Òye Ìròyìn àti Àkópọ̀
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Understand the main idea and key details of a short adapted news report or interview.
- Attribute information to a source using reported-speech formulae such as ó sọ pé and wọ́n ròyìn pé ("he/she said that," "they reported that").
- Track tense and aspect across a news report, distinguishing what has already happened, what is ongoing, and what is expected to happen.
- Summarize a short media report orally and in writing, preserving its main point and source.
- Recognize, without producing independently, embedded reported questions and multi-layered attribution ("she said that he asked whether..."), which later chapters will continue to develop.
Communication Scenario
After the community meeting about the market roof and the borehole, a local radio station broadcasts a short news report about the meeting, followed by a brief interview with one of the residents. Adé's family listens to the broadcast together, and Adé's father asks Adé to summarize what the reporter and the resident said.
- This chapter develops reported-speech formulae with sọ pé, wí pé, and ròyìn pé, and source attribution, while consolidating the tense/aspect particles ń, ti, and yóò from earlier chapters for tracking time in a news report.
- It introduces vocabulary for media, interviews, and public announcements.
- By the end of the chapter, you should be able to understand a short media report, attribute its content to a source, track its tense and aspect, and produce an accurate summary — while continuing to recognize, without producing, embedded reported questions.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports understanding and discussing media reports, interviews, and public announcements.
| Yorùbá | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ó sọ pé | he/she said that | new productive item, basic reported-speech frame + pé clause |
| ó wí pé | he/she said that | new productive item, formal alternative to sọ pé |
| wọ́n ròyìn pé | they reported that | new productive item, media source attribution |
| gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ | according to ... (as ... said) | new productive item, formal source-citing frame |
| agbéròyìn náà sọ pé | the reporter said that | new productive item, media-specific attribution |
| ó bi í pé | he/she asked whether/that | recognition only this chapter, embedded question preview |
| Yorùbá | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ìròyìn | news; a news report | new productive item |
| agbéròyìn | reporter; news presenter | new productive item |
| rédíò | radio | new productive item, loanword |
| ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò | interview | new productive item |
| ìkéde | announcement | new productive item |
| orísun (ìròyìn) | (news) source | new productive item |
| ìjíròrò gbogbogbò | public discussion | recycled from Chapter 8 |
| àkópọ̀ | summary | new productive item |
| ìpàdé àwùjọ | community meeting | recycled from Chapter 8 |
Pronunciation and Orthography Focus
News presenters and radio announcers typically speak at a steadier, more deliberate pace than ordinary conversation, with clear phrase breaks between the reported statement and the attribution frame that introduces it. This makes media speech a useful bridge between slow, careful classroom speech and the faster pace of natural conversation.
- Practice ó sọ pé, ó wí pé, and wọ́n ròyìn pé as fixed openings, listening for the short pause that often follows pé before the reported content begins.
- Listen for the tone-bearing distinction between sọ (say) and similarly shaped words; do not let the attribution verb flatten under reading speed.
- Read the model dialogue and the listening passage below aloud twice: once phrase by phrase, and once at the measured pace of a radio broadcast.
Copy out the five reported-speech and attribution frames from the first vocabulary table above, marking every tone by hand or by typing. Compare against the table. This continues the Tone and Orthography Checkpoint self-review established since Chapter 1.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter develops reported-speech formulae and source attribution as new productive systems, while consolidating the tense/aspect particles ń, ti, and yóò for tracking time in connected news reports.
Introduced: Reported speech with `sọ pé` and `wí pé`
- Obìnrin kan wí pé kànga omi ṣe pàtàkì jùlọ fún àdúgbò náà. A woman said that a water borehole was most important for the community. wí pé + pé clause reporting an opinion
- Ìyá Agbà sọ pé ó yẹ kí wọ́n kọ́kọ́ tún ọjà ṣe. Ìyá Agbà said that they should repair the market first. sọ pé + modal clause reporting advice
Introduced: Source attribution with `ròyìn pé` and `gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ`
- Wọ́n ròyìn pé àwọn olùgbé àdúgbò ti gbà láti kọ́kọ́ mọ iye owó tí wọ́n ní. They reported that the residents had agreed to first find out how much money they had. wọ́n ròyìn pé + perfective ti reporting a completed decision
- Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọkùnrin kan ṣe sọ, ìlera àwọn ọmọdé ṣe pàtàkì ju ọjà lọ. According to one man, children's health matters more than the market. formal source-citing frame + reported opinion
Ròyìn pé is used specifically for media reporting, while sọ pé and wí pé are general reported-speech frames usable in any context. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ is a formal citing frame common in written and broadcast news, useful for naming a specific source before reporting their words.
