HTML Explained – Basic Structure of a Web Page (O Level Computer Science 2210 / IGCSE 0478)
What Is HTML?
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language used to create and structure web pages on the internet.
HTML uses tags to describe how content should appear on a webpage.
These tags tell the web browser how to display:
Text
Images
Links
Headings
Paragraphs
Every website you visit is built using HTML along with other technologies such as CSS and JavaScript.
What Are HTML Tags?
HTML uses tags to define elements on a webpage.
Tags are written inside angle brackets.
Example:
<h1>This is a heading</h1>In this example:
<h1>is the opening tag</h1>is the closing tag
The text between them is the content of the element.
Basic Structure of an HTML Page
Every HTML webpage follows a basic structure.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My Web Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to My Website</h1>
<p>This is my first web page.</p>
</body>
</html>Explanation of Each Part
ElementPurpose<!DOCTYPE html>Defines the document type<html>Root element of the webpage<head>Contains page information<title>Title shown in browser tab<body>Contains visible webpage content
Common HTML Tags
Some common HTML tags used in webpages include:
TagPurpose<h1>Heading<p>Paragraph<a>Hyperlink<img>Image<ul>Unordered list<li>List item
These tags allow developers to structure content clearly on web pages.
Hyperlinks in HTML
HTML allows web pages to connect using hyperlinks.
Example:
<a href="https://www.example.com">Visit Website</a>This creates a clickable link that takes users to another webpage.
Hyperlinks are essential for navigation across the World Wide Web.
Why HTML Is Important
HTML is important because it forms the foundation of all websites.
It allows developers to:
Structure webpage content
Create links between pages
Display text, images and media
Build websites and web applications
Without HTML, web browsers would not know how to display content on the internet.
Exam Tip (2210 / 0478)
Students are commonly asked to:
Define HTML
Identify HTML tags
Explain the structure of a web page
A common exam question is:
Explain the purpose of the
<body>tag in HTML.
Practice Question
Explain one purpose of HTML.
Answer
HTML is used to structure and display content on web pages so that web browsers can present information to users.
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