Emergency Fund)

and clippings: ad, advert (advertisement):

5
 Free Time Makes Cell-Phone Ads Easier to Accept
( The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000,
p.21)

bookie (book-maker) cabby (cabman)

coke (coca-cola) exam (examination)
mike (microphone) movie (moving picture)
phone (telephone) plane (airplane)
rep (business representative) TV or telly (television)

The newspaper headline English has grammatical lexical and semantic-

pragmatic characteristics. The language headline use is, consequently, unusual in a
number of ways.

Finger on the Trigger (rhythm)

(The Sunday Times, September 30, 2001)

A question can also express the topic of the article:

Is this the death of the salesman?

(Daily Mail, Wednesday, November 15, 2000, p. 47)

Are your shares out of fashion?

(Daily Mail, Wednesday, November 15, 2000, p. 65)

Grammar words like articles or auxiliary words are often left out:

Dollar Expected To March Forward Against Yen, Euro (auxiliary: to be)

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.21)

The passive voice is a useful variation. It can and should be used to put
emphasis where it belongs.

US Air Is Now Set to Restart Its Long - Awaited Turnaround

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.3)

Sterling Is Widely Expected To Weaken Against the Dollar

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Wednesday, March 29, 2000, p.24)

Newspaper headlines provide abundant examples of the significance of transitivity.

(Changes in active / passive patterns lead to different perspectives in the same event).

Budget for Defense Approved by Congress

(Washington Post, Monday, May 21, 2001, p.9)

The Congress is the agent, all attribute to it the action verb “approved” and the role
patient to the budget.

6
 The Imperative sounds as a piece of advice:

Tighten the purse strings

(Daily Mail, Wednesday, November15, 2000, p. 51)

Check small print for the best loans

(Daily Mail, Wednesday, November15, 2000, p. 61)

The Infinitive is used to express the fact that something is going to happen
in the future:

Baan to Detail Plans For Overhaul in April

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.5)

Chicago Exchanges To Explore Merger Amid Disagreement

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 29, 2000, p.24)

There are tenses frequently used in headlines and having their role in
interpreting and perceiving events.
The Simple Present Tense is a basic tense used in headlines. It is connected to the
present moment, the time of speaking.

Simple Present: Opel Shuffles Managers With Some Exiting Firm (Casualties
Are
Result of Battle for Market Share)-
(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.28)

Dot-Commerce in Asia Makes New Giants

(Companies Offer Online Goods to Suit Local Tastes)
(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.26)

Johnson & Johnson Defends Its Position As Share Plunge

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.4 )

Present Continuous: U.S. Households Are Pouring Money Into Stock Market–
(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000,
p.22)
- it means that something is going on right now

Present Perfect Simple: Technology whose time has come

(The Toronto Star, Saturday, July 7, 2001, p. 5)
- it is used in headline even though not so frequently. It serve to
locate an event within a period that began in the past and extends up to the present
moment, including the present moment

Past Tense: Twinhead and eBay sold Computers on German Site

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p. 6)

7
 - it is used to locate an event or state at some specified time in the
past

Future Simple: Stimulus Measures Will Result in a Deficit for the Fiscal Year–
(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p.1)
- it is not often used. The Infinitive or Be To Future are used
instead.

“Be to” future: Euronuclear, Sicovam Are Latest to Join Consolidation Wave–
(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p. 31)

Present Participle: Flying Without Wires (Amadeus Launches WAP Booking

Service) –
(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.33)
- it is often used as the subject of the topic

Past participle: Dollar Expected To March Forward Against Yen, Euro

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000, p.21)
- it is very often used as a part of the Passive Voice
Modal Verbs: Could: Maverick Programs Could Unleash Anarchy on the Web
( The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000,
p.33)
- it expresses an unrealized task

Can : Can Interim CEO Johnson Get Campbell Soup Cooking?

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000,
p.37)

May: Turkey’s Petkim May Offer Discount

(The Wall Street Journal Europe, Monday, March 27, 2000,
p.7)

Would: Would pharmacare be cheaper? (Drug Wars) –

(The Toronto Star, Saturday, July 7, 2001, p. 4)
- it is especially used in interrogative sentences

Need: Why pain for executives need not be too painful (Wall
Street
Diary) (The Times, Tuesday, September 25, 2001, p. 26)

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

- the simple past tense in regular verbs is formed by adding ed to the infinitive:
They owned the newspaper for a year.
- the simple past tense in irregular verbs is formed by choosing the second form
(see pages 10 – 12)

8
 He wrote an interesting article. (to write – wrote – written)

INTERROGATIVE: DID + Subject + VERB _infinitive?

