Amóhùnmáwòrán, Fóònù, àti Ìròyìn Ojoojúmọ́
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Understand and answer a simple phone call about everyday plans.
- Understand short announcements about local events and services.
- Report what someone else said using a controlled formula for reported information.
- Distinguish an event that is happening now from one that has already happened when listening to news or announcements.
- Identify the source and topic of a short news item.
- Read a short announcement or news item and identify its main point.
- Summarize a short announcement in your own words, in speech and in writing.
Communication Scenario
Bùnmi's phone rings early one morning: it is her cousin calling about a change of plan for the weekend. Later, the radio in the kitchen announces that the water supply in the neighborhood will be interrupted for repairs, and Adé reads a notice posted near the market about a new bus schedule. By the end of the day, the family has passed each piece of news along to someone else, each time explaining what they heard and who said it.
- Chapter 14 developed opinions, reasons, and comparisons. This chapter turns to understanding and passing along information from phone calls, radio, and public notices.
- Every announcement or report in this chapter is short, clearly sourced, and supported by familiar vocabulary and grammar.
- Reporting what someone said is introduced only as a controlled formula; full reported-speech clause analysis remains deferred to a later volume.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter adds vocabulary for phone calls, radio, and everyday announcements, and it assumes full control of the Chapter 1–14 vocabulary checkpoint, including the opinion and comparison language from Chapter 14.
| Yorùbá | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| fóònù | telephone, phone | loanword |
| ìpè | a call | from pè, "to call" |
| rédíò | radio | loanword; recycled from Chapter 14 |
| ìròyìn | news, a report | also used for "information" more generally |
| ìkéde | announcement, notice | from kéde, "to announce" |
| iṣẹ́ àṣesílẹ̀ | repair work | used for utility and road repairs |
| àkókò ọkọ̀ | bus schedule, transport schedule | lit. "vehicle time" |
| orísun | source | used to identify who reported something |
| kókó ọ̀rọ̀ | main point, topic | lit. "knot of the matter" |
| ó ní | he/she said | controlled formula for reporting speech |
| wọ́n kéde pé | they announced that | formulaic frame for public announcements |
| gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ | according to what ... said | formulaic source-attribution frame |
All items are fully tone-marked and dot-underlined. Ó ní, wọ́n kéde pé, and gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ are introduced as controlled formulas; independent complement-clause analysis remains deferred to a later volume.
Pronunciation Focus
Phone calls and radio announcements often move faster than classroom dialogue and may include brief static, overlap, or clipped openings and closings. Two points deserve attention when listening:
- Tone must still be tracked even when the speech is fast; a rising or falling pitch on a short phrase such as ó ní can be the only signal that a report is beginning.
- Announcements often open with a short attention-getting phrase, then slow slightly for the main point, and speed up again for closing details; listen for this change of pace as a guide to what matters most.
Practice listening to the Chapter 15 phone dialogue and announcement first at a slow, exaggerated pace, then at a natural conversational pace.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter introduces controlled formulas for reporting information and its source, and develops the progressive/perfective contrast so learners can tell an ongoing situation from a completed one in announcements and news.
Reporting what someone said with ó ní
Ó ní is used here as a fixed frame for reporting what someone said on the phone or in person. Learners are not expected to analyze the internal clause structure after ní; independent complement-clause production remains deferred to a later volume.
- Bùnmi pe mi lórí fóònù, ó ní a ó pàdé ní ọjà ní ọ̀sán. Bùnmi called me on the phone; she said we will meet at the market in the afternoon. pe...lórí fóònù=called...on the phone ó ní=she said
- Bàbá ní kí a máa dúró de ìpè rẹ̀. Father said we should wait for his call. ní kí a máa dúró de=said that we should wait for
Public announcements with wọ́n kéde pé and source with gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ
Wọ́n kéde pé introduces a public announcement without naming a single speaker. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ names the source of a report and is placed before the reported information.
- Gẹ́gẹ́ bí rédíò ṣe sọ, ọkọ̀ akérò yóò máa gòkè ní àkókò tuntun láti ọ̀sẹ̀ ọdẹ. According to what the radio said, the bus will run on a new schedule from next week. gẹ́gẹ́ bí...ṣe sọ=according to what...said
- Wọ́n kéde pé iṣẹ́ àṣesílẹ̀ ń lọ lọ́wọ́ ní òpópónà wa, nítorí náà kí a máa ṣọ́ra. They announced that repair work is going on in our street, so we should be careful. wọ́n kéde pé=they announced that ń lọ lọ́wọ́=is going on
Progressive/perfective contrast in announcements
This chapter develops the ń and ti contrast specifically for interpreting announcements: whether a repair, an event, or a service change is still happening or has already happened often decides what a listener should do next.
