Ìròyìn àti Ìtúpalẹ̀ Amóhùnmáwòrán
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Report what someone else said using consolidated reported-speech frames.
- Attribute information to a source using clear attribution phrases.
- Recognize and produce stance markers that show a speaker's or writer's attitude toward information.
- Use focus constructions to highlight who said something, what was said, or what happened.
- Track time and aspect accurately across a reported news item or interview extract.
- Listen to and read short news items, interview extracts, and public announcements, identifying source, stance, and sequence.
- Produce a media summary and a brief personal response to a news item.
Opening Communication Scenario
Adé volunteers at a community radio station that rebroadcasts short Yorùbá-language news items for residents who prefer to follow public affairs in Yorùbá. This week, Adé must listen to a radio news item about a new community health campaign, identify what the reporter said directly and what officials were quoted as saying, and then prepare a short spoken summary and a written response for the station's community bulletin — noting clearly which parts are the reporter's own words and which parts are reported from an official's statement.
- This chapter teaches how to report what someone said, attribute information to its source, and track a speaker's stance toward that information.
- It develops focus and time/aspect control inside the functional task of following and retelling a news item accurately.
- By the end of the chapter, you will produce a media summary and response of your own, following the same process Adé uses at the radio station.
Core Vocabulary
The following vocabulary supports discussion of media, news, and public commentary. Items marked "Productive (introduced)" are new for this chapter.
| Yorùbá | English | Status |
|---|---|---|
| agbéròyìnjáde | reporter, journalist | Productive (introduced) |
| ìròyìn | news, news report | Productive (introduced) |
| ìfọ̀rọ̀wánilẹ́nu wò | interview | Productive (introduced) |
| àsọyé | commentary, statement | Productive (introduced) |
| ó ní pé | he/she said that (reported speech) | Productive (introduced) |
| gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ | according to ... (source attribution) | Productive (introduced; previewed Ch5) |
| ó rò pé | he/she believes/thinks that (stance) | Productive (introduced) |
| ìjọba ni ó sọ pé | it is the government that said that (focus + attribution) | Productive (introduced) |
| ìpolongo aráàlú | public campaign, public-service announcement | Productive (introduced) |
| àwùjọ agbéròyìnjáde | the press, media outlet | Productive (introduced) |
Pronunciation Focus
Broadcast news is typically read faster and with more even intonation than an official announcement, and a reporter's own commentary often shifts pace slightly when moving from reported fact to a quoted statement. This chapter's pronunciation focus is following that shift in tempo and correctly hearing tone on attribution and stance words, where a missed tone can blur the line between the reporter's voice and a quoted source.
- Practice the attribution phrase gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ ("according to...") with clear tone on each syllable, since it marks the boundary between reported material and the reporter's own words.
- Pay special attention to ó ní pé versus ó rò pé, where tone and vowel quality distinguish "said that" from "believes that."
- Practice reading a short news item at a faster, even pace, then slowing slightly and adjusting pitch when introducing a direct quotation.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter develops reported speech, source attribution, stance marking, focus for highlighting sources or events, and careful time/aspect tracking across a reported news item.
Reported speech with `ó ní pé`
[Ẹni tí ó sọ] ó ní pé [ọ̀rọ̀ tí a ròyìn]
Reported speech is built with the complementizer pé after a speech verb such as ní ("say"). The reported clause keeps its own subject, tense/aspect, and polarity; it is not compressed into an English-style indirect-question shape.
Ọ̀gá ilé-iṣẹ́ ìlera ìjọba ní pé àjàkálẹ̀ àrùn kò ì tí ì bẹ̀rẹ̀ ní agbègbè yìí.
The head of the government health office said that an epidemic has not yet begun in this area.
Source attribution with `gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ`
- Gẹ́gẹ́ bí òṣìṣẹ́ ilé-iṣẹ́ ìlera ṣe sọ, wọ́n ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í fún àwọn ọmọdé ní abẹ́rẹ́ àjẹsára. According to the health-office worker, they have begun giving children vaccinations. gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ attribution frame, developed this chapter
- Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ìròyìn rédíò ṣe sọ, ìpolongo náà yóò wà fún ọ̀sẹ̀ mẹ́ta. According to the radio report, the campaign will run for three weeks. gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ attribution frame, developed this chapter
News and commentary distinguish a plain report from a source's belief or interpretation. ó rò pé ("he/she believes/thinks that") and wọ́n gbà pé ("they accept/hold that") introduce stance rather than settled fact: àwọn amòye ìlera rò pé ìpolongo náà yóò ṣe ìrànlọ́wọ́ ńlá ("health experts believe that the campaign will help a great deal"). Learners must distinguish reported fact (ó ní pé) from reported belief or opinion (ó rò pé) when summarizing a source.
