Checkpoint 8 · Paper 1 writing (non-fiction)

Newspaper Report — Writing Pack

How to write a full-mark newspaper report for Paper 1: features, the inverted-pyramid structure, the 5 Ws lead, quotations, useful phrases and a strong 350+ word sample.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 8 English (Cambridge Lower Secondary 0861)

A newspaper report tells readers about a real event quickly, clearly and fairly. It is one of the most useful non-fiction genres for Paper 1, because once you know its fixed shape (headline, byline, a lead paragraph that answers the 5 Ws, details, quotations and an ending that looks forward) you can write one about almost any event: a school trip, a storm, a charity day, an accident, a competition. This pack follows the order used in class: what it is, its features, how to structure it, useful phrases and vocabulary, a strong sample, and finally the mistakes to avoid and a practice task.

1. What is a newspaper report?

A newspaper report is a type of recount written for the public. The first paragraph gives the reader a short summary of the whole story. The paragraphs after it add more detail, explanations and quotations from people who were there, and the final paragraph explains how the story ended or what will happen next.

Question	Answer for a newspaper report
Purpose	To inform readers about an event that has happened (or is still happening). It may also interest them, but it does not try to persuade.
Audience	Readers of a school, local or national newspaper — or its website. They want the important facts fast.
Tone	Formal, objective (neutral) and factual. The reporter does not give a personal opinion. Other people's opinions appear only inside quotations.
Voice and tense	Third person (he, she, they, the students). Mainly the past tense for what happened. Present tense for the situation now. Future forms for what will happen next.
Where it appears	Paper 1 Non-fiction, Section B Writing. A task may say 'Write a report for your school newspaper…' or 'Write a news article about…'.

Exam fact	What it means for you
Paper	Paper 1 Non-fiction (Stage 8 Progression Test and Checkpoint 0861 have the same format).
Paper length	1 hour 10 minutes for the whole paper: Section A Reading (25 marks) + Section B Writing (25 marks).
Writing time	About 35 minutes is suggested for Section B (some 2023 papers said 30 minutes).
Number of tasks	One extended writing task. There is a planning space. Planning is not marked, but it saves marks.
This genre	A newspaper/news report is a framework non-fiction text type that can appear in Section B. Article and review are the genres confirmed most often in recent papers, so learn the difference between a report and an article (table below).

How your report is marked (25 marks)

Category	Marks	Bands	What the top band needs in THIS genre
Creation of texts (content & purpose)	5	[1] [2] [3] [4–5]	Every task bullet covered and developed. Consistently objective, informative viewpoint. The reader trusts the reporter (names, times, numbers, quotations).
Vocabulary and language	3	[1] [2] [3]	Precise, formal news vocabulary (evacuated, confirmed, disruption) and varied reporting verbs, chosen for effect.
Structure of texts (text structure)	7	[1] [2–3] [4–5] [6–7]	Full report layout (headline, byline). Lead paragraph with the 5 Ws. Logical paragraphs in order of importance. Smooth links. A clear ending about what happens next.
Grammar and punctuation (sentence structure, punctuation & grammar)	7	[1] [2–3] [4–5] [6–7]	Varied sentences (short for impact, complex with relative clauses), accurate tenses, passive voice, correctly punctuated quotations, dashes/semicolons used correctly.
Word structure (spelling)	3	[1] [2] [3]	Ambitious words spelt correctly (e.g. occurred, eyewitness, rescheduled, disappointed).

Marking rules you must know

The examiner uses 'best fit': each category is judged on its own, starting from the lowest band.
20 words or fewer scores 0. Between 21 and 60 words can score no more than 7 marks in total — so always finish a full piece.
Writing the wrong text type is expensive: in recent mark schemes Creation is capped at 1 and Structure is capped (at 3, or 2 if the content is also wrong).
Your plan is not marked, but students who plan for 4–5 minutes almost always score higher in Structure.

Newspaper report or magazine article?

Students lose many marks by mixing these two genres. If the task says report, write a report — not a chatty article full of your feelings.

