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English: News & Current Affairs

Updated 27 Oct 2026 4 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: English news and current affairs lesson — newspaper, headline, report, announce, rise, ban
Short answer

To talk about the news in English, learn the headline verbs (announce, claim, ban, cut, soar) and a few patterns for summarising: 'According to the BBC…', 'It says that…', and 'Apparently…'. Reporting verbs and the passive do most of the work: 'A new law has been announced'.

On this page10 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01By the end of this page you can…
  2. 02Headline vocabulary — short, strong verbs
  3. 03Summarising a story — say whose claim it is
  4. 04Reacting to the news
  5. 05A short conversation
  6. 06Usage notes
  7. 07Example sentences
  8. 08Practice
  9. 09Quiz
  10. 10Recap cheat-sheet

Level: B2. News English has its own compact style: short, strong verbs, lots of the passive, and headlines that break the normal rules of grammar. This lesson gives you the headline vocabulary, the patterns for summarising a story accurately, and the phrases for reacting to what you read or hear.

By the end of this page you can…

…read a news headline and work out what really happened, summarise a story while making clear whose claim it is, and react to the news with natural opinion phrases.

Headline vocabulary — short, strong verbs

Headlines use the shortest word that fits, so a small set of punchy verbs appears again and again. Learn them as news words:

English What it means in the news
announce officially tell the public something
report say that something happened (often repeating a source)
claim say something is true without proof
deny say something is not true
ban officially stop something
cut reduce (jobs, spending, prices)
rise / soar go up / go up sharply
fall / plunge go down / go down sharply

A headline is the title of a story; the first paragraph is the lead. The person or organisation the information comes from is the source. A story that is happening now is a developing story; a short urgent one is breaking news.

Summarising a story — say whose claim it is

The skill B2 examiners look for is reporting a story without pretending every claim is a fact. Use a reporting frame and the right reported speech:

  • According to the BBC, the talks have failed.
  • The article says (that) prices will rise again.
  • It reports that the minister has resigned.
  • The government claims (that) the plan will create jobs. (claims = says, but not proven)

The passive is everywhere in the news because the action matters more than the doer. Review the passive and its reporting forms:

  • Three people were injured in the accident.
  • A new law has been announced.
  • The minister is said to have resigned. (we are reporting what people say)

Reacting to the news

Move beyond good and bad. These frames sound natural and let you give a measured opinion:

  • It’s worrying / encouraging that… + clause: It’s worrying that prices keep rising.
  • I was surprised / shocked to hear (that)…: I was surprised to hear the result.
  • I’m not sure I believe…: I’m not sure I believe the claim.
  • It makes you wonder…: It makes you wonder what will happen next.

A short conversation

A: Did you see the news? Apparently, they’re banning cars from the city centre. B: Really? According to who? A: The local paper. It says the ban starts next year. B: It’s encouraging, but I’m not sure I believe it will actually happen. A: We’ll see. It’s still a developing story.

Usage notes

  • say vs tell: tell needs a person (tell me, tell the public); say does not (say that…). The news says; a spokesperson tells reporters.
  • claim vs say: claim signals the statement is unproven or disputed. Use it carefully — it quietly casts doubt.
  • rise (verb) vs raise (verb): prices rise by themselves (no object); a government raises taxes (needs an object). The noun a rise means an increase.
  • affect vs effect: affect is usually the verb (the law affects drivers); effect is usually the noun (the effect of the law).

Example sentences

Press play and read each line as a news presenter would — clear and even.

