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7B Grammar

Reporting the news

Unit 7

I CAN report questions and answers from interviews
I CAN summarise an interview

Grammar

10 cards

Reporting questions is one of the most useful skills for any journalist, researcher, or student. When a reporter interviews a politician, a witness, or an expert, they rarely quote every question word for word. Instead, they report the question - turning the direct question into a reported (or indirect) question that fits smoothly into a sentence or a news bulletin. Learning this structure clearly will help you summarise interviews confidently and write in a more professional, formal style.

In English, reported questions follow two clear patterns, depending on whether the original question was a yes/no question or a wh- question. Yes/no questions are questions that can be answered with yes or no ('Are you ready?', 'Did you see him?'). When reporting these, we introduce the clause with if or whether and use normal statement word order. The auxiliary verb that appeared before the subject in the direct question now appears after the subject in the reported version.

Look at the examples below. Notice that the question mark has disappeared, the verb has moved, and the tense has shifted one step back: the present simple becomes the past simple, the past simple becomes the past perfect, and 'can' becomes 'could'.

Direct question	Reported question
'Do you live in London?'	The journalist asked if I lived in London.
'Did the minister resign?'	Reporters asked whether the minister had resigned.
'Can you comment on the report?'	She wondered if he could comment on the report.

Wh- questions (who, what, where, when, why, how, which, whose) keep their question word and again use statement word order. The reporting verb - usually ask, wonder, want to know, enquire, or demand - introduces the clause. The pattern is: reporting verb + wh- word + subject + verb. This return to normal word order is the most common mistake for learners, so practise it carefully.

Direct question	Reported question
'Where do you work?'	He asked where I worked.
'What did you see?'	She wanted to know what he had seen.
'Why are you leaving?'	They enquired why he was leaving.

Tense backshift is essential when the reporting verb is in the past tense. The reported verb moves one step into the past: present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, past simple → past perfect, 'can' → 'could', 'will' → 'would'. If the reporting verb is in the present ('He asks...'), the tense in the reported clause does not need to shift. This small rule has a big effect on how natural your English sounds in formal writing.

In news reports, press summaries, and academic essays, reported questions let you condense an entire interview into a few clear sentences. For example, instead of writing, 'The reporter asked, "Where were you on the night of the 14th?"', you can write, 'The reporter asked the witness where he had been on the night of the 14th.' This is more concise, more formal, and more typical of professional English.

Reported Questions — إزاي تنقل سؤال من مباشر لغير مباشر

الـ reported questions، أو الأسئلة المنقولة، هي طريقة بتحوّل بيها السؤال المباشر لجملة عادية جوه كلام تاني. الـ journalists بيستخدموا ده كتير جداً عشان يلخصوا الـ interviews بشكل احترافي، والـ students بيستخدموه في الـ academic writing.

في عندنا نوعين أساسيين:

1. Yes/No questions

دي الأسئلة اللي إجابتها yes أو no. زي 'Did you see him?' أو 'Are you ready?'. لما تنقلها:

بتحط if أو whether
بترجّع الـ word order عادي زي الجملة الخبرية
الـ auxiliary verb اللي كان قبل الـ subject بييجي بعده

أمثلة:

'Do you live in London?' → The journalist asked if I lived in London.
'Did the minister resign?' → Reporters asked whether the minister had resigned.

لاحظ: الـ question mark اختفى تماماً، والـ verb اتحرك.

2. Wh- questions

دي اللي بتبدأ بـ who, what, where, when, why, how. هنا بتحتفظ بالـ wh- word وبتعمل word order عادي:

'Where do you work?' → He asked where I worked.
'What did you see?' → She wanted to know what he had seen.
'Why are you leaving?' → They enquired why he was leaving.

Tense Backshift — القاعدة الذهبية

لو الـ reporting verb في الماضي (asked, wondered, wanted to know)، الـ verb في الجملة المنقولة بيرجع خطوة واحدة للماضي:

present simple → past simple (live → lived)
past simple → past perfect (resigned → had resigned)
can → could
will → would

لكن لو الـ reporting verb في الـ present (He asks...)، الـ tense مش بيتغير.