Feature	Newspaper report	Magazine article
Main purpose	Inform: what happened?	Inform and entertain. Often gives the writer's view
Opening	Lead paragraph with the 5 Ws in one or two sentences	A hook: question, anecdote, surprising fact
Opinion	Avoided. Opinions only appear in quotations	Expected and welcome
Person	Third person	Often first person (I, we) and direct address (you)
Language	Precise, neutral, factual. Passive voice is common	Lively, descriptive, can be humorous
Ending	What happens next / where the story stands now	A final thought, advice or recommendation

2. Features of a newspaper report

Feature	Why it is used	Example
Headline	Grabs attention in 4–6 words. Sums up the story	Flood Fails to Stop Football Final
Byline	Shows who wrote the report	By Salma Nabil, School Reporter
Lead (orientation) paragraph	Answers Who? What? When? Where? (and often Why?) at once	Over 300 pupils were moved to safety yesterday when a water pipe burst at Riverside School.
Third person, mostly past tense	Keeps the report objective	The firefighters arrived within ten minutes.
Facts, figures and names	Make the report sound accurate and trustworthy	The event raised 18,500 pounds for the children's hospital.
Direct quotations	Let eyewitnesses and experts speak. Add human interest	“I heard a loud crack,” said caretaker Hany Mahmoud.
Reported speech	Summarises what people said without quoting every word	Police said that the road would reopen by midnight.
Reporting verbs	Avoid repeating 'said'	explained, confirmed, added, admitted, warned, described
Passive voice	Focuses on the event, sounds formal	The match was postponed. Two players were treated for minor injuries.
Formal, precise vocabulary	Sounds professional	evacuated, disruption, eyewitness, subsequently
Background paragraph	Gives context: has this happened before?	This is the second storm to hit the region this month.
Concluding statement	Explains the outcome or the next step	The competition will now take place next Tuesday.
Photograph and caption (optional)	In a real paper an image supports the story. In the exam you may write a caption line in brackets, but it is not required	[Photo: Volunteers clearing the track on Thursday afternoon]

Headline tricks

Alliteration: Brave Boys Beat the Blaze
Rhyme: Heat Can't Beat the Street Feast
A pun or play on words: Students Raise the Bar (for a weightlifting record)
A short question: Who Took the Trophy?
Headlines often drop small words (the, a) and use the present tense even for past events: School Bus Rescues Stranded Hikers. Capitalise the main words.

3. How to structure a newspaper report

Reporters use the inverted pyramid: the most important information comes first, and the details become smaller and less important as you go down. A reader who stops after the first paragraph should still know the main story.

Part	What to write	Length / tips
Headline	A short, catchy title that sums up the story	4–6 words. Capitalise main words
Byline	By + reporter's name (+ role)	One line, e.g. By Adam Hesham, Year 8 Reporter
Paragraph 1 — Lead	Who? What? When? Where? (Why?) — the whole story in brief	1–3 sentences. Start with the most dramatic or important fact
Paragraph 2 — What happened	The events in more detail, in a clear order	Use time connectives: shortly after, within minutes, by midday
Paragraph 3 — Eyewitness quotation	What a person who was there saw and felt	Quotation + reporting verb + who they are (name, age, role)
Paragraph 4 — Expert or official quotation	What a teacher, police officer, doctor or organiser said	Explains why or how. Adds authority
Paragraph 5 — Background / effects	Damage, numbers, causes, similar events in the past	Facts and figures. Careful words like reportedly, according to
Final paragraph — Conclusion	How the story ended or what happens next	Look to the future. A calm, memorable last line

Always cover the task bullets. If the task asks you to include, for example, 'what happened, how people reacted and what will happen next', make sure each of these has its own paragraph. The body of a report always depends on the prompt — read it twice and tick each point as you plan.

The 5 Ws planning grid (do this in 2 minutes)

Who? the people involved (name them, give ages or roles)
What? the event in one sentence
When? day, date, time
Where? exact place
Why / How? the cause, or how it happened
Then add: 1 eyewitness quotation, 1 official quotation, 1 number/fact, 1 'what next'.

How to start: five lead paragraphs

Drama first: Firefighters battled flames for three hours on Saturday night after a fire broke out in the kitchen of a popular restaurant on Tahrir Street.
Numbers first: More than 600 runners took part in the city's first Charity Fun Run on Friday morning, raising thousands of pounds for local hospitals.
Surprise first: A Year 8 student from Cairo has become the youngest winner in the history of a national science competition.
Community reaction first: Residents of Maadi woke up yesterday to the news that their much-loved public library will close for six months.
Ordinary-turned-extraordinary: What began as a normal school trip to the Red Sea turned into a rescue mission on Tuesday, when pupils spotted a stranded dolphin close to the shore.

