The news report: A news report (la crónica de noticias) is a factual account of something that happened, written for a newspaper or website. In Paper 1 you choose it when the task tells you to report an event for a publication — a competition, an incident, an inauguration. It's part of Unit 2: Text Types, so the marks come from getting its conventions and register right (Criterion C), not just the message.
- la crónica / la noticia
- the news report / the news item
- el titular
- the headline
- la entradilla
- the lead (the opening sentence with the key facts)
- el suceso
- the event (what happened)
- la cita / las declaraciones
- the quote / the statements
- el tono objetivo
- an objective, factual tone (no opinion)
Spot it in the task: The task asks you to report, not to give your view. "Escribe una crónica para el periódico…", "Informa sobre lo que ocurrió…" → a news report → objective. If it said "Da tu opinión sobre…" you'd switch to an opinion column (a different text type). Read what you must do with the event first.
Keep it objective: Write in the third person and the past tense, reporting facts and other people's words. Use reported and direct speech for quotes. Stay neutral — no «yo creo», no opinions. Consistency matters — slipping into a personal, opinionated voice breaks the register and costs you Criterion C.
Objective — do this
- El suceso ocurrió ayer por la tarde.
- Según las autoridades, hubo veinte participantes.
- «…», declaró la directora.
Opinionated — avoid here
- Yo creo que fue increíble.
- En mi opinión, deberían premiarlos.
- ¡Me encantó el evento!
Stay consistent: Pick the third person + past tense and keep it from the headline to the close. Verbs (ocurrió, declaró, participaron) and the absence of «yo» all have to agree with that objective choice.
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The five parts: Every news report follows the same shape. Hit all five parts and you've covered the conventions the examiner is looking for.
News report — 5 parts
1
Headline
A short, factual title that names the event. «El instituto Las Acacias gana el concurso de robótica»
2
Lead
One opening sentence with the key facts: who, what, when, where. «Ayer, un equipo del instituto ganó el primer premio en Valencia.»
3
Details
Further facts and figures, in the past tense — the longest part. «Participaron veinte centros y el proyecto consistió en…»
4
Quote
A statement from someone involved, in reported or direct speech. «…», declaró la directora.
5
Closing
A brief close: what happens next or the current situation. «Por el momento, el equipo se prepara para la final.»
Headline → Lead → Details → Quote → Closing
Don't skip the frame: Students lose easy Criterion C marks by forgetting the headline or the quote. They take seconds and show you know the text type — never leave them out.
A model, part by part: Here's a complete news report built from the five parts above. Read it once for the message, then tap Ver traducción to check the English or 🔊 to hear it.
Modelo: las 5 partes en acción
La crónica escrita, parte por parte
- El instituto Las Acacias gana el concurso regional de robótica
- Ayer por la tarde, un equipo de estudiantes del instituto Las Acacias ganó el primer premio en el concurso regional de robótica celebrado en Valencia.
- Según los organizadores, participaron veinte centros de toda la comunidad y el proyecto ganador consistió en un robot capaz de clasificar residuos. La entrega de premios tuvo lugar a las seis de la tarde.
- «Estamos muy orgullosos del trabajo de nuestros alumnos», declaró la directora del centro, que añadió que el equipo había dedicado varios meses al proyecto.
- Por el momento, el equipo se prepara para representar a la región en la final nacional, que se celebrará el próximo mes en Madrid.
Por qué puntúa — why it scores: This short report earns marks on all three Paper 1 criteria — here's how:
A — Language /12
- Objective third person; past tense throughout
- Connectors: «según», «por el momento»
- Correct verbs (ganó, participaron, declaró, tuvo lugar)
B — Message /12
- Clear purpose: reports the event AND its outcome
- Facts developed (the contest, figures, what's next)
C — Conceptual /6
- Report conventions: headline + lead + quote
- Consistent objective register (no opinion)
- Neutral, factual tone
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A toolkit you can reuse: Learn a few ready-made phrases for each part. They make your report sound natural and save time in the exam. Tap 🔊 to hear them.
Para empezar (the lead)
- Ayer tuvo lugar… — Yesterday … took place…
- El suceso ocurrió en… — The event happened in…
- Esta mañana, un grupo de… — This morning, a group of…
Para los datos (attributing facts)
- Según las autoridades,… — According to the authorities,…
- De acuerdo con los organizadores,… — According to the organisers,…
- Cabe destacar que… — It is worth noting that…
Para citar y cerrar (quotes & closing)
- «…», declaró el portavoz. — “…,” declared the spokesperson.
- El responsable añadió que… — The official added that…
- Por el momento,… — For now,…
Use one from each: One lead opener, one or two attributed facts in the body, and one quote plus a closing is plenty — and instantly makes the report feel like the real text type.