Reporting verbs شائعة

ask, wonder, want to know, enquire, demand — اختار منهم اللي يناسب الموقف. في الـ exercises الجاية، ركز على حاجتين: هل السؤال yes/no ولا wh-؟، والتوتر اتغير صح ولا لأ. دول أكتر حاجات بيغلط فيها المتعلمين.

The reporter asked the minister if he had resigned.

Notice the structure: reporting verb + if + subject + past tense.

She wanted to know where the explosion had happened.

Wh- words stay, but the verb follows the subject.

Required

Look at the two sentences above. Which word introduces the reported yes/no question?

if or whether
the reporting verb
the question word

Required

The journalist asked the witness ___ she had seen anything unusual.

Required

He wanted to know ___ the meeting had started.

Required

They enquired ___ the prime minister was willing to comment.

Required

Put the words in the correct order to make a reported question.

accident
happened
asked
had
the
witness
Journalist
when

Required

In a reported question, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.

Required

Drag the correct reporting word into each reported question.

when
what
if
whether

He asked the minister had resigned.

She enquired there would be a press conference.

The reporter wanted to know had happened.

They asked the election would be held.

Listening

5 cards

In this listening activity, you will hear a conversation between two journalists working for a national television channel. One is the news anchor in the studio; the other is a political correspondent who has just returned from a press conference at Westminster. They discuss the main points of the minister's announcement.

Before you listen, think about this question: when journalists report on a press conference, do they usually quote the politician directly, or do they summarise the questions and answers in their own words? You will hear both styles in the conversation that follows.

Pay close attention to the reported questions the correspondent uses. Notice how 'if' and 'whether' introduce yes/no questions, and how words like 'where', 'what' and 'how' are kept at the start of wh- questions. Try to identify at least three examples in the dialogue.

The dialogue is set in a real newsroom context, so the speakers speak clearly but at a natural pace. They use standard British pronunciation, including the /ð/ sound in 'the', 'that' and 'they'. Listen for these sounds as you follow the conversation.

After the dialogue, you will be asked three questions: one about the main idea (gist), one about a specific fact, and one where you fill in a missing detail. All the answers can be heard in the conversation.

الكلام غير المباشر (Reported Speech) في الأخبار

في السيكشن دي هتسمع حوار بين مذيعة اسمها إيما ومراسل سياسي اسمه توم راجع من مؤتمر صحفي في ويستمنستر. الحوار ده بيورّينا إزاي الصحفيين بيحوّلوا كلام السياسيين من كلام مباشر لكلام غير مباشر لما بيقدّموا تقريرهم على التلفزيون.

أهم حاجة في الدرس: الأسئلة غير المباشرة (Reported Questions)

لما توم بيقول إن الصحفيين سألوا الوزير أسئلة، هو مش بيكرر السؤال زي ما اتقال بالحرف. لأ، بيحوّله لصيغة غير مباشرة. وده ليه قاعدتين مهمين:

أسئلة الإجابة بنعم أو لأ (Yes/No Questions): بتتحوّل بif أو whether. مثلاً: "Is the figure realistic?" بقت Many journalists asked whether that figure was realistic. شوف، whether هي اللي فتحت السؤال غير المباشر.
أسئلة Wh- (زي where, what, how): بنحافظ على أداة السؤال في الأول، وبنرجع الزمن للخلف. مثلاً: "Where will the money come from?" بقت He didn't give full details, but he said it would come from a new tax. أو "What did the minister say?" بقت Can you tell us what the minister actually said.

رجوع الزمن (Backshift)

لما توم بيقول إن الوزير وعد بحاجة، هو بيستخدم would بدل will، وwas بدل is. ده عشان في الكلام غير المباشر بنرجع الزمن خطوة للماضي. مثلاً: "Two billion pounds will go into the NHS" بقت an extra two billion pounds would go into the NHS next year. و"The plan is costed" بقت He insisted that the plan was fully costed.