How to end: five closing paragraphs

What happens next: The final has been rescheduled for next Monday, and tickets already bought will still be valid.
Investigation: Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, and anyone with information has been asked to contact the police.
Lasting effect: For the pupils involved, it is a day that will not be forgotten for a long time to come.
Appeal: Organisers have appealed for more volunteers to help with next year's event.
Calm final image: By evening, the lights were back on, the roads had reopened and the town had begun to return to normal.

4. Useful phrases and vocabulary

Lead paragraph (the 5 Ws)

In an event that has left the whole [school/town] talking, [event] took place yesterday in [place].
On [day], what began as an ordinary [day/event] quickly became one to remember when [event].
Residents of [place] were left [shocked/delighted] on [day] after [event].
[Number] [people] were [evacuated/rescued/honoured] on [day] when [event].

Developing the story

According to those present, [detail], leaving many people [surprised/concerned].
Within minutes, [what changed].
Officials confirmed that [fact], adding that [further detail].
The event, which lasted [time], had a serious impact on [people/place].
Eyewitnesses described [what they saw].

Introducing quotations

“…,” said [name], [age/role].
“…,” explained [role] [name]. “…”
Speaking after the event, [name] admitted: “…”
[Name] described the moment as “…”.
A spokesperson for [organisation] confirmed that…

Background and effects

This is not the first time [event] has happened in [place]. A similar incident was reported in [year].
Experts have suggested that [cause], though further information is expected soon.
The [storm/fire] reportedly caused [damage].
As a result, [effect].

Conclusion

As the story continues to unfold, [place] waits for further news.
[Event] will now take place on [date], weather permitting.
Both residents and officials agree that the day will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Investigations are ongoing, and an update is expected later this week.

Word / phrase	Meaning / use
eyewitness (n.)	a person who saw the event happen — An eyewitness described a loud crash.
spokesperson (n.)	a person who speaks officially for a group — A spokesperson for the school issued a statement.
resident (n.)	a person who lives in a place — Residents were advised to stay indoors.
casualty (n.)	a person hurt or killed in an event — Fortunately, there were no casualties.
aftermath (n.)	the period after a serious event — In the aftermath, volunteers cleared the streets.
disruption (n.)	a serious interruption to normal activity — The storm caused widespread disruption.
evacuate (v.)	to move people away from danger — Forty families were evacuated overnight.
confirm (v.)	to say that something is definitely true — The hospital confirmed that all patients were safe.
urge (v.)	to strongly advise — Police urged drivers to avoid the area.
occur (v.)	to happen (formal) — The accident occurred shortly after dawn.
restore (v.)	to bring back to normal — Power was restored by midnight.
unprecedented (adj.)	never having happened before — The response was unprecedented.
extensive (adj.)	covering a large area — The building suffered extensive damage.
reportedly (adv.)	according to what people say — The hall was reportedly empty at the time.
subsequently (adv.)	afterwards — The road was subsequently reopened.

Reporting verbs instead of 'said'

explained · added · confirmed · admitted · warned · insisted · described · revealed · claimed · stated · praised · recalled. Choose the verb that fits the speaker's purpose: a police officer warns, a proud head teacher praises, a nervous winner admits.

5. Strong sample answer

Newspaper report: a Sports Day interrupted413 words · Strong answer — Creation 5/5 · Vocabulary 3/3 · Structure 7/7 · Grammar & punctuation 7/7 · Spelling 3/3

Task: Last week a sudden sandstorm interrupted your school's Sports Day. Write a report for your school newspaper about what happened. In your report you should include: • what happened and when • how students, staff and parents reacted • what will happen next.

Sandstorm Stops Sports Day in Its Tracks

By Omar Fathy, Year 8 Reporter

More than four hundred students were led to safety on Thursday morning when a sudden sandstorm swept across the playing fields of Palmview International School in New Cairo, bringing the school's annual Sports Day to a dramatic halt. Nobody was injured, but the event — which families had been looking forward to for weeks — was abandoned shortly after ten o'clock.

