Study Guides/English/Expand the Following News Headlines — Exercises with Answers
Study Guide · English

Expand News Headlines into Complete Sentences

Newspaper headlines are written in a compressed, telegraphic style — articles, auxiliary verbs, and other small words are usually omitted. Expanding a headline means rewriting it as a complete, grammatically correct sentence with all missing words restored.

Question (Click to Flip)

What is the method to expand a news headline?

Answer

Step 1: Identify the subject and verb in the headline. Step 2: Add missing articles (a, an, the). Step 3: Add auxiliary verbs (has, was, were, is, are). Step 4: Add prepositions and other function words. Step 5: Choose the correct tense (past for completed events, present perfect for recent news). Step 6: Write as a complete, clear sentence.

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Key Facts

Headlines omit articles (a, an, the) and auxiliary verbs (is, are, was, were, has).

Expanding = restoring all omitted words + making grammatically correct.

Most news is reported in past tense or present perfect.

Always add articles before nouns: 'PM' → 'The Prime Minister'.

Read the headline carefully to understand the event before expanding.

Rules for Expanding Headlines

What headlines omit:

  1. Articles — a, an, the (e.g., 'Man Bites Dog' → 'A man bites a dog')
  2. Auxiliary verbs — is, are, was, were, has, have (e.g., 'PM Meets President' → 'The PM meets/has met the President')
  3. The verb 'to be' (e.g., 'Three Dead in Fire' → 'Three people were/are dead in a fire')
  4. Prepositions (sometimes)
  5. Conjunctions (sometimes)

Steps to expand a headline:

  1. Read the headline and understand the event.
  2. Identify the subject (who/what).
  3. Identify the verb/action.
  4. Add articles (a, an, the) before nouns as needed.
  5. Add auxiliary verbs (is, was, has been, will be) to give correct tense.
  6. Add prepositions and other function words.
  7. Write as a complete, meaningful sentence — usually in past tense (news reports past events) or present tense for ongoing situations.

Tense guide: • For completed events: past tense — 'was killed', 'were rescued' • For ongoing/recent news: present perfect — 'has been launched', 'have been arrested' • For future plans: will/going to — 'will be inaugurated'

15 Headline Expansion Exercises with Answers

Expand each headline into a complete sentence:

  1. PM Launches New Education Policy → The Prime Minister has launched a new education policy.

  2. Three Dead in Road Accident → Three people died in a road accident.

  3. India Wins World Cup → India has won the World Cup.

  4. Scientists Discover New Species in Amazon → Scientists have discovered a new species in the Amazon.

  5. Flood Hits Coastal Villages → A flood has hit the coastal villages.

  6. School Closed Due to Heavy Rain → The school has been closed due to heavy rain.

  7. Crime Rate Falls in City → The crime rate has fallen in the city.

  8. Hospital Workers on Strike → Hospital workers are on strike.

  9. Earthquake Kills Hundreds → An earthquake has killed hundreds of people.

  10. New Bridge Inaugurated by Chief Minister → A new bridge has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister.

  11. Tiger Reserve Gets UNESCO Recognition → A tiger reserve has received UNESCO recognition.

  12. Petrol Prices Rise Again → Petrol prices have risen again.

  13. Students Win National Science Quiz → The students have won the national science quiz.

  14. Two Arrested for Bank Robbery → Two people have been arrested for a bank robbery.

  15. Rains Expected to Continue This Week → Rains are expected to continue this week.

Questions and Answers

What is the method to expand a news headline?+

Step 1: Identify the subject and verb in the headline. Step 2: Add missing articles (a, an, the). Step 3: Add auxiliary verbs (has, was, were, is, are). Step 4: Add prepositions and other function words. Step 5: Choose the correct tense (past for completed events, present perfect for recent news). Step 6: Write as a complete, clear sentence.

In which tense should expanded headlines be written?+

Usually past tense for completed events ('Three died in a flood') or present perfect for recent news ('The PM has launched a new scheme'). Ongoing situations use simple present ('Workers are on strike'). Future events use future tense ('The bridge will be inaugurated tomorrow').

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