The news report (le reportage) as a text type: A news report (un reportage / un fait divers) is part of the theme Text types (2.3). It informs the public about a real event for the readers of a newspaper, magazine or website.
What a news report does
- Reports a real event — an opening, a result, an incident
- Stays neutral — the reporter gives no opinion of their own
- Relates the facts in the third person and the past (passé composé)
- On Paper 1 you may be asked to write one, so you need its headline, its lead paragraph and its objective tone
The key idea: A headline (le titre) + a lead (le chapeau) that answers the five W's — qui, quoi, où, quand, pourquoi — then facts attributed to a source and a quotation.
- un reportage / un fait divers
- a news report / a news item
- le titre
- the headline
- le chapeau
- the lead paragraph (the key facts up front)
- les cinq questions (5 W)
- qui, quoi, où, quand, pourquoi — who, what, where, when, why
- une source
- a source (whom a fact is attributed to)
- une citation
- a quotation (in direct speech)
- objectif / neutre
- objective / neutral (no opinion)
- informer
- to inform (the purpose of a report)
A news report HAS…
- un titre factuel et objectif (**La ville inaugure un parc**)
- un chapeau qui répond à qui / quoi / où / quand
- des faits attribués à une source (**selon…**)
- une citation et une clôture sur la suite
A news report is NOT…
- une suite de questions et de réponses (un entretien)
- un récit privé à la première personne (un journal intime)
- un texte qui défend une opinion (une critique, une tribune)
Real tasks where it was an option
- Report yesterday's protest to save a stadium (Nov 2023)
- Report on a new bike-hire scheme for the school paper (HL, May 2026)
Conventions the examiner checks
- Titre + qui, quoi, où, quand dès le début
- Third person, facts, quotations
- Et maintenant ? (la suite)
Traps that cost Criterion C
- Writing in the first person with feelings
- Leaving the key facts to the end
- No quotations
How you'll recognise it: If a text opens with a factual headline, puts the key facts up front in a lead, uses third person and the past, and attributes facts to a source without giving an opinion, it is a news report.
Its signature: That objective frame — headline + lead + the five W's — is its signature, and it is exactly what the examiner rewards in Criterion C (conceptual understanding).
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Objective and neutral, third person, past tense: A news report is objective and neutral: third person, passé composé for what happened and présent for the current situation, and no je.
The danger: The danger is slipping into personal opinion or excitement like a diary — that loses Criterion C. Decide before you write: report the facts, attribute them to a source, and keep your own feelings out.
Tone markers to use
- Third person, no je — Les habitants ont inauguré…
- Passé composé for the event — a déclaré, ont participé
- Present for the current situation — Pour le moment, le groupe organise…
- Attribution to a source — selon l'association…, d'après la mairie…
- A neutral quotation in direct speech — …, a déclaré le maire.
Too subjective / wrong (avoid)
- **Quelle journée incroyable, j'ai adoré !**
- **Je pense que ce parc est une super idée.**
- **Salut tout le monde, je vous raconte…**
Objective and neutral (use)
- **La mairie a inauguré un nouveau parc au centre-ville.**
- **Selon les organisateurs, plus de mille personnes étaient présentes.**
- **Pour le moment, le projet se poursuit.**
Facts, not feelings: What separates a news report from a diary or a review is neutrality. Stay in the third person and the past, attribute every figure to a source, and replace emotion with a fact — that is exactly what Criterion C rewards. The first je or exclamation mark signals the wrong text type.
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Four moves: headline → lead → body → close: Every news report follows the same shape. Build it in four moves and you will never forget the headline or the attributed facts — both are easy Criterion C marks.
News-report structure — 4 moves
1
Headline (le titre)
A short, factual, objective title that names the event. La mairie inaugure un nouveau parc au centre-ville.
2
Lead (le chapeau)
One opening sentence with the key facts: who, what, where, when. Dimanche matin, les habitants ont inauguré…
3
Body (le corps)
Develop with facts attributed to a source and a quotation. Selon l'association…, …, a déclaré la coordinatrice.
