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French news vocabulary in context: source, rumour and denial

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Read a short local report and learn source, rumeur, démenti and reporting phrases. Practise keeping the speaker and uncertainty in your vocabulary notes.

In short

Keep the whole expression and its speaker: selon la responsable means according to the project manager, and pourrait keeps an outcome possible. A useful news note has a phrase, its meaning here and one sentence that preserves those details.

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A newly prepared French neighbourhood library reading room, a project manager speaking with residents at the doorway.
An opening rumour calls for une source. Illustration: Atelier

Local news · read for sources and certainty

La bibliothèque ouvrira-t-elle lundi ?

Une rumeur1 circule depuis mardi : l’ouverture de la bibliothèque serait reportée. Plusieurs habitants ont partagé le message, mais personne ne cite sa source2.

Mercredi matin, la mairie a publié un démenti3. Selon la responsable du projet, l’ouverture reste prévue lundi. Elle précise que4 les travaux dans la salle de lecture sont terminés.

En revanche, la rencontre avec les auteurs pourrait5 avoir lieu plus tard dans la semaine. L’horaire sera annoncé vendredi. Le journal vérifiera cette information avant de la diffuser6.

Read it in English

A rumour has been circulating since Tuesday: the library opening is supposedly being postponed. Several residents have shared the message, but nobody names their source.

On Wednesday morning, the town hall published a denial. According to the project manager, the opening is still planned for Monday. She specifies that the work in the reading room is finished.

However, the meeting with the authors could take place later in the week. The time will be announced on Friday. The newspaper will check this information before publishing it.

Three notes you can reuse
ExpressionMeaning in this reportKeep this context
selon la responsableaccording to the project managerThe manager is the source of the opening plan.
publier un démentito issue a denialThe town hall rejects the postponement rumour.
pourrait avoir lieucould take placeThe authors’ meeting has a possible later date.

The report contains two events: the library opening and the meeting with the authors. Keeping pourrait beside the meeting stops a vocabulary note from turning a possible change into a confirmed one. Likewise, selon keeps the manager attached to the information she provides.

News media and tools

Question 1No account needed
What remains planned for Monday according to the manager?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The library opening.. The manager says the opening remains planned for Monday; the meeting may be later.

Question 2No account needed
Which note preserves the uncertainty about the meeting?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

La rencontre pourrait avoir lieu plus tard.. Pourrait keeps the later meeting date possible; the report gives no fixed replacement date.

Question 3No account needed
What does un démenti do here?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Rejects the postponement rumour.. The town hall’s démenti contradicts the rumour about the library opening.

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