A. The grammar of headlines

Newspaper headlines try to catch the reader’s eye by using as few words as possible.

• • Grammar words like articles or auxiliary verbs are often left out, e.g. EARLY CUT IN INTEREST RATES FORECAST.
• • A present simple form of the verb is used, e.g. MAYOR OPENS HOSPITAL.
• • The infinitive is used to express the fact that something is going to happen in the future, e.g. PRESIDENT TO VISIT FLOOD AREAS.

B. Short dramatic words

Newspapers usually prefer words that are shorter and sound more dramatic than ordinary English words. The words marked * can be used either as nouns or verbs.

Newspaper headlines often use abbreviations, e.g. PM for ‘Prime Minister’, MP for ‘Member of Parliament’. (See Unit 78 for more abbreviations.)

C. Jokes in headlines

Some newspapers also enjoy making jokes in their headlines. They do this by playing with words or punning, e.g. a wet open-air operatic concert was described as:

TORRENTIAL RAIN IN MOST ARIAS

An announcement that a woman working at the Mars chocolate company had got an interesting new job was:

WOMAN FROM MARS TO BE FIRST BRITON IN SPACE

Note: the word ‘Briton’ is almost exclusively found in newspapers.