5 tested rules to follow when writing headlines

There are few skills that are more valued on news desks than the craft of writing headlines. The headlines have to be accurate, sum up the main points of the story and assist readers locate the most important stories of the day. (Read: How headlines establish news value)

You may come up with absolute head turners but they are of no value if the headlines don’t fit in the allotted space. They also need to be written against tough deadlines. It is to beat these limitations that headline writers have come up with their own headline writing rules, which can be called the grammar of headline writing.

So what are these tested rules that the headline writers follow?

#Rule 1
You should use present tense for events that have happened in the past

Headlines are always written in the present tense. The fact that the event has already happened is not stressed. You do this to ensure that the headlines convey a sense of freshness.

Compare the following two headlines:

Present tense: Stock market opens on low note
Past tense: Stock market opened on low note

The first headline is written in the present tense, and therefore makes you feel that the news is current.

The second headline, which is in the past tense, takes away the freshness advantage.

Also, the past tense verb uses extra alphabets, which is a disadvantage. Why should you waste valuable space?

# Rule 2
You should not use auxiliary verbs

Headlines are skeletonised sentences. You don’t use the verbs is/are and their past tense forms was/were. The reason for this is simple. These verbs take away space without adding any new meaning.

Headline 1: Delhi-Gurgaon expressway ready
Headline 2: Delhi-Gurgaon expressway is ready

The second headline follows the grammar rules. But in doing so, it takes more space. The better solution is to drop the auxiliary verb is.

#Rule 3
You should drop the articles (a, an, the)

The three articles – a, an, the – are very important parts of grammar. But you can dispense with them in writing headlines, and save space.

Headline 1: A strong earthquake rocks east India
Headline 2: Strong earthquake rocks east India

You do not change meaning when you drop the article “a” in Headline 2. So, why use it in the first place? This is the logic that has been followed by headline writers in the past, and you should continue doing so.

#Rule 4
You can replace attributive verbs with colon

Another space saving method that headline writers follow is to drop the attributive verbs such as says or states.

Headline 1: India will give a befitting reply, says Home Minister
Headline 2: India will give a befitting reply: Home Minister

By replacing says with colon, you save space to accommodate four more alphabets. (Read How to use punctuation marks in headlines)

#Rule 5
You should use infinitives for future events

The infinitive is a smart way to indicate a future event.

Delhi Assembly to meet on Monday
Prime Minister to visit Dubai in March

(This report was first published in January 2016 and has been updated.)