EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Article Writing

Title, Byline and Hook in an Article, Class 12

Updated 17 October 2026 · Draft, not yet fact-checked

An article in CBSE Class 12 English Core is a 120-150 word piece for 5 marks in Question 6, Section B: format 1 (title and byline), organisation 1, content 2, accuracy 1. Give a catchy title, a byline such as By Aanya Sharma, an opening that hooks the reader, a body that describes and analyses, and a closing call to action.

Notice the order: title and byline first, then a hook, two body paragraphs on causes and effects, and a closing call to action.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Title, Byline and Hook in an Article

The task. The syllabus describes the article as descriptive and analytical, based on verbal inputs, 120-150 words, 5 marks. Question 6 gives you an article or a report; this page is about the article.

Format (1 mark). Only two items: a title and a byline.

Title: short, striking and related to the topic, such as Pause Before You Scroll. It is not a copy of the question.
Byline: By followed by your name, such as By Aanya Sharma. If no name is given, use a neutral name.

There is no address, date, salutation or closing in an article.

The hook (introduction). The first sentence should make the reader want to continue. Four reliable ways:
1. A question: How many minutes of your day disappear into your phone?
2. A striking statement: Water is the one thing we cannot manufacture.
3. A short scene: The tap ran dry again this morning.
4. A quotation or proverb, if you are sure of it.

Then state the issue in one or two sentences.

The body (descriptive and analytical). Two paragraphs that describe the situation and analyse it:

Causes, effects, and in some topics both sides.
Link points with moreover, as a result, however, on the other hand.
Give a small example rather than a general claim.

The conclusion. Suggestions and a call to action: what individuals, schools or the community can do. End on a thought that stays with the reader.

Tone. Engaging but formal enough for a newspaper or school magazine. First person (I, we) can be used sparingly in a reflective article, but keep it factual. No slang, no exclamation marks chains.

Word control. Hook and issue about 30 words, body about 70 words, conclusion about 35 words, plus the title and byline.

Marks. Title and byline give the format mark; clear paragraphs give organisation; relevant, analysed ideas give content; correct language gives accuracy.

Title, Byline and Hook in an Article: rules and format

1
Write a title and a byline, nothing else in the format
Pause Before You Scroll
By Aanya Sharma
No address, date or salutation.
2
Make the title catchy and specific
Water: Use It Before You Lose It
Avoid titles that are only the topic word.
3
Open with a hook and then state the issue
How many minutes of your day disappear into your phone?
A question, scene or striking statement works.
4
Analyse in the body: causes, effects, both sides
Because videos autoplay, we stay longer; as a result, sleep suffers.
Description alone earns fewer content marks.
5
Close with suggestions or a call to action
Let us decide, each night, to switch off at ten.
Avoid a summary that repeats the introduction.
6
Stay within 120-150 words
Four short paragraphs.
Count only the article text.

Title, Byline and Hook in an Article: key facts

Marking scheme: Format 1
Organisation 1
Content 2
Accuracy 1
Total 5 marks; CBSE English Core (301): 120-150 words.
Format: Title | Byline: By name; No address, date, salutation or closing.
Structure: Hook and issue
Description and causes
Effects and analysis
Suggestions and closing line; About four paragraphs.
Word split: Introduction 30
Body 70
Conclusion 35
Total 125-140; Adjust to stay within 120-150.

How to answer Title, Byline and Hook in an Article questions

Use this routine to write an article in about ten minutes.

1Read the input and note the topic, the angle and any points given.
2Choose a title of three to six words and write the byline.
3Plan four bullets: hook and issue; causes; effects or both sides; suggestions.
4Write the hook and the issue in two or three sentences.
5Write two body paragraphs with an example and linkers.
6End with suggestions and a closing line.
7Count words: 120-150.

Title, Byline and Hook in an Article in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A hook that makes a reader keep reading

Suppose two school magazine articles on recycling begin differently. One says: Recycling is very important in today's world. The other says: Your old notebook can become a new one before the term ends.

Which opening works better as a hook, and why?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The first is a general statement that anyone has read many times.
The second is specific, near to the reader's life and surprising.
It also suggests a practical idea.

Answer: The second works better, because it is specific and surprising and makes the reader curious.

Memory hook: A hook catches because it is specific.

