話をまとめるPutting a Story Together
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Report what someone else said, using 「と言っていました」.
- Pass along information you heard from another source, using 「そうです」.
- Recognize 「らしい」 in reading and listening as a way of expressing an impression based on indirect information.
- Keep a topic clear across several connected sentences without repeating the same noun unnecessarily.
- Interview someone, take notes, and retell what they said in your own words.
- Recognize and produce kanji for story, interview, summary, report, memory, and contact.
- Write a short, organized account that combines a topic, reported speech, hearsay, and a personal conclusion.
Communication Scenario
The community clean-up event from Chapter 18 finally happened, and the neighborhood association wants a short article about it for their newsletter. Emma and Yuki decide to interview タナカさん, the longtime resident from Chapter 17, and サトウさん, the volunteer from Chapter 18, about how the day went. As they gather everyone's comments, they need to retell what people said, pass along things they only heard secondhand, and organize their notes into one connected account — the reporting and narrative-cohesion skills this chapter develops, and the final set of tools needed before Chapter 20's integrated capstone project.
- Someone reports what another person said, using と言っていました.
- Someone passes along secondhand information, using そうです.
- The group organizes their notes into one connected paragraph without repeating names unnecessarily.
Core Vocabulary
The following vocabulary supports talking about stories, interviews, messages, summaries, retellings, and paragraph flow. All items are productive at this stage.
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 物語 | ものがたり | story; tale | broader and more narrative than 話 |
| 取材する | しゅざいする | to interview; to gather information (for a report) | する verb; used for journalism or research |
| インタビュー | インタビュー | interview | katakana loanword; often paired with する |
| 要約する | ようやくする | to summarize | する verb; object marked with を |
| 報告する | ほうこくする | to report | する verb; often with に (to whom) and を (what) |
| 内容 | ないよう | content; substance | refers to what a text or talk is about |
| 記憶 | きおく | memory | often used as 記憶がある／ない |
| 覚えている | おぼえている | to remember | stative て-form; contrasts with 覚える (to memorize) |
| 連絡先 | れんらくさき | contact information | builds on 連絡する from earlier chapters |
| まとめる | まとめる | to put together; to organize (information) | Group 2 verb; transitive |
| 詳しく | くわしく | in detail | adverbial form of 詳しい |
| 印象 | いんしょう | impression | often used as 印象に残る (to leave an impression) |
These twelve items form this chapter's productive core. Vocabulary from earlier chapters, such as 意見、理由、経験、and 参加する, continues to be available and is expected to appear alongside this chapter's new words.
れんしゅう — Practice: Choose six words from the table above and write one true sentence about an interview, conversation, or story you remember, for each one.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces new kanji for story, interview, summary, report, memory, and contact. Because these characters are new, they appear with furigana throughout this chapter, following this volume's furigana policy. Kanji from Chapter 18, such as 条件、選択、and 決定, receive furigana only at their first appearance in this chapter, since they are still being consolidated. Earlier kanji such as 意見、理由、and 経験 continue to appear with reduced or no furigana.
The noun 記憶 (きおく, memory) and the verb 覚える (おぼえる, to memorize) share the idea of retaining information, but they use different characters, different readings, and different grammatical behavior. 覚えている, taught in this chapter's vocabulary, is the stative て-form of 覚える and means "to remember," while 記憶 is the noun used for the concept of memory itself, as in 記憶がある. Learn each word's reading and use individually, as this volume's kanji policy requires.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write each of the six kanji above once from memory, and use each one in a short phrase, such as 「取材の内容」 or 「先生に報告する」.
Pronunciation Focus
Several words in this chapter combine a long vowel with moraic ん or with a palatalized sequence. Practice the following words carefully:
- 要約 (ようやく): long vowel in よう followed by やく; do not shorten よう to よ.
- 報告 (ほうこく): long vowel in ほう; keep it clearly longer than a plain ほ.
- 連絡 (れんらく): moraic ん before a ら-row consonant; do not insert a full vowel between ん and ら.