News reports move between what has already happened, what is currently underway, and what is expected next, and careful listeners track this through the particles already active since earlier volumes: ti for completed or resultative events ("ó ti gbà" — they have agreed), ń for something ongoing ("wọ́n ń jíròrò" — they are discussing), and yóò for what is expected ("wọn yóò pinnu" — they will decide). A summary that flattens all of these into a single tense loses information the report actually contains.
The reading passage below contains one place where a reporter embeds a question inside a reported statement ("she asked whether..."). As in earlier chapters, this is recognition-only material; full instruction of embedded reported questions continues in later chapters.
Model Dialogue
Ipò: Adé àti bàbá rẹ̀ ń gbọ́ ìròyìn lórí rédíò nípa ìpàdé àwùjọ tí ó ṣẹlẹ̀ ní ọ̀sẹ̀ tó kọjá.
Setting: Adé and his father are listening to a radio news report about the community meeting that happened last week.
Guided Practice
- Turn each direct statement into a reported statement using sọ pé or wí pé: (a) "Kànga omi ṣe pàtàkì," ni ọkùnrin kan sọ. (b) "A ó kọ́kọ́ tún ọjà ṣe," ni Ìyá Agbà sọ. (c) "Owó kò tíì tó," ni agbéròyìn sọ.
- Rewrite each sentence using gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ to cite the source formally: (a) Ọkùnrin kan sọ pé kànga ṣe pàtàkì. (b) Obìnrin kan wí pé ìlera ṣe pàtàkì jù.
- Identify whether each sentence from the dialogue describes a completed event (ti), an ongoing event (ń), or an expected future event (yóò): (a) wọ́n ń dúró (b) wọn ò tíì pinnu (c) a óò tún gbọ́ ìròyìn síi.
- Locate the one embedded reported question in the reading passage below. Identify what is being asked and who is asking it; do not attempt to produce a new embedded question on your own yet.
Listening Practice
Ask an instructor, study partner, or qualified Yorùbá speaker to read the passage below aloud at the measured pace of a radio broadcast, or read it aloud yourself and then cover it before answering.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Machine text-to-speech must be checked by a qualified Yorùbá speaker before use as a pronunciation model.
"Àkíyèsí ìròyìn: Wọ́n ròyìn pé ìpàdé àwùjọ kan wáyé ní àdúgbò kan ní ọ̀sẹ̀ tó kọjá láti jíròrò bí a ṣe máa lo owó àpapọ̀ tí àwọn olùgbé kójọ. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí agbéròyìn wa ṣe sọ, àwọn kan ní ìpàdé náà wí pé ó yẹ kí wọ́n kọ́kọ́ tún òrùlé ọjà ṣe, nígbà tí àwọn míì sọ pé kànga omi ṣe pàtàkì jùlọ. Obìnrin kan, tí orúkọ rẹ̀ kò farahàn nínú ìròyìn yìí, sọ pé ìlera àwọn ọmọdé ṣe pàtàkì ju ọjà lọ. Agbéròyìn náà ròyìn pé àwọn olùgbé ti gbà láti kọ́kọ́ mọ iye owó tí wọ́n ní kí wọ́n tó pinnu ohun tí wọn yóò ṣe. Nígbà ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò lẹ́yìn ìròyìn náà, agbéròyìn bi olùkópa kan pé bóyá àwọn olùgbé àdúgbò náà máa dé ìpinnu kánkán. A óò tún gbọ́ ìròyìn síi lórí ọ̀rọ̀ yìí lọ́la."
1. What did the reporter say the community meeting was about?
2. According to the reporter, what did some residents say should be repaired first?
3. What did the reporter say the residents had already agreed to do (completed, with ti)?
4. Identify the sentence where the reporter asks an embedded question during the interview. What is being asked?
Iṣẹ́ rẹ — Your task: Answer the four questions above in complete Yorùbá sentences.
Speaking Practice
Tier 1 — Supported
Using three sentences from this chapter (one with sọ pé, one with ròyìn pé, and one with gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ), practice saying each one aloud, noticing where the attribution frame appears relative to the reported content.
Tier 2 — Guided
With a partner or on your own, report something a classmate, family member, or public figure said recently, using sọ pé or wí pé, and track whether the event is completed, ongoing, or expected.
