You've Been Reading Headlines Your Whole Life. Now It's Time to Write Them.
Last chapter, you learned about sluglines and printer's directions.
You can write a complete four-part slugline, count unit counts, and use the Headline Schedule Guide to find the right font size and column for any headline. That's serious newsroom knowledge.
But here's something to think about.
Every headline you've ever read in a newspaper, on a news website, or on your school bulletin board — somebody wrote that.
A real person sat down, read a news story, and came up with the perfect short phrase to put at the top. That person is called a headline writer — and in many school papers, that person is the copyreader.
You've spent six chapters learning how to fix other people's writing. Now it's time to create something yourself. Let's talk about headlines.
So, What Is a Headline?
A headline is the title of a news story. It appears at the top of the article in large, bold text.
It's the first thing a reader sees. Before they read a single sentence of the story — they read the headline. And based on that headline, they decide: Is this worth my time? That's a lot of pressure on one short phrase. A strong headline pulls readers in, while a weak one gets skipped entirely.
What Does a Headline Do?
A headline performs three vital functions simultaneously:
- First — it tells the reader what the story is about. It is not a mystery. It announces the topic clearly and directly. ("Grade 6 student wins regional science fair")
- Second — it grabs the reader's attention. It creates a hook that draws readers in. ("School canteen fire leaves 400 students hungry")
- Third — it fits the space on the page. It must fit the layout columns perfectly. This is where your unit count skills from Chapter 6 come in.
The SVO Formula: Your Headline-Writing Shortcut
Experienced headline writers rely on a trusted formula: SVO (Subject - Verb - Object).
| Part | What It Is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| S — Subject | Who or what the headline is about. | Grade 5 students |
| V — Verb | What they did — the action. | win |
| O — Object | What they did it to — the result. | regional science fair |
Combined: "Grade 5 students win regional science fair"
Breaking Down the SVO Formula
Let's look at each part closely:
- S — Subject: Must be specific (e.g. Principal Reyes, Science Club, Typhoon Carina). Avoid vague terms like "someone" or "things".
- V — Verb: The most crucial word in your headline. It must be in the present tense (to feel immediate and alive) and written in the active voice (the subject does the action).
- O — Object: The result or target of the verb. Some strong headlines don't even need an object (e.g., Journalism team celebrates), but most of the time it completes the picture.
The SVO Formula in Action
Let's build three headlines step-by-step:
- • Story 1: Grade 6 student JM won first place at the Division Copyreading Contest last Saturday.
→ S: Grade 6 student JM | V: wins | O: Division Copyreading Contest
Headline: Grade 6 student JM wins Division Copyreading Contest - • Story 2: The school's Science Club planted 50 trees around the campus last Friday as part of Earth Month.
→ S: Science Club | V: plants | O: 50 trees for Earth Month
Headline: Science Club plants 50 trees for Earth Month - • Story 3: The principal announced that the school will no longer allow students to bring mobile phones inside classrooms.
→ S: Principal | V: bans | O: classroom phones
Headline: Principal bans classroom phones
The Four Basic Rules of Headline Writing
The SVO formula gives you the structure. These four rules make sure your headline is professional.
Remove articles (a, an, the) and unnecessary adjectives to save space without losing meaning.
Avoid double meanings or vague phrases. Clarity always wins over cleverness!
Use present tense even for past events to make the news feel immediate. For future events, use the infinitive form (e.g., "School to host regional contest").
Active headlines are shorter, stronger, and more direct. Make sure the subject is doing the action, not receiving it.
The Three Most Common Headline Mistakes
- Mistake 1: Weak Verbs. Avoid forms of 'to be' (is, are, was, were, has, have, had). Use active verbs (wins, launches, bans, slams, cuts, holds, opens).
- Mistake 2: Headline Is Too Long. Cut every word that doesn't add direct information.
- Mistake 3: Headline Doesn't Match the Story. Always read the story first. The headline must accurately represent the actual events.
Quick Recap
| Category | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| SVO Formula | Subject (Who/What), Verb (Present/Active), Object (What received the action) |
| Four Rules | Keep it short, keep it clear, use present tense, use active voice |
| Three Mistakes | Avoid weak verbs, avoid long headlines, avoid mismatched topics |
Fill in the Blank: Headline Basics
Complete each sentence using the correct word: Subject, Verb, Object, present tense, articles, weak verbs, or active voice. Type your answer and click show answer to verify.
✏️ Practice Time
Evaluate correct headline candidates, diagnose problems, and build SVO headlines.
Choose the Best HeadlineRead each news story description and select the option that best follows SVO rules.
A. "A Grade 5 student of Mabuhay Elementary won the first place award at the Division Science Fair last Friday"
B. "First place was won by Grade 5 student at science fair"
C. "Grade 5 student wins Division Science Fair"
D. "Science"
A. "The school canteen is going to be closed for a week because it needs to be repaired"
B. "Canteen to close for repairs next week"
C. "Canteen was closed"
D. "Something is happening at the canteen"
A. "Award is won"
B. "Journalism club wins Best Publication at Division Press Conference"
C. "The journalism club of the school has won an award"
D. "Best Publication Award won by journalism club at Division Press Conference last April"
A. "Students are required to attend clean-up drive on Saturday, principal says"
B. "Principal orders Saturday clean-up drive"
C. "Reyes announces required Saturday attendance for all students"
D. "Principal tells students to join Saturday clean-up drive"
Fix Weak Headlines Using SVODiagnose issues and draft better SVO headlines.
Build Headlines Using SVOTranslate stories into SVO headlines.
🔍 Self-Check Guide
| What to Check | Done ✅ | Try Again 🔄 |
|---|---|---|
| I can identify specific subjects, active verbs, and target objects | ☐ | ☐ |
| I write my headline verbs strictly in the present tense (or infinitive for future) | ☐ | ☐ |
| I deleted all articles (a, an, the) from my headline drafts | ☐ | ☐ |
📊 Simple Rubric
🧠 Headline Build-It Quiz
Rearrange each scrambled word set following the SVO formula to build the perfect headline.