  1. The government has announced a new tax.
    Announce = tell the public officially.
  2. According to the report, prices will rise.
    According to = naming your source.
  3. Three people were injured in the crash.
    Passive: the doer is unknown or unimportant.
  4. The minister denied the claims.
    Deny = say it is not true.
  5. Apparently, the factory is closing.
    Apparently = I heard this but can't confirm it.
  6. Unemployment has fallen for the third month.
    Fall = go down.
  7. Fuel prices have soared this year.
    Soar = rise sharply.
  8. The company plans to cut 200 jobs.
    Cut = reduce.
  9. It reports that the talks have failed.
    Reporting frame for a news story.
  10. The president is said to be unwell.
    Is said to = people say, unconfirmed.
  11. A new law banning smoking has been passed.
    Ban = officially stop.
  12. I was shocked to hear the result.
    Reacting to news with a feeling.
  13. It's worrying that so many shops are closing.
    It's worrying that + clause.
  14. The strike is still a developing story.
    Developing story = still happening.
  15. Officials claim the plan will create jobs.
    Claim = say, but not proven.
  16. The BBC says the decision is final.
    Say does not take a person after it.
  17. She told reporters she would resign.
    Tell needs a person: told reporters.
  18. It makes you wonder what will happen next.
    A thoughtful reaction frame.
  19. Breaking news: the airport has reopened.
    Breaking news = urgent and new.
  20. The effect of the new rule is not yet clear.
    Effect = the noun; affect = the verb.

Recap card for the English news and current affairs lesson with headline verbs, reporting frames and reaction phrases

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

News and current affairs practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 The headline reads 'PM resigns'. What does it actually mean?
Show answer

The PM has resigned — Headlines use the present simple for recent past events: 'resigns' means 'has resigned'.

Hint: two words that introduce a source

Show answer

According to — 'According to + source' tells the listener where the information comes from.

3 Which verb signals the claim is unproven?
Show answer

claim — 'Claim' quietly signals that a statement is not proven or is disputed.

Hint: no person comes after this verb

Show answer

says — 'Say' takes no person directly after it: the news says that…; you tell someone.

5 Put the words in order to make a passive news sentence.

Show answer

Three people were injured — The passive puts the affected people first: Three people were injured.

6 Match each news verb to its meaning.

  • ban
  • soar
  • cut
  • deny
Show answer
  • ban → officially stop
  • soar → rise sharply
  • cut → reduce
  • deny → say it's not true

These short, strong verbs appear constantly in headlines.

Quiz

Check yourself

News and current affairs quiz

11 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/11 0 answered
  1. 1A headline says 'Fuel prices soar'. 'Soar' means prices…
    Show answer

    rise sharply — Soar = go up sharply; its opposite is plunge.

  2. 2Which sentence correctly uses 'tell'?
    Show answer

    She told reporters the news. — Tell needs a person: told reporters. Use 'say' when there's no person.

  3. 3You read a rumour you can't confirm. The safest opener is…
    Show answer

    Apparently, — 'Apparently' signals you heard it but can't confirm it.

  4. 4'The minister is said to have resigned' means…
    Show answer

    people say she resigned, but it's unconfirmed — 'Is said to' reports what people say without confirming it.

  5. 5Choose the correct pair: taxes ___ ; prices ___ by themselves.
    Show answer

    raise / rise — A government raises taxes (object); prices rise on their own (no object).

  6. 6Which verb means 'officially tell the public'?
    Show answer

    announce — Announce = make something public officially.

  7. 7Headlines often drop which words?
    Show answer

    a, the, and forms of be — To save space, headlines drop articles and forms of 'be'.

  8. 8'It's worrying that…' is used to…
    Show answer

    give a measured negative reaction — 'It's worrying/encouraging that + clause' gives a measured opinion.

  9. 9Which is the noun?
    Show answer

    the effect of the law — Effect is normally the noun; affect is normally the verb.

  10. 10A story that is still happening is a…
    Show answer

    developing story — A developing story is one that is still unfolding.

  11. 11Which reporting frame keeps you honest about the source?
    Show answer

    According to the report,… — 'According to + source' attributes the claim rather than stating it as fact.

Recap cheat-sheet

Idea Pattern Example
Headline verbs announce, ban, cut, soar, plunge Fuel prices soar.
Headline grammar present simple for past; drop a/the/be PM resigns.
Attribute it According to…, It says that… According to the BBC,…
Passive news were + past participle Three people were injured.
Unconfirmed Apparently / is said to Apparently, it’s closing.
React It’s worrying/encouraging that… It’s worrying that prices rise.

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