Tricks to remember Title, Byline and Hook in an Article

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

T-B-H-A-C: Title, Byline, Hook, Analysis, Call
The five parts of an article.
Use it when: Check the plan before writing.
Four ways to hook
Question, statement, scene, quotation.
Use it when: Pick one for the opening.
Description is not analysis
Add because, so, however.
Use it when: Turns facts into analysis.

Title, Byline and Hook in an Article: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Which format is correct? · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Which of the following is the correct format for an article?
(a) Address, date, salutation, body, closing (b) Title and byline, then the text (c) NOTICE, date, heading (d) Subject line and Yours faithfully

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

An article needs only a title and a byline (1 mark).

Answer: (b)

Example 2: Write a byline · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level

Write a suitable byline for an article by a student named Kabir Anand.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A byline begins with By followed by the name (1 mark).

Answer: By Kabir Anand

Example 3: Article on screen time · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Young people spend hours on their phones every day. Write an article, in 120-150 words, on how this affects them and what can be done. Give it a title and a byline. (You are Aanya Sharma.)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Format (1): title and byline.
Organisation (1): hook, body, conclusion.
Content (2): causes, effects, solutions.
Accuracy (1).

Answer: Pause Before You Scroll
By Aanya Sharma

How many hours of your day vanish into a small glowing screen? For many young people, the answer is far more than they realise.

The habit grows because apps are designed to hold attention: videos autoplay, notifications keep arriving, and friends seem always online. As a result, sleep is shortened, homework is delayed and concentration weakens. Even face-to-face talk suffers, since a phone often sits between friends. Moreover, constant comparison with others on social media can lower confidence.

The solution is not to throw the phone away but to use it wisely. Switching off notifications, fixing a time limit and keeping phones out of the bedroom are simple steps. Families can agree on phone-free meals. Let us decide, tonight, to look up from the screen and notice the world around us.

Example 4: Article on water saving · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Water scarcity is growing in many towns. Write an article, in 120-150 words, on the importance of saving water and the part every citizen can play. Give a title and byline. (You are Dhruv Kapoor.)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Format (1).
Organisation (1).
Content (2): importance, causes of wastage, individual actions.
Accuracy (1).

Answer: Every Drop Has a Story
By Dhruv Kapoor

Water is the one resource we cannot manufacture, yet we treat it as if it will never end. In many towns, taps now run dry for hours.

Wastage begins in small ways: a leaking tap, a running hose, a shower that lasts too long. Rapid growth of cities and the drawing of too much groundwater add to the problem, and rain often runs off paved roads instead of soaking into the earth. The result is a shortage that hits the poor first and hardest.

Every citizen can help. We can repair leaks, use buckets rather than hoses, reuse kitchen water for plants and install rainwater harvesting in our homes and schools. Communities can clean local ponds and wells. If each of us saves a little, together we can save a great deal.

Example 5: An article with two sides · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Online shopping has changed how people buy things. Write an article, in 120-150 words, presenting both its advantages and its drawbacks and giving your view. Give a title and byline. (You are Sana Pillai.)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Format (1).
Organisation (1): hook, advantages, drawbacks, view.
Content (2): balanced analysis and a reasoned conclusion.
Accuracy (1).

Answer: A Click Away, but at What Cost?
By Sana Pillai

Would you rather walk to a crowded market or order your shoes from the sofa? Online shopping has made the second choice easy for millions.

Its advantages are clear. It saves time, offers wide choice and lets us compare prices before we buy. People in small towns can reach products once available only in big cities. However, there are drawbacks. We cannot touch or try the goods, and returns can be troublesome. Small local shopkeepers may lose customers, and unplanned buying often leads to waste and packaging litter.

In my view, online shopping is a useful tool if used with care. We should buy only what we need, support local shops when possible and read reviews carefully. A convenient click should never replace careful thought.

