Unit 4 · Media & Information · Lesson 16
Today's Headlines
Learn how to summarise the news using reporting verbs like claim, deny, warn and admit. Practise the patterns so you can talk about stories accurately at B2 level.
Warm-up · §1
5 minGet talking
What's one story in the news this week that caught your attention — and why?
Where do you actually get your news — an app, a friend, social media, TV? How much do you trust it?
Match each to a story: claim, deny, warn, admit, deny, promise. Which verb do politicians use most?
Grammar focus · §2
8–10 minReporting verbs — say it precisely, not just 'said'
Quick rule
Pick a verb that shows the speaker's ATTITUDE — then match its pattern (that-clause, -ing, or to-infinitive).
Pattern builder
verb + that + clause
claim / deny / admit / suggest / warn + that…
e.g. She claimed that she was innocent.
verb + -ing
deny / admit / suggest / recommend + -ing
e.g. He denied stealing the file.
verb + object + to-infinitive
warn / urge / advise / persuade + sb + to…
e.g. Police warned drivers to slow down.
verb + to-infinitive
promise / offer / refuse / threaten + to…
e.g. The minister promised to resign.
Compare
| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| claim | + that / to have done | He claimed to have finished the report. |
| deny | + -ing / that | She denied taking the money. |
| admit | + -ing / that | He admitted making a mistake. |
| warn | + sb + to / that / against -ing | They warned us against travelling. |
| suggest | + -ing / that + should | She suggested waiting a week. |
Examples
- →
The minister claimed that the figures were accurate.
- →
The company denied any wrongdoing.
- →
She admitted making a mistake.
- →
Experts warned people not to travel.
- →
He suggested waiting until Monday.
- →
The CEO promised to resign if the report was true.
Common mistakes
He suggested me to wait.
✓ He suggested (that) I wait. / He suggested waiting.
'Suggest' never takes 'sb + to-infinitive'.
She denied to steal it.
✓ She denied stealing it.
'Deny' + -ing, not + to-infinitive.
He promised me going.
✓ He promised to go.
'Promise' + to-infinitive.
Natural English
News writing loves 'claim' for anything the paper isn't sure is true. If a headline says 'claims', assume the paper has doubts.
Deep dive (full explanation)
In news English, 'said' is almost invisible. Journalists and confident B2 speakers pick a verb that tells you HOW something was said: claim (with doubt), deny (reject), admit (accept unwillingly), warn (danger ahead), suggest (soft proposal), promise (commit). Each verb has its own grammar pattern, and that's where B2 learners lose marks.
Question 1.The minister ___ that the figures were correct.
Question 2.She ___ stealing the file.
Question 3.Police ___ drivers to slow down.
Question 4.He ___ to resign if the report was true.
Question 5.She ___ waiting until Monday.
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.The minister ___ that the figures were correct.
Quick check 2.She ___ stealing the file.
Vocabulary · §3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
a headline
the title of a news story.
breaking news
very recent, developing news.
coverage
how much attention a story gets in the media.
a source
the person or place a story comes from.
biased
unfairly favouring one side.
an eyewitness
someone who saw something happen.
to allege
to say something is true without proof.
a spokesperson
the official voice of a company or group.
a statement
an official public message.
to go viral
to spread very quickly online.
Activate it now
Use each word about a story you've actually seen.
- Make it yours#1
Describe a story that went viral recently. Use 'go viral' and 'coverage'.
to go viralcoverage - Your view#2
Is any news source really unbiased? Use 'biased' and 'source' in your answer.
biaseda source - Complete#3
Finish: 'The spokesperson released a statement saying ___ .'
a spokespersona statement - Discuss#4
When is 'alleged' the right word — and when is it a cop-out?
to allege
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · §4
3–4 minStress on reporting verbs
In news English, the reporting verb carries the meaning. Native speakers stress it: 'She CLAIMED it was true' (I'm not sure it was). 'He ad-MIT-ted lying' (this is significant). Practise stressing the verb, not the pronouns around it.
- She CLAIMED it was true
- He de-NIED taking it
- They WARNED us not to travel
- The minister PRO-mised to resign
Reading · §5
8–10 minHow to Read a Headline
Listen to the passage
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Headlines are short for a reason: space. But that shortness is also a trick. A single verb choice tells you what the paper thinks of a story — and most readers scroll past without noticing. When a headline uses 'claims', the paper is quietly signalling doubt. 'Minister claims economy is recovering' is not the same as 'Minister says economy is recovering'. 'Claims' leaves room for the paper to be wrong later. 'Denies' is the opposite. It puts the accusation in the reader's head before the denial. 'Company denies polluting river' — you now remember the pollution, not the denial. Journalists know this. 'Admits' is heavier. It implies the person didn't want to say it and was pushed. 'Bank admits errors' sounds worse than 'Bank reports errors', even if the facts are identical. 'Warns' and 'urges' are the softest weapons. They let a paper amplify an opinion — an expert 'warns' about a policy — without directly taking that side. None of this makes news writing dishonest. It makes it edited. The next time you scroll, try reading just the verbs. You'll see the paper's angle before you read the story.