أفعال التقارير (Reporting Verbs) مهمة في الدرس

promised (وعد) — He promised that an extra two billion pounds would go into the NHS
said (قال) — He also said that waiting times would be cut in half
insisted (أصرّ) — He insisted that the plan was fully costed
asked (سأل) — Many journalists in the room asked whether that figure was realistic

مفردات من الأخبار (News Vocabulary)

headline = الخبر الرئيسي، مثل: The big headline today is the health minister's announcement
correspondent = المراسل، مثل: our political correspondent, Tom
press conference = مؤتمر صحفي
waiting times = فترات الانتظار (في المستشفيات)
figure = رقم أو مبلغ، مثل: given the current economic situation
to be fully costed = يكون متحسب تكلفته بالظبط

ملاحظة على النطق البريطاني (British Pronunciation)

دوّري على صوت الـ/ð/ الناعم اللي بيبقى بين الـd والـth العادية. هتلاقيه واضح جداً في كلمات زي the, that, they, وthey're. الصوتيات في الدرس ده بريطاني معيار، فحاول تسمعها كويس.

Two journalists discuss a press conference given by the Health Minister. Listen for reported questions and key facts.

E
Emma Good evening. I'm joined now by our political correspondent, Tom, who has just come back from the press conference at Westminster. Tom, what's the main story today?
T
Tom Thanks, Emma. The big headline today is the health minister's announcement about new hospital funding.
E
Emma Can you tell us what the minister actually said?
T
Tom Yes, he promised that an extra two billion pounds would go into the NHS next year. He also said that waiting times would be cut in half.
E
Emma Did he explain where the money will come from?
T
Tom He didn't give full details, but he said it would come from a new tax on sugary drinks. Many journalists in the room asked whether that figure was realistic, given the current economic situation.
E
Emma And what was his response to those concerns?
T
Tom He insisted that the plan was fully costed and that the money had already been secured. He told us he would publish the full figures next week.

Required

What is the main topic of the press conference?

A new tax on sugary drinks
New hospital funding
Waiting times in schools
The work of NHS doctors

Required

Where will the new money for the NHS come from?

From general taxation
From a new tax on sugary drinks
From the European Union
From private hospitals

Required

The minister promised that an extra ___ billion pounds would go into the NHS next year.

Pronunciation

6 cards

The /θ/ and /ð/ sounds are two of the most distinctive sounds in English, and they appear constantly in news vocabulary. They are also sounds that many learners find difficult because they do not exist in most other languages. Mastering them will make your English sound much clearer and more natural, especially in formal contexts like news reporting.

To make either sound, place the tip of your tongue between your teeth - just gently touching or even slightly sticking out. Do not pull the tongue back. The difference between /θ/ and /ð/ is voicing: with /θ/, you only push air out (like a whisper); with /ð/, you switch on your voice and let it buzz.

Sound	Voiced?	Example words
/θ/	voiceless	think, thank, three, bath, month
/ð/	voiced	this, that, the, there, they

Look at the difference between the two words in this minimal pair: think /θɪŋk/ and this /ðɪs/. The tongue position is almost identical; only the voicing changes. Practise saying both, and put your fingers on your throat - you should feel vibration only on this.

In British news English, the definite article the is pronounced /ðə/ before vowel sounds (e.g. the interview, the anchor) and /ðɪ/ before consonant sounds (the minister, the report). Many learners say /θ/ here, which sounds unnatural. The standard British pronunciation of the is always /ð/, never /θ/.

Some common words where the /θ/ sound is essential: thousand, three, through, throw. Some common words where the /ð/ sound is essential: this, that, these, those, the, they, there, then, brother, mother. A useful tip: do not press your tongue too hard against your teeth. A light, gentle contact is enough. Practise in front of a mirror so you can see the tongue tip.

صوت الـ "th" في الإنجليزية: الفرق بين /θ/ و /ð/

النهارده هنتكلم عن حكاية مهمة جدًا في اللغة الإنجليزية، خصوصًا لما بتقرأ الأخبار أو بتقدم تقرير. في حرفين بيكتبوا بنفس الطريقة th، بس بيتلفظوا بطريقتين مختلفين، وده اللي بيخلي النطق مميز عند الإنجليز.

فين بتحط لسانك بالظبط؟

عشان تعمل أي صوت من الاتنين، لازم تحط طرف لسانك بين سنانك الأماميين، يعني اللسان يطلع شوية بره بوقك ويلمس الأسنان من بره. متسحبهش لجوه خالص. اللمسة دي هي السر في الصوت ده.