Did they own the newspaper?
Did he write an interesting article?

NEGATIVE: Subject + DID NOT (DID’T) + VERB _infinitive

They did not (didn’t) own the newspaper for a year.
He did not (didn’t) write an interesting article.

The simple past tense is used:

- with adverbs or adverb phrases such as: yesterday, last (week, month, year),
…ago (two weeks ago), once upon a time
- for actions completed in the past at a definite time when the time is given-:
They employed this reporter last month.
- or when the time is asked about:
When did they employ this reporter?
- or when the action clearly took place at a definite time even though this time is not
mentioned:
How did he get his present job?

IRREGULAR VERBS (VERBE NEREGULATE)

Infinitive Past Tense Past Participle Traducere

be was / were been a fi

become became become a deveni
begin began begun a începe
bite bit bitten a muşca
bleed bled bled a sângera
blow blew blown a sufla, a bate
break broke broken a sparge
bring brought brought a aduce
broadcast broadcast broadcast a emite / transmite
build built built a construi
burn burnt burnt a arde
burst burst burst a izbucni
buy bought bought a cumpăra
catch caught caught a prinde
choose chose chosen a alege

9
come came come a veni
cost cost cost a costa
creep crept crept a se târî
cut cut cut a tăia
deal dealt dealt a face afaceri
dig dug dug a săpa
do did done a face
draw drew drawn a desena
dream dreamt dreamt a visa
drink drank drunk a bea
drive drove driven a conduce
dwell dwelled /dwelt dwelled /dwelt a locui
eat ate eaten a mânca
fall fell fallen a cădea
feed fed fed a hrăni
feel felt felt a simţi
fight fought fought a lupta
find found found a găsi
fly flew flown a zbura
forbid forbade forbidden a interzice
forget forgot forgotten a uita
forgive forgave forgiven a ierta
freeze froze frozen a îngheţa
get got got /gotten a obţine
give gave given a da
go went gone a merge
grow grew grown a creşte
hang hung hung a atârna
have had had a avea
hear heard heard a auzi
hide hid hidden a (se) ascunde
hit hit hit a lovi
hold held held a ţine
hurt hurt hurt a răni
keep kept kept a păstra
knell knelt knelt a îngenunchia
know knew known a şti
lay laid laid a pune, a aşeza
lead led led a conduce
learn learned /learnt learned /learnt a învăţa
leave left left a pleca, a părăsi
let let let a lăsa, a permite
lend lent lent a da cu împrumut
let let let a lăsa, a permite
lie lay lain a zăcea, a se situa
light lit lit a aprinde
lose lost lost a pierde
make made made a face, a fabrica
mean meant meant a însemna
meet met met a (se) întâlni

10
pay paid paid a plăti
put put put a pune
read read read a citi
ride rode ridden a călări
ring rang rung a cânta
rise rose risen a se ridica /înălţa
run ran run a alerga
say said said a spune
see saw seen a vedea
seek sought sought a cerceta, a căuta
sell sold sold a vinde
send sent sent a trimite
set set set a apune, a aranja
shake shook shaken a scutura
shine shone shone a străluci
shoot shot shot a împuşca
show showed shown a arăta, a indica
shut shut shut a inchide
sing sang sung a cânta
sink sank sunk a (se) scufunda
sit sat sat a şedea
sleep slept slept a dormi
smell smelled /smelt smelled /smelt a mirosi
speak spoke spoken a vorbi
spell spelt spelt a ortografia
spend spent spent a petrece, a cheltui
stand stood stood a sta in picioare
steal stole stolen a fura
stick stuck stuck a lipi
sting stung stung a înţepa
strike struck struck a lovi
strive strove striven a se strădui
swear swore sworn a jura / înjura
swim swam swum a înota
take took taken a lua
teach taught taught a preda
tell told told a spune, a povesti
think thought thought a gândi, a crede
throw threw thrown a arunca
understand understood understood a înţelege
undertake undertook undertaken a întreprinde
wake woke woken a se trezi
wear woke woken a purta
win won won a câştiga
write wrote written a scrie

11
THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

- it is formed by the past tense of the verb to be + the present participle

S1 (I, She, He, It) + was + verb _ing
She was interviewing two people at this time yesterday.
S2 (We, You, They) + were + verb _ing
They were presenting the news at this hour last evening.

