At a glance
- 1Headlineshort and strong: "Fire Destroys Market"
- 2Reporter, place, dateStaff Reporter, Sylhet, 3 May
- 3First paragraph: the five Wswho, what, when, where, why
- 4Detailshow it happened, numbers, what people said
- 5Endingwhat will happen next
The five Ws and one H
- Who?the people
- What?the event
- When?the day and time
- Where?the place
- Why?the cause
- How?the way it happened
A model news report
Fire Destroys Twenty Shops in Town Market
Staff Reporter, Sylhet, 3 May
A big fire broke out at the town market last night at about 10 pm. Twenty shops were completely burnt, but no one was killed.
According to the fire service, the fire started from an electric short circuit in a cloth shop. Four fire engines came to the market, and the fire was brought under control after two hours.
"We have lost everything," said one shopkeeper. The loss is estimated at about 50,000 dollars.
The local council has formed a committee to find out the exact cause of the fire.
Report language
- Use the past tense: A fire broke out.
- Use the passive when the doer is not important: Twenty shops were burnt. The fire was brought under control.
- Give facts and numbers, not your feelings.
- Report people's words with said or according to.
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.