الفرق الأساسي: اهتزاز الحنجرة

/θ/ - voiceless (مفيش صوت): هنا بتدفع هوا بس من بوقك، زي الهمس بالظبط. حنجرتك مش بتشتغل. كلمات زي think, thank, three، وbath كلها أمثلة.
/ð/ - voiced (فيه صوت): هنا حنجرتك بتشتغل وبتهتز. لو حطيت إيدك على رقبتك هتحس بالاهتزاز. كلمات زي this, that, the، وbrother أمثلة عليه.

مثال بسيط للمقارنة

خد الكلمتين دول: think وthis. لو قولتهم هتلاقي إن لسانك في نفس المكان في الحالتين. بس لما تقول this هتحس إن رقبتك بتولّع، ولما تقول think مفيش أي اهتزاز. الفرق بسيط بس بيعمل فرق كبير.

كلمة "the" في نشرة الأخبار

في الإنجليزية البريطانية، كلمة the دايمًا بتنطق بصوت /ð/، ومينفعش تتقال /θ/. بس طريقة اللفظ بتتغير حسب الكلمة اللي بعدها:

قبل حرف العلة (a, e, i, o, u): بتنطق /ðə/ - زي the interview وthe anchor
قبل حرف ساكن: بتنطق /ðɪ/ - زي the minister وthe report

كلمات لازم تعرفها كمراسل

صوت /θ/: think, thank, three, thousand, through, bath, month صوت /ð/: this, that, the, they, there, brother, mother

نصيحة عملية

متحطش لسانك بقوة على سنانك. خلّي اللمسة خفيفة وناعمة. وقّف قدام المراية عشان تشوف طرف لسانك بيطلع بين سنانك. جرّب تكرر الكلمتين قدام المراية كل يوم، وهتلاقي نفسك بقيت بتقولهم صح تلقائي.

Tongue tip between the teeth. /θ/ = whisper only (think, three, thank). /ð/ = voice on (this, that, the, they). To feel the difference, put a finger on your throat: vibration = /ð/.

Required

Which word did you hear?

think
this
thick

Required

Place your tongue between your teeth, push air out only, and say the word.

think

Required

Same tongue position, but switch on your voice this time.

this

Required

Say the full phrase. Remember: 'the' is always voiced /ð/ in standard British English.

the minister

Speaking

7 cards

The ability to report an interview - rather than repeat it word for word - is a key professional skill. It shows that you have understood the content and can communicate the main points concisely. This section gives you the language you need to do exactly that.

Below are some of the most useful phrases for reporting an interview, with a short Arabic gloss for each. Read them aloud and notice the structure of the reporting verb followed by the reported clause.

English phrase	Arabic gloss
The witness said that ...	قال الشاهد إن ...
He told me that ...	أخبرني أنه ...
She explained that ...	أوضحت أن ...
They wanted to know whether ...	أرادوا أن يعرفوا ما إذا كان ...
He asked why ...	سأل لماذا ...
She wondered if ...	تساءلت إن كان ...
According to the source, ...	بحسب المصدر، ...
The minister insisted that ...	أصر الوزير على أن ...

When you report an interview, follow three simple steps. First, identify the main point of what the speaker said. Second, choose a clear reporting verb (said, told, explained, insisted, added, confirmed). Third, decide whether the original was a yes/no question (use if / whether) or a wh- question (keep the question word).

In the model conversation that follows, you will hear two colleagues discussing an interview with a witness to a factory fire. Notice how each speaker uses reported speech to summarise what the witness said. Then you will have the chance to do the same thing yourself in a roleplay with me.

إزاي تبلّغ عن مقابلة صحفية بالإنجليزي

في السيكشن دي، إحنا بنتعلم مهارة مهمة جدًا في الشغل الصحفي، وهي إنك تنقل كلام اللي قابلتهم من غير ما تقوله زي ما هو بالحرف. بدل ما تقول "she said 'I saw the fire'" بتقول "she said she had seen the fire" — يعني بنرجع الزمن خطوة لورا لأن الكلام ده حصل في الماضي قبل ما قابلتها. كده بتبيّن إنك فهمت المحتوى وعارف توصل الفكرة الرئيسية بشكل مختصر.

