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Chalo Chatu:Writing better articles: Difference between revisions
From Chalo Chatu, Zambia online encyclopedia
Chalo Chatu:Writing better articles (view source)
Revision as of 14:56, 8 January 2018
, 8 January 2018→First sentence content
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===First sentence content=== | ===First sentence content=== | ||
The article should begin with a short declarative sentence, answering two questions for the nonspecialist reader: "What (or who) is the subject?" and "Why is this subject | The article should begin with a short declarative sentence, answering two questions for the nonspecialist reader: "What (or who) is the subject?" and "Why is this subject notable?"<ref>For example: | ||
<blockquote> '''Levy Patrick Mwanawasa''' (3 September 1948 – 19 August 2008) was the third Republican President of Zambia. He ruled the country from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. | <blockquote> '''Levy Patrick Mwanawasa''' (3 September 1948 – 19 August 2008) was the third Republican President of Zambia. He ruled the country from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. | ||
He is credited for having initiated a campaign to rid the country of corruption.</blockquote> | He is credited for having initiated a campaign to rid the country of corruption.</blockquote> | ||
This example not only tells the reader that the subject was a Politician, it also indicates his field of expertise and work he did outside of it. The years of his birth and death provide time context. The reader who goes no further in this article already knows when he lived, what work he did, and why she is notable.</ref> | This example not only tells the reader that the subject was a Politician, it also indicates his field of expertise and work he did outside of it. The years of his birth and death provide time context. The reader who goes no further in this article already knows when he lived, what work he did, and why she is notable.</ref> | ||
* If possible, the page title should be the subject of the first sentence:<ref>For example: | * If possible, the page title should be the subject of the first sentence:<ref>For example: | ||
<blockquote>This '''Manual of Style''' is a | <blockquote>This '''Manual of Style''' is a style guide containing ...</blockquote> | ||
not | not | ||
<blockquote>This | <blockquote>This style guide, known as the '''Manual of Style''', contains ...</blockquote></ref> However, if the article title is merely descriptive—such as [[The 2016 General Elections]]—the title does not need to appear verbatim in the main text. Similarly, where an article title is of the type "List of ...", a clearer and more informative introduction to the list is better than ''verbatim'' repetition of the title. | ||
* When the page title is used as the subject of the first sentence, it may appear in a slightly different form, and it may include variations.<ref>For example, in the article "[[United Kingdom]]": | * When the page title is used as the subject of the first sentence, it may appear in a slightly different form, and it may include variations.<ref>For example, in the article "[[United Kingdom]]": | ||
<blockquote>The '''United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''', commonly known as the '''United Kingdom''', the '''UK''', or '''Britain''', is a [[Sovereignty|sovereign]] [[island country]] located off the northwestern coast of [[continental Europe]].</blockquote></ref> Similarly, if the title has a parenthetical disambiguator, the disambiguator should be omitted in the text.<ref>Thus, the article [[Egg (food)]] should start like this: | <blockquote>The '''United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''', commonly known as the '''United Kingdom''', the '''UK''', or '''Britain''', is a [[Sovereignty|sovereign]] [[island country]] located off the northwestern coast of [[continental Europe]].</blockquote></ref> Similarly, if the title has a parenthetical disambiguator, the disambiguator should be omitted in the text.<ref>Thus, the article [[Egg (food)]] should start like this: | ||