The focus particle ni, consolidated for identification in earlier chapters, is now applied to highlight who is responsible for a statement or what specifically happened: ìjọba ni ó sọ pé ìpolongo náà yóò bẹ̀rẹ̀ ní ọ̀sẹ̀ tí ń bọ̀ ("it is the government that said the campaign will begin next week") places emphasis on the government as the source, distinct from a plain statement without focus. Question-focus frames such as ta ni ó sọ pé...? ("who is it that said...?") support source-checking in interviews and discussions.
A single news item may move between a past event, a present situation, and a future plan. The perfective ti, the progressive ń, and the future yóò, all consolidated from earlier volumes, must remain accurate inside a reported clause: wọ́n ní pé wọ́n ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í pín àwọn ìwé ìsọfúnni, wọ́n sì ń múra sílẹ̀ fún ìpele tí ń bọ̀ ("they said that they have begun distributing information sheets, and they are preparing for the next stage"). Reference chains developed since Chapter 2 must keep the office, the reporter, and the source clearly distinguished throughout.
Model Dialogue
Ipò: Adé àti Ṣadé, akẹ́kọ̀ọ́ ẹlẹgbẹ́ rẹ̀, ń jíròrò ìròyìn rédíò kan tí wọ́n gbọ́ nípa ìpolongo ìlera ìjọba tuntun.
Setting: Adé and Ṣadé, a fellow student, are discussing a radio news item they heard about a new government health campaign.
Guided Practice
- Identify the sentence where the reporter's reported speech appears, and underline the ó ní pé frame.
- Find the sentence with source attribution, and underline the gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ phrase.
- Locate the sentence expressing stance rather than plain fact, and underline rò pé.
- Write one sentence of your own using ni to focus on who said something.
Listening Practice
Ask an instructor, study partner, or qualified Yorùbá speaker to read the passage below aloud, 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.
"Kí gbogbo yín kú àárọ̀. Àkọ́kọ́ nínú ìròyìn òní ni ìpolongo ìlera tuntun tí ìjọba agbègbè ń bẹ̀rẹ̀ ní ọ̀sẹ̀ tí ń bọ̀. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọ̀gá ilé-iṣẹ́ ìlera ṣe sọ, ìjọba ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í ṣe ìmúrasílẹ̀ láti pín abẹ́rẹ́ àjẹsára ọ̀fẹ́ fún àwọn ọmọdé ní àwọn agbègbè tí kò ì tí ì gba iṣẹ́ yìí rí. Ó ní pé àwọn òṣìṣẹ́ ìlera yóò máa lọ sí ilé-ìwé àti ilé kọ̀ọ̀kan fúnra wọn ní ọ̀sẹ̀ mẹ́ta tí ń bọ̀. Àwọn amòye ìlera rò pé ìpolongo yìí yóò dín iye àwọn ọmọdé tí ń ṣàìsàn kù. Ìjọba ni ó kéde ọjọ́ tí ìpolongo náà yóò bẹ̀rẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n àwọn amòye ni ó ṣàlàyé ìdí tí iṣẹ́ náà fi ṣe pàtàkì. Àwọn òbí tí wọ́n bá fẹ́ béèrè síi lè kàn sí ọ́fíìsì ìlera tó sún mọ́ wọn jùlọ."
1. What did the health-office head say the government has begun preparing?
2. What do health experts believe the campaign will achieve?
3. Who announced the date, and who explained the reason for the campaign?
Iṣẹ́ rẹ — Your task: Answer the three questions above in complete Yorùbá sentences, using Standard Written Yorùbá.
Speaking Practice
Tier 1 — Supported
Read the reported-speech and attribution phrases from the Grammar section aloud, then substitute a different source and statement of your own.
Tier 2 — Guided
Report one statement using ó ní pé, attribute it using gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ, and add one stance statement using rò pé.
Tier 3 — Independent
Summarize aloud, in 60–90 seconds, a real or imagined news item, clearly distinguishing reported fact, source attribution, and stance, and using focus to highlight who said what.