أول حاجة: اختار الـ reporting verb المناسب

الكلمة اللي بتفتح بيها الجملة بتتغير حسب الموقف:

said — لما الشخص بس بيحكي، زي "she said the fire had spread quickly"
told — لما بتكلّم حد معين، ودايمًا بتيجي بعدها me/him/her/us، زي "she told me two workers had been taken to hospital"
wondered — لما الشخص مش متأكد من حاجة، زي "she wondered if it had been caused by an electrical fault"
explained / insisted / added / confirmed — كل واحدة ليها لمسة مختلفة حسب نبرة المتحدث

تاني حاجة: نوع السؤال بيحدد شكل الجملة

لو السؤال الأصلي yes/no (إجابته أيوه أو لأ)، بتستخدم if أو whether:

"Did she mention whether anyone was hurt?"

لو السؤال فيه wh- (what, who, when, why)، بتفضل كلمة السؤال زي ما هي:

"He asked why the fire had started"
"She asked who was responsible"

تالت حاجة: تلات خطوات قبل ما تتكلم

عشان جملتك تطلع مظبوطة، فكّر في التلات حاجات دول:

إيه الفكرة الرئيسية اللي عايز توصلها من كلام الشخص؟ اختصرها في جملة واحدة واضحة
اختار reporting verb مناسب — said؟ told؟ wondered؟ كل واحدة بتغيّر معنى الكلام شوية
حدد نوع السؤال عشان تعرف تستخدم if/whether ولا تسيب كلمة السؤال زي ما هي

الموديل: مقابلة عن حريق مصنع

في المثال اللي هتسمعه، مراسلة اسمها آنا بتسأل زميلها مارك عن اللي قالته شاهدة عيان. هو مش بيقول كلامها بالحرف، لأ هو بيُلخّص: الشاهدة قالت إنها شافت الحريق بدأ في المخزن، وإن اتنين من العمال اتنقلوا المستشفى، بس هي مش متأكدة من السبب. ركّز على إزاي الماضي البسيط في الكلام المباشر بيتحوّل لماضي تام (past perfect) في الكلام المُبلّغ، وإزاي كل reporting verb بيخدم غرض مختلف في القصة.

Two reporters discuss an interview with a witness to a factory fire. Notice the reported questions.

A
Anna Mark, you spoke with the eyewitness this morning. What did she tell you?
M
Mark She said she had seen the fire start in the storage room, and that it had spread very quickly.
A
Anna Did she mention whether anyone was hurt?
M
Mark She told me two workers had been taken to hospital, but she thought their injuries were not serious.
A
Anna And what did she say about the cause of the fire?
M
Mark She wondered if it had been caused by an electrical fault, but she couldn't be sure.

She said she had seen the fire start in the storage room, and that it had spread very quickly.

A model sentence that reports a witness's answer using past perfect and the verb 'said'.

Required

Read the sentence aloud, paying attention to the past perfect 'had seen' and the reporting verb 'told me'.

She told me she had seen the fire start in the storage room.

Required

Read the sentence aloud, paying attention to 'if' for the yes/no question and past perfect 'had been caused'.

She wondered if it had been caused by an electrical fault.

Required

You are a news editor. I am the reporter who has just interviewed a witness to a train crash. Ask me to report what the witness told me, using reported questions and statements. I will ask you about where the witness was, what they saw, and whether anyone was hurt.

Required

I CAN report questions and answers from interviews
I CAN summarise an interview in my own words
I CAN use 'if' and 'whether' to report yes/no questions
I CAN use wh- words to report open questions
I CAN pronounce the /θ/ and /ð/ sounds correctly

Vocabulary

6 cards

To report the news well, you need a precise set of words for the people, places, and processes involved. This section introduces eight key terms that appear in every newsroom and every English-language news report. Knowing these words will help you both understand the news you read and write clear, professional summaries of interviews.

Each word below is followed by its part of speech, a short Arabic gloss, and an example sentence showing how it is used in a typical news context. Read the sentences aloud and try to imagine them as part of a live news broadcast.