When retelling what someone said, keep phrase-level rhythm even through と言っていました and そうです, rather than rushing the reporting phrase at the end of the sentence.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter develops practical language for retelling and organizing a story. It introduces 「と言っていました」 for reporting what someone said, expands the hearsay use of 「そうです」 introduced in Chapter 12, presents 「らしい」 receptively as a way of expressing an impression based on indirect information, and develops topic chains that keep a subject clear across several connected sentences.
1. と言っていました — reporting what someone said
Purpose: to report, in your own words, something another person said at an earlier time.
- タナカさんは、「今年のイベントはよかった」と言っていました。Tanaka-san said that this year's event was good.quoted or paraphrased content + と言っていました
- サトウさんは、来年も参加したいと言っていました。Sato-san said that they want to participate again next year.
- 住民の一人は、公園がきれいになったと言っていました。One of the residents said that the park had become clean.
と言っていました reports something said in the past and often continues to be true or relevant now; the content before と can be a direct quotation in「 」or a paraphrase in plain form, and either is natural in ordinary conversation and writing.
2. そうです — passing along secondhand information
Purpose: to report information you learned from someone else or from a source, rather than something you experienced or decided yourself. This use of そうです was introduced formulaically in Chapter 12 and becomes more fully productive here.
- 来月、もっと大きいイベントをする予定だそうです。I heard that they're planning to do a bigger event next month.
- タナカさんによると、去年より参加者が増えたそうです。According to Tanaka-san, the number of participants increased compared to last year.
Hearsay そうです attaches to the plain form of a verb, adjective, or noun + だ, and is often introduced with a source such as 「Xによると」 or 「Xの話では」; unlike と言っていました, it reports information rather than a specific person's exact words.
3. らしい — receptive recognition of indirect impression
Purpose: to recognize an impression or conclusion based on indirect evidence, such as something read, seen, or heard secondhand. Recognition only at this stage; learners are not expected to produce らしい independently.
- 記事によると、来年は場所が変わるらしいです。According to the article, it seems the location will change next year.
- タナカさんの話では、住民はみんな満足しているらしいです。From what Tanaka-san says, it seems that all the residents are satisfied.
らしい often overlaps in meaning with hearsay そうです, but it emphasizes the speaker's own impression drawn from indirect evidence rather than a direct report. Learners should recognize this pattern in reading and listening but are not required to produce it independently until a later volume.
4. Topic chains — keeping the subject clear
Purpose: to connect several sentences about the same person, event, or topic without repeating the noun in every sentence, using context, particles, and verb forms to keep reference clear.
- タナカさんに取材しました。イベントについて詳しく話してくれました。とても印象に残ったと言っていました。I interviewed Tanaka-san. They talked to me in detail about the event. They said it left a strong impression on them.topic established once, then omitted across three sentences
Once タナカさん is introduced as the topic, later sentences can omit the name entirely as long as the verb forms and context make clear who is still being discussed; repeating タナカさんは in every sentence would sound unnatural and overly explicit in connected Japanese.
Grammar Practice
- Write one sentence reporting what someone said, using と言っていました.
- Write one sentence passing along secondhand information, using そうです.
- Write one sentence modeled on this chapter's らしい examples.
- Write two or three connected sentences about the same person without repeating their name in every sentence.
- Combine your sentences from items 1 through 4 into one short connected retelling.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma and Yuki compare notes after interviewing Tanaka-san and Sato-san about the clean-up event.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What did Tanaka-san say left an impression on them?
- What did Sato-san say, and what did Emma hear secondhand about next month?
- What does the news article suggest about next year, and what does Yuki ask Emma not to forget?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Report what someone said. Write two sentences reporting something a friend or family member has said to you, using と言っていました.
タスク２ — Pass along secondhand information. Write two sentences about something you heard from someone else, using そうです.
タスク３ — Recognize an indirect impression. Read the two らしい examples in the Grammar section again, then write one similar sentence, modeled closely on those patterns.