Where students lose marks in Title, Byline and Hook in an Article

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Adding an address and Dear Sir
That is the letter format.
Wrong working
12 Park Road ... Dear Sir ... Yours faithfully
Right working
Title and byline, then the text.
Do this: Remember T-B only.
Usually costs: The format mark.
Mistake: Title the same as the question
It shows no thought.
Wrong working
Screen time among youth
Right working
Pause Before You Scroll
Do this: Invent a catchy title.
Usually costs: Part of the format mark.
Mistake: Listing facts without analysis
The task is descriptive and analytical.
Wrong working
Water is scarce. Many people have no water. We must save water.
Right working
Water is scarce because groundwater is overused; as a result the poor suffer.
Do this: Use because, so, however.
Usually costs: 1 of 2 content marks.
Mistake: Over-length essay
Over 150 words loses accuracy.
Wrong working
A 220-word article.
Right working
About 130-145 words.
Do this: Plan four paragraphs and count.
Usually costs: Accuracy.

Exam tips

Write the title and byline first, so the format is secured.
Use an invented name only if the question gives none.
Open with a question or scene, not with In today's world.
Use linkers to turn facts into analysis.
Close with a call to action.

Practice questions on Title, Byline and Hook in an Article

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of the following is the best title for an article on traffic congestion?
(a) Traffic (b) Stuck in Traffic: Is There a Way Out? (c) An article on traffic (d) By Rahul
Hint
Catchy and specific.
Answer
(b)
Q2 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Many students feel stressed before examinations. Write an article, in 120-150 words, on exam stress and ways to manage it. Give a title and a byline. (You are Ira Menon.)
Hint
Hook; causes and effects; practical ways.
Answer
Taming the Exam Monster
By Ira Menon
Does your stomach tighten when the date sheet is announced? You are not alone.
Exam stress comes from many sources: fear of failure, pressure from parents and peers, and long syllabuses that seem impossible to finish. It shows itself in sleeplessness, headaches and a mind that goes blank at the wrong moment. A little stress can motivate, but too much weakens memory and confidence.
The remedy lies in simple habits. A realistic timetable, regular breaks, enough sleep and some physical activity can steady the mind. Talking to a teacher or friend helps, and parents can help by listening instead of comparing. It also helps to remember that one examination is not the measure of a life. Prepare calmly, walk in with confidence and let your effort speak for you.
Q3 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
The loss of traditional crafts is a concern in many regions. Write an article, in 120-150 words, on why crafts must be preserved and how young people can help. Give a title and a byline. (You are Vikram Rao.)
Hint
Value of crafts; causes of decline; actions.
Answer
Threads of Our Heritage
By Vikram Rao
The hands that weave a cloth or shape a clay lamp carry skills taught over generations. Yet many craftspeople now struggle to survive.
Machine-made goods are cheaper and faster, and young people in craft families often move to other jobs for steadier pay. As a result, techniques are forgotten and an important part of our culture fades. Crafts also support rural livelihoods and use local materials, so their loss is both a cultural and an economic matter.
Young people can help by buying handmade goods, visiting craft fairs, learning a craft as a hobby and promoting artisans online. Schools can invite craftspeople to hold workshops. Craft fairs and online sales can bring them fair prices and new buyers. If we value what the hands create, the tradition will continue.
Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why is the opening of an article called a hook? Give two ways of writing one. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of fishing.
Answer
An opening is called a hook because it catches the reader's interest, as a hook catches a fish, so that he keeps reading. It can be a question, such as How long do you spend on your phone each day? or a striking statement or short scene.
Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
A student's article on pollution consists of five facts, one after another, with no linking words and no suggestions. Evaluate it in 40-50 words using the marking criteria.
Hint
Organisation and content.
Answer
The article lacks organisation, because there are no paragraphs or linkers, and it lacks depth in content, since facts are listed but not analysed and no suggestions are made. It would lose marks in organisation and content. It needs a hook, causes and effects, and a closing call to action.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.What two items make the format of an article?Show answer
A title and a byline.
2.What is the word limit?Show answer
120-150 words.
3.What do the 5 marks cover?Show answer
Format 1, organisation 1, content 2, accuracy 1.
4.What is a hook?Show answer
An opening that catches the reader's interest.
5.What should the last paragraph contain?Show answer
Suggestions and a call to action.
6.Is an address required?Show answer
No.

Title, Byline and Hook in an Article: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an article and a report?

An article analyses a topic of general interest; a report gives a factual account of an event.

Can I use I in an article?

Sparingly; keep the article factual and formal enough.

Where does the byline go?

Directly below the title.

How many paragraphs should I write?

About four short ones.