Question 1.According to the text, what does 'claims' quietly signal?
Question 2.Why is 'Company denies polluting river' effective?
Question 3.'Admits' implies…
Question 4.What is the writer's main advice?
Q1.'Claims' and 'says' mean the same thing to a journalist.
Q2.'Warns' lets a paper amplify an opinion without directly taking a side.
Q3.The writer thinks news writing is dishonest.
Listening · §6
8–10 minTwo colleagues discussing a news story (about 1:30)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Anna:Did you see the story about the airline? Apparently they've admitted cancelling flights just to save money.
Ben:Wait — they admitted it, or a paper claimed they did?
Anna:Good question. Let me check. The headline says 'Airline admits' but the story says a spokesperson denied any deliberate policy.
Ben:Classic. So the headline is stronger than the story.
Anna:Right. And an ex-employee is alleging the cancellations were planned. But that's one source.
Ben:The consumer group warned passengers not to book with them until it's investigated.
Anna:Which is fair. But 'warned' is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Ben:It always is. Anyway — I promised to book flights this week. I might wait.
Question 1.What does the headline say the airline did?
Question 2.What did the spokesperson do?
Question 3.What did the consumer group do?
Question 4.What does Ben decide?
Exam skills · §7
5 minStrategy focus — Summarising a news story in Speaking Part 3 / Writing
Task
B2 tasks often ask you to summarise or react to a news story. Learners who use 'said' three times score lower than learners who vary the reporting verb.
Strategy
Before you speak or write, pick THREE reporting verbs that match the story: one for the accusation (claim / allege), one for the response (deny / admit), one for the outcome (warn / promise / urge). That trio makes any summary sound B2.
Example
The paper claims the airline cancelled flights on purpose. The company has denied any deliberate policy, but a former employee is alleging the opposite. Consumer groups have warned passengers not to book until it's investigated.
Practice · §8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.She ___ that she had never met him.
Question 2.He ___ stealing the money.
Question 3.They ___ us not to travel.
Question 4.The CEO ___ to resign.
Question 5.She ___ waiting a week.
Question 6.He ___ making a mistake.
Q1.'She ___ stealing it.' (reject)
Q2.'He ___ making a mistake.' (accept)
Q3.'Police ___ drivers to slow down.'
Writing · §9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 130–170 word summary of a real or invented news story. Use at least FOUR reporting verbs (claim, deny, admit, warn, suggest, promise, allege). Include one 'spokesperson' or 'source' reference.
Your answer
Show model answer
Airline in Cancellations Row A national airline is at the centre of a growing dispute after a former employee alleged that flights were being cancelled deliberately to save money. The paper claims that over two hundred short-haul flights were affected in the last month alone. A spokesperson for the airline has denied any deliberate policy, saying that weather and staff shortages were the main causes. However, one senior manager has since admitted that costs had been 'a factor' in some scheduling decisions. Consumer groups have warned passengers not to book with the airline until an independent review is complete. Regulators have suggested that fines could follow if the allegations are confirmed. The airline's chief executive has promised to publish a full report within the month and urged customers to be patient. For now, the story is still developing — and, for many travellers, still unresolved.
Speaking · §10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
ROLEPLAY — The News Round-up. Choose one real story from this week. Summarise it in 60 seconds using at least three different reporting verbs. Your partner (or teacher) asks one follow-up question. Then swap.
Useful phrases
- • The paper claims that…
- • A spokesperson has denied…
- • One source is alleging that…
- • Experts have warned that…
- • The company has admitted…
- • The minister has promised to…
- FriendDid you see that story about the bank?
- You_______________
- FriendHave they said what they'll do?
- You_______________
- FriendDo you believe them?
- You_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Optional teacher-led activities for live classes. ~25 min total
Homework · §11
Take-homeTake it home
Write the 150-word news summary above about a story you saw this week.
Read one news article. Underline every reporting verb. Note which are neutral and which show the paper's angle.
Write a true sentence for each: headline, coverage, biased, source, spokesperson, go viral.
Record a 60-second voice note summarising a real story using at least three reporting verbs.
Recap · §12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- You can pick a reporting verb that shows the speaker's attitude.
- You can use the right pattern for each verb (that-clause, -ing, or to-infinitive).
- You can spot bias in a headline by looking at the verb.
- You can summarise a news story at B2 level.