The day had begun in bright sunshine. The 100-metre sprints were already under way, and hundreds of parents had gathered in the stands to cheer. At around 9:45 a.m., however, a thick wall of orange dust appeared on the horizon. Within minutes, the wind had strengthened, visibility had fallen to a few metres and the finishing line had disappeared completely from view.

Teachers acted quickly. Following the school's emergency plan, staff blew their whistles, gathered each class at its marked meeting point and walked the students calmly into the main sports hall. Parents were directed to the school theatre, where bottles of water and face masks were handed out.

“One moment I was about to start the relay, and the next I couldn't even see my own feet,” said Year 8 runner Youssef Adel, 13. “It was frightening, but the teachers knew exactly what to do, so nobody panicked.”

Head of PE Mr Karim Salah praised the students' behaviour. “Safety always comes first,” he explained. “We practise our evacuation drill every term, and today that practice paid off. Every single child was inside within eight minutes.”

The storm, which lasted almost two hours, left a layer of sand across the track, the seating and the car park. Several cars were reportedly covered so heavily that their owners needed help to clear the windscreens before driving home. According to local forecasters, strong spring winds of this kind are common at this time of year; they can carry desert dust for hundreds of kilometres. This storm, however, arrived with very little warning.

Not everyone was disappointed. “Honestly, it was the most exciting Sports Day ever,” joked one Year 7 pupil, as students swapped stories over sandwiches in the hall.

The school has confirmed that the competition will be rescheduled for next Tuesday, weather permitting. Medals already won in the morning events will be presented at a special assembly on Sunday. In the meantime, a team of caretakers has begun the long task of sweeping the track — one grain of sand at a time.

Why this gets the marks

Creation 5/5 — every task bullet is fully developed: what happened and when (paragraphs 1–2), reactions of students, staff and parents (paragraphs 3–6), what happens next (final paragraph). The tone stays objective throughout. Feelings appear only inside quotations.
Creation — the writer–reader relationship is right for a newspaper: precise names, ages, roles, times and numbers (four hundred students, 9:45 a.m., eight minutes) make the report trustworthy.
Vocabulary 3/3 — precise, journalistic words chosen for effect: abandoned, visibility, evacuation drill, reportedly, rescheduled, weather permitting. Varied reporting verbs (said, praised, explained, joked, confirmed).
Structure 7/7 — full layout (headline with alliteration 'Sandstorm Stops Sports', byline). Inverted pyramid: the lead paragraph answers Who, What, When, Where and Why in two sentences. Then events in order, eyewitness quotation, official quotation, background/effects, a contrasting human-interest line, and a forward-looking ending.
Structure — cohesion: time connectives (At around 9:45 a.m., Within minutes, In the meantime) and paragraph openings that link back ('Teachers acted quickly', 'Not everyone was disappointed').
Grammar & punctuation 7/7 — passive voice for formality (were led to safety, was abandoned, were directed, will be presented). A short sentence for impact ('Teachers acted quickly.'). A relative clause ('which lasted almost two hours'). A pair of dashes for extra information in paragraph 1. A semicolon joining two related independent clauses in paragraph 6. Quotation marks and commas inside speech handled accurately. Tenses move correctly from past to present to future.
Spelling 3/3 — ambitious words spelt correctly: visibility, evacuation, rescheduled, permitting, disappointed, windscreens.

Timing plan for Section B (about 35 minutes)

Minutes	What to do
0–4	Read the task twice. Underline genre (report), audience (newspaper readers), purpose (inform) and every bullet. Fill the 5 Ws grid.
4–6	Plan paragraphs: lead · events · eyewitness · official · effects · what next. Invent names, ages, numbers and two quotations.
6–30	Write about 350–450 words. Headline and byline first. Keep the lead paragraph short and powerful.
30–35	Check: third person? any 'I think'? speech punctuation? past tense consistent? spelling of names and ambitious words?

