LANGUAGE IN NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
Perhaps one of the most difficult
parts of the English language to
understand is the meaning of newspaper headlines. Some verbs offer a great
variety of different connotations, with meanings which sometimes can be very
confusing. English tabloids abuse of idiomatic expressions, shortening of words
and use several connotations of verbs so as to make headlines more attractive
to interest the public eye.
In this section I have chosen some
headlines and given them a proper explanation. It is important to remark that
most times readers need a further reading in order to know what a headline
means and what the corresponding article is about.
1 SCHEME TO CRACK DOWN ON CREDIT FRAUD
There is a plan to punish dishonest use of credit more
severely.
2 NOTTINGHAM OUSTS TORIES
The city of Nottingham has not returned a majority of
Conservative party candidates in the recent election, but has voted in another
political party.
3 POST OFFICE WATCHDOG PLANNED
Plans have been put forward to set up an organisation to
monitor the activities of the Post Office.
4 BUILDERS STILL BUOYANT
Business for builders is still profitable.
5 PM SNUBS CALL FOR DEBATE
The Prime Minister has rejected demands for a debate.
6 HEROIN EPIDEMIC SWEEPS THROUGH PAKISTAN
There has been a huge spread in the use of the drug heroin
in Pakistan
7 ROCKET LAUNCHER SHINES IN ARMY EXERCICE
When the army was involved in a training exercice, personnel
were very pleased with the performance of a rocket launcher.
8 ESPANYOL SIGN PSG FULL-BACK COBOS
Espanyol from Barcelona get Cobos to play for them.
SPECIAL VOCABULARY
Headlines make use of a number of
particular words and expressions that have a special meaning in a
particular context. I should mention the
use of idioms and phrasal verbs in this section too, which make some headlines
really difficult to be taken in. Some of them are verbs which can be given an
easy synonym, others just typical newspaper clichés or expressions which can
only be understood in a specific context.
DEATH TOLL NOW 28 number of people killed
TORY EURO-SCEPTICS RAISE STAKES pressure
FOOD BUG CLAIMS NINTH VICTIM causes
ISRAEL TROOP WITHDRAWAL AT ISSUE at talks
STRIKERS´DEMANDS MET accepted
TOTTENHAM´S 6-1 CUP SHOCK spectacular defeat
MAJOR AND CLARKE AT ODDS (At loggerheads) disagreement
MP WEDS ACTRESS
marries
THREAT TO CUP FINAL Potential danger
HIGH STREET SPENDING BOOM increase
BOMB BLAST KILLS 9 explosion
BAN ON FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS Prohibition
FREE SCHOOL MEALS AXED
Stopped
CUT IN ARMS SPENDING
reduction
PM´s PLEDGE ON POLLUTION Undertaking commitment
POLICE QUIZ STAR question
PERIL ON OIL RIG Extreme danger
CANDIDATE WOOS VOTERS Attempts to persuade
FUGITIVES FLEE FIGHTING Run away
SHARES PLUNGE Fall sharply
DRUGS HAUL AT AIRPORT Something seized or stolen
POLICE SEEK RAPIST look for
TAKEOVER BID FOR BP attempt
AID FOR FAMINE VICTIMS INCREASED Assistance
RAIL STRIKE LOOMS Approaches in a threatening way
MPs CLASH ON GREEN POLICY Disagree
KIDNAP VICTIM´S ORDEAL Bad experience
BASTIA CLIMBED TO THIRD reached
DEMONSTRATORS TOSSED EGGS AND STONES threw
MONACO CLOSE GAP Reduce difference
DEL PIERO CLINCHES JUVENTUS VICTORY settles
GRAMMAR IN NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
In addition to having a peculiar
vocabulary, headlines have their own rules of grammar. Less important words
like articles are omitted, and the present tense is used to describe events
that have already happened. Passive verbs are very common, but using only the
participle. NEW HOSPITAL SCHEME DROPPED means that a plan to build a new
hospital has been abandoned. PAY RISES SLAMMED
means that someone has criticised someone else´s increase in salary.
Words like these tend to occur in
reports as well as in headlines and are peculiar to journalese. People are unlikely to use these words in conversation.Here
there is a clear example: FOURTH PUB BLAZE VICTIM DIES , tells us that somebody
who was in a pub when it caught fire has died, if we wanted to talk about the
PUB BLAZE, we would probably say, ?Did you hear about the fire at the pub?.
Just as newspaper headlines use
special vocabulary, they also use particular grammatical forms. We will have a
look at the headlines below, paying attention to the verbs (underlined) to see
whether the events take place, in the
past, present or future.
Grammatical forms:
– Infinitive to indicate future time.
1 GOVERNMENT TO AXE AID TO DISABLED
2 MOTHER THERESA TO STAY IN HOSPITAL
3 TOKYO TO STAGE 2002 WORLD CUP FINAL
4 WAR PENSIONS ROW –
MP TO QUIT
5 SERB OPPOSITION TO CONTINUE PROTESTS
– Present simple to indicate an event which has already
occurred; and it is important to notice that the sense is active.
