Writing a Feature Article: Headlines, Leads, Quotes and Structure — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the 9th Grade informative writing worksheet.
Writing a Feature Article: Headlines, Leads, Quotes and Structure — Answers
Part A: Parts of a feature
Answer each question.
- headline
- standfirst
- lead
- body
- kicker
- A short, eye-catching title that sparks curiosity.
- Paragraphs that develop the story with facts, quotes and examples.
- The final line or paragraph that leaves a lasting impression, often echoing the lead.
- The opening paragraph that hooks the reader, often with a scene or anecdote.
- One or two sentences under the headline that sum up the angle of the story.
Answer: headline → A short, eye-catching title that sparks curiosity.; standfirst → One or two sentences under the headline that sum up the angle of the story.; lead → The opening paragraph that hooks the reader, often with a scene or anecdote.; body → Paragraphs that develop the story with facts, quotes and examples.; kicker → The final line or paragraph that leaves a lasting impression, often echoing the lead.
- AIt answers who, what, when, where and why in one sentence
- BIt opens with a vivid scene and a person rather than a summary of facts
- CIt has no quotations
- DIt is written in the future tense
Answer: It opens with a vivid scene and a person rather than a summary of facts
Hard news leads sum up the key facts quickly; feature leads often draw readers in through a scene and a human story.
- ABread prices are rising
- BNight-shift workers do essential but invisible work, with costs and rewards
- CHospitals need more nurses
- DHow to bake bread at home
Answer: Night-shift workers do essential but invisible work, with costs and rewards
The standfirst and body focus on night workers who keep the city running while others sleep.
- ATo give a date for the article
- BAs a memorable quote that shows the personal impact of night work in a relatable way
- CTo explain how hospitals are scheduled
- DTo make fun of the nurse
Answer: As a memorable quote that shows the personal impact of night work in a relatable way
A strong quote gives a real voice to the issue and makes an abstract idea concrete.
Part B: Craft skills
Answer in full sentences.
Answer: Any two: features are longer and explore an issue in depth while news reports give the key facts quickly; features often open with an anecdote or scene, while news leads sum up who, what, when and where; features have a more personal, descriptive voice and can show the writer's perspective, while news aims to be objective; features are less time-sensitive.
Answer: The second body paragraph, beginning "Lucy is one of thousands of people". It widens one person's story into a bigger issue, so readers see that the anecdote represents many people and the article has significance beyond one bakery.
Answer: Examples: "Working While the World Sleeps" (alliteration); "Who Keeps the Lights On at 3 a.m.?" (question); "Rising Early, Rising Dough" (pun). Any headline under ten words with a clear technique.
Answer: Model: "At 6 a.m. on a Saturday, while her classmates are still asleep, sixteen-year-old Ruby is already pulling on an apron and switching on the coffee machine." (Any lead that opens with a specific person in a specific moment.)
Answer: Model: "When I see families leaving with bags of vegetables, I feel so proud," says volunteer Grace Ellis. Direct quotes add an authentic human voice, make the article more vivid and give evidence for the writer's points.
Answer: Model: "Outside, the sky is turning pink. Lucy takes the last tray from the oven, switches off the light, and goes home to sleep as the rest of the city wakes up." (A closing image that circles back to Lucy and the bakery.)
Part C: Your turn
Model answer: Headline: The Coaches Who Never Get a Trophy Standfirst: Every weekend, unpaid volunteers give up their mornings so that hundreds of children can play. We met the people on the sidelines. Lead: It is 7:15 on a frosty Saturday, and Daniel Okafor is pacing out a soccer field with a bag of orange cones over his shoulder. His own children grew up and stopped playing years ago. He keeps coming back anyway. Body: "The first time a shy kid scores a goal and looks over at you, that's it, you're hooked," Daniel says, laughing. He is one of more than forty volunteer coaches at the local junior club, and none of them are paid. Between them they run training twice a week, wash the uniforms, fix the nets and drive players to away games. Club records show that without volunteers, more than half of the teams would have to fold. Yet when the end-of-season awards are handed out, the coaches are usually the ones holding the camera, not the trophy.
Success criteria:
- Includes a headline and standfirst that establish a clear angle
- Anecdotal lead opens with a specific person, place and moment
- At least one direct quote with correct punctuation and attribution
- Moves from the personal story to a wider fact or observation
- Engaging, descriptive voice suited to a feature rather than hard news
- Each part named; accurate spelling, punctuation and paragraphing
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.
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