Intermediate level
Read the text and fill in the gaps with the correct option. There is one extra option you do not need to use.
Guidelines for Writing News Headlines
Writing great news story headlines is an art. You can bang out the most interesting article ever written, but if it doesn’t have an attention-grabbing headline, it’s likely to be passed over. Whether you’re at a newspaper, news website, or blog, a great headline or “hed” ... .
Be Accurate
This is most important. A headline should entice readers, but it shouldn’t oversell or ... . Always stay true to the spirit and meaning of the article.
Keep It Short
This seems obvious; headlines are by nature short. But when space limitations are not a consideration \(as on a blog, for instance\), writers sometimes get verbose with their heds. ...
Fill the Space
If you’re writing a headline to fill a specific space in a newspaper, avoid leaving too much empty space at the end of the head. This is called "white space" and it ... .
Don’t Repeat the Lede
The headline, like the lede, should focus on the main point of the story. However, if the hed and the lede are too similar, the lede will become redundant. Try to use different wording in the headline.
Be Direct
Headlines aren’t the place to be obscure; a direct, ... your point across more effectively than something overly creative.
Use the Active Voice
Remember the subject-verb-object formula for news writing? That’s also the best model for headlines. Start with your subject, write in the active voice, and your headline will convey more information using fewer words.