1 POP STAR WEDS IN SECRET
2 INDIAN TRAIN BLAST KILLS AND MAIMS
3 KREMLIN DENIES GENERAL IS SACKED
4 BAHRAIN ARRESTS TWO QATARI SPIES
5 AMNESTY CRITICISES PALESTINIANS
6 ISRAEL RESPONDS TO ARAB CRITICISM
7 US CUTS MILITARY PRESENCE IN JAPAN
8 SERBS PROTESTORS DEFY GOVERNMENT
In texts we would find this
information in either simple past or present perfect.
– Past Participle to indicate an event which has occurred;
and we will notice that the sense is passive.
1 SMOKING BANNED ON LONDON UNDERGROUND
2 MP QUIZZED OVER DEFENCE LEAK
3 CAMBODIAN EMBASSIES WARNED OF POSSIBLE ATTACKS
– Gerund to indicate present time.
1 EMERSON FACING FURTHER TROUBLE
2 DUCHESS OF KENT SUFFERING WITH M.E.
3 MINERS WAITING FOR MOSCOW´s MONEY
– Present Simple to indicate a future event which has
already been planned.
1 RAPE VICTIM SEEKS COMPENSATION
2 GERMAN SCHUSTER JOINS UNAM
– Sometimes no verb is given.
1 CLINTON-YELTSIN
SUMMIT NEXT MARCH (FUTURE)
2 SOUTH KOREAN
EX-MINISTER ON TRIAL (PRESENT )
3 RONALDO´s WORLD
SOCCER HONOUR (PAST)
In this kind of structure a present, past or future time can
be expressed.
– Often with
important people only the name is given and not the title.
1 DIANA GIVES BACKING TO HOMELESS
2 CHARLES & DI TOGETHER FOR CAROLS
– Definite and indefinite articles, auxiliary verbs and
prepositions are all frequently omitted
from headlines.
1 GUATEMALA´s GOVERNMENT, REBELS, SIGN ACCORD
– Use of nicknames
1 JOE KINEAR REMAINS LOYAL TO DONS (WIMBLEDON F.C.)
2 JOHN SCALES EXPLAINS HIS SPURS MOVE (TOTENHAM)
3 ENGLAND BEATEN BY KIWIS
(NEW ZEALAND)
This is typical of sport news.
– Use of adjectives as nouns, and they even take the plural
form.
– SHOCKING THRASHING FOR THE REDS 5-0 (MAN. UNITED)
– Forming verbs from nouns.
– CLINTON TO CHAIR
CEASEFIRE MEETING
This is characteristic of American English rather than
British (to vacation on the beach, to bus people from one place to another, to tape
a song).
– Use of descriptive adjectives to emphasize meanings.
– FOREST IN DYING SHAPE (Nottingham Forest bad conditions)
– STAY AWAY EMERSON (Middlesbourgh´s player who didn´t go
back from his home country, Brazil).
– BAYERN LEVERKUSEN TEN-GAME UNBEATEN RUN
– UNFASHIONABLE LONDON CLUB WIMBLEDON
– No 5 SEEDED JANE NOVOTNA
– Use of adverbs instead of the reporting verbs
– ZITO ALLEGEDLY HARASSED HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVISTS
– Place is indicated and after information is given.
– GHANA. VOTE SHOWS RICH-POOR DIVIDE
– VIENNA SHOOTING. ARREST IS DUE
– Morphological differences depending on different dialects
(British-American-Irish)
– BARCELONA IS TO GET NIGERIA´s AMUNIKE
– BARCELONA ARE
TO GET NIGERIA´s AMUNIKE
– Use of inverted commas in order to specify some
information
– ?ROAD RAGE? SUSPECT UNDER GUARD
– ?EDWARD? ALL SET TO DITCH SOPHIE
– Omission of main word
often whenever there is a number given
– 14 FEARED BURIED ALIVE IN MUDSLIDE
– 10 FRUSTRATE AJAX
– Use of noun instead of verb in order to give an active
meaning instead of the consequent passive one, when using verbs in the past or
past participle.
– PUSH FOR NETANYAHU-ARAFAT MEETING
– DROP TIES WITH TAIWAN
– LEEDS REPRIMAND FOR UNHAPPY YEBOAH
– Shortening of words and non clear plot force reading
of the text in order to understand what it means.
– ?DRINKS? BOSS LOSES CASE
– AD BOSS LOSES ?LIQUID LUNCH? CLAIM
? An advertising boss has lost his claim against a physician
who said he should not get a job because of drink habits. Head-hunted executive
Peter Baker had claimed High Court damages after the firm was advised against
employing him because of ?liquid
lunching habits?.
– PM PLAYS THE EUROPE WAITING GAME
– MAJOR PLAYS CURRENCY WAITING GAME
? John Major insists he is sticking to his Government ?wait
and see? policy on the single European Union?.
– Another characteristic, also found in the text itself as
well as in the headline, is the piling up of words in front of the subject.We
will see these examples:
Shapely starlet and funloving former convent girl Diane Fox.
Shapely vivacious shop assistant, Tracey Thomas, 22 …
Lean bronzed Brighton lifeguard, Terry Smith,24, ….
Boyfriend, sprightly silver-haired retired park keeper, Fred
Glugg, 72,…
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