Newspaper headlines are often incomplete sentences. This is how they are built:

“Husband killed and wife taken to hospital

after being run over by their own car as it

reversed while they were putting bags in the

boot.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/

It's useful to ask yourself questions such as: From what?, About what?, Fromwhom?, To whom? etc. when reading these type of headlines. By askingyourself these questions, you can begin preparing yourself for the article. Thispractice helps the brain prepare itself by starting to think about vocabularyrelated to the subject. Here's an example:Prince’s Embarrassing HandshakeThe questions I can ask myself are: Which Prince? To whom? Why was thehandshake embarrassing? etc. these questions will help focus my mind onvocabulary related to relationships, degrees of formality, etc.

Noun PhrasesHeadlines often contain a noun phrase with no verb.•Prince’s Embarrassing Handshake•Astonishing turnout

Noun StringsAnother common headline form is a string of three, four or more nouns together A long string of nouns – one noun after the other – makes for difficult reading. These can be difficult because the words don't appear related by verbs or adjectives. •Underground Mine Worker Safety Protection Procedures•Alternative Regulated Competitive Price Options

Noun Strings (cont’d)In the case of noun strings, it's helpful to try to connect the ideas by reading backward. For example:•Underground Mine Worker Safety Protection Proceduresshould read:•Developing procedures to protect the safety of workers in underground mines

Various Verb ChangesThere are a number of verb changes made to headlines. The most common are:Simple tenses used instead of continuous or perfect form:Missing Link Unveiled = A missing link has been unveiled Strikers Protest Pay Cuts = Strikers are protesting pay cuts

Various Verb Changes (cont’d)The infinitive form refers to the future:•Vieira to Replace Couric on Today’s Show = Vieira is going to replace Couric on Today’s Show•Shakira to sing in Lisbon = Shakira is going to sing in Lisbon soon.Auxiliary verbs are dropped in the passive form:•Woman Mugged in Supermarket = A woman has been mugged in a supermarket.

Drop ArticlesBoth definite and indefinite articles are also dropped in newspaper headlines:Killer of Banker’s Son Gets Life= The killer of the banker’s son has got a life sentence.Passerby Sees Woman Jump = A passerby has seen a woman jump (into the river).