タスク４ — Keep the topic clear. Write three connected sentences about the same person, using their name only in the first sentence.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — A volunteer's summary
今日は、地域のイベントについて、二人の住民に取材しました。一人目は、イベントはとても楽しかったと言っていました。もう一人は、来年もぜひ参加したいと言っていました。事務局の話では、来年は参加者がもっと増えるそうです。二人とも、今回の経験に満足しているようでした。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify how many people were interviewed, what each person said, and what the speaker heard secondhand about next year.
This script combines と言っていました with hearsay そうです in one connected passage, as expected on this chapter's Practical Performance Task.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick answers
- 最近、誰かが面白い話をしていましたか。何と言っていましたか。
- 最近、何か新しいニュースを聞きましたか。
- 子供の頃の記憶で、印象に残っていることは何ですか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Interview and report back
Interview a partner about a recent experience (a trip, an event, a class). Take notes, then report back to a third person, or to the class, using と言っていました and そうです to distinguish what your partner told you directly from anything you only heard secondhand.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: A recorded retelling
Record yourself retelling a short conversation or piece of news you heard recently, following the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section: introduce who you talked to, report what they said, add secondhand information, note an impression, and close with your own conclusion. Listen back and check your use of long vowels, moraic ん, and phrase rhythm, along with the accuracy of this chapter's grammar systems.
Reading Practice
Read the following short newsletter article, then answer the questions below.
地域イベントの報告 — Community Event Report
先週、地域の清掃イベントが行われました。イベントの後、二人の住民に取材しました。タナカさんは、公園がきれいになったことが一番印象に残ったと言っていました。サトウさんは、来年もぜひ参加したいと言っていました。事務局によると、来月、もっと大きいイベントをする予定だそうです。地域の記事によると、来年は場所も変わるらしいです。詳しい情報や連絡先は、次号でお知らせします。
Notice that 条件 and 選択, from Chapter 18, appear only once with furigana in this reading, at first appearance, while this chapter's new kanji, such as 取材、報告、and 連絡, keep furigana throughout, following the Chapter 19 support level.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What did Tanaka-san and Sato-san each say in their interviews?
- What did the article report secondhand about next month and next year?
- Where will readers find more detailed information and contact details?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short newsletter-style report that introduces who you talked to, reports what they said, adds secondhand information, and closes with your own conclusion, following the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section.
- Introduce who you talked to, establishing the topic clearly in your first sentence.
- Report what they said, using と言っていました.
- Add something you heard secondhand, using そうです.
- Note an impression based on indirect evidence, using a らしい pattern modeled on this chapter's examples.
- Keep your topic clear across sentences without repeating names unnecessarily.
- Close with your own short conclusion, and revise using the checklist below.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My text clearly introduces who I talked to or what my source is.
- My text reports what someone said using と言っていました.
- My text includes at least one secondhand statement using そうです.
- My text includes a らしい pattern modeled on this chapter's examples.
- I avoided repeating the same name in every sentence once the topic was clear.
- I kept furigana on this chapter's new kanji and followed the reduction schedule for earlier kanji.
Culture and Communication
Many neighborhood associations and local organizations in Japan produce a regular newsletter, often called 回覧板 or 広報誌, sharing event reports, announcements, and community news. These publications commonly combine short interviews, brief reports, and practical information such as contact details, similar to the reading passage in this chapter, though their format and frequency vary by area and organization.
Local news and community reporting, as referenced in this chapter's reading, may come from a neighborhood association, a municipal office, a local newspaper, or an online community group, depending on the area. Some communities rely heavily on printed newsletters, while others share similar information mainly online, so checking more than one source is often useful practical advice.
Notice that Emma carefully distinguishes what Tanaka-san and Sato-san told her directly, using と言っていました, from what she only read or heard from another source, using そうです and らしい. Keeping this distinction clear is considered good practice in both spoken reporting and written accounts, since it lets the listener or reader judge how reliable each piece of information is.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *私はイベントがよかったと言っていました。 using と言っていました to describe the speaker's own current opinion.
Correction: 私はイベントがよかったと思います。 — と言っていました reports someone else's past statement; for your own opinion, use と思います instead, as taught in Chapter 13.
Error: Treating 忙しそうです (it looks busy, based on appearance) as equivalent to 忙しいそうです (I heard that it is busy).