- Wọ́n ti tún ojú títì ṣe, nítorí náà ọkọ̀ akérò lè gba ibẹ̀ kọjá báyìí. They have already repaired the road, so buses can now pass through there. ti tún...ṣe=have already repaired
- Wọ́n ń tún ojú títì ṣe ní bẹ́ẹ̀ẹ̀ni, nítorí náà a gbọ́dọ̀ lọ ọ̀nà mìíràn. They are still repairing the road right now, so we must go another way. ń tún...ṣe=are still repairing
Reported speech beyond these formulas, and negative or future reporting frames, are not required until a later volume activates them.
Model Dialogue
Ipò: Fóònù ń dún ní ilé Bùnmi ní òwúrọ̀; Adé dáhùn.
Setting: The phone is ringing at Bùnmi's house in the morning; Adé answers.
Guided Practice
- Write one sentence reporting what someone said on the phone using ó ní.
- Write one sentence stating a public announcement using wọ́n kéde pé.
- Write one sentence naming the source of a report using gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ.
- Write one pair of sentences contrasting an ongoing situation (ń) with a completed one (ti) about the same event.
- Write a short phone exchange (at least three turns) in which one speaker passes along news from a third person.
- Rewrite one of your sentences to add the source of the information where none was given before.
Listening Practice
Ask an instructor, study partner, or qualified Yorùbá speaker to read the following four lines at a natural conversational pace. For each, identify whether it is a phone message, a public announcement, or a completed-versus-ongoing report.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read each line aloud, cover it, then complete the task. Machine text-to-speech must be checked by a qualified Yorùbá speaker before use as a pronunciation model.
1. "Ó ní òun kò lè wá mọ́."
2. "Wọ́n kéde pé kò ní sí omi lọ́la."
3. "Iṣẹ́ náà ti parí."
4. "Iṣẹ́ náà ń lọ lọ́wọ́ báyìí."
| Gbólóhùn | Phone Message / Announcement / Ongoing / Completed |
|---|---|
| 1 | ______ |
| 2 | ______ |
| 3 | ______ |
| 4 | ______ |
Speaking Practice
Pẹ̀lú alábàáṣepọ̀ — With a partner
One partner plays a caller who leaves a short message with news for a third person, using ó ní or wọ́n kéde pé. The other partner takes the message, then reports it back in their own words as if telling the third person, naming the source with gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ if known. Switch roles with a new piece of news.
Fún àwọn tí ń kọ́ nìkọ̀ọ̀kan — Solo alternative
Record yourself giving a short phone message that reports a real or invented piece of local news. State whether the situation is still ongoing or already completed, then perform the message again as if reporting it to someone else who missed the call.
Reading Practice
Àpẹẹrẹ — Ìkéde Nípa Omi àti Ọkọ̀
Wọ́n kéde lórí rédíò ní òwúrọ̀ yìí pé kò ní sí omi ní àwọn àdúgbò kan ní ìlú wa láti òwúrọ̀ di alẹ́, nítorí iṣẹ́ àṣesílẹ̀ ń lọ lọ́wọ́ ní ibùdó omi ńlá. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí wọ́n ṣe sọ, iṣẹ́ náà á parí kí alẹ́ tó lé, kí omi sì padà wá bí ó ti ṣe rí tẹ́lẹ̀. Ní àkókò kan náà, wọ́n tún kéde pé àkókò ọkọ̀ akérò ti yí padà: ọkọ̀ yóò máa gòkè ní gbogbo ìṣẹ́jú ọgbọ̀n dípò wákàtí kan, láti òní lọ. Àwọn tó ń lọ síbi iṣẹ́ ni a gbà kí wọ́n kíyè sí àwọn ìyípadà méjèèjì yìí.
Gloss: They announced on the radio this morning that there will be no water in certain neighborhoods of our town from morning until evening, because repair work is going on at the large water station. According to what they said, the work will finish before evening falls, and the water will return as it was before. At the same time, they also announced that the bus schedule has changed: the bus will now run every thirty minutes instead of every hour, starting today. Those going to work are advised to pay attention to both of these changes.
1. What is the source of the two announcements in this passage?
2. Is the water interruption already finished or still ongoing at the time of the announcement? How do you know?
3. What has changed about the bus schedule?
Writing Workshop
Choose one real or invented piece of local news: a service interruption, a schedule change, a community event, or a phone message passed along from someone else.
Iṣẹ́ rẹ — Your task: Write a short news summary of 60–80 words following the steps above.
- Every ẹ, ọ, and ṣ is correctly dot-underlined.
