Examples of the Inverted Pyramid Style of Writing

The inverted pyramid puts the most important facts first and adds detail in order of importance. The five examples below show it in a news report, a press release, a blog post, a marketing email and a product update. In each one, a reader who stops after the first paragraph still knows the main point.

For the method itself, its parts and its history, read the inverted pyramid style of writing.

What to look for in each example

Every inverted pyramid has the same three layers:

1. The lead: who, what, when, where and why, in the first sentence or paragraph.
2. The body: supporting details, quotes and background, from most to least important.
3. The tail: extra context and contact details that could be cut without losing the story.

Example 1: A news report (1865)

On 15 April 1865, the New York Herald printed a telegram from US Secretary of War Edwin Stanton about the attack on President Abraham Lincoln. It opens:

"This evening at about 9:30 p.m. at Ford's Theatre, the President, while sitting in his private box with Mrs. Lincoln,"

and continues, in the same sentence, to describe the assassin entering the box and shooting the President from behind.

Breakdown:

• When: this evening, at about 9:30 p.m.
• Where: Ford's Theatre, in the President's private box
• Who: the President, Mrs. Lincoln and the assassin
• What: the President was shot

Everything that follows in the dispatch adds detail to facts the reader already has. Historian David T. Z. Mindich points to this coverage as an early landmark of the form. The Associated Press, by contrast, still told the story in time order.

Example 2: A press release (2024)

On 14 August 2024, the US Federal Trade Commission published a press release headlined "Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials". Its first sentence says the FTC "today announced a final rule" that "will combat fake reviews and testimonials by prohibiting their sale or purchase", and that lets the agency seek civil penalties.

Breakdown, paragraph by paragraph:

1. Lead: who (the FTC), what (a final rule against fake reviews), when (today) and why (to combat fake reviews and allow penalties).
2. Quote: the FTC Chair explains why the rule matters for consumers and fair competition.
3. Background: the earlier proposal stages and the changes made after public comments.
4. Details: a bulleted list of the six practices the rule prohibits.
5. Context: why the agency wanted civil penalties.
6. Process: the vote and when the rule takes effect.
7. Tail: the staff who worked on it, an "about the FTC" boilerplate and the media contact.

A journalist can stop after the first paragraph and write a short news item. Each later paragraph serves readers who want more. That is what makes the inverted pyramid the standard for press releases. See also the advantages of a press release.

Example 3: A blog post

Our own guide to Google Analytics 4 opens like this:

Google Analytics 4, often shortened to GA4 or "G4", is the current version of Google Analytics. Google launched it in October 2020, and it became the only version when Universal Analytics stopped processing data in July 2023.

Breakdown:

• The answer comes first. Someone searching "what is Google Analytics G4" gets the answer in two sentences.
• The body follows the reader's next questions: what happened to the old version, how to set GA4 up, what changed, and which reports to use.
• The tail holds related reading.

You can read the full post at Google Analytics 4: what it is and how to set it up. Nielsen Norman Group recommends the same approach for all web writing: put the most important information first, use descriptive subheadings, and make the first sentence of each paragraph the most important one.

Example 4: A marketing email

Sample written for this article. An invitation to a customer webinar:

Subject: Live demo of the new reporting dashboard, next Thursday
Hi Sam,
Next Thursday at 4 p.m. CET, our product team will show the new reporting dashboard live and answer your questions. Save your seat here.
You'll see how to build a pipeline report in a few clicks, share it with your team and schedule it by email.
Can't make it? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording.

Breakdown:

• Subject line and first paragraph: what (a live demo), when (next Thursday, 4 p.m. CET), who (the product team) and the call to action.
• Second paragraph: why it is worth attending.
• Third paragraph: the fallback for people who can't join.

A reader who only sees the inbox preview still knows what the email is about and what to do.

Example 5: A product update

Sample written for this article. A short changelog entry:

Two-way calendar sync is now available for all teams. Meetings booked in the app now appear in Google Calendar and Outlook, and changes made in either place update automatically.
To turn it on, go to Settings, then Integrations, and connect your calendar.
Sync covers new meetings from today. Existing meetings stay as they are.

Breakdown:

• Lead: what changed and who gets it.
• Body: how to use it.
• Tail: limits and edge cases.

How to spot the inverted pyramid in your own writing

Read only the first paragraph of your draft. If it doesn't tell the reader the main point, move that point up. Then check that each paragraph below it is less essential than the one before. If you could delete the last paragraph without losing anything important, the structure is working.

For more help with structure and tone, see styles of writing for content marketers and tips and tricks for copywriters.