Reading Practice
Àsọyé Ìròyìn — A News Commentary
Gẹ́gẹ́ bí àwọn agbéròyìnjáde ṣe sọ, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ìlú ní agbègbè náà ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í rí ìtẹ̀síwájú nínú iṣẹ́ omi mímọ́, lẹ́yìn tí ìjọba kéde ètò tuntun ní oṣù tí ó kọjá. Ọ̀gá iṣẹ́ omi ìjọba ní pé wọ́n ti parí iṣẹ́ ní ìdajì àwọn ìlú tí wọ́n yàn, wọ́n sì ń múra sílẹ̀ láti bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í ṣiṣẹ́ ní àwọn ìlú tí ó kù ní oṣù tí ń bọ̀. Àwọn olùgbé kan rò pé iṣẹ́ náà ń lọ dáradára, ṣùgbọ́n àwọn mìíràn gbà pé àkókò náà ti pẹ́ jù. Aṣojú àwọn olùgbé kan sọ pé, "A fẹ́ kí ọ́fíìsì ìjọba máa fún wa ní ìsọfúnni déédéé nípa ìtẹ̀síwájú iṣẹ́ náà, kì í ṣe pé kí a máa dúró de oṣù mélòó kan kí á tó gbọ́ ọ̀rọ̀ kan." Ìjọba ni ó kéde ètò náà, ṣùgbọ́n àwọn olùgbé fúnra wọn ni ó ń fojú sọ́nà bí iṣẹ́ náà ṣe ń lọ ní ilẹ̀.
1. According to the reporters, what improvement have many towns begun to see?
2. What did the water-office head say about the towns already completed?
3. How do residents' views differ regarding the pace of the work?
4. Identify one direct quotation in the passage and explain whose stance it expresses.
Iṣẹ́ rẹ — Your task: Answer the four questions above in complete Yorùbá sentences.
Writing Workshop
Write a short media summary and response (150–200 words) about a news item, with full tone marks and dot-under letters throughout. Your summary must include at least one reported-speech sentence with ó ní pé, at least one source attribution with gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ, at least one stance statement with rò pé or gbà pé, and at least one focus construction with ni highlighting a source or an event.
Sample summary shell — for reference only
Gẹ́gẹ́ bí [orísun] ṣe sọ, [ẹni tí ó sọ] ní pé [ọ̀rọ̀ tí a ròyìn].
According to [source], [speaker] said that [reported statement].Àwọn [ẹgbẹ́ mìíràn] rò/gbà pé [èrò wọn], [ẹni] ni ó [ìṣe kan pàtó].
[Another group] believe/hold that [their view]; it is [someone] who [did a specific thing].Include
- at least one reported-speech sentence with ó ní pé
- a source attribution with gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ
- a stance statement with rò pé or gbà pé
- a focus construction with ni highlighting a source or event
Avoid
- blending reported fact and personal stance without a clear marker
- losing track of which source said which statement
- omitting tone marks or dot-under letters
- Every vowel that should carry a high or low tone mark has one.
ẹ,ọ, andṣare distinguished frome,o, andsthroughout.- Each reported statement is clearly attributed to its source.
- Stance is marked separately from plain reported fact.
- At least one focus construction correctly highlights a source or event.
Culture and Communication
In many Yorùbá-speaking communities, community and regional radio stations play an important role in delivering public-service news in Yorùbá alongside English-language national broadcasts, and listeners often follow both to compare how a story is presented in each language.
The formality of broadcast Yorùbá and the specific attribution phrases used can vary somewhat between stations, regions, and program styles. This chapter's patterns describe a widely usable formal-register model; learners encountering other styles receptively should treat them as labeled variation rather than as errors.
Common Mistakes
Error: Reporting an expert's opinion as if it were a plain reported fact, for example saying "ó ní pé ìpolongo náà yóò ṣe ìrànlọ́wọ́ ńlá" when the source only expressed a belief, not a certainty.
Correction: Mark belief or interpretation with rò pé or gbà pé, as in "àwọn amòye rò pé ìpolongo náà yóò ṣe ìrànlọ́wọ́ ńlá."
Error: Reporting several statements from different sources without repeating or clarifying who said each one, leaving the listener unsure which source is responsible for which claim.
Correction: Repeat or clearly re-establish the source with attribution phrases or focus, as in ìjọba ni ó kéde ọjọ́ náà, ṣùgbọ́n àwọn amòye ni ó ṣàlàyé ìdí rẹ̀.
Chapter Summary
This chapter developed reported speech with ó ní pé, source attribution with gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ, stance marking with ó rò pé and wọ́n gbà pé, and focus for highlighting sources and events with ni, all inside the functional task of following and retelling a news item. Time/aspect tracking across reported clauses, consolidated from earlier volumes, was extended to interviews, commentary, and public announcements. Learners practiced listening to, speaking about, reading, and writing media content while maintaining full Standard Written Yorùbá production.