- Every required high and low tone is marked, including in the reporting and announcement frames.
- The paragraph names a source and states a clear main point.
- The paragraph distinguishes an ongoing situation from a completed one using ń or ti.
- The paragraph includes practical advice for the reader.
Culture and Communication
In many Yorùbá-speaking communities, radio remains a widely trusted source for local announcements such as service interruptions, transport changes, and community events, and neighbors often relay this information to one another by phone or in person rather than assuming everyone heard the original broadcast. When passing along news, it is common to name the source clearly, using a phrase such as gẹ́gẹ́ bí rédíò ṣe sọ ("according to what the radio said"), so that the listener knows where the information came from and can judge how reliable or current it is.
Common Mistakes
Error: *Iṣẹ́ náà ti lọ lọ́wọ́. using ti to describe work that is still happening.
Correction: Iṣẹ́ náà ń lọ lọ́wọ́. Use ń for a situation that is still ongoing, and reserve ti for a situation that has already been completed, such as iṣẹ́ náà ti parí.
Error: *Kò ní sí omi lọ́la. stated as if it were the speaker's own claim, with no indication of where the information came from.
Correction: Wọ́n kéde pé kò ní sí omi lọ́la. This chapter expects announcements and reports to be attributed to a source, using wọ́n kéde pé or gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ, whenever the task calls for reporting information rather than a personal opinion.
Chapter Review
Apá A — Ìdámọ̀ Gbólóhùn (Sentence Identification)
1. For each of the four Listening Practice lines, identify whether it is a phone message, a public announcement, an ongoing report, or a completed report.
Apá B — Ìròyìn àti Ìkéde (News and Announcements)
1. Write two sentences reporting news from two different sources.
2. Write two sentences contrasting an ongoing situation with a completed one.
3. Write one short phone exchange (at least four turns) in which one speaker reports news that they heard from someone else.
Ìfojúsí ẹkọ̀ tẹ́lẹ̀ — Cumulative review check
Before moving to Chapter 16, confirm you can still do the following using only Volume I and Chapters 1–15:
- State an opinion using mo rò pé or mo fẹ́ràn... ju... lọ.
- Report what someone said using ó ní.
- State a public announcement using wọ́n kéde pé.
- Name a source using gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ.
- Distinguish an ongoing situation from a completed one using ń and ti.
Practical Performance Task
Iṣẹ́ aṣeyọrí — Abala 15
Ìròyìn Rírán Sí Ọ̀rẹ́ — Passing along the news
Perform (live or recorded) a short phone call or in-person exchange with a partner or listener in which you pass along a piece of local news: an announcement, a schedule change, or a message from a third person. Name the source, state whether the situation is ongoing or completed, and give the listener one piece of practical advice. Afterward, complete the written task sequence below.
- Speaking: Perform the news-passing exchange aloud, naming the source of the information.
- Written task 1: Write the news summary paragraph from the Writing Workshop.
- Written task 2: Answer the Reading Practice comprehension questions in complete Yorùbá sentences.
- Written task 3: Complete the Chapter Review, Apá A and Apá B, in full.
- Keep all writing fully tone-marked and dot-underlined throughout.
Assessment note: This chapter develops formulaic reported information, source attribution, and the progressive/perfective contrast in announcements as scheduled productive systems. It is evaluated on correct source attribution, accurate use of ó ní and wọ́n kéde pé, correct distinction between ongoing and completed situations, and sustained tone and orthographic accuracy across a spoken exchange and a written summary.
Answer Key
Part 15 — Listening Task
- 1: Phone message, reporting that someone can no longer come.
- 2: Public announcement, stating that there will be no water tomorrow.
- 3: Completed report, using ti to show the work has finished.
- 4: Ongoing report, using ń to show the work is still happening now.
Reading — Comprehension Questions
- Both announcements are attributed to the radio, introduced with gẹ́gẹ́ bí wọ́n ṣe sọ.
- The water interruption is still ongoing at the time of the announcement; the passage says it will finish before evening, using future/completed contrast rather than describing it as already finished.
- The bus now runs every thirty minutes instead of every hour, starting from the day of the announcement.
Chapter Review — Apá B
- Accept any two accurate sentences reporting news from two different sources using ó ní, wọ́n kéde pé, or gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ.
- Accept any two accurate sentences correctly contrasting ń and ti about the same or related situations.
- Accept any accurate four-turn phone exchange in which one speaker reports news heard from a third person, with the source and ongoing/completed status clearly marked.
Looking Ahead
Ohun tí o lè ṣe báyìí — What you can do now
You can now understand and answer a phone call about everyday plans, follow a short public announcement, report information along with its source, and tell an ongoing situation from a completed one.