Tier 3 — Independent
Listen to the passage in Listening Practice once more, then give a one-minute oral summary of it in your own words, without reading directly from the script. Include at least one attribution frame and correctly track at least one completed, one ongoing, and one expected event. Record yourself if possible and self-check against the Tone and Orthography Checkpoint below.
Reading Practice
Ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò Lórí Rédíò
Lẹ́yìn ìròyìn náà, agbéròyìn náà pe obìnrin kan tí ó wà ní ìpàdé àwùjọ náà fún ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò kúkúrú. Agbéròyìn náà bi í pé, "Kí ni ìdí tí o fi rò pé ìlera àwọn ọmọdé ṣe pàtàkì ju ọjà lọ?" Obìnrin náà dáhùn pé, "Mo lérò pé bí a bá ní omi mímọ́, àìsàn yóò dínkù, àti pé owó tí a óò ná lórí ìtọ́jú àìsàn yóò dínkù pẹ̀lú." Agbéròyìn náà tún bi í pé bóyá ó rò pé àwọn olùgbé àdúgbò náà máa dé ìpinnu kánkán. Obìnrin náà sọ pé, "Mo ṣe kàyéfì pé bóyá yóò gba àkókó díẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n mo gbà pé a óò rí ojútùú tí ó bá gbogbo ènìyàn mu." Ní òpin ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò náà, agbéròyìn náà dúpẹ́ lọ́wọ́ obìnrin náà, ó sì sọ pé wọn yóò tún jíròrò ọ̀rọ̀ náà nígbà tí àwọn olùgbé bá dé ìpinnu àpapọ̀.
1. What question does the reporter first ask the woman, and how does she answer?
2. Find the sentence where the reporter asks an embedded question about whether the residents will reach a decision quickly. Who is being asked, and what is being asked?
3. How does the woman respond to the reporter's second question, and what tense/aspect does her response use?
Iṣẹ́ rẹ — Your task: Answer the three questions above. For Question 2, simply identify the embedded question and explain its meaning; do not attempt to construct a new embedded question on your own yet.
Writing Workshop
Write a short summary of 60–100 words with full tone marks and dot-under letters throughout, reporting the main points of the radio news report and interview above, using at least one reported-speech frame, one source-attribution frame, and correct tense/aspect tracking.
Include
- at least 1 reported-speech frame (sọ pé / wí pé / ròyìn pé)
- at least 1 source-attribution frame
- correct use of ti, ń, and yóò where appropriate
- a clear main point drawn from the report
Avoid
- producing new embedded reported questions
- flattening all events into a single tense
- copying the passage word for word instead of summarizing
- omitting the source of the reported information
- Every vowel that should carry a high or low tone mark has one.
- Every mid-tone syllable is left correctly unmarked.
ẹ,ọ, andṣare distinguished frome,o, andsthroughout.- Tone on sọ, wí, ròyìn, and gẹ́gẹ́ is correct in every clause.
- No unscheduled embedded reported question has been produced independently.
Culture and Communication
In many Yorùbá-speaking communities, radio remains an important and trusted source of local news alongside newer digital media, and community meetings, town announcements, and public decisions are commonly reported on local stations in the language spoken by the audience. Attribution matters in this context: careful speakers distinguish what a report states directly from what it attributes to a named or unnamed source, a distinction reflected in the frames practiced in this chapter.
Common Mistakes
Error: Summarizing a report as though its content were the learner's own direct statement, such as *Ìlera àwọn ọmọdé ṣe pàtàkì ju ọjà lọ when the learner is actually reporting what someone else said.
Correction: Keep the attribution frame in place: Obìnrin kan sọ pé ìlera àwọn ọmọdé ṣe pàtàkì ju ọjà lọ ("a woman said that children's health matters more than the market"). A summary should make clear whose view is being reported.
Error: Reporting a completed event and an expected future event with the same bare-verb form, such as *wọ́n pinnu, wọ́n ṣe é when the report actually distinguished a completed decision from an action still to come.
Correction: Preserve the original tense/aspect distinctions: wọ́n ti gbà, wọn yóò sì pinnu ohun tí wọn yóò ṣe lẹ́yìn náà ("they have agreed, and they will decide what they will do after that").
Chapter Summary
This chapter developed reported-speech formulae with sọ pé, wí pé, and ròyìn pé, and source attribution with gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ, while consolidating the tense/aspect particles ń, ti, and yóò for tracking time in a news report. You practiced understanding a short radio news report and interview, summarized it orally and in writing, and continued to notice, without producing, embedded reported questions in supported material.