4
Close (la clôture)
A neutral closing about what happens next or the current situation. Pour le moment, le groupe organise…
Titre → Chapeau (5 W) → Corps (faits + citation) → Clôture
| Move | Set phrase (French) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | La ville inaugure / Une tempête frappe la région | The town opens / A storm hits the region |
| Lead (5 W) | Dimanche matin, les habitants ont… (qui/quoi/où/quand) | On Sunday morning, the residents… (who/what/where/when) |
| Body (attributed) | Selon… / D'après… / …, a déclaré… | According to… / …, said… |
| Close | Pour le moment… / La suite est prévue pour… | For the moment… / What follows is planned for… |
The five W's in the lead: The lead (le chapeau) packs the five W's — qui, quoi, où, quand, pourquoi — into one or two sentences right after the headline. Answer them up front and the body just adds detail and the quotation.
Why it scores: Getting the five W's into the lead lifts both Criterion B (message) and Criterion C (conventions) — it is the heart of a report.
A model news report, feature by feature: Here is a short original news report about the opening of a community garden. Read it once for the general idea; then we'll point out the features that earn the marks.
Stuck?: Tap the audio button to hear it, or Voir la traduction if you get stuck.
Reportage — l'inauguration d'un jardin partagé: Titre : Le quartier des Tilleuls inaugure son premier jardin partagé
Dimanche matin, les habitants du quartier des Tilleuls ont inauguré le premier jardin partagé du secteur, situé à côté de la maison de quartier. Selon l'association des riverains, plus de cinquante familles ont participé au projet pendant six mois.
Reportage (suite) — la citation et la clôture
Nous voulions un espace vert pour tout le monde, a déclaré la coordinatrice du jardin. Pour le moment, le groupe organise des ateliers de jardinage pour les plus jeunes du quartier.
What makes this a news report — the features that score
Feature by feature
- The headline. Le quartier des Tilleuls inaugure son premier jardin partagé — a short, factual title that names the event objectively, with no opinion. That headline is the first Criterion C mark.
- The lead (the five W's). Dimanche matin, les habitants du quartier des Tilleuls ont inauguré le premier jardin partagé du secteur, situé à côté de la maison de quartier. — quand, qui, quoi, où, all in the third person and the passé composé. The lead front-loads the key facts.
- Attributed facts. Selon l'association des riverains, plus de cinquante familles ont participé au projet pendant six mois. — a figure attributed to a source (selon…), not the reporter's opinion. Attribution keeps the report objective.
- The quotation. Nous voulions un espace vert pour tout le monde, a déclaré la coordinatrice. — a quote in direct speech, attributed to a named person. The quotation adds a human voice without breaking the neutral register.
- The close. Pour le moment, le groupe organise des ateliers de jardinage pour les plus jeunes du quartier. — a neutral, forward-looking close in the present about what happens next — the final Criterion C mark, often forgotten.
Copy the frame, change the content: Reuse this frame — headline → lead (5 W) → attributed facts + quotation → neutral close, in the third person and the past — for any report task. Only the event changes; the conventions stay the same, and that is what scores Criterion C.
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Phrases that build the whole report: Learn these ready-made phrases as a deck. With them you can write any news report: headline, lead (five W's), attributed facts, quotation and neutral close — all in the third person and the past.
To open & to set the scene
- La ville / la mairie inaugure… — The town / town hall opens… (headline)
- Dimanche matin / Hier après-midi,… — On Sunday morning / Yesterday afternoon,… (lead)
- Les habitants ont inauguré / participé à… — The residents opened / took part in…
- L'événement a eu lieu… — The event took place…
- qui, quoi, où, quand, pourquoi — who, what, where, when, why (the five W's)
To attribute & to close
- Selon… / D'après… — According to… (attribute a fact to a source)
- …, a déclaré… / a affirmé… — '…', said… / stated… (introduce a quote)
- plus de cinquante familles / environ mille personnes — more than fifty families / about a thousand people
- Pour le moment,… / À l'heure actuelle,… — For the moment,… / At present,… (neutral close)
- La prochaine édition aura lieu… — The next edition will take place… (forward-looking close)
| Device | English | Use it to… |
|---|---|---|
| le titre objectif | the objective headline | name the event without opinion |
| le chapeau (les 5 W) | the lead (the five W's) | front-load the key facts |
| l'attribution (selon…) | attribution (according to…) | tie a fact to a source, stay neutral |
| la citation au style direct | the direct-speech quotation | add a human voice objectively |
Plug in, don't translate: These are chunks you plug straight into your report — never translate word-for-word from English, which produces unnatural French. Reusing accurate set phrases + attribution + a quotation is exactly what Criterion A (Language) and Criterion C (conventions) reward.