Word	Part of speech	Arabic gloss	Example
headline	noun	عنوان رئيسي	The headline this morning is about the new hospital.
correspondent	noun	مراسل	Our correspondent in Paris is reporting live.
broadcast	verb / noun	يبث / بث	The interview was broadcast at nine o'clock.
interview	noun / verb	مقابلة / يقابل	She gave an interview to the BBC last night.
source	noun	مصدر	The journalist refused to name her source.
press conference	noun	مؤتمر صحفي	The minister held a press conference yesterday.
breaking news	noun	خبر عاجل	We interrupt this programme with breaking news.
coverage	noun	تغطية	The newspaper's coverage of the election was very detailed.

Notice how some words can be both nouns and verbs (broadcast, interview). In British English, the past tense and past participle of broadcast is broadcast (not broadcasted). Also notice that press conference is always written as two separate words, never hyphenated.

When you read or listen to a news report, underline any of these words that you hear. They will help you identify the structure of the report and pick out the main points more quickly. Pay particular attention to the phrases that introduce a piece of information - according to a source, according to our correspondent, according to reports - because these are the phrases that journalists use to show where a piece of information has come from.

Finally, remember that the word news is uncountable in English. We say a piece of news, an item of news, or simply some news. We never say 'a news' or 'many news'.

كلمات الأخبار بالإنجليزي

يا صديقي، السكشن ده بيقدملك ٨ كلمات أساسية بتتنقال في كل نشرة أخبار، سواء على التلفزيون أو في الجرايد أو على الراديو. لما تعرف الكلمات دي، هتقدر تفهم أي تقرير إخباري وتعمل coverage لأي موضوع باحترافية.

الكلمات الرئيسية

الكلمات هي: headline (العنوان الرئيسي)، correspondent (المراسل/المبعوث)، broadcast (يبث/بث)، interview (مقابلة)، source (مصدر)، press conference (مؤتمر صحفي)، breaking news (خبر عاجل)، و coverage (تغطية).

جمل أمثلة

في البرامج الإخبارية بنسمع جمل زي:

The headline this morning is about the new hospital.
Our correspondent in Paris is reporting live.
She gave an interview to the BBC last night.
The minister held a press conference yesterday.
We interrupt this programme with breaking news.

كلمات بتتنطق بنفس الطريقة في كل الحالات

لاحظ إن فيه كلمات بتشتغل noun (اسم) و verb (فعل) في نفس الوقت زي broadcast و interview. وكمان في British English، زمن الماضي من broadcast بيبقى broadcast، مش broadcasted:

✅ The news was broadcast yesterday.
❌ The news was broadcasted yesterday.

قاعدة مهمة في الكتابة

كلمة press conference دايماً بتتكتب كلمتين منفصلتين، منكتبهاش بـ hyphen.

تعبير according to

الصحفيين بيستخدموا تعبير "according to" عشان يوضحوا مصدر المعلومة. أشهر الجمل:

According to our correspondent...
According to a source...
According to reports...

الجملة النموذجية للدرس بتقول: According to our correspondent, the press conference will be broadcast live at six o'clock.

كلمة News

خلي بالك إن news في الإنجليزي uncountable - يعني مش بنجمعها. منقولش "a news" أو "many news"، لكن بنقول:

a piece of news (خبر واحد)
an item of news (خبر)
some news (بعض الأخبار)

Meet the eight key words for this lesson. Listen to each one, then repeat it.

breaking news ˈbreɪkɪŋ njuːz
Urgent news about an event that is happening or has just happened, typically reported immediately by media out
broadcast ˈbrɔːdkɑːst
To transmit a program, news, or information to the public by radio, television, or the internet.
correspondent ˌkɒrɪˈspɒndənt
A person who writes reports or sends letters from a particular place for a newspaper, television station, or o
coverage ˈkʌvərɪdʒ
The extent to which something is covered or reported; the reporting of events by the media, or protection prov
headline ˈhedlaɪn
A headline is the title of a newspaper article or story, printed in large letters at the top. It summarizes th
interview ˈɪn.tə.vjuː
A formal meeting in which someone is asked questions to assess their qualifications, typically for a job or po
press conference prɛs ˈkɒnfərəns
A formal meeting at which someone such as a politician or company representative speaks to journalists and ans
source
the place where something begins, where it springs into being