Chapter Review
Apá A — Ìṣàyẹ̀wò Gírámà (Grammar Check)
1. Explain the difference between sọ pé/wí pé and ròyìn pé, using one example of each from this chapter.
2. Explain why it matters to preserve ti, ń, and yóò distinctions when summarizing a news report.
Apá B — Ìṣàyẹ̀wò Ara Ẹni (Self-Check)
1. Did you find attributing information to a source or tracking tense/aspect more challenging? Why?
2. Where in your own summary did you catch yourself reporting someone else's view as though it were your own direct statement?
Ìfojúsí ẹkọ̀ tẹ́lẹ̀ — Cumulative review check
Before continuing to Chapter 10, confirm you can do the following:
- Report at least two statements using sọ pé or wí pé.
- Cite a source formally using gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ.
- Distinguish completed, ongoing, and expected events with ti, ń, and yóò in a single summary.
- Combine reported speech with opinion frames, contrast, and polite disagreement from Chapter 8 in a connected summary or discussion.
Practical Performance Task
Iṣẹ́ aṣeyọrí — Abala 9
Àkópọ̀ Ìròyìn Mi — My News Summary
Produce a connected spoken and written summary of a short media report (the one provided, or a real or invented report of your choice) that attributes information to a source and correctly tracks tense and aspect.
- Speaking: Give a one-minute oral summary (Speaking Practice, Tier 3).
- Writing: Submit your 60–100 word written summary (Writing Workshop).
- Self-review: Complete the Tone and Orthography Checkpoint for both your spoken notes and written account.
Assessment note: This task provides formative evidence of your developing control of reported speech, source attribution, and tense/aspect tracking. Embedded reported questions are not assessed as independent production in this chapter.
Answer Key
Listening Practice Questions
- The reporter said the meeting was about how to use the community's shared fund.
- According to the reporter, some residents said the market roof should be repaired first.
- The reporter said the residents had already agreed (ti gbà) to first find out how much money they had before deciding what to do.
- The sentence is "Nígbà ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nuwò lẹ́yìn ìròyìn náà, agbéròyìn bi olùkópa kan pé bóyá àwọn olùgbé àdúgbò náà máa dé ìpinnu kánkán" (during the interview after the report, the reporter asked a participant whether the residents would reach a decision quickly), asking whether a fast decision is likely.
Reading Practice Questions
- The reporter asks why she thinks children's health matters more than the market; she answers that clean water would reduce illness and reduce spending on treating illness.
- The sentence is "Agbéròyìn náà tún bi í pé bóyá ó rò pé àwọn olùgbé àdúgbò náà máa dé ìpinnu kánkán" (the reporter also asked her whether she thought the residents would reach a decision quickly), asking the woman being interviewed whether a quick decision is likely.
- She responds that she wonders whether it will take some time, but she believes they will find a solution that suits everyone; her response uses the softened opinion frame from Chapter 8 along with a future-oriented expectation.
Guided Practice — Sample Combined Sentences
(a) Ọkùnrin kan sọ pé kànga omi ṣe pàtàkì. (b) Ìyá Agbà wí pé a ó kọ́kọ́ tún ọjà ṣe. (c) Agbéròyìn sọ pé owó kò tíì tó. Formal citations: (a) Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọkùnrin kan ṣe sọ, kànga ṣe pàtàkì. (b) Gẹ́gẹ́ bí obìnrin kan ṣe wí, ìlera ṣe pàtàkì jù. Tense/aspect: (a) wọ́n ń dúró — ongoing. (b) wọn ò tíì pinnu — completed/negative-perfective (not yet decided). (c) a óò tún gbọ́ ìròyìn síi — expected/future.
Chapter Review — Apá A
1. Sọ pé/wí pé are general reported-speech frames usable for any speaker in any context, as in "obìnrin kan sọ pé ìlera ṣe pàtàkì jù" (a woman said that health matters more); ròyìn pé is specific to media reporting, as in "wọ́n ròyìn pé àwọn olùgbé ti gbà" (they reported that the residents had agreed). 2. Preserving these distinctions matters because a summary that flattens completed, ongoing, and expected events into one tense misrepresents what the report actually said happened, is happening, or will happen.
Chapter Review — Apá B
Self-check items have no single fixed answer. Confirm your responses against the cumulative review checklist above.
Looking Ahead
Ohun tí o lè ṣe báyìí — What you can do now
You can now understand a short media report or interview, attribute information to a source using sọ pé, wí pé, ròyìn pé, and gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ, and track completed, ongoing, and expected events across a report using ti, ń, and yóò. You continue to recognize, without producing, embedded reported questions.