Correction: These are two different constructions with different connection patterns: 忙し + そうです (dropping い) describes an appearance-based guess, while 忙しい + そうです (keeping the plain form) reports something heard from a source. Check the form directly before the そうです carefully.
Error: *タナカさんは取材に答えました。タナカさんはイベントについて話しました。タナカさんは満足していると言っていました。 repeating タナカさん in every sentence.
Correction: タナカさんは取材に答えました。イベントについて詳しく話してくれました。満足していると言っていました。 — once the topic is established, later sentences can omit the name; repeating it in every sentence sounds unnatural and overly explicit in connected Japanese.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Use 物語, 取材する, 要約する, and 記憶 each in one sentence about an interview or story you know.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write 物語, 取材, 要約, 報告, 記憶, and 連絡 from memory, and use each one in a short phrase.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write one sentence reporting what someone said, using と言っていました.
2. Write one sentence passing along secondhand information, using そうです.
3. Write one sentence modeled on this chapter's らしい examples.
4. Write three connected sentences about the same person, using their name only once.
5. Explain, in your own words, the difference between と言っていました and hearsay そうです.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the newsletter article in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing it in your own words.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your own written report of an interview, following the Writing Workshop steps.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. With a partner or instructor, interview each other and report back what you learned, distinguishing direct and secondhand information.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
話をまとめる — An interview report
Interview a real or imagined person about a recent event, trip, or experience. Complete all four components below.
- Written report: Write a connected account of at least eight sentences that introduces who you talked to, reports what they said (と言っていました), adds at least one piece of secondhand information (そうです), notes an impression based on indirect evidence (らしい, modeled on this chapter's examples), and keeps the topic clear without unnecessary repetition, following the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section.
- Spoken report: With a partner, instructor, or recording, present the same report aloud, as though sharing it at a neighborhood meeting or with a friend.
- Listening check: Listen to a partner's or instructor's interview report and correctly identify what was reported directly and what was secondhand.
- Reading check: Read a short report or article provided by your instructor or partner and summarize its content in your own words.
Assessment focus: accurate and natural use of と言っていました and hearsay そうです; correct recognition of らしい; clear topic management across connected sentences; correct recognition and production of this chapter's kanji with appropriate furigana; and comprehensible pronunciation with attention to long vowels, moraic ん, and phrase rhythm across a longer connected discussion.
Answer Key
Grammar Practice
1. Model: 友達は、明日は忙しいと言っていました。 2. Model: 来月、新しい店ができるそうです。 3. Model: 天気予報によると、明日は雨らしいです。 4. Model: タナカさんに会いました。イベントについて話してくれました。とても楽しかったと言っていました。 5. Open-ended; check that models combine the four sentences into one connected retelling.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Tanaka-san said the fact that the park became clean left the strongest impression on them.
- Sato-san said they want to participate again next year; Emma heard secondhand that a bigger event is planned for next month.
- The article suggests the location will change next year; Yuki asks Emma not to forget the contact information.
Listening task — Model summary
Two residents were interviewed. The first said the event was very fun, and the second said they definitely want to participate again next year. The speaker heard secondhand from the office that more participants are expected next year.
Reading — Comprehension
- Tanaka-san said the park becoming clean left the strongest impression; Sato-san said they want to participate again next year.
- The article reported secondhand that a bigger event is planned for next month and that the location may change next year.
- More detailed information and contact details will be announced in the next issue.
Chapter Review — Section A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Kanji Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended; models follow the patterns shown in the Grammar section above. For item 5, a correct explanation notes that と言っていました reports a specific person's own words, while hearsay そうです reports information from a source without necessarily attributing it to one person's exact statement.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: 取材した二人の住民は、イベントに満足していると言っていた。来月はもっと大きいイベントをする予定だそうだ。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken report, listening check, and reading check against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can report what someone said using と言っていました, pass along secondhand information using そうです, recognize らしい as an indirect impression, and keep a topic clear across several connected sentences. You can interview someone, take notes, and organize what you learned into one connected written or spoken account.