6. Common mistakes

Mistake	Why it costs marks	Fix
Writing 'I think it was a great day' as the reporter	Breaks the objective tone (Creation, Vocabulary)	Put opinions inside quotations from other people
Telling the story like a diary: 'First I woke up…'	Wrong text type — Creation and Structure can be capped	Third person. Start with the 5 Ws, not the beginning of the day
The lead paragraph is long and hides the main event	Weak structure	Most important fact in the first sentence
Quotations with no speaker or wrong punctuation	Loses Grammar & punctuation marks	“…,” said [name], [role]. Comma inside the closing speech mark
Inventing silly or impossible facts	Reduces credibility (Creation)	Keep numbers realistic and consistent
Ignoring a task bullet	Content is not fully relevant	One paragraph per bullet, tick them in your plan
No ending — the report just stops	Structure needs a clear conclusion	Finish with what happens next or the outcome
Switching tenses randomly	Grammar errors	Past for events, present for now, future for next steps

Checklist before you finish

Headline (4–6 words, a sound or word trick) and byline.
Lead paragraph answers Who, What, When, Where (and Why) in 1–3 sentences.
Third person and objective — no 'I think' from the reporter.
At least two direct quotations (eyewitness + official), correctly punctuated, with varied reporting verbs.
Facts, names, times and numbers that are realistic and consistent.
Passive voice used at least twice. A mix of short and long sentences.
Every bullet in the task has its own developed paragraph.
A final paragraph explaining the outcome or what happens next.

إزاي تجيب الدرجة النهائية في تقرير الجريدة؟

أول فقرة أهم فقرة: لازم تجاوب فيها على الأسئلة الخمسة (مين؟ إيه اللي حصل؟ إمتى؟ فين؟ وليه؟) في جملة أو جملتين بس.
انت مراسل مش صاحب رأي: ممنوع تكتب I think أو رأيك الشخصي. الآراء والمشاعر تيجي على لسان الناس جوه علامات التنصيص.
اكتب بضمير الغائب (he / they / the students) وبالماضي، واستخدم المبني للمجهول زي was cancelled و were evacuated عشان الأسلوب يبقى رسمي.
متنساش العنوان القصير والـ byline، وخلّي آخر فقرة تقول القصة انتهت إزاي أو إيه اللي هيحصل بعد كده.

Practice tasks

Task 1: Your school held a charity day to raise money for a children's hospital. Write a report for the school newspaper. Include: what activities took place, how much was raised and how, what students and teachers said about the day. Write a headline and a lead paragraph, then a paragraph plan.
Show answer
Headline: Cakes, Cars and Kindness: Pupils Raise Record Sum. Lead: Students at [school] raised 42,000 pounds for [hospital] on Thursday during the school's busiest charity day ever, with a bake sale, a car wash and a staff-versus-students football match. Plan: P2 activities in time order (morning bake sale, lunchtime car wash, afternoon match). P3 eyewitness quotation from a Year 8 organiser. P4 quotation from the head teacher or a hospital representative. P5 how the money was raised and counted, comparison with last year. P6 what next — the cheque presentation date and a thank-you to parents.
Task 2: Rewrite these opinion sentences so that they are suitable for a newspaper report: (a) I think the new library is amazing. (b) The match was so boring and everyone hated it.
Show answer
(a) “The new library is amazing,” said Year 9 student Nour Ali. / The new library, which opened on Monday, has already welcomed more than 500 visitors. (b) Many spectators left before the final whistle, and one parent described the match as “disappointing”. The reporter's opinion is removed. Facts or a quotation take its place.
Task 3: Put these paragraphs in the correct order for a report about a lost-and-found dog: A) “I was so relieved,” said owner Ahmed Sami. B) Police are now reminding residents to microchip their pets. C) A dog missing for nine days was found safe on Monday by two Year 8 students in a park in Heliopolis. D) The students heard barking from behind a fence on their way home.
Show answer
C, D, A, B. C is the lead (who, what, when, where). D gives the details of what happened. A is the eyewitness/owner quotation. B is the forward-looking ending.
Task 4: Change these active sentences into the passive to make them sound more formal: (a) The firefighters rescued three children. (b) The organisers postponed the concert.
Show answer
(a) Three children were rescued by firefighters. (b) The concert was postponed (by the organisers). The passive puts the event first, which is typical of news reports.

All pages in this course

Start here: the exam

Reading: grammar & punctuation

Reading: understanding texts

Paper 1 writing: non-fiction

Paper 2 writing: fiction