Language Aspects of News

 Materi1 bab
 Soal

Objectives

 Identify specific information related to the news item correctly.

 Infer the main idea of the paragraph accurately.
 Distinguish news item from other types of text.

Learn about it!

Nowadays, it is really easy to get all the information that we need. Even sometimes, we are
overwhelmed by it that we suffer from what so called ‘information overload’ – a condition when
you receive too much information at one time and cannot process or think about it clearly. This is
because information can be accessed so easily in this age. Be it from digital or printed media,
information is at our fingertip. One of the ways to get it is by reading or listening to the news.

Do you like watching a news program on a television?

Or do you prefer reading a newspaper?

If newspaper feels too old-fashioned for you, would you prefer to read the news on a
website?

Or maybe you like to listen to the news on a radio.

Whichever it is, reading or listening to the news is beneficial for you. You could get the most
recent and up-to-date information about what is happening around the world. However, before
talking about news item any further, there is one important question: Do you know what news
item is?

News item is a form of text that consists of information about recent event that is considered
newsworthy. So, not all events are news item, only those which are important and worth to be
reported. In addition, the information provided in news item should be based on fact.

Let's think!
The main features of news item include:
Headlines

The headlines often use short words, involve word play, and sometimes ambiguous. All those are
to arouse the readers’ curiosity, so they will look at the article.

Straightforward/ direct language style

A good news item will not ‘beat around the bush’ as it uses straightforward language to deliver
the information.

Passive voice

News item emphasizes the event or the action instead of the doer. Therefore, passive voice is one
of the important features.

Action verb

You will find numerous action verbs when reading or listening to a news item. Action verb is a
verb that expresses something that a person, animal, thing, or process can do.

For example:

 The government proposed a new program.

 The ministry claimed to be the one who is responsible.

Reported/ indirect speech

These are verbs used to report what someone said. It is usually in the past form, but not always.

 The authority said that the last night event was very unfortunate for the local residents.

 One of the visitors exclaimed that the show was the best one she had ever seen.

 “We are not in crisis and we will be able to improve our economy condition soon enough,” the
minister argued.

Adverb
Adverb is used to add more detailed information about the event reported. Adverb of time
(recently, currently, yesterday, today) is used to report the time it actually happened. Adverb of
place (here, there, inside, outside) is used to report the location where it happened. Adverb of
manner (clearly, frankly, quickly) is also commonly used in a news item.

Now, let’s take a look at how a news text is written.

The structure of a news item:
 1. Newsworthy event (Main event)
The main topic of the news.
2. Background event (Elaboration) Additional information related to the news.
3. Source
The resource of the news

In your daily life, you will also hear some news when you watch television or listen to the radio.
Even if you avoid the news program, there will be times when your favorite television show is
interrupted by a breaking news program. Here is the example to help you get familiar to news
item.

(Listening)
One of the world’s social networking giants, Facebook, stated that their users who log in at least
monthly (1) ... 13% to 1.49 billion in the last three months. This number is (2) ... to half of the
estimated worldwide internet user. The company (3) ... that more than one out of every five
minutes (4) … by people to log onto Facebook. The (5)... in monthly active users steered its
revenue up 39% to $4.04 billion. The biggest revenue came from the mobile advertising.

1. grew
2. equivalent
3. stated
4. was spent
5. increase

Keypoints
Main features of news item:
Use of Headlines:
short words, involve word play, and sometimes ambiguous.

Straightforward language:
direct, not beat around the bush.

Passive voice:
emphasizes the event or the action instead of the doer.

Action verbs:
verbs that expresses something that a person, animal, thing, or process can do.

Reported/ Indirect speech:

used to report what someone said.

Adverb:
used to add more detailed information about the event reported.

1
S1

Soal
The following text is for Question 5 to Question 7
According to the text, Veg One ….

S2

Soal
The text is for Questions number 1 to 4
The number of lecturers recruited by the government last year was ....

S3

Soal
The text is for Questions number 1 to 4
The following are the statements from the Minister, except ….

S4

Soal
The text is for Questions number 1 to 4
The percentage of Indonesian lecturers holding doctorate degree is ….

S5

Soal
The text is for Questions number 1 to 4
The text talks about ….

S6

Soal
The following text is for Question 5 to Question 7
‘The lettuce was cultivated in a special box …’ (paragraph 2)

The underlined word is similar in meaning to ….

S7

Soal
The following text is for Question 5 to Question 7
From the news above, we can infer that ….

S8

Soal
Listen to the news and answer the questions.

According to the news, rupiah strengthened on Friday from … to … against US dollar.

The correct options to fill the above blanks are ....

S9
Soal
Listen to the news and answer the questions.

The news that you just heard is about ….

S10

Soal
The most suitable headline for the news is ….