📖 Introduction
Last Chapter, You Learned Where the Lead Goes. Now Learn How to Write It.
Last chapter, you learned the inverted pyramid.
The lead goes first. It carries the most important information. Everything else follows below.
You know where it sits. You know what job it does.
But knowing that and actually writing a great first sentence — those are two different things.
So let's talk about it.
Think About This for a Second
You just won the news writing contest. You walk through the door at home. What's the first thing you say? Not the setup. Not the weather. Not how long the ceremony took. You say: "Mom! I won first place!" — That's your lead. Most important fact. First. Always.
📌 Definition
A lead is the opening sentence or paragraph of a news story — the first thing your reader sees.
It has to do two things at once: tell readers the most important fact immediately, and make them want to read the rest. That's a big job for one or two sentences. But once you know the different types of leads, it gets a lot easier.
🗂️ Six Types
The Six Types of Leads
Type 1
Summary Lead
Gets straight to the point. Key facts right away — Who, What, When, and Where in one clear sentence. The most common lead. When in doubt, use this one.
"Grade 6 student Hanna Cruz from Rizal Central School won first place at the Regional Journalism Competition last Saturday in Manila."
✅ Use when: The facts are the story. No buildup needed.
Type 2
Anecdotal Lead
Opens with a small personal scene before zooming out to the main news. Followed by a nut graf — the nutshell paragraph that connects back to the main story.
"When the final score flashed on the scoreboard, Zion Cruz dropped to his knees on the court. The Grade 6 student had just led Maliwanag Elementary to their first championship in ten years."
✅ Use when: The story has an emotional or human angle.
Type 3
Question Lead
Opens with a question the article will answer. One rule: the article must actually answer the question. Don't ask and never answer.
"What would you do if your school had no clean water for a whole week?"
✅ Use when: You want readers to stop and think before reading on.
Type 4
Quote Lead
Opens with a powerful statement from someone in the story. Always follow with a sentence that says who spoke and why it matters.
"'I never thought I'd be standing here,' said Miles Reyes, the 11-year-old who just became her barangay's first national essay writing champion."
✅ Use when: One quote captures the whole story better than anything you could write.
Type 5
Descriptive Lead
Paints a picture of the scene before delivering the news. Uses vivid, specific details to put readers inside the moment.
"The gymnasium was packed. Every seat taken. Parents standing along the walls. And in the middle of it all, a Grade 5 student walked to the front to accept the trophy no one thought their small school could win."
✅ Use when: The atmosphere of the event is part of the story.
Type 6
Shock / Surprise Lead
Opens with something unexpected — a fact or detail that makes readers stop mid-scroll. The surprising fact is also the most important fact.
"A Grade 4 student from Mapagmahal Elementary just published her first book — at age ten."
✅ Use when: The most surprising fact in your story is also the most important one.
⚠️ The One Rule
Never Bury the Lead
You can use any of those six types. But there's one rule that applies to all of them — no exceptions.
⭐ The Rule That Beats All Others
Never bury the lead.
Burying the lead means hiding your most important fact somewhere in the middle or end — instead of putting it first where it belongs.
❌ Buried Lead
"Last Friday was a really exciting day at school. The gym was decorated with streamers and balloons. Everyone was in a good mood. Teachers were smiling. The principal gave a long speech about excellence. There were snacks. After about two hours of the ceremony, they finally announced the winner of the District Journalism Award — and it was Hanna."
The reader had to wade through 8 sentences to find the only one that actually matters.
✅ Lead Not Buried
"Hanna Cruz won the District Journalism Award last Friday at the school's recognition ceremony."
Same story. Same facts. Said in one sentence. That's a lead.
If the most important fact in your story is not your very first sentence — stop, go back, and fix it.
✏️ Quick Check
Build a Summary Lead
A reporter gathered these facts after covering a school event. Use them to write a complete summary lead.
📋 Reporter's Notes
Who:Grade 5 students from Barangay San Isidro Elementary
What:Won the District Quiz Bee championship
When:Last Thursday afternoon
Where:Tarlac City Science High School gymnasium
"[Who] [What] [When] at [Where]."
✅ Sample Answer
"Grade 5 students from Barangay San Isidro Elementary won the District Quiz Bee championship last Thursday afternoon at the Tarlac City Science High School gymnasium."
Now Try With Your Own Facts
Think of a real event you know about. Fill in the planner below — then write your own summary lead.
✏️ Practice Time
Identify lead types and write your own lead for a real event.
1
What Type of Lead Is It? Tap the lead type you think it is — then reveal the answer.
Read each lead. Tap which type you think it is, then click Reveal Answer to check.
Leads checked:
Lead 1
"The school library now has 600 new books after a two-week donation drive that ended last Friday."
Lead 2
"'I almost gave up three times,' said JM Santos, the Grade 6 student who won the Regional Essay Writing contest last Monday after four years of trying."
Lead 3
"How do you feed 200 students when the school canteen suddenly closes with no warning?"
Lead 4
"The lights were off. The gymnasium was silent. Then the doors swung open, a cheer erupted, and Grade 4 student Daisy Santos walked into her surprise recognition party — still wearing her muddy intramurals uniform."
Lead 5
"A seven-year-old from Barangay Maliwanag just became the youngest person to finish a 5-kilometer run in the school's history."
2
Writing Practice — Write Your Own Lead Choose an event, pick your lead type, and write your lead.
Pick one of the three events below. Choose a lead type. Then write your lead using the matching scaffold. Make sure your most important fact comes first.
Step 1 — Choose Your Event
Step 2 — Choose Your Lead Type
Summary Scaffold:"[Who] [What] [When] at/in [Where]."
Quote Scaffold:"'[Powerful quote],' said [Name], [one sentence about who they are and what happened]."
Question Scaffold:"[Question the article will answer]?"
Then: "[Hint sentence connecting the question to the news]."
Then: "[Hint sentence connecting the question to the news]."
Anecdotal Scaffold:Open with a short scene or moment. Then zoom out to the big news in a second sentence (the nut graf).
Descriptive Scaffold:Paint the scene with vivid, specific details. Then deliver the most important fact at the end.
Shock/Surprise Scaffold:Open directly with the most surprising fact. Make it so unexpected that readers stop and think: How?
Step 3 — Write Your Lead
🔍 Self-Check Guide
| What to Check | Done ✅ | Try Again 🔄 |
|---|---|---|
| My most important fact is in the first sentence | ☐ | ☐ |
| My lead is one or two sentences — not longer | ☐ | ☐ |
| I can name which lead type I used | ☐ | ☐ |
| My lead makes a reader want to know more | ☐ | ☐ |
| I did not bury the lead | ☐ | ☐ |
📊 Simple Rubric
5/5
Your lead is doing its job. A reader would keep going. 🗞️
3–4
Almost there. Review the check you missed and rewrite that part.
1–2
Try this: write the most important fact first, then stop. That's your lead.
Answers will differ for each student. Use the rubric or ask your teacher for help.
🧠 Fill in the Blank
Each lead has one blank. Choose the best word or phrase to complete it.
0/5
Score
Lead 1 of 5
LEAD 1 OF 5
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Which option best completes this lead?
out of 5