Language of the Media
Reports attribute a statement with izjavio je, naveo je, kazao je and potvrdio je.
How It Works
News writing keeps a small set of verbs for statements. They are in the perfect tense, so they need a form of biti.
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| izjavio je | stated |
| naveo je | said, listed, pointed out |
| kazao je | said |
| potvrdio je | confirmed |
| saopćio je | announced (also written saopštio) |
After the verb comes da and a clause: Meteorolozi su kazali da će sutra padati snijeg.
Other patterns give the source in a few words: prema riječima vlasnika (according to the owner) and kako je saopćeno (as announced).
In headlines the helping verb is often dropped, such as Direktor: Posjeta porasla. The sentence form with je is the normal one in the body text.
Verbs such as priznati (admit) or tvrditi (claim) add the writer's view, so careful reports choose the neutral ones above.
Examples (4)
- Direktor muzeja je naveo da je posjeta porasla.
The museum director said that the number of visitors had risen.
Naveo je introduces what was said.
- Meteorolozi su kazali da će sutra padati snijeg.
Forecasters said that it will snow tomorrow.
Su kazali is the plural perfect.
- Policija je potvrdila da je saobraćaj normalan.
The police confirmed that traffic is normal.
Potvrdila is feminine, to match policija.
- Prema riječima vlasnika, kafana radi od sedam sati.
According to the owner, the café opens at seven.
Prema riječima gives the source.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Media language.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
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