INTERROGATIVE: Was + S1 + verb _ing?

Was she interviewing two people at this time yesterday?
Were + S2 + verb _ing?
Were they presenting the news at this hour last evening?

NEGATIVE: S1 + was not (wasn’t) + verb _ing

She was not (wasn’t) interviewing two people at this time yesterday.
S2 + were not (weren’t) + verb _ing
They were not (weren’t) presenting the news at this hour last evening.

The Continuous Past Tense is used:

- to express a past action in progress:
She was presenting the sports news.

- two parallel actions in progress:

She was interviewing people while / as / when he was recording.

- a past action in progress interrupted by a short past action:

She was presenting the sports news when someone entered the studio.

HOMEWORK: Translate into English:

1. Ruşii nu s-au supărat, când SUA au anunţat că se retrag din Tratatul Rachetelor
Antirachetă. (Antiballistic Missile Treaty)
2. Luptătorii afgani nu au putut să-i captureze pe toţi liderii talibani.
3. Avioanele americane au bombardat toate taberele de antrenament (training camp)
ale Al-Qaida.
5. În timp ce americanii îl căutau la Tora Bora, Osama bin Laden se afla în Pakistan.

12
6. Mollahul Omar a fugit cu motocicleta, de sub nasul forţelor speciale britanice.
7. George W. Bush a leşinat, în timp ce se uita la un meci de fotbal.
8. Administraţia de la Washington a îngheţat conturile teroriştilor.
9. Coreea de Nord a cerut SUA să nu-i mai sprijine pe sud-coreeni.
10. Dezastrul economic din Argentina a atins apogeul (to reach its climax) la sfârşitul
anul trecut.
11. Columbia s-a confruntat cu o gravă criză politică.
12. Parlamentul britanic a aprobat legea imigraţiei.
13. India a avertizat Pakistanul să nu-i mai susţină pe terorişti.
14. Guvernul de la Islamabad a trimis trei unităţi de blindate (armoured) la graniţa cu
India.
15. În timp ce elicopterele bombardau cartiere palestiniene, Ariel Sharon spunea că
Yasser Arafat nu mai e un interlocutor credibil pentru Israel.
16. Buldozerele au distrus o mare parte din Bethleem.
17. Mişcarea Hamas a revendicat atentatul din Ierusalimul de Vest.
18. La Bruxelles, NATO a examinat posibilitatea creării unui nou parteneriat cu Rusia.
19. Consilierii preşedintelui l-au avetizat pe acesta asupra posibilităţii izbucnirii unui
conflict nuclear.

Put the verbs in brackets into the simple or continuous past tense:
1. The aeroplane in which the football team (travel) (crashed) soon after taking off.
2. He said that he (be) the captain of a ship which (sail) that night for Constanţa.
3. It (be) a fine day and the roads (be) crowded because a lot of people (rush) to the
seaside.
4. As they (climb) the ladder it (slip) sideways and they (fall) off it.
5. There had been an accident and men (carry) the injured people to an ambulance.
6. Two men (fight) at a street corner and a policeman (try) to stop them.
7. The exam had just begun and the candidates (write) their names.
8. He (play) the guitar outside her house when someone (open) the window and
(throw) out a bucket of water.
9. The burglar (open) the safe when he (hear) footsteps. He immediately (put( out his
torch and (crawl) under the bed.
10. He (clean) his gun when it accidentally (go) off and (kill) him.
11. While the guests (dance) thieves (break) into the house and (steal) a lot of coats.
12. The next day, as they (know) that the police (look) for them, they (hide) the fur
coats in a wood and (go) off in different directions.
13. The murderer (carry) the corpse down the stairs when he (see) someone coming.
14. The prisoner (escape) by climbing the wall of the garden where he (work). He
(wear) blue overalls and black shoes.
15. While he (make) his speech the minister suddenly (feel) faint. But someone
(bring) him a glass of water and after a few minutes he (be able) to continue.
16. As we (come) here a policeman (stop) us. He (say) that he (look) for some stolen
property and (ask) if he could search the car.
17. The curtain just (rise) when somebody at the back of the theatre (shout) “Fire”.
The audience (look) round nervously.

13