Chapter Review
Apá A — Ìṣàyẹ̀wò Gírámà (Grammar Check)
1. Write one reported-speech sentence using ó ní pé.
2. Write one sentence attributing information to a source using gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ.
3. Write one sentence expressing stance using rò pé or gbà pé, and one focus sentence using ni.
Apá B — Ìṣàyẹ̀wò Ara Ẹni (Self-Check)
1. Which part of media communication feels most natural to you so far?
2. Which part — reported speech, attribution, stance, or focus — do you want to keep practicing?
Ìfojúsí ẹkọ̀ tẹ́lẹ̀ — Cumulative review check
Before moving to Chapter 7, confirm you can do the following:
- Report a statement using ó ní pé.
- Attribute information to a source using gẹ́gẹ́ bí ... ṣe sọ.
- Distinguish reported fact from stance using rò pé or gbà pé.
- Use focus with ni to highlight a source or event.
- Keep reference to reporters, officials, and other sources clear throughout a summary.
- Maintain full tone marking and dot-under orthography throughout formal writing.
Practical Performance Task
Iṣẹ́ aṣeyọrí — Abala 6
Àkópọ̀ àti Ìdáhùn sí Ìròyìn — Media Summary and Response
Produce a complete short summary of and response to a news item, entirely in Standard Written Yorùbá, following the structure taught in this chapter.
Component 1 — Draft Summary
- 150–200 words, summarizing a news item's main statement, source, and one differing stance, with reported speech, attribution, stance, and focus.
- The reporter, official, and any other sources clearly identifiable throughout.
Component 2 — Revised Summary
- Apply the Media Summary Editing Checkpoint and produce a corrected final version.
- Note, in one or two sentences, what you changed and why.
Component 3 — Spoken Response
- Present the summary and a brief personal response aloud (60–90 seconds) to a partner, instructor, or recording.
Assessment note: This task provides evidence of reported-speech accuracy, source attribution, stance marking, focus control, reference-chain clarity, and tone/orthography precision, drawing on consolidated Volume III and Chapter 5 systems plus this chapter's newly developed structures.
Answer Key
Listening Practice Questions
- He said the government has begun preparing to distribute free vaccinations for children in areas that have not yet had this service.
- Health experts believe the campaign will reduce the number of children who fall ill.
- The government announced the date the campaign will begin; the experts explained the reason the work is important.
Reading Practice Questions
- According to the reporters, many towns have begun to see improvement in clean-water work.
- The water-office head said that work has been completed in half of the selected towns and preparation is underway for the remaining towns next month.
- Some residents believe the work is going well, while others hold that it has taken too long.
- Sample: "A fẹ́ kí ọ́fíìsì ìjọba máa fún wa ní ìsọfúnni déédéé nípa ìtẹ̀síwájú iṣẹ́ náà..." is a direct quotation expressing the residents' representative's stance requesting regular updates.
Guided Practice — Sample Responses
1. "Agbéròyìnjáde náà ní pé ìjọba ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í pín abẹ́rẹ́ àjẹsára ọ̀fẹ́ fún àwọn ọmọdé" is the reported-speech sentence. 2. "Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọ̀gá ilé-iṣẹ́ ìlera ṣe sọ" is the attribution phrase. 3. "Àwọn amòye ìlera rò pé ìpolongo náà yóò ṣe ìrànlọ́wọ́ ńlá" is the stance statement. 4. Sample: Àwọn amòye ni ó sọ ìdí rẹ̀.
Chapter Review — Apá A
1. Sample: Olùkọ́ náà ní pé àdánwò yóò jẹ́ ọ̀sẹ̀ tí ń bọ̀. 2. Sample: Gẹ́gẹ́ bí ìwé ìròyìn ṣe sọ, iye owó epo ti pọ̀ sí i. 3. Sample: Àwọn ọmọ ilé-ìwé rò pé ìdánwò náà le jù, ṣùgbọ́n olùkọ́ ni ó sọ pé kò le rárá.
Chapter Review — Apá B
Self-check items have no single fixed answer. Confirm your responses against the cumulative review checklist above.
Independent Study Tools
Fún akẹ́kọ̀ọ́ tí ń kọ́ ẹ̀kọ́ fúnra rẹ̀ — For the independent learner
- Keep a small list of reported-speech, attribution, and stance phrases you can reuse when discussing news or public statements.
- Listen to or read one short Yorùbá news item each day this week and identify the source of each claim.
- Ask a Yorùbá-speaking friend, tutor, or colleague to check whether your reported-speech and attribution sentences sound natural.
- Compare your summary to the model commentary and note any structural differences.
Looking Ahead
Ohun tí o lè ṣe báyìí — What you can do now
You can now report what someone said, attribute information to its source, distinguish reported fact from stance, use focus to highlight a source or event, and produce a media summary and response in Standard Written Yorùbá.